A Good Read

Please check out this piece from Newsweek: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18367801/site/newsweek/

And I'll post something later this week.

awe

Just Like The Animals

Has anybody noticed that April is a bad month? Bad things happen in April, not just income tax either. Tornados rip appart the midwest and southeast in April, killing thousands through the years. Wars start in April. Murders happen in April (Dr. King was murdered on April 4th). The Titanic hit the ice on an April evening. And for some reason, lots of masacres happen in April; Chicago, Belfast, St Peterberg, Tiananmen, Rwanda, Tblisi, Waco, Oklahoma City, Columbine now Blacksburg, Virginia. Adolf Hitler was born in April.

Maybe we should outlaw April. Yes, somebody get the Senator on the phone. Get special interest mobilzed, lobbiest moving. This is going to be big. We have statistics to show that April is the most dangerous time of the year. More people die in April than any other month. April Kills! It's bad for our kids! It must be done away with.

And sheep and cattle, even horses get out of control in April. You know the trouble we've had here at Besmaya. They must be locked up. Well, I spoke to the sheep and they agreed that being locked up wasn't so bad. At least while they were in the jail they received plenty of food and drink. But the best thing, according to the sheep, they were protected from fools with guns.

















Note to self....outlaw fools.
awe

Message from the Chief

I just got this today and thought I'd share it with you. From the new Chief of Staff of the US Army; a good guy (and sometimes mean SOB). Just what we need, another George W. in charge. I can't help but think of Lincoln at Gettysburg. awe

Soldiers, Civilians, and Families of the United States Army,
I am extremely proud to be taking charge of an organization that is rightly regarded as the best in the world. I have watched the men and women of our Army in action for the past several years in the most demanding combat environment. I am proud of the courage, competence, and commitment of our Soldiers and civilians both to the ideals that made this country great and to making a difference in our world. You epitomize what is best about America. You and your families carry a heavy burden in today’s war, with a hard road ahead. Your willingness to sacrifice to build a better future for others and to preserve our way of life is a great strength of our Nation. In every generation, when faced with difficult challenges, Americans have risen to the occasion. Today, such heroes fill the Army’s ranks. It is your efforts that will make victory possible.
We are locked in a war against a global extremist network that is fixed on defeating the United States and destroying our way of life. This foe will not go away nor will they give up easily, and the next decade will likely be one of persistent conflict. We are engaged in a long war.
At stake are the power of our values and our civilization, exemplified by the promise of America, to confront and defeat the menace of extremist terrorists. At stake is whether the authority of those who treasure the rights of free individuals will stand firm against the ruthless and pitiless men who wantonly slay the defenseless. At stake is whether the future will be framed by the individual freedoms we hold so dear or dominated by a demented form of extremism. At stake is whether we will continue to expand freedom, opportunity, and decency for those who thirst for it, or let fall the darkness of extremism and terror.
We have been at war for over five years, fighting for our freedom, our security, and our future as a Nation. We have made hard sacrifices. There will be more. Faced with such a long and difficult struggle, it is useful to remind ourselves that the Army exists to field forces for victory. We are in this war to win. We have fought this way since 1775. We always will.
As Soldiers, we will lead the Nation to victory over this enemy. Our combat veterans know well the meaning of “Army Strong”. They have been “baptized in fire and blood, and they have come out as steel.” That steel endures. Our Warrior Ethos has it right:
· I will always place the mission first.
· I will never quit.
· I will never accept defeat.
· I will never leave a fallen comrade.
Seldom in our history have Soldiers faced greater challenges. We serve at a time when the stakes for our Nation and our way of life are high, and the demands on our force significant. We will continue to reflect the very best of our Nation by defeating the enemies of freedom and the proponents of terror, by defending our homeland, and by assisting our Nation to build a better future for coming generations.
I could not be more proud to be a Soldier today and to stand shoulder to shoulder with you and your families during this time of great danger and uncertainty. Together we are, and always will be, ARMY STRONG.


George W. Casey, Jr.
General, U.S. Army
Chief of Staff

Sunrise Service

Yesterday, I was chatting with the birthday girl and she asked me, “are they doing anything special for you guys tomorrow?” I had no idea what she was talking about. She said, “Dad, for EASTER….are they doing anything special for you for Easter?” I’m so ashamed. I had no clue.

Here, we seldom know what day it is. The week starts on Saturday and ends on Friday. And, we don’t have the normal markers like weekends. There are no weekends, no hump days. So, I’m sailing along with no clue that it was Saturday, the day after Good Friday, and the day before Easter. And, because this is an Islamic country, there’s nothing plastered on walls to remind us. No Easter Bunny, eggs or flowers. And I lost track. And, I knew my guys had lost track too, because none of them had mentioned it.

So, this morning, we headed north at 5:30 am for PT (physical training) with our students. After PT, I asked them all to meet me in our little office on the second floor of the HQ building. When we all assembled, I read to them the Gospel of Luke, chapter 24, verses 1-6. This was very hard for me because I know these guys know me. They know I ain’t no Chaplain. “Gentlemen, this is the good news: He is not here, but is risen. In this land that is as empty of Jesus as Joseph’s tomb, our hope is a risen Saviour.”

We took some time to reflect. We prayed, and we went to work. But for just a few precious minutes this morning, it was Easter. Jesus was very close to us because we sought Him here, among the dead.

awe

Leah Michelle

is a beauty, indeed. She’s also smart, kind, patient, humble, sincere and strong. And she loves to laugh. It was only a few years ago - her favorite game was hide-n-go-seek (with her daddy and brothers). Now, she’s so much like her mother. She’s almost perfect. I think she is perfect. But, I know no one is perfect.

While I’ve been away, she’s been my “go-to” girl for taking care of all sorts of matters back home. Most kids her age de-compress after a week of the college grind by hanging out or partying with friends. My beauty runs straight home because her genuine joy is to hang-out with her mother and to see her sister and brothers.
Ma belle.
What can you say about a girl like that? All we can do is thank God for giving us such a wonderful gift. And how can I ever tell her how much she means to all of us?

I love you, I love you, I love you
that's all I want to say
Until I find a way
I will say the only words I know you'll understand

Michelle, ma belle




Happy Birthday, Chickie.

daddy