An Ol’ Broad’s Ramblings
Archive for U.S. Military
Giving Back
Garage built for local woman serving overseas
Thanksgiving came early to the Sweeney residence in North Fond du Lac. Neighbors collaborated for weeks to replace the driveway and garage on the property.
Sgt. 1st Class Karen Sweeney has been stationed in Kandahar, Afghanistan since January for her second tour overseas. Karen’s mother, Sue Haefemeyer, has been watching her daughter, Rachel Sweeney, at Karen’s home.
While Karen has been away, the neighbors have pitched in to help Haefemeyer shovel the driveway, trim trees, remove a stump and mow the lawn. The driveway and garage were in rough shape and two neighbors thought repaving the driveway would be a nice thing to do while Karen was away.
“Before Karen left, she said she was going to put up a new garage when she got home,” neighbor Al Fink said. “The neighbors thought we should do it before she gets home.”
According to Haefemeyer, it was going to be a surprise for Karen, but she had to sign the building permit before the project could start.
More.
Yes, in some neighborhoods, there are still actual neighbors…..not just folks who live on the same block. And there are still those who care about our troops, and the service they are performing for their country. Karen is a hard working, decent, single mom, and it’s a wonderful thing her neighbors have done for her, and her little girl. I know Sue worked hard, with Karen’s neighbors to get this done before Karen came home, and it looks like they got ‘r done! 
Acts 20:35 - I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
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Operation: Thanks From Home
When: This Sunday, November 23.
Where: Union University Chapel, Jackson, TN
Doors open at 7:00 AM. We turn the camera on at 8:00
SHARP to give our troops a standing ovation.
Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend. SP will be visiting, and that’s a bit early for her….well, me too, but for something like this, I could have, and would have done it.
BUT….if you are in the area, PLEASE turn out to let our troops know just how much you appreciate them. I don’t care if you are for, or against, this, or any other war. It’s these young men and women, and millions who came before them, who give you the rights and freedoms you have now!
H/T: Mike Slater
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Veterans Day
We can’t do enough today to thank the people that have fought to protect our Constitution. Our freedom.
These our the people I have listed at my site that have served this great country. The names in red have recently passed. The names in blue were added in comments.
Honoring Veterans
Uncle Bill
Danny Gould
Bud Stoxen
Ed Bertram
Heidi Bertram-George
Glen Spillman
Alexander Silva
Pete Fanning
Jack Witt
Jeff Bahr
Rod Bahr
LeRoy Mendell Sr.
Don Berlick
Bill Borgiasz
David B
Pastor Pete Petersen
Asian Badger
Gunz
Texas Fred
Chad Soleski
Edward N. Soleski
Butch Dahms
Cecilia Bixby
Gordon Strait
Steve Thursby
Please add the names of any veterans you might know into the comment section.
Mark Hagstrom
Art Shrader
Don Camacho
Al Markiewicz
Mike Zimmermann
Donald G Sweeney
My father- Lanny Smith,
Brother Randy Smith
myself, Bob Smith
Uncle -Joseph Garret
Uncle -Gene Hardin
Cousin -Johnny Hardin
Father In Laws (long story) -Mark Frey, Troy Bowman, & Don Probst.
Friends - Scott Rasmussen, Bill Simmons, Kevin Phelps, Troy Phelps
Harry J Murtaugh Jr USN
Christopher Sweeney USA
Jason Sweeney USA
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Does Fox News Read My Ramblings?
Well, either that, or they are a day or two late in reporting on what I pointed out a couple of days ago!
Hmm…. Reckon I’m more inclined to think they’re just late. 
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A Color Thang?
Why haven’t we heard about this? Oh yeah….cuz it’s positive news for McCain!
Military Times poll: Troops backing McCain
Sen. John McCain enjoys overwhelming support from the military’s professional core, a Military Times survey of nearly 4,300 readers, indicates, though career-oriented black service members strongly favored the Democratic Party candidate.
McCain, R-Ariz., handily defeated Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., 68 percent to 23 percent in a voluntary survey of 4,293 active-duty, National Guard and reserve subscribers and former subscribers to Army Times, Navy Times, Marine Corps Times and Air Force Times.
McCain Obama
Overall 68 23
Army 68 23
Navy 69 24
Air Force 67 24
Marines 75 18
Retirees 72 20
White Non-Hispanic 76 17
Hispanic 63 27
Black/African-American 12 79
Enlisted 67 24
Officers 70 22
Anyone with a half a brain knows that Bubba Hussein and the Dhimmicrats will decimate the military, and leave us vulnerable. But then, that’s what they want, isn’t it.
Thanks to Sharon for pointing this out.
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News From Miss Heather
My little brother is in the Oregon National Guard and will go active duty in April and to Iraq in June or July. Luckily he doesn’t burn to a crisp in daylight like I do.
Well, it’s different now, but I still think we can’t leave until the job’s done–can’t create a vacuum for Iran/Syria/Al-Qaeda/etc–and I feel kinda bad that my brother is a much better person than I am. He’s under strict orders to pass along the addresses of buddies in his unit who don’t get packages/letters from home for whatever reason so I can “adopt” them (he has two other sisters who will keep him in Blistex and magazines, not to mention our mother). Maybe I can be a little less useless.
Keep your head down and your powder dry! God watch over you!
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Very Disturbing
Brigade homeland tours start Oct. 1
The 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team has spent 35 of the last 60 months in Iraq patrolling in full battle rattle, helping restore essential services and escorting supply convoys.
Now they’re training for the same mission — with a twist — at home.
Beginning Oct. 1 for 12 months, the 1st BCT will be under the day-to-day control of U.S. Army North, the Army service component of Northern Command, as an on-call federal response force for natural or manmade emergencies and disasters, including terrorist attacks.
It is not the first time an active-duty unit has been tapped to help at home. In August 2005, for example, when Hurricane Katrina unleashed hell in Mississippi and Louisiana, several active-duty units were pulled from various posts and mobilized to those areas.
But this new mission marks the first time an active unit has been given a dedicated assignment to NorthCom, a joint command established in 2002 to provide command and control for federal homeland defense efforts and coordinate defense support of civil authorities.
Now, I don’t know about you, but this bothers me! I was under the impression that unless there is a national security issue, or a natural disaster, our troops don’t patrol our streets.
I just got an email from Texas Fred linking to his post:
Ex-FBI Analyst Predicts Attack After Election
Now, in light of the threat of race riots, and now this, I wonder if there is a connection?
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Disgraceful
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Gotta Love Their Sense Of Humor
Courtesy of Mr Ol Broad.
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Why I Am Angry!
In 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Many young men joined the military to help rebuild what had been lost. I think it might have been our innocence lost that day too. Even some older men joined to do their part.
My dad, who was born in 1907, was one of those older types. He had just turned 34. He never got to see action, in any theater of that war. During his training in the Army Air Corp, there was a car accident on the base. No, he wasn’t in the car. Some general’s daughter was. It was a fiery explosion, and my dad, being of the “Greatest Generation”, did what anyone would have done. He saved that young girl’s life. In doing so, he suffered 3rd degree burns over 75% of his body.
They didn’t expect him to live. In 1942, medicine was no where near as advanced as it now. Usually, men like my dad died. God was with him. So was my mom. And a whole team of military medical folks. He spent 18 months in the hospital recuperating. When he was finally released, he wasn’t exactly the same person, physically, or emotionally. Probably not mentally either. But those people at the VA worked with him, and brought him back to almost the man he was before the accident.
He’d never really be the same obviously. Physically, he was still pretty much the same. They grafted skin from other parts of his body onto his face. His pinky’s wouldn’t bend like they should, which was a constant fascination to me as a kid….try as I might, I couldn’t make ‘em go straight!
One other problem that arose. He was no longer able to have children. Oh, my mom would get pregnant, but there was something wrong, and she never could carry to term. They said it was because of the fire. I’m going to believe them. (Obviously, we kids were adopted. Reckon that’s why God kept him on the earth a while longer….to give us a home!)
Now, the reason for me sharing this very personal story? It’s because of this:
Army leaders defend supervision of soldier care unit
Mold infests the barracks that were set up here a year ago for wounded soldiers after poor conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center triggered a systemwide overhaul, soldiers say.
Twenty soldiers, who spoke to USA TODAY early last week, said their complaints about mold and other problems went unheeded for months. They also said they had been ordered not speak about the conditions at Fort Sill.
And then there’s this:
After problems surfaced last year at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., the Army established a WTU at each of 35 installations. Soldiers assigned to these units receive specialized care. They are assigned a squad leader, nurse case manager and doctor to care for them, and usher them to return to duty or medical retirement. “Those three people are with this soldier from start to finish … (to ensure) that the soldier can get through the system without having to fight,” Gen. Michael Tucker said in announcing the program last year. “The soldier’s mission is to heal.”
But as the number of soldiers in the program doubled from 6,000 to 12,000 by June, individual care slipped, congressional investigators found. In July, Army leaders told Congress they were struggling to improve the program. “It takes time to kill bureaucracies,” Lt. Gen. Michael Rochelle said.
Bureaucracies? They are concerned about bureaucracies? No. There should be NO level of bureaucracy that would put any of our military personal, who have served their country valiantly, into such conditions! NONE!
If my dad had had the same level of NON-care back in 1942, he would have not lived. I would not be the person I am now for him having been my dad. MY life would have been radically different, as would have been my mom, my two sisters, and my brother. Even my daughter, granddaughters, nieces and nephews.
The care we give our military personal does not just affect their lives! If affects ALL our lives! To quote Texas Fred, “We spend BILLIONS of U.S. taxpayer dollars to finance the Iraqi government in their CIVIL WAR, but we won’t spend the necessary money to properly care for the troops that we send into harms way to carry out the actions and wishes of our President.”
And commenter Basti, “Another shameful page in the history of this nations treatment of its troops and veterans. It goes like this. “They have given their all for us. Now how do we want to treat them? Who cares, let’s just get the next sucker to fill their slot.”
Do I blame Bush? Maybe partially! What I blame more is the lack of consideration coming out of Congress. They claim to care about our troops, but when it comes to funding them, in combat or in the hospitals, they tack on so much crap to the bills that are totally irrelevant. Why not use those extra funds to actually FUND OUR MILITARY? OUR VETERANS? Why must these pissants think the world begins and ends with them? If it wasn’t for people like my dad, his brothers, and every other man who has served this great country so well, those scumballs wouldn’t be in D.C. at all! NONE of them! ZERO!
Now, get off your sorry asses and fix this f*’ing problem!
NOW!
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