The closest experience for me with the military is taking NJROTC (Naval Junior Reserves Officers Training Corps) back in my senior year in high school (Harding Senior High's NJROTC Program, is one of 2 in the state). I was about to pursue ROTC in college, but they didn't have it at UMM. I was going to join if I did choose to attend the UofM-Twin Cities back in 1995.
As I'm writing this, kids need to be careful when they play these shooting games. I speculate the U.S. Military somehow have some connection in promoting these "violent" shooting games to "brainwash" young people to become more violent to make them "tough guys" (instead of beeing too "soft") to joing the U.S. Military. But, that is just a speculation.
This website is to deciated to our U.S. Military overseas due to the escalating tensions (espcially since 9-11 in our world today. I pray that this will encourage more to pray for them as U.S. Citizens can easily forget them in our busy lives of "freedom" in this nation.
Subject: The last picture is the best!
I HOPE I DO NOT HEAR OF ANYONE BREAKING THIS ONE OR SEE DELETED
This is a ribbon for soldiers fighting in Iraq. Pass it on to everyone and pray.
Something good will happen to you tonight at 11:11 PM. This is not a joke. Someone will either call you or will talk to you online and say that they love you. Do not break this chain. Send this to 13 people in the next 15 minutes. Go.
SLEEP LAST NIGHT?
Bed a little lumpy...
Toss and turn any...
Wish the heat was higher...
Maybe the a/c wasn't on...
Had to go to the john...
Need a drink of water...?
(see pictures)
Count your blessings, pray for them,
Talk to your Creator and the next time when...
the other car cuts you off and you must hit the brakes, or you have to park a little further from Walmart than you want to be, or you're served slightly warm food at the restaurant, or you're sitting and cursing the traffic in front of you, or the shower runs out of hot water,
Think of them...
Protecting your freedom!
DO NOT DELETE-PLS PASS ON-Message from Iraq
The proud warriors of Baker Company wanted to do something to pay tribute To our fallen comrades. So since we are part of the only Marine Infantry Battalion left in Iraq the one way that we could think of doing that is By taking a picture of Baker Company saying the way we feel. It would be awesome if you could find a way to share this with our fellow countrymen. I was wondering if there was any way to get this into your papers to let the world know that "WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN" and are proud to serve our country." Semper Fi 1stSgt Dave Jobe
The attached photo was forwarded from one of the last U.S. Marine companies in Iraq. They would like to have it passed to as many people as possible, to let the folks back home know that they remember why they're there and that they remember those who've been lost.
Another Link:
Pray for Our Troops
I just know one soldier personally from the Morris National Guard, which he has a whole family to support him. Also, I know 2 families in Morris that have sons in the National Guard being deployed. However, there are other soldiers who may not have that type of support. Here are some related links that you may be interested in doing your part of supporting our U.S. troops:
Radio
Culturally Concerned!
Sometime last week (Sept 20th-24th), ABC Nightline did a 2-day nighttime feature called "Video Diary: 1 & 2" on a personal home videocamera recording of a National Guard team experience in Iraq from Washington/Oregon state. Unfortunately, I was able to see the First Part, so I might be a little biased in this summary reflection as a viewer.
Diary 1 Link
"HAGERSTOWN, Md. Aug. 6, 2004 — An Army reservist who saw naked detainees being humiliated at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq says military intelligence officials led and directed the abuse."
Diary 2 Link
""It was harmful to this country in terms of the notion that we may be engaged in torture," said White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales "That's contrary to the values of this president and this administration." ("White House Releases Interrogation File: White House Releases Documents on Deliberations Leading to Interrogation Policy"- The Associated Press on WASHINGTON June 22, 2004)
I was very discouraged to see some footages of unculturally-unsensitive treatment of Iraqi citizens during a "normal" interogation process of "possible" terrorist-connections. As I was watching it, it reminded me of the international attention of U.S. Soldiers "Immoral" Interogation practices earlier this year. This caused "chaos" and "havoc" to the citizens of this world (e.g. caused a beheading)! Scenes like these should get the military to increase cultural training of these service men/women or soldiers because it makes our nation of 270+ (?) million "multicultural" citizens look bad!
Below is part of an e-mail I sent to Nightline (9/29/04):
"Thank you again for doing this special feature, which opens my eyes as a 2nd generation Filipino American citizen college graduate in this rural college community of 5,000; we sometimes feel isolated here to what's all going on the world-until recently when our local National Guard Unit has been called to active duty (leaving next month-October). My prayer is to the world in chaos (including the "enemies" or "terrorist"-forgive them for they do not know what they do), Iraqi nation, the U.S. service men and women, and others (e.g. missionaries, humanitarian workers, etc...) in making a difference of peace for future generations-children!"
Eyes from the Battlefield
It's easy to forget what's going on in Iraq, Afghanistan, Czechslovakia, and other places the U.S. Military is operating at. I try to keep updated by watching the news, reading papers, etc...However, we don't always get the full coverage, so I found this...
MARINES TURN TO GOD AHEAD OF ANTICIPATED FALLUJAH BATTLE- Soldiers Baptized In Rubber Dinghy During Worship Service In Iraq (Nove 6th 2004)
"OUTSIDE FALLUJAH, IRAQ (ANS) -- With US forces massing outside Fallujah, 35 marines swayed to Christian rock music and asked Jesus Christ to protect them in what could be the biggest battle since American troops invaded Iraq last year.
Men with buzz cuts and clad in their camouflage waved their hands in the air, M-16 assault rifles laying beside them, and chanted heavy metal-flavored lyrics in praise of Jesus Christ late Friday in a yellow-brick chapel, says a report circulated by the French news agency Agence France Presse (AFP).
Other Stories from the Battlefield:
Soldiers that Return from War
I saw another interesting coverage of U.S. in Iraq titled "Coming Home" in ABC Nightline, which was an eye opener more to what I've heard before. It is a difficult battle (soul and mind) for solider that come from war-depending on their individual experiences.
Dec. 15, 2004 -- Sgt. John Newport left Iraq months ago, but he is still struggling with what he experienced there. He keeps playing one scene over and over again in his mind.
It took place when he was in his Humvee, passing a convoy of trucks that was hauling tanks. One of the truck drivers tossed a bag of M&Ms at a bunch of Iraqi kids.
A little girl went to pick it up, but there was a truck behind her. The driver didn't see her, and ran her over.
"The hardest part for me is that she was about the same age as my daughter is," Newport told "Nightline," with tears welling up in his eyes. "After that truck had run her over, you couldn't even tell it was a person."
Newport has what doctors call post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition often linked to depression and floating anxiety.
There are concerns that the Iraq war is producing more cases of PTSD than any conflict in decades because the violence has been so widespread and exposure to it so constant over long periods.
Newport says he began reliving the scene when he returned home to the Army base at Ft. Polk, La., and saw his daughter for the first time. "But it was no longer that little Iraqi girl," he said. "That was my daughter going into that road."
Accidents like these are bound to happend in an environment like this, which happens everyday, eveywhere....I feel victims of war (both residents of the occupied nation, friendly fire, etc..) is a tragedy and are accidents that sometimes can't be prevented. It can be taken from a differenet perspective and treated very hostile from the other side causing rebellion leading to another death.
Interview w/a Persian Gulf War Veteran
Sometime early December of 2005, I had an opportunity to discuss America's military with a Persian Gulf War Veteran. His name is Robert, who served in the U.S. Army during the Persian Gulf War in 1991. He showed his frustration with the media's coverage of the current war in Iraq when I brought up Michael Moore's controversial documentary, Farenheit 911. Robert said from his perspective, the Iraqi people welcomed the U.S. Army. They said, "how come you didn't show up sooner". Again, this was back in 1991 before the present-day coverage of "unfair treatment" of Iraqi prisoners; it's a different story today. However, Robert shared that the media doesn't cover the war's tension and stress that U.S. Soldiers has to encounter that may affect their responses of treatment of Iraqi prisoners and civlians. Also, Robert feels the "negative" coverage is only a small part (e.g. gangs in inner cities of America are compared to ants that spoil the bunch) of what is really happening. Robert shared about his travels around the world when he was serving in the U.S. Army. For example, he shared how he visited my parents' homeland-the Philippines-where he remembers lumpia (Filipino style eggrolls) when I shared about how I missed my ethnic food.
Articles
[Picture]
Students and staff at the University of Minnesota, Morris who served in the military gathered during a reception on campus Monday. In front, from left, are Beth Kriesel, Zach Leuthard and Bess Vlaisavljevich. In back, from left, are Robert Thompson, Matthrew Strong, Ron Kubik, Jason Thymian, Dave Aronson and Jon Stein, of Minnesota Veterans Affairs.
News
Articles
Chaplains
Humor
This holiday weekend (Friday, May 25th to Monday, May 28th of 2007), I decided to stay in Morris instead of driving all the way to the Twin Cities for this holiday weekend this year. I just didn't want to drive through all the "holiday-chaotic" traffic, which I've drove through too much craziness on the highways during past holiday weekends. Plus, gas is high again ($3.19)! Last night, I decided to rent a video from the local video store (Movie Gallery) and get a war theme movie (see a list down below). I went to get a movie called "The Fallen" (different perspective from the war front in Italy during World War II), which happened to be free because of the Memorial holiday weekend). I also kept some friends overseas (e.g. Joe C. in Afghanistan) in prayer. I'm also lifting those involved in a car accident along I-94 (between Sauk Centre and Osakis), which I just heard on Praise FM 101.5 fm right before I wrote this.
Today (Memorial Day-Monday, May 28th of 2007), I watched the movie "Letters from Iwo Jima" (American invasion on an island off Japan). Just to let you know that closing of I-94 was due to a shooting of someone that sped-away from police in Alexandria. Later in the evening, I watched "The Great Raid" (capture of 500+ American prisioners in a camp in the Philippines).
During this holiday and every year, may you stop and pray for those overseas (e.g. missionaries too) and reflect in thankfulness of those (e.g. family, love ones, or even soliders that have died in the past) before us that has made us possible to be bless (in various forms) today.
**Update on that I-94 Incident
Man shot on I-94 was Iraq veteran
Brian Skold, 28, died after trading gunfire with police. He had served in the Guard. By Pam Louwagie, Star Tribune
Last update: May 28, 2007 – 11:19 PM
"The man killed in an exchange of gunfire with police on Interstate Hwy. 94 in central Minnesota early Sunday was an Iraq war veteran.
Brian Skold, 28, of Sauk Rapids, served in the Minnesota National Guard and was stationed in Baghdad in 2005.
Officials confirmed Monday night that Skold was shot and killed by law enforcement officers Sunday morning near the Osakis, Minn., exit, about 120 miles from the Twin Cities. They didn't release details, citing an ongoing investigation.
In Madison, Minn., where Skold grew up and graduated from Lac qui Parle Valley High School, Skold's name was added to a list read at the local cemetery for a Memorial Day program about service members who had died in the past year, said City Council Member Rick Gail."
Military
Movies
Secrets
Hensley and fellow American Eugene Armstrong were kidnapped Thursday with Briton Kenneth Bigley from a home that the three civil engineers shared in an upscale Baghdad neighborhood. Al-Zarqawi beheaded Armstrong, and the militants on Monday posted a gruesome video of the 52-year-old man’s death.
Schools
Bible
War History
Other Countries
Veterans Experience
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