Veteran Takes On Chris Matthews In Coulter Debate

VETERAN: No, no, no, no, no, I want to know why politicians are off limits, but US troops are not. People who actually put on the uniform, go out and fight and die. Okay, she is calling in and complaining about one person that said something in a book. Ann Coulter is not elected to the senate, okay, John Kerry is, Dick Durbin is. Ok, and if we want apologies and personal attacks to stop.

MATHEWS: Wait, who has been attacking the soldiers?

VETERAN: Okay, let’s see, Dick Durbin has compared them to the Nazis, "Abu Ghraib is now open under new management." Okay, but our soldiers are not out there blowing them damn selves up, and I as a veteran take a genuine--

MATHEWS: So you don’t think they should have criticized Abu Ghraib?

VETERAN: No, hey, look, policy is made by civilians. Troops only do what they can.

MATHEWS: I'm going to tell you something. This administration has denied that was a policy from the top. I believe it was, you don’t agree.

VETERAN: I believe--

MATHEWS: No, you believe--

VETERAN: Wait, wait, wait. Wait a damn minute Chris, if you want to talk about policy made from the top, let’s talk about the mess made over in Rwanda.

Arrowhead Ripper

“The biggest battle since the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein’s regime is under way in Iraq. Its outcome could determine whether the war is won or lost... The heart of the offensive is Operation Arrowhead Ripper, in Diyala province northeast of Baghdad, involving some 8,000 American and 2,000 Iraqi troops...[I]f Arrowhead Ripper succeeds, you may not hear much about it. A U.S. victory would be too embarrassing for those in the media and the Democrats who have staked their reputations on defeat.” — Patriot Post

Arrowhead Ripper: Surrender Or Die

Military News / Veterans Report

4th of July Celebration on the USS Hornet
Celebrate this exciting patriotic holiday on a ship that affected the course of history. The USS Hornet Museum in Alameda hosts its annual Independence Day Party on July 4 from 10:00am to 9:30pm. The family event features live music on the flight deck, interactive games for all ages, and a bounce house for kids. Tours of the famous aircraft carrier will be available throughout the day. In the evening visitors can watch panoramic views of Bay Area fireworks from the flight deck. Tickets are $25 for adults ($20 in advance) and $10 for children ages 5-17; museum members receive free admission. Family Membership for one year is $75. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 510-521-8448 x 282 or visit USS Hornet.org.

Changes Coming for Air Force Uniform
The Air Force uniform board is working to resolve Airmen's issues with the Air Force physical training uniform. The board received nearly 500 inputs from Airmen including suggestions on ways to improve the uniform, and some of those changes are in the works. One of the biggest issues is the lining in the shorts. Another issue Airmen addressed was the weight of the PT running suit. The Air Force Clothing Office is making changes to these items. The board has also decided to introduce other optional PT uniform items within a year, including shorts geared for long-distance runners, a long-sleeve T-shirt, medium-weight sweatshirt and fleece vest with a zipper.

Air Force Marathon Coming in September
The eleventh annual United States Air Force Marathon will take place on Sept. 15, 2007, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. One change to the marathon this year is the date and location of the five-kilometer race, will take place on the evening of Sept. 14. Marathoners will also experience an altered race route this year, which is a Boston Marathon qualifier. For more information, visit the USAF Marathon website.

USS New York

Artist Rendering of the USS New YorkThe Navy's amphibious assault ship USS New York has already made history. It was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center.

USS New York is about 45 percent complete and should be ready for launch in mid-2007 . Katrina disrupted construction when it pounded the Gulf Coast last summer, but the 684-foot vessel escaped serious damage, and workers were back at the yard near New Orleans two weeks after the storm.

It is the fifth in a new class of warship designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft.

"It would be fitting if the first mission this ship would go on is to make sure that bin Laden is taken out, his terrorist organization is taken out," said Glenn Clement, a paint foreman. "He came in through the back door and knocked our towers down and (the New York) is coming right through the front door, and we want them to know that."

Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite, La., to cast the ship's bow section. When it was poured into the molds on Sept. 9, 2003, "those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence," recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. "It was a spiritual moment for everybody there."

Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the "hair on my neck stood up."

"It had a big meaning to it for all of us," he said. "They knocked us down. They can't keep us down. We're going to be back."The ship's motto? - 'Never Forget'

Kindness and goodness of U.S. Troops

Received via email from Move America Forward
Here's a heart-warming, wonderful story of the decency, kindness and goodness of U.S. Troops. It comes from a somewhat surprising source - CBS News - and shows some of the good things our troops are doing in Iraq.

No matter what else you do today, you MUST watch this video segment and then send it on to everyone you know:

WATCH THE PRO-TROOP STORY HERE

Military / Veterans Report

V.A. Medical Center and Facility Locator

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San Diego Air and Space Museum
Situated in the heart of San Diego's Balboa Park, the San Diego Air and Space Museum offers active-duty servicemembers and their family members a free look at the evolution of aviation. Created in 1935 by the Ford Motor Company, the museum's exhibits feature various aircraft from the Wright Brothers first gliders to spacecraft from the Apollo missions. The museum pays special tribute to some of the military's most renowned aces and heroes. The museum is open daily 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. For more information call
619-234-8291 or visit http://www.aerospacemuseum.org/.

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War Wounded Underpaid
Disability compensation for veterans severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, particularly the youngest, is set too low, creating a lifetime earnings gap with non-disabled peers, according to a draft study on disabled veterans' incomes prepared for the Veterans Disability Benefits Commission. The same study found that disability compensation probably is set too high for veterans who first begin drawing the disability payments at age 65 or older, having already retired from post-service careers.

This imbalance in disability compensation paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was a point of contention at a June 8 commission hearing. Congress created the commission to examine the appropriateness of benefits being paid to veterans and their survivors.

While some commissioners expressed satisfaction that "average" VA compensation was adequate, and others challenged the notion of elderly veterans being over compensated, Commissioner Dennis V. McGinn, a retired Navy vice admiral, said something must be done to raise compensation of younger veterans.
To learn more, read the article at Military.com.

Military / Veterans Report

Databases List Missing Servicemembers
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) now has an electronic database listing the names of servicemembers still unaccounted for from World War II that is available for family members and researchers. The database lists nearly 78,000 names and was compiled by researchers from DPMO and the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command. This WWII database, along with databases listing the missing from the Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War and Gulf War, are available on DPMO's website. For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO website or call (703) 699-1169.

Come to the Las Vegas Career Fair on June 16th
Military.com Career Fair is coming to Las Vegas on June 16, 2007. This event will feature up top employers seeking the valuable skills you learned in service to your country. You can also attend employment workshops focused on helping you leverage your military experience in the civilian job market. Every attendee will receive a free copy of the Veteran Career Guide full of tips on how to interview, translate your military skills, evaluate potential employers and more.

The event is this Wednesday, June 16th at the Palace Station Hotel, 2411 W. Sahara Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89102. Doors open at 11am and close at 3pm. Register For Free Here.

New Navy Program Educates Recruits
"Accelerate to Excellence" is a new program that allows enlistees to enroll in community college while in the Delayed Entry Program (DEP) and get paid a monthly stipend by the Navy. The enlistees are expected to eventually earn an associate degree prior to reporting to their first permanent duty station. The initial pilot program is being focused on recruiting from Texas and Florida. An added element of the program is the potential for top performers to be considered for application into officer commissioning programs. The pilot program is planned to run for three years. More information on the program is available in . pdf format.

Remember: Not applying for scholarships is like turning down free money. Get started on your search for scholarships today - visit the Military.com Scholarship Finder.

Military / Veterans Report

Remember June 6, 1944
Step back in time to that fateful morning of June 6th, 1944 and join the brave souls of the Allied Expeditionary Force on the beaches of France to begin a final, desperate assault that would be the knife point of a thrust into the heart of German Occupied Territory....More



Video: D Day Tribute To Troops
We Remember D Day Tribute to Troops and the power behind the force.



Helicopter Air Show in SF Bay Area -- June 16th
On Saturday June 16th, the 8th annual Hiller Aviation Vertical Challenge, the nation's largest all-helicopter air show, will feature more than 50 helicopters including the incredible Red Bull BO-105 helicopter, the only aerobatic helicopter that can fly upside down, as well as perform loops and rolls. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children ages 5-17 and seniors 65 and older and free for kids age 4 and younger. Attendees will enjoy helicopter rides (45pp), refreshments, live entertainment, kid amusements and more. The event starts at 9am and is located at 601 Skyway Road, San Carlos, CA 94070. Click here to find more information.

Red Bull Helicopter

Palm Springs International Airport USO

Among the baggage claim carousels at the Palm Springs International Airport, a safe haven is tucked away in a corner room. Young men and women in uniform munch chips within the fully stocked kitchen and doze off in a comfy recliner.

This conveniently located airport facility features all of the amenities, flair and comfort of a modern commercial airline VIP lounge—and all of the services are provided to America’s brave young warriors and their families free of charge! We do everything possible to ensure our troops have a safe and comfortable place to relax while on the move through Palm Springs to US or worldwide locations.

Services such as Internet-connected computers, video games, magazines and cable television with a DVD library are available at no cost.

"Some of them are so surprised this is all free," said David Lutes, public relations coordinator for the USO. "They will tell me, 'thank you sir,' but I reply, 'No, thank you for serving your country.' We're able to give them a safe, clean place to relax while making them feel at ease and sometimes play the part of a mother or father figure when they need it." Palm Springs International Airport USO

A MONUMENT TO AMERICA'S HEROES

"A MONUMENT TO AMERICA'S HEROES"
Friday, June 1st - 4:35 AM Eastern:
Move America Forward is announcing today its plans to acquire the 5 acres of land in Crawford, Texas that had been used by anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan and her supporters.



------- _,,,^._.^,,,_
I'm having a difficult time typing this.
I'm all broken up.
Tears are streaming from my eyes.
I just don't know how I will cope.
Want a piece of Texas? Camp Casy is for sale. Cindy (Parody) will accept any reasonable offer.
-------------Cindy Packing Up and Going Home