BooZ's blog: "Patriotism"

MURPHY’S LAWS OF COMBAT OPERATIONS Military intelligence is a contradiction of terms. You are not a superman. Don't ever be the first, don't ever be the last and don't ever volunteer to do anything. Never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can sleep. A Purple Heart just proves that you were smart enough to think of a plan, stupid enough to try it, and lucky enough to survive. Peace is our profession, mass murder's just a hobby. Killing for peace is like whoring for virginity. If it's stupid but works, it's not stupid. If only one solution can be found for a field problem, then it is usually a stupid solution. B-52's are the ultimate in close air support. Remember that napalm is an area weapon. Mines are an equal opportunity weapon. Smart bombs have bad days too. There is no such place as a convenient foxhole. Anything you do can get you shot, including doing nothing. It's not the one with your name on it, it's the round addressed "to whom it may concern" ya gotta think about. If you hear the bullet pass, it’s already too late to duck, but remember that bullets are social creatures and never travel alone. Try to look unimportant; the enemy may be low on ammo and not want to waste a bullet on you. Don't look conspicuous, it draws fire. Never draw fire, it irritates everyone around you. Odd objects attract fire - never lurk behind one. Incoming fire has the right of way. The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming friendly fire. Teamwork is essential -- it gives the enemy other people to shoot at. Density of fire increases proportionally to the curiousness of the target. If the enemy is in range, SO ARE YOU. Tracers work both ways. When in doubt, empty your magazine. Never share a foxhole with anyone braver than you are. Remember: Your weapon was made by the lowest bidder. If your attack is going really well, it's an ambush. No plan survives the first contact intact. All 5-second grenade fuses will burn out in 3. The important things are always simple. The simple things are always hard. If you are short of everything except enemy, you're in combat. When you have secured an objective, don't forget to let the enemy know about it. If you take more than your fair share of objectives, you will have more than your fair share of objectives to take. No combat ready unit has ever passed inspection. No inspection ready unit has ever passed combat. Beer math: two beers times 37 men equal 49 cases. Body count math: two guerillas plus one portable plus two pigs equal 37 enemy KIA. Make it tough for the enemy to get in and you can't get out. When both sides are convinced that they are about to lose, they are both right. Professional soldiers are predictable, but the world is full of amateurs. A sucking chest wound is Nature's way of telling you to slow down. The problem with taking the easy way out, is that the enemy has already mined it. Fortify your front and you'll get your rear shot up. If you can't remember, the claymore is pointed towards you. Cavalry doesn't always come to the rescue. There is always a way, and it usually doesn't work. If you can keep your head while those around you are losing theirs, you may have misjudged the situation. If two things are required to make something work, they will never be shipped together. Things that must work together, can't be carried to the field that way. The quartermaster has only two sizes, too large and too small. If you really need an officer in a hurry, take a nap. There is nothing more satisfying than having someone take a shot at you, and miss. If your sergeant can see you, so can the enemy. You'll only remember your hand grenades when the sound is too close to use them. The enemy diversion you are ignoring is the Main Attack. Recoilless rifles -- aren't. Neutral countries -- aren't. Suppressive fires -- won't. Friendly fire -- isn't. Weather ain't neutral. Interchangeable parts aren't. When you are forward of your position, the artillery will always be short. When the enemy is closing, the artillery will always be long. In war, important things are simple and simple things are very hard. Communications will fail as soon as you desperately need fire support . There is no such thing as a perfect plan. Sniper's motto: "Reach out and touch someone." All other things being equal, the side with the simplest uniforms wins. It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed. Once the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend. The enemy invariably attacks on two occasions: -when they're ready. - when you're not. A retreating enemy is probably just falling back and regrouping. Radar tends to fail at night and in bad weather (and especially during both.) The one item you need is always in short supply. Combat will occur on the ground between two adjoining maps. The most dangerous thing in the world is a Second Lieutenant with a map and a compass. Exceptions prove the rule, and destroy the battle plan. The worse the weather, the more you are required to be out in it. The more a weapon costs, the farther you will have to send it away to be repaired. Field experience is something you don't get until just after you need it. No matter which way you have to march, its always uphill. Airstrikes always overshoot the target, artillery always falls short. When reviewing the radio frequencies that you just wrote down, the most important ones are always illegible. Those who hesitate under fire usually do not end up KIA or WIA. The newest and least experienced soldier will usually win the Medal of Honor. The bursting radius of a hand grenade is always one foot greater than your jumping range. All-weather close air support doesn't work in bad weather. The combat worth of a unit is inversely proportional to the smartness of its outfit and appearance. The crucial round is a dud. Every command which can be misunderstood, will be. If your positions are firmly set and you are prepared to take the enemy assault on, he will bypass you. If your ambush is properly set, the enemy won't walk into it. If your flank march is going well, the enemy expects you to outflank him. The more stupid the leader is, the more important missions he is ordered to carry out. The self-importance of a superior is inversely proportional to his position in the hierarchy (as is his deviousness and mischievousness). Whenever you drop your equipment in a fire-fight, your ammo and grenades always fall the farthest away, and your canteen always lands at your feet. As soon as you are served hot chow in the field, it rains. Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do. The seriousness of a wound (in a fire-fight) is inversely proportional to the distance to any form of cover. Walking point = sniper bait. Murphy was a grunt.

Cross Roads Correctional Center Chain of Command Superintendent Leaps tall buildings with a single bound Is more powerful than a locomotive Is faster than a speeding bullet Walks on water Advises God on policy Ass. Superintendent Leaps short building with a single bound Is more powerful than a shunting engine Is just as fast as a speeding bullet Walks on water if the sea is calm Talks to God Major Leaps short buildings with a running start and a favorable wind Is almost as powerful as a shunting engine Is nearly as fast as a speeding bullet Walks on water in an indoor swimming pool Talks to God if special request is granted Captain Barely clears little huts Loses tug of war with locomotives Can fire a speeding bullet Swims well Talks to himself Functional Unit Manager Makes high marks trying to leap over little huts Is run over by locomotives Can sometimes handle a gun without inflicting self injury Dog paddles Talks to animals Lieutenant Runs into buildings Recognizes locomotives two out of three times Is not issued live ammunition Can float if instructed how to use a life jacket Talks to walls Sergeant Falls over doorsteps when trying to enter buildings Says “Look! CHOO CHOO” Wets himself/herself with a squirt gun Plays in mud puddles Mumbles to themselves Corrections Officer I Lifts buildings and walks under them Kicks locomotives off the tracks Catches speeding bullets in teethe and eats them Freezes water with a single glance HE IS GOD!

Army Center Chain of Command General Leaps tall buildings with a single bound Is more powerful than a locomotive Is faster than a speeding bullet Walks on water Advises God on policy Colonel Leaps short building with a single bound Is more powerful than a shunting engine Is just as fast as a speeding bullet Walks on water if the sea is calm Talks to God Lt. Colonel Leaps short buildings with a running start and a favorable wind Is almost as powerful as a shunting engine Is nearly as fast as a speeding bullet Walks on water in an indoor swimming pool Talks to God if special request is granted Major Barely clears little huts Loses tug of war with locomotives Can fire a speeding bullet Swims well Talks to himself Captain Makes high marks trying to leap over little huts Is run over by locomotives Can sometimes handle a gun without inflicting self injury Dog paddles Talks to animals 1st Lieutenant Runs into buildings Recognizes locomotives two out of three times Is not issued live ammunition Can float if instructed how to use a life jacket Talks to walls 2nd Lieutenant Falls over doorsteps when trying to enter buildings Says “Look! CHOO CHOO” Wets himself with a squirt gun Plays in mud puddles Mumbles to himself NCO (non Commissioned Officer) Lifts buildings and walks under them Kicks locomotives off the tracks Catches speeding bullets in teethe and eats them Freezes water with a single glance HE IS GOD!

Definitions for men of words women use. 1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and the man needs to shut up. 2) Five Minutes: If the woman is getting dressed, this means half an hour. Five minutes is only Five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game or whatever manly thing you are doing before helping around the house. 3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means SOMETHING. The man should be on his toes. “Arguments normally start with NOTHING and end in FINE” 4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. DON’T DO IT!!!! 5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but it is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot, and wonders why she is wasting her time standing there and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to Rule # 3 for definition of nothing) 6) That’s O.K.: This is one of the most dangerous statements a woman can make to a man. “That’s O.K.” Means The Woman wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when the man will pay for his mistake. 7) Thanks: The Woman is thanking the man, do not question, or faint. Just reply with “your welcome”. 8) Whatever: The Woman’s way of saying “F@#$ Y&%!” 9) Don’t worry about it OR I got it : These two dangerous statements mean that The Woman has told the man to do something several times, but is now doing it Herself. The result of this will be the man asking “What’s wrong?” and the woman’s response will be “see #3” 10) What: This is not a question. The man is not expected to repeat his statement. This is The Woman’s way of expressing shock that the man would make such a statement.

Letter from one "Angry Woman" I don't know who wrote it but they should have signed it. Some powerful words. This woman should run for president. Written by a housewife from New Jersey and sounds like it! This is one ticked off lady. "Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001? Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan , across the Potomac from our nation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania ? Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they? And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was "desecrated" when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet?...Well, I don't. I don't care at all. I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11. I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for chopping off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat. I'll care when the cowardly so-called "insurgents" in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques. I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide . I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights. In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care. When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliated in what amounts to a college-hazing incident, rest assured: I don't care. When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank: I don't care. When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed "special" food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being "mishandled," you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts: I don't care. And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled "Koran" and other times "Quran." Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and-you guessed it-I don't care !! If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on to all your E-mail friends. Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous behavior! If you don't agree, then by all means hit the delete button. Should you choose the latter, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great Country! And may I add: "Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem" -- Ronald Reagan I have another quote that I would like to add AND.......I hope you forward all this. "If we ever forget that we're One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under." Also by.. Ronald Reagan One last thought for the day: In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the Anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember England 's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words during a recent interview. When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America , he said: "A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in.. And how many want out." Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you: 1. Jesus Christ 2. The American G. I. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom. YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON, AS MANY SEEM TO FORGET BOTH OF THEM. AMEN!

* * * * * * * * * A Different Christmas Poem The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light, I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight. My wife was asleep, her head on my chest, My daughter beside me, angelic in rest. Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white, Transforming the yard to a winter delight. The sparkling lights in the tree I believe, Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve. My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep, Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep. In perfect contentment, or so it would seem, So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream. The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near, But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear. Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow. My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear, And I crept to the door just to see who was near. Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night, A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight. A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old, Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold. Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled, Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child. "What are you doing?" I asked without fear, "Come in this moment, it's freezing out here! Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve, You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!" For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift, Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.. To the window that danced with a warm fire's light, Then he sighed and he said "It's really all right, I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night." "It's my duty to stand at the front of the line, That separates you from the darkest of times. No one had to ask or beg or implore me, I'm proud to stand here like my father's before me. My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December," Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers." My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ', And now it is my turn and so, here I am. I've not seen my own son in more than a while, But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile. Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag, The red, white, and blue... an American flag. I can live through the cold and the being alone, Away from my family, my house and my home. I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet, I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat. I can carry the weight of killing another, Or lay down my life with my sister and brother.. Who stand at the front against any and all, To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall." "So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright, Your family is waiting and I'll be all right." "But isn't there something I can do, at the least, "Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast? It seems all too little for all that you've done, For being away from your wife and your son." Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret, "Just tell us you love us, and never forget. To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone, To stand your own watch, no matter how long. For when we come home, either standing or dead, To know you remember we fought and we bled. Is payment enough, and with that we will trust, That we mattered to you as you mattered to us." Until the last Soldier comes home! http://groups/yahoo.com/SOCKFORSOLDIERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.

Some may read this as cheesy, but the road trip was kickin ass in my book and I had to express my gratitude some how. Here Goes. This is the best way I can give a Shout Out to America and Missourians and Truckers. I found out something this last weekend when I had drill w/ the Missouri National Guard. That the American Truck Drivers and Truckers are only a shade less Patriotic than the American Soldier. I logged about 600 miles this last weekend @ 57 mph. was a very long drive. but during the 2 trips I had on Missouri Highways I had a renewed sense of worth and faith in America. Please allow me to share my THANK YOUS. Thank you to: The HOT woman in the Mitsubishi Eclipse for waving, those were impressive "lungs" The mom and 2 kids that came up to a group of us troops at the gas station, Those 2 handsome boys just wanted to say "Hey" to the soldiers. The truck drivers that came up to us troops at the Flying J in Peculier Mo. and said thank you. They were thanking us for doing our jobs, we are proud to serve our country and our citizens! A shout out to the driver that slowed down just so he could salute my co-driver and I in Kansas City. I was wiped out and still 2 hrs from the unit. But that renewed my spirit all over again! The clerks at the Flying J, They even have a Code Green there when a bus full of troops arrives! The 3 college kids that passed my truck on Highway 71 were all 3 smiling and throwing the hand sign "The Shocker" What an awesome weekend. Thank You for allowing me to do what I do America!