tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post1466810799016581182..comments2024-02-09T00:13:51.906-06:00Comments on Army of Dude: A Man at SunriseAlex Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13729559701547002624noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-52434958080321341742009-04-12T19:41:00.000-05:002009-04-12T19:41:00.000-05:00Anon,The next one I have is for you guys. Stay saf...Anon,<BR/><BR/>The next one I have is for you guys. Stay safe and keep sharp. And if I get the letter too, I'll be right behind you.Alex Hortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13729559701547002624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-34240924906017889932009-04-12T19:21:00.000-05:002009-04-12T19:21:00.000-05:00I'm one of the several hundred in the current crop...I'm one of the several hundred in the current crop of IRR soldiers mobilizing for deployment who either don't have, or haven't made up a reason to get out of this deployment. The only good news we've received is that perhaps we will be receiving the $500/mo stop loss pay since we're called up after our ETS dates (not MSO dates, mind you). I'd tell Steve the same thing I told the many many many other soldiers that have been called up on IRR duty that got out of it. Good for you, drink one for me back here, and hopefully we'll all come back safely without you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-15460851854663058172009-03-15T15:32:00.000-05:002009-03-15T15:32:00.000-05:00Alex, this is absolutely fantastic. Congratulation...Alex, this is absolutely fantastic. Congratulations to Steve and all for such a successful and incredible organizing effort. Well done, and thanks again for your service. This is a well-deserved victory.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-55419135003578413762009-03-10T18:12:00.000-05:002009-03-10T18:12:00.000-05:00Anon,All it got me was a bit of grief from a livin...Anon,<BR/><BR/>All it got me was a bit of grief from a living exception to the rule, and no more hits than normal. You won't find any linkage bait on this blog, and my modest hit count can attest to that.Alex Hortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13729559701547002624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-62207564408933524242009-03-10T18:05:00.000-05:002009-03-10T18:05:00.000-05:00Dear Wek,yesyesyes, and I was accepted.NoBut as a ...Dear Wek,<BR/>yes<BR/>yes<BR/>yes, and I was accepted.<BR/>No<BR/><BR/>But as a CR I try to avoid mixing politics and military service, because they don't go well together. I actually joined because i figured if i can prevent one IRR call up, it's worth it. Anyway, going after CRs is a waste of time, most wear your criticism as a badge of honor. I get it though, it makes for excellent blog theater and probably gets you a ton of hits, so to that end, have fun.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-37872826584535100352009-03-10T15:50:00.000-05:002009-03-10T15:50:00.000-05:00every now and then, the good guys win one.congratu...every now and then, the good guys win one.<BR/><BR/>congratulations on the success of this effort.<BR/><BR/>that's one soldier who truly gets to come home, and stay home.<BR/><BR/>glad ya'll made it troops.The Minstrel Boyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00697821546165315014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-73759205691274403802009-03-10T12:40:00.000-05:002009-03-10T12:40:00.000-05:00That whole IRR reminds me of Catch 22. Just as you...That whole IRR reminds me of Catch 22. Just as your are about to hit the finish line they move it a little further down the road but not until you thought you were out for good. I know people can endure some pretty tough situations as long as the know when it ends.<BR/><BR/>The worst of all this is the PTSD. We're now seeing news reports of officers with it and I'm talking some of the higher ups. That is not a good situation either now or when this is all over.Demeurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01935263659097273535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-26006818248236931062009-03-09T22:49:00.000-05:002009-03-09T22:49:00.000-05:00"Well i obviously can't speak for all CRs, but i k..."Well i obviously can't speak for all CRs, but i know the national organization and California federation have high level leadership that are in the Marines and Army."- anon<BR/><BR/>Anon- why is it that it's always "well I know" or "I have friends that serve"? Rarely is it ever the person making the comment that has enlisted. These claimed associations CR's make should be met with skepticism. For chrissakes, I've been a contributor for a site that ridicules CR's and YR's for not signing up and it's rare that there's any evidence to dispute their cowardice (Sorry to 'blog pimp' here, Alex. But I think it's relevant in this context). And sadly, even with a Democratic Congress and President I still have enough material that comes thru each week to post regularly on CR's.<BR/><BR/>So let me ask you a few questions, anon- First, are you a veteran? [If so, thank you for your service.] Are you in ROTC/OCS/something similar? [If so, thank you for your commitment.] Have you previously contacted a recruiter, but were not accepted for enlistment? [If so, thank you for stepping forward.] Do you know that you are not eligible to serve in our military, and therefore don't want to waste a recruiter's time? <BR/><BR/>Looking forward to your response.Wekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07138651733331103328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-25228016163313668912009-03-09T18:45:00.000-05:002009-03-09T18:45:00.000-05:00Anon,The difference is that liberals weren't clamo...Anon,<BR/><BR/>The difference is that liberals weren't clamoring for continued war after the invasion. If CRs are as informed as they think they are, then they would realize that personnel shortages and recruitment shortfalls caused the military to intensify the number of stop loss/IRR recall soldiers. Being the right age and having the right kind of motivation didn't equate to a mass exodus from the fraternal order of College Republicans into the military. You know what that tells me? It tells me they don't have the moral fortitude to complete something they advocate for even though personnel shortages have been a known fact for years. They're too busy fighting a 'culture war,' whatever that means. When you hear a bunch of liberals shouting for war without a call for others (and themselves) to enlist, I'll be there to call them out.Alex Hortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13729559701547002624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-21468222191120622212009-03-09T15:25:00.000-05:002009-03-09T15:25:00.000-05:00"The ratio of serving CRs to non-serving CRs is li..."The ratio of serving CRs to non-serving CRs is likely among the greatest for organizations that advocate for war without having anything close to a personal stake. But they sure rustle their pompoms as much as their little privileged hearts can take!"<BR/><BR/>Well i obviously can't speak for all CRs, but i know the national organization and California federation have high level leadership that are in the Marines and Army. And it's tough to make that argument now because Obama is pushing a surge in Afghanistan and is dedicating at least 30,000 troops to iraq for another 24 months....does that mean those who support Obama need to enlist?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-35775597322215189992009-03-09T11:54:00.000-05:002009-03-09T11:54:00.000-05:00I'm glad to know that Steve's IRR situation was re...I'm glad to know that Steve's IRR situation was resolved in his favor. The Army bureaucracy seems to be more screwed up than normal.<BR/><BR/>The 5th Stryker Brigade which was originally intended to deploy to Iraq, after 10 months of intensive Arabic training, was diverted to Afghanistan, where they don't speak Arabic.<BR/><BR/>Then the DoD announced that the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, who learned what Arabic they know from there deployment in Iraq, will be going back to Iraq in the fall to make up for the loss of the 5thSBCT.<BR/><BR/>SITUATION NORMAL: ALL FUCKED UP!membrainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01527550651850993396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-81753537350539394462009-03-08T21:47:00.000-05:002009-03-08T21:47:00.000-05:00Give Anonymous a couple of those Korean porn site ...Give Anonymous a couple of those Korean porn site links. That'll keep him occupied for awhile.<BR/><BR/>DadUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14653306181340320701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-4518237388886244432009-03-08T12:53:00.000-05:002009-03-08T12:53:00.000-05:00Anon,I enabled comment moderation because only abo...Anon,<BR/><BR/>I enabled comment moderation because only about a quarter of comments are real, the rest are Korean spam linking to porn sites. I went through and manually deleted them all, and if it stops, I'll turn moderation off. For now it's a filter. But don't worry your head, anonymous, your comments will get through.Alex Hortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13729559701547002624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-24805865934484795382009-03-08T12:24:00.000-05:002009-03-08T12:24:00.000-05:00Comment moderation enabled. A lot of that going ar...Comment moderation enabled. A lot of that going around, too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-35676762589296054072009-03-08T12:08:00.000-05:002009-03-08T12:08:00.000-05:00Kinda waiting for a response to Lisa's question fr...Kinda waiting for a response to Lisa's question from "just a guy". A mere 6 years till retirement...<BR/><BR/>Very good news about Steve.Long-time RNhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00301386934882781722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-37532065573199164812009-03-07T13:39:00.000-06:002009-03-07T13:39:00.000-06:00Anon,The ratio of serving CRs to non-serving CRs i...Anon,<BR/><BR/>The ratio of serving CRs to non-serving CRs is likely among the greatest for organizations that advocate for war without having anything close to a personal stake. But they sure rustle their pompoms as much as their little privileged hearts can take!Alex Hortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13729559701547002624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-80698523793038823762009-03-07T11:49:00.000-06:002009-03-07T11:49:00.000-06:00You realize the notion that CRs don't serve has be...You realize the notion that CRs don't serve has been universally debunked right? You kind of came to that party late.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-88874623987994900452009-03-06T23:56:00.000-06:002009-03-06T23:56:00.000-06:00Stoploss is a crime.Off topic, that is one of the ...Stoploss is a crime.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Off topic, that is one of the better Iraq photos as your banner with that Stryker off to the left and the Mosque. Really, really good photography.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14078985263856873037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-14790720641918888022009-03-06T01:23:00.000-06:002009-03-06T01:23:00.000-06:00re: "over there"http://blogs.myspace.com...re: "over there"<BR/><BR/>http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=9349217&blogId=3855740213 Stoplosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12271477215225166355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-19773245639346228922009-03-06T00:35:00.000-06:002009-03-06T00:35:00.000-06:00Just a guy,I have to wonder why you got out with 1...Just a guy,<BR/><BR/>I have to wonder why you got out with 14 years in? You had 6 years to retirement. People like you make me curious why you couldn't sick it out for 2 more tours, but then turn around and act all arrogant when a kid has put in his time and wants to move on. Just asking.<BR/><BR/>lisaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-31223764570905144792009-03-05T13:17:00.000-06:002009-03-05T13:17:00.000-06:00I'm so very happy to hear that Steve is going to b...I'm so very happy to hear that Steve is going to be able to go on with his life on his own terms!<BR/><BR/>Like SgtLejune, I went to 13Stoploss, signed the petition, said my piece. At that point there were only 7 signatures, so I'm really happy to hear there've been more.<BR/><BR/>Alex,you know I'm a big fan of "Over There" and if GRUNTSHIT had been talking about TV instead of real life, I'd have bet he was talking about Dim. I've no clue why FX didn't renew the series; I'd hate to think the reason was political. And I have no way to know how authentic their representation was (they sure didn't do much for the image of Army Lts!). There are the legal and the OPSEC things of course. But to hear that some Iraqis were sure filming was done in Iraq, that even major characters had feet of clay, and the Americans' impact upon the locals was both good and bad lent the series a feeling of authenticity,imho. Check it out everybody. You can watch online or purchase the series on DVD. I'd love to hear what you think....pattiematheson@gmail.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-32339744707437349142009-03-04T20:21:00.000-06:002009-03-04T20:21:00.000-06:00Outstanding. Thats crazy today I was at CMHS at F...Outstanding. Thats crazy today I was at CMHS at Fort Jackson taking Soldier there with tiny heart syndrome. I met a guy in the Permanent Party waiting room who was from 4thBCT 2ID. He had just been relieved from IRR. I didn't get his name but he did his time in Iraq, while his wife had another man living in his house with his child. When he got out he got custody of his son, he had a drug screen done and his son 2years old tested positive for THC. He got custody and then got called back after only being out a year. He is going home. More people need to do their part so we don't have to call back people that have BTDT!Oldman Gingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04518211284158517066noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-92111487492415746112009-03-04T12:41:00.000-06:002009-03-04T12:41:00.000-06:00just a guy,I'm sure you didn't enlist for 14 years...just a guy,<BR/><BR/>I'm sure you didn't enlist for 14 years. like most, you had an initial contract, and for whatever reasons, you decided it was something you wanted to continue. for those of us who did NOT want to continue--if the military wanted us soldiers to serve 8 years, then they need to make minimum contracts for 8 years. No more of this 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 year bullshit, if they're going to just extend us anyway. It is purposely misleading, dishonest, and goes against the very core principles we are instilled with. THAT is what is wrong with it--that the government can use us, mislead us, allow us to leave, and move on with our lives, only to tell us THEY are failing to win more people to support THEIR wars, and we therefore are again "needed" to support the mission we didn't agree with, but honored in the first place.13 Stoplosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12271477215225166355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-3436186746373965712009-03-04T06:33:00.000-06:002009-03-04T06:33:00.000-06:00Just a guy....Your 14 years of service is commenda...Just a guy....<BR/><BR/>Your 14 years of service is commendable. How many combat ribbons, medals, citations, purple hearts, etc... do you have?? For someone to speak about someone they do not know in such a knowing way, I would hope that you have some of those combat awards. Please stick to your words and speak only for and about yourself as you really have no idea of what you are talking about. As for Alex, he has not "taken a pass". He has not received the dreaded package. I don't like that term "take a pass". My son volunteered to go so that someone else would not have to. TAKE A PASS????? I don't think so!!!<BR/><BR/>Teresa - Steven's VERY PROUD mom!!mamalewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11757463484798429872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26907684.post-39793983164443457402009-03-04T02:39:00.000-06:002009-03-04T02:39:00.000-06:00Just a guy,If chose to spend 14 years in, then wha...Just a guy,<BR/>If chose to spend 14 years in, then what is the problem. If you enjoyed your time in the military so be it...why do you begrudge Steve his right to an exemption? If you feel so strongly about people doing their duty, I am sure there are other avenues to pursue than putting down two guys who have served. Maybe not as long as you would like, but, long enough. Why are you defending the Army's shady recruiting process and their even shadier "contracts?" Why don't you spend time looking into that? Do think IRR and/or stop loss in this situation is just, fair, or even needed at this point in the proceedings? As a vet with fourteen years in you need to make a better case than just accusing others of trying to dodge their obiligations.bigDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13588709280021561914noreply@blogger.com