Vintage Gunny

I was digging through some of my old posts, and came across this post (click it to read it).

I guess it's a neat story, and it reminded me of a recent "Dining Out" that we had at work. The President of The Mess had recently done a tour as a Drill Instructor, and we shared a few sea stories about that tour of duty.

A Dining Out is just like a Mess Night (Google it), but spouses are invited. We tend to tone down the fines and skits a little bit (but not much), but that's about it.

We had a great time, and shared the traditional camaraderie that is normal for a gathering of Marines. We toasted our forefathers, and our fallen brothers.

Good times were had. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Buyer's Regret

Have you ever purchased an item from a store that you thought looked really neat, you couldn't live without it, and would absolutely love or enjoy? Have you ever done that, and later realized that your purchased item was a low quality, poorly performing piece of junk?

If I had to guess, I'd say that roughly half of all Americans have experienced exactly that same form of regret in the last several months or so. Just a guess...

Memorial Day

I hope that everybody enjoys their long weekend. Have fun at your backyard cookouts, trips to the beach, and time away from work and school.

I also ask that everyone that stumbles across this blog take just a moment of your time to remember why we have this holiday. Please remember those that gave that last full measure so that we can continue to live free.

Socialism--Is Anyone Really Surprised?

This guy saw it coming, why couldn't those that voted for his political platform in 2006 and 2008?
-Shamelessly swiped from the Free State of PIG.

I Like The Marines Because...

"Author Unknown"

Why I like The Marines

I like the fact that if you are a self-declared enemy of America, running
into a Marine outfit in combat is your worst nightmare... and that your
health record is either about to get a lot thicker, or be closed out
entirely.

I like the fact that Marines are steadfast and consistent in everything they
do... regardless of whether you agree with them or not.

I like the fact that Marines view the term 'politically correct' with
nothing but pure disdain.

I like the fact that Marines stand tall and rigid in their actions,
thoughts, and deeds when others bend with the direction of the wind and are
as confused as a dog looking at a ceiling fan.

I like the fact that each and every Marine considers the honor and legacy of
The Corps as his personal and sacred trust to protect and defend.

I like the fact that most civilians don't have a clue what makes us tick.
And that's not a bad thing; because if they did, it would probably scare the
hell out of them.

I like the fact that others say they want to be like us, but don't have what
it takes in the Pain-Gain-Pride department to make it happen.

I like the fact that the Marines came into being in a bar named Tun Tavern;
and that Marines still gather in pubs, bars and slop chutes to share sea
stories and hot scoop.

I like the fact that Marines do not consider it a co-incidence that there
are 24 hours in a day and 24 beers in a case because Marines know there is a
reason for everything that happens.

I like our motto... SEMPER FIDELIS and the fact that we don't shed it when
the going gets tough, the battlefield gets deadly, or when we hang up our
uniform for the last time.

I like the fact that Marines take care of each other... in combat and time
of peace.

I like the fact that Marines know the difference between 'Chicken Salad' and
'Chicken Shit' and aren't afraid to call either for what it is.

I like the fact that the people of America hold Marines in the highest
esteem and that they know they can count on us to locate, close with, and
destroy those who would harm them.

I like the fact that people think we are cocky.... yet we know that we have
confidence in everything we do; the fact that they don't know what it takes,
and that makes them look at us as if we are arrogant.

I like that fact that we know the taste of freedom and would give our very
lives for it; that is a taste, the protected will never know.

I like the fact that Ronald Reagan said... 'Some people spend an entire
lifetime wondering if they made a difference... Marines don't have that
problem!'

I like the fact that we are brothers/sisters to the end... and that no
matter what happens in life, we know that we guard each other's 'six'.

I like the fact that an elected member of congress felt compelled to
publicly accuse the Marine Corps of being 'radical and extreme', and that
our Commandant informed that member of congress she was absolutely correct
and that he passed on his thanks for the compliment.

I like the fact that Marine leaders of every rank know that issuing every
man and woman a black beret (or polka-dotted boxer shorts for that matter)
does absolutely nothing to promote morale, fighting spirit or combat
effectiveness.

I like the fact that Marines are Marines first... regardless of age, race,
creed, color, sex, national origin, or how long they served, their former
rank, or what goals they achieve in life.

I like Marines...and I love the fact that I am humbled to walk among the
ranks of other Marines.

I like the fact that you always know where you stand with a Marine. With
Marines, there is no middle ground or gray area. There are only missions,
objectives and facts.

In closing...if you aren't a Marine, the next best thing is to have a Marine
for a husband, wife, father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, best
friend, or friend.

SAEPE EXPERTUS, SEMPER FIDELIS, FRATER INFINITAS (Often Tested, Always
Faithful, Brothers Forever)

Excuse Me For Not Jumping On the Wagon

In the not too distant past, I used to blog about politics. I gave that up, as it just wasn't much fun. After all, blogging is something that I do for my own amusement, not as a career (or even a bona fide hobby). During my foray into political topics, I was often asked what I thought of (then) President George W. Bush. I reluctantly informed my readers that I could not speak critically of my Commander In Chief...It is, quite literally, against the law for me to do so. Now that he is no longer my CIC, I can speak about him in whatever manner I see fit. There's only one problem with that: Why should I even bother?

The press in our nation have maligned Bush beyond any reasonable degree. To what end? They've hinted made it painfully obvious that they intend to report only such news as supports their left-leaning agenda. Every mistake that our nation's President made was plastered on television screens, websites, newspapers and magazine covers. You'd think that misspeaking was comparable to high crimes and treason. There's nothing that I can say that will benefit the situation one bit. I will, however, give a brief synopsis of my opinion of "W." What the heck; it might be fun. I will not, however, jump on the bandwagon of blaming all of my (and the nation's) woes on Bush. I will also not be joining in the orgy of glorifying the 44th President. Once again, the media doesn't need any help in that department.

My opinion of Bush is quite irrelevant, but I'll give it nonetheless. I'll also point out that a lack of condemnation does not constitute endorsement. I've been labeled a "Bush bot" in the past for failing to join the frenzied flinging of curses and epithets regarding our President's policies. I'm not his biggest fan, and certainly not a blind follower of party lines. Without further ado, here's the lowdown:

I believe that George W. Bush is not the worst President that we've ever had. Calling that one is a tough choice (Carter springs to mind, but he's got some keen competition). I do, however, think that he squandered away some incredible opportunities. Prior to the 2006 debacle, he had a Republican led Congress on his "side." He could have used that opportunity to crack down on the joke that is our southern border. Illegal immigration is W's biggest failure. He had eight years to fix it, and didn't do anything about it. He even tried to sell us a recycled load of amnesty, eagerly supported by liberals everywhere. Another popular website even began calling him "Vicente W. Bush." Once the Dems gained a majority in Congress, it was too late. Our southern border will remain as porous as can be, and crime, disease, and social handout overload will continue to rise as a result.

Invading Iraq with no plan for follow-on operations was a mistake. Hell, Rumsfeld wanted to invade with a single Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU)! Can I honestly say that invading Iraq at all was a mistake? No; I cannot. As best I can tell, Bush acted on the intel he was presented with, and I'm not only referring to intel from American sources. Even the Brits, the Russians, and the Israelis were singing the same tune. He did, however, pounce a little too eagerly on that grenade. In the past, whenever Saddam was off his meds and got froggy, sending a few Tomahawk cruise missiles his way did the trick for a while. Leaving him in power kept a certain amount of stability in the region. Are the Iraqi people better off without him? Most certainly, but that's not our problem, or, at least it wasn't our problem prior to March of 2003. We could have bombed terrorist training facilities and suspected WMD locations just as easily from afar. As an aside though, let's not forget that regime change in Iraq became official U.S. policy on Clinton's watch, not Bush's.

Allowing the press to gain political momentum and generally bash him was a mistake. Bush has said that he didn't fire back at the media because it "wasn't important." I disagree. He should have fought back at every turn. He should have squashed the "tax cuts for the rich" garbage at his earliest convenience. He should have ensured that charges were filed against the responsible parties at the New York Times for divulging classified information, and interfering in a federal investigation. It damned sure was important, and he blew it. As evidenced by Obama voters themselves, the truth doesn't drive public opinion anymore, the media does.

George W. Bush is no longer our sitting President and, to the confusion of Obama voters everywhere, there has been no dramatic change in anybody's life because of it (unless your last name is Bush or Obama). At Obama's inauguration, many of the high-class, well informed supporters booed Bush. I wasn't really surprised, but it was still disgusting. This was further evidence of the left's reliance upon emotion. I believe that overall, Bush is a good man, and he was truly passionate about what he was doing. He was far from the conservative leader that most of us wanted, and he made mistakes, but he is not the cause of all of this nation's woes. The cause of most of our problems is in an entirely different branch of government. That's right, and their approval rating is even lower than Bush's.

There; that's it. Some folks were probably expecting a flaming rant of epic proportions. I apologize if this is not as vile as you were hoping for. You can get that sort of thing on the liberal blogs, or the news channels, if you're so inclined.

Merry Christmas from Okinawa

Here's to hoping that everyone's Christmas is festive and safe. Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish readers too.

Christmas in Okinawa doesn't feel quite like Christmas in the states. The weather, of course, is quite different, but the general atmosphere is not the same either. Only about 20% of the population is estimated to really celebrate Christmas here, so the decor is a bit lackluster.

I somehow doubt that we will have a "white Christmas," but I'm thankful that I get to spend it with my wife and kids. I'll certainly miss spending Christmas with the rest of my family, but that's why I get paid the big bucks.

Merry Christmas. Stay safe, and have a great week.

Good News

Headquarters Marine Corps has published the fiscal year 2009 approved selections to the rank of First Sergeant and Master Sergeant. You can view the list here. My name is on it!

What this means is that I've been selected, by the promotion board that convenes in Washington, for promotion to Master Sergeant (E8). The Corps will now promote a few each month until they get to my "number." I'm looking at sometime next summer to get promoted.

I work with a couple of guys that got passed over, and it sort of stinks for them, but that's life.

Bailout: Rewarding Failure

Shamelessly stolen from Politically Incorrect Gazette.

Jury Duty

About once a year or so, my wife gets a summons for jury duty. It comes in the mail. It comes in the mail to our FPO address. With efficiency like that, I think we're all doomed.