DOD Identifies Service Members Killed In CH-47 Crash

                 The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of 30 servicemembers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.  They died Aug. 6 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed.

The following sailors assigned to an East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit were killed: 

•                 Lt. Cmdr. (SEAL) Jonas B. Kelsall, 32, of Shreveport, La., 
•                 Special Warfare Operator Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Louis J. Langlais, 44, of Santa Barbara, Calif., 
•                 Special Warfare Operator Senior Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Thomas A. Ratzlaff, 34, of Green Forest, Ark., 
•                 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Senior Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Kraig M. Vickers 36, of Kokomo, Hawaii,  
•                 Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Brian R. Bill, 31, of Stamford, Conn., 
•                 Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) John W. Faas, 31, of Minneapolis, Minn., 
•                 Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Kevin A. Houston, 35, of West Hyannisport, Mass., 
•                 Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Matthew D. Mason, 37, of Kansas City, Mo., 
•                 Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Stephen M. Mills, 35, of Fort Worth, Texas, 
•                 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist/Diver) Nicholas H. Null, 30, of Washington, W.Va., 
•                 Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Robert J. Reeves, 32, of Shreveport, La., 
•                 Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Heath M. Robinson, 34, of Detroit, Mich., 
•                 Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Darrik C. Benson, 28, of Angwin, Calif. 
•                 Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Parachutist) Christopher G. Campbell, 36, of Jacksonville, N.C., 
•                 Information Systems Technician Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Jared W. Day, 28, of Taylorsville, Utah, 
•                 Master-at-Arms Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) John Douangdara, 26, of South Sioux City, Neb., 
•                 Cryptologist Technician (Collection) Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) Michael J. Strange, 25, of Philadelphia, Pa., 
•                 Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist) Jon T. Tumilson, 35, of Rockford, Iowa, 
•                 Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Aaron C. Vaughn, 30, of Stuart, Fla., and 
•                 Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Jason R. Workman, 32, of Blanding, Utah.  

 The following sailors assigned to a West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit were killed: 

•                 Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Jesse D. Pittman, 27, of Ukiah, Calif., and 
•                 Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 2nd Class (SEAL) Nicholas P. Spehar, 24, of Saint Paul, Minn. 

The soldiers killed were:  

•                 Chief Warrant Officer David R. Carter, 47, of Centennial, Colo.  He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Aurora, Colo.; 
•                 Chief Warrant Officer Bryan J. Nichols, 31, of Hays, Kan.  He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kan.; 
•                 Sgt. Patrick D. Hamburger, 30, of Lincoln, Neb.  He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Grand Island, Neb.; 
•                 Sgt. Alexander J. Bennett, 24, of Tacoma, Wash.  He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kan.; and 
•                 Spc. Spencer C. Duncan, 21, of Olathe, Kan.  He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kan. 

The airmen killed were: 

•      Tech. Sgt. John W. Brown, 33, of Tallahassee, Fla.; 
•      Staff Sgt. Andrew W. Harvell, 26, of Long Beach, Calif.; and 
•      Tech. Sgt. Daniel L. Zerbe, 28, of York, Pa.  

                All three airmen were assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Field, N.C. 

                For more information about the sailors, media may contact Lt. Arlo Abrahamson at 757-763-2007 or 757-620-3109. 

                For more information on Carter, media may contact the Colorado National Guard public affairs office at 720-250-1053. 

                For more information on Nichols, Bennett and Duncan, media may contact the 11th Aviation Command public affairs office at 502-626-5746 or 502-851-3466. 

                For more information on Hamburger, media may contact the Nebraska National Guard public affairs office at 402-309-7302 or 402-309-7303. 

                For more information about the airmen, media may contact the Air Force Special Operations Command public affairs office at 850-884-5515.

Food for thought

The Obamanites don't have any clue as they encourage the Muslim Brotherhood [which has elements and proven connections to terrorist organizations] in the fall of Egypt. The latest battle of WW III Started - 1979


This is not very long, but very informative.

You have need to read the catalog of events in this brief piece. Then, ask yourself how anyone can take the position that all we have to do is bring our troops home from Iraq, & Afghanistan then sit back, reset the snooze alarm, go back to
sleep, and no one will ever bother us again


In case you missed it, World War III began in November 1979... That alarm has been ringing for 31 years!!  


US Navy Captain Ouimette is the Executive Officer at Naval Air Station, Pensacola , Florida .
This is a copy of the speech he gave.  

It is an accurate account of why we are in so much trouble today and why this action is so necessary.

AMERICA NEEDS TO WAKE UP!

That's what we think we heard on the 11th of September 2001 (When more than 3,000 Americans were killed) and maybe it was, but I think it should have been 'Get Out of Bed!' In fact, I think the alarm clock has been buzzing since 1979 and we have continued to hit the snooze button and roll over for a few more minutes of peaceful sleep since then. 

It was a cool fall day in November 1979 in a country going through a religious and political upheaval when a group of Iranian students attacked and seized the American Embassy in Tehran . This seizure was an outright attack on American soil; it was an attack that held the world's most powerful country hostage and paralyzed a Presidency.  


The attack on this sovereign U. S. Embassy set the stage for events to follow for the next 31 years.  

America was still reeling from the aftermath of the Vietnam experience and had a serious threat from the Soviet Union when then, President Carter, had to do something. He chose to conduct a clandestine raid in the desert. The ill-fated mission ended in ruin, but stood as a symbol of America 's inability to deal with terrorism. 

America's military had been decimated and down sized/right sized since the end of the Vietnam War. A poorly trained, poorly equipped and poorly organized military was called on to execute a complex mission that was doomed from the start.


Shortly after the Tehran experience, Americans began to be kidnapped and killed throughout the Middle East . America could do little to protect her citizens living and working abroad. The attacks against US soil continued. 

In April of 1983, when Ronald Reagan was president, a large vehicle packed with high explosives was driven into the US Embassy compound in Beirut .  When it explodes, it kills 63 people. The alarm went off again and America hit the Snooze Button once more. 

Then just six short months later in 1983 a large truck heavily laden down with over 2500 pounds of TNT smashed through the main gate of the US Marine Corps headquarters in Beirut and 241 US servicemen are killed. America mourns her dead and hit the Snooze Button once more. 

Two months later in December 1983, another truck loaded with explosives is driven into the US Embassy in Kuwait , and America continues her slumber. 

The following year, in September 1984, another van was driven into the gate of the US Embassy in Beirut and America slept. 

Soon the terrorism spreads to Europe . In April 1985 a bomb explodes in a restaurant frequented by US soldiers in Madrid . 

Then in August 1985, a Volkswagen loaded with explosives is driven into the main gate of the US Air Force Base at  Rheine-Main, 22 are killed and the snooze alarm is buzzing louder and louder as US interests are continually attacked.

Fifty-nine days later in 1985 a cruise ship, the Achille Lauro is hijacked and we watched as an American in a wheelchair  is singled out of the passenger list and executed.

The terrorists then shift their tactics to bombing civilian airliners when they bomb TWA Flight 840 in April of 1986 that  killed 4 and the most tragic bombing, Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie , Scotland in 1988, killing 259.     [this
incident brought an indictment AND conviction on Gadhafi as a co-conspiritor]   

The wake up alarm is getting louder and louder. 

The terrorists decide to bring the fight to America . In January 1993, two CIA agents are shot and killed as they enter CIA  headquarters in Langley , Virginia . 

The following month, February 1993, a group of terrorists are arrested after a rented van packed with explosives is driven  into the underground parking garage of the World Trade Center in New York City . Six people are killed and over 1000 are injured. Still this is a crime and not an act of war? 

The Snooze alarm is depressed again. 

Then in November 1995 a car bomb explodes at a US military complex in Riyadh Saudi Arabia killing seven service men and women. 

A few months later in June of 1996, another truck bomb explodes only 35 yards from the US military compound in  Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. It destroys the Khobar Towers, a US Air Force barracks, killing 19 and injuring over 500. The  terrorists are getting braver and smarter as they see that America does not respond decisively. 

They move to coordinate their attacks in a simultaneous attack on two US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania .  These  attacks were planned with precision. They kill 224. America responds with cruise missile attacks and goes back to sleep. 

The USS Cole was docked in the port of Aden, Yemen for refueling on 12 October 2000, when a small craft pulled along  side the ship and exploded killing 17 US Navy Sailors. Attacking a US War Ship is an act of war, but we sent the FBI to  investigate the crime and went back to sleep. 

And of course you know the events of 11 September 2001. Most Americans think this was the first attack against US soil  or in America . How wrong they are. America has been under a constant attack since 1979 and we chose to hit the  snooze alarm and roll over and go back to sleep. 

In the news lately we have seen lots of finger pointing from every high official in government over what they knew and what  hey didn't know.  But if you've read the papers and paid a little attention I think you can see exactly what they knew. You don't have to be in the FBI or CIA or on the National Security Council to see the pattern that has been developing since 1979.

I think we have been in a war for the past 31 years and it will continue until we as a people decide enough is enough.  America needs to 'Get out of Bed' and act decisively now. America has been changed forever.  We have to be ready to pay  the price and make the sacrifice to ensure our way of life continues. We cannot afford to keep hitting the snooze button  again and again and roll over and go back to sleep. 

After the attack on Pearl Harbor , Admiral Yamamoto said '... it seems all we have done is awakened a sleeping giant.' This is the message we need to disseminate to terrorists around the world. 

This is not a political thing to be hashed over in an election year, this is an AMERICAN thing. This is about our Freedom  and the Freedom of our children in years to come.

If you believe in this please Share it to as many people as you can especially to the young people and all those who dozed off in history class and who seem so quick to protest such a necessary military action. 


If you don't believe it, just ignore this information, complain about our military commitments, complain about our commitment to our allies, complain about our defending our interests around the world, then roll over and go back to sleep, tomorrow pray you do not wake up without the freedom you have come to  expect!!,   

"Freedom is not Free, endless hours, time lost with those you love,  must be devoted to a constant watch and effort to protect it.
Once a small a portion of freedom is lost, it is almost impossible to regain.
Implicit faith in God and constant effort are your heritage to fight with.”

"What have you done for Freedom today?"

SHERIFF JOE IS AT IT AGAIN!

SHERIFF JOE IS AT IT AGAIN!

 I love this guy!  

You all remember Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona , who painted the jail cells pink and made the inmates wear pink prison garb. Well.........  

                         

SHERIFF JOE IS AT IT AGAIN! 
 
Oh, there's MUCH more to know about Sheriff Joe! 
 
Maricopa  County was spending approx. $18 million dollars a year on stray animals, like cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over, and the County Supervisors said okay. 
 
The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior. They give great classes for anyone who'd like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows.

The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million. Teresa and I adopted a Weimaraner from a Maricopa County shelter two years ago. He was neutered, and current on all shots, in great health, and even had a microchip inserted the day we got him. Cost us $78. 
 
The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free, just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals. 
 
I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at the way he runs the jail system, and copy some of his ideas. He has a huge farm, donated to the county years ago, where inmates can work, and they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the work and harvesting by hand. 
 
He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which provides meat, and fertilizer. It fertilizes the Christmas tree nursery, where prisoners work, and you can buy a living Christmas tree for $6 - $8 for the Holidays, and plant it later. We have six trees in our yard from the Prison.

Yup, he was reelected last year with 83% of the vote. 

 Now he's in trouble with the ACLU again. He painted all his buses and vehicles with a mural, that has a special hotline phone number painted on it, where you can call and report suspected illegal aliens. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement wasn't doing enough in his eyes, so he had 40 deputies trained specifically for enforcing immigration laws, started up his hotline, and bought 4 new buses just for hauling folks back to the border. He's kind of a 'Git-R Dun' kind of Sheriff. 
 
TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO 
 
HE IS THE MARICOPA ARIZONA COUNTY SHERIFF 
 
AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER 

 THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY: 
 
Sheriff Joe Arpaio (In Arizona ) who created the ' Tent City Jail': 

 He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them.
He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails. Took away their weights. Cut off all but 'G' movies. 
 
He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects.

Then He Started Chain Gangs For Women So He Wouldn't Get  Sued For Discrimination. 
 
He took away cable TV Until he found out there was A Federal Court Order that Required Cable TV For Jails So He Hooked Up The Cable TV Again Only Let In The Disney Channel And The Weather Channel. 
 
When asked why the weather channel He Replied, So They Will Know How Hot It's Gonna Be While They Are Working ON My Chain Gangs. 
 
He Cut Off Coffee Since It Has Zero Nutritional Value. 
 
When the inmates complained, he told them, 'This Isn't The Ritz/Carlton......If You Don't Like It, Don't Come Back.' 
 
 More On The Arizona Sheriff: 
 
With Temperatures Being Even Hotter Than Usual In Phoenix (116 Degrees Just Set A New Record), the Associated Press Reports:
 About 2,000 Inmates Living In A Barbed-Wire-Surrounded Tent Encampment At The Maricopa County Jail Have Been Given Permission To Strip Down To Their Government-Issued Pink Boxer Shorts. 
 
On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reached 138 Degrees Inside The Week Before.

Many Were Also Swathed In Wet, Pink Towels As Sweat Collected On Their Chests And Dripped Down To Their PINK SOCKS. 
 
'It Feels Like We Are In A Furnace,' Said James Zanzot, An Inmate Who Has Lived In The TENTS for 1 year. 'It's Inhumane.' 
 
Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic. He said Wednesday that he told all of the inmates: 'It's 120 Degrees In Iraq And Our Soldiers Are Living In Tents Too, And They Have To Wear Full Battle Gear,
 But They Didn't Commit Any Crimes, So Shut Your Mouths!' 
 
Way To Go, Sheriff! 
 
Maybe if all prisons were like this one there would be a lot less crime and/or repeat offenders. Criminals should be punished for their crimes - not live in luxury until it's time for their parole, only to go out and commit another crime so they can get back in to live on taxpayers money and enjoy things taxpayers can't afford to have for themselves. 
 
If you agree, pass this on. If not,  oh well, we are all entitled to our opinion in this country!

The Real Red, White and Blue, Miss America.

The Real Miss America. This 19 year old ex-cheerleader (now an Air Force Security Forces Sniper) was watching a road that led to a NATO military base when she observed a man digging by the road. She engaged the target (I.e. she shot him). It turned out he was a bomb maker for the Taliban and he was burying an IED that was to be detonated when a US patrol walked by 30 minutes later. It would have certainly killed and wounded several soldiers. The interesting fact of this story is the shot was measured at 725 yards. She shot him as he was bent over burying the bomb. The shot went through his butt and into the bomb which detonated; he was blown to pieces.  The Air Force made a motivational poster of her:   Folks, that's a shot 25 yards longer than seven football fields!  And the last thing that came out of his mouth was his ass! If You Can Not Stand Behind / Support Our Troops, Please Feel Free To Stand In Front Of Them! If you agree with this, share it!  If not, why then, just move on.  Ain't freedom a grand thang!!!!!?