Author: dbolton

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It is Not Good When People Take Advantage of You While in the Military

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Military news…

Just rename the Confederate bases already

It’s well within the Pentagon’s power to re-name bases, ships, buildings and other assets dedicated to the former Confederate States of America, but nobody seems in a hurry to get it done. In fact, Congress has put an independent naming commission in charge of the process, which is usually Capitol Hill-ese for “let’s take our sweet-ass time.”

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“The farther I get from those days, the heavier my guilt,” writes Marine veteran Russell Hellyer in this story, which originally appeared in The War Horse, about his deployment to Afghanistan. Russell describes how his view of the Afghan people changed over the years. As a bitter grunt in a war nobody seemed to understand, he had little empathy for them. But now, years later, he writes sharply that “we were never committed to anything but sticking around, and the results for the people of Afghanistan show it.”
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Two sailors die after Navy plane crashes in Alabama

“The aircrew did not survive the crash,” wrote U.S. Naval Air Forces. “We are not aware of any civilian casualties.”

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Marine commandant to leaders: Quit the ‘soft relief’ of fired officers
In a letter sent earlier this month to a wide swath of the Marine officer corps, commandant Gen. David Berger reminded everyone from general to lieutenant that they needed to hold Marines accountable with a paper trail.
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Exoskeletons and the future of military body armor

What if soldiers in the future could carry 300 lbs of body armor and heavy weapons with ease? With the development of new exoskeleton suits, the burden of heavy body armor may become an issue of the past.

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Serious injuries’ reported in explosion at Connecticut VA hospital
An explosion at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Connecticut has left several people with “serious injuries,” the Associated Press reports.
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Enlisted sailors on Navy warships are at higher risk of COVID-19 than officers, study finds

Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases are more likely to spread among enlisted crew members on Navy ships, a new study released this week found, due to the sailors’ tight living and workspaces.

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French military kills senior Al Qaeda leader in Mali
French forces have killed Bah ag Moussa, a military leader of al Qaeda’s North Africa wing, during an operation in northeastern Mali, Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said on Friday.
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I just got home from an appointment with my hearing aid doctor. I asked her if she would write a letter to the VA for my hearing loss. She said I needed to go through the proper channels before she would do that. I have already done that, but I will try again.

I have been battling the VA for years on my hearing loss that happen while I was in Korea.

I will NOT give up and neither should of any of you who have physical problems that you got while in the military.
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Several posts back I talked about being greeted by two guys on my first day at Camp Red Cloud, South Korea. Those guys became my best buddies. One reason was that hey were very muscular and big. I needed my body guards. 🙂

A week later they invited me to go with them to the Camp bar. I glady went because I liked them so much. When we got there we had a couple of beers, and then one of them went to the bartender and ordered another kind a drink. He brought three of them to the table.

They were tall glasses and were full of gray and other colors. The one who bought the drinks said we should go for it and have a sip. I took that sip and my head almost exploded. I choughed. The guys laughed.

The the one who bought the drinks said let’s have a drinking contest. I was an 18 year old kid who was very naive. I went for it. I took another big gulp and I was spinning after only two drinks.

We continued and had the third gulp. That is the last thing I remember. I was in a black out mode, and I didn’t even know what that was.

I woke up the next morning by the wheel by a 2 1/2 ton truck. I was dry heaving.

I found out later that what we was drinking was Zombies!

I got very upset with the guys for taking advantage of me, and they were sorry.
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+This story and many more are in my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the MIlitary: In an Out of the Trenches of Life.

Check Back often to see other stories and update on the progress of the book. Better yet, sign up to subscribe by clicking on the subscribe button at the top of this page. When you do you will get all future post directly in you inbox.
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Have you ever been taken advantage of while in the military? Does it still haunt you today?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 12,025 fellow veterans subscribed to this site. They all have your back.

However, if what you are going through is overwhelming, GET HELP!

There is a toll free number you can call 24/7.

There are highly qualified counselors there to help you. They will not hang up until they know you are ok.

Never take on the not so friendly world alone.

I-800-273-8255 Option # 1
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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know about it.

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There Are Many Great Stories About Our Heroes Who Fought in WWII.

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Military news…

“We’re under great pressure. We’re crumbling. We’re being overrun,” Retired Army Ranger Col. Ralph Puckett recalls saying in November, 1950, when he and a small force of other Rangers and Korean soldiers held off hundreds of Chinese soldiers during a battle near Unsan, Korea. 70 years later, Haley Britzky was among the first to report on Wednesday that Puckett will receive the Medal of Honor for his conspicuous gallantry that day. 

It might be obvious that drinking and samurai swords don’t mix, but, as they say about a lot of things, ‘tell it to the Marines.’ One Marine told me about his unfortunate experience with the two for a story I wrote rounding up reader submissions of the dumbest things they did in uniform. Other readers talked about picking up forklifts with bigger forklifts, or shorting out the base power generator because they were trying to watch Power Rangers. 

It might be obvious that drinking and samurai swords don’t mix, but, as they say about a lot of things, ‘tell it to the Marines.’ One Marine told me about his unfortunate experience with the two for a story I wrote rounding up reader submissions of the dumbest things they did in uniform. Other readers talked about picking up forklifts with bigger forklifts, or shorting out the base power generator because they were trying to watch Power Rangers. 


“The job of a Corpsman is to go through hell and back for your Marines,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Luis Fonseca at his retirement ceremony last week.  Nobody knows that job better than Fonseca, who is the most decorated active-duty corpsman in the Navy and who first cut his teeth running through a wall of lead to save his buddies during the 2003 Battle of Nasiriyah. Fonseca was awarded the Navy Cross for valor for his actions that day, but it was only the beginning of a long career saving Marines on far-flung battlefields.
The Air Force has deployed its drone-killing microwave weapon to Africa
The Air Force is currently testing a prototype of its new drone-killing microwave weapon “in a real-world setting” in Africa, Breaking Defense reports, a major step forward for the service’s directed energy efforts.
Military spouses are the backbone of the military

The United States military is the finest fighting force in the world, ready to deploy anywhere within 48-hour notice. A combat-ready unit cannot operate without logistics, communications, and of course, family support. While they don’t wear uniforms, military spouses are fundamental in keeping our forces domestic and abroad focused, supported, and ready to go.
The Air Force’s new drone-in-a-box is like ‘scramble the fighters’ for base security forces
New drones at Travis Air Force Base respond immediately to fence alarms or distress calls, giving security forces rapid eyes-in-the-sky.
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Why did I enlist into the Army? (Thank you for asking.)

I had three uncles that fought in WWII. Two of them received the Purple Heart. They were brave and was able to come home. They told me stories of many that didn’t come home.

My brother went into the National Guard after I enlisted.

I was a freshman in college and my first term GPA was 0.76! I was having too much fun.

Myself and two other buddies sat down and had a talk. We decided to enlist under the buddy system. I was proud to join because I honored my uncles so much.

I have stories about my uncles in my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life. Two of my uncles were in life threatening situations.

One uncle was a tanker. He was the man who was in charge of the tank with two other soldiers. One day he stopped the tank and told his buddies he was going to air out the tank by opening the top.

That turned out to be a mistake. A Japanese soldier came running up and tossed a grenade into the tank. It killed his best friend next to him, and he and the other tanker were wounded.

He never wanted to talk about that incident, because he felt it was his fault for having people killed and wounded.

Another uncle was in the infantry. He was fighting the Germans in France. He whole unit was attacked, and many of the soldiers were either killed or wounded.

Those that survived retreated. This left many man still alive, but wounded.

My Uncle could see the German soldiers coming through and checking to see if there were any soldiers still alive. If they were they killed them.

My uncle had to “Play dead.” He couldn’t move or even breath as one german came by him. They went on through and then the medics came back to rescue those who were still breathing. My was uncle one of them.

My third uncle was a SeaBee. They were vital to the war in that they built bridges across rivers for the soldiers to advance. This also helped with the equipment.

To me he was just as much as a hero as the others.

Stories about these three heroes are in my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life.

Keep coming back to see what new things have happened.

Better yet, go to the top of this page and click on the subscribe button. When you do all future posts will come directly to your inbox.

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Were you wounded while in the military? Are you still suffering because of that?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 12,010 fellow veterans subscribed to this site, and they all have your back.

If it is just too overwhelming for you right now. GET HELP!

There is a toll free number to call 24/7.

There are highly qualified counselors there to help you. They will not hang up until they know you are OK.

Never face the storms alone!

1-800-273-8255 Option # 1

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know about it.

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Military Spouses Are Very Vital to Helping Their Loved Ones

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Military News…

Russia.” That’s what one former teammate of Peter Debbins said in court documents about the former Green Beret. Debbins, 46, was sentenced last week to more than 15 years in federal prison after admitting he passed secrets to Moscow for years. It sounds made-up, but unfortunately for Debbins’ former teammates, who now feel like they have to spend their whole lives looking over their shoulders, it’s all too real.

‘Stop the social experiment’ is one of several biased views that women face in Army special operations, according to an internal survey sent to Haley Britzky. Forty percent of women in Army special operations say they’ve faced gender bias in the workplace, Haley writes, and many said that, unlike men, they are assumed to be worthless as soon as they walk in the door. On top of that, they also have to deal with issues like ill-fitting body armor, inadequate childcare and the false impression that they get an easier time through the selection process than men.

Constant mobilizations may be pushing the National Guard to the brink
More mobilizations. More time away from jobs and families. More strain on the Guard.
The Air Force wants to ‘enhance’ and ‘augment’ its ‘draft beer capabilities’

The Air Force is calling for additional self-serve beer taps at its on-base bar and grille at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.


 Ranger training battalion commander relieved for making ‘derogatory’ comments about subordinatesA Ranger Training Battalion commander was relieved last month after making “derogatory comments” about soldiers training to become Army Ranger.
The Air Force has deployed its drone-killing microwave weapon to Africa

The Air Force is currently testing a prototype of its new drone-killing microwave weapon “in a real-world setting” in Africa, Breaking Defense reports, a major step forward for the service’s directed energy efforts.
Military spouses are the backbone of the military
The United States military is the finest fighting force in the world, ready to deploy anywhere within 48-hour notice. A combat-ready unit cannot operate without logistics, communications, and of course, family support. While they don’t wear uniforms, military spouses are fundamental in keeping our forces domestic and abroad focused, supported, and ready to go.
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The last aritice is special to me. I feel that spouses are vital to the military. In my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life, I have a whole chapter on the subject.

I talk about my own daughter-in-law being a spouse to my son KC. He spent close to thirty years in the service and she was by his side the whole way.
As many of you already know, when your spouse is deployed, you are it. You have to make all the decision, pay all the bills.
My son was deployed to Iraq two time and he was gone for two years total. My daughter-in-law was wonderful spouse during all of this. She never wavered.
I want to also mention that not all spouses are women as far as staying home. Many men are spouses to women soldiers.
It is tougher for them to survive, because they do not have the massive support groups like the women have.
When they need help it is hard to know where to go.
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One of my favorite moments of all time was when I able to be at FT Lewis when the plane carrying my son landed from Iraq.

We were in a hanger waiting them to march into view. You could hear them coming because they were doing cadence.

Then the head of the group started coming into the hanger. I could see my son amongst them.

He didn’t know I was there. That made it even more special. He was very excited to see me and his wife.

These stories and much more are in the book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the trenches of life.

+ Keep coming back to read updates on how the book is doing. Better yet, subscribe right now by clicking on the subscribe button at the top of this page. When you do all future posts will come directly to your inbox.

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Were you deployed and was away from family? Did you cherish the reunion when you came home? No? Did your spouse leave you? Did people not even come to meet you?

Fear not!

There are over 12,000 fellow subscribed to the site, and they have your back.

However, if you life is spinning out of control, GET HELP!

Here is a toll free number to call 24/7.

There are highly qualified counselors there to help you. They will not hang up until they know you are OK. This is all free!

Never be alone if you are hurting.

1-800-273-8255 Option # 1

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

___________________________________

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know about it.