Don't know if any of you caught President Bush's press conference today.
He had a lot to say, and took about an hour to address questions about the strategy in Iraq moving forward, and the legacy he's choosing to leave as Commander and Chief during this conflict.
One thing that struck us - which we want to bring up with you - was his comment regarding a question as to whether he was paying enough attention to congressional pressure (especially within his own party) to begin a withdrawl plan:
(this is our rough transcription of the quote)
"What would the troops on the ground think if they suddenly heard that their commander in chief was running a focus group?"
What DO YOU THINK about his statement? Let us know!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Bush Says Democrats Are Playing Politics on Iraq
ANY THOUGHTS GUYS?
July 20, 2007
Bush Says Democrats Are Playing Politics on Iraq
By DAVID STOUT
WASHINGTON, July 20 — President Bush assailed Democrats anew about Iraq today, accusing them of choosing to indulge in a political debate over troop withdrawals rather than give the troops what they need to carry out their mission.
"It is time to rise above partisanship, stand behind our troops in the field and give them everything they need to succeed," Mr. Bush said in the White House Rose Garden. The president said he was conveying a message from the veterans and military support organizations he met this morning.
Meanwhile, the White House said September is still the next point for assessing progress in Iraq, despite statements on Thursday by the second-ranking American commander in Iraq that it would take "at least until November" to ascertain whether the revised American strategy is working. The chief White House spokesman, Tony Snow, said today that the Pentagon would provide "some clarifications" to the statements by that commander, Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno.
President Bush spoke two days after the frustrated Democratic majority leader, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, pulled the defense-authorization bill from the Senate floor after Republicans managed to stall a proposal to begin withdrawing American troops within 120 days.
Mr. Bush said today that the shelving of the bill demonstrated that "the Democratic leaders chose to have a political debate on a precipitous withdrawal of our troops from Iraq" and were apparently content to go home for August before passing the authorization bill, which includes a pay raise for the military.
Democrats have argued that there is nothing "precipitous" about the phased withdrawal that they envision. Mr. Reid has also noted that the authorization bill would not take effect until October, in any event, and that his pulling the bill from the floor does not threaten the military's pay raise, or the needed flow of equipment and supplies.
Mr. Bush asserted again today that the Democrats' stance is illogical, given that they voted to confirm Gen. David H. Petraeus as the top commander in Iraq. Therefore, Mr. Bush said, they should give his strategy, including the current increase in troop strength, time to succeed.
General Odierno, in briefing Pentagon reporters on Tuesday, said that, while he would provide the mid-September assessment of the new strategy that Congress has demanded, it would not be possible to tell until two months later whether signs of progress were "just a blip."
The White House's promise today that General Odierno's remarks would be clarified seemed intended to dispel any suggestion that there had been a change in the schedule for gauging progress. The president ignored a questioner who asked him today whether he and General Odierno were "trying to move the goal posts from September."
"Failure in Iraq would send an unmistakable signal to America's enemies that our country can be bullied into retreat," Mr. Bush told his audience. "America's involvement in Iraq does not have to end this way. A free and stable Iraq is still in reach. It has the potential to transform the Middle East and bring us closer to the day when radical regimes are replaced by peaceful allies, when terrorists have fewer places to train and operate, and when moms and dads in the Arab world see a future of hope for their children."
July 20, 2007
Bush Says Democrats Are Playing Politics on Iraq
By DAVID STOUT
WASHINGTON, July 20 — President Bush assailed Democrats anew about Iraq today, accusing them of choosing to indulge in a political debate over troop withdrawals rather than give the troops what they need to carry out their mission.
"It is time to rise above partisanship, stand behind our troops in the field and give them everything they need to succeed," Mr. Bush said in the White House Rose Garden. The president said he was conveying a message from the veterans and military support organizations he met this morning.
Meanwhile, the White House said September is still the next point for assessing progress in Iraq, despite statements on Thursday by the second-ranking American commander in Iraq that it would take "at least until November" to ascertain whether the revised American strategy is working. The chief White House spokesman, Tony Snow, said today that the Pentagon would provide "some clarifications" to the statements by that commander, Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno.
President Bush spoke two days after the frustrated Democratic majority leader, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, pulled the defense-authorization bill from the Senate floor after Republicans managed to stall a proposal to begin withdrawing American troops within 120 days.
Mr. Bush said today that the shelving of the bill demonstrated that "the Democratic leaders chose to have a political debate on a precipitous withdrawal of our troops from Iraq" and were apparently content to go home for August before passing the authorization bill, which includes a pay raise for the military.
Democrats have argued that there is nothing "precipitous" about the phased withdrawal that they envision. Mr. Reid has also noted that the authorization bill would not take effect until October, in any event, and that his pulling the bill from the floor does not threaten the military's pay raise, or the needed flow of equipment and supplies.
Mr. Bush asserted again today that the Democrats' stance is illogical, given that they voted to confirm Gen. David H. Petraeus as the top commander in Iraq. Therefore, Mr. Bush said, they should give his strategy, including the current increase in troop strength, time to succeed.
General Odierno, in briefing Pentagon reporters on Tuesday, said that, while he would provide the mid-September assessment of the new strategy that Congress has demanded, it would not be possible to tell until two months later whether signs of progress were "just a blip."
The White House's promise today that General Odierno's remarks would be clarified seemed intended to dispel any suggestion that there had been a change in the schedule for gauging progress. The president ignored a questioner who asked him today whether he and General Odierno were "trying to move the goal posts from September."
"Failure in Iraq would send an unmistakable signal to America's enemies that our country can be bullied into retreat," Mr. Bush told his audience. "America's involvement in Iraq does not have to end this way. A free and stable Iraq is still in reach. It has the potential to transform the Middle East and bring us closer to the day when radical regimes are replaced by peaceful allies, when terrorists have fewer places to train and operate, and when moms and dads in the Arab world see a future of hope for their children."
Operation Homefront ( a message we recieved)
Good Morning,
I thought that you might like to have a look at this. I recieved notification of this program this morning to pass out to our families. This program, if I understand correctly, is available to the children of E-6 and below. Since you have over 3000 people that look at your website, I thought you would like to pass along this information for the children of Military parents. Have a good day. Katherine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Operation Homefront Goes Back To School with Backpacks for Brats
Operation Homefront's 31 chapters want to lend a hand to military families and get their children ready to go back to school. Operation Homefront recognizes the sacrifices military families make and with the help of the community we hope to bring a moment of joy to our military families. We are now collecting new school supplies for children of all ages.
All items collected for back-to-school will be used to stuff backpacks that will be distributed to military school children who need a little help with their back-to-school needs. Operation Homefront chapters will distribute over 10,000 stuffed backpacks this school year. Items needed include: spiral notebooks, pens, pencils, markers, crayons, notebook paper, rulers, colored pencils, calculators, erasers, etc.
To register to receive school supplies or to donate school supplies to a military child, please contact your local Operation Homefront chapter. A listing of chapters can be found at http://operationhomefront.net/chapters.asp. Military families will soon be able to register online to receive school supplies. For military families and donors who do not have a local Operation Homefront, you may participate through Operation Homefront's care package program at www.ecarepackage.org.
For general information or to participate with the Back-To-School program, please contact your local Operation Homefront chapter or for eCarePackage information, contact Rob Mochen at 210.-659-7756 or rob@operationhomefront.net.
About Operation Homefront & CinCHouse.com What is today Operation Homefront began in 2001 as a military spouse-generated idea. In support for the families of deployed service members, CinCHouse.com members (military wives and women in uniform) created the project that has evolved into a major nonprofit charity serving 31 military communities in 34 states. Today CinCHouse.com operates as a program as part of the nonprofit Operation Homefront family. From a good idea, to a great organization, Operation Homefront understands and takes care of the needs of the military community.
I thought that you might like to have a look at this. I recieved notification of this program this morning to pass out to our families. This program, if I understand correctly, is available to the children of E-6 and below. Since you have over 3000 people that look at your website, I thought you would like to pass along this information for the children of Military parents. Have a good day. Katherine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Operation Homefront Goes Back To School with Backpacks for Brats
Operation Homefront's 31 chapters want to lend a hand to military families and get their children ready to go back to school. Operation Homefront recognizes the sacrifices military families make and with the help of the community we hope to bring a moment of joy to our military families. We are now collecting new school supplies for children of all ages.
All items collected for back-to-school will be used to stuff backpacks that will be distributed to military school children who need a little help with their back-to-school needs. Operation Homefront chapters will distribute over 10,000 stuffed backpacks this school year. Items needed include: spiral notebooks, pens, pencils, markers, crayons, notebook paper, rulers, colored pencils, calculators, erasers, etc.
To register to receive school supplies or to donate school supplies to a military child, please contact your local Operation Homefront chapter. A listing of chapters can be found at http://operationhomefront.net/chapters.asp. Military families will soon be able to register online to receive school supplies. For military families and donors who do not have a local Operation Homefront, you may participate through Operation Homefront's care package program at www.ecarepackage.org.
For general information or to participate with the Back-To-School program, please contact your local Operation Homefront chapter or for eCarePackage information, contact Rob Mochen at 210.-659-7756 or rob@operationhomefront.net.
About Operation Homefront & CinCHouse.com What is today Operation Homefront began in 2001 as a military spouse-generated idea. In support for the families of deployed service members, CinCHouse.com members (military wives and women in uniform) created the project that has evolved into a major nonprofit charity serving 31 military communities in 34 states. Today CinCHouse.com operates as a program as part of the nonprofit Operation Homefront family. From a good idea, to a great organization, Operation Homefront understands and takes care of the needs of the military community.
JOE BIDEN - PULLING OUT TROOPS FROM IRAQ - DEBATE
Anyone catch the Democratic Presidential debate last night?
This bit, from Joe Biden, stuck with us. For those of you that didn't see it, check out what he says. Every other Democrat on the panel said they wanted more or less immediate withdrawl of the troops. What do you guys think? Who's right and who's wrong here and WHY??? -UnR
This bit, from Joe Biden, stuck with us. For those of you that didn't see it, check out what he says. Every other Democrat on the panel said they wanted more or less immediate withdrawl of the troops. What do you guys think? Who's right and who's wrong here and WHY??? -UnR
Thursday, July 05, 2007
YOU KNOW YOU'RE AN ARMY WIFE WHEN...
YOU KNOW YOU'RE AN ARMY WIFE WHEN...
Help us MAKE A FUNNY VIDEO!
The following list was sent to us from a military wife we work with. Read it, pick a point you like -- or MAKE UP YOUR OWN - and then SHOOT IT ON VIDEO. Then, we'll take of you sending the footage to us and we'll make a great SHORT VIDEO and credit everybody when it gets posted on YouTube!
Check out the list and let us know what you think... Myspace us or email us at soldiervideos@gmail.com
YOU KNOW YOU'RE AN ARMY WIFE WHEN...
1) you're under the sink fixing it and your soldier is fixing dinner with the kids running around and it all seems perfectly normal.
2) your laundry piles are sorted by: lights, colors and green army stuff
3) When you understand Army acronyms and when talking to your friends from home you forget that they don't.
4) You have snacks in your cupboards from icky boxed lunches.
5) when you start choosing green as your color of choice for walls... and curtains... and carpets... and clothing.... and um...
6) you have an arsenal of air fresheners at your disposal. (Man, those guys stink up the bathroom like Hades when they get fresh food in them after they have been eating MREs for a week or longer).
7) you have a spare room for gear and are still looking for a bigger place incase your family grows!
8)you have to unload gear from the trunk of the car in the middle of the grocery store parking lot to fit the groceries in that you just bought
9)When you call to get rescued by your DH and he shows up in a military vehicle and uniform because the 'helpful' guy at Zellers locked your keys in the trunk and of course mall security has to swing by to see what's going on
10) you have used gun tape to tape up packages, curtains, extra cord or any other thing that needs to be kept in place.
11) You have 1900 combat boots in your front doorway and NONE of them have a match
12) You have, at one point, slept with a Ranger Blanket
13)You ask your hubby to iron YOUR pants/clothes....
cause he is just so much better at it, and with much more experience! lol!
14) You are the one who will always have to peel the potatoes for supper--he will volunteer for everything else BUT that--cause he had enough of peeling them during other army exercise! (was that in basic??)
15)When you first meet your new man and he only owns green boxers and army socks...
16)When you moved in together: *You: boxes and packing paper
* Him: 1 Duffel bag (olive drab or digital camo green) or barrack box (olive drab green) or bivy bag (Olive drab or digital camo green)
17)when it looks like the entire base QM threw up in your basement
18) when as the days pass in your new place you notice army items making homes on the kitchen window sill, living room book shelf, living room end tables, bedroom dressers AND night tables...need I continue?
19) when you have your first night over at his place and his bedroom doesn't have dressers, he has TWO closets in the bedroom, one for CIVI clothes, one for ARMY clothes and sock and boxers are out of barrack boxes. (let me just say he is lucky he was a good kisser)
20) when the office closet is now the designated ARMY closet and he is worried about that closet if that room is going to be a nursery
21) when you find yourself very turned on from him mowing the grass in combat pants and the green t-shirt.
22) you tell your children 'suck it up and soldier on'
23) you have an official army room
24) you care more about his dress greens then your own wedding dress
25) when boot polishing becomes a major family event
26) When one of your "decorations" is a piece of shrapnel
27)When you wear some of your guys kit like their PT gear when they are not having to use it
28) When you have spent a good part of your day searching for your DH's beret, for the 3rd time that day... finally your soldier learns to ask his "soldier wanna be" 5 year old where it is.............found in .0001 of a sec.
29) When your children call every man in combats "daddy"
30)A driving trip is referred to as the family road move (and along the way he has to point out every refueling/rest stop point the military uses) along the Yellow head or Trans Can route.
31) he can't always recall all the information regard the kids(bday's, school trips,etc..) but can recall any military event from history.
32) the conversation always ends up with a story from a sail/tour or course.
33) the kids are used to dad leaving for long, frequent periods of time and when he's home for awhile they wonder when he's leaving again.
34) you're kind of scared to unpack that final box cuz chances are once you do and your place is finally set up and livable(sp?) it's time to pack up and move again
35) you find green/brown camo paint in your make-up kit
36) your socks,towels,underwear are all rolled up in a tight ball and put neatly away
37) he strategically packs your weekend bag and actually fits everything in
38) when you go camping he makeshifts a 'rucksack' out of your backpack and the tent is green
39) When you are his study buddy for a course he is on and you know all the names of parts/pieces/mechanisms/rates of fire and characteristics of the equipment (so much so you think you deserve the same pay he is receiving).
40) you can recite the phonetic alphabet...
41) 1 man=1 kit even applies to our 2 year old!!
42) your introduced to your husband's co-worker by their first name and you ask then for their last name instead because you'll never remember their first name.
43) when your with military friends you call you husband by his last name but with civi friends you call him by his first name.
44) you break up most categories by two sections civi and military i.e. I live in civi housing, wear civi clothes, have a civi job etc.
45) you are fluent in acronyms.
46) repairing a warp-core conduit sounds easier than some of his field repairs
47) your outdoor flower pots are mis-matched boots
48) you know how to pack his kit as well as he does.
49) your children ask for green backpacks so they can look like Daddy (they both want to be just like him )
50) Cutlery consists of the fold up kfs (knife, fork spoon) Your bug spray will strip paint and melt plastic at the same time.
51) *You use your hubby's barrack box to pack for Christmas Vacation
52) Your junk door is filled with more lint brushes and sticky rollers than anything else
53) You call your husband "secretly" or not so secretly in public by patting your head. (use this sparingly or you might look like a nut job!)
54) You know you're an Army wife when your husband makes it to his work timings at least 15 minutes prior, but drags his but when it's for anything else.
55) You just clean the kitchen floor... then hubby comes home and now it's streaked with scuff marks
56) No matter how many times you see your hubby in his DEU's, you still melt every time he puts it on.
57) Your DH answers you by just raising his hand to acknowledge that he heard you
58) You know you are an army wife when you sit there and criticize the drill being done on parade!
59) You know you are an Army Wife when on a telephone conversation you hear "Say Again Over", and you repeat what you last said without blinking an eye.
60) when you tell your dh your going to rack out..
61) when you tell new army wives who are sad their dh is away on course.. don't worry hun there will come a day when you will ask when he's leaving again and be somewhat relieved..lol
62) when he comes home from the field and you yell at him from whatever room your in to jump in the shower then come talk!!!
63) You're posted for the 4th time and all your household furniture and items still have all the original 3 the numbered yellow/green stickers on them
64) more than half of the lint in the garbage can by the dryer is green
65) You can spot a military member, dressed in civvies, on a bus as soon as you look at him ... you know the look, short hair, grey t-shirt, blue jeans and sneakers.
66) You know you are an army wife/girlfriend when you live together and actually spend more time apart
67) when your husband is on leave and spends the time complaining about the "state" of the house. I am surprised he hasn't given me extras.
Help us MAKE A FUNNY VIDEO!
The following list was sent to us from a military wife we work with. Read it, pick a point you like -- or MAKE UP YOUR OWN - and then SHOOT IT ON VIDEO. Then, we'll take of you sending the footage to us and we'll make a great SHORT VIDEO and credit everybody when it gets posted on YouTube!
Check out the list and let us know what you think... Myspace us or email us at soldiervideos@gmail.com
YOU KNOW YOU'RE AN ARMY WIFE WHEN...
1) you're under the sink fixing it and your soldier is fixing dinner with the kids running around and it all seems perfectly normal.
2) your laundry piles are sorted by: lights, colors and green army stuff
3) When you understand Army acronyms and when talking to your friends from home you forget that they don't.
4) You have snacks in your cupboards from icky boxed lunches.
5) when you start choosing green as your color of choice for walls... and curtains... and carpets... and clothing.... and um...
6) you have an arsenal of air fresheners at your disposal. (Man, those guys stink up the bathroom like Hades when they get fresh food in them after they have been eating MREs for a week or longer).
7) you have a spare room for gear and are still looking for a bigger place incase your family grows!
8)you have to unload gear from the trunk of the car in the middle of the grocery store parking lot to fit the groceries in that you just bought
9)When you call to get rescued by your DH and he shows up in a military vehicle and uniform because the 'helpful' guy at Zellers locked your keys in the trunk and of course mall security has to swing by to see what's going on
10) you have used gun tape to tape up packages, curtains, extra cord or any other thing that needs to be kept in place.
11) You have 1900 combat boots in your front doorway and NONE of them have a match
12) You have, at one point, slept with a Ranger Blanket
13)You ask your hubby to iron YOUR pants/clothes....
cause he is just so much better at it, and with much more experience! lol!
14) You are the one who will always have to peel the potatoes for supper--he will volunteer for everything else BUT that--cause he had enough of peeling them during other army exercise! (was that in basic??)
15)When you first meet your new man and he only owns green boxers and army socks...
16)When you moved in together: *You: boxes and packing paper
* Him: 1 Duffel bag (olive drab or digital camo green) or barrack box (olive drab green) or bivy bag (Olive drab or digital camo green)
17)when it looks like the entire base QM threw up in your basement
18) when as the days pass in your new place you notice army items making homes on the kitchen window sill, living room book shelf, living room end tables, bedroom dressers AND night tables...need I continue?
19) when you have your first night over at his place and his bedroom doesn't have dressers, he has TWO closets in the bedroom, one for CIVI clothes, one for ARMY clothes and sock and boxers are out of barrack boxes. (let me just say he is lucky he was a good kisser)
20) when the office closet is now the designated ARMY closet and he is worried about that closet if that room is going to be a nursery
21) when you find yourself very turned on from him mowing the grass in combat pants and the green t-shirt.
22) you tell your children 'suck it up and soldier on'
23) you have an official army room
24) you care more about his dress greens then your own wedding dress
25) when boot polishing becomes a major family event
26) When one of your "decorations" is a piece of shrapnel
27)When you wear some of your guys kit like their PT gear when they are not having to use it
28) When you have spent a good part of your day searching for your DH's beret, for the 3rd time that day... finally your soldier learns to ask his "soldier wanna be" 5 year old where it is.............found in .0001 of a sec.
29) When your children call every man in combats "daddy"
30)A driving trip is referred to as the family road move (and along the way he has to point out every refueling/rest stop point the military uses) along the Yellow head or Trans Can route.
31) he can't always recall all the information regard the kids(bday's, school trips,etc..) but can recall any military event from history.
32) the conversation always ends up with a story from a sail/tour or course.
33) the kids are used to dad leaving for long, frequent periods of time and when he's home for awhile they wonder when he's leaving again.
34) you're kind of scared to unpack that final box cuz chances are once you do and your place is finally set up and livable(sp?) it's time to pack up and move again
35) you find green/brown camo paint in your make-up kit
36) your socks,towels,underwear are all rolled up in a tight ball and put neatly away
37) he strategically packs your weekend bag and actually fits everything in
38) when you go camping he makeshifts a 'rucksack' out of your backpack and the tent is green
39) When you are his study buddy for a course he is on and you know all the names of parts/pieces/mechanisms/rates of fire and characteristics of the equipment (so much so you think you deserve the same pay he is receiving).
40) you can recite the phonetic alphabet...
41) 1 man=1 kit even applies to our 2 year old!!
42) your introduced to your husband's co-worker by their first name and you ask then for their last name instead because you'll never remember their first name.
43) when your with military friends you call you husband by his last name but with civi friends you call him by his first name.
44) you break up most categories by two sections civi and military i.e. I live in civi housing, wear civi clothes, have a civi job etc.
45) you are fluent in acronyms.
46) repairing a warp-core conduit sounds easier than some of his field repairs
47) your outdoor flower pots are mis-matched boots
48) you know how to pack his kit as well as he does.
49) your children ask for green backpacks so they can look like Daddy (they both want to be just like him )
50) Cutlery consists of the fold up kfs (knife, fork spoon) Your bug spray will strip paint and melt plastic at the same time.
51) *You use your hubby's barrack box to pack for Christmas Vacation
52) Your junk door is filled with more lint brushes and sticky rollers than anything else
53) You call your husband "secretly" or not so secretly in public by patting your head. (use this sparingly or you might look like a nut job!)
54) You know you're an Army wife when your husband makes it to his work timings at least 15 minutes prior, but drags his but when it's for anything else.
55) You just clean the kitchen floor... then hubby comes home and now it's streaked with scuff marks
56) No matter how many times you see your hubby in his DEU's, you still melt every time he puts it on.
57) Your DH answers you by just raising his hand to acknowledge that he heard you
58) You know you are an army wife when you sit there and criticize the drill being done on parade!
59) You know you are an Army Wife when on a telephone conversation you hear "Say Again Over", and you repeat what you last said without blinking an eye.
60) when you tell your dh your going to rack out..
61) when you tell new army wives who are sad their dh is away on course.. don't worry hun there will come a day when you will ask when he's leaving again and be somewhat relieved..lol
62) when he comes home from the field and you yell at him from whatever room your in to jump in the shower then come talk!!!
63) You're posted for the 4th time and all your household furniture and items still have all the original 3 the numbered yellow/green stickers on them
64) more than half of the lint in the garbage can by the dryer is green
65) You can spot a military member, dressed in civvies, on a bus as soon as you look at him ... you know the look, short hair, grey t-shirt, blue jeans and sneakers.
66) You know you are an army wife/girlfriend when you live together and actually spend more time apart
67) when your husband is on leave and spends the time complaining about the "state" of the house. I am surprised he hasn't given me extras.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Someone in Need...
FROM ONE OF OUR MYSPACE FRIENDS
I am sending this message because I know your site reaches many people. Soldier's Girl, a good friend of mine is in serious trouble. She is about to lose her home, she is being evicted by her own son. She has very little money and really nowhere to go. Her fiance is deployed to Iraq so there is a problem getting a hold of him...obviously. She is trying to get to Pennsylvania where he is from, but she only has the funds to get there and have lodging for about a week. If there is anyone who knows of resources that may be able to help, or have any iformation that would benefit her, please contact me at www.myspace.com/peaceloveandfrogs.
Thank you
I am sending this message because I know your site reaches many people. Soldier's Girl, a good friend of mine is in serious trouble. She is about to lose her home, she is being evicted by her own son. She has very little money and really nowhere to go. Her fiance is deployed to Iraq so there is a problem getting a hold of him...obviously. She is trying to get to Pennsylvania where he is from, but she only has the funds to get there and have lodging for about a week. If there is anyone who knows of resources that may be able to help, or have any iformation that would benefit her, please contact me at www.myspace.com/peaceloveandfrogs.
Thank you
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Thursday, June 07, 2007
HOMECOMING FROM AFGHANISTAN
Well, we're back up in good ole' Watertown, NY again. Except this time we're here to welcome home the soldiers of the 10th Mtn Div from their 15 month tour in Afghanistan.
Earlier tonight, the soldiers flew in from Germany, marched into a large gymnasium on Fort Drum to a roaring crowd of friends and family - waving flags and signs - , stood for a short and sweet ceremony, and then were released back to life in the states.
The event hit us both quite differently. For one of us, it was a time to feel the gravity of what it means to have gone to war - to endure a deployment that steals the lives of friends, constantly puts your own in jeopardy, and rips you away from your home and your family - and then to have FINALLY made it back. Safe. Duty done. Makes home seem like paradise.
For another one of us it was a time to watch the return of fellow soldiers, and to consider what life would have been like had we gone with them to Afghanistan.
What both of us noticed is how intense of a deployment this one in Afghanistan must have been. We all hear about Iraq everyday on the news, but the stories that come back from Afghanistan are of a much different nature. It's a war fought in the mud, rocks, caves, and mountains, against insurgents who have been fighting constantly for decades. The unit we welcomed home lost far more men on their depoyment to Afghanistan than they did in Iraq the year before. There was a weight around the men - outside of their happiness to be home - that clearly said they had been somewhere that truly tested them as soldiers.
So, to close this post, our first hope is that what our soldiers our doing over in Afghanistan does not go unnoticed. The news from over there doesn't travel like it does from Iraq, but the struggles soldiers endure are equally as intense. We welcome feedback from anyone regarding their thoughts on this...
Last, we saw the reunion of a couple of close friends tonight - a husband who returned with his unit, and his wife who has been a participant of our project making videos for our forthcoming site. It was an amazing moment to witness. If ANYONE HAS ANY GREAT HOMECOMING STORIES OR VIDEOS TO SHARE, WE'D LOVE TO HEAR THEM.
Until next time.
- UnR
Thursday, May 31, 2007
A SOLDIER'S WIFE IN DISTRESS -- READ HER STORY AND SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH HER
Dear readers of Unfiltered and Real,
The following letter came to us recently, and its writer asked us if we would share it with all the soldiers, wives, and people from the millitary community that we're connected to. She's facing a very difficult choice in her life (as you'll read about), and needs your feedback and support. Please feel free to leave your comments here or pass along emails to her through soldiervideos@gmail.com.
- UnR
I find myself in a difficult place in my life. I have been married to a wonderful man for 8 years and we have 3 children. When I meet my husband he was already in the army and had been for a couple of years already. My husband was so much a soldier already that I knew when he was deploying before I even got his phone number! I knew I loved "Roger" within 48 hours of meeting him and that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him, and that the feeling was mutual. Needless to say our courtship was fast and were married within a few months of meeting.
The first year of our marriage was an adjustment to say the least. He spent more time away from home and I didn't even feel married! I wasn't really prepared for the huge periods of him being absent. I was such a "cling-on" back then I remember thinking "how can I possibly go 1-2 months without seeing him." I felt so sad and wondered how was I going to make it! I was not a good wife the first year of our marriage - in fact I was so much of a problem that the army outright told my husband if he wanted to advance in his chosen field he better file for a divorce! I made a big effort to change once I realized how I was hurting him even though that was never my intention ever!
We continued to grow as a couple and our family expanded. With the birth of our 3rd child came a number of challenges. Our son "Mark" was born 3 months early and required a lot of help and spent a number of months in the hospital before he came home. Mark had a medical condition that caused breathing problems. During the course of the next 4 years whenever Roger was posted to another base we found the medical system lacking and no access to the therapist so the heart wrenching decision was made 2 times that I needed to move back with the children to a larger urban center so that our son could get the medical/therapy services that he needed.
The first time I moved I lived about 900 miles away from where my husband was stationed. So we only saw Roger/Daddy once a month for the first year and then the last 6 months we saw him every weekend because Roger drove home EVERY weekend to spend time with us. Roger would leave work at 4pm Friday, drive 900 miles, and then arrive at the house where I lived with our children. He'd then spend about 28 hours with us and then drive 900 miles straight back to work for Monday morning. Roger then got posted to another base about 2 hours away from where I was living with our children. We moved as a family unit to his new base but found again the services our son needed we lacking and our son was regressing so much so we again made the decision to live apart and I moved back to the large urban center with our children. But at least Roger was only 200 miles away from us this time and so we saw Roger/Daddy ever single weekend (when he wasn't on duty) and I also drove out with our children and spent time with Roger when there was no school for our other children.
During the fall of 2005 Roger was asked if he would deploy overseas and take part in OEF and it was decided that yes he should because by the time he came home from that overseas deployment in fall of 2006 we had previously decided that I was moving back with the children in the fall of 2006 as all the services that our son needed would be available. Long story short Roger deployed and during his deployment I ended up moving back to where he was posted 5 months earlier then planned because our son was able to get the medical/therapy services sooner.
Everything we planned was finally falling into place. Roger came home from OEF and we were FINALLY living together as a total family unit. I couldn't be any happier to kiss my husband daily and the biggest joy was hearing our children calling for Daddy and seeing my family TOGETHER. We adjusted to life as a INTACT family unit for the next couple of months when low and behold he started talking about another OEF tour and how he wanted to go. The difference this time was that it was HIS UNIT going, not like his last tour when he went with a totally different unit. This time it was HIS BROTHERS / his ARMY FAMILY that was slated for the upcoming roto. (We did know during the fall of 2005 that Roger's unit was slated to do a OEF tour in 2008 but Roger chose to augmentate with another unit so he could at least go on a OEF). So now, being a diehard soldier, Roger wants to go back with HIS unit, and has told me that is what he has to do.
This is where I am having a problem. I know my husband has always been a die hard soldier that has NEVER changed. But I wanted him to stand down this tour so that we can be a family unit as we haven't for years. I love having my family together under one roof after going years of only having my family together on weekends and holidays. So, I agreed at first to let Roger train again to deploy with his unit for Jan 2008 but I am finding as he is away training it has become impossible to "shut up and suck it up."
Recently I finally broke down and told Roger that if he still choose to deploy with his unit I would leave him. Roger replied "all my life all I wanted was to be a soldier." I replied "all my life all I wanted was a family." I have tried for months to find a way to understand how a soldier thinks. I love my husband deeply and I don't want to separate but I also don't think I fully understand how a soldier thinks.
I am writing this open letter asking for advice from other soldiers/wives to try and understand how a soldier thinks so that perhaps I can better understand my soldier/husband. I believe if I can at least comprehend how a soldier thinks then with that knowledge I can educate myself thus make the right choice for me and my family here.
Thank you for your thoughts.
Anonymous
The following letter came to us recently, and its writer asked us if we would share it with all the soldiers, wives, and people from the millitary community that we're connected to. She's facing a very difficult choice in her life (as you'll read about), and needs your feedback and support. Please feel free to leave your comments here or pass along emails to her through soldiervideos@gmail.com.
- UnR
I find myself in a difficult place in my life. I have been married to a wonderful man for 8 years and we have 3 children. When I meet my husband he was already in the army and had been for a couple of years already. My husband was so much a soldier already that I knew when he was deploying before I even got his phone number! I knew I loved "Roger" within 48 hours of meeting him and that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him, and that the feeling was mutual. Needless to say our courtship was fast and were married within a few months of meeting.
The first year of our marriage was an adjustment to say the least. He spent more time away from home and I didn't even feel married! I wasn't really prepared for the huge periods of him being absent. I was such a "cling-on" back then I remember thinking "how can I possibly go 1-2 months without seeing him." I felt so sad and wondered how was I going to make it! I was not a good wife the first year of our marriage - in fact I was so much of a problem that the army outright told my husband if he wanted to advance in his chosen field he better file for a divorce! I made a big effort to change once I realized how I was hurting him even though that was never my intention ever!
We continued to grow as a couple and our family expanded. With the birth of our 3rd child came a number of challenges. Our son "Mark" was born 3 months early and required a lot of help and spent a number of months in the hospital before he came home. Mark had a medical condition that caused breathing problems. During the course of the next 4 years whenever Roger was posted to another base we found the medical system lacking and no access to the therapist so the heart wrenching decision was made 2 times that I needed to move back with the children to a larger urban center so that our son could get the medical/therapy services that he needed.
The first time I moved I lived about 900 miles away from where my husband was stationed. So we only saw Roger/Daddy once a month for the first year and then the last 6 months we saw him every weekend because Roger drove home EVERY weekend to spend time with us. Roger would leave work at 4pm Friday, drive 900 miles, and then arrive at the house where I lived with our children. He'd then spend about 28 hours with us and then drive 900 miles straight back to work for Monday morning. Roger then got posted to another base about 2 hours away from where I was living with our children. We moved as a family unit to his new base but found again the services our son needed we lacking and our son was regressing so much so we again made the decision to live apart and I moved back to the large urban center with our children. But at least Roger was only 200 miles away from us this time and so we saw Roger/Daddy ever single weekend (when he wasn't on duty) and I also drove out with our children and spent time with Roger when there was no school for our other children.
During the fall of 2005 Roger was asked if he would deploy overseas and take part in OEF and it was decided that yes he should because by the time he came home from that overseas deployment in fall of 2006 we had previously decided that I was moving back with the children in the fall of 2006 as all the services that our son needed would be available. Long story short Roger deployed and during his deployment I ended up moving back to where he was posted 5 months earlier then planned because our son was able to get the medical/therapy services sooner.
Everything we planned was finally falling into place. Roger came home from OEF and we were FINALLY living together as a total family unit. I couldn't be any happier to kiss my husband daily and the biggest joy was hearing our children calling for Daddy and seeing my family TOGETHER. We adjusted to life as a INTACT family unit for the next couple of months when low and behold he started talking about another OEF tour and how he wanted to go. The difference this time was that it was HIS UNIT going, not like his last tour when he went with a totally different unit. This time it was HIS BROTHERS / his ARMY FAMILY that was slated for the upcoming roto. (We did know during the fall of 2005 that Roger's unit was slated to do a OEF tour in 2008 but Roger chose to augmentate with another unit so he could at least go on a OEF). So now, being a diehard soldier, Roger wants to go back with HIS unit, and has told me that is what he has to do.
This is where I am having a problem. I know my husband has always been a die hard soldier that has NEVER changed. But I wanted him to stand down this tour so that we can be a family unit as we haven't for years. I love having my family together under one roof after going years of only having my family together on weekends and holidays. So, I agreed at first to let Roger train again to deploy with his unit for Jan 2008 but I am finding as he is away training it has become impossible to "shut up and suck it up."
Recently I finally broke down and told Roger that if he still choose to deploy with his unit I would leave him. Roger replied "all my life all I wanted was to be a soldier." I replied "all my life all I wanted was a family." I have tried for months to find a way to understand how a soldier thinks. I love my husband deeply and I don't want to separate but I also don't think I fully understand how a soldier thinks.
I am writing this open letter asking for advice from other soldiers/wives to try and understand how a soldier thinks so that perhaps I can better understand my soldier/husband. I believe if I can at least comprehend how a soldier thinks then with that knowledge I can educate myself thus make the right choice for me and my family here.
Thank you for your thoughts.
Anonymous
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
ARMY WIVES SHOW (and a little memorial day story)
http://www.lifetimetv.com
http://www.lifetimetv.com/
correction to previous blog
HOW I SUPPORTED THE TROOPS ON MEMORIAL DAY
Hello again,
Where to start? This past friday i was walking back from the deli in brooklyn around midnight and pass a man saying something about help and money etc. Now usually im not so inclined to give out money to people randomly in the street. Then i noticed what looked to be a military ID. Many questions later i realized that he was just a regular JOE in the Navy who had wandered away from fleet week and his ship in NYC. Probably to grab some tail and was now late and stranded. Having been in some similiar situations (no specifics) the only proper thing to do was go to the ATM and get this sailor home. Anyway thats what i did for the troops this week.
Best
Brett and Reid
ARMY WIVES SHOW
SO you can go on lifetime.com and watch the first ep. of Army Wives....I wont do it bc I don't want to spoil it BUT I was told by someone who did that they make enlisted wives look like SHIT!! WTF man! Do I need to write someone a flippen letter!?! Whoever did that DOESN'T KNOW ME! UGH can we have a show that FOR ONCE makes us look like good people! Why must this country only feed off of the bad things that happen...There are good things too you know! GGEERR!! I'M PISSED! Sorry I just thought I would fill you in on that...Sorry for the vent! lol Other then that....Have a great day!
Posted by a Great military wife.
I agree with the statement although i believe there are a few bad apples in the bunch like anything else.
THOUGHTS? COMMENTS?
UnR
http://www.lifetimetv.com/
correction to previous blog
HOW I SUPPORTED THE TROOPS ON MEMORIAL DAY
Hello again,
Where to start? This past friday i was walking back from the deli in brooklyn around midnight and pass a man saying something about help and money etc. Now usually im not so inclined to give out money to people randomly in the street. Then i noticed what looked to be a military ID. Many questions later i realized that he was just a regular JOE in the Navy who had wandered away from fleet week and his ship in NYC. Probably to grab some tail and was now late and stranded. Having been in some similiar situations (no specifics) the only proper thing to do was go to the ATM and get this sailor home. Anyway thats what i did for the troops this week.
Best
Brett and Reid
ARMY WIVES SHOW
SO you can go on lifetime.com and watch the first ep. of Army Wives....I wont do it bc I don't want to spoil it BUT I was told by someone who did that they make enlisted wives look like SHIT!! WTF man! Do I need to write someone a flippen letter!?! Whoever did that DOESN'T KNOW ME! UGH can we have a show that FOR ONCE makes us look like good people! Why must this country only feed off of the bad things that happen...There are good things too you know! GGEERR!! I'M PISSED! Sorry I just thought I would fill you in on that...Sorry for the vent! lol Other then that....Have a great day!
Posted by a Great military wife.
I agree with the statement although i believe there are a few bad apples in the bunch like anything else.
THOUGHTS? COMMENTS?
UnR
Monday, May 28, 2007
THIS MEMORIAL DAY...
Just a quick shout out to all of our readers. Hope you all enjoyed Memorial Day, and that everybody took at least a minute to think of our troops, past and present.
Once again it me hard this weekend when I visited my grandfather - who served in the Army during WW2 - how disconnected this American public is from the soldier/military. Virtually everyone my grandfather knew served in the military. The same could be said for everyone in his town, and more or less everyone of his age across the entire nation. In past American wars (i.e. wars in which the draft was used) the struggle and the spirit of the soldier was present in the everyday life of EVERYBODY. Today, most people can't say they know a soldier personally, a few know people who know soldiers, and only some can probably count on their hands the number of people they know who are in the service. It's a different country, a different military, and a different Memorial Day as a result. I can only hope that we're joined today by all the people who don't know soldiers in sending our thoughts out to all of those around the nation who have lost a loved one in this war.
All in all it was a beautiful long weekend in NYC. A few cold ones, burgers on the grill, good rooftop music, the blazing sun...some old school chillin. If anyone out there has any notable weekend memories -- especially those LESS BORING that ours -- lol -- please put em down RIGHT HERE.
Until next time.
- UnR
Once again it me hard this weekend when I visited my grandfather - who served in the Army during WW2 - how disconnected this American public is from the soldier/military. Virtually everyone my grandfather knew served in the military. The same could be said for everyone in his town, and more or less everyone of his age across the entire nation. In past American wars (i.e. wars in which the draft was used) the struggle and the spirit of the soldier was present in the everyday life of EVERYBODY. Today, most people can't say they know a soldier personally, a few know people who know soldiers, and only some can probably count on their hands the number of people they know who are in the service. It's a different country, a different military, and a different Memorial Day as a result. I can only hope that we're joined today by all the people who don't know soldiers in sending our thoughts out to all of those around the nation who have lost a loved one in this war.
All in all it was a beautiful long weekend in NYC. A few cold ones, burgers on the grill, good rooftop music, the blazing sun...some old school chillin. If anyone out there has any notable weekend memories -- especially those LESS BORING that ours -- lol -- please put em down RIGHT HERE.
Until next time.
- UnR
Thursday, May 24, 2007
DRAGON SKIN ARMOR -- YOUR THOUGHTS???
WOULD YOU PREFER DRAGON SKIN ARMOR?????
Dragon Skin debate goes to Congress
By Matthew Cox - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday May 23, 2007 5:47:16 EDT
Army body armor officials announced Monday they would meet with members of Congress this week in the wake of recent media reports that question whether soldiers are equipped with the best body armor available.
Program Executive Officer Soldier commander Brig. Gen. Mark Brown made the announcement at a press briefing at the Pentagon on Monday to explain why the Army refuses to allow its soldiers to wear controversial body armor known as Dragon Skin.
The briefing followed an NBC News report Sunday that presented results of independent ballistics tests commissioned by NBC. The tests were conducted May 3 in Germany. At NBC's request, according to NBC News spokeswoman Barbara L. Levin, the Beschussamt Mellrichstadt laboratory did comparative testing of the Army's body armor, Interceptor, against Dragon Skin, a flexible body armor.
The tests show Level IV Dragon Skin vests outperforming Interceptor vests equipped with "ESAPI" plates in ballistic tests with various types of unnamed "armor piercing" ammunition.
"NBC News has blacked out the specific caliber of ammunition used in the tests, because the Army believes that level of detail may assist the enemy. NBC News did, however, share those details with the Army," according to test results from NBC released Sunday.
Brown, who oversees all body armor development for the Army, said Monday that the Army has requested specific details of how the test were conducted from NBC, but so far has not received that information.
In addition, Brown said he questions whether the "ESAPI" plates used in NBC's tests were "certified" Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts that the service issues to soldiers deploying to combat.
Brown presented the results of the tests the Army conducted on Pinnacle's SOV 3000 Level VI Dragon Skin vests May 16-19 at the National Institute of Justice-certified H.P. White labs near Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Md.
The tests subjected Dragon Skin against the same test protocols the Army uses to test its ESAPI and Enhanced Side Ballistic Inserts. The vests were exposed to temperatures ranging from -60 degrees to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as being immersed in diesel fuel, oil and salt water for extended periods of time. After each of these exposures, testers shot the vests with armor-piercing ammunition, the most lethal small arms threat in the war.
So if you had a choice would you pick dragon skin over the other vests????
Dragon Skin debate goes to Congress
By Matthew Cox - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday May 23, 2007 5:47:16 EDT
Army body armor officials announced Monday they would meet with members of Congress this week in the wake of recent media reports that question whether soldiers are equipped with the best body armor available.
Program Executive Officer Soldier commander Brig. Gen. Mark Brown made the announcement at a press briefing at the Pentagon on Monday to explain why the Army refuses to allow its soldiers to wear controversial body armor known as Dragon Skin.
The briefing followed an NBC News report Sunday that presented results of independent ballistics tests commissioned by NBC. The tests were conducted May 3 in Germany. At NBC's request, according to NBC News spokeswoman Barbara L. Levin, the Beschussamt Mellrichstadt laboratory did comparative testing of the Army's body armor, Interceptor, against Dragon Skin, a flexible body armor.
The tests show Level IV Dragon Skin vests outperforming Interceptor vests equipped with "ESAPI" plates in ballistic tests with various types of unnamed "armor piercing" ammunition.
"NBC News has blacked out the specific caliber of ammunition used in the tests, because the Army believes that level of detail may assist the enemy. NBC News did, however, share those details with the Army," according to test results from NBC released Sunday.
Brown, who oversees all body armor development for the Army, said Monday that the Army has requested specific details of how the test were conducted from NBC, but so far has not received that information.
In addition, Brown said he questions whether the "ESAPI" plates used in NBC's tests were "certified" Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts that the service issues to soldiers deploying to combat.
Brown presented the results of the tests the Army conducted on Pinnacle's SOV 3000 Level VI Dragon Skin vests May 16-19 at the National Institute of Justice-certified H.P. White labs near Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Md.
The tests subjected Dragon Skin against the same test protocols the Army uses to test its ESAPI and Enhanced Side Ballistic Inserts. The vests were exposed to temperatures ranging from -60 degrees to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as being immersed in diesel fuel, oil and salt water for extended periods of time. After each of these exposures, testers shot the vests with armor-piercing ammunition, the most lethal small arms threat in the war.
So if you had a choice would you pick dragon skin over the other vests????
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
I DON'T MISS THE WAR (a short story that ends in a poem)
A short story that ends in a poem.
About 5 months ago i was invited to see a friend perform in a Christmas show. I arrived and as I anticipated spent most of the night listening to a variety of christmas songs with one or two Hannukah ( i think thats how you spell it) songs thrown in. At one point in the night a song - which of course i cant rememember the exact title - (something along the lines of 'if a war song isnt right on christmas why is it any other time?') was performed and it struck a note with me. Having been in the military - and only recently out - it inspired me to reflect on a few different things regarding my service and time in. Specifically, the many questions you get regarding if you miss it, or why you do it, and how you feel about the experience in general. So at 3am one random night after the concert i came up with the following. If anybody out there has some writing about their time in the military (or married to the military, etc. etc.), please post it on here and share your thoughts.
I DONT MISS THE WAR
I DO NOT, MISS, THE WAR
I MISS HAVING A JOB THAT MEANS SOMETHING
I MISS CARING ABOUT ANOTHER LIFE MORE THAN MY OWN
I MISS HAVING FRIENDS WHO WOULD DIE WITH YOU AND FOR YOU
AND I MISS MY BROTHERS
BUT I DONT MISS THE WAR
I MISS THE FANTASY OF A PERFECT LOVE BACK HOME
I MISS BEING HIGH WITHOUT TOUCHING A DRUG
I MISS BEING AFRAID
AND I MISS BEING A SOLDIER
BUT I DONT MISS THE WAR
I MISS BLOWING SHIT UP
I MISS FACING DEATH WILLINGLY
I MISS HAVING NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT BUT STAYING ALIVE
AND I MISS FEELING ALIVE
I DONT MISS THE WAR BUT I MISS WAR
So again...if you have written anything regarding the war, your military experience, or your loved one in the military -- whether it's a poem, a story, a video, whatever -- we would love to see it. SO POST BACK :)
- unfiltered and real
About 5 months ago i was invited to see a friend perform in a Christmas show. I arrived and as I anticipated spent most of the night listening to a variety of christmas songs with one or two Hannukah ( i think thats how you spell it) songs thrown in. At one point in the night a song - which of course i cant rememember the exact title - (something along the lines of 'if a war song isnt right on christmas why is it any other time?') was performed and it struck a note with me. Having been in the military - and only recently out - it inspired me to reflect on a few different things regarding my service and time in. Specifically, the many questions you get regarding if you miss it, or why you do it, and how you feel about the experience in general. So at 3am one random night after the concert i came up with the following. If anybody out there has some writing about their time in the military (or married to the military, etc. etc.), please post it on here and share your thoughts.
I DONT MISS THE WAR
I DO NOT, MISS, THE WAR
I MISS HAVING A JOB THAT MEANS SOMETHING
I MISS CARING ABOUT ANOTHER LIFE MORE THAN MY OWN
I MISS HAVING FRIENDS WHO WOULD DIE WITH YOU AND FOR YOU
AND I MISS MY BROTHERS
BUT I DONT MISS THE WAR
I MISS THE FANTASY OF A PERFECT LOVE BACK HOME
I MISS BEING HIGH WITHOUT TOUCHING A DRUG
I MISS BEING AFRAID
AND I MISS BEING A SOLDIER
BUT I DONT MISS THE WAR
I MISS BLOWING SHIT UP
I MISS FACING DEATH WILLINGLY
I MISS HAVING NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT BUT STAYING ALIVE
AND I MISS FEELING ALIVE
I DONT MISS THE WAR BUT I MISS WAR
So again...if you have written anything regarding the war, your military experience, or your loved one in the military -- whether it's a poem, a story, a video, whatever -- we would love to see it. SO POST BACK :)
- unfiltered and real
THOUGHTS ON THE MILITARY'S MYSPACE BAN
Don't know how many of you saw the news the other day that the military issued a ban on MySpace and YouTube (among others: Metacafe, IFilm, StupidVideos, FileCabi, BlackPlanet, Hi5, Pandora, MTV, 1.fm, live365, and Photobucket) for deployed soldiers at DOD computer terminals.
As much of a surprise as this information isn't (obviously its inevitability was circulating for quite some time beforehand), we wanted to ask all of our readers for their thoughts and reactions to this news.
We stay in touch with our buddies and loved ones overseas through MySpace - as we're sure that many of you do - and we're concerned about how the potential implications of this ban could alter how we communicate with them / know that they're safe. On the other hand, soldiers never needed MySpace and YouTube in wartimes past, so we understand that it's a luxury we enjoy in many ways, and that it has its potential as a security risk.
So, we want to open it up to everybody reading this. Let us know how you feel. If you communicate with a loved one through one of the banned sites, tell us about it. Let us know if you think this helps or hurts the military, and why. The floor is open...
- Unfiltered and Real
As much of a surprise as this information isn't (obviously its inevitability was circulating for quite some time beforehand), we wanted to ask all of our readers for their thoughts and reactions to this news.
We stay in touch with our buddies and loved ones overseas through MySpace - as we're sure that many of you do - and we're concerned about how the potential implications of this ban could alter how we communicate with them / know that they're safe. On the other hand, soldiers never needed MySpace and YouTube in wartimes past, so we understand that it's a luxury we enjoy in many ways, and that it has its potential as a security risk.
So, we want to open it up to everybody reading this. Let us know how you feel. If you communicate with a loved one through one of the banned sites, tell us about it. Let us know if you think this helps or hurts the military, and why. The floor is open...
- Unfiltered and Real
THOUGHTS FROM FORT DRUM
Well, we just returned from a week up in the NORTH COUNTRY. For all of you who don't know what that is, refer to 44N, 76W on your handy US Road Atlas. You'll find a little area around Watertown, NY where FORT DRUM, the most deployed base in the US Army, is conveniently nestled in the SNOW BELT of the United States.
The majority of the troops at Fort Drum are still deployed in Afghanistan or Iraq, but we spent some time with a few participants up there on the first warm, blue-sky sunny weekend they've had all year. A couple of our participants are patiently waiting for their husbands to return, while a couple others are transitioning to life as civilians after serving out their times in the Army. Watertown seems chalked full of such stories.
Flags and yellow ribbons hang in just about every storefront and adorn the bumpers or rear-windows of every car. Women wearing wedding rings do their business alone or hang out in small packs of wives. Phones frequently ring late at night and always without warning. Half finished houses are on the verge of sale, waiting for new servicemen to arrive, and veterans to leave. Camouflaged men nonchalantly walk around town, in and out of stores and homes – a sight that would give pause to passers-by in most any other town in the US.
Clearly, something is going on in Watertown that isn't going on in the world that 99% of Americans live in. The war is visible here through the people who support it, and the people who fight it. It is visible on virtually every streetcorner, every storefront, and every stretch of road. The elephant in the living room of most all American homes walks around noticeably up in Watertown, and the people, though weary and strained by the pain its caused, are proud of it.
If nothing else, our trip up north reminded us that we live in a country where most people do not really understand what it means to be a soldier. Most people don't know what it's like to hang a yellow ribbon or a flag, look at it, and wonder if the person they love the most is going to make it back home. Most people don't know what it's like to uproot their family and spend a perpetual winter alone in one of the coldest places in the country because they married someone who swore an oath to his or her country. It's a volunteer Army now, and as a citizen who never considers the military as an option it's easy to forget that it even exists, or to pretend like it can be understood.
So, in closing, we hope that those who pass through a place like Watertown take the time to reflect on what it truly means for many people to live there. We salute the people who do, and wish that the rest of the country made decisions with a greater understanding of their sacrifices.
Come home safe.
- Unfiltered and Real
The majority of the troops at Fort Drum are still deployed in Afghanistan or Iraq, but we spent some time with a few participants up there on the first warm, blue-sky sunny weekend they've had all year. A couple of our participants are patiently waiting for their husbands to return, while a couple others are transitioning to life as civilians after serving out their times in the Army. Watertown seems chalked full of such stories.
Flags and yellow ribbons hang in just about every storefront and adorn the bumpers or rear-windows of every car. Women wearing wedding rings do their business alone or hang out in small packs of wives. Phones frequently ring late at night and always without warning. Half finished houses are on the verge of sale, waiting for new servicemen to arrive, and veterans to leave. Camouflaged men nonchalantly walk around town, in and out of stores and homes – a sight that would give pause to passers-by in most any other town in the US.
Clearly, something is going on in Watertown that isn't going on in the world that 99% of Americans live in. The war is visible here through the people who support it, and the people who fight it. It is visible on virtually every streetcorner, every storefront, and every stretch of road. The elephant in the living room of most all American homes walks around noticeably up in Watertown, and the people, though weary and strained by the pain its caused, are proud of it.
If nothing else, our trip up north reminded us that we live in a country where most people do not really understand what it means to be a soldier. Most people don't know what it's like to hang a yellow ribbon or a flag, look at it, and wonder if the person they love the most is going to make it back home. Most people don't know what it's like to uproot their family and spend a perpetual winter alone in one of the coldest places in the country because they married someone who swore an oath to his or her country. It's a volunteer Army now, and as a citizen who never considers the military as an option it's easy to forget that it even exists, or to pretend like it can be understood.
So, in closing, we hope that those who pass through a place like Watertown take the time to reflect on what it truly means for many people to live there. We salute the people who do, and wish that the rest of the country made decisions with a greater understanding of their sacrifices.
Come home safe.
- Unfiltered and Real
TOP 10 IRAQ / AFGHANISTAN WAR MOVIES
From sunny LA to sunny NYC, it's been a warm last two weeks.
We finished doing some more shooting -- with some kick ass war scenes -- for the movie that's making this page possible, and now we're back on the trail for new participants.
Some great videos have been coming in so far. We'll keep everyone posted...
Right now we want to talk a little more about movies. Specifically, WAR MOVIES. We try to see everything that comes out that has to do with this war, but know that we don't always get to catch everything, so we wanted to open up the discussion to everybody.
We're going to list our TOP 10 MOVIES / DOCUMENTARIES about the wars in Iraq / Afghanistan, and we'd love it if you told us what did and didn't belong on the list, what we might be missing, and anything else that it brings to your mind.
Ok, so without further ado...
UNFILTERED AND REAL'S TOP 10 CONTEMPORARY WAR FILMS:
1. Occupation Dreamland
2. Three Kings
3. Iraq in Fragments
4. The War Tapes
5. Brothers (Danish)
6. Operation Homecoming
7. Baghdad ER
8. Last Letters Home
9. Control Room
10. Jarhead
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!!!
We finished doing some more shooting -- with some kick ass war scenes -- for the movie that's making this page possible, and now we're back on the trail for new participants.
Some great videos have been coming in so far. We'll keep everyone posted...
Right now we want to talk a little more about movies. Specifically, WAR MOVIES. We try to see everything that comes out that has to do with this war, but know that we don't always get to catch everything, so we wanted to open up the discussion to everybody.
We're going to list our TOP 10 MOVIES / DOCUMENTARIES about the wars in Iraq / Afghanistan, and we'd love it if you told us what did and didn't belong on the list, what we might be missing, and anything else that it brings to your mind.
Ok, so without further ado...
UNFILTERED AND REAL'S TOP 10 CONTEMPORARY WAR FILMS:
1. Occupation Dreamland
2. Three Kings
3. Iraq in Fragments
4. The War Tapes
5. Brothers (Danish)
6. Operation Homecoming
7. Baghdad ER
8. Last Letters Home
9. Control Room
10. Jarhead
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!!!
VIRGINIA TECH TRAGEDY
This post comes with the hope that we all take a beat to reflect upon the tragedy that occurred on the Virginia Tech campus two days ago.
We received the unsettling news while filming interviews with some former soldiers who are now working as extras on the STOP-LOSS set. Needless to say, it caused a great deal of pause in all of us. We could hardly believe it each time a new update of the body count came in.
Working on a project that deals so heavily with media, and with people who put their lives on the line everyday, we can't help but think about the way that tragedies like this - and like the ones that occur everyday with our soldiers overseas - get portrayed in the news. Here's to the hope that the families and friends of the victims are given proper time and space to grieve, that their stories are told honestly, and that their emotions are not exploited or manipulated to attract audiences or ratings.
Our hearts go out to all victims of this unexplainable act of violence.
- Unfiltered and Real
We received the unsettling news while filming interviews with some former soldiers who are now working as extras on the STOP-LOSS set. Needless to say, it caused a great deal of pause in all of us. We could hardly believe it each time a new update of the body count came in.
Working on a project that deals so heavily with media, and with people who put their lives on the line everyday, we can't help but think about the way that tragedies like this - and like the ones that occur everyday with our soldiers overseas - get portrayed in the news. Here's to the hope that the families and friends of the victims are given proper time and space to grieve, that their stories are told honestly, and that their emotions are not exploited or manipulated to attract audiences or ratings.
Our hearts go out to all victims of this unexplainable act of violence.
- Unfiltered and Real
UNFILTERED and REAL's FIRST BLOG POST
Welcome to the first official Unfiltered and Real blog post. Exciting.
It's been a couple months since we started the project and we've been receiving some really great footage from our participants so far. Can't wait for the site to launch – of course we'll keep everybody updated.
For those of you that don't know what we're doing, we're in the process of collecting videos from soldiers and their family members and loved ones from all around the country. We're giving many of them cameras, others are using their own, and we're letting them tell their stories, their way. As we're sure many of you feel, it's rare that real stories about soldiers and military families – from their points of view – are told. Most of what we see in the media has been filtered through politics or advertising, and the image of the soldier is often either romanticized or demonized. We rarely see the humanity of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who put their lives on the line for us, and their families, every day. We're here to try something different.
Also make sure to keep your eyes and ears out for the Paramount Pictures movie that's making this story-telling campaign possible: STOP-LOSS. It stars Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and Rob Brown as a team of Army infantrymen who serve together in Iraq. One of the Unfiltered and Real team, Brett Rodriguez, served as a military advisor and helped the writing team on the movie immediately after completing his service with the 10th Mountain infantry division, which included a 12 month deployment to Iraq. Brett is also the younger brother of Kim Peirce, the film's writer/director who's hard-hitting debut film, BOYS DON'T CRY, came out in 1999. Check back for photos and videos of Brett at work with the guys on the film.
So keep your eyes out for our upcoming posts, as we'll be featuring stories of our participants, telling you about what we're up to, and posting many more videos and photos.
Until next time,
- Unfiltered and Real
It's been a couple months since we started the project and we've been receiving some really great footage from our participants so far. Can't wait for the site to launch – of course we'll keep everybody updated.
For those of you that don't know what we're doing, we're in the process of collecting videos from soldiers and their family members and loved ones from all around the country. We're giving many of them cameras, others are using their own, and we're letting them tell their stories, their way. As we're sure many of you feel, it's rare that real stories about soldiers and military families – from their points of view – are told. Most of what we see in the media has been filtered through politics or advertising, and the image of the soldier is often either romanticized or demonized. We rarely see the humanity of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who put their lives on the line for us, and their families, every day. We're here to try something different.
Also make sure to keep your eyes and ears out for the Paramount Pictures movie that's making this story-telling campaign possible: STOP-LOSS. It stars Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and Rob Brown as a team of Army infantrymen who serve together in Iraq. One of the Unfiltered and Real team, Brett Rodriguez, served as a military advisor and helped the writing team on the movie immediately after completing his service with the 10th Mountain infantry division, which included a 12 month deployment to Iraq. Brett is also the younger brother of Kim Peirce, the film's writer/director who's hard-hitting debut film, BOYS DON'T CRY, came out in 1999. Check back for photos and videos of Brett at work with the guys on the film.
So keep your eyes out for our upcoming posts, as we'll be featuring stories of our participants, telling you about what we're up to, and posting many more videos and photos.
Until next time,
- Unfiltered and Real
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