173rd Brigade, Vicenza, Italy

When the 3rd Brigade / 10th Mountain Division Spartans leave Afghanistan, their replacements are the 173rd Airborne Brigade of Vicenza, Italy, seen below. I think I would rather visit Vicenza than Watertown, NY (home of Fort Drum and the Spartans) though I hope very much to see some of the Spartans, again someday.

Unofficial Website

Official Website

Journal 07-13 Sep 2009

My favorite selections from The American Patriot’s Almanac (hereinafter referred to as TAPA), a daily journal by Bill Bennett of Americana:

September 1, 1773 Phillis Wheatley’s Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, was published: the first volume of poetry by an African American poet. “In every human breast, God has implanted a principle, which we call love of freedom. It is impatient of oppression, and pants for deliverance.” I can think of no greater cause to be here in Afghanistan right now than to help restore freedoms to these people.

September 2, 1944 George Herbert Walker Bush, the only one of three survivors in his Avenger torpedo bomber crash after taking AntiAirArtillery (“triple A”), is rescued by what? The USS Finback, a submarine! He returned shortly after recovering from his ordeal to the front lines.

September 3, 1777 Captain John Paul Jones raises the Stars and Stripes for the first time on an American warship, the Ranger, in Portsmouth Harbor, New Hampshire. The flag was given him by a group of young ladies who made it out of gowns.

September 4, 1609 Henry Hudson explores New York Harbor before sailing up the Hudson River to present day Albany, New York when he figured out that was not a short cut to China. He would be killed by a mutinous crew along with his son John and seven other just two years later by being set adrift in a small boat in the vast inland sea of Canada, now known as Hudson Bay.

September 5, 1836 Gotta go with “Sam Houston elected president of the Republic of Texas!” Runner-up: 1774, The First Continental Congress assembles in Philadelphia to draw up a declaration of grievances against Britain. Just think, we may all be crumpet-eating, tea-sippers if King George had been a little wiser in his handling of “the colonies.”

September 6, 1781 British troops under Benedict Arnold burn New London, Connecticut. Wonder if we could do that again and start over??

07 Sep 09

Bible Reading: Joshua 11-14

TAPA: 1899, In Newport, Rhode Island, 19 cars decorated with flowers and flags participate in the first automobile parade in the United States. One of my grandfather’s brothers used to decorate floats for parades in Central-North Texas. Don’t remember which parades, though…

Workout: 45 min elliptical, chest/arms, situps

Breakfast: oatmeal w mixed berry yogurt, Protein Shake

Lunch: Pastrami/cheddar wrap w garlic mustard, fruit salad

Dinner: Turkey breast, shrimp salad, steamed cauliflower, strawberry ice cream

08 Sep 09

Bible Reading: Joshua 15-17

TAPA: 1763, The oldest standing synagogue is the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island (been there, but they don’t do Tee-shirts – just yamulkas.) In a famous letter to the congregation about religious liberty, George Washington avowed that the United States “gives to bigotry no sanction,” and that when anyone wishes to worship God in his own way, “there shall be none to make him afraid.”

Workout: 45 min elliptical, shoulders/back, situps

Breakfast: oatmeal w peach yogurt, Protein Shake

Lunch: Chicken wrap, fruit salad, shrimp salad, V-8

Dinner: Cheese tortellini pesto, shrimp salad, corn cob, fruit salad, V-8

09 Sep 09

Bible Reading: Joshua 18-21

TAPA: 1776, The Second Continental Congress makes official the term “United States.”

Workout: 45 min elliptical, chest/arms, situps

Breakfast: oatmeal w mixed berry yogurt, Protein Shake

Lunch: Chicken breast, green beans, carrots, fruit salad, V-8, diet coke

Dinner: Turkey breast, potatoes au gratin, asparagus (of which I was reminded later when urinating), fruit salad, V-8, iced tea

10 Sep 09

Bible Reading: Joshua 22-23

TAPA: 1813, Following the Battle of Lake Erie (versus the British in the War of 1812), Oliver Hazard Perry sends the message, “We have met the enemy and they are ours.

Workout: 45 min elliptical, shoulders/back, situps

Breakfast: oatmeal w mixed berry yogurt, Protein Shake, GJ

Lunch: Chicken wing, pulled chicken, tossed salad, V-8, diet pepsi

Dinner: Chicken breast/wing, jambalaya, corn, broccoli, V-8, butter pecan ice cream

11 Sep 09

Bible Reading: Joshua 24

TAPA: 1941, A groundbreaking ceremony takes place for construction of the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.

Workout: 45 min elliptical, chest/arms, situps

Breakfast: oatmeal w mixed berry yogurt, Protein Shake

Lunch: Chicken Enchiladas, fruit salad, V-8

Dinner: Shrimp, crab legs, green beans, Beck’s NA beer

It’s surreal to be spending any day in Afghanistan, but on this particular day, I am proud to be here doing my part to help make our country, this country, our world a little bit safer.

12 Sep 09

Bible Reading: Judges 1-4

TAPA: 1782, Betty Zane, 16, runs for more gunpowder under a hail of gunfire from British and Indians during the siege of Fort Henry (was part of Ohio, now Wheeling, WV).

Workout: 45 min elliptical, shoulders/back, situps

Breakfast: oatmeal w peach yogurt, Protein Shake

Lunch: Tuna salad wrap, wilted lettuce salad, fruit salad, V-8, diet coke

Ice Coppee: $3 ($1 tip)

Massage: $30 ($10 tip)

Dinner: Pasta, Broccoli salad, Iced Tea

13 Sep 09

Bible Reading: Judges 5-7

TAPA: 1814, A British fleet bombards Fort McHenry at Baltimore, Maryland, as Francis Scott Key looks on. The following morning, overcome with emotion, he would scribble a few lines that began, “O say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light…”

Breakfast: 3 eggs over medium w cheddar/jalapenos, biscuit/gravy, coffee

Chapel Service: Ch Sanders used all of Deut 8 as his text wherein God was reminding the Hebrews to do what he said or they would suffer lack. What do we gain during times of lack? Humility, fewer distractions, dependence on God, privilege of focus on God. What are my idols? Where is my Egypt that I want to return to?

Lunch: Chicken enchilada w jalapenos, refried beans, maxican corn (that’s how it was spelled on the dry erase menu board…) and Spanish rice. Dined w my favorite Cuban: Rich Gonzalez.

Nice letter from Lora on marriage vows dated 3 Sep and a box w James Patterson Beach Road, 2 boxes of Bora Bora bars and the sleeve for the speaker system we gave to Melody.

Box of office supplies from Paige at Leonie via Ray at Fenty.

Dinner: Rotisserie chicken, carrots, green beans, fruit salad, V-8, diet pepsi

Journal 31 Aug - 6 Sep

Based on what I have seen, learned and read I have an opinion on US involvement in Afghanistan. I can certainly see why we did not stand idly by while the Taliban (TB) shunned women. I can understand why we got involved in order to provide more security and freedom to those who did not believe or practice as did the TB. I can even understand, from a US AND a global perspective why a more stable Afghanistan is a good thing: it’s the least expensive path for oil and gas pipelines from the land-locked Central Asian Republics (CARs). What I don’t understand is why it took so long for us to act: then I looked back at the history of US policy toward TB since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Up until almost 2000, US policy was to side with TB in the hopes they would be the ruling organization in AFG, in spite of what we knew about their beliefs and practices and continued to learn. This stand was against all CARs and Iran and Pakistan and Russia and other Anti-TB nations. It was also US policy to “turn the other cheek” when blatantly attacked (embassy and WTC bombings of the early 1990s for which we provided a very limited, narrow response.) This made us weak in the eyes of the TB (and Al-Qada) – so, they never took us seriously and blew us up again: 09/11/2001. US policy quickly changed to a much more aggressive posture against terrorism wherever it was found a threat to national security (Iraq) and an affront to human rights (AFG). So, let’s go to AFG. Now, eight years later, TB is out of power and mostly conducting hit and run or guerilla warfare tactics with remote-detonated IEDs, shooting from mosques, dressing as women – many cowardly, yet effective attacks.

31 August 2009

Bible Reading: Deut. 28

Breakfast: oatmeal w mixed berry yogurt, Protein Shake

Lunch: grilled chicken wrap, fruit salad, V-8

Dinner: taco salad, diet pepsi

01 September 2009

Bible Reading: Deut. 29-30

Money Spent: $60 Roshan Calling Cards; Ice Coppee

Breakfast: Protein Shake, oatmeal w strawberry yogurt

Lunch: turkey wrap, fruit salad, V-8, diet pepsi

Supper: Chicken Enchiladas, veggie salad, fruit salad, V-8

02 September 2009

Bible Reading: Deut.31-32

Money Spent: $2 ice coppee, $1 tip

Breakfast: oatmeal w strawberry yogurt, Protein Shake

Lunch: Pastrami/provolone wrap, fruit salad, veggie salad, V-8, diet coke

Dinner: Chicken/broccoli Chinese style, steamed veggies, strawberries,V-8, snapple

03 September 2009

Bible Reading: Deut. 23-Joshua 1

Money Spent: $4 ice coppee; $2 tip (bought one for Christal, an army interrogator who was having a bad day...)

Breakfast: Protein Shake, oatmeal w mixed berry yogurt, Coffee

Lunch: Grilled trout, broccoli, mac & cheese, black-eyed peas, fruit salad, V-8, Snapple Tea

Supper: Turkey, dressing, carrots, yogurt, V-8, Snapple

Bible Study: The Purpose Driven Life, Chapter 30

04 September 2009

Bible Reading: Joshua 2-5

Money Spent: $2 ice coppee, $1 tip

Breakfast: Protein shake, Bora Bora Peanut Peanut bar

Lunch: Tuna salad wrap, pineapple czunks (that’s Czech for chunks), V-8, snapple lemon tea

Dinner: Lobstah tail, shrimp, salad, green beans, ice cream w strawberry drizzle and strawberries, V-8, Snapple.

05 September 2009

Bible Reading: Joshua 6-8

Money Spent: $20 massage, $10 tip

Breakfast: Protein shake, oatmeal/peach yogurt, snapple

Lunch: Baked salmon, vegetable lo mein, steamed mixed veggies, collard greens, fruit salad, V-8, Snapple tea

Supper: Pasta, grapes, 2 x V-8

06 September 2009

Bible Reading: Joshua 9-10

Breakfast: Omelet, biscuit/gravy, coffee

Chapel service: God is the god of the Unexpected. Ex 2-4. Moses lived 40 years in Pharoah’s house; 40 years in desert around Midian as shepherd; 40 years in wilderness with Hebrews.

Lunch: Tuna salad wrap, cold veggie salad, fruit salad, V-8, Snapple

Supper: forgot.

Attended 9-11 Memorial Service, today

Quite moving with prerecorded songs and picture presentations.

One of the readers delivered part of G.W. Bush SOU speech on 9/20/2001:

"On September the 11th, enemies of freedom committed an act of war against our country. Americans have known wars, but for the past 136 years they have been wars on foreign soil, except for one Sunday in 1941. Americans have known the casualties of war, but not at the center of a great city on a peaceful morning.

Americans have known surprise attacks, but never before on thousands of civilians. All of this was brought upon us in a single day, and night fell on a different world, a world where freedom itself is under attack.

Americans have many questions tonight. Americans are asking, "Who attacked our country?"

The evidence we have gathered all points to a collection of loosely affiliated terrorist organizations known as al Qaeda.The terrorists practice a fringe form of Islamic extremism that has been rejected by Muslim scholars and the vast majority of Muslim clerics; a fringe movement that perverts the peaceful teachings of Islam.The terrorists' directive commands them to kill Christians and Jews, to kill all Americans and make no distinctions among military and civilians, including women and children. It is not only repressing its own people, it is threatening people everywhere by sponsoring and sheltering and supplying terrorists. The terrorists are traitors to their own faith, trying, in effect, to hijack Islam itself. The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends. It is not our many Arab friends. Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists and every government that supports them. Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated.

Americans are asking "Why do they hate us?"

They hate what they see right here in this chamber: a democratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed. They hate our freedoms: our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other. They want to overthrow existing governments in many Muslim countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. They want to drive Israel out of the Middle East. They want to drive Christians and Jews out of vast regions of Asia and Africa. These terrorists kill not merely to end lives, but to disrupt and end a way of life. With every atrocity, they hope that America grows fearful, retreating from the world and forsaking our friends. They stand against us because we stand in their way. We're not deceived by their pretenses to piety. We have seen their kind before. They're the heirs of all the murderous ideologies of the 20th century. By sacrificing human life to serve their radical visions, by abandoning every value except the will to power, they follow in the path of fascism, Nazism and totalitarianism. And they will follow that path all the way to where it ends in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies.

Americans are asking, "How will we fight and win this war?"

We will direct every resource at our command -- every means of diplomacy, every tool of intelligence, every instrument of law enforcement, every financial influence, and every necessary weapon of war -- to the destruction and to the defeat of the global terror network. Now, this war will not be like the war against Iraq a decade ago, with a decisive liberation of territory and a swift conclusion. It will not look like the air war above Kosovo two years ago, where no ground troops were used and not a single American was lost in combat. Our response involves far more than instant retaliation and isolated strikes. Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign unlike any other we have ever seen. It may include dramatic strikes visible on TV and covert operations secret even in success. We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place until there is no refuge or no rest. And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation in every region now has a decision to make: Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime. Our nation has been put on notice, we're not immune from attack. We will take defensive measures against terrorism to protect Americans. Today, dozens of federal departments and agencies, as well as state and local governments, have responsibilities affecting homeland security. Many will be involved in this effort, from FBI agents, to intelligence operatives, to the reservists we have called to active duty. All deserve our thanks, and all have our prayers. And tonight a few miles from the damaged Pentagon, I have a message for our military: Be ready. I have called the armed forces to alert, and there is a reason. The hour is coming when America will act, and you will make us proud. This is not, however, just America's fight. And what is at stake is not just America's freedom. This is the world's fight. This is civilization's fight. This is the fight of all who believe in progress and pluralism, tolerance and freedom. We ask every nation to join us. We will ask and we will need the help of police forces, intelligence service and banking systems around the world. The United States is grateful that many nations and many international organizations have already responded with sympathy and with support -- nations from Latin America to Asia to Africa to Europe to the Islamic world. Perhaps the NATO charter reflects best the attitude of the world: An attack on one is an attack on all. The civilized world is rallying to America's side. They understand that if this terror goes unpunished, their own cities, their own citizens may be next. Terror unanswered can not only bring down buildings, it can threaten the stability of legitimate governments.

And you know what? We're not going to allow it.

After all that has just passed, all the lives taken and all the possibilities and hopes that died with them, it is natural to wonder if America's future is one of fear. Some speak of an age of terror. I know there are struggles ahead and dangers to face. But this country will define our times, not be defined by them. As long as the United States of America is determined and strong, this will not be an age of terror. This will be an age of liberty here and across the world. Great harm has been done to us. We have suffered great loss. And in our grief and anger we have found our mission and our moment. Freedom and fear are at war. The advance of human freedom, the great achievement of our time and the great hope of every time, now depends on us. Our nation, this generation, will lift the dark threat of violence from our people and our future. We will rally the world to this cause by our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter and we will not fail. It is my hope that in the months and years ahead life will return almost to normal. We'll go back to our lives and routines and that is good. Even grief recedes with time and grace. But our resolve must not pass. Each of us will remember what happened that day and to whom it happened. We will remember the moment the news came, where we were and what we were doing. Some will remember an image of a fire or story or rescue. Some will carry memories of a face and a voice gone forever. I will not forget the wound to our country and those who inflicted it. I will not yield, I will not rest, I will not relent in waging this struggle for freedom and security for the American people. The course of this conflict is not known, yet its outcome is certain. Freedom and fear, justice and cruelty, have always been at war, and we know that God is not neutral between them. Fellow citizens, we'll meet violence with patient justice, assured of the rightness of our cause and confident of the victories to come.

In all that lies before us, may God grant us wisdom and may he watch over the United States of America. Thank you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And this from Leonard Pitts, Jr. of the Miami Herald:

We'll go forward from this moment
BY LEONARD PITTS JR.

"It's my job to have something to say.

They pay me to provide words that help make sense of that which troubles the American soul.

But in this moment of airless shock when hot tears sting disbelieving eyes, the only thing I can find to say, the only words that seem to fit, must be addressed to the unknown author of this suffering.

You monster. You beast. You unspeakable bastard.

What lesson did you hope to teach us by your coward's attack on our World Trade Center, our Pentagon, us? What was it you hoped we would learn? Whatever it was, please know that you failed.

Did you want us to respect your cause? You just damned your cause.

Did you want to make us fear? You just steeled our resolve.

Did you want to tear us apart? You just brought us together.

Let me tell you about my people. We are a vast and quarrelsome family, a family rent by racial, social, political and class division, but a family nonetheless. We're frivolous, yes, capable of expending tremendous emotional energy on pop cultural minutiae - a singer's revealing dress, a ball team's misfortune, a cartoon mouse. We're wealthy, too, spoiled by the ready availability of trinkets and material goods, and maybe because of that, we walk through life with a certain sense of blithe entitlement. We are fundamentally decent, though - peace-loving and compassionate. We struggle to know the right thing and to do it. And we are, the overwhelming majority of us, people of faith, believers in a just and loving God.

Some people - you, perhaps - think that any or all of this makes us weak. You're mistaken. We are not weak. Indeed, we are strong in ways that cannot be measured by arsenals.

IN PAIN

Yes, we're in pain now. We are in mourning and we are in shock. We're still grappling with the unreality of the awful thing you did, still working to make ourselves understand that this isn't a special effect from some Hollywood blockbuster, isn't the plot development from a Tom Clancy novel. Both in terms of the awful scope of their ambition and the probable final death toll, your attacks are likely to go down as the worst acts of terrorism in the history of the United States and, probably, the history of the world. You've bloodied us as we have never been bloodied before.

But there's a gulf of difference between making us bloody and making us fall. This is the lesson Japan was taught to its bitter sorrow the last time anyone hit us this hard, the last time anyone brought us such abrupt and monumental pain. When roused, we are righteous in our outrage, terrible in our force. When provoked by this level of barbarism, we will bear any suffering, pay any cost, go to any length, in the pursuit of justice.

I tell you this without fear of contradiction. I know my people, as you, I think, do not. What I know reassures me. It also causes me to tremble with dread of the future.

In the days to come, there will be recrimination and accusation, fingers pointing to determine whose failure allowed this to happen and what can be done to prevent it from happening again.

There will be heightened security, misguided talk of revoking basic freedoms. We'll go forward from this moment sobered, chastened, sad. But determined, too. Unimaginably determined.

THE STEEL IN US

You see, the steel in us is not always readily apparent. That aspect of our character is seldom understood by people who don't know us well. On this day, the family's bickering is put on hold.
As Americans we will weep, as Americans we will mourn, and as Americans, we will rise in defense of all that we cherish.

So I ask again: What was it you hoped to teach us? It occurs to me that maybe you just wanted us to know the depths of your hatred. If that's the case, consider the message received. And take this message in exchange: You don't know my people. You don't know what we're capable of. You don't know what you just started.

But you're about to learn.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s surreal to be spending any day in Afghanistan, but on this particular day, I am proud to be here doing my part to help make our country, this country, our world a little bit safer.

Thank you to all who are serving and who are at home supporting them!

Journal 24-30 August

24 August 2009

Bible Reading: Deut. 7-9

Money Spent: $2 (ice coppee); $3 peach/mango smoothie (celebrating the return of the internet)

Breakfast: oatmeal w mixed berry yogurt, Protein Shake (100 calories), iced Coffee

Lunch: tuna/egg salad wrap w the Montezuma hot sauce (wow!!! Thatsa spicia stuff!), fruit salad, diet pepsi

Dinner: Filipino chicken w pineapple, rice, puto

25 August 2009

Bible Reading: Deut. 10-12

Money Spent: $20 haircut / facial (but no eyebrow plucking!!!) Hey - you may be laughing, but I talked a the very male Navy SEAL lieutenant into a mani-pedi!

Breakfast: Protein Shake (100 calories), Coffee

Lunch: turkey wrap w lettuce, tomato, carrots, jalapenos, raisins, tuna, potato, ranch, heinz 57, fruit salad, V-8, diet coke

Supper: Filipino food: chicken, rice, noodles, Montezuma Hot Sauce! Fruit Salad

26 August 2009

Bible Reading: Deut. 13-15

Money Spent: $3 Strawberry/Banana smoothie, $1 tip

Breakfast: oatmeal w mixed berry yogurt, Protein Shake (100 calories), coffee

Lunch: Tuna salad wrap, fruit salad

Dinner: BBQ riblet tossed salad w Bleu Cheese

27 August 2009

Bible Reading: Deut. 16-18

Money Spent: $5 Laundry

Breakfast: Protein Shake, oatmeal w mixed berry yogurt, Coffee

Lunch: turkey wrap w lettuce, tomato, onion, ranch, heinz 57, fruit
salad, V-8, Snapple Tea

Supper: catfish, cauliflower, pasta salad, strawberries, Snapple

Bible Study: The Purpose Driven Life, Chapter 29

28 August 2009

Got severe diarrhea in the night. Helluva way to wake up – barely made it outside. Did NOT make it to the toilet 100 yards away.

Bible Reading: Deut. 19-21

Money Spent: $3 Smoothie

Breakfast: sesame raisin bar

Lunch: sesame raisin bar

Dinner: mango smoothie; Czech doctor gave me immodium and local antibiotics... the directions on the box were in Czech. No, wait, it was just upside down..

29 August 2009

Bible Reading: Deut. 23-25

Money Spent: $3 Smoothie

Breakfast: Sausage biscuit, cranberry juice

Lunch: Peach/mango smoothie (just ice and fruit in these smoothies... more of a fruit slushee); cream of mushroom soup, grilled cheese

Supper: Filipino food: beef machado, chicken tossino, puto, leche flan

Sang "Sir Duke" and "Georgia on My Mind" karaoke along with MSgt Gonzalez, Michael Hoffenheifer (grossly misspelled) and most of the Filipinos. Herbert, aka Cristal, serenaded me with “Thank You” and Melody sang to me as well - I forgot the title, something about not wanting to be alone… These Filipino women have young children back in the PI and do not have husbands for one reason or another. These women work hard and send the money home while their children are raised by other family members. Tough life, but their choice.

30 August 2009

Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 25-27

Money Spent: $0

Breakfast: sausage biscuit, strawberry yogurt, GJ, coffee

Chapel service. “Caleb: Finishing Strong” Joshua 14:6-15
A Different Spirit: Vv8-9 Followed the Lord wholeheartedly; Numbers 14:20-25 Different Spirit: 2 out of a million Threw his all into following God
A Different Perspective: Num 13:26-30 Perspective of fear, perspective of faith, Caleb’s conviction was that Israelites would prevail.
A Different Ethic: Joshua 14:10-11 85 years old, no easy life, no retirement, ready to do battle, a man of faith, had seen what God could do whereas many had seen but not believed. (What has God done in my life?) Had believed God would defeat enemies, and later believed that God would drive out the Anakites.
Caleb expected God to act and prevail, he was in partnership with God, he wanted to be involved in God’s work/plan: God has a plan that includes me and my time in AFG.
Caleb was willing to do his part: in God’s work, followed God wholly (followed God’s orders, not just asked for what he wanted.)
Like Caleb, in transitions – follow God wholly with intent and attitude of finishing strong.

Lunch: Chicken and Rice, Corn, Collard Greens, V-8, diet coke

Box 1 (Lora): Odetah hat, Air Freshener, Pumpkin Seeds (could I get a return authorization on those, please), Hawaiian Money Folding Book
Box 2 (Lora): Universe Atlas, swiffer, wash cloths, miracle foot repair
Box 3 (Gayla Kinder): The American Patriot's Almanac (Gayla is one of mom's high school friends whose son and daughter were 1 year behind and 2 years ahead of me.)

Supper: didn’t write it down, but who really cares at this point what the hell I had for supper on 30 August??? :)

Pentagon Keeps Wary Watch as Troops Blog By JAMES DAO NYT

Over the course of 10 months in eastern Afghanistan, an Army specialist nicknamed Mud Puppy maintained a blog irreverently chronicling life at the front, from the terror of roadside bombs to the tyrannies of master sergeants.

Often funny and always profane, the blog, Embrace the Suck (military slang for making the best of a bad situation), flies under the Army’s radar. Not officially approved, it is hidden behind a password-protected wall because the reservist does not want his superiors censoring it.

“Some officer would be reviewing all my writing,” the 31-year-old soldier, who insisted that his name not be used, said in an e-mail message. “And sooner or later he would find something to nail me with.”

There are two sides to the military’s foray into the freewheeling world of the interactive Web. At the highest echelons of the Pentagon, civilian officials and four-star generals are newly hailing the power of social networking to make members of the American military more empathetic, entice recruits and shape public opinion on the war.

Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of American forces in Iraq, is on Facebook. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, has a YouTube channel and posts Twitter updates almost daily.

The Army is encouraging personnel of all ranks to go online and collaboratively rewrite seven of its field manuals. And on Aug. 17, the Department of Defense unveiled a Web site promoting links to its blogs and its Flickr, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube sites.

The Web, however, is a big place. And the many thousands of troops who use blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites to communicate with the outside world are not always in tune with the Pentagon’s official voice. Policing their daily flood of posts, videos and photographs is virtually impossible — but that has not stopped some in the military from trying.

The Department of Defense, citing growing concerns about cybersecurity, plans to issue a new policy in the coming weeks that is widely expected to set departmentwide restrictions on access to social networking sites from military computers. People involved with the department’s review say the new policy may limit access to social media sites to those who can demonstrate a clear work need, like public information officers or family counselors.

If that is the case, many officials say, it will significantly set back efforts to expand and modernize the military’s use of the Web just as those efforts are gaining momentum. And while the new policy would not apply to troops who use private Internet providers, a large number of military personnel on bases and ships across the world depend on their work computers to gain access to the Internet.

To many analysts and officers, the debate reflects a broader clash of cultures: between the anarchic, unfiltered, bottom-up nature of the Web and the hierarchical, tightly controlled, top-down tradition of the military.

“We as an institution still haven’t come to grips with how we want to use blogging” and other social media, said Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, the commander of the Army Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

One of the Army’s leading advocates for more open access to the Web, General Caldwell argues that social networking allows interaction among enlisted soldiers, junior officers and generals in a way that was unthinkable a decade ago.

He requires students at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth to blog, and the college now sponsors 40 publicly available blogs, including his own, where policies are freely debated.

But getting approval for those blogs, as well as for YouTube and Facebook access at the college, was a struggle. “At every corner, someone cited a regulation,” General Caldwell said. In recent months, however, “the Army has made quantum leaps” in embracing the Web, he added.

Noah Shachtman, editor of Wired.com’s national security blog, Danger Room, which has reported extensively on the new policy review, said he recently asked students at West Point whether they would allow soldiers to blog. Almost every cadet said no.

“Then I asked, ‘How many of you think you can stop the flow of information from your soldiers?’ ” Mr. Shachtman recalled. “Everybody agreed there is no way to stop this information from going out anyway. So there is this sort of dual-headedness.”

Skeptics of the Pentagon review say it is motivated partly by a desire among certain officials to exert control over the voices of troops on the Web.

Since the advent of military blogging during the Iraq war, some commanders have remained uncomfortable with the art form, citing concerns about both security and decorum.

Journal 17-23 August

Shank 090409

We were in a communications blackout for 3 days 17-20 August, due to multiple KIAs...

17 August 2009

Bible Reading: Numbers 26-28

Money Spent: $5 (laundry)

Breakfast: Protein Shake, Coffee

Lunch: (did not write it down)

Dinner: (did not write it down)

18 August 2009

Bible Reading: Numbers 29-31

Money Spent: $27 - laptop to Lora; $2 ice coppee; $12 - pedicure (yes, pedicure - Melody is quite adept.)

Breakfast: oatmeal w strawberry yogurt, Protein Shake

Lunch: card deck of pork roast, carrots, peas, corn on cube, broccoli salad, fruit salad, diet pepsi

Supper: grilled chicken breast on tossed salad, bleu cheese dressing, grapes, V-8, diet coke

19 August 2009

Bible Reading: Number 32-33

Money Spent: $5 (laundry)

Breakfast: Protein Shake, Coffee

Lunch: (did not write it down)

Supper: (did not write it down)

20 August 2009

Bible Reading: Numbers 34-35

Money Spent: $0

Breakfast: oatmeal w yogurt, Protein Shake

Lunch: Filipino style chicken and rice noodles

Supper: Chicken Parmesan, steamed mixed vegetables, fruit salad, imitation crab salad, V-8, diet coke

Bible Study: The Purpose Driven Life, Chapter 28: It Takes Time

There are no shortcuts to maturity.

Why does it take so long?

We are slow learners. We often have to relearn a lesson forty or fifty time to really get it. The problems keep recurring, and we think, “Not again! I’ve already learned that!” – but God knows better. The history of Israel illustrates how quickly we forget the lessons God teaches us and how soon we revert to out old patterns of behavior. We need repeated exposure.

We have a lot to unlearn.

We are afraid to humbly face the truth about ourselves.

Growth is often painful and scary.

Habits take time to develop.

Don’t get in a hurry.

Believe God is working in your life even when you don’t feel it.

Keep a notebook or journal of lessons learned.

Be patient with God and with yourself.

Don’t get discouraged.

21 August 2009

Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 1-2

Money Spent: $110 – Roshan cellular network calling cards

Breakfast: Protein Shake, oatmeal w peach yogurt

Lunch: Tuna salad wrap, fruit salad, V-8, diet coke

Supper: Crab cakes, potato salad, strawberry ice cream w drizzle, V-8

22 August 2009

Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 3-4. Chapter 4 is Moses telling the Israelites how God wants them to worship him and him alone beginning, like, yesterday and especially when they get to the Promised Land b/c if they don’t, he’s gonna kick them back out and scatter them across the nations. Which, well, happened. What is interesting about this chapter is how prophetic it is, even up to the tribulation and how Israel was to suffer during that time as well.

Money Spent: $30 massage

Breakfast: Protein Shake, oatmeal w yogurt

Lunch: Chicken wrap, vegetable salad, fruit salad, V-8, diet coke; Got to hear both Gonzalez’ tales of how they came to be in the positions they are here at TF Spartan.

Supper: 2 Tablespoons each of pesto tortellini and carbonera noodles, 1 cup spaghetti w tomato sauce, grapes, V-8

23 August 2009

Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 5-6

Money Spent: $0

Breakfast: 3 real egg omelet w ham/cheese, biscuit w gravy, waffle, PJ, coffee

Chapel service: Philippians 3-4, Luke 10: 38-42 – the most important activity we ever have is to spend time w Jesus.

Lunch: Pastrami wrap w tomato, onion, garlic mustard and Heinz 57, fruit salad, diet coke

Got two boxes from Lora containing:

Electric toothbrush, sheet stays, batteries, hot sauce, gum, long sleeve shirts, Johnson Controls jacket, cute bulldog card, some mailed magazines.

Supper: Jambalaya w sausage and chicken, grapes, V-8

Ok. So I am still mostly writing about what I eat, but meal time is the highlight of my day!!!