Sunday, September 29, 2013

Kate MacEachern is on The Long Way Home

The Long Way Home is one former Canadian Military Service member's mission to break the silence about PTSD and to raise funds for a non-profit group Military Minds whose mission is to also break the silence, to reach into the shadows of Military PTSD and offer help to those who have served our countries honourably.

The Long Way Home is my journey from the Canso Causeway NS, to Ottawa Ontario to raise awareness for Soldiers journey through PTSD and OSI. Sept 03-Oct 18


Former Tanker Kate MacEachern may sometimes feel that she is alone (well, apart from support Veteran Kevin Berry and his PTSD dog Tommy) as she travels thousands of kilometers across eastern Canada, but as her FaceBook community page shows, many active duty and Veterans - and those who love them - from around the world have her six.


FaceBook entry:  Left foot...Right foot... Headed to Perth-Andover tonight. Beautiful day so far!


CBC Radio  Maritime Magazine aired an interview with Kate last week.  Go HERE to listen to it.

Kate is sharing her journey with daily updates on the FaceBook page, and not all of them are as optimistic as the one above.  With brutal honesty, yesterday she wrote:

Ripples...

The last 24 hours has been well, trying. Emotionally I hit "that point" the same point that I hit back in November. Do I carry on and fight through the next steps that I need to take, or do I give up and go back down into the well I have been clawing my way out of. Although it's not a welcoming or positive place, it's safe. I can control my surroundings down there. No emotion no pain. Just me in the dark. 


Up until this point I didnt see the connection.


Those faces I will never meet, and those voices I may never hear need me to finish this as much as I need them to finish. 


When I look left on the highway, I see a yellow line...the same yellow that a paramedic wears to work. The same paramedic that just walked into an office and asked for help. To my right is the white line. The same white as the sneakers a mom wears when she takes her kids to soccer. The same mom that put down the pillow she has been crying into from the pain of losing her child and picked up the phone for help instead. The red trees, that's the firefighter that has been thinking he can't hurt because he's a volunteer. The same firefighter that just hit google on the computer and slowly wrote in PTSD. Every stone I pass is another person who hasn't been able to exhale for however many days/months/years. Every child that has wondered why mom or dad isn't there when they look out from the stage at their concert. 


The grass..that's the Military. The soldiers, airmen and sailors families that are now sitting down to supper and having "the discussion" The dark spots, and pot holes and obstacles, well that's just fear of those people facing what I am bringing forward....It takes a great amount of strength and courage to stand up against lifes Goliath's.


I understand how hard it is to not judge something you don't understand. Once upon a time I wouldn't even admit I had PTSD. The survivors guilt consumed me, the fear of being judged because mine was born out of an accident within Canada. The scrutiny ripped me apart. It took a part of me away that I didn't think I would ever get back. That is why I decided to walk. That, is why I am sitting here wondering it I can still do this. If I can indeed get to the end and find my own way home. Find the way for so many others that need to see the lighthouse in the storm. 


Tomorrow, I'll keep walking. I may be on the highway myself, but when I look back there are thousands of footsteps behind me. 


It took me 3 years to get to this point on my highway. I can't give up now. I owe it to myself and to so many others. I am damn well going to finish this. 


My name is Kate MacEachern and I have PTSD. I was diagnosed in 2010 and tomorrow, I am going to help those who can't yet find their voice. 


---Speak your truth, even when your voice shakes---

On that community page, Kate shares maps of her route, and her thoughts, and the response has been overwhelmingly supportive, encouraging as those of us nowhere near the east coast, cheer her on.  

Her mission, though, needs tangible support. In order to keep her fed, all the other expenses, and gas in the van as well, The Long Way Home needs dollars.

You can donate to Kate and The Long Way Home





PLEASE, whatever few spare dollars you have, via - thelongwayhome2013@gmail.com (email money transfer)

OR:


click here and donate to Kate's mission.

Don't have the price of a coffee to spare?  You can support this important mission, by joining the FaceBook community page, and then share the message of what Kate is accomplishing every step of the way.  If you live anywhere near the communities she has mapped out as planned stops, (or know anybody else who is) be sure to get out there and show up to walk even a few steps with her.  I know she'd appreciate that!  


 If you can't do any of those?  Pray her on - all The Long Way Home.


What Kate is doing is so important.  The ripples from her mission will reverberate far into the future. Kate IS breaking the silence for millions around the world; millions who you and I will never meet, as they fight their own battles in the corners of darkness.

Thank you, Kate, for shining the light. Thank you.

 

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Video: This IS Islam



Over the years, I have written much about the GLOBAL threat of Islam. If you put 'Jihad 101' or 'Islam' in the search engine at top left, you can read columns I have written going back years.  I have shared videos, speeches, and irrefutable evidence debunking this so-called religion of peace, and their goals.  You could start at "Islam is NO religion of Peace" from August 2010.


 Even as our politicians continue to arm those who would kill us (most recently Syria, Libya???) daily examples of Islam followers' determination to dominate us infidels - and if we don't willingly convert -  to kill us all.  Even as the current resident of 1600 insists "Islam is a religion of peace," others are documenting just how *peaceful* Islam is.

Today, another video came my way, with FACTS.





I am not the only one documenting the march of violent jihad across the globe...Monkey In the Middle frequently shares specific events of Islam's 'tolerance' of any other religion or political system.

On a daily basis, Jihad Watch gives examples of the peaceful Islamists.  Just today, they found SIX headlines of murderous plotters who are trying to wipe all of us infidels off the face of the earth.

Those are just two examples of people choosing to educate themselves, and trying to educate the unwashed masses. And yet, still some folks bury their heads in the sand, muttering all the way 'Oh this is nothing to do with us.'

I will say again:  It has EVERYTHING to do with us.  It IS here, where YOU live.  Ignorance will not save you from the Religion of Peace.



Welcome HOME! : UK K9 unit on parade

From the MoD:


Welcome home banners and celebrations greeted some 50 soldiers from 104 Military Working Dog Unit when they returned home from Afghanistan.

25 September 2013 

 Soldiers and dogs of 104 Military Working Dog Unit arrive back at North Luffenham [Picture: Corporal Gabriel Moreno, Crown copyright]


These highly trained dogs and their handlers carried out a range of tasks in theatre that included patrolling the bases where fellow British soldiers are based, searching vehicles at checkpoints and going out on patrol on the front line.


The soldiers of 104 Military Working Dog Unit, part of the 1st Military Working Dog Regiment, returned to St George’s Barracks in North Luffenham where they were met by their families after completing a 7-month tour of Afghanistan. 98 soldiers deployed from the unit in total; 48 soldiers returned home last month.

Amongst those returning was Corporal Tamara King, aged 31, who said:

My role was a ‘trainer-maintainer’. When the dogs came back into camp I worked with them to keep their search skills sharp. The dogs take a bit of time to adapt to the different conditions in Afghanistan.

The dogs found some significant caches of arms and explosives and it’s great to know that I’ve helped train the dogs that made Helmand a safer place.

Lance Corporal Alex Day, aged 27 from Stoke-on-Trent, was met by his mum Elaine, sister Cassie, wife Susan and 14-week-old daughter Ashleigh. This was his second tour of Afghanistan as a protection dog handler at Camp Bastion:


I’ve had 2 very different tours. I was out on the ground with the infantry the first time and this tour I was patrolling Bastion and working at the entrance points. This time was quieter because the Afghans are taking the lead and we’re there in support.


It’s great to be back to see my new daughter. The unit timed my R&R (rest and recuperation) so I could be back for her birth and it was hard to fly back to Afghanistan. She’s grown so much and I’m looking forward to spending time with her on leave....

Much more here. 


WELCOME HOME!  Thank you...

[*Bratdog would approve this message*]

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Wednesday Hero

This Post Was Suggested By Michael

Comdr. Howard W.
Gilmore

Comdr. Howard W. Gilmore40 years old from Selma, Alabama
September 29, 1902 - February 7, 1943
U.S.
Navy


For distinguished gallantry and valor above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the U.S.S. Growler during her Fourth War Patrol in the Southwest Pacific from 10 January to 7 February 1943.

Boldly striking at the enemy in spite of continuous hostile air and antisubmarine patrols, Comdr. Gilmore sank one Japanese freighter and damaged another by torpedo fire, successfully evading severe depth charges following each attack. In the darkness of night on 7 February, an enemy gunboat closed range and prepared to ram the Growler.

Comdr. Gilmore daringly maneuvered to avoid the crash and rammed the attacker instead, ripping into her port side at 11 knots and bursting wide her plates. In the terrific fire of the sinking gunboat's heavy machineguns, Comdr. Gilmore calmly gave the order to clear the bridge, and refusing safety for himself, remained on deck while his men preceded him below. Struck down by the fusillade of bullets and having done his utmost against the enemy, in his final living moments, Comdr. Gilmore gave his last order to the officer of the deck, "Take her down." The Growler dived; seriously damaged but under control, she was brought safely to port by her well-trained crew inspired by the courageous fighting spirit of their dead captain.






You can read more about Comdr. Gilmore here


These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.


Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

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Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Women's Rights in Islam: National Park Service video praises the fantasy

Really - women's rights and Islam in the same breath? By the US National Park Service???? It's true, and YOUR tax dollars paid for the videos.

From Gateway Pundit:

[...] No joke. Your tax dollars paid for Obama’s National Park Service to make videos that praise Islam’s contributions to women’s rights. Indoctrination thrown in as added bonus and no explanation given as to why this is a function of the National Park Service.

Islam and women’s rights? Really? Are they referring to all those women’s rights like honor killings, stonings, gang rapes, the loss of independence to travel, hijabs and burqas… those women’s rights? Maybe a more accurate and honest overview (along with less taxpayer cost) could have been achieved by providing a free movie download showing The Stoning of Soraya M....




For videos - follow the link above....

From BareNaked Islam:

Look how Obama is spending your tax dollars now: PROMOTING ISLAM – CHAMPION OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS

 

National Park Service produces three videos praising Islam’s contributions to women’s rights.


IJ Review  (h/t Martin) Apparently, the National Park Service has a ton of money lying around and thought that maybe producing some pro-Islam videos might further their mission to provide national parks to Americans. Seems legit. So they hired a media person to visit the AnNur Islamic School in Schenectady, NY and got the real truth about Islam. Which may surprise you.

 

Much more: videos, pictures, that WILL make you shake your head.  Check it out here.

 

[H/T Diane] 

Final flight of the VC10

From the MoD:

After 47 years of RAF service, the VC10 has taken to the skies for its final air-to-air refuelling operational sortie.
 23 September 2013


 A VC10 aircraft from 101 Squadron refuels a pair of Typhoon jets


The VC10 aircraft accomplished its final aviation milestone on Friday, 20 September, and will retire from service on 25 September 2013.

Group Captain Steve Lushington, Station Commander at RAF Brize Norton, home to 101 Squadron and the last 2 VC10s, said:

You only have to look through the chapters of aviation history to find the VC10 has played a part somewhere along the line, be that the return of people held hostage around the world or flying the Royal Family, the Queen, heads of state and prime ministers to all sorts of wonderful locations as part of state visits.

There is a significant amount of VC10 history at RAF Brize Norton and we’re very proud of that heritage.

 View from the cockpit of a VC10 aircraft [Picture: Senior Aircraftwoman Helen Farrer, Crown copyright]


The VC10s, ZA147 and ZA150, flew together in a sortie that involved refuelling Typhoon, Tornado GR4 and Hercules aircraft, along with refuelling one VC10 from the other.


To mark the significant role the aircraft has played in providing a service for the fast jet customer, a VC10 flew over various RAF stations, including RAF Lossiemouth, RAF Coningsby, RAF Marham and RAF Leuchars, as well as sites in Warton, Birmingham and Prestwick....


Much more on this historic sortie, here.

Monday, September 23, 2013

Your Monday Mission: Support this Veteran

Not a week goes by that we don't hear about our Veterans having to deal with discrimination (and sometimes outright illegal actions) as  they reclaim their lives post-deployment.  In the US, Britain, and Canada, to name but three countries, our Veterans are having to fight the good fight, not just with the various levels of government and politicians, but also at street level.  Remember the Brit soldiers who were refused entry into Harrods because they were wearing their uniforms - on Remembrance Day, of all days!? Remember the Brit soldiers who were refused service in a pub - again because they were wearing their uniforms - they were just home from a sandbox!?   Remember the incidents in the US - the most recent of which was a Veteran with his Service dog refused entry into a restaurant??!

These are but a few of  the  many examples, of what seem to be almost weekly encounters where our Veterans are met by ignorance AND a disrespect of our returning Troops.

Today?  From the CBC comes this:

Former soldier's service dog refused entry to gym

Human rights complaint planned by man suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder

CBC News Posted: Sep 23, 2013

Kevin Berry was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2010, six years after his military service with the 3rd battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment in Kabul. (Jessica Doria-Brown/CBC)

 

A former soldier, who now lives in Vancouver, is filing a complaint with the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission against a Moncton fitness club. 

Kevin Berry, 30, served in Afghanistan and says he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. He travels with his service dog Tommy to help him cope with his PTSD symptoms.

"Tommy wakes me up during nightmares, Tommy walks in and clears my house when we get home," said Berry.

Last week, Berry and Tommy were passing through Moncton as part of a walking tour between Nova Scotia and Ontario to raise awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder.

Berry says they went to Global Gym on Mapleton Road so he could work out, but were denied entry even though Tommy wears a service dog vest and comes with a government-issued ID card.

"They never once asked what Tommy was for," said Berry. "It was, `No,' right away."

Berry says after being denied entrance by a club employee, he contacted the gym's owner by telephone. He says the man laughed at him and said he'd never allow pets at his gym. 

"My human rights were violated by the staff at Global Gym and the ownership," said Berry. "It wasn't just the injury, [there was] definitely an insult aspect to it after speaking with the owner on the phone."

'That's unacceptable'

 

[...]

 

Yes, it is totally unacceptable and yes, there is MUCH more here,  


It seems to me we need to educate this Global Gym owner.  In the CBC story, they do not have any contact info for this business, but they do have their address and phone number on a FaceBook page .

I DO have the owner's private telephone number, but because I'll show him more respect than he showed for this Veteran, I won't share it here.

However, I AM asking each of you to do what YOU can, with the information given, to take this opportunity to educate this business owner, and show tangible support for Kevin.

You have your mission:  Release the hounds..

War Criminal Omar Khadr in Edmonton court today: Christopher Speer unavailable to comment

From CBC:

Omar Khadr to appear in Edmonton court on Monday

Khadr pleaded guilty to 5 war crimes in October 2010

 

The Canadian Press  Sep 22, 2013

Omar Khadr, who was 15 and gravely wounded when captured during a firefight in Afghanistan in 2002, will appear in an Edmonton court on Monday. (Janet Hamlin/Reuters) 

 

Former Guantanamo Bay inmate Omar Khadr is expected to make his first appearance in public since American soldiers captured him as a badly wounded 15-year-old in Afghanistan 11 years ago.

Khadr will be in an Edmonton courtroom Monday for an application to have his ongoing detention in an adult prison declared illegal.


"I want them to see Omar Khadr," his lawyer Dennis Edney said in an interview. "I don't want him hidden away."


The Toronto-born Khadr, who turned 27 last week, will not speak during the hearing before the Court of Queen's Bench, expected to last the day. 


A spokeswoman for Correctional Service Canada confirmed an order had been made for Khadr to appear in court.

Khadr's lawyers argue for youth sentence

Khadr's last court appearance was when he pleaded guilty to five war crimes in October 2010 before a U.S. military commission in Guantanamo Bay, where a few select people were allowed to watch the proceedings in person.


In exchange for his guilty plea, he was given an eight-year sentence.


The federal government, which opposes the application, argues Khadr has been appropriately placed in an adult maximum security facility...


Much more here on the latest legal wranglings to minimise the ILlegal acts by Omar Khadr.


 Sgt First Class Christopher Speer is unavailable for comment.


Remember and Honour Sgt 1st Class Christopher Speer - with UPDATE testimony

 

OP/ED: Murderer Omar Khadr sentenced to 40 years by military tribunal

To read more, get up to speed, on the legal shenanigans on this case, pit 'Omar Khadr' in the search engine at top left Pay attention...

Friday, September 20, 2013

National POW/MIA Day


A great post on this over at War on Terror News here.


From Albany Tribune 

[...]The following is the text of the Presidential Proclamation:


Our country endures because in every generation, courageous Americans answer the call to serve in our Armed Forces. They represent the very best of the human spirit, stand tall for the values and freedoms we cherish, and uphold peace and security at home and around the globe. Today, we pay tribute to the service members who have not returned from the battlefield, we stand beside their families, and we honor those who are held captive as prisoners of war. We will never forget their sacrifice, nor will we ever abandon our responsibility to do everything in our power to bring them home.


America remains steadfast in our determination to recover our missing patriots. Our work is not finished until our heroes are returned safely to our shores or a full accounting is provided to their loved ones. We must care for the men and women who have served so selflessly in our name, and we must carry forward the legacy of those whose fates are still unknown. Today, and every day, we express our profound appreciation to our service members, our veterans, our military families, and all those who placed themselves in harm’s way to sustain the virtues that are the hallmarks of our Union....[...]



ALWAYS remembered.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

9/11: Justice delayed...justice denied?



The circus at GITMO continues..  From msn:


9/11 suspect ejected from Guantanamo courtroom

 

Lawyers for the accused 9/11 plotters say computer issues are hindering their ability to work. 


GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba — An accused Sept. 11 conspirator was hustled out of the Guantanamo war crimes courtroom on Monday when he refused to stop shouting during a chaotic hearing that was cut short because one of the lawyers was ill.


"I have the right to talk!" Yemeni defendant Ramzi Binalshibh yelled in English.


After he ignored repeated warnings to be quiet, the judge ejected Binalshibh for disruptive conduct and guards in camouflage uniforms escorted him out of the courtroom at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base in Cuba.


The judge, Army Colonel James Pohl, was questioning the five defendants about whether they understood their right to be present in court in order to assist in their defense.


Binalshibh and the alleged mastermind of the hijacked planes plot, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, responded with complaints about restrictions imposed during their meetings with lawyers.


The judge said he would deal with that issue later. Mohammed eventually relented but Binalshibh persisted, complaining loudly of sleep deprivation, among other things.


"You cannot make me stop talking," he yelled at the judge...

[...]


the chief prosecutor, Army Brigadier General Mark Martins, said he sympathized with those who have grown frustrated that the trial still had not started.


He said the case was complex and the court was methodically working its way through the litigation.


"I want this thing to move. Justice delayed at some point really is justice denied," Martins told journalists at the Guantanamo base on Sunday...



Go read more on the ongoing circus here.

Wednesday Hero

This post was suggested by Michael

 
Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt
III
 
 
Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt III 56 years old from Cove Neck, NY September 13, 1887 - July 12, 1944 U.S. Army 
 
 
 
 
When people hear the name Theodore Roosevelt they think President of the United States. 
 
 
 
 What they probably don't think of is Theodore Roosevelt III. The presidents son. A man who, at the age of 56, lead forces in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day and was awarded the Medal Of Honor: 
 
 
For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 6 June 1944, in France. After 2 verbal requests to accompany the leading assault elements in the Normandy invasion had been denied, Brig. Gen. Roosevelt's written request for this mission was approved and he landed with the first wave of the forces assaulting the enemy-held beaches. He repeatedly led groups from the beach, over the seawall and established them inland. His valor, courage, and presence in the very front of the attack and his complete unconcern at being under heavy fire inspired the troops to heights of enthusiasm and self-sacrifice. Although the enemy had the beach under constant direct fire, Brig. Gen. Roosevelt moved from one locality to another, rallying men around him, directed and personally led them against the enemy. Under his seasoned, precise, calm, and unfaltering leadership, assault troops reduced beach strong points and rapidly moved inland with minimum casualties. He thus contributed substantially to the successful establishment of the beachhead in France.
 
 
 
You can read more about Brig. Gen. Roosevelt here These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero. Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

 
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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Video: Benghazi - One Year Later

One year on, and STILL No truth.  One year later, and STILL just lies.

From Secure America Now:

Secure America Now Launches Benghazi Video to Mark Troublesome Anniversary

As we commemorate the deaths of Ambassador Chris Stevens, Information Officer Sean Smith, and embassy security personnel, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, Americans are still waiting for answers to why their killers are still free, why the survivors are being hidden from the public, why the Administration is not being held accountable for failing to secure the compound in Benghazi, why they refused to acknowledge the terrorist attack, and why no one has been held accountable for these deadly failings.


Allen Roth, President of Secure America Now, explains, "With Syria in the headlines, we feel it is important to keep Benghazi in the public eye. That is why we produced this video. We will market it far and wide and continue our campaign to get the Congress to appoint a Select Committee to get answers to the many unanswered questions."


We pray for all those innocents who lost their lives on 9/11. America must never forget their sacrifices. God Bless America.





Benghazi - One Year Later -- Demand that Congress Takes Action

Mr President: What about America's chemical weapons? Huh?



As POTUS spins in the winds of international diplomacy, most recently the careful (or 'incredibly small') accounting of Syria's chemical weapons, comes this from Homeland Security NewsWire:

U.S. still has 3,100 tons of chemical weapons to be destroyed

17 September 2013

Last weekend’s U.S.-Russia agreement on Syria’s chemical weapons has put on hold a U.S. strike on Syria. The pause may allow a reflection on the fact that the United States possesses one of the world’s largest chemical arsenals. [emphasis mine] Sixteen years after a treaty banning of chemical weapons went into effect, the Unites States has 3,100 tons stored in Colorado and Kentucky.

The Anniston Star reports that this is a mere 10 percent of the quantities of chemical weapons materials the United Had in its arsenals  whenthe United States, in 1997, ratified the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention. Under the treaty, the United States and Russia agreed to destroy their chemical stockpile. The United States expect its remaining 10 percent to be eliminated by 2023....



You know there is more here, including the background on the original Russia/USA agreement.

Not to worry though, as latest news says Russia has blocked the UN Syria resolution, amid concerns of the US insistence of tying the option of a Military strike to any Syrian non-compliance:







Ex-British army colonel to Post: Russian-US plan on Syria chemical weapons ‘not realistic’

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
09/16/2013

Former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, Richard Kemp, says Israel may be "the only reliable power in the region" and "only one the world can count on" to maintain security.

The agreement reached between the US and Russia for the destruction of chemical weapons in the possession of the Assad regime is fraught with difficulty and danger and, in the best case scenario, would likely end up with a token show of disarmament, Col. Richard Kemp, former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.

Speaking to the Post by phone, Kemp, who also served in the UK’s Joint Intelligence Committee and Cabinet Office Briefing Room, said: “I think it’s extremely difficult to do something like this during an active conflict, during a war. I think it’ll take a very large amount of time, with a significant amount of military protection, so that the inspectors can be as safe as they can be. That aspect will present huge challenges. Which country, first of all, will provide the scientists who will take these risks and the military forces to back them up? It’s a very dangerous situation.”...

 

Much more here.


Your move, Mr. President.

NEWSFLASH: Another deadline approaches for 9/11 First Responders



Were you in downtown Brooklyn or Manhattan south of Houston Street in the months around 9/11? Were you in the dust cloud - even for a short time?


Did you work or volunteer on the cleanup and recovery efforts south of Canal Street or at Ground Zero, the Staten Island landfill, NYC Chief Medical Examiner's Office or the barge loading piers?


Some times it takes a while for symptoms to show up. And even if you don't have symptoms yet, you may be eligible for free WTC Health Program Benefits - regardless of immigration status.


Click here for an application or call 888-982-4748 to apply. If you are eligible, a medical provider will contact you to make an appointment for your first free medical exam. If you are eligible, you will receive free medical exams, treatment and medication.


You may also be eligible for payments from the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund. You must register by October 3, 2013. Click here for more information.


If you have questions, call NYCOSH at 855-4WTC-AID (855-498-2243) or email us.  To apply in English, Chinese or Polish, click here.


PLEASE SHARE this information.  Thanks.

New Red Arrows!

Just because I love Red Arrows.


From the MoD:

New pilots join the Red Arrows

 Flight Lieutenants Stewart Campbell and Joe Hourston

The 2 newest members of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, for 2014 have been announced.

 

Flight Lieutenants Stewart Campbell and Joe Hourston, who have both previously flown operations with the RAF in Afghanistan, will stay with the Red Arrows for 3 years.


They will begin training in the coming weeks and will be part of the aerobatic team’s famous 9-aircraft formation in 2014 – displaying in front of millions of people at home and overseas and representing the speed, agility and precision of the Royal Air Force.


Flight Lieutenants Campbell and Hourston are joining the Red Arrows after impressing during a tough selection process that involved flight tests, interviews and other exercises.


The team is the public face of the Royal Air Force and assists with recruiting into the service, contributes to defence diplomacy and supports wider national interests by promoting the country’s industry.


Next year is the 50th display season for the aerobatic team which, since its formation, has performed more than 4,500 displays in 54 different countries....


Read more here.  Gooooooooo Red Arrows.

 

BHO on Mil Pay and Retirement Guidelines

From Military.com:



Obama Outlines Mil Pay and Retirement Guidelines

Sep 13, 2013
President Obama on Thursday sent his principles for modernizing and restructuring military compensation and retirement benefits to Congress, and a commission has stood up to direct the task.


Chief among these, according to the three-page document, is that the commission does nothing to alter the current retirement system for those already serving, retired or in the process of retiring.


“While we have successfully transitioned from a conscripted force to an all-volunteer force, sustaining this force requires responsive and prudent management, especially given the fiscal challenges we face as a nation,” he wrote.
The president also informed the nine-member Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission that, along with a review of compensation, it should also look at the “interrelationship of the military’s current promotion system … as well as associated force shaping tools.”


Joe Davis, spokesman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, said the commission’s charter “is to save the government money, but I hope they fully consider all the downsides to each recommendation, because a professionally-led, all-volunteer military must first have commanders and senior enlisted advisors who are selected for being the best qualified, not the last ones standing."


Now, he said, the Defense Department offers “only two carrots” to get and keep people for 20 years or more: the immediate receipt of retirement pay and low Tricare premiums for the member and spouse.


“Any major adjustment to either, coupled with a resurging economy that offers more attractive alternatives, could mean this commission’s recommendations


The country’s 1.9 million military retirees and 22 million veterans made large, upfront investments to earn their retirements and healthcare, he said, and they know that lessening these will directly impact retention.


“The troops are watching, too, because once the economy rebounds, picking stability over unpredictability, or a business suit instead of body armor, are not very difficult choices to make,” Davis said....


Yes, the Troops ARE watching.... Read more here.  BE informed.  

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

9/11: Justice delayed...justice denied?




On September 11, 2001, the worst attack  on American soil - in history - took place.




"Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature, and we responded with the best of America, with the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could.


Immediately following the first attack, I implemented our government's emergency response plans. Our military is powerful, and it's prepared. Our emergency teams are working in New York City and Washington, D.C., to help with local rescue efforts..."

 [copyright Jack Delaney]



"Our first priority is to get help to those who have been injured and to take every precaution to protect our citizens at home and around the world from further attacks..."


President Bush on September 11:

The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts. I've directed the full resources for our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.

[...]

This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time.  




JUSTICE...  On September 20, 2001, President Bush gave the American response to this act of war, and the quest for justice began in earnest, as many nations stood with America as part of the Coalition of the Willing.







"...They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share their fate. ..."

As history has proved, the terrorists were not handed over to face justice,  even as they faced the might of the US Military and resources, alongside with the very willing Coalition partners who  continued to stand shoulder to shoulder with America, in the common goal of combating terrorism.

Today, as we mark twelve long years since that terrible day, self confessed terrorists and murderers. including Khalid Sheik Mohammad, are facing an American Military Tribunal as they have their every need (and then some) met on Guantanamo Bay.  Google KSM if you must, or put his name in the search engine here at top left, because I have written about him a few times.


The Military Commission in GITMO, in the slow steady march towards justice,  is in the stage of hearing defence motions by the murderer's lawyers...  The official site for schedules and transcripts is here.




The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts. I've directed the full resources for our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and bring them to justice. 


And so began the most public aspect of the hunt to "find those responsible... " and render appropriate justice.



 On May 2, 2011 we all watched and listened as this news of our brave Troops' successful  mission hit the media:



Yes, a major coup for the good guys,  as yes, one of the very public faces of our murderous enemies was sent to face the ultimate justice.  (72 virgins?  I doubt it!!!)  Reaction was swift from those most directly affected by this most fitting end to one of the most public faces of our enemies in this Global War on Terror.  I was able to share with you, at the time, the responses from 9/11 families whose loved ones perished that day, First Responders who dug through the rubble and the chaos of that day - and the months ahead -  and the families of our Military, who answered the call of our nations to fight against this murderous ideology. For their words, put "ObL is dead" in the search engine at top left of this site.


 The Delaney crew at Ground Zero on the news of  ObL's death.


Even as this success was celebrated from Ground Zero and around the world, not many of us harboured the delusion that bin Laden's death heralded the end of the hunt for those responsible for the horrific loss of life on 9/11 (and in the years since.) The Global War on Terror continued.

Many lives have continued to be impacted, many lives have been lost, and still those who love them  wait for justice.  Some form of justice is being played out in GITMO, where the Military Tribunal continues to ensure that KSM, and conspirators,  is afforded every respect.  Not much of this is covered in the mainstream media, and you could (maybe) be forgiven for believing that these poor scmucks in GITMO are being terribly abused, and trampled on by the evil American Military.  This Aint Hell, a Veteran-run site, has twice had observers at GITMO,  documenting some of the events there, as the defendants' lawyers continue to raise absurd motions that are guaranteed to ensure that the wheels of justice grind exceedingly slowly..from complaints about the lack of olives in the murderers' food, to one of the defendant's lawyers wearing a burqa, and demanding that all other females in the courtroom do likewise - as a sign of respect to KSM and cohorts, doncha know - to AG Holder attempting to interfere with the process by having this all moved to civilian courts on US soil; despite all this, the Military Tribunal continues.  This Aint Hell has archives of their observations.  Go here and put "GITMO" in their search engine, and read their insights. Likewise, if you put "GITMO" in the top left of this site, you will find 9/11 family, the Fairbens,  reactions and thoughts on the circus that is GITMO.

As stated, the msm has apparently moved on from 9/11 and we see very few column inches or airtime devoted to what is happening in GITMO unless one of the newspapers decides to print an inmate's op/ed drivel.  Yep, that really happened recently as one of them hit the newspaper to complain about the injustice his faces every day down there..titled

The Gut-Wrenching Times Op-Ed a Gitmo Prisoner Dictated Over the Phone

and published in April 2013 as the self imposed hunger strike continued. The casual, unconnected reader could be forgiven (maybe) for swallowing the "we are the victims here" swill.   I wrote my own thoughts on the hunger strike: GITMO hunger strikers:  Let them eat...or NOT!!

Steven Crowder visited GITMO back in 2009 and filmed what he saw there of the terrible conditions (yes, that was Brat sarcasm!) these enemy combatants suffer on a daily basis







JusticeAs we face yet another anniversary of 9/11, I asked for the thoughts of those who face the INjustice on a daily basis of the murders of innocents of that infamous terrorist act.  Each of them graciously gave me permission to quote them verbatim, and that is exactly what I share with you here:


Ken Fairben, father of Keith Fairben, a Paramedic who gave his life on 9/11 as he worked selflessly to save civilians at the World Trade Center:



 I have been attending the Pre Trial hearings since they have begun...I observe the proceedings from Ft. Hamilton Brooklyn, New York, via closed circut t.v.   I can say that it is extremely frustrating watching the proceedings and the motions being filed by both sides.   Some of these motions are just down right foolish... I believe that Judge Pohl is doing an outstanding job and has shown great patients throughout...  These FIVE accused (have to be politically correct)  are being given so much latitude that I sometimes feel they are making a mockery of our judicial system...


These FIVE have been allowed to decide if they will attend court hearings each day.  They can REFUSE to come to court and remain in the detention area...My God,  can you see the average AMERICAN citizen in a jail deciding wheather or not he or she feels like going to court!!!!   I believe that our system is bending over backwards to accommodate these FIVE... We are sooo afraid of what the world will think of us if we just try them and sentence  them...The FIVE have every thing that they need, dietary needs,  legal assistance,  medical care,  etc...It just amazes me...


The "FIVE" belong right where they are.....The Military Tribunal is in place...each one of the defendants has  Learned Council (specializing in Capital Murder Cases) another intermitter Attorney plus an intermitter... They are confined in a safe and secure location...They have EVERYTHING that they could possibly want...Transporting them to and from hearings is simple, no logistic problems moving them...   Now just imagine bringing them into the United States?   Where would you house them?  Just think of the problem bringing them from their holding areas to the court.  Security for these FIVE would be momentous...and just think of what this cost would be to the citizens.    These FIVE are Military combatants,  they were the minds behind the murder of 3,000 innocent people that morning...NO, THEY BELONG RIGHT WHERE THEY ARE... THE PRESIDENT AND MR HOLDER SHOULD STAY OUT OF THE PROCESS AND LET JUSTICE BE DONE...These two only have a political agenda and it is NOT FOR THE GOOD OF AMERICA.

  I truly believe that there will be justice from this Tribunal if it is allowed to move forward without the President and Mr. Holder interfering...Yes, one day and i hope that I live long enough to see this come to a conclusion.  These FIVE will be judge fairly...I truly believe that.   THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS CLOSURE and I am only speaking for myself....I do not speak on behalf of anyone else but myself...   Every individual has THEIR right to feel and express their feelings and each and everyone of them should be RESPECTED....


Much the same as Mousaui,    Life in prison (Super Max)   No chance for parole   No chance to be transferred to a foreign nation to serve their terms...and NO POLITICAL INTERFERENCE!

    I once again state...these statements are mine and mine alone...I respect each and every family members' feelings and wishes...    
 Just a few key points....  1.  These FIVE MUST remain in Git Mo.......2.  The Politicians MUST stop interfering with our judicial process.....3.  The FIVE  MUST NOT BE BROUGHT INTO THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES...      4.   Mr. Obama and Mr. Holder MUST step away and not interfere in any way.....    These are my key points.........   The Prosecution and the Defense Attorneys are doing an outstanding job..They are all passionate on both sides... The Judge is most fair and impartial...Let him do what he has been trained for all his life...I have complete faith in his judgement....


                    Respectfully submitted,   Kenneth B. Fairben,   Father of  Keith G. Fairben, paramedic,  NY Presbyterian Hospital   Sept 11,2001




 
Diane Fairben, Keith's mom:




Frustrated, and disheartened ....however, as I said before, after having been to GITMO, and meeting both prosecution and defense teams, I am absolutely sure that the defendants are receiving the BEST defense.




HELL NO to the trials being held in civilian courts on US soil!  The trial is exactly where it should be.  Much of the evidence would not be allowed in a federal court.

In addition, the events of 9/11 were an act of war.  The fact that the Pentagon was a target, makes an even stronger case for that.  These 5 men were enemy combatants, captured on the battlefield.  The refusal of this administration to call this a war is, I believe,  one of the reasons they want this and other terrorist trials in civilian court.

 What I want to see as the outcome is that after they are convicted, they spend the rest of their lives at GITMO, without all the "nice" extras they have now, without being able to see anyone except the security forces, and let out only 1 hour a day.  A death sentence would result in endless appeals, and would not be carried out in my lifetime for sure.  Either way, they become martyrs in their minds, and the minds of the terrorist world.




Jack Delaney, Keith's boss at the time,  answered the call on 9/11, and was one of the Emergency Medical Services 'peeps' who ran towards the madness of Ground Zero.[see also picture above]






 I am truly saddened by the trial delays.  I myself feel frustrated about how these animals are making a mockery of our judicial process.  I can not imagine how frustrating it is for the families of those who were murdered on that day.  Recently my frustration grew significantly stronger when I spoke with a family member who indicated that they hope they would live to see the conviction.  Why the hell are we dicking around with these murderers at the expense of our families.  The process certainly seems tilted in the wrong direction when our families are suffering through the BS and these murderers are laughing at our system.  Lets get serious and get the show on the road!!!


Holder is a loose cannon who Obama points and shoots.  Holder only wants to bring these trials back to US soil to assist Obama in attempting to close Gitmo (which will never happen).  If the trials did come to the states the cost and disruption to the american people would be astronomical.  On the other hand if the trials came to the US perhaps they could get a judge that would eliminate the associated BS and commence the actual trial in an expedited fashion.




(Jack's car - "squeezed lemons" - parked in front of towers)


Once we get past the mockery of our judicial system by the defendants, I truly believe that all defendants will be found guilty.  No matter what decision is made concerning the disposal of the defendants (garbage) there is nothing that could be done to them that would ever match the pain and suffering that has been experienced by so many.  The philosophy of an eye for an eye really doesn't apply in this horrendous situation.


Obviously I would want to see all found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without parole.  I do not want to see these men executed and made martyrs.  

I guess folks who read this will think I am angry....well....I am.  I want the process to minimize the pain and suffering for the families of those murdered as well as the rescuers,  many of whom are suffering from significant illness daily.  I only pray that this process will proceed expeditiously so we can put this one thing behind us.  



John Epsicopo was also at Ground Zero, working alongside Jack, Keith and many others as part of the Emergency First Responders.
NO, [I am not watching what's going on at GITMO]


It should be a military trial held off of US soil. It was an act of war. If he is tried in a civilian court on Us SOIL THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO GIVE HIM HIS RIGHTS UNDER THE CONSTITUTION F THAT.


   No outcome will render Justice. The outcome needs to send a message to his buddies that we are not playing. If you murder our people  you will LIVE thru hell for the rest of your life


No death penalty, because then they become a martyr Use their beliefs against them . Keep them alive have them live in their definition of sin.



John Episcopo,NREMTP
NY Presbyterian EMS
Special Operations Division




As we all know, since 9/11 many thousands of our young sons and daughters, men and women from around the world, have sworn the Military Oath and stepped up to serve in this ongoing Global War on Terror.  Some have given  the ultimate sacrifice.



Gold Star Mom, Mickey Bryant, had this to say...






HOLDER IS AN ASS.... THIS IS MILITARY BUSINESS AND THAT IS WHO SHOULD  BE TAKING CARE OF THIS MATTER.  IT SHOULD BE DONE RIGHT THERE AT GITMO.  AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE A LONG TIME AGO...  I FOR ONE AM TIRED OF PAYING FOR THEIR FOOD, BED, HOUSING AND THIER IN HOUSE RECRUITING AND ALL THIER PERSONAL AND RELIGIOUS WANTS

I DON'T BELIEVE THERE CAN BE TOTAL JUSTICE UNLESS THEY GET A DEATH PENALTY AND THAT IS  CARRIED OUT VERY QUICKLY.

Mickey Arnette Bryant Proud Mom of a US Soldier SSG Jason R Arnette
KIA 4/1/07 Baghdad now deployed to Heaven


Robert Stokely, Gold Star Dad of Mike Stokely:


I look at Justice in a bigger light over a larger period of time.   First, the Hanging of Saddam Hussein was Justice in my view given his hand in matters that led to my son and many others going to free a nation he brutalized even as a mass murderer.  SH was a threat to America and plotted to assassinate our President.   Although Mike didn't live long enough to see  him brought to Justice, I had the opportunity to go to Iraq with a man who was in on his capture and interrogation and I am satisfied Justice was served.  As to KSM, I am more detached where he is concerned.  9/11 was a day country music star from where I live in Coweta County, Alan Jackson asked "Where were you when the world stopped turning....."   While I was with my wife at her medical appointment when 9/11 happened, my son Mike was at AIT at FT Gordon and little did I know I was standing on the precipice of war my son would die in less than four years later.   For me, KSM is less the person I wanted to see brought to Justice as Bin Laden.  Justice has now been served now that he lies at the bottom of the ocean in an unknown watery tomb. 


As to bringing those thugs, whether KSM or others to the U.S. for trial and seeking Justice, that makes about as much sense as bringing cockroaches into your house to squash them.  GITMO has worked just fine and I simply don't understand why Holder and crowd wants to bring them in country. 

As to the outcome of the KSM trial and others like him, I think history has set the precedent.  Saddam's rope or Bin Laden's bullets to the head will work just fine for me.






proud dad SGT Mike Stokely

KIA 16 AUG 05 near Yusufiyah Iraq

USA E 108 CAV 48th BCT GAARNG



Northstar96sc,  Military mom, long-time tireless Troop supporter:


I believe the court process at GITMO, in my opinion to what I read is a joke. I am pretty sure the terrorists will die of old age before any justice will be carried out as they are not from here and do not wish to be spared. There is no excuse. I do not hear anyone saying they are innocent. They are  costing us money and making a mockery of of our court system.


This should be a military trial as they attacked our country and should be in a military court as a crime against the USA.


No there will not be justice as we cannot erase the day or charge our pound of flesh. The 9 11 attack cannot be undone and since the war started we have lost many more children of the United States in the war. We have a value of life and the terrorists do not value life. They want to keep the fight going and invade us from within which our current government is allowing it to happen as the USA is still allowing these people to come into our country and build here and live here.


 I would like to see the Muslim religion extinguished. I would love to bring our military home form A'Stan and let them kill one another.



 What about those in the Military who have 'been there, done that',  served in the Global War on Terror, come home to tell the tale to any who would listen?


Here's what one was willing to share on the record:



My take on things is that the tribunals were unnecessarily delayed for political reasons by Holder and Obama when they attempted to put this in a civilian court.


 The hard fought gains made in the first years of the war have been thrown away, not just squandered, but thrown away by the current crop of politicians, again, for political purposes and political correctness. They have released terrorists, enemy combatants. They have forced the Karzai govt to negotiations with the Taliban. They half-stepped "the Surge" and then pulled out before victory could be achieved.



After pulling defeat from the jaws of Victory in Iraq and then Afghanistan, they handed Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and now Syria to the enemy on a silver platter.


 They are ignoring international law (the Geneva Conventions) which states that combatants can be held until the end of hostilities, and only war criminals are tried in a court, because they want to make this a law enforcement and criminal situation. That means they want the military to act in a law enforcement role.



 What is my take? The politicians have again brought a defeat, despite the victories of our Troops.


Senior NCO/Veteran Iraq/Afghanistan 


As of today, the defense motions in GITMO continue on, and are not expected to be cleared for many months.   The actual trial begins after that, and will no doubt be followed by appeals.  This is in no way a criticism of the Military commission, and I commend them for their professional attention to ensuring that these enemy combatants will obviously be charged and sentenced by the very system they have sought to destroy.


Once the trial does get underway, it is anybody's guess how long before a guilty verdict is rendered by the Military Tribunal.  GUILTY is the only acceptable verdict, for all the Heroes we have lost, no matter how long it takes.  I have heard misgivings expressed by some,  that many of our 9/11 survivors will themselves be dead long before such verdict is executed. As we all watch the blatant manipulations of the Military Tribunal system by these  murderers, it is absolutely reasonable to wonder - as some have also shared with me - whether justice will ever be exacted for this heinous act of war. 

I have long believed - and voiced often -  that we certainly won't see justice during the current US administration.  That opinion has, of course, been reinforced by Holder's repeated efforts to interfere with the judicial process underway in GITMO. 

Having said that, I do fervently believe that justice will be rained upon KSM and the other guilty murderers.  The American values which KSM et al continue to abuse and manipulate  - to sneer at -  as they languish in luxury at GITMO, will be the very same values which will demand a price of retribution.

I don't think any of us are naive enough to believe that day of reckoning will bring back the cherished, loved ones lost on 9/11 and in the subsequent years of this Global War on Terror.  Wishing will never make that so. 

And the motions and the trials go on, and on, and on. However, I DO have absolute faith, and I hold fast to that faith,  that justice delayed does not mean justice denied.  Justice WILL be served upon the guilty.  They will be called to account.  I believe.