November 29, 2004
COLA
Imagine Cartman saying "sweet." That's what I said when I read about our
new COLA increase! A 31% currency adjustment? My job only gave us 4%. Man, the Army takes care of us.
Posted by: Sarah at
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Sarah, I'd like to email you... could you drop me a quick line so I could have your email address?
Thanks
Posted by: Suzy at November 29, 2004 02:55 PM (SE5/u)
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Just in case you're a SpamBot...my email address is far down on the righthand toolbar, a hotmail address using the title of my blog.
Sorry for the impersonal response; I just don't want to unwillingly join any mailing lists.
Posted by: Sarah at November 29, 2004 03:47 PM (0zhVx)
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Not a SpamBot - just couldn't find your contact info! Thank you
Posted by: Suzy at November 29, 2004 04:02 PM (SE5/u)
Posted by: david at November 30, 2004 08:21 AM (ZVhuO)
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November 24, 2004
November 23, 2004
2-2 INF
My neighbor sent me a
gripping article about A-CO 2-2 INF, the company CPT Sims commanded in Fallujah. It features more from SSG Fitts and provides a harrowing picture -- and actual pictures -- from the missions.
Here's something funny though: "Of roughly 400 men and women from Task Force 2-2..." Are there any women in Fallujah? I know there aren't any in 2-2 INF, and I thought I understood that women couldn't even be attached to infantry battalions. Is this just p.c. talk, or are there really women involved?
Posted by: Sarah at
01:23 PM
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I don't know the specifics of that particular unit, but there are woman in combat in lots of places here in Iraq. They don't get that way by being in a combat arms job, but they hold combat support jobs that take them into battle areas. I see woman in combat gear carrying their M-16s and their M-4s quite often. As there are very few front lines in Iraq, the terorist are better at ambushing then standing and fighting, there has been plenty of Jessica Lynch type scenarios arising where female soldiers kick ass and take names...
Posted by: Frank Myers at November 23, 2004 05:14 PM (Cixed)
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That is one hell of a gripping story. OMG - it's just so hard for a civilian to imagine this fighting. I just can't express often enough the admiration and awe I have for our fighting Soldiers and Marines.
Posted by: Toni at November 24, 2004 09:10 AM (SHqVu)
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The women are probably from maintenance and support batallions attached to 2-2. When I was there, (if memory serves) it was the 401st support that handled all the heavy support for 1/6 Inf, 1/37 and 2/37 Ar and associated units. I don't remember any females going in Gulf 1, however.
Posted by: Jason at November 24, 2004 12:13 PM (565iX)
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My husband is in Task-Force 2-2 and there are women there there are Medics from 201st.
Posted by: Lesley at December 01, 2004 05:42 PM (XbwU9)
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RED 6
Got an email from Red 6, the husband's best friend, today. He's back from Fallujah, safe and sound. He's also
famous for a day.
MORE TO GROK:
And other Indians have noticed!
Posted by: Sarah at
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thanks for the ping! It's one thing to talk about changing the world from the safety of our offices & computer desks, it's another thing to be out there doing it.
Your husband & Red 6 have a LOT to be proud of - well before any accolades from the rest of us.
http://www.sepiamutiny.com
Posted by: vinod at November 24, 2004 05:50 PM (nzCS0)
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Whoa! I'm glad I followed the 2nd link with the picture. I went to school with him! We graduated the same year, same major... Talk about a small world. (I don't think he knew me well enough to remember me though.)
Posted by: karishma at November 29, 2004 05:51 PM (cwU4r)
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YEAGER
A
story from a Marine in Fallujah:
I will end with a couple of stories of individual heroism that you may not have heard yet. I was told about both of these incidents shortly after they occurred. No doubt some of the facts will change slightly but I am confident that the meat is correct.
The first is a Marine from 3/5. His name is Corporal Yeager (Chuck Yeager's grandson). As the Marines cleared and apartment building, they got to the top floor and the point man kicked in the door. As he did so, an enemy grenade and a burst of gunfire came out. The explosion and enemy fire took off the point man's leg. He was then immediately shot in the arm as he lay in the doorway. Corporal Yeager tossed a grenade in the room and ran into the doorway and into the enemy fire in order to pull his buddy back to cover. As he was dragging the wounded Marine to cover, his own grenade came back through the doorway. Without pausing, he reached down and threw the grenade back through the door while he heaved his buddy to safety. The grenade went off inside the room and Cpl Yeager threw another in. He immediately entered the room following the second explosion. He gunned down three enemy all within three feet of where he stood and then let fly a third grenade as he backed out of the room to complete the evacuation of the wounded Marine. You have to understand that a grenade goes off within 5 seconds of having the pin pulled. Marines usually let them "cook off" for a second or two before tossing them in. Therefore, this entire episode took place in less than 30 seconds.
My grandfather flew with Chuck Yeager during WWII, and they've kept in touch throughout all these years. It makes me smile to know that Yeager's grandson and my grandfather's grandson(in-law) are fighting in the same war today.
Posted by: Sarah at
02:20 AM
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November 20, 2004
TRAGEDY
This
Slate article (via
Hud) shows some good perspective on the Fallujah shooting, but the title irks me:
What the Marine Did: The shooting of an unarmed Iraqi was a tragedy. But was it a war crime? Am I the only one who fails to see the "tragedy"? This is the enemy. The same group of people who have been collecting heads since May. The people who attack from mosques and use women and children as shields. Whether or not this man held a weapon in his hand at the moment the Marine killed him does not make the difference between a terrorist and a friendly neighborhood Iraqi. I firmly believe that, had he had a weapon, he would've tried to kill the Marine first. He was the enemy; I fail to see the tragedy of his death.
Posted by: Sarah at
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It seemed to me the title was slapped on there by the editor, because the article was balanced.
I agree that the media is really being disgusting about this story.
Posted by: James Hudnall at November 20, 2004 04:34 AM (FV8Tp)
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The only tragedy is that the video was released to be used as propaganda film by the enemy.
Posted by: Glenmore at November 20, 2004 10:49 AM (p59BM)
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I think what the authors (both of whom served, by the way) is that the taking of any human life is a tragedy, but in the case of the insurgent it was one that was acceptable.
Posted by: Josh at December 04, 2004 02:21 PM (Sj33j)
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November 18, 2004
RIGHT
Via LGF I found
two posts written by Froggy Ruminations about the Marine who shot the insurgent. Like he says, I'm not a veteran. But I would want my husband to shoot the terrorist. The object of war is not to die for your country, as Patton said.
There's what's right and what's right, and never the twain shall meet.
When my husband was home, he saw that I had bought A Few Good Men, which he has never seen. I told him of my thoughts when I had watched it again, and he said that it didn't sound like something he'd like to watch. He made a comment (not a direct quote -- I can't remember exactly how he phrased it) about it being the type of movie that makes people shudder at what must be done to protect America. Is Jack Nicholson the bad guy, or has he done what was necessary to keep America safe? I don't have the answers to those questions. We also talked about the Ethics in America program and the SSG Alban case. The husband didn't like to face these issues at all, probably because every servicemember fears being in those shoes.
Posted by: Sarah at
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Well, that puts it in a different perspective! I was an active duty JAG at the time, and I remember saying to my date - "If Demi Moore sleeps with Tom Cruise, the other defense attorney, I am standing up and walking OUT of the theatre." From a Jag perspective, it was very realistic and right on the money - other than there's no way Demi could have thought Tom was a great attorney, since he entered guilty pleas on all his other cases.
Posted by: Oda Mae at November 18, 2004 03:52 PM (p3yKT)
Posted by: home contractor at February 01, 2005 10:42 PM (tfAWX)
Posted by: design pool swimming at April 20, 2005 12:44 PM (tfAWX)
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November 17, 2004
MEMORIAL
It's days like this when we're reminded that freedom isn't free. -- Chaplain Jacob
I just got back from the memorial service for CSM Faulkenburg, CPT Sims, 1LT Iwan, and SSG Matteson. 2-2 INF lost four great leaders in one week; for those of you unfamiliar with the military, these are four top-of-the-hierarchy men, all four of them leaders who touched many lives. What struck me about this memorial service was the sorrow that the soldiers expressed. I saw four grown men cry as they spoke about the bond they shared with these soldiers. I realized the sorrow that soldiers feel when one of their brothers falls, the bond that simply doesn't develop between colleagues in other professions. I was moved by the pain that these men felt from losing men they'd served with, bunked with, and fought with. It was extremely touching, and I won't soon forget those tears.
I also realized I would follow COL Pittard to the ends of the earth.
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WOAH WOAH WOAH!
I need to apologize to SSG Fitts immediately. Oda Mae just received an email from a soldier downrange, someone who knows SSG Fitts (Oda Mae took out some names, but email left as-is, in all its soldierly glory, i.e. warning: swear words):
You are correct SSG Fitts is a great NCO and very positive guy. He was misquoted. We all hate some of our enbeds.. and the Brit times guys a real cock. VERY annoying wines alot and writes misquotes just to get his points across. However . . . that when these guys write fucked up shit, he won't kick them out.. even when we've asked him to boot them out. I didn't want [Mrs. Sims] to hear about that article, because sean was doing the right thing, and leading from the front, the fucking stupid brit got it all wrong.
My apologies for being down on SSG Fitts (and my apologies for this soldier's dirty mouth). I'm leaving up the post below this one because I don't believe in making the past disappear. But I have no beef with SSG Fitts. Keep that in mind when you scroll to the next post.
Posted by: Sarah at
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because I don't believe in making the past disappear
Right, except for comments.
Posted by: Sadly, No! at November 17, 2004 04:58 AM (Hr4e3)
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Oh please, Seb. Like you should lecture me about integrity.
Posted by: Sarah at November 17, 2004 05:59 AM (gxLdT)
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I do believe she is referencing her posts, not your comments on her space. Grow up.
I've read the past few posts about SSG Fitts. After the first post, I wasn't quite sure what you were on about, so I re-read it a few times until I felt I understood your point of view. My initial reading was a of SSG trying to impart a battlefield lesson, a hard cold one to be sure, and I didn't see it as a degredation of the CO. The misquoted option had occured to me, that and not much context for the quote was given.
As far as enlisted bitchin about officers.... that extends back in time as long as there have been officers and enlisted. They still jump when ordered to do so, and ask how high later.
Posted by: John at November 17, 2004 08:04 AM (crTpS)
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My thoughts were the same as John's, although it was not the kind of thing you would want the man's widow to read.
NCOs are known for their toughness. Sometimes that comes across wrong. But it certainly doesn't mean they don't love that LT or CPT.
Posted by: Mike at November 17, 2004 08:23 AM (MqNKC)
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Sarah - I am so disenchanted with the press I just can't express it enough. Kevin Sites and his video of the Marine is another example. I go to Kevin's blog often and never would've thought he'd put out for pool video of this nature which he had to know would cause a firestorm and be misinterpreted by ALL of the MSM. I'm not saying to bury the issue but he could have given it to the Marine higher ups and let them deal with it instead of putting this soldier and his family thru hell. The MSM ignore the mutilation of the blonde women by the terrorists and focuses only on the "atrocities of the US Military" against the terrorists. They really do 'hate' the US Military.
Posted by: Toni at November 17, 2004 08:51 AM (SHqVu)
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Oh please, Seb. Like you should lecture me about integrity.
I'm not lecturing you about integrity -- I'm pointing out that your behavior is (or has been, given that my first comment is still there) inconsistent with the "principle" you claim to follow in this post about making the past disappear.
Still, it's nice to know I lack integrity in your eyes.
Posted by: Sadly, No! at November 17, 2004 09:32 AM (Hr4e3)
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Seb, I feel a sense of duty to leave
my own words unaltered. I feel absolutely no responsibility to give you free reign here on my website. You post plenty of nasty comments about me on your own blog; isn't that enough?
Posted by: Sarah at November 17, 2004 09:55 AM (FyW95)
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After reading SSGT Fitts' words myself, my mind immediately flew to Tom Hanks' CPT Miller in "Private Ryan", just after their raid on the machine gun nest by the radar station, and his squad's medic gets killed.
Certainly he was hard. He was cold. Brutal, even. Until he removed himself from his men. Then do we see what he (and ALL Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, and Sailors) is really made of. It really is about love. Fitts loves those for whom he is responsible. I have no doubt that he also loved CPT Sims (I speculate, admittedly). But he merely applied the lesson 1LT Tommy Franks had to be taught so long ago: A leader cannot aford to show emotion until the battle is over. May the Lord be with Mrs. Sims and her (no, THEIR) son; may He continue to be with SSGT Fitts, and ALL those who are laying down their lives for us.
Posted by: Jim Shawley at November 17, 2004 01:44 PM (CnYsu)
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What I read sounded remarkably like the Sergeant in Basic who kept drumming on the theme "You people spread out; one hand grenade will get you all."
No meaning other than don't get careless.
Posted by: homebru at November 17, 2004 06:52 PM (d31un)
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SSG FITTS
Some people thought I was too hard on SSG Fitts. Here's what SSG Fitts
said, right after CPT Sims was killed:
"The CO is dead," he rasped, "and I'll tell you why. They were just a gaggle walking into some house. They weren't clearing the building properly before going in. We were doing that, and that's why we're living. Do not let your guard down here, or you'll be the next one dead."
I can only speak as a military wife, since I've never been a soldier. My comments may not reflect the military take on things. But I don't think what SSG Fitts said was a reflection of respect or loyalty.
I know that statements like these are made about the out-group: one company might pump themselves up by saying they're better/smarter/more hooah than another company, or platoon to platoon or battalion to battalion. However, I think it comes across as extremely crass when it's done within the in-group, especially right after a death and in front of a reporter! I don't know what tone of voice SSG Fitts used, but it doesn't sound to me like he's trying to scare the men into be safe; it sounds like he's boasting that he was smarter than the CO and that's why he's still alive. It sounds awful, in my opinion.
Unfortunately, I hear awful statements quite frequently. In my job, I work with only enlisted soldiers, and after a year, the comments about officers have started to wear me down. According to many NCOs, officers are unnecessary and worthless. Once when some of my students found out that my husband is an officer, they said, "At least please tell us that he's prior enlisted!" The look of disgust on these NCO faces when they learned he was ROTC was obvious. "I hate lieutenants," one of them said. Gee, thanks. Right before 1ID deployed, the 1SG stood up in front of our FRG and said, "The CO cares about the mission; I care about the men." Nice statement, thanks. Officers are apparently promotion-hungry morons who should just sit in the rear and let the real men take care of the company. Statements like this get made all the time, so when SSG Fitts paints the CO as a lollygagger who got his dumb ass shot, it makes me mad.
But I read this article as a wife. Maybe soldiers don't pay as much attention to these remarks -- though I don't see how constant griping about how dumb the LTs are wouldn't have an effect on unit cohesion -- and maybe I'm just being over-sensitive. But wives read these articles. Mrs. Sims is printing and saving everything written about her husband to make a scrapbook so that someday her son can learn about his father. Do you think she wants that nasty comment by SSG Fitts in her memories? Look, son, this "combat-hardened NCO" says that your daddy was a screw-up. We family members don't want to read that; shame on SSG Fitts for saying it and shame on the reporter for printing it.
Imagine your spouse gets killed in a car accident. Then imagine that the newspaper writes an article about the accident and interviews a witness who says, "If the driver hadn't been swerving around like a madman and had been more responsible, he/she might still be alive today!" How would that make you feel, to read that about your own spouse? Now imagine the witness was a close friend, someone who should show respect and loyalty. That's how I as a spouse read that article. CPT Sims and SSG Fitts worked together. From everything I've heard, CPT Sims was one of the most respected COs on this post. I think SSG Fitts should've shown more tact and respect in the moments after CPT Sims was killed.
My two cents: take it for what it's worth.
Posted by: Sarah at
03:40 AM
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Sarah,
As for the "The CO cares about the mission, I care about the people" statement:
When I went through officer training, one of the things they stressed was that was an officer, your primary motivating factor must always be to complete the mission. Your number two goal will be to take care of your people. BUT - your people should always feel that they are at the top.
It is not that officers are selfish, and only looking to get ahead - but that the military has a mission - and we can never be so risk averse that we will not risk, god forbid, the death of our troops to complete the mission. We will make every effort to protect our people, and hopefully try to take no foolish actions which will needlessly risk the lives of our troops.
From what I've seen (albeit not much), the enlisted Army hates officers. It's hard to believe, but enlisted Marines seem to hate officers even more.
If you think it's tough being an Army LT - try being an AF LT in a flight suit on an Army post. Most soldiers would rather commit suicide than salute you.
Posted by: S at November 17, 2004 06:39 PM (swRUK)
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I feel for you, LT S. There's definite military branch animosity.
My problem with that statement is not the Army priorities that it reflects, but the way it was said...and in front of a bunch of enlisted wives. To me, it sends a bad message: the CO doesn't care about your husbands or your families. It just rubbed me the wrong way.
Posted by: Sarah at November 18, 2004 01:54 AM (bdu13)
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In the AF, most likely that kind of statement wouldn't be made.
From my very, very, very limited exposure to the Army, it seems there is a tendency away from suger-coating things, even for dependants. Including making unnecessary statements to show how tough they are and to make allusions to how little the officers care.
In the end Sarah, as you've experienced first hand, the great majority of officers are focused on their unit and the enlisted members. At least you can be confident in knowing your husband and his fellow officers are caring for their soldiers, regardless of what others say.
Posted by: S at November 18, 2004 03:35 PM (swRUK)
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Sarah,
As an experienced "Army Brat" (child of enlisted) and "Enlisted Spouse", I can completely understand how you can feel like enlisteds hate officers. Growing up the rivalry even existed between the children of officers and enlisted. The basis for this rivalry had no real basis, other than we had heard it from adults in our community, so it must be so.
Now that I have grown and matured, I have come to see what it all boils down toÂ…Experience or Education! In the military of the past officers were often college educated while enlisted people were not, thus beginning the endless argument of who is better.
In todayÂ’s Army the argument of old doesnÂ’t necessarily applyÂ…Â…Â…Â…many enlisted have degrees as well and many officers have gained valuable experience very quickly, due to excessive deployments.
Overall, I feel that neither experience or education is more valuable than the other, both are needed for the military and individuals succeed in life.
In the case of SSG FittsÂ…Â…while I understand his need to rally his men after such devastation, his timing and audience SUCKED! He should have thought twice about his choice of words, especially in front of a reporter.
Lastly, where was Public Affairs? How could they allow something like this to be printedÂ….isnÂ’t it their job?
My heart goes out to Mrs. Sims and her familyÂ…Â…officer or enlistedÂ….he was, above all a man, a husband, a son and a father. God bless you all!
Posted by: Vonn at November 19, 2004 10:09 AM (FmIVz)
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November 11, 2004
VETERANS
When most of us think of Veterans, we think of the beginning scenes of
Saving Private Ryan, the elderly man walking through the white crosses in France. But there's a new face for Veterans these days, a baby face, on soldiers much younger than even I.

Our vets come in all shapes and sizes these days, some of them born as recently as 1986. Yet they're just as distinguished as vets such as my grandfather. Take the time to visit some Milblogs today and pay tribute to the many vets we have out in the 'sphere.
As for me, I'm gonna go hug my favorite vet right now.
The Big Red One has put together a video tribute to our Veterans through the ages. It's also dedicated to CSM Faulkenburg, a Soldier from our post who was killed in Fallujah this week.
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And pass along my thanks to your vet!
Posted by: Mike at November 11, 2004 01:13 PM (WcnDQ)
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I am so proud to be connected, even as a civilian, with this great team. Thanks, Sarah, that was wonderful.
Posted by: Oda Mae at November 11, 2004 03:16 PM (WAdO1)
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I watched the video with tears in my eyes--tears for the loss of Sargeant Major Faulkenberg and tears for the sacrifice my son-in-law is making for our country. He is so intelligent and shows such fine leadership ability that I know the Big Red 1 is fortunate to have him and the other fine young men serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. I'm thankful that my daughter appreciates and respects her husband's convictions. God bless all the soldiers and veterans of First I.D. and SM Faulkenberg's family during this difficult time.
Sarah's mom
Posted by: Nancy at November 11, 2004 06:20 PM (YuW6k)
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