Bravo Billy: Soldiers and Veterans

Getting Well and Encouraging Vets to Run for Office

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:02:07 GMT

I am finally getting over this nasty stuff I have had. I encourage other veterans who are thinking about running for office to go ahead and do it. If you came home and do not know what to do with your life, get involved with your hometown politics. You survived combat and therefore can handle anything. We need you in the Senate, Congress and all the States levels from the hometowns to the Governors offices. You can do it, brothers. By getting involved we can bring the troops home in an orderly fashion and win and have a home to come to.

The War: According to People who actually are here by Michael Yon

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 02:15:02 GMT

Greetings: Iraq is on the mend, al Qaeda is on the run, and the civil war has abated to a point where the term "civil war" no longer applies. Accurate war coverage is increasingly important. Even prominent seemingly well-informed persons can get it wrong, such as retired Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez who previously commanded the war in Iraq. His recent public statements –selectively excerpted and then widely dispersed by the hot winds of media – made it clear that this former senior commander is far out of touch with the current situation. But there are commanders with a finger on the pulse. When earlier this year I wrote about the 1-4 CAV transforming an abandoned seminary in a Baghdad neighborhood that had been decimated by civil war, the "surge" had not even begun; but already pundits, politicians and editors had declared it a failure. Though I'd spent only a few days with LTC Crider and his 1-4 CAV soldiers at the new COP Amanche, I ended the dispatch on a note of hope based on observation. I recently received an email from LTC Crider with an update on that Baghdad neighborhood. Please read "Achievements of the Human Heart" and see for yourself. I was in al Basra province when I saw news reports claiming that Basra city had descended into chaos in the wake of an announcement about the draw down of British Soldiers. I emailed the facts about Basra to several bloggers who hold the media accountable, and the resulting effort got the attention of Tom Foreman who anchors CNN's "This Week at War." We were able to make a CNN interview, and the result is a segment that accurately reflects a complex and changing situation. Bravo to CNN for setting the record straight, and to the tireless bloggers who are making a substantial difference in the way news about the war is delivered. There are major developments to share with readers in upcoming dispatches. If things go at-least-mostly according to plan (which is all we can hope for in war), and if I can rely on the help of readers who share my frustration with the lack of accurate reporting, we can significantly widen the stream of news flowing from Iraq so more people can obtain a truer picture. This will require the will and generosity of readers. But more on that, soon. Michael Basra, Iraq To change your email address or unsubscribe from this list, please click here. If you want to forward this message to a friend, click here.

Hope Rides Alone by Eddie Jeffers

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 15:30:40 GMT

Eddie Jeffers was killed in Iraq on September 19, 2007. He was 23.

I stare out into the darkness from my post, and I watch the city burn to the ground. I smell the familiar smells, I walk through the familiar rubble, and I look at the frightened faces that watch me pass down the streets of their neighborhoods. My nerves hardly rest; my hands are steady on a device that has been given to me from my government for the purpose of taking the lives of others.

I sweat, and I am tired. My back aches from the loads I carry. Young American boys look to me to direct them in a manner that will someday allow them to see their families again...and yet, I too, am just a boy....my age not but a few years more than that of the ones I lead. I am stressed, I am scared, and I am paranoid...because death is everywhere. It waits for me, it calls to me from around street corners and windows, and it is always there.

There are the demons that follow me, and tempt me into thoughts and actions that are not my own...but that are necessary for survival. I've made compromises with my humanity. And I am not alone in this. Miles from me are my brethren in this world, who walk in the same streets...who feel the same things, whether they admit to it or not.

And to think, I volunteered for this...

And I am ignorant to the rest of the world...or so I thought.

But even thousands of miles away, in Ramadi, Iraq, the cries and screams and complaints of the ungrateful reach me. In a year, I will be thrust back into society from a life and mentality that doesn't fit your average man. And then, I will be alone. And then, I will walk down the streets of America, and see the yellow ribbon stickers on the cars of the same people who compare our President to Hitler.

I will watch the television and watch the Cindy Sheehans, and the Al Frankens, and the rest of the ignorant sheep of America spout off their mouths about a subject they know nothing about. It is their right, however, and it is a right that is defended by hundreds of thousands of boys and girls scattered across the world, far from home. I use the word boys and girls, because that's what they are. In the Army, the average age of the infantryman is nineteen years old. The average rank of soldiers killed in action is Private First Class.

People like Cindy Sheehan are ignorant. Not just to this war, but to the results of their idiotic ramblings, or at least I hope they are. They don't realize its effects on this war. In this war, there are no Geneva Conventions, no cease fires. Medics and Chaplains are not spared from the enemy's brutality because it's against the rules. I can only imagine the horrors a military Chaplain would experience at the hands of the enemy. The enemy slinks in the shadows and fights a coward’s war against us. It is effective though, as many men and women have died since the start of this war. And the memory of their service to America is tainted by the inconsiderate remarks on our nation's news outlets. And every day, the enemy changes...only now, the enemy is becoming something new. The enemy is transitioning from the Muslim extremists to Americans. The enemy is becoming the very people whom we defend with our lives. And they do not realize it. But in denouncing our actions, denouncing our leaders, denouncing the war we live and fight, they are isolating the military from society...and they are becoming our enemy.

Democrats and peace activists like to toss the word "quagmire" around and compare this war to Vietnam. In a way they are right, this war is becoming like Vietnam. Not the actual war, but in the isolation of country and military. America is not a nation at war; they are a nation with its military at war. Like it or not, we are here, some of us for our second, or third times; some even for their fourth and so on. Americans are so concerned now with politics, that it is interfering with our war.

Terrorists cut the heads off of American citizens on the internet...and there is no outrage, but an American soldier kills an Iraqi in the midst of battle, and there are investigations, and sometimes soldiers are even jailed...for doing their job.

It is absolutely sickening to me to think our country has come to this. Why are we so obsessed with the bad news? Why will people stop at nothing to be against this war, no matter how much evidence of the good we've done is thrown in their face? When is the last time CNN or MSNBC or CBS reported the opening of schools and hospitals in Iraq? Or the leaders of terror cells being detained or killed? It's all happening, but people will not let up their hatred of President Bush. They will ignore the good news, because it just might show people that Bush was right.

America has lost its will to fight. It has lost its will to defend what is right and just in the world. The crazy thing of it all is that the American people have not even been asked to sacrifice a single thing. It’s not like World War II, where people rationed food and turned in cars to be made into metal for tanks. The American people have not been asked to sacrifice anything. Unless you are in the military or the family member of a servicemember, its life as usual...the war doesn't affect you.

But it affects us. And when it is over and the troops come home and they try to piece together what's left of them after their service...where will the detractors be then? Where will the Cindy Sheehans be to comfort and talk to soldiers and help them sort out the last couple years of their lives, most of which have been spent dodging death and wading through the deaths of their friends? They will be where they always are, somewhere far away, where the horrors of the world can't touch them. Somewhere where they can complain about things they will never experience in their lifetime; things that the young men and women of America have willingly taken upon their shoulders.

We are the hope of the Iraqi people. They want what everyone else wants in life: safety, security, somewhere to call home. They want a country that is safe to raise their children in. Not a place where their children will be abducted, raped and murdered if they do not comply with the terrorists demands. They want to live on, rebuild and prosper. And America has given them the opportunity, but only if we stay true to the cause and see it to its end. But the country must unite in this endeavor...we cannot place the burden on our military alone. We must all stand up and fight, whether in uniform or not. And supporting us is more than sticking yellow ribbon stickers on your cars. It's supporting our President, our troops and our cause.

Right now, the burden is all on the American soldiers. Right now, hope rides alone. But it can change, it must change. Because there is only failure and darkness ahead for us as a country, as a people, if it doesn't.

Let's stop all the political nonsense, let's stop all the bickering, let's stop all the bad news and let's stand and fight!Isn't that what America is about anyway?

Sergeant Eddie Jeffers is a US Army Infantryman serving in Ramadi, Iraq.

Application for Residency

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:13:53 GMT

Desoto.towers@verizon.net
Attn: Sandra Dinger
On July 24, I made an application for residency and provided for you all sorts for background information. My manager at Radio Shack indicates to me that you called him and as usual all he can provide is that I work there. FICO indicated me that there was a credit check run on me. I received a letter shortly after. Had I the funds, I would have found out exactly what was on what you read. I don't. I had to borrow enough from my sister for a down payment. When I handed in the application I indicated that I had a deadline of August 1.
I have heard nothing personally from you by July 30, 2007. This puts me in situation where now I may have to sleep in my Jeep as my landlord has found someone to rent my room.
I feel violated having had to give out my social security number so many times and there is not one bit of information of my past that you don't know about me.
I was able to obtain an insurance license working for Liberty Life. I have held positions working with developmentally disabled where I had a background check by the state for Florida in order to work and reside on the premises of Children's Haven and Adult Services and now I am being rejected by your organization for residency.
I am not being rejected directly by you as you do not seem to want to speak to me. Therefore it leads me only to one conclusion: No Viet Nam Veterans are allowed to reside there. Or I am facing some sort of prejudice on the part of your organization being a veteran. I am sure that all sorts of organization that represent the prejudices against veterans can be reached on the internet and I love to write.
We await to hear from you directly
Yours respectfully,
William P. Dunn, Jr.
Bill Dunn

Tactical Air Controller Receives Silver Star

Sat, 09 Jun 2007 03:20:29 GMT

Tactical air controller receives Silver Star, for actions during firefight

Air Force Staff Sgt. Earl I. Covel

For a special-forces team in the heat of battle, air cover can be the difference between life and death. Staff Sgt. Covel was assigned in Iraq to work with an elite team of 8 Army special-forces soldiers and 10 “peshmerga” – indigenous Kurdish guerilla fighters. In June 2004, part of the team headed from its safe house in the city center back to base to re-supply. While they were gone, they received a call that an attack on the safe house had begun. Based on previous engagements, however, the team assumed it would be a quick skirmish – even though some intelligence had warned of a massive offensive that was in the works. By the time the team returned to the house, they realized they were under an extremely fierce attack – an attack that would last 36 hours and involve an estimated 200 insurgents.

As the tactical air controller, Covel quickly made his way to his battle positions on the roof of an adjacent building so he could locate the enemy positions and direct air support. Insurgents were ready, and accurately fired on him as he crossed the short open space. As he described it later, “It felt for a moment like I was in some sort of movie, running as the dirt kicked up around me.”

On the roof, he set up his radios, requested air support, and began the arduous task of identifying targets while under fire. As he was doing so, another soldier in his position laid down cover fire so that Covel could get a good look at the enemy’s set-up. The insurgents spotted the two and began firing a machine gun in their direction, hitting Covel’s partner in the ear. Another Soldier carried the injured soldier to safety, leaving Covel alone in what he described as his own “little corner of hell.”

But he wasn’t alone for long: A pair of Navy F-18 jets zoomed in low and let loose with a heavy stream of fire on the positions Covel had marked. They were followed by a steady stream of air cover throughout the fight. The battle carried on for 36 hours – and so Covel carried on for 36 hours, coordinating air attacks and using his weapon to defend himself and his team. When Covel ran out of equipment to mark targets, he radioed some Bradley fighting vehicles in the area, asked the gunners to begin shooting at a specific target, then told his air crew to look for the building or areas where the Bradleys were firing. That was their next target.

In all, the small team of Soldiers and peshmerga lost not a single man, yet are credited with killing more than 100 insurgents. The Army team recommended Covel for the Silver Star, and he received the award on May 11, 2007.

Cheers on Corridor Three

Sat, 19 May 2007 13:38:36 GMT

Cheers on Corridor Three

by LTC Bob Bateman

10:30 hours (local EST), Friday, 11 May 2007: Third Corridor, Second Floor, The Pentagon:

It is 110 yards from the “E” ring to the “A” ring of the Pentagon. This section of the Pentagon is newly renovated; the floors shine, the hallway is broad, and the lighting is bright. At this instant the entire length of the corridor is packed with officers, a few sergeants and some civilians, all crammed tightly three and four deep against the walls. There are thousands here. This hallway, more than any other, is the “Army” hallway. The G3 offices line one side, G2 the other, G8 is around the corner. All Army. Moderate conversations flow in a low buzz. Friends who may not have seen each other for a few weeks, or a few years, spot each other, cross the way and renew. Everyone shifts to ensure an open path remains down the center. The air conditioning system was not designed for this press of bodies in this area. The temperature is rising already. Nobody cares.

10:36 hours (local EST):

The clapping starts at the E-Ring. That is the outermost of the five rings of the Pentagon and it is closest to the entrance to the building. This clapping is low, sustained, hearty. It is an applause with a deep emotion behind it as it moves forward in a wave down the length of the hallway. A steady rolling wave of sound it is, moving at the pace of the soldier in the wheelchair who marks the forward edge with his presence. He is the first. He is missing the greater part of one leg, and some of his wounds are still suppurating.

By his age I expect that he is a private, or perhaps a private first class. Captains, majors, lieutenant colonels and colonels meet his gaze and nod as they applaud, soldier to soldier. Three years ago when I described one of these events on Altercation, those lining the hallways were somewhat different. The applause a little wilder, perhaps in private guilt for not having shared in the burden … yet. Now almost everyone lining the hallway is, like the man in the wheelchair, also a combat veteran. This steadies the applause, but I think deepens the sentiment. We have all been there now. The soldier’s chair is pushed by, I believe, a full colonel. Behind him, and stretching the length from E to A, come more of his peers, each private, corporal or sergeant assisted as need be by a field grade officer.

10:50 hours (local EST):

Twenty-four minutes of steady applause. My hands hurt, and I laugh to myself at how stupid that sounds in my own head. “My hands hurt.” Christ. Shut up and clap.

For twenty-four minutes, soldier after soldier has come down this hallway — 20, 25, 30. Fifty-three legs come with them, and perhaps only 52 hands or arms, but down this hall came 30 solid hearts. They pass down this corridor of officers and applause, and then meet for a private lunch, at which they are the guests of honor, hosted by the generals.

Some are wheeled along. Some insist upon getting out of their chairs, to march as best they can with their chin held up, down this hallway, through this most unique audience. Some are catching handshakes and smiling like a politician at a Fourth of July parade. More than a couple of them seem amazed and are smiling shyly. There are families with them as well: the 18-year-old war-bride pushing her 19-year-old husband’s wheelchair and not quite understanding why her husband is so affected by this, the boy she grew up with, now a man, who had never shed a tear is crying; the older immigrant Latino parents who have, perhaps more than their wounded mid-20s son, an appreciation for the emotion given on their son’s behalf. No man in that hallway, walking or clapping, is ashamed by the silent tears on more than a few cheeks. An Airborne Ranger wipes his eyes only to better see. A couple of the officers in this crowd have themselves been a part of this parade in the past. These are our men, broken in body they may be, but they are our brothers, and we welcome them home.

This parade has gone on, every single Friday, all year long, for more than four years.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 17th, 2007 at 6:12 PM and filed under The World After September 11.
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Marine's Last Request Inspires Charity

Sat, 19 May 2007 12:44:16 GMT

Marine's Last Request Inspires Charity

Saturday May 19, 2007 12:46 PM

AP Photo PX201, PX203, PX202

By ALISON LAPP

Associated Press Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Five days before Lance Cpl. Adam C. Conboy was killed in Iraq, he inspired his own memorial fund.

During a Sunday morning phone call from the Anbar province, he described staying 20 men per room in an old schoolhouse, packed into bunk beds in the scorching heat. The stench, he said, was overwhelming.

He asked his mother if she could send clean sheets - 40 sets of them, one for each member of his platoon.

``C'mon Mom, get Operation Bedding going,'' he joked.

He was killed the next Friday, May 12, 2006, by non-hostile fire. He had been in Iraq eight weeks.

Friends told his mother to expect flowers to start pouring in.

``I told people I didn't need flowers,'' Mary Conboy said. ``In lieu of that, I took donations to get the bedding Adam asked for out to the guys.''

Operation Bedding has since grown from a son's spontaneous quip to a mother's tribute to her fallen Marine. Mary Conboy runs a homespun charity effort from her backyard, sending troops in Iraq packages that contain everything from bedding to sweat socks to canned tuna.

Adam Conboy's platoon got its packages by July, and the company that replaced it received the next shipment. Schools began sending donations, and Mary Conboy started getting requests from different military units interested in the care packages.

But shipping the bedding, toiletries, snacks and books is costly. Mary Conboy estimates she spends $1,000 to get a shipment to Iraq.

To help with the cost, neighbor Donna Palmer decided to turn a housecleaning flea market into a fundraising event.

``I benefit because then I get rid of all the junk in my house,'' she said, ``but really I'm helping a dear friend fulfill her son's last request.''

The event scheduled for Saturday, Armed Forces Day, was to feature about 50 vendors, a motorcycle parade, a color guard salute and live music.

It was to be held in Gorgas Park, in the city's Roxborough section, around the corner from Adam Conboy's childhood home. The goal is to raise $10,000.

Charles Conboy, Adam's father, said the funds that keep Operation Bedding afloat are a distraction for him from the pain of losing his son, as well as a distraction for the troops in Iraq ``from what's over there, at least for a couple hours while they rip through the packages.''

In a DVD sent to the family, Adam Conboy's corps members describe using baby wipes from the packages when they had no running water for bathing and receiving shaving cream just as superiors were demanding they dry shave beards thick from days of growth.

``There was mad fighting over those pillows,'' one Marine said, ``fighting for them, fighting with them, everything.''

Mary Conboy said pillows and pepperoni sticks are the troops' favorites, and sometimes the goodies serve a practical purpose.

One Marine told her about meeting an Iraqi child while he had candy in his pockets.

``You show me where an IED is, and I'll give you the candy,'' he told the child, who led him right to one of the explosives.

``It was on the route where they would have gone that week,'' Mary Conboy said. ``When I talk to people who've made donations, I tell them, 'You might have saved six Marines' lives.'''

Adam Conboy knew he wanted to fight for his country after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He was 17.

His mother told him he was too young. When he signed himself up at age 20, he sent his younger brother to give her the news.

``I said, 'There's something wrong here,''' Mary Conboy said, smiling. ``'You joined the Marines, and you're afraid to tell your mother? You might want to toughen up.'''

Fellow Marines on the DVD say he did. They nicknamed him ``Daddy'' because at 21, he was the oldest among them and handled tense situations with humor.

Mary Conboy said she plans to continue Operation Bedding until the troops come home. Her husband, Gary Warner, built a shed in their backyard to hold donations that crowded them out of their dining room.

Charles Conboy helps pack boxes and takes them to a bulk mailing center. Mary Conboy's six other children, ages 2 to 20, also have rallied around the cause.

When Adam Conboy originally asked his mother to send 40 sets of bedding, Mary Conboy laughed, but wasn't surprised.

``It was very typical Adam,'' she said. ``Just like when he was little. He was always the one to have all the neighborhood kids over for Popsicles.''

BLACKFIVE - In the Crosshairs You Can't End Wars

Sat, 05 May 2007 20:36:05 GMT

BLACKFIVE

In the Crosshairs- You can't end wars
Posted: 04 May 2007 02:15 PM CDT
I took my piece from earlier today and recorded it because I wanted the disgust and anger to jump out in a way that text just can't provide. I was aiming for righteous indignation with a back current of wicked pissed.
I also included a shout out to the Milblog Conference as sadly I will not be there. I have issues requiring my attention here in the Mad City, so I humbly request that you do me proud at the conference, but more importantly on the pub crawl. Oh and everyone there please do me a favor and personally tell Ward Carroll I said hi and he owes me for not showing. The video starts with the message for the conference which is perfectly G-rated, but when I get on the Dems be prepared for a quality STFU and a request for the deity to condemn something.
Just a note of thanks to all of you who watch the vids. We will crest 250,000 views today in almost exactly one year, much of which I wasn't even posting during. There are 81 vids for an average of more than 3,000 views per. Gracias un quarter million and I am working on some gear and upgrades (green screen). Subscriptions and back catalog available here.
A final note, Editor of Military.com, patron & host of the Milblog Conference- Ladies & Gentlemen, reprising his starring role in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert I give you Ward Carroll. Nice codpiece.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now
Why Democrats can't end the war
Posted: 04 May 2007 08:37 AM CDT
UPDATE AT BOTTOM.
If there is one thing the Democrat's leadership can all agree on it's that they want to "end" the war, maybe by redeploying to Okinawa, maybe just packing up and leaving the Iraqis to slaughter each other, but end it they will.
I hate to butt in on the political posturing and feeling each other's pain, but I have a news flash for all you folks who are ready to hit the off switch on this war and MoveOn.
You can't end a war, you can only win it or lose it. Movies end, meetings end, wars are won or lost and the cost associated makes that a vital distinction. So if you want to end this war that is causing you so much angst and anguish then grow a pair and vote to lose it now. Rescind the President's authority to conduct the war and shut off the funding immediately.
If not, then STFU and stay out of the godamn way! We are trying to end it too, just by winning.
MM is tracking Hilly and Byrd's war-ending efforts
I have not been diligent in adding the We win, they lose folks to this site or post but game on folks! I just signed and you should too.

Re: Viet Nam loser to Iraqi Loser

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 22:27:18 GMT

Us losers are in good company. At least we have each other!!
On 4/22/07, Bill <irishbillydjr@gmail.com> wrote:

I really appreciate all of your comments and your blog. I posted your blog on my page. Hang in there, son, and in between watching wrestling, American Idol, I will be online writing all those stupid politicians and talking to whomever I can. Anything I can do let me know. Bill Dunn aka BravoBilly aka IrishBillyDJr

--
CJ
A Soldier's Perspective
www.soldiersperspective.us
www.theyhavenames.com
Life's disappointments are harder to take when you don't use swear words!!
"Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
Philippians 4:8

Politicians and Soldiers

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 21:05:22 GMT

I see the milblogs written by soldiers defending me, in a land far off.

I hear the politicians say that perhaps we have lost. After seeing what I have seen, I think not.

Have you seen the same sites that I have seen or just that of the press? I am just a simple man. Trying to make it from day to day. In a different war at a different time, a baby of World War II.

But, when I see the Milblogs and hear you speak, I really get angry with you.

These young men, from all over our land, build a voting booth and help on election day and now you and your party says that they are in the way.

You want to set a date to bring them home, to take them out of Iraq. Have you thought what will happen when you bring them back?

Have you thought of the oil fields burning, and our nation unable to run because your political aims. You want to try things to an end in a peaceful way with an enemy that will not do so . He will laugh behind your back, and as you turn around, swing a sword at you.

Your aim is to keep your office, and get contributors. so in 2008. the White House will be won by your party, but meanwhile your young men bleed and die in a far off land defending you. Have you been there? Have you seen what they have done? Or do you only rely on the media? There is a part of media you are missing. The internet. That part gets the milblogs and blogs of wives and family.

I am sickened by your hypocrisy to your voters.

Soldiers keep fighting, I say, Fight for what is yours. Fight until the last man is no longer there because they will not allow you to fight here. They will tell you that violence is wrong and guns aren't allowed on there. You will feel you aren't allowed and struggle with who you are. Speak out for that is all you have now. Talk to the politicians, because they really want to get rid of you, take away your job. Then when they need you, call on the UN's soldiers.

A few rambling ideas here...

Bravo Billy: Soldiers and Veterans

Getting Well and Encouraging Vets to Run for Office

The War: According to People who actually are here by Michael Yon

Hope Rides Alone by Eddie Jeffers

Application for Residency

Tactical Air Controller Receives Silver Star

Cheers on Corridor Three

Cheers on Corridor Three

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 17th, 2007 at 6:12 PM and filed under The World After September 11. Follow comments here with the RSS 2.0 (XML) feed. Skip to the end and leave a response. Trackbacks are closed.

Marine's Last Request Inspires Charity

BLACKFIVE - In the Crosshairs You Can't End Wars

BLACKFIVE

Re: Viet Nam loser to Iraqi Loser

Politicians and Soldiers

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 17th, 2007 at 6:12 PM and filed under The World After September 11.
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