September 2010 - BlackFive - The Network of Care

VA secret deal screws families of the Fallen

Link Sept. 14 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs failed to inform 6 million soldiers and their families of an agreement enabling Prudential Financial Inc. to withhold lump-sum payments of life insurance benefits for survivors of fallen...

Published Tue, Sep 14 2010 11:14 PM by BLACKFIVE

UPDATE: Secrets? Yeah, I got Secrets...

UPDATE 1: Yep. You could have bet it- I've not received a SINGLE reply to this. Not one person has even addressed this in any way that I outlined below. I'm 'updating' this to see if the cowards still want to try. This is especially aimed...

Published Wed, Sep 15 2010 6:16 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Current Affairs, Bust Their Chops

Publish or fight terror

Popular Mechanics published an interview with Mike Leiter, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, in which he described how counterterrorism has changed since the underwear bomber last Christmas. One of the points he made that I thought might...

Published Fri, Sep 17 2010 2:20 AM by BLACKFIVE

"New Gay Army" Comments Denied

An Editorial in the Washington Times titled "New Gay Army" stirred up a bit of controversy from a General's comments about the Don't Ask, Don't Tell legislation being put before congress soon: ...Lt. Gen. Bostick said. "But...

Published Fri, Sep 17 2010 7:16 AM by BLACKFIVE

Changes

Some changes in my life, and some good food for thought, are shared over at Laughing Wolf.

Published Sun, Sep 19 2010 12:56 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Purdue, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Leslie A. Geddes, Weldon

If your blood pressure isn't where it needs to be...

After reading this, IT WILL BE. Forewarned- put all objects down, swallow your drink, and step away from the TV... Father Has to verify his own son's remains (BurnPit) With a rotting corpse and the putrid stench of death permeating the air, a worker...

Published Mon, Sep 20 2010 3:39 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Military, Current Affairs, Caring For The Defenders, Fallen But Never Forgotten, Bust Their Chops

President Awards MoH to Chief Master Sergeant Richard L. Etchberger

While it's a damn shame that it's taken this long, good for the President to listen to retired Master Sergeant Robert Dilley (who deserves the credit) and Congressman Earl Pomeroy and Congressman Tim Holden, and make this happen: Here's the...

Published Tue, Sep 21 2010 7:48 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Fallen But Never Forgotten, Someone You Should Know

In the Crosshairs- Obama's Wars

Bob Woodward's new book "Obama's Wars" is out. It has all the usual ridiculously detailed accounts that are close to stalking. The usual backbiting and stabbing abound, but the biggest (non) revelation is that Obama's decisions about...

Published Wed, Sep 22 2010 9:46 AM by BLACKFIVE

"Cheer the Perfect Devils"

RE: President Obama - Politics Trump Victory in Afghanistan Major Brigadier General (retired) Tata has a post up at Big Peace about President Obama's confidence that we could weather another 9/11... ...For a sitting president to declare to our enemies...

Published Thu, Sep 23 2010 6:36 AM by BLACKFIVE

American Legion Cover Story is About MilBlogs

It's not about "Burden's simple model" but about you all...

Published Fri, Sep 24 2010 3:52 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Weblogs, About Blackfive

Time For A FRIEND-LY Update

Twenty-Four Years. That's how long it has been since we've last communicated. Twenty-Four Years. For some people, that's a lifetime. It's the lenght of some careers. Certainly the timespan of many military careers. But, this is how long...

Published Sat, Sep 25 2010 11:17 PM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Current Affairs, Pop Culture, Thank You, Internet!

Veterans are the reason for the high deficit

So, last night, a Presidential speech about ending combat operations (not really) in Iraq became an economic diatribe. At least the President promised to stand by veterans: ...That effort must begin within our own borders. Throughout our history, America...

Published Wed, Sep 01 2010 1:36 AM by BLACKFIVE

Filed under: Bust Their Chops

Book Review- Capitol Game by Brian Haig

Elise Cooper for BLACKFIVE The Capitol Game by Brian Haig is a fast paced book that the reader will not want to put down. The plot is about a small, insignificant company on the edge of bankruptcy that has supposedly discovered a miraculous polymer that...

Published Wed, Sep 01 2010 9:49 AM by BLACKFIVE

Poorer Richard's America

Poorer Richard's America I got his book to review and the first thing I wondered is whether the idea of Ben Franklin commenting on modern day America would work. Obviously we have problems where Ben and his alter ego Poor Richard could shed some light...

Published Thu, Sep 02 2010 11:31 AM by BLACKFIVE

Presidential military leadership "Scandalous"

Probably the most important column that you'd read today is from Charles Krauthammer about President Obama's reasons for setting a hard withdrawal date for Afghanistan. ...How did Obama come to this decision? "Our Afghan policy was focused...

Published Fri, Sep 03 2010 2:19 AM by BLACKFIVE