Shadows on the Sand...

There are a few things that can evoke emotion out of me these days... Emotion is a dangerous human trait when unchecked... When you wrap it up tight you are just a robot... When you let it loose, you leave yourself exposed to pain and anxiety that life and people will bring you... You have to find your own balance and where you want invest your emotion... Protect yourself... and when all else fails... Trust your emotion to God, Yourself, and the U.S. Military...

U.S. Military...? Wha... I don't really mean that... or do I...? What stirred the plot of this blog was December 7th and the blind eye most us turn towards it... When CNN.COM has a two paragraph article on the anniversary that you practically be a slueth to find and a front page article on how John Lennon's death should be remembered... you can see where I am going with this... I am sure he was a great guy and stuff... made a song or two... gravy... Creating an atmosphere of love, peace and chicken grease... Nice concept... But don't forget that young 17 year old that was standing watch at his turrent on the U.S.S Arizona who died unknowningly to give us the opportunity to write songs about how great the world would be without the bombs that killed him... plus the 2,000+ that day... and the hundred of thousands that followed...

The War is Lost... We can't win... -Politics...

They don't know much... You don't know what they don't tell you... I don't know much but I can see what is going on here... I wish those politicians would leave us alone... Have they ever heard the saying... if you have nothing nice to say don't say anything at all... FACT: We are winning the war... You know what the real war is...? It is giving the Iraqi people a chance... If we couldn't give them that chance then you could say we have lost... We are giving the Iraqi people a chance at a life they could never imagine... what they do with that chance is up to them and not up to us... You can lead a horse to oil... but you can't make him refine it...

It is terrible what perception the media is giving you about the War... IEDs... VBIEDS... Beheadings... Kidnaps... Corruption... Death... and to tell you the truth those things are happening... You can read my past blogs for that kind of stuff... I guess they thought that War was people running around hitting each other with foam bats... People die or worse in War... that is why War sucks and should be avoided... But that doesn't mean it is unavoidable... We are trying to secure a future for a country that we have a vested interest in... and we are doing the unheard of in the history of War... We are rebuilding a country while in the midst of War... If the U.S. Military wanted to engage the insurgency in full scale War, it would be over within days... We are real good at that... But this is new... Reconstruction of a Nation... and the terrible thing of it all is that you don't know what is happening... I have a spreadsheet that I review everyday that has over a 1,000 reconstruction projects on it... at least $100K each in scope... and it is not just oil... Hundreds of Hospitals, Police Stations, Fire Stations, Courthouses, Emergency Control Centers (like 911), Water Wells, Water treatment plants, Sewage pipelines, Asphalt and Concrete Roads, Bridges, Modern Power Plants, Feeders, Substations, Railroads, Rail Stations, Pot hole repairs, etc... and Schools... Hundreds of Schools... Did you know during Saddam's Sunni Bathist regime that only the Sunni's could go to school... Dumb people are easier to rule than an educated people... So the Shi'a and the Kurds are not very educated here... We are giving them that chance... And this is just a small piece of the reconstruction effort in the northern half of Iraq... If you don't believe me I will be more than happy to send you the spreadsheet... Tell the media... Demand that they focus more attention on this... You know when you hear about the 2 soldiers killed today in an ambush or IED attack...? Do you think they go outside the wire just because that is what soldiers do during a War...? No... Everytime a soldier leaves the wire there is a mission attached to it... And the missions include to protect the work crews that are building the above mentioned...

We Pay the Cost to Let Them be the Boss...

I know of a good Lt that was killed and three soldiers critically injured yesterday to check on the progress of projects that will one day give these people an opportunity to learn... That is what this is all about... Let them know...

Have a Fun, Nice, and Relaxing Friday... That is why we get paid...

“The Iraqi people want jobs, security and basic services, and the president’s words will continue to ring hollow until these urgent needs are met,” said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. “Nearly half of the funds appropriated by Congress remain unspent and millions of dollars have been lost to corruption.”

-Pick up a rifle and shovel Ed... We would love to have you and your friends help out for once...