I'm good

And that's only a smidge from great, in fact. I figured that when Eric showed up here to check up on me (see comment here), it was time I posted something as proof of life. (Thanks, Eric!) I just haven't had the blogging bug lately, but life is good, and while some things change, others remain. Like family and friends. Good times were had on vacation with the Hubster, little sister, and 5 of her girlfriends. We descended on Whistler to play golf (sometimes in the Pacific Northwest version of liquid sunshine), eat, drink, and enjoy one another's company -- all very good.

Good Question

Favorite helicopter pilot and Castle Denizen, BillT, shares a good story from Iraq. If anyone can answer Hussan's question, I want to know the response.

Li'l bits

Yes, I know posting has been light almost non-existent around here for a while. Deal with it. But I have been trying to keep up on reading, and in finding interesting things, I decided to share. My friend Atheist Crusader has some comments regarding Congress and the Religion of Pieces. In the H&I post yesterday at Castle Argghhh, FbL pointed out an important note from Soldiers' Angels. To wit: No Slump for our Troops. "Soldiers' Angels commit to sending support to our troops all year long, not just at the holidays, or around certain patriotic holidays. Troop rotations mean we have a lot of new troops signing up with us, but the slump means we don't have as many people signing up to adopt them. If you are currently an angel, can you adopt another? If you have never adopted, why don't you give it a try? If you are a blogger, can you help spread the word? Our troops deserve our support, and we don't want to keep them waiting." Spread the word, and take up the challenge. If you want alternatives, go check out AnySoldier or any of the other support organizations I have listed at the right.

What he said

Having just exercised my 2nd Amendment rights only yesterday, in the cheery company of fellow denizenne Bad Cat Robot, I found myself nodding in agreement with Lex. "Just remember that when it comes to protecting your individual right to life - the most profound right, upon which all others depend - the constabulary can only obliquely contribute. They are not designed to prevent your murder, only to punish it. When the bad man comes, and seconds count, they will be only minutes away." As always ... go read the rest.

Give the mission time

As John of Argghhh points out, the troops are in Iraq and Gen. Petraeus is now fully implementing the plan for which the military deployments 'surged'. So it must be time for our short-sighted, instant-gratification driven culture to cry 'Failure'. How about we try something new? Let's allow the troops to actually have some space while they try to, ya know, perform the mission. Keep reporting on the actions in the Middle East, just don't make every IED explosion or terrorist who escapes into proof that 'the Surge is failing', for heaven's sake! As Eric of BlackTygrrrr says - Unless your name is General David Petraeus, your opinion on the war is irrelevant.

Community

My post "Where are we headed?" opened the question of the tidings for our future, and a hope for the same. Make sure, by the way, to read the cogent comments in that post from some who have seen the elephant. Very important. In particular, I want to highlight the words left behind by Francis Marion: I wrote this a few weeks ago when I was struggling with some of the same thoughts... Hope There is an ugly place and I go there often I go there to keep it from spreading to your place When it does not spread you do not see it When you do not see it you do not understand it That which you do not understand is ignored That which is ignored becomes an ugly place Today, Bill Whittle has posted his Good News in this same vein. So grab a pot (a cup won't do it!) of coffee, and settle in to read: You are Not Alone (part 1) You are Not Alone (part 2) When you have registered that completely, continue on to his initiation post for Building Ejectia. You see, the whole concept of You are not Alone, is that we build Ejectia together. Now get reading!

Where are we headed?

A couple of interesting and thought-provoking posts crashed together in my head today, and the pieces are still forming back together into an image. Before I try to describe that image, you need to go read the posts for yourself. First, John Donovan initiates a discussion On the Democrats, Republicans, and the waging of the war, and looks at the shape of politics under the specter of the Global War on Terror, and how that shape will affect our decisions in the 2008 elections, and beyond. Make sure that you continue into the comments ... as with many discussions at the Castle they are as important as the post. When you are ready to continue, the next stop is Our Society's Undoing, from America's Son. Dip into the mind and heart of one of the Sheepdogs who knows the face of the enemy in Iraq, and the face of the criminal enemies of our society. Still with me? Good. Be honest - did you spend a few moments wondering why you bothered to get out of bed today, if we're all going to hell in a handbasket? The thought flashed through my mind. But I'm not able to dwell long in that state, so I found something that happened over the weekend to help balance the grim outlook. Last Saturday, I joined with the fine folks at Operation Support Our Troops for a rally in celebration of Armed Forces Day, at the Memorial Park in my town. In addition to OSOT, there were members of the American Legion of Washington, and several teams of the local Issaquah School District NJROTC units - including color guard, rifle team and a bugler. We even had a visit from my Congressman, Dave Reichert (8th district). After the speeches and ceremonies, the presentation of the wreath, and 21-gun salute and the playing of Taps, we adjourned to the main intersection in town (a block away) to wave signs of support and wave to the drivers by. One of my favorite parts of the day, however, was before the events began. I found myself standing next to a young man in cadet uniform, both of us alone - and I struck up a conversation with him. Randy turned out to be a high school senior and senior member of the local NJROTC, and his role for Saturday was to play Taps. We talked for almost 15 minutes, during which time I learned of his college plans (he will attend UW in the fall), about his family (he is the youngest), and about the horn he would be playing - which actually wasn't a bugle. We talked about some of his friends, who were also members of the Junior ROTC program, and have graduated from high school already. Some of these young men are already enlisted in the military, and Randy told me that some of them are being deployed this year. I gave Randy one of the AnySoldier.com cards that I always carry, and asked him to pass the site along to his friends, so that someday one of us can send them support to ease their time. If at least half of the class of 2007 is as personable, bright and dedicated as Randy is, then I know that the future has great possibilities.

Think of the children

Our military knows how important their mission in Iraq and Afghanistan is, because they see the faces of the future every day. Today, Jack Army shares one of those images as a reminder of the mission and that future. I find it hard to believe that America's congressional leaders want to abandon these people. I mean, look at those kids! They are adorable, happy and worth all the effort we can put into securing this country and giving them a chance to get a handle on things. Freedom is worth it. And this country is crawling with these kids, the future of Iraq and the Middle East. Every Soldier here or that has been here probably has several photos like that one above. These kids are everywhere, not just little rural villages like I described, but everywhere. Abandon them? I think not. You know the drill. Go read the whole thing. Look at the faces of Iraqi children, and then tell your congress critter to shape up.

Good news on Free Speech in Washington State

During the 2004 election cycle, ballot initiative I-912 was introduced to repeal the 9.5 cent per gallon additional gas tax that had been voted into law by the state legislature. I-912 was a polarizing issue, and drew hot debate. Sadly, many of my fellow inmates citizens voted against I-912, and the gas tax increase stayed the law of the land. Why does this relate to Free Speech? Because local KVI radio hosts Kirby Wilbur and John Carlson were accused of using their platforms as free advertising for I-912, and were ordered to report their online support as a political contribution, which I posted about in July of 2005. They have been fighing this finding ever since, and today we have the determination from the Washington State Supreme Court, by way of Michelle Malkin: Breaking: Free speech victory in Washington state There's an important breaking court decision on a political free speech case involving my friends at KVI radio in Seattle. A reader e-mails: A unanimous Washington state supreme court ruling, issued this morning, reversed a lower court ruling that held radio commentary by Seattle's KVI-570's Kirby Wilbur and John Carlson made "in-kind" contributions when they promoted an anti-gas tax voter initiative on their shows in 2005. Majority Opinion by Justice Barbara Madsen. Concurring opinion by Justice James Johnson, scolding the abusive prosecutors. Seattle Times coverage: The state Supreme Court said in an opinion released this morning that KVI talk show hosts did not need to report their advocacy for an anti-gas tax campaign as an in-kind political contribution. And the court has reinstated a countersuit filed by the No New Gas Tax (NNGT) campaign against local governments that initially sued. We hold that RCW 42.17.090 did not require NNGT to disclose the value of KVI's radio broadcasts supporting the initiative campaign as an in-kind contribution. The statutory media exemption, RCW 42.17.020(15)(b)(iv), excludes from the definition of "contribution" political advocacy for or against a political campaign by the hosts of a regularly scheduled talk show, broadcast by a radio station that is not controlled by a candidate or political committee. We reverse the order dismissing NNGT's counterclaims and remand to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. Great news, and a solid statement for free speech! I was listening to Kirby this morning, and he indicated that if this decision had gone against them, he and John were prepared to take it to the US Supreme Court. I'm glad that the justices of my state were able to see the light.

Mental gymnastics

It takes some real mind-bending skill to come up with some of the viewpoints highlighted in these posts... Fuzzilicious Thinking Code Pink Calls US Soldiers Terrorists Boston Maggie ... Egos and hypocrisy of the celebrity left Rofasix ... Rascism in Democratic Party Politics The Middle Ground ... Harry Reid surrenders Frank J of IMAO ... Super Ultra Mega Hypocrisy! John of Argghhh ... Reid calls Veep 'Attack Dog' In fact - Senator Reid is burning me up from all sides. But he is really, really grating on the nerves of those who have troops in harm's way. Yet, somehow, he and the other Dem 'leaders' (to use the term loosely) don't understand that they are cutting down this nation and our brave troops when they open their mouths and speak of surrender. On the lighter side - if Reid wants to surrender, Harvey willing to accept his admission of defeat. Heh.

Wouldn't this be cool?

What a great centennial honor this would be ... the USS Robert A. Heinlein. What better way to commemorate Robert Heinlein's birth centennial than naming a major new US Navy ship after him? The ultra-sophisticated DDG destroyers (Zumwalt class) are something straight out of science fiction themselves, and there's never been a better ship to name after an sf writer, futurist and proud Navy man. We'll have more here soon about the USS Heinlein campaign and how to make it happen, but for now, here's the scoop from our event coordinator, Tim Kyger: The U.S.S. Robert A. Heinlein Campaign For all but a very brief period at the beginning of our history, the word ship will mean space ship. [1] Many will be named “Robert A. Heinlein.” Only one will ever be the first. We have the chance to name that very first one. [2] This coming July 7, 2007 is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Robert A. Heinlein. That day would be a perfect opportunity for the Secretary of the Navy to announce that ship DDG-1001 (or another early hull number) would be named the U.S.S. Robert A. Heinlein. How do we make it happen? We write the Secretary of the Navy and ask him to! The Secretary of the Navy has the authority to name the ships of the U.S. Navy (he is the only one who can). (H/T to Ry in today's H&I Fires) As a huge fan of Heinlein's works, I'd love to see this happen. Heinlein's Starship Troopers had a clarifying effect on my viewpoints regarding the military when I read it the first time, and it is the one which I re-read most often. Phil at Pacific Empire pulls a quote from Starship Troopers that has an uncanny resemblance to our current day situation... “If you wanted to teach a baby a lesson, would you cut its head off? Of course not. You’d paddle it. There can be circumstances when it’s just as foolish to hit an enemy city with an H-bomb as it would be to spank a baby with an axe. War is not violence and killing, pure and simple; war is controlled violence, for a purpose. The purpose of war is to support your government’s decisions by force. The purpose is never to kill the enemy just to be killing him…but to make him do what you want to do. Not killing…but controlled and purposeful violence. There is an old song which asserts that “the best things in life are free”. Not true! Utterly false! This was the tragic fallacy which brought on the decadence and collapse of the democracies of the twentieth century; those noble experiments failed because the people had been led to believe that they could simply vote for whatever they wanted… and get it, without toil, without sweat, without tears. Emphasis added by me. Good time to remember that Freedom Isn't Free. UPDATE Make sure you visit the Castle and read / take part in the comment conversation on this idea. Very Interesting!

Continuing the Sheepdog theme

Some other interesting and thought-provoking responses to the events at Virginia Tech that have caught my attention: Francis Marion describes how he would approach the situation, in his response to Grim's wargame proposal. The Bastidge talks about thought processes. Mrs. du Toit Can't get there from here. Be sure to read the comments - a worthy discussion. David at Random Nuclear Strikes has more on the shooter's mental instability and the law. Heartless Libertarian ticks off the number of existing gun laws broken by the VT shooter. Chuck points out the obvious - Gun control does not work. Neptunus Lex and his eldest daughter discuss Free Will vs. Fatalism. Uncle Jimbo and Snarkatron each take on the shameless media. Wandering, Blissful Musings - The American Way: Why things were not this bad when I was in school

Another Sheepdog's perspective

In my post on Sheep and Sheepdogs yesterday, laid out the concept that there is a continuum between the two modes. I still feel that is true, because many people who otherwise live average non-Sheepdog lives may find themselves in the role of Sheepdog when events intercede, as they did Monday. However, the purebred Sheepdog is at a different level. They recognize early that the world needs Sheepdogs, and they take the steps necessary to become a fully-trained one in a position to help. This is true of the military, as evidenced by the active duty and veteran community at Castle Argghhh and many other fine Milblogs. One such is my blog-kin, America's Son. He spent his life preparing for the Sheepdog role. First serving his 8 years in the Marine Corps (including 2 trips to Iraq), and then moving from the Corps to the Suffolk, VA police department. His post In the Sheepdog's Absence exposes his reaction to the horrible events and loss of life at VT this week, and he pinpoints one of the key differences between the average Sheep and the average Sheepdog. I was asked by a gentleman the other day how I felt about the events, and I answered, "I wish I would have been in that dorm five minutes before that demon walked in." "And what is it that you think you could have done young man?", he replied. "I could have made a difference." While millions of Americans breathed a sigh of relief that they were not caught up in the horror, the Sheepdogs were sorry they weren't there to prevent it. I am, too. Go read the whole thing.

Thoughts on Sheep and Sheepdogs

The horrible events at Virginia Tech on Monday left many innocents dead. Students and professors started off their day as they would on any Monday, and fate led a madman into their midst. My heart goes out to the victims and their families and friends. The first reports I heard left me with the impression of a gunman letting loose in a classroom full of people, and I could not understand how so many were killed. In a post 9-11 world, it is hard to imagine a group of people not fighting back against a single attacker. As more information has been brought forward, it's obvious that the scenario was quite different, with many classrooms attacked one after another. There were acts of bravery and sacrifice, such as the actions of Professor Liviu Librescu, who gave his life to protect his students. There are others as well, and I join John of Castle Argghhh in implementing a Rule regarding discussion around these events. I will name and honor the memory of the victims, but not the shooter. I couldn't help but react to the emerging stories by remembering LTC (ret.) Dave Grossman's essay "On Sheep, Sheepdogs, and Wolves", as did many others. The discussion at the Castle continues, and some have called into question the proper meaning of the term Sheep in this context. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident." This is true. Remember, the murder rate is six per 100,000 per year, and the aggravated assault rate is four per 1,000 per year. What this means is that the vast majority of Americans are not inclined to hurt one another. The term Sheep is not used here to be offensive, as some may take it. The point is that the bulk of the population goes on about their daily, productive, lives without spending much time thinking about the wolves around us. The consensus of virtually all of the Sheepdogs that I am happy to call friends is that this is a good thing. As Grossman pointed out in his essay, it's not an on/off state, it's a continuum. The Sheep in the center of the herd don't even see the edges, and may not admit that the Wolves exist. The ones at the next layer may understand the danger but not be able or willing to act. The next layer contains Sheep with greater understanding of the Wolves of the world, and some ability and inclination to protect the Sheep farther in. And so on, until you reach the pure Sheepdogs - Police, Firemen, and the Military. Men and women who daily put their lives on the line to secure the peace and security. As you progress outward, the Sheep characteristics are mixed at varying levels with the Sheepdog attributes, and I would like to think that each of us has the potential to become the Sheepdog in a situation where there are Wolves threatening to do harm. This happened at Virginia Tech, as evidenced by the actions of Professor Lebrescu, and others like Zach Petkewicz. "I was completely scared out of my mind originally, just went into a cowering position, and then just realized you have got to do something." [emphasis added] Sometimes one just has to Act, to become a Sheepdog and not simply submit to the Wolves. I pray that if the need were to arise, I too would summon the Sheepdog inside and take action. Final note on this. While we remember those murdered on Monday, and decry the acts of a madman killing our 'children', a little perspective. We have thousands of troops overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan who are younger than many of those killed, who go outside the wire and into harm's way every single day. However you feel about the Global War on Terror, the Sheepdogs are out there doing their jobs every day. Many of them aren't old enough yet to drink. Some never will be.

Taking apart Conspiracy theories

Bill Whittle has posted up essay #2 on conspiracy theories and critical thinking. I'm shocked to say that Bill has let me down. In Part #1 he promised that the next episode would take on "... 9/11 conspiracies, Global Warming, Chemtrails, professional cynics and Our Friends the Press ..." But he wasn't quite up to the task, sadly, so we have to wait a little longer for the take-down on Global Warming. All kidding aside, he takes on the rest of the agenda in typical Bill Whittle fashion. To whit: Intellectually honest people, people without a deep, vested emotional need to believe the worst, are usually relieved to hear the facts that demolish superstitions like the Bermuda Triangle and the Loch Ness Monster. While there may be disappointment at the loss of an unseen world, people who have chosen to live in reality find comfort in the fact that reality is, in fact, made up of the real and not the wished for. No, what fascinates me is the emotional motive of people who, presented with overwhelming evidence that the events that transpired on November 22nd, 1963 or September 11th, 2001 really happened exactly the way it appeared, continue to spin ever more elaborate webs in order to get to a place they need to be emotionally. Who are you going to believe: them or your own lying eyes? Get a cuppa joe, and go read.

What do you know...

How's your perspective these days? This is what I see and hear. by @WR I hear that we are losing the war. I see a repressed country beginning to stand on its own. What do you know about loss? I hear that this war costs too much. I see you drive off in your BMW sipping Starbucks. What do you know about cost? ... There's more ... go read the whole poem.

Reforming the system

Chuck can spin out more ideas in a 20-minute rant than any other 10 people I know! He brainstorms on some ways to reform the system to ensure the availability of quality Healthcare for military and veterans and their families. His list has some gems I just love: A fifty-cent surcharge to all dating-service phone calls, and a $1 surcharge to all American Idol type voter call in shows. A $25 dollar tax on every person who says "Long time listener, first time caller" on a radio show. A $50 tax for anyone who calls Dr. Laura for advice--not for the advice, but for being so stupid they need her to tell them what to do. That's just a tiny sample ... go read the whole list!

Meet CSM Althea Davis

Top Enlisted Soldier at Walter Reed Gets Back to Basics of Soldier Care By Fred W. Baker III American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, April 2, 2007 – During the past three weeks, Army Command Sgt. Maj. Althea Green Dixon has done a lot of walking and talking. She’s also done a lot of listening. As well as much inspecting, checking, moving and shaking. What she hasn’t had time to do is any packing. Sitting in her new office in the command section of the red-bricked Building 1 on the Walter Reed Army Medical Center campus, Dixon is surrounded by blank walls and bare cabinets. Her office is adorned with only the American and Army flags. All of her “stuff” is still in her old office on Fort Detrick, Md., she said. But that’s OK, because the new top NCO over the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command hasn’t spent a lot of time in her office since being handpicked for the job at Walter Reed. “I believe in management by walking around. Just stop in on people and say, ‘Hi.’ See how they are doing. Check on things,” Dixon said. “I can get a lot done in this office sitting behind that computer, but I can get a lot more done by walking around and interacting with people and really seeing how things are going out there and hearing from folks directly,” she said. Army Maj. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker, the new commander of Walter Reed and the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command, chose the 29-year career medical soldier to lead the changes in wounded soldier care at the center and within the command. The center and its previous leadership have been under fire for the past month since media reports of poor outpatient soldier care caught national attention. Dixon served as Schoomaker’s “right hand” on Fort Detrick and Fort Gordon, Ga. She found out March 2 that Schoomaker wanted her to move to Walter Reed with him. The next day, when she was supposed to be packing her bags for a vacation in California, she was instead at the center helping coordinate the packing and moving of soldiers and their belongings out of Building 18. The building was spotlighted in the media for poor living conditions, including moldy walls, faulty plumbing and backed-up maintenance work orders. “I needed to be here,” Dixon said. “Our first priority that weekend was to move our soldiers out of Building 18 and into suitable quarters. And we got that done.” Dixon has taken only one day off since. A native of Trinidad, Dixon speaks with a pleasant Caribbean accent, soft and sure about the basics of soldier care. Her passion for taking care of troops showed during an interview with American Forces Press Service. “I hate to talk about the past. I probably shouldn’t. But part of the reason that we have this situation that we’re in right now is because noncommissioned officers failed to do their jobs,” Dixon said. “They’re supposed to check on their soldiers,” she added. “They are supposed to know how they are living, what problems they have. “I’m sorry. I get a little emotional when I talk about that because that’s basic stuff and they didn’t do it,” she said. For the past three weeks, Dixon has spent countless hours making her rounds across the sprawling 113-acre campus reacquainting the center’s NCOs with the basics of soldier care as she sees them. “I’m about three things: basics, standards and accountability,” she said. “Basic things like taking care of soldiers, basic things like checking soldiers’ living quarters, basic things like keeping up with your soldiers’ whereabouts. If you stick to the basics, you generally end up OK.” Probably the biggest effort she’s taken on so far has been making sure all wounded warriors at Walter Reed are housed in “accommodations that are suitable for an American soldier,” she said. Wounded soldiers in outpatient care with families at the center now live in the 280-room Mologne House, which boasts all the amenities of a luxury hotel, as well as Delano Hall and the two popular Fisher Houses. The 274-room Abrams Hall became the primary facility for unaccompanied soldiers in outpatient care. Each room offers a private bath -- some with tubs -- kitchenette, walk-in closet, a large, flat-screen television mounted on the wall, and a brand new 17-inch iMac computers. Ten of the rooms there are fitted for wheel-chair access. Brightly lit dayrooms sport large-screen televisions and pool, foosball and ping pong tables. “It’s the nicest set of barracks that I’ve ever seen since I’ve been in the Army, … and I’ve been in a lot of barracks,” Dixon said with a laugh as she walked from her office toward Abrams Hall to finish her room inspections. Abrams Hall is across the street and only a short walk from Dixon’s office. The grounds look more like an apartment complex than an Army barracks. Walking down bright white halls with waxed floors, past the security desk, Dixon lightly quizzed a handful of soldiers on duty about an upcoming town hall meeting. They told her they knew about it, but not the time or the place. She kindly set them straight. “Looking forward to seeing you there,” Dixon said. To make room in Abrams hall, some permanent party and student soldiers living there were moved into furnished, two-bedroom apartments off the campus. Each has walk-in closets and private baths. A shuttle is provided for transportation. The Army paid all relocation, utility transfer and hook-up fees, Dixon said. “We don’t want our young soldiers to be subject to any financial liabilities because of decisions that their leadership has made,” Dixon said. “I don’t think any soldier lost anything in this shuffle.” Both Dixon and her boss have talked regularly to the student soldiers and have received nothing but positive feedback, she said. “I haven’t heard any major complaints so far. But we’re keeping those lines of communication open. We want to make sure we’re doing right by all of our soldiers,” she said. Regular barracks checks help keep her in touch with the soldiers and the NCOs who lead them, Dixon said. “When a new face comes in they tend to open up a little bit,” she said. “When I go over there, … I try to have a dialogue with them, just to see how they’re doing, get an azimuth check on how we’re doing and if there are any issues.” Face-to-face communication is a recurring theme in many of the changes that Dixon and Schoomaker have made. The center now has a weekly orientation for every new soldier-patient and family. On March 21 Schoomaker held his first town hall meeting with the soldier-patients, and more are planned. Schoomaker and Dixon also have held sensing sessions with NCOs and other leaders. “We are here for the soldier. That’s our job. They ought to not feel they are imposing on us if they come to us with an issue. We are here to deal with those issues,” Dixon said. In light of recent changes, Dixon said, morale for wounded soldiers is on an “upswing.” At the same time, Dixon must also focus on the morale of her staff of soldiers. She said that the negative publicity has had an effect on those in uniform serving there. She said she is meeting with staff members to “get their thoughts on how they are doing and what can be done to improve their quality of life,” she said. “Although a lot of the scrutiny has been on the (care of the) patient-soldiers, I want our employees to know that we still care for them,” she said. “We are here to take care of them the same as we are here to take care of our patient-soldiers.” Dixon said she is pleased with the changes made already, but acknowledged much work ahead. She said she is receiving support, both from top-level leaders across the Army and DoD, as well as from her NCOs and staff. The next step is to stand up the Wounded Warrior Transition Brigade, charged with overseeing the health, welfare and morale of patients as they recover. Army combat veterans have been chosen to stand up brigade. Its new top NCO, Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Hartless, has spent time recovering at the center from wounds he suffered while serving in Afghanistan. About 600 soldiers will make up the three companies in the new brigade. Many officers and NCOs have been given only 30 days notice to report to their new assignments at the center, but haven’t complained about the sudden change. There has been “no whining,” Dixon said. “They are just stepping up to the plate,” she said. The three company commanders for the new transition brigade are already on the ground working through issues of furniture, space, personnel restructuring, offices and so forth. By the end of this month, half of the staff is set to be in place, three-quarters by the end of April, and full staffing for the brigade should be in place by the end of May, Dixon said. In the meantime, the sergeant major makes no apologies for the standards she sets and said she will continue taking care of soldiers with “high standards with a big heart.” “I can be pretty easy going. But I’m often not, because I have high standards, because I really like people and I really care about people,” she said. “Sometimes I have to correct people. I try to be nice about it. Sometimes I’m not so nice about it.”

Perspective on Walter Reed

Go visit Castle Argghhh, and read the letter from Chaplain (Major) John L. Kallerson - the senior Chaplain at Walter Reed. I have had enough and am going to give my perspective on the news about Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Please understand that I am speaking for myself and I am responsible for my thoughts alone. The news media and politicians are making it sound like Walter Reed is a terrible place and the staff here has been abusing our brave wounded soldiers; what a bunch of bull! Go. Read.

Good start, Secretary Gates

Among the DoD press releases yesterday, I was glad to see this from Secretary Gates: Defense Secretary's Message to the Troops: Care for Wounded Soldiers By Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense Special to American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, March 8, 2007 – When I was nominated to take this post just over three months ago, I said that the patriots who have volunteered to serve in our armed services have no equal in the world. I made a solemn commitment to the Congress, to the nation, and to you to keep the welfare of men and women in uniform uppermost in my mind at all times. Like most Americans I was dismayed to hear reports about substandard outpatient care and facilities at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. When you join the military, you become part of a family, and it is unacceptable for any member of our family to be treated this way. President Bush has since appointed a bi-partisan panel - the Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors - that will comprehensively review the treatment our government is providing recovering servicemen and women. The Independent Review Group I established will take a broad look at all of our rehabilitative care and administrative processes at Walter Reed and at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda. The latter effort has a very short deadline - next month - to make sure we identify additional flaws in the system and fix them as soon as possible. This Department, however, will not wait for reports by outside panels before taking action on problems that we know about right now. To that end, the Under Secretary of the Army Pete Geren briefed me today on the Army's action plan to deal with Walter Reed outpatient care. I expect to receive progress reports every two weeks. In addition, Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness Dr. David Chu and Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs Dr. William Winkenwerder will undertake a comprehensive, department-wide review of military medical care programs, facilities, and procedures. I have told the senior military and civilian leadership of this Department that money will not be an issue. After the war itself, we have no higher priority than caring properly for our wounded. We empower leaders with the responsibility, authority, and resources necessary to carry out their mission. With that responsibility comes accountability. As we learn more about these issues, let me be clear: Any individual, regardless of rank - officer or enlisted, military or civilian - will be held accountable when servicemen and women are not treated as they should be. You deserve no less, as do your families who also serve. It is the family that takes on extra duties at home while servicemen and women are away. The family also suffers when their loved one is injured in battle. And it is the family who is there every step of the way as their wounded soldier, sailor, airman or Marine undertakes what can be long and painful recovery. The injured troops at Walter Reed and in other military hospitals have paid a high price for putting their lives on the line for America. Like you, they volunteered to serve knowing full well the risks and dangers involved. They deserve our respect and gratitude and the very best that our great country can provide. We owe this to them, and we must deliver. I am totally committed to doing so. God bless you and your family. He's talking the talk, and so far he's walking the walk. There is much to accomplish, and I know I'm not alone in concern that some new bright, shiny thing will take the media spotlight off and the bureaucratic machine will take over again. One suggestion, Mr. Gates. If you haven't done so already, create a panel of wounded soldiers like Chuck who will tell you the real story, and make sure that they are included in the checkpoint process. If you aren't listening to the men and women who have been in the system in the past 4 years, you won't hear all that you need to.