DADT Update: The Service Chiefs Report, The Republicans Fret

by: fake consultant

Mon Apr 11, 2011 at 11:09:01 AM EDT

There was a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee last Thursday that had all four Services represented; with one exception these were the same Service Chiefs that were testifying last December when the bill to set the repeal process in motion was still a piece of prospective legislation.

At that time there was concern that the "combat arms" of the Marines and the Army were going to be impacted in a negative way by the transition to "open service"; the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Army's Chief of Staff were the most outspoken in confirming that such concerns exist within the Pentagon as well.

We now have more information to report-including the increasing desperation of some of our Republican friends-and if you ask me, I think things might be better than we thought.

On Actually Ending DADT, Or, "Could It Really Take Another Year?"

by: fake consultant

Sun Dec 19, 2010 at 18:52:36 PM EST

Most people would assume that once Bill (remember Bill, from Schoolhouse Rock?) made it out of Congress and over to the President to for a signature that the process of repeal will be ended-but in fact, there's quite a bit more yet to do, and it's entirely possible that a year or more could go by before the entire process is complete.

Today we'll discuss our way through why it's going to take so long; to illustrate the point we'll consider an actual military order that is quite similar to the sort of work that will be required from the Department of Defense (DOD) before the entire "DADT to open service" transition is complete.

On "Military Endorsements", Or, Another Weird Christine O'Donnell Story

by: fake consultant

Mon Oct 25, 2010 at 12:57:07 PM EDT

What it basically comes down to is that the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army are "Christine O'Donnell for Senate" MySpace friends, or that there are persons who have created United States Army and USMC MySpace pages that purport to be official that have "befriended" her candidacy. There's also a Navy page that appears to emanate from a US Navy recruiting office in California on her '08 campaign's "friends" list.

At a minimum, all of this would seem to be a combination of inappropriate behavior and poor management of social media; at worst, you have activity that is "some kind of unlawful", either on an administrative or civil level.

I'll make this fast...but I'll also make it interesting.
Follow along, and you'll see what I mean.

American Security and Michigan Manufacturing

by: Philip.R.Moon

Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 03:05:15 AM EDT

There has been controversy over a recent decision by the Air Force to award contracts to the Europeab company EADS over American company Boeing. Much has been made about potential loss of American jobs, thought in both cases many parts for aircraft have already been globalized.

The nation being able to defend itself by having enough domestic production capability used to be the policy of the American government. From George Washington wintering in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania to secure the local metal works through World War II, the government sought to protect American independence through American economic independence.

Michigan has been an important asset in national defense. In World War II Detroit was known as the “Arsenal of Democracy”, a nicknamed taken from a speech by Franklin Roosevelt. Roosevelt spoke about the capacity of America to fight a war and supply Allies with supplies.

I want to make it clear that it is the purpose of the Nation to build now with all possible speed every machine and arsenal and factory that we need to manufacture our defense material. We have the men the skill, the wealth, and above all, the will.

…

I appeal to the owners of plants, to the managers, to the workers, to our own Government employees, to put every ounce of effort into producing these munitions swiftly and without stint. And with this appeal I give you the pledge that all of us who are officers of you Government will devote ourselves to the same whole-hearted extent to the great task which lies ahead.

RIP, Spc. Joseph Lancour (Swartz Creek)

by: Eric B.

Tue Nov 13, 2007 at 14:56:57 PM EST

From the Muskegon Chronicle:

Spc. Joe Lancour, 21, was killed Friday by small arms fire during an ambush, his mother, Starla Owen, and his father, Rob Lancour, told the Ludington Daily News.

Joe Lancour was one of five soldiers whose patrol was attacked Friday in Aranus, Afghanistan, the Defense Department said. Two of the soldiers died that day and Lancour and two others died Saturday.

Lancour is the 11th member of the U.S. armed services with known ties to Michigan who has died in Afghanistan.

RIP Army Specialist Nicholas Suriano (Manistee)

by: LiberalLucy

Mon Nov 12, 2007 at 01:31:58 AM EST

Spc. Nicholas Suriano of Manistee was a cannon crew member assigned to 4th Battalion, 1st Field Artillery, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. 

The 26-year-old Suriano entered the Army in September 2003. He arrived at Ft. Riley in June.

Spc. Suriano is the becomes the 160th member of the U.S. Armed Forces with known Michigan ties to lose their life since the start of the Iraq War.

RIP, Sfc. Matthew D. Blaskowski (Levering)

by: ScottyUrb

Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 01:30:21 AM EDT

From the AP:

Two years after being wounded and rescuing a fellow soldier during combat, an Army sergeant from northern Michigan has been killed in Afghanistan.

Sgt. 1st Class Matthew D. Blaskowski, 27, died Sunday in Asadabad after insurgents assaulted his unit using small arms fire, the Defense Department said Tuesday.

"They told us that Matt died from chest wounds and that his camp was attacked," his father, Terry Blaskowski, told the Cheboygan Daily Tribune. The American flag was lowered at his home near Levering in Cheboygan County's Hebron Township.

 

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Sfc. Blaskowski, who is the 158th member of the U.S. Armed Forces with known Michigan ties to lose their life in the Iraq War.

RIP Specialist Todd A. Motley (Clare)

by: LiberalLucy

Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 22:40:50 PM EDT

Army Specialist Todd A. Motley, age 23, died in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations.  He was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th U.S. Cavalry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Today Governor Granholm sent out this proclamation -

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today ordered United States flags throughout the state of Michigan and on Michigan waters lowered for one day on Wednesday, September 26, 2007, in honor of Army Specialist Todd A. Motley, of Clare, who died September 14 while on active duty in Iraq.  Flags should return to full-staff on Thursday, September 27.

Motley becomes the 157th member of the U.S. Armed Forces with known Michigan ties to lose their life in the Iraq War.

Look Out, It's the Facts

by: DianeS

Fri Sep 14, 2007 at 09:12:57 AM EDT

In response to President Bush's speech last night on the recommendations of General Petraeus:

"My fear was that the President would present only an illusion of change in an effort to prevent a real change in course in Iraq from occurring, and my fear was borne out. Simply bringing our troop levels back to the pre-surge level with no commitment to further reductions, no change of mission to get our troops out of the middle of a civil war, and no plan to pressure the Iraqi political leaders to take responsibility for their own future and to reach a political settlement to end the violence shows that the President intends to just 'stay the course' in a war that has not achieved, and is not achieving, its objectives." - Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.

However, Michigan's Republican members of congress responded with:

"By bringing local leaders together to reject al Qaeda's violent ideology, stability and security in that region has improved and as a result we are seeing a draw down of troops coming in the next three months"-Rep. Mike Rogers R-Brighton.

Asking reservists called to active duty to resign from the Legislature is anti-military

by: kjbas58

Tue Aug 21, 2007 at 00:04:55 AM EDT

"Bad idea. If a lawmaker can no longer perform his or her duties, he or she should resign. There are the provisions for filling the vacancy."

"A person who left a civilian job to enter active duty in the armed forces is entitled to return to the job after discharge or release from active duty if they gave advance notice of military service to the employer, did not exceed five years cumulative absence from the civilian job, submitted a timely application for re-employment, and they did not receive a dishonorable or other punitive discharge. The law calls for a returning veteran to be placed in the job as if they had never left."

I think a district should have someone to represent them, and if not the voters are simply being cheated. In November of 2005 when Rep. Herb Kehrl, D-Monroe, passed away while in office, the residents of the 56th District did not have anyone representing them, other than the state Senator. I think they lost out. The position was empty until Rep. Kate Ebli was elected last November. The governor could have held a special election to fill it, but that would have cost a lot of money.

Senate Joint Resolution F, calls for the called-up legislator to recommend a substitute who meets all the requirements for holding the office, and the appointment would be contingent upon approval by the local political party in the district a lawmaker represents.

I think it should be handled the same way vacant state judgeships are handled with some slight variations. The Governor should appoint someone, and the Senate should confirm them. If could also be the house where the person will sit that confirms the nominee, or the political party could nominate someone.

The debate should be about how the position will be filled not that it should not be filled.

Michigan's Extreme-Right Mega-Millonaire Mercenary

by: LiberalLucy

Sun Apr 29, 2007 at 10:33:49 AM EDT

For one Michigan man, the War of Bush/Cheney/Haliburton Oil was his golden ticket to massive wealth and an extraordinary level of influence and menacing power. Meet Erik Prince, born and raised in Holland, Michigan, and one of the country's most dangerous men.

Prince, son of Holland industrialist Edgar Prince and an ex-Navy SEAL, tapped his inherited wealth in 1996 to found a little-noticed North Carolina security firm that would become Blackwater USA. 

Family connections helped. As brother to former Michigan GOP chairwoman Betsy DeVos and brother-in-law to her husband, 2006 GOP gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos, Prince had access to Capitol Hill power brokers.

But his business plan did not crystallize until the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

With the U.S. decision to go to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, a changing military looked to the private sector to complete a variety of missions.

Blackwater was in prime position to capitalize.

How to stop a war.

by: updemocrat

Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 03:20:53 AM EST

  I am a veteran, and a Democrat. My friends that I served with are still in Iraq as we speak. Please help me do all I can to make sure that their next stop will NOT be Tehran. Thanks.

Website is here.