Draft Dodgers Do Have Reunions

Here is a story about a bunch of losers who got together to celebrate their own cowardice. Of course, they insist they are morally correct in running scared and are upset at Canada’s attempts to keep the few running cowards from todays military out of their country.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13742214/

Veterans wheelchair Games

I started this post a week ago, so the Thursday and Friday are actually July 7th and 8th.

Over my weekend, Thursday and Friday, I had the pleasure to volunteer at the 26th Annual Veterans Wheel Chair Games. I filled out an application weeks ago to participate, and my schedule was made by one of the organizers. They did an incredible job of organizing, by the way. Although I didn't schedule myself, couldn't have had a better schedule.

Thursday night I worked security at the "block party" in downtown Anchorage. It was an exciting event for all involved. A bird rehabilitation center had brought out an owl, hawk, and a couple of bald eagles to show the veterans. The multiple Iditarod champion Martin Busier was there with a few of his dogs. There was also a collection of classic cars from one of the local hot rod clubs. There were several live singers/bands, and a great looking catered dinner in the middle of 5th Avenue.

In the middle of the block party, the bird rehabilitation people released a rehabilitated bald eagle from atop a fire truck. It was a sight to see, and an appropriate gesture. We had gathered to honor men and women who had served proudly served our nation, and who had befallen injury that required extensive rehabilitation. These courageousagous men and women have not allowed their injuries to defeat them, and have continued to charge on in life in true military spirit. In honor of the courage of these individuals a magnificent animal, the very symbol of our nation, was released after undergoing its own rehabilitation.

Friday was a really slow day for security. I was scheduled to work during the swimming events at one of the local high schools. There was really no need for security at the venue, as everyone in attendancedence was there to support the athletes. I pretty much just watched the events, and walked the venue about every half hour.

Out of the events that I watched, the swimming was the most moving for me. It was amazing to see people with paralyzed or amputated limbs moving through the pool. The first race of the evening was quadriplegic swimmers. There were several participants who had very little use of their upper limbs. It took two of them a vary long time to cross the length of the pool, but none of them gave up. That was a common theme among the athletes, I never saw one of them give up.

After the swimming event was over, I headed to the Sullivan arena for the championship basketball, power soccer, and quad rugby games. I was really looking forward to seeing the quad rugby, as I had recently seen Murderball for the first time.

None of the events let me down. I was surprised to see the intensity of the basketball players, and the level of contact involved in their sport. The participants in the power soccer (a game developed by the NVWG for those unable to use man powered wheel chairs, it is played in motorized wheel chairs) had a surprising level of control their chairs. Even those unable to use hand controls with thier chairs were able to excel in the event.

The quad rugby game was the most exciting event of the night. The participants poured thier hearts out into the competition. There was a considerable amount of contact, and several flipped chairs. Early in the game it looked as though one team would simply run away with the game, but an impressive come back was staged, and it wasn't clear who would win until the end.

The crowd threw its support behind the veterans at every step.
It didn't matter who scored, the crowd still cheered. The organizers had done a wonderful job getting the word out about the games, and Anchorage did a good job of turning out to provide support.

Brandon

Beware the "Harsh Tone of Voice"

I found this funny; although the news story goes on to criticize the US. The story is about Manfred Nowak, who is the UN’s torture watchdog. Apparently he “interrogates” guards at the prisons he investigates. My question to him is where do you draw the line on “a harsh tone of voice?” Couldn’t that be considered a form of torture?

The whole story is here:
http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/spiegel/0,1518,408472,00.html

Today, he says, it's not so much in "strong states" (as he calls them) but mainly in feebler political entities that policemen and military officers abuse their defenseless victims. Torture is an efficient way for extracting a quick confession. For years now, the Nepalese royal family has engaged in a ferocious war with the country's Maoist rebels. The torture being practiced there is just as ferocious as the fighting. One popular method of torture in the Himalayan country is the so-called "falanga," which involves dealing carefully aimed blows to the soles of the victim's feet. It is an extremely painful method that hardly leaves behind any visible traces. But Nowak isn't easily deceived by the people in uniform he interrogates as part of his work. If he has to, he can use a harsh tone of voice. In Kathmandu, Nowak probed one prison guard until he finally elicited a reluctant admission: "A little bit of torture helps."

As I said earlier, the story goes on to criticize the US, specifically for Guantánamo Bay. Of course he doesn’t weigh into his equation the actions that brought the terrorist scum to Guantánamo. He’s only worried about us holding them without trial. I’m really curious as to what he would suggest we do with the vermin. Are we just supposed to set them free to behead more innocent people just because it’s not nice to keep them locked up? Give me a break.

Brandon

Dragging at Work

It’s my birthday today. No big deal, I’ve had enough to where they are no longer that special. So it doesn’t bother me that much to be at work on my birthday. Except that today is a Saturday. Obviously, my birthday doesn’t fall on a Saturday every year. It would be a nice day to have off for an extended celebration with my friends. It would also be nice to be off tomorrow, to sleep off any hangover I might acquire. But that is not the case this year.

At least I am here in the US. The situation could be much worse. Although I’ve always enjoyed celebrating special occasions, like birthdays, with Marines. I guess it’s the brotherhood that makes Marine Corps celebrations so great. I don’t have that sense of brotherhood with my civilian counterparts.

The plan this evening is to go to my favorite Mexican restaurant with some family. It should be a good time. I hope to be able to go out after dinner, but I’m not sure whom with.

Last night I went to the late showing of Superman in Eagle River. Eagle River is about half and hour to 45 minutes from Wasilla. The cinema in Eagle River is much better than the one in Wasilla.

The movie was all right. It does bother me that the idiots in Hollywood would change “Truth, Justice, and the American Way,” to “Truth, Justice, and all that stuff.” The context of the line is not offensive, but the motivation behind the change is disturbing. True Americans would not care if “the American Way” were an unpopular phrase among foreign countries. I don’t give a damn what any other country thinks of the US.

Anyway, for the most part I really liked the movie. I’ve never been a big Superman fan, I haven’t seen most of the movies, but I did like this movie. It’s fun to get lost in a fantasy story sometimes.

Brandon

My Stuck Storie

Last week I got stuck. I had taken a day off, and decided to head out to an area that had recently burned. I wanted to check it out, as I had never been close to a forest fire.

When we got to the burned area, we found that the only access was via a private road. This was disappointing, as we had just driven over half an hour to get there. We were able to see very little of the 400+ acre burn from the road. Not wanting the trip to be a total loss, I decide to check out a power line trail.

The trail was well packed, and my Jeep easily navigated it. There was the occasional high spot, causing my transfer case skid plate to scrape. I’ve gotten used to scraping my transfer case skid, the factory tires on my Jeep leave much to be desired. A couple hundred yards down the trail we found an area that had been really chewed up, with one hole a couple of feet deep. These weren’t mud holes; they were open holes in hard packed dirt. Knowing I couldn’t navigate further down the trail, I drove off to the side to make a u-turn. Of course, this violates the rules of “Tread Lightly.”

So, I drove on one side of the trail, to a manageable crossing point, and then I drove across the trail to the other side. There was an island of brush that was between the trail and me, so I made an attempt to go around. The grass that I was aiming towards looked stable, and had tracks on it from a previous trail rig. About the time I settled into the tracks, my driver’s side sunk.

I knew right away I had sunk to the frame. My wheels were just spinning, and not throwing any dirt (largely thanks to those previously mentioned factory tires that don’t clean until highway speeds). It didn’t take long for me to survey the area from the driver’s seat, and see there was nothing anywhere near close enough to winch to.

A couple hours of digging, and trying to bury a log to winch off of, lead to a phone call to my fiancé’s mom. None of the truck owners I knew were in town, and none of the tow companies would come get me out.

The next morning I called the guys over at Trail Toyz. The owner is a really nice young guy, and he was pretty disappointed that his rig was out of service. He wanted to come and bail me out. He’s got a Suburban on swampers that would have easily done the job, if not for the missing rear driveline.

I managed to get a pull pal, and the guys at Trail Toyz swear by it. It’s basically a shovel attached to a bar at a 90-degree angle. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but it doesn’t look like much either. When my Pull Pal got out to the trail I sunk the shovel into the ground, hooked up my winch, and pulled myself right out. Everyone with a winch should have one of these things.

My biggest regret is not bringing a camera with me. I buried my Jeep, and don’t have a single picture. Next time, I’ll be sure to have a camera.

Brandon

Vets Check This Out:

Am I done attacking the Arizona Republic and their ass hole cartoonist? Maybe not. But for right now, I’m going to shift gears. I’ve taken a step in protecting myself that all veteran and active service members should take. I’ve placed a fraud alert on my credit report.

It’s a really easy thing to do. It’s a matter of making a phone call to one of the three credit agencies, and showing that you are who you say you are. Then the agency will place a fraud alert on your credit report, and contact the other two agencies to have them do the same. So one phone call covers you for all three agencies.

The reason that I am recommending this is, of course, because the VA allowed some moron to walk off with personal info on thousands of veterans. If you haven’t heard the story yet, it may be time to crawl out from under that rock.

Anyway, the big thing here is that the fraud alert makes it more difficult to get credit under your personal info. Basically, you have to give extra proof of your identity when applying for credit. This is a nuisance for you, but it makes it much harder to illegitimately apply for credit under your name. This is a good thing, because it is likely that someone will soon by trying to rob veterans of their good credit soon.

Here’s the info you need to put a fraud alert on your credit report:

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013

TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

If you want more info on what fraud alerts do for you go here:

http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/con_steps.htm#fraud

Brandon

Email to Benson:

You are a deplorable and despicable disgrace to freedom, democracy, and all of the values that Americans hold dear. Your disregard for the impeccable legacy of the Marine Corps is beyond reproach. You have desecrated an emblem whose significance you cannot begin to understand. The legacy of the Eagle, Globe and Anchor is one marked by constant courage, honor, and commitment in the fiercest of battles. It is obvious that someone as self-absorbed as yourself cannot begin to understand what the words honor, courage, and commitment represent. You are too busy looking for ways to further weaken the cause of freedom in the world.

I spent three months of my life in a struggle to attain the symbol that you have so easily defaced. I would spend evenings at boot camp staring at the ceiling, looking for strength to continue another day. I would find that strength in the memory of the many men who had slept under that same ceiling. So many men had gone before me. They had served in some of this Nation’s most intense and deadly battles. Admiral Chester Nimitz had characterized the courage and discipline of the Corps during the battle for Iwo Jima. His words, “Uncommon valor was a common virtue,” are memorialized at the Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington VA. The legacy of the Corps is what makes it the fighting force that it is.

My grandfather was among those that shaped the legacy of the Corps. He served this Nation proudly in the Korean War, and beyond. He was a part of the Marine Corps for sixteen years, and carried the honor of his service with him to the grave this year.

You have disgraced the legacy of the Corps with you mindless actions, just as any Marine that has acted outside of the Articles of War has disgraced the Corps. The only consolation is that you are not brethren of the Corps, but rather a pissed stained coward.

In the case of the Marines who may have brought dishonor onto the Corps at Haditha, they have yet to be indicted. We are a Nation of laws, laws that Marines are sworn to uphold, and within our Nation we are assumed innocent until proven guilty. Just as the media assumed troops were guilty at Abu Gharib and Guantanamo Bay, they have assumed that the Marines at Haditha are guilty.

The fact that you would desecrate a symbol as impeccable as the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor shows that you are worthless to this Nation. The fact that you would paint an organization with such a harrowing history as the Marine Corps with such a broad brush shows that you are mindless in your pursuit to achieve your political goals. You are as mindless as those that would portray all Muslims as terrorists.

I served this Nation proudly and honorably. I placed myself into harms way during Operation Enduring Freedom to insure that Americans can continue to enjoy the freedom that they so often take for granted. I do not ask for recognition of my service. I do not expect gratitude or special considerations. I do, however, expect that those people who did not have the courage to stand in defense of freedom do not desecrate the memory of those who have.

Brandon

The Arizona Republic is a Disgrace

I found this on the blog Grim's Hall. It ran in the Arizona Republic, and there is a link on Grim's blog for sending letters to the disgusting rag. Below is the letter that I sent them. It was a test to not express my feelings further. I'll post a link to Grim's blog so that anyone who passes can express their feelings to the Arizona Republic.

I just saw the cartoon you ran of the Marine Corps Eagle, Globe, and Anchor. Your lack of judgment in publishing such an offensive and un-American cartoon is reprehensible. I spent four years of my life in service to the institution you mock. I gave my blood, sweat, and tears in honorably defending the freedom that you take for granted. Is this how I am rewarded? To have a sniveling coward spit in my face. The emblem that you have chosen to disgrace is the same emblem my late grandfather served under. He answered the call to arms during the Korean War, and continued to serve for sixteen years. He was an honorable man, who was as proud of his service as I am of mine. Now you have disgraced the institution that we hold dear. You have taken the symbol of this Nation’s most elite fighting force and pissed all over it to serve your own anti-American interests. The Marines that stand guard over your freedom today do so on the shoulders of those that have served before them. It is the courage and unwavering discipline of our predecessors that drives us to charge ahead in the face of adversity. It is this legacy that you have disgraced. I would not expect a publication of such low moral courage to understand the meaning of the words honor or discipline, so my attempts to describe the impact of your mindless actions are no doubt in vain. You have shown the bias of your publication, and I’m sure the patriots of your community will forever remember the disgrace that you have brought them.

Brandon

Update: Here is the email for the cock sucker who drew the cartoon; his name is Steve Benson. steve.benson@arizonarepublic.com

Some of What I Have Been Doing...

This is the fire on Elmendorf Air Force Base. It was about 80 Acres.

This shot was taken on the Elmendorf Fire.

This photo is complimets of the Anchorage Daily News. It shows our guys doing structure protection on the big fire out on Point Mackenzie Rd. They were doused with retardent by the tanker.
This is a shot that one of our firefighters took after the big retardant drop from above. It shows the red coloring of the retardant. This fire was about 460 acres.
This is another Anchorage Daily News photo. It shows one of the hot shot crews that was working structure protection. Also in the picture is the flag that was covered in retardant by the tanker. It was given to our firefighters by the landowner and is now hanging in our engine bay. These guys managed to save every defendable structure threated by the fire. Only two structures were lost, and I don't believe they were homes.

Brandon

Back at Work

I’m back to work again. It’s fire season in Alaska, and I’m back to dispatching. The fire season started out well, we had a couple of big fires. Now things have calmed, and slowed down. It’s actually been boring at work for the last few days.

The reserves schedule proved too taxing. They wanted some prime workdays this summer for annual training. I decided not to continue training with them, and turned in my gear the other day. It will be good to keep me less busy during the school year.

I have been putting time and money into my Jeep. I just installed a two-inch spacer lift the other day, and I have a body lift to install on my next days off. Once I get the lifts on, I can order the 33” tires for it.

I’ve done some other mods as well. I‘ve got a winch, and custom bumpers. I hope to post some pictures, but I need to find the cable for my camera. Good thing I have a big memory card in my camera, otherwise I would be out of luck.

I’d better run along, I’ll write more later on.

Brandon

Holy Crap It's Been a While!

The school year is almost over already. Classes are winding down, and I am starting to think about moving out. The place that I have been staying in will not be available next year, so I have to make other arrangements. I am debating moving into a smaller place across the street, or moving into the dorms. I have decided to apply for a position as a resident advisor at the dorms, which would get me free housing and food for the school year.

I made it into the reserve unit I had been wanting to join. I have drilled with them twice so far. I went into the unit having been told it would be changing from a recon unit to a anti-terrorism unit. Turns out an anti-terrorism unit has recently been disbanded, so the future of the unit is uncertain. Right now my billet in the unit is "Recon Man." This means that I am part of a recon team and have been training as a Recon Marine.

This has been interesting, to say the least. The first drill I went to, we went to the field. I was wholly unprepared for the below zero temps, and thought I was going to freeze to death. Somehow I made it through, and gained a new appreciation for the cold. I will not underestimate the extreme cold of Alaska again.

I am sitting in my graphics class writing this, so I should probably get myself back to work. I'll be more regular now, especially once school ends and I am back at work.

Brandon