Drink this...

Did you know they do it for this...?

I offer my thoughts and prayers to the soldiers and family members of the 186th MP Company which shipped out to Iraq on Saturday for their second tour of duty. And I selfishly thank God for the peace of mind he brought our family for my brother-in-law's discharge papers two weeks before their new orders. Joe, I'm proud of you, but I'm glad you'll be sitting this one out.

God Bless all the troops and return them safely to their families.

Special thanks to Army Veteran Gregory S. Engle for this special video tribute to remind us all why they fight. Please stop whatever it is you were previously doing to watch and take the time to appreciate our Veterans today.

Broadcasting some boob tubeage to this...

I've got some TV DVD collections and a few more random swag items available to the first two members of the U.S. armed forces serving overseas who get me their APO/FPO address.

Holla.

The cycle of life begins and ends with this...

If you had asked me the day before how I'd be spending Saturday morning, I wouldn't have answered, "in the delivery room with my sister."  Especially considering she lives in Texas now and I'm still in Cali.  When my home phone rang at 8:30 AM Sat. morning (!) I knew it was mom 'cause no one else would dare.  But she had Susan on the line, who had just settled into the hospital room having gone into labor a couple of hours earlier.  The early morning wake-up call was quickly forgiven.  The second call came at about 10:15 and mom and I stayed on the line 'til sister brought my first nephew into the world at 10:30AM.  Merek Allen, who wasn't named for hours later, was 7 lbs., 14 oz. and 20 in.

God Bless him.

If you told me then that as soon as the following day while still giddy over becoming a fourth-time aunt, that I'd be mourning the loss of someone I'd never met, I would have bet against you.  But on Sunday afternoon that's exactly what happened when, while I was making casual movie plans, I learned that my good friend Dave Hummel had lost his brother-in-law in Iraq. Sarah and her family were still adjusting to Tony being gone, packing their first boxes to ship over - he'd been there six short weeks.

Army Pfc. George Anthony Lutz II, 25, was killed Thursday when his patrol was attacked by small arms fire in Fallujah.  He is survived by his wife, Tiffany, and his two children, George Anthony III and Ava.

Tony was a dedicated soldier (and Redskins fan) and served our country with enthusiasm.  He left for Iraq eager to apply what he had learned in training.  He was assigned to the Army's 9th Psychological Operations Battalion, 4th Psychological Operations Group, at Fort Bragg, N.C.  Prior to being sent to Iraq, Tony had been in New Orleans where, among other things, he rescued two elderly women from a house that had already been searched.

Sarah and Dave were already on the east coast visiting their families when they got the tragic news.  Sarah was fortunate to have received a call from her brother just a few days before his death.  His grandmother, too.  They had both solicited his needs for care packages.  One of his last requests: please send candy for the Iraqi children.

God Bless him. 

Camping out with this...

Camp Katrina: Proving that the United States military does much more than just kill people and break things.

Need I say more?  Welcome these fine--and I do mean fine--gentlemen to the blogroll.

Apparently our body armor does protect this...

BAGHDAD -- Pfc. Stephen Tschiderer, a native of Mendon, N.Y., and 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.

Soldier survives attack; captures, medically treats sniper (Video)

(ArmyTimes.com) - During a routine patrol in Baghdad June 2, Army Pfc. Stephen Tschiderer, a medic from Mendon, was shot in the chest by an enemy sniper, hiding in a van just 75 yards away. The incident, reported in the Democrat and Chronicle July 5, was filmed by the insurgents and a video of the account was posted on the Army Times Web site today.

Tschiderer, with E Troop, 101st “Saber” Cavalry Division, attached to 3rd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, 256th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, was knocked to the ground from the impact, but he popped right back up, took cover and located the enemy’s position.

After tracking down the now-wounded sniper with a team from B Company, 4th Battalion, 1st Iraqi Army Brigade, Tschiderer secured the terrorist with a pair of handcuffs and gave medical aid to the terrorist who’d tried to kill him just minutes before.

See the video of the attack.

Read the account of the incident from the 256th Brigade Combat Team.

I like dead terrorists better than alive ones, but bravo to Private First Class Tschiderer for fulfilling his obligation as a U.S. Army medic when he had just about the best reason I can think of not to do this...