Silly Bits VII

I am traveling this weekend and therefore submitting my weekend post before I depart.  Sorry, no apologies for any apparent silliness involved with this early submission since it could be said to compensate for last weekend's late 'Silly Bits' entry.  On the other hand, one should probably write off any consideration of timing as simply more silliness.   

Silliness is not terribly surprising, considering what's going on where the Debt Ceiling and Government Shutdown are concerned.  Many are beginning to look at this as the 'Silly Season' here in the US.  Not to be outdone however, parts of the rest of the world occasionally insist on trying to compete (mostly unsuccessfully) with the pace of silliness that 'The Land of the Free' and 'The Home of the Brave' is trying to set.  Our first entry in this latest edition is just such an example.

In Oslo, Norway, the announcement awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize was made today.  While a Pakistani schoolgirl, a Congolese doctor, and a US traitor were among those who successfully got through the talent competition and made the finalists; the winner of the Peace Prize begun by Alfred Nobel (the guy who invented dynamite) is in fact not a person this year at all, but an organization.  The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will receive this year's gold medal and $1.25 million cash award.  (Sorry, there's no sash or tiara; but thank goodness, no swimsuit competition either.)

For those of you who've never heard of the OPCW, don't feel bad.  Most of the world hasn't either.  These are the guys however, who will be responsible for disposing of the chemical weapons in Syria at some point, though they haven't done anything but look around so far.  By now, some of you might be wondering how they could get the prize for something they haven't actually done yet.  You're probably the same ones who applauded the Nobel Committee for awarding it to Barack Obama back in 2009 before having actually done anything as President (even announcing his 'Peace Through Drone Strikes' foreign policy).  This is also the same prize awarded to Al Gore in 2007 for his efforts with regard to climate change.  Can somebody refresh my memory here?  Was his award for generating awareness of the problem or the massive carbon footprint created in his awareness efforts.  (Maybe the Nobel Committee  just has a problem with this award in odd-numbered years.)    

Locally, the latest Shutdown brouhaha was the Defense Department's announcement earlier this week that it wasn't going to pay survivor benefits immediately to families of soldiers killed in action overseas.  Not only would this failure of payment create a hardship for families attempting to meet their loved ones at Dover Air Force Base as the remains were returned for burial, but it would force them to cover the funeral expenses themselves until the shutdown had ended (and they call Republicans heartless). 

The Defense Department, showing a level of sensitivity that only a government agency can (and eerily reminiscent of the IRS), justified their actions by saying that they warned everyone that these 'non-essential' expenses would result from government shutdown.  And all of this in spite of the fact that both Houses of Congress had passed the 'Pay Our Military Act' to fund the military that the President subsequently signed into law.  Evidently however, Executive Branch attorneys in consultation with each other felt differently, and that same Defense Department didn't see fit to pass on to Congressional oversight committees (or apparently much of anyone else except some 'unnamed White House personnel') that this obviously misnamed bill still didn't cover what the legislators who wrote it thought it did.  

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney showed more of his own sensitive nature by attempting to politically justify this horrifying insult to the families of those who've made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their country.  These offensive and non-responsive comments were to the effect that this wouldn't be a problem if Republicans would just shut down the shutdown.

In a related story, Congress yesterday apparently fixed the hole in their earlier fix where military death benefits were concerned.  In the meanwhile however, Senator Joe Manchin of Virginia had apparently brokered a deal with Ken Fisher's Maryland-based 'Fisher House Foundation' to step in and cover the costs for these military benefits to the families involved for the government until they could step in once again.  Thursday Press Secretary Jay Carney, not satisfied with previous structural damage to the situation that he'd already done, stated that now a legislative solution was unnecessary since the Defense Department struck a deal with the Fisher House (though not giving credit to the Senator who had actually brokered the deal that the White House was taking credit for).

Two things to consider here:

1. Wasn't this the same White House that a while back was looking to eliminate the tax deductions for charitable contributions in order to raise general revenues?  Weren't we told that all things were to be done by government, and that such contributions and organizations were all but unnecessary?  You know, there's a certain consistent inconsistency to the concept of borrowing money from those whose funding you wanted to make harder to obtain in order to make up for your own funding failures.  Perhaps the next step should be instead to make them 'too big to fail'. 
2. Speaking of the Fisher House Foundation and this loan, since where does the Defense Department or the White House (the branch of government that controls it), get the authority to borrow money (especially from a private concern)?  Incurring debt is the exclusive province of the Congress under Article 1, Section 7 of the Constitution.  Therefore entering into even an informal agreement with the Fisher House, regardless of the altruistic nature of the effort, was and is entirely unconstitutional. 

Have a silly week....

Memorial Day 2013

Today's posting is a repeat of a previous effort, but sums up my feelings on the subject in a way that I doubt I could improve upon.  I hope you enjoy it, as well as the first 3-day weekend of the summer.

Every year I struggle to come up with something fitting to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice on the field of battle for this nation that this day honors, and every year I fail miserably.  How can mere words hope to come close to conveying the debt we owe them?  While most of what I write about are the petty political squabbles and the partisan political battles fought in the halls of Congress, this day is instead about those who have stood up to a real enemy and faced the terrors of war; sacrificing all to defend that which those in political office more often than not demean.

They never asked about the foreign policy ramifications of their duty assignments, or the orders they were asked to follow; nor did they concern themselves with how their actions would affect the next election.  They accepted politically correct "Rules of Engagement" from their superiors (who in turn had to accept them from a 'civilian authority'), regardless of the additional danger such nonsensical rules often placed them in.  Mostly however, they fought for those they fought beside, for their country, and for their sacred honor.  

And while it cost some of them all that they had, it cost their families as well; leaving far too many fatherless or motherless children behind and far too many grieving spouses in a land that has far too few good ones to believe that it can afford to lose any.  A folded flag in a glass case may well be a great honor for a person's service, but it doesn't warm the other side of the bed, nor comfort a frightened child against the terrors of the night. 

These are the cold, hard facts that I not only wish far more of this nation's citizens understood when they hear the names of the lost intoned at the end of a newscast.   Far more than that however, I wish that it was something our elected representatives comprehended more fully before coming up with their half-baked plans to save a world far less interested in saving itself (and usually from itself). I wish that these public servants appreciated the potential consequences of their 'votes' before seeking to resolve the historical prejudices of human nature in conflicts that have been going on since the dawn of civilization.  I wish real thought of the success these gambits was considered before risking the best and brightest of these brave men and women in yet another political misadventure designed to make politicians in some way 'look strong'.  The bi-partisan political posturing and madcap misjudgment in Washington have become a never-ending debacle placing far too many in harm's way may ... a place they may never return from.  Oh hell, enough.

Instead of trying to express what may in fact be inexpressible, I will do what I inevitably do each year at this time and fall back on using the monument which most aptly describes what this day is truly all about, and on those who are granted the honor of guarding it: 
   

  The Tomb of the Unknowns

The tomb has at one time contained the unidentified remains of a soldier who served in World War I, World War II, Korea, and Viet Nam, and has been guarded continuously since 1930. (Though a soldier killed in Viet Nam was originally interred here, that body was later removed and identified through DNA testing. It was subsequently decided to leave the Viet Nam crypt empty.)
 

*  The Guards are members of the 3rd US Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), and wear no rank insignia on their uniforms while on duty so as not to outrank one of those lying in the Tomb.

*  The Guards take 21 steps, in recognition of the 21 gun salute; the highest honor given anyone in the military or any foreign dignitary.  Upon completion of those steps, the guards hesitate 21 seconds in memory of that same honor, turns 90 degrees and hesitates again for 21 seconds, then completes another 90 degree turn and hesitates yet one more time before resuming their march.   

*  The Guards march with moistened gloves to prevent the gun from slipping from their grasp while on duty.

*  Guards are changed every 30 minutes; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.   

*  The guards always carry the rifle on the shoulder furthest from the tomb. This move places the sentinel between the tomb and any threat. 

*  The Guards of the Tomb, an honor currently carried by very few soldiers (there were just over 500 people in 2008), is awarded only after careful examination and is recognized by the award of a wreath pin. They subsequently live under very strict guidelines of personal conduct for the rest of their lives. 

*  For the first six months of this duty, guards spend most of their free time learning of the most notable people buried in Arlington National Cemetary in preparation for their exam. With their rigorous training, hours of marching, and rifle drill, they have little time for anything else. 

*  Each guard spends five hours each day getting his uniforms ready for this duty. 

*  In 2003, as Hurricane Isabella approached Washington and while Congress took 2 days off in anticipation of the dangers of this storm, these guards stood to their duty. Soaked to the skin, they continued to march their rounds in the pelting rain of a tropical storm. They had been offered the opportunity to suspend this assignment but refused; stating that such duty was not simply an assignment, but was the highest honor afforded to a serving member of the military.  (They repeated this act  of courage in August of 2011 as Hurricane Irene similarly bore down on Washington DC.)

Honor indeed should be given to our troops for serving in defense of freedom around the world today, and to those who have done likewise in every conflict where Americans have been called to do so. Greater veneration still is due those whose service led them to the ultimate sacrifice for those they served with and for the nation that honors them this day. May this day continue to serve as a reminder to us all that the price of liberty sometimes carries a very high cost indeed.  May we remember to accord those that made it and those who served with them equal esteem on every other day that we live in freedom.

Memorial Day 2012

Every year I struggle to come up with something fitting to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice on the field of battle that this day honors, and every year I fail miserably.  How can mere words come anywhere close to conveying what we owe to them?  While I often write often write about petty political squabbles and the faux battles fought in the halls of Congress between political parties, this day is instead about those who have faced a real enemy and risked all to defend that which those in political office do little more than demean.

They never asked for the foreign policy ramifications of their assignments, or the orders they were asked to follow; nor did they concern themselves with how their actions would affect the positions of those running in next election.  They fought because they were told to do so.  More importantly, they fought for their brothers and sisters in arms, for their country, and for their sacred honor.  

And sometimes it cost them all that they had. It cost their families as well, leaving far to many fatherless or motherless children behind and far to many grieving spouses in a land that sometimes seems to have far too few good ones to believe that it can afford to lose any.  A folded flag in a glass case may well be a great honor for a person's service, but it doesn't warm the other side of the bed, nor comfort a frightened child against the terrors of the night. 

These are cold, hard facts that I wish far more of this nation's citizens understood, and far more of its elected officials comprehended before coming up with half-baked plans to save the world (usually from itself), before attempting to resolve conflicts that have been going on almost since the dawn of civilization with little chance of ceasing, and before sending these brave men and women off to yet another political misadventure designed to make the politicians at the time look more like leaders.  Their posturing and misjudgment are far more often becoming a never-ending debacle that those in harm's way may never return from.  Oh hell, enough.

Instead of trying to express what may in fact be inexpressible, I will do what I inevitably do each year at this time and fall back on the monument which most aptly describes what this day is truly all about, and on those who are granted the honor of guarding: 
   

  The Tomb of the Unknowns

The tomb has at one time contained the unidentified remains of a soldier who served in World War I, World War II, Korea, and Viet Nam, and has been guarded continuously since 1930. (Though a soldier killed in Viet Nam was originally interred here, that body was later removed and identified through DNA testing. It was subsequently decided to leave the Viet Nam crypt empty.)
 

*  The Guards are members of the 3rd US Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), and wear no rank insignia on their uniforms while on duty so as not to outrank one of those lying in the Tomb.

*  The Guards take 21 steps, in recognition of the 21 gun salute; the highest honor given anyone in the military or any foreign dignitary.  Upon completion of those steps, the guards hesitate 21 seconds in memory of that same honor, turns 90 degrees and hesitates again for 21 seconds, then completes another 90 degree turn and hesitates yet one more time before resuming their march.   

*  The Guards march with moistened gloves to prevent the gun from slipping from their grasp while on duty.

*  Guards are changed every 30 minutes; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.   

*  The guards always carry the rifle on the shoulder furthest from the tomb. This move places the sentinel between the tomb and any threat. 

*  The Guards of the Tomb, an honor currently carried by very few soldiers (there were just over 500 people in 2008), is awarded only after careful examination and is recognized by the award of a wreath pin. They subsequently live under very strict guidelines of personal conduct for the rest of their lives. 

*  For the first six months of this duty, guards spend most of their free time learning of the most notable people buried in Arlington National Cemetary in preparation for their exam. With their rigorous training, hours of marching, and rifle drill, they have little time for anything else. 

*  Each guard spends five hours each day getting his uniforms ready for this duty. 

*  In 2003, as Hurricane Isabella approached Washington and while Congress took 2 days off in anticipation of the dangers of this storm, these guards stood to their duty. Soaked to the skin, they continued to march their rounds in the pelting rain of a tropical storm. They had been offered the opportunity to suspend this assignment but refused; stating that such duty was not simply an assignment, but was the highest honor afforded to a serving member of the military.  (They repeated this act  of courage in August of 2011 as Hurricane Irene similarly bore down on Washington DC.)

Honor indeed should be given to our troops serving in defense of freedom around the world today, and to those who have done likewise in every conflict where Americans have been called to do so. Greater veneration still is due those who made the ultimate sacrifice for those they served with and for the nation that honors them this day. May this day serve as a reminder to us all that the cost of liberty sometimes carries a very high price indeed; and may we remember to accord those that made it and those who served with them equal esteem on every other day that we live in freedom.

Memorial Day 2011

I have used the words of what follows on two prior occasions, but find them a fitting Memorial Day tribute nevertheless. Never having had the privilege of serving in this country's Armed Forces, it's difficult for me to express the sentiments that I have when giving this day its due consideration or even whether I'm worthy of doing so. I would therefore instead simply like share with you a bit of information about the symbol of ultimate sacrifice in this country.

I was exposed to this hallowed symbol of service in 2008 while attending a Marine Corp reunion for my father's unit from World War II being held at the base in Quantico, VA ... Company A of the 10th Amphibian Tractor Battalion. There was something about sharing my introduction to this sacred ground with those veterans and their families that brought even more meaning to the experience. That they went there not only to pay tribute to the commanding officer buried there (Colonel Peck) but to all of their fallen comrades, carries far more meaning than any humble words I write could ever hope to.

So instead of boring you with my normal attempts at either significance or relevance, I will once more share with you the simple facts of this National Shrine, dedicated like the holiday to those who have fallen in battle, the Tomb of the Unknowns.
.

Tomb of the Unknowns

1. The tomb contains the unidentified remains of a soldier who served in World War I, World War II, Korea, and Viet Nam, and has been guarded continuously since 1930. (Though a soldier killed in Viet Nam was originally interred here, that body was later removed and identified through DNA testing. It was subsequently decided to leave the Viet Nam crypt empty.)
   
2. The Guards are members of the 3rd US Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), and wear no rank insignia on their uniforms while on duty so as not to outrank one of those lying in the Tomb.
3. The Guards take 21 steps, in recognition of the 21 gun salute; the highest honor given anyone in the military or any foreign dignitary.
4. Upon completion of those steps, the guards hesitate 21 seconds in memory of that same honor, turns 90 degrees and hesitates again for 21 seconds, then completes another 90 degree turn and hesitates yet one more time before resuming their march.
5. The Guards march with moistened gloves to prevent the gun from slipping from their grasp while on duty.
6. Guards are changed every 30 minutes; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
7. The guards always carry the rifle on the shoulder furthest from the tomb. This move places the sentinel between the tomb and any threat.
8. The Guards of the Tomb, an honor currently carried by very few soldiers (there were just over 500 people in 2008), is awarded only after careful examination and is recognized by the award of a wreath pin. They subsequently live under very strict guidelines of personal conduct for the rest of their lives.
9. For the first six months of this duty, guards spend most of their free time learning of the most notable people buried in Arlington in preparation for their exam. With their rigorous training, hours of marching, and rifle drill, they have little time for anything else.
10. Each guard spends five hours each day getting his uniforms ready for this duty.
11. In 2003, as Hurricane Isabella approached Washington and while Congress took 2 days off in anticipation of the dangers of this storm, these guards stood their duty. Soaked to the skin, they continued to march their rounds in the pelting rain of a tropical storm. They had been offered the opportunity to suspend this assignment but refused; stating that such duty was not simply an assignment, but was the highest honor afforded to a serving member of the military.

Honor indeed should be given to our troops serving in defense of freedom around the world today, and to those who have done likewise in every conflict where Americans have been called to do so. Greater veneration still is due those who made the ultimate sacrifice for those they served with and for the nation that honors them this day. May this day serve as a reminder to us all that the cost of liberty sometimes carries a very high price indeed; and may we remember to accord them equal esteem on every other day that we live in freedom.

Military Intelligence

A recent article in the Kansas City Star could not help but catch my attention. Having only recently returned to the Kansas City area, I had little invested in reading the press release from the Rep Ike Skelton that , " ... the Navy plans to move a construction battalion to Whiteman Air Force Base near Knob Noster in western Missouri. The Naval Mobile Construction Battalion-15 currently is stationed at the former Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base in south Kansas City area." 


It did however make me curious. I could easily understand the economic impact that 17 active duty personnel (full-time jobs) and that the 497 reservists (part-time jobs) would be a loss to the Kansas City area. I could also understand that this Construction Battalion probably serves a needed function in the greater scheme of the military. My difficulty arose however when looking at the broader picture of its location. 


While I have relatives currently serving actively in the military, I make no claims to understanding either the military mind or the logistics of construction battalions. I like to think however, that I can bring logic and reason to bear on most if not all of the situations that I consider. 


I have yet to reach a satisfactory conclusion however on the concept of moving a Navy construction battalion from one Air Force base to another, especially when both locations appear to be about as far from an ocean as you can get in the continental US. 


There may in fact be an excellent reason for this naval battalion to operate out of either location (and perhaps someone will point one of them out through comment); but at best the situation has all of the earmarks (pun intended) of a public relations nightmare waiting to happen for the armed services in general and the Navy in particular, and at worst it may be yet one more example of a member of Congress attempting to strong-arm one of our armed services in the name of pork and keep some of the taxpayers' money at home ... no matter how ridiculous such an attempt may appear.