May 2014 - Argghhh! - The Network of Care

On Memorial Day

Going into this weekend can cause a bit of cognitive dissonance for many of my people. For my tribe, it is a day of remembrance for the fallen and departed, like the Auld Soldier. For most people, it's baseball, barbecue, brats, beer, and the beginning of summer. A not insignificant number of my military friends and family can get sad and yes, angry, at the celebratory aspect of things. I do not.

Published Thu, May 22 2014 11:00 PM by Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..

Filed under: Observations on things Military, Veteran's Issues, Something for the Soul, In Memoriam

Today's Medal of Honor Moment for 22 May

[NB:Having just spent some hours updating the Medal of Honor posts from 2009, when I did one post a day for a year, this day seems the appropriate one to reprise the series, updated with all the new awards since 2009 - the Armorer] There were no Medals awarded for actions on this day until 2014, when Rivera's' award was made. His award resulted from a review of awards for possibly having been downgraded due to racial prejudice. The abbreviated citation is not unusual with those awards. Korea...

Published Thu, May 22 2014 10:00 AM by Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..

Filed under: Medal of Honor, Rivera

So, how'd that meeting with the President go?

Published Wed, May 21 2014 10:25 AM by Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..

Filed under: Veteran's Issues, Obama, shinseki, VA scandal, gang that couldn't shoot straight, do-nothing

About Open Carry and the idiots who push it idiotically...

This is a Facebook post I put up yesterday (hence the "block" and "unfriend" reference). I think Bloomberg and Moms Demand Action are confiscating gun banners in sheep's clothing. But I think the in-your-face nature of Open Carry Texas is also beyond stupid. If that offends you, the "block" and "unfriend" buttons are up there for your use. And no, I'm not interested in debating it. Honestly, if you feel the need to wander around town with a rifle.....

Published Wed, May 21 2014 9:42 AM by Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..

Filed under: Pugnacious Stupidity, Gun Rights, Rifles, open carry, tactical, dumbass, open carry texas

A different kind of a firefight...

U.S. Marines with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 364, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, assist in the efforts of containing the Cocos Fire in San Marcos, Calif., May 15, 2014. 3rd MAW partnered with the Calif. Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to conduct aerial firefighting against several wildfires ablaze in San Diego County. (U.S. Marine Corps photograph by Corporal Tyler C. Gregory, 3rd MAW COMCAM)

Published Wed, May 21 2014 7:25 AM by Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..

Filed under: Observations on things Military, USMC, Marines, firefighting, wildfires, CH-46

Seriously?

I think the part I like best is they consider this a *good* thing, and a defense of the President. If he did, then this is shaping up to be the most obtuse and inept administration in the history of administrations... Ulysses Grant is probably dancing a jig. Of course, they're also annoyed that their loyal serfs, the Press, dared report it. Surprise: WH Says Obama Found Out About VA Scandal On the News Let us have a Dead Pool - I take 5PM Friday afternoon for announcement of Shinseki's departure...

Published Wed, May 21 2014 7:13 AM by Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..

Filed under: Veteran's Issues, VA, scandal, shinseki, gaming the system, hospitals

Dug out the French trench shield...

...to go with the German one from last week. GEW98 and Berthier M1907/15 in the loops.

Published Mon, May 19 2014 9:07 AM by Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..

Filed under: Gun Pr0n - A Naughty Expose' of the fiddly bits, Castle Pr0n, gew98, trench shield, german, french, berthier

Tone deaf

No, really, you can't make this stuff up: Justice department about to indict Chinese officials for hacking US computers. Chinese counter-charges re: NSA in 3... 2... 1... Clearly, rules for thee, but not for me applies not to just US citizens, but the world. In that, at least, the government is consistent. Justice Department to announce indictments against Chinese officials in cyber-espionage case.

Published Mon, May 19 2014 7:24 AM by Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..

Filed under: Pugnacious Stupidity, Computers and Privacy, idiots, Justice Department, NSA, chinese officials indicted

More ranting about the VA...

Sign me up. And start with Secretary Shinseki. Because he's thoroughly a part of the problem, and isn't going to be a part of the solution. The whole farce with the "resignation" of Peltzer just shows it's going to be smoke and mirrors until the furor dies down. The key is to not let it die down. But I doubt the media is going to be much help on that. Until a Republican gets into the White House. Then the demands for a house-cleaning will be legion. Until it becomes apparent...

Published Sat, May 17 2014 9:46 AM by Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..

Filed under: Veteran's Issues, VA, Veterans, shinseki, peltzer

Melancholy - Annual Re-Post

Two or three times a year some of us older folks get a bit tangled up in memories (or memories of memories). Late April and much of May are my primary dates.

Published Fri, May 16 2014 12:01 PM by Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..

Guardian and the Guarded.

Published Fri, May 16 2014 10:09 AM by Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..

Filed under: Castle Pr0n

Throwback Thursday...

...is a Facebook thing. Today I put up some pics of C Battery, 40th FA, 10th Mountain Divsion, Captain Tim Donovan, commander, doing some direct fire at the range just behind Camp Aachen at Grafenwoehr - in 1956. Gunner! Target! Gunner! Fire!

Published Thu, May 15 2014 11:00 AM by Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..

Filed under: Historical Stuff, Observations on things Military, Artillery, Gun Pr0n - A Naughty Expose' of the fiddly bits

Ah, the VA circus continues...

First, Secretary Shinseki beclowned himself in hearings today. Go home, General. Thanks for your interest in veterans and national defense. Then there's this juicy quote from William Schoenhard, deputy undersecretary for health administrative operations, in an NBC article: "Wrote Schoenhard, “Please be cautioned that since 2008, additional new or modified gaming strategies may have emerged, so do not consider this list a full description of all current possibilities of inappropriate...

Published Thu, May 15 2014 9:49 AM by Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..

Filed under: Veteran's Issues

A modest proposal...

Given the kerfuffle and angst among you over DoD's decision to transfer Manning to the Federal system for transgendering support, and Secretary Hagel's intended review of rules and regulations regarding the service of transgendered troops, where he asserted "every qualified American who wants to serve our country should have an opportunity if they fit the qualifications and can do it" I believe we need *yet* another review. Why can't the disabled and fat serve if they want to...

Published Wed, May 14 2014 12:56 PM by Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..

Filed under: Observations on things Military, Politics, Veteran's Issues, The American Soviet

Dear Senator Sanders...

- I assure you that I am not on the Koch Brother's payroll (note to Koch Bros - I *am* available, and local to Kansas). I'm just a customer of the VA. As was my father. And my grandfather. And a couple of cousins. And just about every man, and not a few women, I work or are friends with is too. I have a three-generation multi-valent perspective on the institution, not a Koch Brothers-infused obsession. You, sir, are *part* of the problem. And don't appear to be any part of the solution...

Published Tue, May 13 2014 12:13 PM by Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..