Family of Text Messaged Spouse Speaks Out

Family of Text Messaged Spouse Speaks Out

The mother and aunt of Megan Born, the Army spouse who learned that her husband’s downrange death over text message, both left messages on SpouseBUZZ yesterday, offering some further explanation of just how this happened, praising the command at Fort Stewart for their support and thanking our readers for their condolences.

Because those posts — Military Spouse Notified of Death by Text and Army: Spouses to Blame for KIA Notification Fail — have so many comments making it hard for anyone to read them all, we wanted to make sure you had a chance to see their notes.

From Megan Born’s mother, Cindy:

Megan Born is my daughter and the first thing I want to say is that I appreciate the concern and compassion in the comments.

The second thing I would like to say is that the Army did everything they were supposed to do and are going “above and beyond” in taking care of my daughter and helping us through this situation. I am a veteran and I am aware of how this should have been handled and I know that the wives in his unit were briefed many times on OPSEC and loose lips. The girl who sent my daughter a message was a former friend that she had not seen or spoken to in months and there was absolutely no excuse for what she did. My heart goes out to the poor distraught soldier who confided in someone at home and is now going to pay for it.

From her aunt, Myra:

I don’t know if I will be welcome in this discussion, but here goes. I am Mrs. Born’s aunt, and was with her when she was notified of her husband’s death. She got a Facebook message several hours earlier telling her they were sorry for her loss. It was from a spouse that she knew but was not close to.

She called Fort Stewart and started asking questions. It took them a while to call her back. The Major that did the phone notification was, without a doubt, one of the most compassionate men I have ever spoken with. It was clear that this was not how they wanted to handle the notification. But they did not want her sitting for hours waiting for the notification team. We live in a very rural area. The team arrived approximately 2 hours later. And they were truly wonderful.

It is heartbreaking losing Sgt. Born. And it was devastating for her to find out the way she did. We are not a military family and I don’t have a lot of experience with how the Army does things. But I will say this, I have the utmost respect for the Major from Fort Stewart. And for the Notification team. And for every single Army personnel that we have come in contact with. They have been extremely professional and extremely caring. You can tell that they are grieving for their own loss as well. Thank you.

Continue reading at Military.com

The Teachings of God, Jesus & Obama

AWESOME comparison!

Cajun Conservatism

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“Act of Valor” – My Response

So … I went to see Act of Valor today. Lots of echo before the cry, this film and its active duty cast exceeded my expectations.

If you have even a drop of patriotic blood flowing in your veins,
please see this film.

SEALs climb ladder to their extract platform CH47 Helicopter in Relativity's Media's upcoming release, "Act of Valor". Credit: IATM LLC

The acting is not terrific – they are warriors, not actors,
and some will take offense at Hollywood’s choice to have a Jewish
financial angle attached to the true antagonists
who were radical Islamists in a global battle.
Holly wood is still Hollywood.

As a few in the know have said, this is the future of warfare!
Black Hawk Down!
The product of ailing minds trapped in a building without windows,
today’s war is in isolated pockets, and requires highly skilled,
specially trained warrior teams as seen here.

Theatrically, it was an ensemble piece, which is representative
of the story and the lifestyle of those who serve in this capacity.
The depth of personal connection between these team members
is beyond comprehension.
These warriors are a team, they live and work as a team.

It was a deeply inspirational film for me.
I’m exhausted from the stress of it!

Oh to be 25 again!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY INSPIRATION MONDAY and CONGRATULATIONS BEKINDREWRITE!!!

The Top 10 Significant Figures Who Helped Found America

Tags

Articles of Confederation, Boston Tea Party, Declaration of Independence, Federalist Papers, Treaty of Paris

The Founding Fathers' Monument in Plymouth, MA - A graphic map to Liberty!

article by Martin Kelly

The founding fathers were those political leaders who were part of the American Revolution and the founding of the new nation after independence was won. There were many more than ten founders that had a huge impact on the American Revolution, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution. However, this list attempts to pick the top ten founding fathers who had the greatest impact. Honorable mentions not included were John Hancock, John Marshall, Peyton Randolph, and John Jay.

A young, Colonel G. Washington

1. George Washington – Founding Father

George Washington was a member of the First Continental Congress. He was then chosen to lead the Continental Army. He was the president of the Constitutional Convention and of course became the first president of the United States. In all these leadership positions, he showed a steadfastness of purpose and helped create the precedents and foundations that would form America.

2. John Adams was an important figure in both the First and Second Continental Congresses. He was on the committee to draft the Declaration of Independence and was central to its adoption. Because of his foresight, George Washington was named Commander of the Continental Army at the Second Continental Congress. He was chosen to help negotiate the Treaty of Paris that officially ended the American Revolution. He later became the first vice president and then the second president of the United States.

3. Thomas Jefferson, as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress, was chosen to be part of a Committee of Five that would draft the Declaration of Independence. He was unanimously picked to write the Declaration. He was then sent to France as a diplomat after the Revolution and then returned to become first the vice president under John Adams and then the third president.

4. James Madison was known as the Father of the Constitution, for he was responsible for writing much of it. Further, with John Jay and Alexander Hamilton, he was one of the authors of the Federalist Papers that helped persuade the states to accept the new Constitution. He was responsible for drafting the Bill of Rights that were added to the Constitution in 1791. He helped organize the new government and later became the fourth president of the United States.

5. Benjamin Franklin was considered the elder statesman by the time of the Revolution and later Constitutional Convention. He was a delegate to the Second Continental Congress. He was part of the Committee of Five that was to draft the Declaration of Independence and made corrections that Jefferson included in his final draft. Franklin was central to getting French aid during the American Revolution. He also helped with negotiating the Treaty of Paris that ended the war.

6. Samuel Adams was a true revolutionary. He was one of the founders of the Sons of Liberty. His leadership helped organize the Boston Tea Party. He was a delegate to both the First and Second Continental Congresses and fought for the Declaration of Independence. He also helped draft the Articles of Confederation. He helped write the Massachusetts Constitution and became its governor.

7. Thomas Paine was the author of a very important pamphlet called Common Sense that was published in 1776. He wrote a compelling argument for independence from Great Britain. His pamphlet convinced many colonists and founding fathers of the wisdom of open rebellion against the British if necessary. Further, he published another pamphlet called The Crisis during the Revolutionary War that helped spur on the soldiers to fight.

8. Patrick Henry was a radical revolutionary who was unafraid to speak up against Great Britain at an early date. He is most famous for his speech which includes the line, “Give me liberty or give me death.” He was a governor of Virginia during the Revolution. He also helped fight for the addition of the Bill of Rights to the US Constitution, a document with which he disagreed because of its strong federal powers.

9. Alexander Hamilton fought in the Revolutionary War. However, his true importance came about after the war when he was a huge proponent for the US Constitution. He, along with John Jay and James Madison, wrote the Federalist Papers in an effort to secure support for the document. Once Washington was elected as the first president, Hamilton was made the first Secretary of the Treasury. His plan for getting the new country on its feet economically was instrumental in forming a sound financial basis for the new republic.

10. Gouverneur Morris was an accomplished statesman that ushered in the idea of a person being a citizen of the union, not the individual states. He was part of the Second Continental Congress and as such helped provide legislative leadership to back up George Washington in his fight against the British. He signed the Articles of Confederation. He is credited with writing parts of the Constitution including possibly its preamble.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

These men, and many others, together worked, argued, and committed to the definition and establishment of a new breed of FREEDOM in this experiment of America as a Constitutional Republic, not a Democracy! Might does NOT make right in our form of government as it would in a democracy. Rather, we are ultimately governed by the Rule of Law, as stated in out Constitution, and each and every American (this must also come to include our elected officials in Congress and the White House) is held accountable to the rule of Law, to the Constitution. We are NOT ruled by the majority or by the strongest or any other subjective authority, but by the absolute authority of the Constitution. This is why it is imperative to have Justices that will apply the Law rather than interpret or rewrite it. It is a delicate balance, and currently, we are way out of balance! We-the-People must assume our rightful authority and correct the balance of power or our Republic is lost.

John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson seek inspiration as they work to create the Declaration of Independence. Sculpted by Stan Watts

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution

UPDATE: It occurs to me that this article proposed something that is popular with the American people -increased accountability among our elected officials. I posted this from another website as indicated above, but after checking FACT CHECK, I’m reminded it is … just an idea! While bits and pieces of this have been proposed by various members, nothing significant has happened yet! The popularity of this article on various websites is proof it carries some measures that might actually improve our government on every level. I would suggest, if you like these ideas, that you send them to your Senators and Representatives. Let’s push it and make our “Representative”government work in our behalf!

I challenge you to read this and NOT have the will to pass it on to all your friends!

No one has been able to explain to me why young men and women serve in the U.S. Military for 20 years, risking their lives protecting freedom, and only get 50% of their pay. While Politicians hold their political positions in the safe confines of the capital, protected by these same men and women, and receive full pay retirement after serving one term. It just does not make any sense..

Monday we learned that the staffers of Congress family members are exempt from having to pay back student loans. This will get national attention if news networks will broadcast it. When you add this to the below, just where will all of it stop?

This will take less than thirty seconds to read. If you agree, please pass it on.

This is an idea that we should address.

For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens had no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed while citizens must live under those laws. The latest is to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform… in all of its forms. Somehow, that doesn’t seem logical. We do not have an elite that is above the law. I truly don’t care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. The self-serving must stop.

If each person that receives this will share it, in three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message.. This is one proposal that really should be passed around.

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution: “Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States .”

By: Patrick J Hunt

“Band of Brothers” – American Sheriffs

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American Sheriffs

Girl Draws Toy Gun, Dad Arrested

Tags

2nd Amendment rights

2/25/12

A four year old girl draws a picture of a toy gun at school. And her 26 year old father, Jessie Sansone, was arrested.

Why? Here is what the Family and Children’s Services said:

“any child drawing a picture of guns and saying there’s guns in a home would warrant some further conversation with the parents and child.”

Here is what Sansone said.

“To be honest with you, I broke down…My character got put down so much. I was actually really hurt, like it could happen that easy. How do you recognize a criminal from a father?”

The police asked the father to grant them permission to search his house. He did not have to sign it, I guess he did so out of fear or felt pressured to do so.

The girl attends Forest Hill public school. The family lives in Kitchener near Waterloo, Ontario.

Canada supports big brother government that takes care of you. Big brother does not trust you to take care of yourself. They assume the worst of everybody. They think that if a child is drawing a gun that somehow the daughter has access to it. But parents that own guns are wise enough to protect their children from it. MORE HERE

We need to protect our 2nd Amendment rights
here in the United States.

Buy a weapon and learn how to use it responsibly!

Obama’s Support Group

Good to know he has such an illustrious, level-headed support group, huh? Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy!

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Haven’t you wondered how 26 of our elite SEALS were mysteriously herded onto one slow moving Chinook and then promptly shot down? All way too convenient, to my mind.

Drawdown lowdown: 9 things you need to know

By Jim Tice and Lance M. Bacon – Staff writers
Posted : Sunday Feb 19, 2012 9:37:41 EST

The drawdown looms large. While the Army is being cagey about exactly how it will shrink to pre-9/11 size, several things have become crystal clear. There is a target list and it’s not as benign as you might think — or hope.

Among those with targets on their backs:

• 4,000 master sergeants and sergeants major.

• Practically everyone who’s been in trouble since entering the Army.

• “Terminal” NCOs.

• Anyone who is overweight or can’t pass the PT test.

Soldiers will be subjected to:

• Reclassification or discharge for soldiers in over-strength military occupational specialties.

• Sharply reduced recruiting missions.

• Fewer re-up options and bonuses.

And it starts March 1.

In a letter to Army leaders, Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno, Army Secretary John McHugh and Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond Chandler announced the Army is “fundamentally” changing the active-component retention program. As a result, “some fully qualified soldiers will be denied re-enlistment.”

In a separate letter to enlisted leaders, Chandler was more specific: “The program will shift from retaining as many soldiers as we can to retaining only those soldiers with the greatest potential.

“We are changing the program to ensure we retain an Army that is dominant, fully capable and composed of absolutely the very best; that re-enlistment is a privilege not afforded to all; and that we must shape our Army to meet future requirements,” Chandler wrote.

How will this play out?

Tanks waiting at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait, ready to be shipped home as part of the United States military’s drawdown from Iraq.

It will start in the spring with a series of boards that will take a cold, hard look at personnel files, job performance and MOS quotas.

The fact is, even those soldiers who have performed exceptionally well could be done in by the MOS quotas.

Chandler said the Army will look at every retirement-eligible soldier to identify those who need to stay in uniform. Some will be forced to retire, though they may have years remaining on their current contracts. This careful consideration will begin with the sergeant major board in June.

Here are the details, as announced to date:

1. ENLISTED TENURE RULES
The Army has been tightening the retention control points that determine how long enlisted soldiers can stay in service without being promoted.

The most recent changes reduced the retention control points to these levels:

Privates and privates first class: From eight to five years.

Specialists: From 10 to eight years.

Promotable specialists: From 15 to 12 years.

Sergeants: From 15 to 13 years.

Promotable sergeants: From 20 to 15 years.

Staff sergeants: From 23 to 20 years.

The changes as of last June apply to about 400,000 soldiers of the regular Army and active Guard and Reserve who serve under the Title 10 provisions of federal law.

Retention control points for National Guard soldiers serving in the Title 10 AGR program are:

Sergeants and below: 20 years of service.

Staff sergeant: 23 years.

Retention control points for the senior ranks have been adjusted to support changes in the professional development timeline for senior NCOs:

Promotable staff sergeants: 26 years

Sergeants first class: 26 years

Master sergeants: 29 years

First sergeants: 29 years

Promotable sergeants first class: 29 years

Command sergeants major: 32 years

Sergeants major: 32 years

Extensions out to 35 years are available to command sergeants major who serve in nominative positions under a general officer commander.

2. FEWER ENLISTED PROMOTIONS
The total of active-component soldiers expected to move up in the NCO ranks this year is 6 percent below last year.

In Kuwait, American forces exiting an aircraft newly arrived from Iraq. They were en route to the United States.

A projected total of 44,141 active-component soldiers are to advance to the ranks of sergeant through sergeant major in 2012. That is 6 percent below last year’s total of 47,129 soldiers.

Despite the drawdown, no major personnel authorization changes are planned for 2012, which means there will not be a big slowdown in promotions.

NCO promotion requirements are driven by losses such as retirements and separations in the various specialties of the enlisted personnel system, and pull-through from each lower grade to the next higher grade.

3. NEW RULES FOR SENIOR NCOS
New rules that apply to senior NCO boards that meet this year and for the remainder of the drawdown set increased time-in-grade and time-in-service requirements for promotion, while increasing service obligations for promotions to sergeant major, master sergeant and sergeant first class from two to three years.

The time-in-grade and time-in-service changes are:

• The TIG requirement for primary zone consideration for sergeant first class and master sergeant in the regular Army and active Guard and Reserve (Army Reserve) has increased from three to four years, and the secondary zone window has increased from two to three.

• The TIG requirement for sergeant first class, master sergeant and sergeant major promotion eligibility in the non-AGR categories of the Army Reserve has increased from two to three years.

• The minimum TIS requirement in the non-AGR categories of the Army Reserve has increased from 11 to 12 years for master sergeant consideration, and from 13 to 17 years for sergeant major consideration.

The promotion service obligation applies to soldiers of the regular Army, National Guard and Army Reserve.

Because the time-in-grade and time-in-service changes will reduce the number of soldiers considered annually for promotion to master sergeant and sergeant first class, officials expect select rates for these two ranks could increase to 18 percent and 40 percent, respectively.

Key elements of promotion policy during the drawdown are the Army’s strong commitment to the NCO Education System, and a hard-and-fast rule requiring soldiers to complete military schooling before they can be promoted.

The policy requires that soldiers must complete:

• The Advanced Leader Course to be considered for promotion to sergeant first class.

• The Senior Leader Course for promotion to master sergeant.

• The Sergeants Major Course for promotion to sergeant major.

4. PROMOTIONS FOR SERGEANT, STAFF SERGEANT
Promotion-point adjustments as of Jan. 1 put more weight on military education for more than 30,000 specialists, corporals and sergeants on the Army-wide sergeant and staff sergeant selection lists.

The Promotion Point Worksheet is revised so that 40 percent of the points soldiers can earn for military education are related to NCOES achievements such as graduation from the Warrior Leader Course and Advanced Leader Course.

NCOES credits previously were capped at 35 percent of the total score for promotions to sergeant, 32 percent for staff sergeant.

Under the previous scoring system, many soldiers were maxing out the military education section of the worksheet by avoiding NCOES and loading up on correspondence courses and computer-based training.

5. EARLY OUTS FOR ENLISTED
Regular Army enlisted soldiers could be discharged from active duty up to one year before the end of their enlistments under a provision included in the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act.

Under previous law, early outs could occur no earlier than 30 months before the end of a soldier’s enlistment.

Soldiers who receive early outs are not entitled to pay and allowances for the period of enlistment they did not serve, but will qualify for normal separation benefits.

Noting that the legal change was requested by the Defense Department, Congress said the early-out authority should be used to reduce service strength in a responsible manner during the coming drawdown.

At press time, the Army had not indicated if, or when, it plans to exercise the early-out authority.

6. TOUGHER OFFICER PROMOTIONS
After a decade of record-high selection rates, the Army will scale back officer promotion opportunities, returning to levels seen before the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Those selection opportunities are:

Promotion to captain: 90 percent.

Promotion to major: 80 percent.

Promotion to lieutenant colonel: 70 percent.

Promotion to colonel: 50 percent.

“In some instances, we may see promotion rates below these targets to correctly size and shape year groups,” Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno said in a recent memo to senior leaders.

Selection opportunity, as defined by the legal statute governing officer management, is calculated by dividing the number of primary-zone candidates by the total number of above-zone, primary-zone and below-zone officers selected by a board.

From 2001 through 2010, selection opportunity averaged 64 percent for colonel, 100 percent for lieutenant colonel and 108 percent for major.

Basic-branch selections for captain typically hovered near 100 percent for lieutenants receiving their first O-3 promotion review.

Odierno’s memo focused on the Army Competitive Category, but any changes for the special branches and warrant officers largely will be influenced by the structure requirements of a small Army, according to Lt. Col. Cape Zemp, chief of Army officer selection board policy at the Pentagon.

“It’s possible that because of adjustments to the structure, selection opportunity — like the basic branches — could decrease for the special branches and warrant officers,” he said. READ MORE

The results of all this means:

1. A drastic increase in the number of unemployed vets infused into an already dying economy

2. Serious questions of morale within an already-stretched-too-thin military now serving in way too many places that our President (or the MSM) doesn’t see fit to share with the American people.

3. Realistically, jeopardizes National Security by reducing ready strength to pre-WWI levels.

It’s one thing if he making cuts across the board, but this is so he can activate another round of bailouts to “Green” entities while refusing genuine opportunities like Keystone pipeline!

United States military vehicles at a storage yard in Kuwait, where they were being prepared for the next stage of their journey.