JawBreaker 2 Delta

This is the end......

2010-01-24T14:34:00.000-06:00

Alright, this is truly the end of this blog (for now).

I failed my psych consultation. Apparently my driving record is so horrible that the Army, in all it's infinate wisdom, has determined that I have a "personality disorder". I shit you not. I even recieved a letter from the good douche bags at Milwaukee MEPs saying that. VERBATUM. Or it could be that I told them I want to enlist again so that I could deploy to theater..... guess that makes them question my sanity. Fuck them then.

So there is no reason for me to continue a military blog when I am not in the military any more, I mean I suppose I could but there are others who have better credentials than I whom are also a lot more qualified to offer their opinions to the vast interweb world.

So I would like to take the oppurtunity to thank the two people who were my *only* followers; Concrete Bob (glad to see you're back in the game bro!) and Chewbaccafuzzbal, and the awesome folks at UCV.com.

So for now, this blog is off the net. This may change as the threat level rises and my services are again required.

Rest assured, I will be here, on the intard-web, lurking..... watching...... waiting for the perfect moment to jump out from behind the door and scream in the face of injustice and douchebag-hood.

So until I am again needed;

Good-bye and good luck.............

A little change from the usual because I hate Brett Favre.....

2009-12-13T12:28:00.000-06:00

It speaks for itself.....

I'm going crazy I think.....

2009-12-04T13:30:00.001-06:00

So I'm getting tired of the bullshit that MEPS is inflicting on me, so I'm lurking about the interweb tube things. And I found this gem.

It's the only thing that's keeping me from flipping out and trying to enlist in the Marines.....

The funniest part is, this actually makes sense to me.....

And that scares me, that Gary Busey is seeming sane to me.

Maybe now is not a good time to take a psych eval.... oh wait, that's right! Fucking MEPS hasn't scheduled my eval and it's been OVER TWO DAMNED WEEKS!

So enjoy Gary in all his Busey-ness.

Just wanted to share this bit of genius......

2009-11-24T14:57:00.000-06:00

Milwaukee MEPS sucks!

2009-11-16T11:45:00.003-06:00

So I've put off writtig over the weekend as I've been screwed over and pissed off by the Army (big suprise there!) and needed some time to cool off and compose my thoughts. Here's the story;

I went to the Milwaukee MEPS on the night of the 11th. On the 12th we (I and the other seventy some recruits) went to Milwaukee MEPS and began the physical/medical screening. That was all done by 11:30 am. All in all I was actually very impressed by the medical folks who, despite being short four people, got a lot of us through there in a short time.

I finished/survived everything; urinalysis, blood letting, duck walking, crazy old man grabbing my testicles and trying to crush them.

After I jumped/duck walked through all the hurdles the military had for me I went to see the doctor one last time for a final medical interview. He flipped through my paperwork and asked a few questions which I answered. His final words to me were, "Congratulations, you've passed the physical. Take this paperwork to your branch and you're good to go. Good luck."

So I went to the Army branch office and gave my paperwork to MSG "G". He flips through it real quick and tells me, "You're all done for the day, thanks."

The problem was, I wasn't. I was supposed to enlist that day. And I told him so.

So he says, "I'll look into it, go get some lunch and come back here and sit in the waiting area when you're done."

I ate lunch and by 12 noon I was sitting in the very first chair in front of the office. I'm watching people and soldiers come and go. Everyone that comes out of the door; I'm looking them right in the eye. Eye contact is being made with every single person coming out. Recruits and soldiers and civilian workers. I'm looking right at them. This include MSG "G". He's coming and going and every single time he comes out we make eye contact. He just keeps on going. Not a single word is exchanged. But I figure that it's okay. He knows who I am, my situation, what I'm here to do. He'll get to me just as soon as he can, no worries. They want me in the Army just as much as I want to be in.

So it's 6pm and I'm starting to get tired of waiting. The shuttle bus driver is getting tired too. He went in and asked why I haven't been seen yet. There was another E-8 type in there by the name of MSG "C". He tells shuttle bus driver guy that I'm done and not enlisting today. Shuttle bus driver comes back into the waiting area and tells me this. I go in to see what the hell is going on.

MSG "C" tells me I'm a medical no-go.

I call bullshit.

Fat civilian doctor sat a foot away from me and went over all my paperwork. He said I passed the physical portion and was good to go. He even congratulated me!

MSG "C", "You're a medical no-go."

Me, "Negative SGT, I'm a medical go."

MSG "C", " you're a medical no-go."

Me, "No, I'm a go."

This went back and forth for a little bit. MSG "C" starts getting pissy with me. I finally ask the "subject matter expert" (please note the extreme sarcasm in which I tried to convey by putting that phrase in quotations) where it says I'm a no-go.

Already long story short, he points to a block with the number zero in it and tells me that is why I can't enlist today.

That zero is there because I have an "exsesive amount" of traffic violations. Speeding tickets in my case.

The Army defines "exsesive amount" as more than 3 in the last year. I've had at least 3 in the last 3 months!

Here's the problem; in 2004 I was sent to Baghdad. As a part of a Civil Affairs team, I was made a driver. There was only 5 of us on the team so we travelled light and fast in our two humvees. I went on close to 300 missions in my time in country. Most I was a driver, some I was truck commander and on others I was even a turret gunner. All these positions required me to drive fast, think fast and act just as fast. Never got hit, never hit anybody, no accidents, but I did set one humvee on fire cause the transmission went to shit and the maintenance guys didn't put in the new one the right way. But that's neither here nor there (which I don't understand cause if something is not here, and it's not there, then where the hell is it!?!). Never mind I was a poor driver before I went but when I came back my bad driving habits were replaced by fast and aggressive habits.

In short, for ill or nil, good or bad, the Army made me the driver I am today.

So now that the Army has determined that I have an "exsesive amount" of traffic violations, I have to get a fucking psycholgical evaluation!

I could pose a threat to the Army!?!

So, let me get this straight.

11years in the Army Reserve, a two year mobilization for Operation Noble Eagle, a year long mobilization and deployment to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom, was assigned to a Special Operations unit for a little over 4 years, which entailed me having a SECRET security clearnce (which requires a complete background check by the FBI going back to where and how I did in elementary school!), have recieved the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal twice, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal twice, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon and the Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon.

And I need a psychological evaluation as I might pose a threat to other soldiers?

I guess I'm just that potentially dangerous.

I love my country and my Army but this is some bullshit.

JB2D out.....

I'm enlisting!!!!!

2009-11-12T04:59:00.002-06:00

I'm on my way to MEPS! Next time I check in, I'll be a soldier again!

* turns out this post was a lie! see above for details!*

Veteran's Day 2009

2009-11-11T10:48:00.002-06:00

So we come to another Veteran's Day where we are at war.

Reguardless of your views of these two wars, you have to honor and respect those who are willing and able to stand up and fight injustice where ever it may be.

There are a few things I'd like to do this day:

1. Honor those who have and those who are currently serving. I found this video and it sums up everything perfectly.

2. I wish to honor a great soldier and a great friend; SGT Bryan L. Freeman.

I met Bryan when I was "cross-leveled" to the 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion in 2004. I first met "B-Free" when we went to Ft. McCoy, WI for pre-mob training. To say this guy was "squared away" doesn't begin to describe it. He was a true soldier to the bone. Those who knew Freeman remember his motto, "Squared away!" Everything he did was squared away.

Bryan began his Army career on active duty at Ft. Drum as cannon crew member in 1993. In 1997 he left active duty and joined the New Jersey National Guard. Still a "cannon-cocker".

He joined the Army Reserve in 2003 as a member of the 404th CA Bn at Ft. Dix.

He too was cross-leveled to the 443rd CA Bn.

On 4 Nov 2004, then SPC Freeman was on a mission with his CA team; doing a SWET accessment (pronounced as sweat - which is an acronym for Sewer - Water - Electricty - Trash. The basic utilities we were trying to get going in Baghdad back then.).

Bryan was with his battle buddy SPC Aaron Meade, they were providing security for the team seargent.

They had stopped a car to do a brief visual check of the interior and ask the occupants what their opinions were of the current level of utilities their town had.

As Aaron leaned forward to look into the car, a shot rang out.

A 7.62mm round glanced off of Aaron's helmet and struck Bryan in the face, killing him instantly.

I wasn't on his team, not even in the same company, when Bryan was taken from us. But the impact he had on me was inmeasurable.

Bryan inspired everyone he met. He was always smiling, always willing to help those around him. He was everyone's battle buddy.

Even when we were stuck at Ft. Bragg in July, in the old 82nd Division buildings. No windows, no screens, no a/c, no fans, snakes bugs and everything coming in the windows at night. He never once complained.

I always remember him standing at his bunk at Bragg playing video games on his laptop.

Not a day goes by that I don't think of Bryan.

By the way.....

Veterans - you can eat at Applebee's today for free! Check the link for details.

http://www.applebees.com/vetsday/

JB2D out.

Wisconsin Soldiers you should know.....

2009-11-10T09:02:00.003-06:00

First off, SGT Nickolas Mueller. 26 year old veteran of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR).

These are the guys theat provide air support for Special Forces. When you hear about the AC-130 Spectre gunship, you're hearing about these boys. When you hear about an insane Chinook pilot hovering an inch off the top of an Afghanistan mountain, in a blizzard, while a platoon of Rangers goes charging off the ramp into the line of fire, you're hearing about these guys getting those Rangers there.

These guys are responsible for getting the tip of the spear to the fight and watching over them like fully armed deadly guardian angels and getting them back out and home in time for dinner.

These guys are among the best of the best.

But on October 26th, one of our Chinook's went down in Afghanistan; killing two SF operators from 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group and all five soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment.

SGT Mueller was one of those from the 160th and he was from Little Chute, WI.

His funeral was November 7th.

The next two were victims in the Ft. Hood shooting.

SGT Amy Krueger, 29, of Kiel, and Russell Seager, 51, from Mount Pleasant.

SGT Krueger graduated from high school in 1998 (the year I enlisted!) and was moved to enlist herself after the 9-11 attacks stating that she would take on Osama Bin Laden herself if she got the chance.

Her mother; Jeri Krueger, recalled telling her daughter she could not take on bin Laden by herself.

"Watch me," her daughter replied.

Amy arrived at Fort Hood Tuesday of last week and was scheduled to be sent to Afghanistan in December.

MAJ Russell Seager joined the Army Reserve about four years ago and had pushed officials for deployment.

Seager led a mental health team at the VA center in Milwaukee,who treated veterans suffering from mental health problems related to their war experience. His patients ranged from those in their twenties just back from Iraq and Afghanistan, to veterans in their 80s and 90s.

In Iraq, he was to work to address those kinds of problems when they first appear.

Amy and Russell will unfortunately not get the chance to live their dreams.

These three soldiers are missed and will be remembered as the heros they are.

God speed SGT Mueller, SGT Krueger and MAJ Seager.

Fratricide? Again?

2009-11-06T08:26:00.006-06:00

My initial reaction was to blog about this immediately. But everything just seemed too hasty.....

"He's dead..... no wait..... he's still alive...... his name is Malik Nidal Hasan.... no wait.... it's Nidal Malik Hasan..... he has PTSD (even though he's never deployed)..... he was disgruntled..... he was scarred to deploy.... he was a Muslim convert...... now wait, he was born Muslim....."

Everyone was understandably firing from the hip but in the initial frenzy it seemed that all the mainstream media wanted to do was get a body count out there.

Now that the dust has settled, so to speak, a clearer picture is beginning to develop.

Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a 39-year-old doctor of psychiatry who completed his education and internship to become a doctor in May and was PCS'd to Ft. Hood shortly there after.

Once he got his Dr. title, he was automatically promoted to the rank of Major and began enjoying that fat six figure salary.

Now there is another bit of confusion (at least on my part) in whether or not he was converted to Islam or a Muslim from birth. I have found both statements and am not able to draw up any conclusion of my own at this time.

He was argumentative with his fellow troops in regards to the GWOT and had been under investigation for statements that were troubling to say the least.

"At least six months ago, Hasan came to the attention of law enforcement officials because of Internet postings about suicide bombings and other threats, including posts that equated suicide bombers to soldiers who throw themselves on a grenade to save the lives of their comrades. " - AP via Yahoo News

I also came across this bit of S-2, courtesy of reader "Storm" over at Blackfive.net.

"He joined the Army for the benefits. According to his family, he never deployed before, just completed his education and internship to become a doctor in May. Along with the Dr. tag came the rank of Major and a 6 figure salary. He has always hated the war on terror and has supported Iraqis as victims of US aggression. When he got word of his deployment, he hired a lawyer and tried to get either his deployment dropped or be let out of the Army. He even offered to pay back the money spent on his education. He saw no reason not to stay in the land of milk and honey, making 6 figures and not have to earn it. According to his cousin he was born Muslim, not converted and even did poorly on the firing range. Also, he is reported to have done poorly on his most recent proficiency report on his work at the hospital. It is believed that this morning, his lawyer had bad news for him... So he had some bad news of his own to deliver."

Blackfive, Uncle Jimbo and the guys over there, to include the majority of their readers, are notoriously accurate and hit center mass 99.75% of the time.

But keep in mind that there are still going to be inaccuracies for a little while long as investigations are conducted and evidence is collected.

And this assbag of an officer is questioned as it seems that he is still alive and in stable condition.

But initial reports stated that he only had a couple handguns which makes me wonder how he managed to kill and wound so many.

I mean, let's think about this for a few shall we?

The two most common types of semi-auto pistol (for military types) are 9mm (Beretta M-9 style) and a .45 ala Colt 1911.

They carry around 10 - 15 rounds in the clip with one in the chamber.

2 pistols with 2 mags loaded and probably another 2 -4 loaded mags in his pockets, coupled with the fact that this douchefag is obviously a coward, firing most likely from the hip added to the fact that he was a poor marksman.

I feel that it is very likely that in all the confusion and fear that the some of the police officers responding, and there were quite a few from my understanding, probably shot a few innocents themselves by accident.

There is just no way that I believe that this pathetic excuse for an officer, Muslim, human could have done, please excuse the term, this well on his mission.

So the two of you talk it over..... let me know what you think.

Was this just some shit gob acting out of fear and cowardice over the thought of having to deploy or was this a Muslim extremist committing and act of terrorism on U.S. soil?

Personally I feel it's a combination of the two.

I'm also interested how the MSM spins this. We wouldn't want to be sued by CAIR or anyone for hurting their feelings now, would we?

No comment will be rejected. Unless you're just spamming or trolling or being a shit snapper.

I'm the world's WORST blogger!

2009-11-05T13:50:00.003-06:00

So after much waffle-ing..... and back and forth and back and forth...... and thinking about it no too much.....

I'm re-reenlisting in the Army.

Active duty baby!

Paperwork's all signed and I leave for MEPS early to mid next week.

So all two of you can expect to see some minor format changes in this vastly empty blog.....

But I will try to keep it as honest and me as I can, just have to make sure that the disclaimer at the top emphasises that this is all me and has nothing to do with the US Gov't, DoD, Dept. of the Army and other such nonsence to cover my ass.

You two know my opinions and where I stand on most issues so they won't need to be repeated.

JB2D is back kids!

But out for now......

So here we are..... yet again.....

2009-07-24T10:00:00.002-05:00

So I've finally gotten my act together and logged back into ole' JB2D land, and boy have things changed!

1. After 11+ years, I'm finally and fully out of the Army. Feels very uncomfortable and I'm not sure I like it. But that's for another day.....

2. I've been trying to find a good paying job so that I can support my family, but it's kinda hard when you don't have a degree.

3. So I'm trying to get back into school and get that precious little piece of paper that tells the world that I'm smart!

4. Since I'm no longer in the Army, it feels kinda phony for my to continue this blog, which is titled after my call sign when I was in Baghdad. I'm on the fence about keeping this going or starting a new and improved JB2D. What do you think? I'd like to see all two of my admitted readers comment on this. Please. As you have already gathered from my few previous posts, I thrive on the acceptance of others. And since I have all sorts of free time, I'll be posting a lot more than just once a month.

5. I've also decided to grow a beard. It itches like all get out but it's going to be the most beautiful beard since Chuck Norris's.

Screw it, I'm inpatient. I'm starting a new blog, so you two can get all the new and improved JB2D you can handle.

I'll post the new address here ASAP.

Catch you on the flip side!

JB2D out.....

They're back!

2008-11-15T21:45:00.005-06:00

My old unit, the 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion returned from Iraq via Ft. Bragg earlier today, and I couldn't be happier to have my old friends back in town.

But I feel depressed.

They went and I didn't.

They lost one over there. Sure he was from New Jersey, and I never met him, but we, they, us lost him to a senseless act that killed more civilians than military.

I've been at a maintenance company for a year now, and about two months ago they assigned me to the training section. I love it there and I'm really doing some good work for the company. My NCOIC (Non-commissioned Officer In Charge) asked me to input some APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test) data into ATRRS (Can't remember this acronym, but it's how we track individual soldier info. Everything from their job to their height/weight to their dental status.) while he met with the 1SG (First Sergeant, Top, the Big Cheese, The senior most enlisted soldier at the company level, you get the picture).

After I did that I decided to look myself up on ATRRS. Now, keep in mind that the only thing that has prevented me from deploying is a few seconds on my 2-mile run that I'm having a hard time overcoming since my knee surgery after my first deployment.

I was just a couple key strokes away from changing my deployablity status.

It would have been an act completely devoid of integrity and honor but I would have been able to go and fight not just for my country, but I would be able to fight for my fellow soldiers. And for the Iraqi people.

Now, that last statement throws alot of people off.

"You WANT to fight for IRAQIS?!?"

Some people just don't get it. This war is more than a talking point for some bloated, over paid network talking jowl on your nightly news.

America has a responsibility to ensure that we not only finish what we started, but finish it the best possible way we can. And I want to contribute to that effort. For myself, my children, those who served before me and those that will serve after me. I feel that as a soldier, I have a responsibility to fight until I can fight no longer.

And I am a long way from that point.

So, now that I've bounced all over the place and completely gone off the tracks as to the reason I originally began typing this up....

I guess I just needed to get this off my chest.

I mean, all I want to do is get deployed. I thought the Army was looking for folks like me.

So I extended my contract by six months so that I can get over this running thing and get deployed.

But I'm still job hunting for a full time job till that deployment comes.

Just a few thoughts from ole' JB2D....

2008-10-22T22:21:00.003-05:00

So I've been listening to talk radio more frequently over the last year and a half. It has been mostly Rush, Sean and the occasional Dr. Savage when I was able to catch him.

And there is one thing that I've noticed since the beginning of the "Joe the Plumber" event, and it is this:

But when he was questioned by "Joe the Plumber", Obama was quoted as saying, ""It's not that I want to punish your success. I just want to make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they've got a chance for success too..... My attitude is that if the economy's good for folks from the bottom up, it's gonna be good for everybody ... I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody."

Now, I'm no economics professor from Harvard/Yale, I never even finished college! But something about this statement bothers me.

Now, hang in there with me as this will be a little on the long side.

We (America, the beautiful) practice what I guess is called "Free-Market Capitalism" or something like that. From my understanding, that means if you have an idea, and turn that into a successful business, you DON'T NEED THE GOVERNMENT TO SPREAD MONEY AROUND TO YOU. YOU ALSO DON'T NEED THE GOV'T TO GIVE YOU ANY OF SOMEONE ELSE'S MONEY AS YOU ARE MAKING YOUR OWN! Right?

Say I'm Joe the Plumber. I'm putting a bathroom in a new home. I go to XYZ Plumbing retailer and look at the merch. Their stuff is good quality and fairly priced. I go to ABC Plumbing retailer. Their stuff is crap that is 3xs the price as XYZ.

Who am I going to go with?

XYZ, right.

What happens to XYZ?

They get MY MONEY THROUGH MY BUSINESS. NO gov't interference needed.

What happens to ABC Plumbing?

They don't run a good business, they fail.

Now, here's where Obamas plan bothers me. He wants to take money from Joe the Plumber and XYZ Plumbing and you and me and give it to ABC when ABC didn't earn it, doesn't deserve it and will use it to prop up their failing business.

And where I come from, which is Southwest Wisconsin, right on the Mississippi, that is the textbook definition of socialism/Communism. The gov't taking what is created/earned by the people and redistributing it to the general population regardless of their participation.

I also have enough common sense to know that America was founded by the successes of people who took the risk AND SUCCEEDED. Not those who took the risk and failed.

It's economic natural selection.

The weak fall and the strong go on to create a new generation of success. By keeping the weak businesses on life support as it is, you are basically creating a form of business well fare.

Business crack, these failures will have no reason to actually become successful, profitable, or productive as they are on the business crack.

And there is just something DAMN WRONG with the gov't taking MY money and "spreading it around".

My money will spread itself around by me spending it at businesses that EARN MY DAMN BUSINESS. You don't need to spread a liquid around, it spreads itself.

So, the way that I figure it, the gov't doesn't need to take Joe the Plumber's money and spread it around. He will spread it around himself by spending it on businesses that earn his business.

Doesn't it make more sense to lower taxes across the board?

Think about it, the rich are the ones who own businesses, right? And who are the customers of these businesses?

The middle/lower classes.

Cut ALL taxes; the middle class have more money to spend (and spend it they will) and the rich/upper class will have more money to pump into their successful business. They will hire more of the middle/lower class and probably be able to get a substantial number of people off well fare.

Consumer spending goes up, jobs are created, the poor become un-poor. The middle class grows. People buy homes with loans they CAN AFFORD. The American Dream is taken off life support and is moved into the recovery room with basic cable and a cup of jello with lunch.

Rich people own the businesses. That's just a fact. They will stay rich. That too is a fact. It doesn't matter how much you have the gov't tax them. They will fire you in a heart beat to keep there profits. And they will, you watch. The way I see it, the economy is a symbiosis between the upper and middle classes.

The rich get their riches from us (SURPRISE! I'm middle class!) and our spending habits. We buy their products. The business gets revenue and they use that to either offer a better product or hire more people to make that product. Who do they hire for that job? The middle class guy who wants his "piece of the pie". Middle class makes money. Middle class spends money.

And the circle of money life goes round.

And maybe, just maybe, Average Joe Six-pack/the Plumber gets an idea. He makes that idea into a business. That business becomes successful and a new circle begins.

The rich and successful are not baby punching monsters that you hear about. They hire us, they train us, they contribute to our 401Ks, they hold our company picnics where we win the three-legged race and pie eating contest.

I know, no one likes to give the rich a break. Who wants to say, "Cut taxes for those who can wipe their butt with $100 bills." Let's be honest, if I could wipe my butt with a Franklin, you bet your ass I would and so would you don't you dare lie to me.

The American dream is to make a metric butt load of money.

Thus end the sermon.

JB2D out.

SITREP follows.....

2008-10-18T11:15:00.004-05:00

Here's a sitrep of where I'm at right now....

1. Still unemployed (full time). I've got a part-time gig a a four radio station cluster in the next town over. Hoping I can squeeze more hours out of it.

2. The Omni-potent gas company, WE Energies has royally screwed me and my family over and shut our gas off. This means no heat for me, my wife and my two kids in our 110 year old house. We dress warm during the day and all sleep in the same bed with a single space heater going. We've ordered a new wood pellet boiler and I moved eight tons of wood pellets into the basement as we are waiting for out new boiler to arrive later this month.

3. And finally, I'm still waiting to hear back from the Dept. of Homeland Security / US Border Patrol about my application, physical fitness test and review board.

So for now, I'm in a holding pattern awaiting further instructions. I just want to provide for my family and am feeling a little down in the dumps that I can't right now.

So, to fill the dead space on my little corner of this interweb thingy, I'd like to post a link to a cool website that interviewed me a little over a year ago.

They are UCV, or United Conservatives of Virgina.

At the time, I was looking forward to another deployment to Iraq. Sadly, that deployment was not to be for me. I've moved on to another unit and am trying to get deployed thru them.

So without further ado.....

"Thanks to the guys at Centcom, UCV was hooked up with a great Warrior Blogger for an interview. He is JawBreaker 2 Delta, one of America's finest, a good writer and funny as hell. JB2D will be deployed again soon and with everything he's got going on in his life, we truly appreciate the time he took to answer our questions." - United Conservatives of Virgina -

http://unitedconservatives.blogspot.com/2007/05/interview-with-warrior-jawbreaker-2.html

Read on thru the above link!

JB2D out!

THE Debate '08

2008-09-27T10:07:00.002-05:00

So, I had to work at my radio station last night. This caused me to miss the debate last night. So I'm spending all this morning getting caught up; reading the analysisesses, watching the videos and trying to draw may own conclusions.

The only problem is I'm stuck on the part where Barry states that he wants to send X number of Combat Brigades into Afghanistan.

I have a problem with this statement:

Barry never served in the Army (but neither did Johnny, he was a Navy pilot), so how the hell is he going to presume he knows the manning requirements it will need to address the issue? And if he's going to make a statement like this, WHICH brigades would he send? Infantry? Armor? Armored Cavalry? Artillery? Engineer? Civil Affairs? Psychological Operations? Maybe a brigade from the AG Corps?

If you take the time to follow each link, you'll notice that each branch has a different ability, or specialty. You wouldn't ask your plumber to cook you dinner, why would you expect an Armor Brigade to go fight a Special Operations war?

Afghanistan is MUCH more difficult than Iraq for a number of reasons, least of which is our overt covert actions from the late 1970's through the collapse of the Soviet Union. Not to mention these people have been in almost nonstop conflict for thousands of years. If you think you can waltz in there and completely change their way of doing things, even in a ten year time span, you're frigging crazy.

Remember Bosnia?

Didn't it take something like 15 years?

Aren't we just recently handing over the last of our bases?

And aren't they still struggling to get their crap together?

But I digress.....

These types of decisions and wars need to be made by the men and women WHO HAVE DEDICATED THEIR LIVES AND CAREERS TO THIS!

The reason people are of the opinion that we are "loosing" the War on Terror is because we have elected officials who insist on being armchair generals.

An adept saying that I've found very useful in my career in the Army is, "STAY IN YOUR LANE."

These means that you should NOT pretend you are a Subject Matter Expert (or S.M.E. ("SMEE")). Stick with what you know and let the people whose job it is to LEAD THE TROOPS lead the damn troops.

I'm sick and frickin' tired of fat old men and women (I'm an equal opportunity hater right now) wanting to play Charlie frickin' Wilson's War and micro-manage a war that needs to be fought by professional war-fighters.

LET US WIN.

Don't tell us how to win the war, tell us just to win, let us surprise you with our ingenuity.

Thus endith the sermon.

JB2D out.
"If pro is opposite of con, then what is the opposite of progress?"

I FINALLY HAVE A JOB!

2008-09-25T10:58:00.003-05:00

So, after my truck accident back in May, I've been out of a job. It sucked.

Then I went to a Veteran's Job Fair in Appleton.

Best move I've made since I enlisted.

See, I've been wanting to get a job a a Correctional Officer around where I live for a long time. Problem is, they have a minimum education requirement (which makes sense to me) but THEY NEVER PUT THAT IN THE JOB LISTING, THEY DON'T TELL YOU WHEN YOU INTERVIEW AND ONLY LET YOU KNOW WHEN THEY DECIDE TO GRACE YOU WITH A REJECTION LETTER! See, 9-11 happened during my first semester of college, I got mobilized in Feb '02 and haven't made it back to college. It's kind of tough to get an Associates Degree or even 60 college credits to meet the Wisconsin Dept of Corrections education requirements.

Never mind that I had served 9 months in a war zone (OIF 3? Anybody?) as part of a 5 man Special Operations team, earned a Combat Action Badge after being attacked at the intersection of Routes Predators & Senators, lived on the East side of Sadr City, was rocketed, mortared, shot at, bombed, pelted with rocks, hit in the face with half a cinder block and was lucky enough to get dysentery TWICE!

But I guess that just won't cut it, cause I'd have to be more qualified to babysit a bunch of degenerates who don't have the common sense or a properly working moral compass to keep their stupid asses out of jails.

So, all my experience aside, apparently the state of Wisconsin doesn't think I'm qualified. But the good folks within the Dept. of Homeland Security think I've got the right stuff.

IN YOUR CHEESY FACE WISCONSIN!

Future Border Patrol Agent JB2D out!

My 9-11

2008-09-11T23:13:00.003-05:00

I almost didn't post today, for a number of reasons. Seven years and I'm just now able to wrap my head around the enormity of the attacks and the events that followed.

I sort of don't want to tell my 9-11 story as there is really nothing special or eventful about it.

I feel small and extremely insignificant when I think of the victims, the choices they were forced to make and the lives that were indescribably altered within less than 30 minutes.

So please do not take offense at my tale, please do not think I mean anything than the utmost respect for those who suffered in NYC, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.

Here goes:

I lived in LaCrosse, WI at the time. My friends and I all had Tuesday's off, so Monday nights we would get together, drink beer and jam. Drunken Mondays were a blast.

I went to bed that Monday night (or maybe early Tuesday morning, I can't remember for obvious reasons) in my tiny little efficiency/broom closet of an apartment. Living alone had it's privileges. I didn't have to worry about anyone seeing my sad little futon.

I remember walking to the other side of the apartment complex and trying to force my keys into the peephole.

The next thing I know, my cell phone begins ringing.

Eyes open, light cutting through my eyes making me regret the 18 beers that found their way into my stomach and were fighting to get to the front of the line to leave the same way they came in.

Oh, yeah, my phone's ringing.

Hi Mom.

The TV?

Huh? What channel?

What do you mean it doesn't matter?

I quit my job that day and waited for my mob orders, sitting on my sad little raft of a futon quietly crying to myself.

Completely unable to begin comprehending the magnitude of what I just saw unfold on my TV.

Live.

Unedited and without commercial interruption, I watched a woman jump from God knows how far up to escape the fire.

Phone disconnected and so did my mind.

Face goes numb.

This shit's only supposed to happen in the movies, not real life. did I accidentally turn to HBO? Was this another Jerry Bruckheimer movie?

No. God how I wish it was just a movie.

I didn't loose anyone, I didn't know anyone, it didn't directly impact me at that moment but I could just not stop the stinging tears from rolling down my cheeks.

Seven years later, one marriage, two kids, a deployment in the War on Terror, two mobilizations, countless thousands of miles traveled.

The tears still burn and I can't make them stop.

And I feel guilty somehow. I didn't suffer, what right do I have to cry?

I constantly put these thoughts out of my head as there is still a job to do.

Seven years later, the job is still not finished, they still want to bring back to our door, and we will keep them out despite the burning tears.

Never forget, never forgive, never again.

May God bless you all and keep you safe.....

JB2D out.

Checking in..... things are changing...... like my socks.

2008-09-01T16:26:00.005-05:00

So, I've been laying low for a while now. I've been getting over the whole truck wreck thing, ended up going to Hohenfels, Germany, came back, lost my job, but the real important thing is this: I bought a book.

"What's so special about that", you might say?

Well, despite all the crap I've got going for me right now, this book has changed my attitude towards just about everything.

"WOW! JB2D, what kind of book was it?"

It was a book about a man's experience in Operation Iraqi Freedom. It's titled, Chasing Ghosts: A Soldier's Fight for America from Baghdad to Washington, by Paul Rieckhoff.

Now let me explain why this book has changed my opinions and what it has led me to.

When I deployed to Iraq in the summer of 2004, I was a part of Civil Affairs. Civil Affairs is a branch of Special Operations within the US Army, along side of Psychological Operations. USACAPOC is our acronym.

I may as well have been on another planet, my experience was so different from Mr. Rieckhoff's.

CA (Civil Affairs) is almost totally comprised of Army Reserve units. This means that we get federal funding. This also means that because we are a part of USASOC (US Army Special Operations), we get almost everything we need and then some.

Mr. Rieckhoff was from the New York National Guard and was cross leveled (lent out to another unit to meet the manning requirements to deploy) to the Florida National Guard.

NG (Natl' Guard) is state funded. They depend on a smaller budget and are expected to keep pace with the Active Army, which, that's right! THEY get federal funding!

So Mr. Rieckhoff was fighting an uphill battle before he ever even left the States!

I could go on and on, but you'll just have to pick this book up for yourself.

So this book detailed his time in Iraq and his initiative to change things upon returning to America.

He details how he attempted to offer his insights and knowledge to Senator John Kerry (who seemed interested, but lacked the balls to shake things up politically) and was plain shot down by president Bush.

This really opened my eyes to a number of facts:

1. This war does, indeed, seem to be wrong. Let me clarify. I originally bought into the whole WMD thing, that theory was questioned as part of my AO (Area of operation) included a section of Baghdad that was home to the Al Tuwaitha Nuclear Center. You can find more info here. You can see from this evidence that at one time, there was an effort by Saddam to manufacture WMDs. I have walked ALL of the Tuwaitha Nuclear Facility. Obviously there is nothing there now, but I would seriously doubt that this place was capable of producing anything much less a credible WMD. It had been bombed by the Israeli's back in 1979/80 and has been a dump ever since.

A BBC article I found states that the locals had looted the place and, "the looters were not after the uranium itself, which they tipped onto the ground so they could take away the containers to store food and water". The story continues with, "Workers living on the site, worried about being contaminated themselves, buried the spilled uranium in cement and made a desperate appeal to visiting journalists for international help."

I never saw anything to verify the locals claim that they buried the "uranium" in cement. I also spent a good deal of time at Tuwaitha as it was fenced in and provided me and my team a small level of security. We even took our body armor off and would have lunch up there! It's where we staged ourselves as a sort of CA QRF (Quick Reactionary Force) for the 1st free elections in January of 2005. We stayed there overnight. Nothing was glowing. So I seriously doubt the validity of that WMD story.

2. LT Rieckhoff experienced a bureaucratic nightmare in regards to the ROE (Rules of Engagement) and even their jobs! While they (ROE) DID change almost daily, if not hourly, there still should have some common sense when it came to INFANTRY operations.

Let me break that one down to the Barney level for you:

Infantry: THEY KILL SHIT!

Tracking?

"Like a TOW missile JB!"

Good. Now, when you can SEE the name brand of the bad guy's cigarette WHILE he's shooting at you, you should not need to ask permission from some limp-dick fobbit BC if you can go make it stop.

Now that I'm off my soap box.....

This book opened my eyes in a way that nothing, NOTHING has before. And I was there! That's just how incredibly complex and mind boggling important this conflict is.

It has also, most importantly, opened my eyes politically.

I've begun researching for myself, not letting any media outlet spoon feed me their propaganda. I also have begun reading the all important blogs, as they not only ask important questions (sometimes!) but they give me insight into how others are interpreting the same thing I'm seeing. Maybe they caught something that got by me.

Either way, this book has changed me.

It's taken me three days to put this post together as I've been studying up on the Democrat National Convention and I've been watching the Republican National Convention, and as I type this, I'm listening/watching John McCain give his speech.

I've read that some people on the internet claim his speeches are "a little stiff/rigid"..... that's because the North Vietnamese beat the shit out of him!

John McCain knows what sacrifice is, does Barry?

John McCain has SERVED his country, what has Barry done for you?

But don't take my word for it, after all, I'm another one of those voices that I'm so skeptical of. Why don't you look into the candidates, educate yourself and make an informed decision this fall.

But whatever you do, make the decision to vote. This is going to directly impact your life for the next 4-8 years.

On THAT, you can take my word.

JB2D out!

The Hiatus is OVER!

2008-07-03T22:49:00.002-05:00

I know that there's probably no-one left checking my little corner of this inter-web thingy. In my defense, I crashed my truck and have been recuperating over the last few months.

But I'm back, I leave for Baumholder this Saturday and have decided to find a new unit.

Will be gone for a few more weeks, so I'll have plenty of pictures and updates upon return. Thanks to anyone who is reading this, I'm gonna be a better blogger. Honest.

Out.

How I learned to stop worrying and become a NUTBUSTER!

2008-01-16T16:17:00.000-06:00

Okay, I ended my last post with the intention of posting again soon. And in typical Specialist form, I didn't.

I will NOT offer up an excuse, as we ALL know what excuses are like.... instead, I will offer an explanation of my tardiness and leave it up to you to forgive me or not.

No sooner did I finish that last post, then my local library decided it was a good time to install new carpet. Inconsiderate bastards never thought to run this little idea past me first!

So I went and dropped my desktop computer off to get fixed, that was the middle of last month, I just picked it up this morning!

So while that was happening, I decided enough of this crap! I went and bought myself a highspeed Sony Viao laptop and got all the bells and whistles: WI-FI, CD/DVD RW drive, all the security software, and a three year warrenty that covers everything except for droping it in the ocean or spilling acid on the keyboard. It says those exact words in the policy, I love Best Buy! So I'm covered all the way through my next deployment!

I had this bad oscar optimized and here we are!

UPDATE: I have successfully re-enlisted and have decided to stay in the 377th Maint. Co. (DS). These guys seem like some real hard chargers and they are really good people, squared away, as they say.

So it is official, JawBreaker is now a Nutbuster!

HOOAH!

JB2D out.

I'M BACK BABY!

2007-12-12T11:20:00.000-06:00

Well, after about four months of trying to be a civilian, it just didn't work out.

I have successfully re-enlisted. Unfortunately, I missed the deployment with my old battalion, the 432nd CA Battalion in Green Bay.

I have been placed in the 377th Maint. Co. in Manitowoc. While I'm trying to get re-assigned to the 181st Infantry Brigade at Ft. McCoy, I feel that if I would be okay if I were to stay with the 377th. They have made a positive first impression on me.

I can still be cross-leveled to another Civil Affairs battalion, which is what I'm hoping for, so I can get deployed and continue to do my part in GWOT.

If anybody from the 404th CA Bn at Ft. Dix sees this, E-MAIL ME ASAP!

Sorry for the long delay in posting, but no sooner did I get back from MEPS than my computer takes a complete and most likely final crap on me. I've been living at the library ever since.

The next post will be coming VERY soon as I'm thinking of either writing a book or starting my own comic book based on my mis-adventures the first time I went to the "Bagh".

Any comments? Send 'em to me!

JB2D out!

One year closer....

2007-11-20T16:33:00.000-06:00

So it finally happened.

I turned 28.

I'm home, alone, playing Guitar Hero and wishing I was back in Iraq.

I'm going to be too late getting back in to go with my guys from the 432nd. But I guess it's okay, I'll try to link up with some guys I worked with the first time from the 404th in New Jersey.

My guys will be leaving for MOB site this coming Monday, when I'm heading to Milwaukee MEPS.

I hope nothing happens to some of the new guys who will be going for the first time. I hope I was able to impart something useful to them before I left. Part of me feels like I've deserted them, even though I know that's not the case and that I'm trying as hard as humanly possible to get back.

I feel like an old sack of shit. Emphasis on old.

I hope that I can meet up with them when I finally do get back over there.

JB2D out.

I'm up! I'm moving!

2007-11-17T17:04:00.000-06:00

Well, just one final little bit of admin shit left to take care of on Monday, and Tuesday I leave for Milwaukee MEPS!

I'm gonna have to jump through some serious hoops, but I think that I should be able to leave for MOB site with the battalion before the end of this month.

Will be really weird to re-enlist on my birthday, miss my VFW post meeting and leave for Iraq the next week.

Trying to convince Household-6 to let me get a new laptop and camera to try and document this next deployment better than my first one.

I've always wanted to be a professional photographer. Maybe work for National Geographic or the AP or something like that.

Anyways, I'll keep you all (like there is ANYONE even reading this!) up to speed as to how things go for me at MEPS.

Hopefully, next time I post, I'll truly be JawBreaker 2 Delta once more!

Until then....

JB2D out.

That didn't last too long....

2007-11-09T10:17:00.000-06:00

Well, I had a feeling that I wouldn't last very long without my Army.

My discharge orders had a July 12th date on them. The other day, (November 7th) I went to the recruiter and began the paper work to get back into my old unit as they are getting set to deploy before years end.

Mostly because things just aren't going as I need them to on the job front (see previous post).

Good ole' Uncle Sam will always have a place for me at the dinner table.

Besides that, I was feeling like there was more that I could do to contribute to the war on terror that just my seething anger at democrats.

They sweet talk the country into voting them into "power" with promises of getting us out of Iraq, blah, blah, blah, etc....

Then they go on to piss off Turkey by condemning them for something that happened before any of them were born! Let alone had anything to do with! Then they follow that up with trying to get a FOUR DAY FUCKING WORK WEEK! These douche bags already waste 5 days doing nothing, somehow that's too much for them to handle?

I think these ass clowns (ALL of Congress) should be paid based on their merits, as they are not only pissing away our money, they're pissing away our votes, our country, and then turning around and aiming the stream on our heads and telling us it's raining!

I am truly scared for this country as it's heading for destruction at the hands of these liberal wackos!

Okay, enough with the rant. This is supposed to be a happy blog as I'm getting back in to do something about the current situation instead of being an armchair general or listen to the coward libs I keep meeting around here. I just wish that the world could see the good that is happening in Iraq instead of the Vietnam-era nightly body count and how many cars blew up.

The drive-by, main-stream media can kiss the whitest part of my ass.

So, sometime early next week, I should be at the Milwaukee MEPS and one step closer to helping win the War on Terror than the majority of our professional elected officials. And I'll only charge you (the tax payer) about $30K a year, tax free. Just enough to help support my wife, two kids and pay off some of my mortgage. About the same amount a McDonald's manager makes.

Would you like to Super-size that?

JB2D out (soon to be IN!).

What happens when your boss is an ass-monkey...

2007-10-30T09:18:00.000-05:00

Okay, this is going to be a long update as I haven't posted in a long time.

I was fired from the big job that I was all fired up about. Here's what happened:

I got a phone call shortly after getting in one morning. It was a female who had bought two end tables and a tv stand. She was curious about if the merchandise needed to be assembled, and if so, how much assembly would be required and if we are able to assemble it in the store before they pick it up.

Now, being the FNG, I knew that we COULD put the stuff together but not HOW MUCH it would cost as we do charge for the work. So to find that out, I transfered the call to the front office as the secretaries know all about the money end of things. I watched as the little light on the phone stayed lit for about 5-10 minutes and then went out. Call done.

Fast forward a couple hours and I get paged to the front for the pick up. I went and got the pick up ticket that tells me where in the warehouse the customers stuff is. I went back to the warehouse and grabbed my trusty furniture dolly and started off down the towering isles off UNASSEMBLED BOXES. This interesting tid-bit will become relevant in a bit.

I picked out the two end tables and the one tv stand, wheeled it all over to the garage door and opened it up. They backed their pick up truck to the door and I dropped the tail gate. As I began to pick up the first box, the guy came out from the driver's side and said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa.... what the fuck is THIS!?!"

He continued to go on like this, cussing me and swearing up a store. I politly responded, "Sir, you need to stop swearing or I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."

He didn't like that.

He continued to become more inventive with his verbage so I went to the assistant store manager, as the store manager was AWOL (again). I told her that this guy was flipping out and that he should be escorted out. Her reply was, "You're a manager, manage it."

So I reluctently went back to the loading area and mister personality went off again.

"I paid over $700 for this shit (yeah, he's THAT kind of dumbass) and I expect it to be put together when I come to get the shit."

I direct the gentlemans attention to the rest of my warehouse, which has two isles with four shelving racks that are about 20 feet tall, filled with NOTHING BUT GODDAMNED BOXES!

And my EXACT words to this was, "Dude, NOTHING comes assembled. I spoke with your lady friend here earlier this morning and told her just that. She asked if we could put your stuff together HERE before you come to pick it up. I TOLD HER YES. I also told her that there is a surcharge for this service and since I am new to this job, I don't know what that charge is. I then transfered her call to the front office where they handle the billing."

At this point, Mr. Wonderful took a step forward, into my face, and said, "Raise your voice ONE MORE TIME!"

I could see out of my peripherial vision that this douche bag had balled up his fists and was getting set to nail me with a haymaker.

I took a small step back and said, "aaaaaaAAAAAAA????" (That's me raising my voice in the most smart-assed way I could think of.)

Well, Captain Snatchbasket cocked his fist back for said hay-maker and I drilled him with a quick jab to the throat. Right below his adam's apple and above that little divot at the top of the rib cage.

NOT SO FUCKING TOUGH NOW, ARE YA!?! YOU ASS CLOWN! I TOLD YOUR DUMB BITCH THE SHIT NEEDS TO BE PUT THE FUCK TOGETHER! I EVEN TOLD HER HOW MUCH TIME IT WOULD TAKE AND WHAT HARDWARE IS INCLUDED! YOU WANNA PUNCH SOMEONE, SOCK YOUR WENCH!

Of course, I didn't say any of this, but I'm thinking it.

Wench picks up her "man" and they leave.

I WAS going to offer to put it together myself and have it delivered to their house for FREE.

But he could suck a fart out my ass for all I cared now.

Two days later, I'm told by the store manager that, "You're not meeting our expectations.... so we're letting you go."

I BET YOU DIDN'T EXPECT ME TO PUNCH THAT ASSHOLE IN THE FUCKING THROAT, DID YA!?! i'D SAY I'M EXCEEDING YOUR EXPECTATIONS YOU FAT FUCK!

Off course, I didn't say any of this either. But I did manage to stamer out, "Are you FUCKING kidding me? You let the guy I'm replacing take two weeks of vacation the day you hire me, I never get to fucking meet him, you don't fucking train me, you don't give me what I need to try and do the job, you constantly undermine my authority, you let these insane shit head sales people run rampant and try to come into MY warehouse and fuck my shit up, and I have to cover for your inept ass screwing up orders, not filling out the proper paperwork and letting YOUR asshat sales people screw the whole damn pooch. And you're going to fire me!?! FUCK!"

So, I've been job hunting since September 6th. I lasted about one month. I've been selling plasma and my baseball cards and comic books for over a month trying to pay the bills.

But other than that, I'm doing okay. How bout you, Clara? How's life treating you?

I'm management now!

2007-07-22T22:12:00.000-05:00

That's right! I'll be in charge!

I've been hired to be a Warehouse Supervisor for the Ashley Furniture Homestore in Appleton, WI.

If you're ever in the area, stop in and check out the cool stuff in the showroom. Tell the 'ole JB2D sent ya!

My last day here at the TV station will be this Wednesday, then I take my "terminal leave" to pick up my grandfathers old English sports car down in Dallas.

So untill I get internet at home, I'll be off of this net. If you want to leave a comment, story, or tell me how sexy I am, I'll be checking the comments section as often as possible and if you leave contact info, I'll get back at you.

So until the next time we meet. It's been fun, it's been real. I've met some of the coolest people here and I look forward to my next post, as I know you do too.

JB2D out.

Is this the end!?!

2007-07-02T20:27:00.000-05:00

Is JB2D about to sign off the net?

Don't bet on it.

That's right kids! JawBteaker 2 Delta

(ME)

JB2D in all his sexiness!

is taking a short break in service. I'm thinking long and hard at whether or not to stay in, stay Civil Affairs, stay Reserves, or should I go National Guard?

If I go Guard, do I go 11B or 19D?

Any thoughts?

JB2D out (but not for long....)

F#@K Dragon Skin!

2007-06-24T15:20:00.000-05:00

Well, I've been putting it off as long as I could stand it. I've been reading, researching, conversing, and other such things until my eyes bleed. I promised you all a good rant, and here it comes.

Brace yourselves...

FUCK DRAGON SKIN. That's right, I said it. The stuff is just shit.

Project Manager Soldier Equipment (PM SEQ) is charged with making sure that we (the American soldier) have the best kit to get the job done.

In May of 2006, PM SEQ conducted an evaluation of the Pinnacle Armor SOV 3000 "Dragon Skin". Upon completion of the testing, a Power Point briefing was prepared. The very second slide is what is called the "Executive Summary". The very second bullet point states that "since the inception of the IBA (Interceptor Body Armor) program in 1999, Pinnacle Armor has NEVER responded to a full and open COMPETITION."

What that means is a side-by-side test of ALL the competitors, not just Pinnacle, in ALL the areas tested by an independent third party lab. This lab is H.P. White, the National Institute of Justice certified ballistics lab used to test Army body armor.

The STANDARD for Army body armor is this:

- Extreme temperatures ranging from +160 degrees Fahrenheit to -60 degrees

-Extended exposure to diesel fuel, oil, and saltwater immersion.

- And finally a 14 hour tempurature cycle from -25 degrees to +120 degrees.

At the bottom of the third slide, THE THIRD FUCKING SLIDE!, it says in simple English, "BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: Dragon Skin does NOT meet required protection standards."

This is an x-ray image of the Dragon Skin before testing.

The armor, when laid flat, provides amazing coverage and protection. The individual ceramic/titanium scales are near impenetrable.

Unfortunatly, the human body is NOT, as Pinnacle would like you to believe, flat.

But is neither here nor there right now. No, the problem arises when the armor is expposed to a high tempurature of +160 degrees.

This is what happened:

The adhesive that is used to bond each scale to the ones around it failed and the ballistic integrity was next to non-existant.

So here is my rant:

WHAT THE BLOODY SHIT ARE THESE ASS-CLOWNS IN CONGRESS WHINING ABOUT?

I don't give a good goddamn how they got the vest to fail, all I care about is that the vest was exposed to a pretty typical scenario for not only Baghdad, but all points South of there all the way to Kuwait where we spend an ass-load of time waiting for a bird into country.

I've read, I forgot where but I'm sure if you Google hard enough (that sound's dirty) you can find it, that a Special Forces soldier was quoted as saying something to the effect that he would be willing to risk an Article 15 to wear Dragon Skin.

An Article 15 is "Non-judicial Punishment. Non-judicial Punishment translates into this from About.com (I've simply linked it as it is painfully long (that's what she said! sorry...)).

But rest assured, it can be an ugly issue for a soldiers career to get an Article 15.

Now, I'm all for SF wearing what THEY feel they need to stay safe and get the job done. It IS, afterall, their job to take calculated risks in order to perform some of the most difficult missions. If they want Dragon Skin, there is a DAMN good reason for it. Give it to them.

I, however, am NOT SF. I might be Special Operations, but I am not in the business that they are. In fact, the Civil Affairs Operator is to engage to BREAK contact. We're not ass kickers. Although we are capable of handling oursevles.

I would risk an Article 15 to NOT wear Dragon Skin. I've worn the "old" IBA, and while it IS stiff, chaffes and is all around uncomfortable, I know for a fact that it will protect me from small arms fire and shrapnel to an extent.

Here is UNDENIABLE PROOF that the IBA works and should continue to be used untill Pinnacle mans up to proper testing or shuts the fuck up about their crap failing to meet the standard.

Army Pfc. Stephen Tschiderer, a medic with E Troop, 101st "Saber" Cavalry Division, attached to 3rd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, 256th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, was shot in the chest by an enemy sniper during a routine patrol in west Baghdad in 2005. Tschiderer survived thanks to his protective body armor and directed a counterattack which wounded one of the snipers. He then provided medical aid to the wounded insurgent, who only moments earlier had tried to kill him. This insurgent video was recovered by U.S. forces after the counter-attack.

These jerk-off politicians are getting their panties in a twist because they think there is some magical form of armor that is going to protect us from IEDs.

I got news for you Francis, you CAN NOT STOP AN IED. Armor was NOT meant to protect you from a DIRECT HIT FROM NEAR POINT BLANK RANGE WITH AN ARTILLERY OR MORTAR ROUND! Especially the wickedly nasty EFP (Explosively Formed Penetrator) or "Plater Charge".

So please, Congressmen and Congresswomen, shut the hell up and spend my fucking tax dollars a little more wisely.

At least until I get back to Baghdad. The thing I love most about being deployed is that not one cent of my paycheck goes into the pockets of those ass bag politicians.

Consider yourselves ranted.

JB2D out.

Internet, this is JawBreaker2Delta, radio check, over.

2007-06-08T14:48:00.000-05:00

Greetings and salutations inter-web savvy folks of JB2D land!

Fear not! I'm still in "the loop", just trying to hunt up a new job (see previous post) and working on cooking up a good rant.

I promise a good one before too long.

Later!

JB2D out.

JB2D out of a job!?!

2007-05-30T21:32:00.000-05:00

Ever since I've gotten back from Iraq, I've had a zero tolerance for bullsh!t.

This does sit well with my current employer.

I might be looking for a new source of income in the not too distant future.

So if anyone has a lead for a Master Control Operator who has been to Baghdad, want to drop me a line?

Thanks.

JB2D out.

Memorial Day 2007

2007-05-28T15:17:00.000-05:00

Today I remember SGT Bryan "B-Free" Freeman. Killed in Sadr City on 8 November 2004 by a Chechen sniper. He was squared away. Now he's sitting on/in Cloud Nine watching us as we get ready for another go round in Iraq.
===================================================================

U.S. Army Special Operations Command Public Affairs Office FORT BRAGG, N.C. (USASOC News Service, Nov. 9, 2004)

— An Army Reserve civil affairs Soldier died Nov. 8 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds sustained earlier that day when he came under small arms fire while conducting a vehicle search.

SPC Bryan L. Freeman, 31, of Lumberton, N.J., was a civil affairs specialist assigned to the 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion, an Army Reserve special operations unit based in Warwick, R.I.

The 443rd CA Bn mobilized in August 2004 and deployed to Iraq in September 2004 to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Civil affairs units support military operations in combat and during peacetime by serving as a bridge between the civilian populace and the military commander. Civil affairs Soldiers help to reduce civilian interference with military operations, restore public safety and order and return societies to normal function.

Freeman entered the Army in 1993 and served as a cannon crew member with Battery E, 7th Field Artillery, Fort Drum, N.Y. He left active duty in 1997 and joined the New Jersey Army National Guard and served with Battery D, 112th Field Artillery, Cherry Hill, N.J.He joined the 404th Civil Affairs Battalion, Fort Dix, N.J., in 2003 and trained to be a civil affairs specialist. He was transferred to the 443rd CA Bn. prior to the unit’s deployment.

His military training includes the Survival, Escape, Resistance and Evasion Course, Air Assault Course, Combat Lifesaver Course and Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Course.

His awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

In his civilian life, he worked as a clinical case manager with Family Service of Burlington County in New Jersey.He graduated from Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., in 2001 with a degree in law enforcement. He graduated from Rancocas Valley Regional High School in Mount Holly, N.J., in 1991.He is survived by his mother, Darlene Freeman; his father, Bryan Freeman; and his fiancee, Jackie De Carlo.
===================================================================

Not a day goes by that I don't think of him. We miss you B-Free.

JB2D out.

A thought on the troop funding / withdrawl bill.

2007-05-27T17:49:00.000-05:00

Nobody asked me.

I'm the one who will leave my wife and two children a second time. I'm the one you all claim to be supporting, but you are going out of your way to stop me from doing my job.

Nobody asked ME if I want to leave.

Because I don't.

In fact, I'd like to go back to Baghdad as soon as possible. And for as loong as it takes.

But you will never know that, because they won't ask me. They don't want you to know that we (soldiers) are not only the best at what we do, but we believe in what we're doing. We want to be there.

Believing in us means you also believe in our mission. You cannot have one without the other. It is the nature of the military.

There is no light without dark.

Without war there would be no warriors to stand up and keep you safe when the threat arises.

You all claim to believe in us and support us and all that jibber jabber. But the bottom line is your actions are speaking louder than your weak words.

Don't bring me home yet, I'm not done. I've looked into the eyes of countless Iraqi children. I've talked with them and spent countless hours out in the blistering sun trying to give them the quality of life that they deserve.

There is more to this amazing world beyond our own borders. And we owe it to our children and their children to do everything in our power to make tomorrow the best it possibly can be.

Please, don't bring me home just yet, I'm working over here. So you and your children won't have to.

So please, be patient. Let's do this once, the right way.

Thank you.

JB2D out.

Another Baghdad memory, courtesy of AirBorneParaInf82

2007-05-11T18:51:00.000-05:00

I stumbled across Eighty Deuce On The Loose In Iraq through another post he had put up on The Sandbox. I clicked onto his blog page and began reading some amazing posts.

This guy is good. I hope to see a book, e-book or paper book, sometime in the future. Very powerful stuff.

Anywho... it was his post about "the right wrong decision". It brought back another memory from my first deployment to the "Bagh".

It was our first month in country. Our first solo week since the "left-seat-right-seat ride" with the team we replaced. We stopped at Camp Cuervo (AKA Rustimiyah) in Baghdad. They had a kick ass DFAC. The line was ridiculous. We waited for probably over 30 minutes. No sooner do we get to the head of the line and grab out trays, than a barrage of mortars begins to rain down on the FOB.

Keep in mind that a month before, this very DFAC was leveled by a rocket attack and there were a lot of casualties. People were understandably skittish.

So the mortars begin walking around the base and all the contracted food workers split for the shelters.

This positively pisses me right off. I've been busting my ass in Jisr Diyala and Jifr Najaf all morning. Little fucking kids begging me for candy, pencils, water, chocolate, food, trying to snatch shit off my armor, and then pelting me with rocks when we leave despite the fact I give them anything I can spare. Changing not one, but TWO flat tires in the mud (run flats my ASS!) after having to take off ALL my armor to get under the trucks to place the jacks with my team forming a tight perimeter around me to provide security against any snipers looking for a target of opportunity. Covered in shit-mud having to play SAW gunner for two more hours after that. I LOVE BEING A SPECIALIST!

And all I wanted was a fucking cheese burger and a Pepsi. Just one Pepsi. And Ahmed and Mustafa were pissing themselves over some mortars that would just as easily level their little"bomb shelter".

So my buddy "Cooter" (name withheld due to OPSEC) and I set our trays down and walk behind the counter. We served the remaining soldiers their lunch until a bitchy E6 female type comes running from the kitchen screaming some shit about how I can't serve food because I'm not wearing any headgear to keep hair out of the food.

One problem: I HAD SHAVED MY HEAD FUCKING BALD! AS IN NO HAIR!

So like any good E4 worthy of the "Sham Shield", I tell her this is bullshit, decide I deserve a double portion of spaghetti (I worked up quite the appetite serving up all that food) and TWO Pepsi's.

I could hear my team leader CPT "JawBreaker" (OPSEC) roll his eyes.

That was my first experience in the food service industry. I made sure to put it on my resume (sarcasm).

But you know what they say, a bitching soldier is a happy soldier. And I was happier than a pig (or specialist) in shit.

So, be sure to stop by and check out Eighty Deuce On The Loose In Iraq. It's good shit.

JB2D out.

I'm BACK!

2007-05-09T19:52:00.000-05:00

It's official, I'm a home owner! I've bought a 2300 sq foot home in Waupaca County, WI and I love it! It's about 110 years old, but it's solid.

Then I bought a puppy. Black lab/golden retriever mix. Cute as hell. Dr. Rocko is his name. I'll post pictures soon.

And there is a LOT of stuff that has pissed me off to no end and there WILL be rants coming soon.

I'd like to thank all the people that dropped me a comment about my short break in blogging. I'm grateful and thankful for your concern and support. You guys kick ass!

I've also found out from my co-worker "Victor Scott" (The co-writer of Road Trip to Oblivion) that an FM radio station in NYC has picked up their show, so many good things are just over the horizon. Keep listening to the Road Trip.

JB2D out.

Here's some math for ya!

2007-04-24T19:29:00.000-05:00

1 wife + 2 kids + 3 jobs + 4 months until next deployment (about) x 1 home closing in a week = 1 busy JB2D.

Solve for "X"....

Never fear, I might be a little overwhelmed right now, but I'm still working on the next post.

In the mean time, go check out The Road Trip to Oblivion. But ONLY if you are not easily offended by course/vulgar language and racial humor (the authors are a couple of twisted white and black guys).

I've been guest-appearing in The Road Trip since the 2nd episode of the 2nd season.

Plot spoiler: The Oblivion Crew will be heading to the Middle East towards the end of this season into the third season. So start listening to this outrageous podcast now and be ready for the G.W.O.T. to be brought to a screeching halt!

JB2D out.

Ok, here's my first rant.

2007-04-06T20:58:00.000-05:00

This is theHK 416 Enhanced Carbine.

It fires the same round as the M-16 family, 5.56 x 45mm NATO, but replaces the otherwise crap-tastic direct-gas impingement system with a piston system like an AK-47. It's dependable and will work in the harshest environments (I.E. Dust, dirt, sand, and about anything Iraq & Afghanistan can throw at you).

That means less to no carbon gases being blasted back into the upper receiver making it foul and susceptible to jamming.

The HK is purported to be currently in use by Delta Force, with SF using the S.C.A.R.

So the HK has a better feeding system. But if that wasn't enough, it turns out you don't even have to buy an all new rifle! You only have to replace the upper receiver!

Military.com stated in its 6 Apr 07 article about the 416:

"According to the solicitation for the new upper receiver assemblies, the 416 "allows Soldiers to replace the existing M4 upper receiver with an HK proprietary gas system that does not introduce propellant gases and the associated carbon fouling back into the weapon's interior."

Now, I've never fired the 416, but come on. It is basically a piston driven M-4. Fires the same round, just has a different and dependable way of feeding the rounds. Can it be any different?

And it can be obtained cheaper than a complete rifle. Take the old M-4 upper receivers and fit them to the M-16 lowers. Sell the M-16 lowers to Law Enforcement at a discount price, REMFs get an M-4 and feel high speed low drag, operators get a more reliable carbine for the good fight.

Every one's a winner. And if THAT'S not enough for ya, they come with a rail system already in place! Saves the soldier a little cabbage. The only thing I don't agree with is what appears to be the lack of a bayonet lug. I might be old fashioned, but I like the ability to "fix bayonets"!

Makes sense, don't it? But unfortunately, I'm just an E-4, I'm not in charge of nuthin' (though maybe I should).

But after wasting around $33 million on the XM8 system, which was dropped back in '05, the Army is, "still spending money looking for another technology while Soldiers use what many say is an inferior weapon in harsh combat conditions."

Am I the only one who is pissed about this!?! I'm going back to Iraq soon and I want/need /deserve the best there is to do my best in the War on Terror.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love my Army (that's right, this is MY Army). But this is a plain bone head move. You burn through $33,000,000 on a weapon system that never even made it out of the lab, but you're going to ignore what is proven by professional shooter's as a better weapon!?!
Okay, I need to calm down. I can always just buy a civilian version for myself. If you are reading this and HAVE fired the HK 416, please drop me a review so that I can get first hand info on this.

At least they appear to have gotten something right with the new body armor that will begin fielding soon. But would it have made more sense to go with the controversial Dragon Skin?

I'm still thinking about that. I'll post on it later. Not that I'd be the first.

So thank you for sitting through my first rant. PLEASE drop a comment and let me know if I'm bitching for no reason or if I have a valid argument. I love hearing from you guys. So until the next time I get my knickers in a twist....

JB2D out.

My first movie: Memories of my near death experiance, hilarity ensues....

2007-03-25T15:00:00.000-05:00

This is my first attempt at putting together a movie with pictures and video from my deployment on OIF III. The video begins with an IED that was meant for the third truck (mine) in our three truck convoy.

Before we ever left the FOB that morning, my team leader (CPT B-Rock, bald head, mustache, butt hovering over his head) got a call from a Neighborhood Council member in a village just down the road from Jisr Diyala and the Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Facility. I can't remember the name right now. The NAC member told us that some "Wahhabi's" (Iraqi slang for any badguy) had placed a bomb on the route that we had used once too often apparently. We took a back way to the meeting after we called EOD.

While we were at the meeting, the insurgents were at a traffic circle on the far side of the IED area. They began unloading a HUGE amount of AK-47 fire into the air in an attempt to draw us out.

Instead, we tightened up our perimeter and put a couple shooters on top of the Council building.

Once the morons figured out that we weren't going to take the bait, they left.

As our meeting ended, we got word over the net that the EOD team that was to take care of our IED got hit by an IED of their own while en route to us. Ironic.

So we got to the meeting at a little past 9am, the small arms "trap" began around 9:45am. EOD gets hit around 10:30am. The meeting ends about 12pm. We get word EOD is coming down the road on the far side of bomb site around 1:30pm. We mount up and zip out onto the road and close it (the road) down in both directions.

Within 3 minutes, there was at least a five mile back up on both sides. The kids come out and begin chatting with us.

Some of the boys get out of hand and I chase them off with a piece of radiator hose an adult gave to me. Once the boys figure out I'm not going to use it, I give it to my interpreter "Ahmed the Tiger" who has no problem using it.

They didn't bother us anymore.

Then we hear, "Controlled detonation in five minutes..... 3 minutes..... 1 minute, take cover".

FIRE IN THE HOLE!

Hilarity ensues.....

JB2D out.

A Soldier's Mind previews JB2D!

2007-03-23T20:15:00.000-05:00

SGT Anthony Cavella over at A Soldier's Mind previewed my humble little section of this Interweb thingy.

Granted, it was back on the 18th of this month, but I just literally stumbled across it.

To say I feel privileged does not begin to describe it. Thank you for the kind review SGT Cavella. If you're ever in Green Bay, beer's on me.

So if you want to know what's going on in news, politics, or anything military, the ASM is the place to be. PERIOD.

JB2D out.

1-23 Infantry Battalion kicking some @$$!

2007-03-23T14:42:00.000-05:00

CENTCOM Press Release from today.

BAGHDAD– Nearly 1,600 partnered Iraqi security forces and coalition Soldiers continued clearing operations today in the Iraqi capital’s Mansour Security District. This was the second day of clearing in the southern Ghazaliya and Ameriya neighborhoods.

During clearing operations coalition Soldiers from A Co, 1-23 Infantry Battalion, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division rescued a kidnap victim in an empty house handcuffed to a chair. The victim had three gunshot wounds in his leg and was evacuated to a coalition forces medical treatment facility. After a more extensive search of the house, Soldiers found a weapons cache consisting of one rocket propelled grenade launcher with 10 rounds; three AK-47 assault rifles; nine 60mm mortar rounds; seven hand grenades; plastic explosives; containers of ferric nitrate, sodium hydrogen and chromic oxide; and numerous explosive making materials.

In addition to the weapons cache above, five other weapons caches were discovered today totaling one 155mm artillery shell, three 120mm mortar rounds, two 60mm mortar rounds, three mortar rounds of unknown diameter, two improvised explosive devices, 15 pounds of homemade explosive, three RPG rounds, and two hand grenades.

Iraqi Army soldiers also detained two suspected terrorists with two assault rifles and 18 magazines of ammunition.

The operation coined as Arrowhead Strike 9 included approximately 500 Iraqi security forces from 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division; 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division; 4th Brigade, 10th Iraqi Army Division; and 5th Battalion, 2nd National Police Brigade. Nearly 1,100 U.S Army Soldiers from 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division and 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division were also involved in the operation.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT MULTI-NATIONAL DIVISION – BAGHDAD PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER IN CHARGE, MAJOR STEVEN LAMB, AT STEVEN.LAMB@US.ARMY.MIL) OR BY PHONE AT COMMERCIAL: (914) 822-8174, OR IRAQNA: 011-964-790-192-4675.

Is "The Yon" getting booted from Iraq?

2007-03-23T14:05:00.000-05:00

I just read a post over at BlackFive about Michael Yon being hated on by a CENTCOM general. I double checked this over at Yon's site.

Here is an exerpt from his latest post, titled "R.U.B.s":

"A general emailed in the past 24 hours threatening to kick me out.(!!!!)

The first time the Army threatened to kick me out was in late 2005, just after I published a dispatch called “Gates of Fire.” Some of the senior level public affairs people who’d been upset by “Proximity Delays” were looking ever since for a reason to kick me out and they wanted to use “Gates of Fire” as a catapult. In the events described in that dispatch, I broke some rules by, for instance, firing a weapon during combat when some of our soldiers were fighting fairly close quarters and one was wounded and still under enemy fire. That’s right. I’m not sure what message the senior level public affairs people thought that would convey had they succeeded, (which they didn’t) but it was clear to me what they valued most. They want the press on a short leash, even at the expense of the life of a soldier."

While Michael does not reveal WHY the general has threatened him, it's not doubt that Michael simply told the truth (as he is known to do) and the old man just didn't like the light he was painted in.

While it is NEVER easy being in a position of leadership, you should have the knowledge and confidence that you will make the right decision. And if you do that, then you will not (or should not) have to be upset about someone writing about the event.

Op-For adds:

"Remember that scene in "We Were Soldiers?" When Joe Galloway tells SGM Plumley "I'm a non-combatant" and gets a gruff "ain't no such thing today" in return?

I think there is place in battle, a certain nexus of intensity where the line between combatant and non-combatant blurs, that washes away rank, profession, class, and belief. Societal norms evaporate, leaving a small group of Americans, brothers, fighting for their fellow countrymen.

In Vietnam, the Army told Joe Galloway to pick up a rifle and stand with his fellow citizens. In Iraq, they are trying to kick Mike Yon out of theater for volunteering to do the same."

And Colonel Austin Bay sums it all up quite nicely:

"This is stupid. Michael Yon and Bill Roggio are the best out there. Telling Michael Yon to exit the theater is the WWII equivalent of telling Ernie Pyle to quit filing dispatches."

If Michael gets kicked out of theater, where will we turn for the truth and something more than just a nightly body count? How bout The Fourth Rail, courtesy of Bill Roggio. At least, until he is told to stop too.

On a side note.... I hope I haven't overstepped my bounds by quoting so much. Please, check out the referenced blogs as they are MUCH better than mine and they can fill you in on more details that I have here. I have NOT corresponded with the sources stated, so I do not have first hand knowledge of this event. Although, I'd love nothing more to write to Michael Yon, BlackFive and their like.

Thanks for reading my longest post yet, and I hope you found this informative. More to come!

JB2D out.

My first real flash back since coming home.

2007-03-21T21:18:00.000-05:00

Well, it's official. I had my first flash back.

We are currently having a HUGE thunderstorm in North East Wisconsin. I'm at work and my co-worker Josh told me it was "dumping" rain out. I had to see what "dumping rain" looks like. So we proceeded to the side door of the station. I just begin to open the door when "KRACK-BOOOOOOM!"

All that registered was IED!

I slammed the door shut, turned to Josh and asked if he was hit. He looked at me like I had an arm growing out of my forehead.

Then it registered. It's only a thunderstorm. Not an IED. I'm in Wisconsin. Not in Baghdad.

He will not stop laughing. I can't either. And not because it was funny.

JB2D out.

EDIT: I should mention that I've been home for almost 2 years now. I get a little jumpy, but it's kinda the way I am now. I was never in any huge/major combat operation. I was rocket-ed a couple times, mortared more than my fair share, hit in the face with half a cinder block (courtesy of some high school aged boys), and hadji DID try to nail me with an IED. But I'll post about that a little later, when I can get the video of it posted over at YouTube.com. I never traveled down Haifa Street, although I did drive across it a lot. So, I realize that I should say something to the doctor at the VA about it, but what right do I have to complain of a little jumpiness when there are men and women coming home with stumps where there were appendages a few months previous?

JB2D out.

As I was....

2007-03-21T20:56:00.000-05:00

Well.... color me WRONG.

As it turns out, Thinking-right.com is NOT SGT Keller's blog. It is, in fact, a Jim Cannon blog. Check it out, it's good stuff.

ALSO.... I erroneously gave credit someone else for my first legit comment posted. My first true, honest and for real comment came from sweet little Mary Ann over at Here There and Back Again. Another good place to check out.

So, now that I've been given the collective "As you were soldier!", I'd like to say thank you so much for checking out my little corner of the web.

JB2D out.

Memories courtesy of Michael Yon.

2007-03-14T19:02:00.000-05:00

The latest post from the amazing blog-god, Michael Yon, has brought a LOT of memories bubbling back to the surface of my twisted little mind.

"....watching full moons rise and fall over the cities, hearing dogs bark in the night. Maybe the distinct POP will puncture the darkness...."

We were sitting on the roof of our hooch at the edge of the IZ, FOB Highlander (before 3rd ID gave it a gay name), just inside of check point 12. Beautiful base. So we were sitting around, smokin' and jokin', when there was a metric butt load of tracers come zipping over our little heads.

Looking forward to capping some insurgent ass, we run downstairs and grab our muskets.

Mind you, we were in bath robes, shower shoes, and shorts smoking our stale hadji marlboros.

We grab our gear and perch ourselves on the outer wall of our building, over looking "Indian Country".

We watched the IPs chase a car full of bad guys around outside our FOB. They were just coming into our kill zone, when the damn IPs chased them the other way.

But I will never forget the air. The cool breeze and the smell of stale smokes. The mosque tower belting out some call to prayer recording. I'd heard it every night for about the last 3 weeks. I began to sing along with it. My team crouched along the little wall. I'm wearing a t-shirt, shorts and my bath robe. Locked and loaded, peering down my ACOG waiting for the car to come close enough to unload on them. We were all smiling at each other with the thought of bagging some bad guys.

It was not to be.

Maybe it was for the best.

But it was one of the best times of my life. I'm looking forward to going back.

JB2D out.

I've got a legit comment!

2007-03-14T00:20:00.000-05:00

I just recieved my first REAL comment!

Hopefully this means that I'll be accepted into the Mil-Blog world.

SGT Keller (read the comments section from the "Boots" post below) actually wants to interview me via e-mail.

I've been to Baghdad once and might be going back their soon. Or I could end up somewhere else in Iraq. I don't know where, I just know I'm going.

So anywho.... I'll be posting a link to not only his web site (http://thinking-right.com) but I hope to get a nice little banner so you can get to the CENTCOM website and read what's going on over there for yourself.

I'll post more tomorrow, as I'm working the overnight (11pm to 7am central) and coming back to work my normal shift (1pm to 11pm central). So it's going to be a brutal couple days and I'll need to kill some time.

JB2D out.

My boots...

2007-02-24T15:37:00.000-06:00

I've been home going on two years now. They'll be sending me back later this year.

I'll be wearing the same pair of boots. These boots are more than just footwear to me. They kept me comfortable in the nastiest place on Earth. I've literally been "in the shit" with them. They've come through for me.

They also remind me of who I am.

An American soldier.

A veteran.

They remind me of the friends I've made and the friends I've lost. The good times we had in the short time we were deployed. They keep me "in the game" even though I've been back for a while now.

They remind me to stay tactically and technically proficient. To master the Warrior Skills I'll need to survive again. They remind me that, while I don't hold the rank yet, that I will one day soon be a leader of soldiers. I will be responsible to the men on my left and right. I have buddies who will depend on me as I depend on them.

I will go there and back again.

These boots will get me there.

JB2D out.

WMDs? (finally(?))

2007-02-22T22:46:00.000-06:00

It has come to my attention that those damn insurgents have taken to putting cylinders of chlorine gas in their VBIEDs.

My theory is that the hadjis have come to love us so much and when they heard we might be leaving (now that we are being governed by a bunch of spineless, mealie mouthed libs) they decided to bring the WMDs to US so we'll stay and play with them for a while longer.

Actually, this is the ONE thing that has me scared shitless about my up-coming deployment back to Iraq. And it's not that I'm afraid of the NBC threat (not the network, Nuclear Chemical Biological), but it's the auto injectors! If I get exposed to somehing, I do NOT want to stab myself with those things! And it's a PAIN IN THE ASS to haul around that damn chem suit and pro mask.

But other than that, I can't wait to go back.

JB2D out.

The inevitable is just around the corner...

2007-02-11T15:10:00.000-06:00

It has been almost two years since I came home from Baghdad.

In that time, I've become a father to a beautiful little girl named Leah, bought two brand new cars for my wife and I (the first time I've EVER owned a new car!), cleaned up my credit and am in the process of buying our first house!

And now.... I've gotten a warning order that my battalion will be returning to Iraq later this year. I actually was informally informed a few months back, but due to OPSEC (operational security) I was unable to mention it to anyone other than my wife.

I knew this day would come. In fact, I was looking forward to it. I had hoped that we'd go back sooner. When I tell people this, there first reaction is "ARE YOU F@&#ING SERIOUS!?!"

Yes. I'm dead serious. Why? For a number of reasons. All of which you probably wouldn't understand or be able to identify with unless you'd been there yourself.

I'll attempt to explain myself here:

1. The sooner I'm able to get back there and do my job (assisting in the rebuilding of Iraq) the sooner the war will be over. The sooner my team, battalion, fellow soldiers and I can come home for good.

2. I care about the Iraqi people and their culture.

Contrary to what the mainstream media would have you believe, not every Iraqi is a gun toting, head chopping, IED planting insurgent. I've met so many amazing people over there who just want a steady job, a nice home in a safe neighborhood, and a generally normal life.

3. I worry about my three interpreters from my first deployment. I've lost contact with them so the only way to check on them is to go back to Iraq. And it's gotten increasingly difficult to get a commercial flight over there.

4. I am a soldier. This is what I've been training for since July of 1998. Training that was paid for with your tax dollars. I'd feel just awful if your hard earned tax $$$$ went to waste by not sending me back to the Middle East. Wouldn't you?

So there you go. Just a few of the many reasons why I'd LIKE to go back. Never mind that I have to go back. I volunteered to go sooner a few months back. But then the opportunity came up to go with the team I've been training with for over a year. I'm going with them. Never again will I be a "cross-level". If you've been, then you know how much it sucks.

So there you go. My first post. I hope you enjoy this and the ones to come as I go back for a second deployment. I'll post pictures as well (provided I figure out how).

JB2D out.