WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! ARTICLE 7 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dodge any Sacrifice, Ignore any Problem and Dismiss any Contradictory Idea ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: In response to Hack's recent piece on Master Sergeant Neil, the King of Trash. The letter highlights an important point: PP's are confirmed by the Senate and therefore protected, even when these guys become clear failures. ************************************************************************* A Retired Warrior The fact that BG Craddock is an excuse for a leader should come as no surprise. The fact that his bootlicking staff would sooner destroy a soldier's career than correct a serious problem he's reported is also not news in today's Hear-no-See-no-Speak-no-evil-Army. Just look at the exemplary senior officers BG Craddock has above him... men like General John Abrams who've perfected the art of taking credit for everything good and avoiding responsibility for anything bad. Is it any wonder the Army is in trouble? We have a crisis in leadership because the 'problem' is asking "What's the problem?" They don't want to know the answer, they'll ruin anybody who dares utter the truth, and their staffs ensure things stay that way. I feel for MSG Neil because I know he's screwed career-wise. Nobody who can actually take on the Perfumed Princes -- such as the Senate Armed Services Committee -- is going to champion an NCO's cause. After all, these same people confirmed the nominations of the very General Officers who are often the cause of many of the Army's problems. MSG Neil may win the battle but he will loose the war because the cowards who are determined to turn a blind eye and deaf ear to the truth will use an administrative process to ruin him. They know better than to take it to a Court-martial and their staffs have been taking notes from the Clinton Administration on 'Spin' control -- elevating it to both an art & science. You and I have seen this too many times before. The good news is that MSG Neil will land on his feet and do just fine because competent people always succeed in the end. The other good news is that the Army is getting exactly what it's paid for... legions of 'Yes' men & women who will avoid any hardship, dodge any sacrifice, ignore any problem and dismiss any contradictory idea to safeguard their precious careers. In the end, the Army is getting what it richly deserves. Sadly, the bad news is that the nation will someday pay a terrible price for the lack of leadership which permeates the Army. But that's not MSG Neil's problem. The best thing MSG Neil can do is pack his bags and prepare for life in a 'society' that actually values courage and integrity. He can draw comfort from the knowledge that his actions have saved many lives and been an example to countless soldiers. And that's worth far more than anything the senior leadership can ever take from him. His EOD Badge is just a piece of metal; his clearance nothing more than a scrap of paper. His real Badge of Courage is carried within and it's nonnegotiable. ============================================================ ARTICLE 8 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As Dangerous as Real Combat --Report from a Unit's Annual Training ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: Combat realistic training is a good thing.but..this guy's letter seems to indicate that the incoming rounds were unintended. *********************************************************************** By a highly concerned trooper This has been the most f.up Annual Training to date. The first day on the hill, a 65 pound WP casing landed 20 meters from xxx's track and about 20 meters from an area where the 101st had all there mortars staged. As we were running off the OP, another HE round flew over our heads. Then a couple of days later a copperhead round landed about 150 meters away from the track. Shrapnel hit the track. All in all, I think 4-5 rounds came in on us. I now know what incoming artillery sounds like. Our unit is f.d up. You made a good choice to go to Ft. Drum. =================================================================== ARTICLE 9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Health Care Update: "2-fer" Command at DOD, Poop from Group, and Family Debt ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed: How much health care could we get for the price of one Colombian Blackhawk? ************************************************************************ By Pete Peterson, Healthcare and Veterans Affairs Editor Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/MHCRG SECDEF Cohen and his wife share the job of "commanding" our military. They stroke Hollywood to improve recruiting and stroke the troops to show their deep and sensitive concern for "quality of life" issues. The press has fallen for this "2-fer" style, but real soldiers haven't. Mimicking current White House occupants, they've run up some hefty bills for celebrity travel and lifestyle. VOQs aren't good enough for them. Jetsetting costs a lot. What's this got to do with health care? We were just wondering how many Agent Orange, GWS, or Hep-C diagnoses could have been paid for with the money the Cohens waste on needless pomp, pageantry and expense of "joint command?" We wonder how many unpaid TRICARE claims could have been settled with what the Cohens have spent on luxury and pretense. I come from an Army that had Officer Wives Clubs (OWC) and they were useful and did good. At no time, however, do I remember the Brigade Commander's wife sharing the agenda, or sitting in on meetings concerning troops' "quality of life." That was our job as Officers and NCOs. We took it seriously, or we were relieved. We don't understand the new "joint command" arrangement, other than it's intentional. They're going to get every perk they can get away with. Perhaps it's innocent and merely buys points with "The Man" while feminizing the military and toning down the macho nature of the "profession of arms." We only know this act costs too much and those are bucks that could be put into the troops' health care. Grinning ain't getting the job done! "2-Fer" One ain't a bargain sometimes. Before taking their 4th of July break, the Senate passed the Military Construction Bill with a "relief bill" rider. Their version of the House's "emergency supplement" for this fiscal year was rolled into FY01 because they couldn't get a "round tuit." It includes 60 Blackhawk helicopters for Columbia. The House put $250 Million into TRICARE to pay bills DOD already owed but hadn't covered. The Senate included $615.6 Million for Tricare. The ever-expanding jumbo Senate Defense Authorization Bill, which at last count had 215 amendments, is still pending. DOD's military health care program is a big ticket item! Here's some stats: . Costs $16 Billion/year . 19% of beneficiaries are active duty . 27% of beneficiaries are active duty dependents . 53% of beneficiaries are retirees, dependents and survivors . 8.2 million individuals are under DOD health care . $12 Billion goes to 580 Military Treatment Facilities (MTF) . $3.5 Billion goes to TRICARE However, compared to other outlays by DOD, it's peanuts. None of this means anything if you don't have access to the system. With 3/4ths of the money going into MTFs operated by the various services (who can't get their coordination act together), they remain the preferred place to go to. However, these facilities are "Space A" or "No Space" for many retirees, their dependents and widows. Some readers held me to task on the large dollar figures I used in my active duty family examples a couple of weeks ago. I can tell you all this: They are real active duty families, and it is called "family debt" (as far as I'm concerned) until the providers are paid. Any denial or delay in paying claims puts that service and it's cost directly on the back of the patient. Until resolved, it stays "family debt." The longer it takes to resolve these claims, the more likely the credit collection folks will get involved. DOD must have agreed with us, because this past week they announced a "Debt Collection Assistance Officer Program" to ease TRICARE credit hassles. It's a priority "bandaid" and the first of the newly trained officers will be on the phones within 30 days. One active duty friend of ours put it this way: "Sounds like a great treatment for a symptom while the disease rages on." Full text of this news release is on our site at: <http://members.tripod.com/MHCRG/debt.htm>. Congress/DOD: Fix TRICARE Now! =====================================================================ARTICLE 10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GI HUMOR - Rules of the Air ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: Common sense rules that should be posted in any flight training center. ********************************************************************* 1. Every takeoff is optional. Every landing is mandatory. 2. If you push the stick forward, the houses get bigger. If you pull the stick back, they get smaller. That is, unless you keep pulling the stick all the way back, then they get bigger again. 3. Flying isn't dangerous. Crashing is what's dangerous. 4. It's always better to be down here wishing you were up there than up there wishing you were down here. 5. The ONLY time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire. 6. The propeller is just a big fan in front of the plane used to keep the pilot cool. When it stops, you can actually watch the pilot start sweating. 7. When in doubt, hold on to your altitude. No one has ever collided with the sky. 8. A 'good' landing is one from which you can walk away. A 'great' landing is one after which they can use the plane again. 9. Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to make all of them yourself. 10. You know you've landed with the wheels up if it takes full power to taxi to the ramp. 11. The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of arrival. Large angle of arrival, small probability of survival and vice versa. 12. Never let an aircraft take you somewhere your brain didn't get to five minutes earlier. 13. Stay out of clouds. The silver lining everyone keeps talking about might be another airplane going in the opposite direction. Reliable sources also report that mountains have been known to hide out in clouds. 14. Always try to keep the number of landings you make equal to the number of take offs you've made. 15. There are three simple rules for making a smooth landing. Unfortunately no one knows what they are. 16. You start with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck. 17. Helicopters can't fly; they're just so ugly the earth repels them. 18. If all you can see out of the window is ground that's going round and round and all you can hear is commotion coming from the passenger compartment, things are not at all as they should be. 19. In the ongoing battle between objects made of aluminum going hundreds of miles per hour and the ground going zero miles per hour, the ground has yet to lose. 20. Good judgment comes from experience. Unfortunately, the experience usually comes from bad judgment. 21. It's always a good idea to keep the pointy end going forward as much as possible. 22. Keep looking around. There's always something you've missed. 23. Remember, gravity is not just a good idea. It's the law. And it's not subject to repeal. 24. The three most useless things to a pilot are the altitude above you, runway behind you, and a tenth of a second ago. =============================================================== ARTICLE 11 - MEDAL OF HONOR ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: Vietnam 1966. A marine officer distinguishes himself in 2� days of action. If you know of any MOH recipient who is hospitalized or has passed recently, please write James H. Also, if you would like more info on MOH recipients and their stories, please email James H at [EMAIL PROTECTED] ********************************************************************* MODRZEJEWSKI, ROBERT J. Rank and organization: Major (then Capt.), U.S. Marine Corps, Company K, 3d Battalion, 4th Marines, 3d Marine Division, FMF. place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 15 to 18 July 1966. Entered service at: Milwaukee, Wis. Born: 3 July 1934, Milwaukee, Wis. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. On 15 July, during Operation HASTINGS, Company K was landed in an enemy-infested jungle area to establish a blocking position at a major enemy trail network. Shortly after landing, the company encountered a reinforced enemy platoon in a well-organized, defensive position. Maj. Modrzejewski led his men in the successful seizure of the enemy redoubt, which contained large quantities of ammunition and supplies. That evening, a numerically superior enemy force counterattacked in an effort to retake the vital supply area, thus setting the pattern of activity for the next 2 � days. In the first series of attacks, the enemy assaulted repeatedly in overwhelming numbers but each time, it was repulsed by the gallant marines. The second night, the enemy struck in battalion strength, and Maj. Modrzejewski was wounded in this intensive action, which was fought at close quarters. Although exposed to enemy fire, and despite his painful wounds, he crawled 200 meters to provide critically needed ammunition to an exposed element of his command and was constantly present wherever the fighting was heaviest, despite numerous casualties, a dwindling supply of ammunition and the knowledge that they were surrounded, he skillfully directed artillery fire to within a few meter* of his position and courageously inspired the efforts of his company in repelling the aggressive enemy attack. On 18 July, Company K was attacked by a regimental-size enemy force. Although his unit was vastly outnumbered and weakened by the previous fighting, Maj. Modrzejewski reorganized his men and calmly moved among them to encourage and direct their efforts to heroic limits as they fought to overcome the vicious enemy onslaught. Again he called in air and artillery strikes at close range with devastating effect on the enemy, which together with the bold and determined fighting of the men of Company K, repulsed the fanatical attack of the larger North Vietnamese force. His unparalleled personal heroism and indomitable leadership inspired his men to a significant victory over the enemy force and reflected great credit upon himself, the Marine Corps, and the U.S. Naval Service. ==================================================================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EDITOR'S NOTE: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For Article Submissions: as a rule of thumb, please try to keep article for possible publication to 750 words or less. Please make every editing effort not to exceed these guidelines and SUBMIT IN WORD FORMAT, if possible! R.W. Zimmermann [EMAIL PROTECTED] ============================================= GLOSSARY OF MILITARY ACRONYMS: We've had numerous requests from troops in different branches of the military to establish this link so that we will all know how "all you others" talk that talk. Please see below: http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/doddict/acronym_index.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ***** BOOK SALES ***** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hack's books About Face*, Hazardous Duty*, The Price of Honor* and The Vietnam Primer can be found at www.hackworth.com. They make a great addition to any library. We are offering them at special SFTT price. ==================================================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Defending America Newsletter: Administrative Volunteers: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ R.W. Zimmermann, Chief Editor, President of SFTT, Mine Detector and "Gunner" David H. Hackworth, Spirit Guide, and undisputed Y2K Expert Bill Rogers, Senior Assistant Editor and SFTT Vice President Kate Aspy, Contributing Editor and Oracle Barry "Woody" Groton, Chief TECH DROID and Medicine Man Ed "Edgar" Schneider, Copy Editor, Man of Letters and gentleman: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Kyle Elliott, Book List Editor and Most Over-worked James H., MOH Editor and NCOIC =================================================== Defending America VOLUNTEER EDITORS/SPECIALISTS NOTE: The following list only includes the two primary assistant editors for each service or special area. Please refer to our WEBSITE -- www.sftt.org, for the complete listing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ALL Letters and Articles for considered publication should be submitted to one of our brave, resolute and caring volunteers. **************************************** **************************************** U.S. Army: Tig Dupre, Civil-Military relations, weapons expert and Senior Editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] CPT Scott Key, Armor, Generalist, Assistant to Chief Editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] Robert L. Duecaster, Legal [EMAIL PROTECTED] ********************************************** ********************************************** U.S. Navy: Mark Crissman, Naval Aviation, Generalist and Senior Editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] Pat Nisley, Navy Generalist and XO [EMAIL PROTECTED] John J. Vanore, Surface Warfare, Reserve and Intelligence issues [EMAIL PROTECTED] ********************************************** ********************************************** U.S. Air Force: Paul Connors, Senior Editor, AF Historian, Grunt experience, Procurement and AirCrew issues [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sean Fermat, Fighters, WSO, Weapons, C&C, Generalist [EMAIL PROTECTED] ********************************************** ********************************************** U.S. Marines: Maj. Gordon Todd, USMCR, Communications & Tech., Small Arms Training, Senior Editor. [EMAIL PROTECTED] Capt A. McRae, Marine generalist [EMAIL PROTECTED] ********************************************** ********************************************** US Coast Guard Tom Grabowski [EMAIL PROTECTED] ********************************************** ********************************************** Department of Defense Mike St.Clair Acquisition and Quality Assurance [EMAIL PROTECTED] *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] Want to be on our lists? Write at [EMAIL PROTECTED] for a menu of our lists! ****************************************************************************** ******************* A vote for Bush or Gore is a vote to continue Clinton policies! A vote for Buchanan is a vote to continue America! Therefore a vote for Gore or Bush is a wasted vote for America! Don't waste your vote! Vote for Patrick Buchanan! Today, candor compels us to admit that our vaunted two-party system is a snare and a delusion, a fraud upon the nation. Our two parties have become nothing but two wings of the same bird of prey... Patrick Buchanan <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
