[...] There are many ways, big and small, to get involved. However people choose to support, the concept is straightforward. Our military men and women and their families do so much and sacrifice so much to take care of America. This is about doing everything we can to — together — take care of them … not just in April or May but year round. [...]
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. 
Gate to Gate Run In Honor of SGT Timothy Padgett, SF Medic
Of all the MOS's (jobs) in the military, the one I hold in greatest respect is probably an 18D, Special Forces Medic. Those that graduate the SF Medic's course are capable of amazing feats of life saving trauma treatment. As (more than) one person has described the role of the SF Medic:
"They can kill you and then save your life."
They don't wear the medic red cross, because theirs is a combat mission, with the job of keeping everybody alive and healthy. On the range, you probably wouldn't know the difference between the 18D and his teammates, and ODA's (Operational Detachment Alpha) are the epitome of a team. The things they can do aren't a matter of just physical brawn. It's intelligence, common sense, hard work, constant practice, dedication beyond perfection, but above and beyond all is teamwork.
So, it does not surprise me to find that team 7125, formerly known as 725, has adopted SGT Padgett's family as their own, or that they are going the extra 4.4 miles in Honor of him, and in support of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.
I have rarely mentioned SOWF, but it is one of the most efficient Non-Profits in the Pro-Troop arena. It specializes in ensuring that the children of fallen Special Operations Troops get a college education. Funds donated to it make it to that cause at a percentage unprecedented in the Non-Profit world. In short, they are good stewards of financial donations.
Though the team is currently deployed to Afghanistan, they are training and have a goal of being 1st and raising $10,000, in the 4.4 mile run at Eglin AFB in May. They're running treadmills at a pace of 5:50 minute miles, which is frankly unreal to me, for an individual, much less a team. And they plan to cut that time down before the race, and when they aren't in the middle of place where people are shooting at them.
In fact, it wasn't the team itself that contacted me about this, but the brother of a team member, because their duties still come first, defending America, in a far off land that has taken a Brother from them.
If you can find $5 or $500 to donate to a worthy cause, in the Honor of a Fallen Warrior, as supported by some of Our Nation's best, please donate here: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/in-memory-our-fallen-hero-and-teammate
Boston bombing:
FBI looking for a “person of interest” who may have helped the Tsanaev brothers
29 April 2013
Lawmakers with knowledge of the investigation into the Boston marathon bombing said over the weekend that law enforcement agencies are looking for a “person of interest” who may have been involved with the Tsarnaev brothers in preparing the attack. The lawmakers highlighted the fact that law enforcement agencies are not convinced that the brothers acted alone, without any help of one or two more people.
- Representative Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Maryland), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told ABC News on Sunday that the FBI is investigating “persons of interest” who is still in the United States. “There are persons of interest in the United States…. We’re looking at phone calls before and after the bombing, this type of investigation.”
- House Intelligence Committee chairman Mike Rogers (R-Michigan) said on the same new show: , “There are still persons of interest in the United States that the FBI would like to have conversations with…. [But] the big unknown” in understanding the origins of the attack were the six months Tamerlan Tsarnaev spent in Russia. “I think [Russian authorities] have information that would be incredibly helpful that they haven’t provided yet.”
- House Homeland Security Committee chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said on Fox News Sunday that he had discussed the involvement of “trainers” with the FBI. “I think given the level of sophistication of this device, the fact that the pressure cooker is a signature device that goes back to Pakistan, Afghanistan, leads me to believe … that there was a trainer and the question is where is that trainer or trainers,” he said. “Are they overseas in the Chechen region or are they in the United States?” he asked. “In my conversations with the FBI, that’s the big question. They’ve casted a wide net both overseas and in the United States to find out where this person is. But I think the experts all agree that there is someone who did train these two individuals.”
- Representative Adam Schiff (D-California), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, told CNN’s “State of the Union” that he believed the Russians “know more than they’re telling us.” He pointed out that the Russian authorities recorded a conversation between Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his mother (see this New York Times report, and this Daily Mail story), and said he wanted to know why: ‘We don’t know that. We haven’t received that information from the Russians,” he said. “We don’t yet know how exactly the brothers became radicalized, he said, though he said there probably is no link to a major terrorist group. “It does look like a lot of radicalization was self-radicalization online, but we don’t know the full answers yet,” he said.
In the early hours of 28 April 1944, a convoy of eight American landing ship tanks (LSTs) were carrying out a D-Day dress rehearsal off the South Devon coast when they were ambushed by German E-boats.
Two of the LSTs were sunk in the attack off Slapton Sands, killing 749 US servicemen - a higher death toll than at the initial D-Day landings which were to take place on Utah Beach, Normandy, two months later.
In fact, the operation - called Exercise Tiger - proved to be the most costly Allied training incident, in terms of lives lost, in the whole of World War Two.
Exercise Tiger tragedy remembered in service at Slapton
A service has been held to remember hundreds of US servicemen who died off the coast of Devon during a World War II training exercise.The event marks the anniversary of Exercise Tiger at Slapton Sands on 28 April 1944.
A total of 749 servicemen died when convoys training for the D-Day landings were attacked by German torpedo boats.
Two of the surviving veterans, now in their eighties, flew over from the United States to attend....
Rehearsals for the D-Day landings took place off Devon in 1944
"I remember it as if it were yesterday..."
Paul Gerolstein was on board LST 515 and is one of three Exercise Tiger veterans who travelled to Torcross to attend the annual memorial service and ceremony on Sunday 26 April 2009.
Archive photos: Paul Gerolstein and Nathan Resnick
"I remember it as if it were yesterday," said Paul, who was gunners mate in the US Navy. "Our captain, John Doyle, decided to stay on station and pick up survivors. 'We came here to fight the Germans and we will stay here and fight,' he ordered"I don't remember the exact number of troops our ship picked out of the water, but I believe it was around 170.
.
"The medical personnel were ordered, under threat of Court Martial, not to ask anybody about what happened. It was imperative that the Germans did not know what we were doing."
Paul went on to take part in the D-Day landing at Utah Beach.
He was joined by two other veterans, Frank Derby (LST 496) and Nathan Resnick (LST 511), and relatives of men lost in the tragedy....
23 April 2013
Parliament welcomes 4th Mechanized Brigade home from Afghanistan
Men and women of 4th Mechanized Brigade have marched through London to the Houses of Parliament to mark their return from Afghanistan.
Troops from 4th Mechanized Brigade march through London on the way to a reception at the Houses of Parliament [Picture: Corporal Mike O'Neill, Crown copyright]
More than 120 military personnel from the brigade were led by its commander, Brigadier Bob Bruce, in the parade, which attracted crowds of spectators yesterday afternoon, 22 April.
With the Band of the Scots Guards providing the music, the marching contingent of the parade included soldiers from the Royal Dragoon Guards, the Queen’s Royal Lancers, the 1st Battalion Scots Guards, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles and 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment, alongside Royal Marines from 40 Commando.
Personnel from 21 Engineer Regiment, 3 Medical Regiment, 4th Regiment Royal Artillery, amongst others, also joined in the proceedings.
The troops paraded from Wellington Barracks, along Birdcage Walk, into Parliament Square, and arrived at the Palace of Westminster at 3:30pm, where they were met by parliamentarians...
I believe that freedom is a gift from God and the hope of every human heart. Freedom inspired our founders and preserved our union through civil war and secured the promise of civil rights. Freedom sustains dissonance bound by chains. Believers huddled in underground churches. And voters who risked their lives to cast their ballots. Freedom unleashed creativity, rewards innovation and replaces poverty with prosperity. And ultimately freedom lights the path to peace. Freedom brings responsibility...
[...]
