Thursday, January 29, 2009

Good bye sunshine. Hello Snow


Yuma Proving Grounds are a distant sweet memory and things are back to normal and cold for Christopher and the rest of the 1-89 Cav Alpha Troop.
They are back at Ft. Drum, settled in and looking forward to the Cavalry Ball and block leave which are both coming up in the next few weeks.
Christopher was pinned today with his PVT2 and when I talked to him this afternoon he was in a great mood. Even though the warm Arizona weather was very welcome, he is happy to be back "home" at FT. Drum even if in his own words they are freezing their asses off.
I for one am counting the days until he is actually home for a few weeks.
I hope everyone has had a great week and enjoys their weekend.
aam

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Army orders recall of body armor

This post comes from a article that I found at The Associated Press:

WASHINGTON – Army Secretary Pete Geren has ordered the recall of more than 16,000 sets of body armor following an audit that concluded the bullet-blocking plates in the vests failed testing and may not provide soldiers with adequate protection.
The audit by the office of the Defense Department inspector general, not yet made public but obtained by The Associated Press, faults the Army for flawed testing procedures before awarding a contract for the armor.

In a letter dated Jan. 27 to Acting Inspector General Gordon Heddell, Geren said he did not agree that the plates failed the testing or that soldiers were issued deficient gear. He said his opinion was backed by the Pentagon's top testing director.

Despite his insistence that the armor was not deficient, Geren said he was recalling the sets as a precaution.

Geren also said he's asked for a senior Pentagon official to resolve the disagreement between the Army and the inspector general's office.

"To ensure there can be no question regarding the effectiveness of every soldier's body armor, I have today ordered that the plates at issue be identified and collected until such a time as the matter has been adjudicated by the deputy secretary of defense," he wrote.
Hundreds of thousands of body armor sets have been manufactured by nearly a dozen different companies over the past seven years. The vests are now standard gear for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The audit by the inspector general's office was the second requested by Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y. She first asked the watchdog agency to look into the acquisition of the ballistic vests in 2006 after she read newspaper reports saying inadequate body armor was causing U.S. casualties.

The first audit was completed last year, but Slaughter said it wasn't thorough enough.
Slaughter said Wednesday she's satisfied with the latest report but remains concerned the Army has not changed its contracting methods to ensure the troops are getting the best gear.

"I'm not through," she said. "I really want to know which contracts are bad."
Heddell is scheduled to give Slaughter a briefing Thursday on the audit's findings.
Auditors focused on a step called first article testing. These tests are to confirm the product meets the Army's specifications. But the audit says the Army didn't perform or score the tests consistently.
"Consequently, we believe that three of the eight ballistic insert designs that passed first article testing actually failed," the audit says.
The contract examined by the inspector general's office is listed in the audit only as W91CRB-04-D-0040. An Aug, 20, 2004, an announcement on the Defense Department's Web site states a contract under that designation was awarded to Armor Works of Chandler, Ariz.
The Army bought 51,334 sets of the protective inserts under the contract for just over $57 million, according to the inspector general.
A call to Armor Works was not immediately returned.
___
On the Net:
Defense Department inspector general: http://www.dodig.osd.mil/

Wednesdays Hero


This Weeks Post Was Suggested And Written By Cynthia


Sgt James E. Craig
27 years old from Hollywood, South Carolina
1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division
January 28, 2008
James, 27, was killed on January 28, 2008, in Mosul, Iraq, along with four other soldiers when the unit encountered an IED, followed by an ambush from a nearby Mosque. It has been a year since James was killed. I miss him each day.James was on his third deployment to Iraq. There are so many things about James that I admired. He was 'loud' and funny and articulate and sweet - even calling himself 'Sweet Soldier' - and brave and tough. He was a devout Christian and more comfortable with telling people he was than anyone I ever knew - he had a enviable, easy comfort with this faith. It would be so easy to write and write about James, but let me share some portions of his letters - his long and articulate letters."...I am very much looking forward to this war being over. However, I fully support everything that is going on over here ever since I saw first hand what the real situation was. Our media doesn't portray the truth of this operation or the necessity to the people here. They need freedom and desperately cry out for someone to help them. ... I know one thing, God wants me here.""The war here is stating to come to an end. It will be a slow transition period where the responsibility of the battle space is handed over to the growing Iraqi Army. It all depends on the Iraqis if we are able to leave them with it safely.""...it is a tale of my wonderful journey where I made memories I will never forget and stood up for something that I believe in...that sweet taste of freedom when the day is done and the knowledge that I have done something to ensure the positive future of my loved ones. And, you should know that it comforts me the most that what I do protects wonderful people like you."To read more about Sgt James Craig, go here.
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived.
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.



Monday, January 26, 2009

God Bless Continental Airlines.

Chris will be coming home mid Feb for leave. WOOOHOOOO
So far we have had to change his flight three times and each time Continental Airlines have been wonderful. They have waived fee's and penalties each time and even upgraded two legs of his return trip to first class.
While researching flights and I have to give all the credit for that to my wonderful husband who spent hours online and on the phone trying to find flights that a young Soldier could afford we were amazed to find out just how expensive it could be. At one point he found a decent price for a flight online and called American Airlines to see if they offered a Military Discount for that flight. The young lady on the phone told him that they did offer a discount for the military and quoted him a price that was almost $200.00 MORE than the flight was listed for. When my husband pointed this out to the lady she advised him that it was a different program and if he wanted the discount he would have to pay the higher price. Can someone please explain that one?
Blue Star Mothers have a petition to try to get better airfairs for Military Members. If you are so inclined I would like to ask you to go to this link and sign the petition.

Also, please remember Airman Mom's son B who has recently deployed in your thoughts and prayers. If you get a chance, stop by and lift her up.

God Bless,

Tami (aam)

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Cindy

Petty Officer 2nd Class Mike A. Monsoor
29 years old from Garden Grove, California
September 29, 2006
In April 2008, Michael Monsoor (who had already been posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his actions in a May 9, 2006 incident, when he and another SEAL pulled a wounded team member to safety amidst gunfire) was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
His funeral, attended, in the words of President Bush, by "nearly every SEAL on the West Coast," was held on October 12, 2006 at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego.
During Monsoor's funeral service, as the casket was taken from the hearse to the gravesite, fellow SEALs lined up in two columns to slap and embed the gold Tridents (a pin awarded for successful completion of SEAL Qualification Training) from their uniforms onto the top of Monsoor's coffin.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Mike A. Monsoor's Summary Of Action.



"The procession went on nearly half an hour, and when it was all over, the simple wooden coffin had become a gold-plated memorial to a hero who will never be forgotten."
- President George W. Bush
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Fun in Yuma

Hello all,
I haven't heard much from Chris lately. He is training in Yuma and from the few short calls and quick text messages that I have had, I can tell you that he is loving every minute of it. LOL
He called me one day last week and I asked him how he was doing. His reply was: Mom, I am exhausted, I stink and I am having a ball.
It seems that they are doing 11 days in the field and 1 1/2 days at the FOB on a rotation. During his time in the field, showers are not something that is available and when I made a comment about no shower in 11 days he said its ok mom, everyone stinks.
Believe me when I tell you that he is enjoying the Arizona weather compared to the snow and freezing temps that Ft. Drum is experiencing.
Chris informed me that when he is through with the Army he was moving to Arizona. I asked him when he thought that would be and was quickly advised that it would not be anytime soon. Actually his words were; when it stops being worth doing I will get out.
Army life seems to suit him. And slowly I am getting use to not hearing from him on a regular basis and the fact that he is no longer a child.
We are looking forward to mid February when he will be headed home for a few weeks of well earned block leave. The D`man has already claimed his big brother on his team at the paint ball course and at least a few hours of big brother coming to visit his 5th grade classroom.
I hope everyone is staying warm and enjoying the beginning of 2009!!

God Bless,
aam

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Deb

Capt. Ed FreemanCompany A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)
While reading the info on Cpt. Freeman, I found that I couldn't have put it better than this.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday.

For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived.

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll.

For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.






Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Wednesday Hero

Airman Melissa Pyle

Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) Airman Melissa Pyle mans a jet blast deflector station on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in the Gulf Of Oman. Theodore Roosevelt and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams. Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.





Monday, January 5, 2009

1/2 boy 1/2 man

I found this in my email inbox this morning and wanted to share it with all of you. This email is so on the mark it had to be written by a military parent.

The average age of the military man is 19 years old. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's, but he more than likely hasn't collected unemployment either.
He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sports activity, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away. He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and a 155mm howitzer.
He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must.
He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional. He can march until he is told to stop, or stop until he is told to march. He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient.
He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry. He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low.
He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands. He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job. He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay, and still find ironic humor in it all.
He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime. He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed.
He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away ' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking. In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful.
Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great- grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years.
He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding. Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood.
And now we have women in danger too, doing their part in this tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so.
As you go to bed tonight, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our ground troops in Afghanistan , sailors on ships, and airmen in the air, and for those in Iraq , and all foreign countries, and for those here at home awaiting their turn.
Of all the gifts you could give a US Soldier, Sailor, Coastguardsman, Marine, or Airman, prayer is the very best one.

I hope you all had a wonder Holiday Season.

God Bless,
aam