Jarhead Online

For those of you who have not had the pleasure of coming to 29 Palms in April let me break it down for you.  IT F&%#(N sucks.  It was 110 plus the first three days out here than dropped into the 40s last night.  On top of that Arty likes to see how many times they can move in a week and get rounds on target.  So since Tuesday night I have slept at a different location every night except for one.

As for what else is going on not too much.  The PFC’s and boot as Lt’s always make a time out here fun.  Have had quite a few rattlesnake sightings but no onw has gotten bitten yet (tank god).  I am slowly but surely working my way through my reading material and hopefully will get at least 2 of the three books completed.

My new favorite piece of gear is the self inflating mattress that I bought at Wal-Mart.  It rolls up smaller than an ISO mat (small piece of hard foam).  and is much more comfortable to sleep on.  So between that and my solar shower that I bought last summer I get to sleep comfy and get the stank off my sack what else coud a man want when out in the field.

Well it is time for the Big Blue Diamond (1stMARDIV) to head out to 29 Palms for a little fun in the sun.  This means that my posts will slow up even more than they have in the past month or so.  I am hoping that I will have some time to get onto the computer and get some posts in.  I am sure that I will have plenty of stories to tell and I will tell them as I get a chance.  Just hopin that I have cell coverage so I can get on here and post as well as keep my fantasy baseball team competitive.

Well midnight Monday night was the cut off for all the SSgts being considered for promotion to get any updated information into the President of the Board.  Hopefully you got that information into the board so that you don’t suffer the fate that I did last year.  Getting passed over is one of the worst things that can happen to you and I know from personal expirience.  Now all we have to do is wait out the next 7 weeks and see if we get selected.  Good luck to all of you that are in the zone.

The following is a post that a buddy of mine put up on his myspace.  I thought it was great so now it is a post on here.

I recently asked my friends’ little girl what she wanted to be when she grows up.

She said she wanted to be President some day.

Both of her parents, liberal Democrats, were standing there, so I asked her, ‘If you were President, what would be the first thing you would do? ‘

She replied, ‘I’d give food and houses to all the homeless people.’

Her parents beamed.

‘Wow…what a worthy goal. ‘ I told her, ‘But you don’t have to wait until you’re President to do that…you can come over to my house and mow the lawn, pull weeds, and sweep my yard, and I’ll pay you $50. Then I’ll take you over to the grocery store where the homeless guy hangs out, and you can give him the $50 to use toward food and a new house.’

She thought that over for a few seconds, then she looked me straight in the eye and asked, ‘Why doesn’t the homeless guy come over and do the work, and you can just pay him the $50?’

I said, ‘Welcome to the Republican Party.

Her parents still aren’t speaking to me.

Been a minute since I through something up so I figured I’d go with a quick funny.  Here are some things you don’t want to hear in the Corps.

1.  Private Saying ” I learned this in boot camp.”

2.  Sergeant Saying “Trust me sir..”

3.  2nd Lt saying “In my experience..”

4.  Capt saying “I was just thinking…”

5.  Gunny chuckling “Watch this shit…”

Well it looks like it is that time of the month again.  It is time to reward the young LCpl’s and CPl’s who have been kicking ass and takin names.  Hopefully you are one of those young Marines that has finally made the cut and will be getting promoted next month.

As I have said before the NCO’s run the Marine Corps.  They are responsible to the Commanding Officer for the morale, discipline and efficiency of their Marines.  The performance of the troops is a direct reflection of their leadership (their NCO’s).

So here is to the soon to be promoted Corporals and Sergeants, and for those that have missed the score don’t get discourages and see what you can do to increase your composite score.

The 71-year-old retired Marine who opened fire on two robbers at a Plantation, FL, Subway shop late Wednesday, killing one and critically wounding the other, is described as John Lovell, a former helicopter pilot for two presidents. He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke, and he works out everyday. Mr. Lovell was a man of action Wednesday night.

According to Plantation police, two masked gunmen came into the Subway at 1949. Pine Rd. Just after 11 p.m. There was a lone diner, Mr.Lovell, who was finishing his meal.. After robbing the cashier, the two men attempted to shove Mr. Lovell into a bathroom and rob him as well.

They got his money, but then Mr. Lovell pulled his handgun and opened fire. He shot one of the thieves in the head and chest and the other in the head. When police arrived, they found one of the men in the shop, K-9 units found the other in the bushes of a nearby business.

They also found cash strewn around the front of the sandwich shop according to
Detective Robert Rettig of the Plantation Police Department. Both men were taken to the Broward General Medical Center , where one, Donicio Arrindell, 22, of North Lauderdale died. The other, 21-year-old Frederick Gadson of Fort Lauderdale is in critical but stable condition.

A longtime friend of Lovell was not surprised to hear what happened. The friend said, ”He’d give you the shirt off his back, but he’d be mad as hell if someone tried to take the shirt off your back.”

Mr. Lovell was a pilot in the Marine Corps, flying former Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He later worked as a pilot for Pan Am and Delta. He is not expected to be charged, authorities said. ”He was in fear for his life,” Detective Rettig said, “These criminals ought to realize that most men in their 70′s have military backgrounds and aren’t intimidated by idiots.”

Something tells me this old Marine wasn’t ‘in fear for his life’, even though his life was definitely at risk. The only thing he could be charged with is participating in an unfair fight. One 71-year young  Marine against two punks. Two head shots and one center body mass shot – outstanding shooting! That’ll teach them not to get between a Marine and his meal.

Don’t you just love a story with a happy ending?

Florida law allows eligible citizens to carry a concealed weapon.
Every state should.

The following was an attachment to an email that I received sometime last week.  I was in the Lighthouse which is the official paper of Naval Base Ventura County.  I think the boss man hit the head on the nail with his answer.  I must wholeheartedly agree with him as I get very disgusted by wives sense of entitlement.

Question:

What is the deal with the gate guards not surrendering salutes to officer’s vehicles? I don’t think an admiral’s wife or your wife would appreciate that either. We’ve worked hard to get here and should be recognized. They learned to recognize your vehicles. On every base I’ve been on they have a sign WE RENDER SALUTES PROUDLY. Here they work on trying not to salute the vehicle if the active duty member is not present. Isn’t it by UCMJ code they are supposed to render a salute to an officer? The vehicle has a sticker so why do they not (salute) whether or not the active duty member is present or not? Fill me in!! DO THEY NOT TRAIN THESE PEOPLE ANY MORE?? If not, I see more and more laxness going on in this military. A CWO wife.

Answer By Capt. Brad Conners, (USN O-5) NBVC commanding officer

Answer:Wow. That’s quite a sense of entitlement you have. Are you sure a salute is sufficient? Perhaps a curtsy or a genuflect would be more appropriate? We could have one sentry prostrate himself before you while the other fetches some oats for that high horse you’re riding.

First, the irony of addressing what you perceive to be an issue of respect in such a disrespectful tone is not lost. Secondly, since you specifically brought her into the dialogue, my wife thinks your question indicates a regrettably narrow perspective.

Third, yes, we have training which encompasses many things for which a post sentry is responsible and accountable, primarily focused on force protection, anti-terrorism, law enforcement, defense of critical assets and infrastructure, and the use of lethal force. But thanks for asking. Fourth, if you consider standing a post 65-70 hours a week as “laxness,” then I invite you to put on your winter coat and go stand on the asphalt in front of your house for four hours holding your vacuum cleaner when the temperature reaches 85 degrees.

That will give you some very small sense of what it is like to man a post, without of course the lethal responsibility. Salutes are a custom between military members dating back as far as Roman times when soldiers approached each other in a manner to indicate they were not armed. The custom evolved over many centuries in many militaries, but it has always been a custom exclusively between military members. It is also important to understand that the salute is a custom of mutual respect, not subservience.

That is why both members salute. It is customary (and required under Navy regulations) for the junior to render (not “surrender”) the salute first, but the senior member must return the salute promptly and in the same manner. This tangibly expresses the reciprocal respect among military members. NBVC sentries will render salutes to properly identified officers, active or retired, immediately upon identification. The salute was never intended as recognition of, or as a reward for, your “hard work to get here.” While I certainly value that hard work and your support of your husband’s military career, along with the sacrifice it entails, you ma’am are compensated in other ways for those achievements and accomplishments.

You rate many things other than a salute as a dedicated Navy wife, our gratitude, appreciation, and respect among them. I sincerely hope, expect, and require that you are always treated courteously and professionally on our bases. I would ask that you give the sentriestheir due as well rather than leaping to the most cynical of all conclusions when our execution is imperfect.

Send your questions, issues and concerns to Capt. Brad Conners, NBVC commanding officer, c/o the Public Affairs staff at lighthouse@
navy.mil. You may also write to the following address; 311 Main Rd., Bldg. 116, Code N09V, Point Mugu, CA 93042-5003.
Your submissions will be answered as soon as possible in future editions of the Lighthouse.

Countless veterans are currently suffering from life-threatening illnesses that are a result of exposure to asbestos, a material that was commonly used in hundreds of military applications, products, and ships primarily because of its
resistance to fire.  Unfortunately, asbestos-related diseases are not always recognized by the VA, which is why I’m reaching out to veterans — in hopes of helping them win the rights to their benefits.  The following is a guest post by Allen Dutton about the hazards of asbestos.

Throughout the 1930s until the 1970’s, United States Navy Vessels utilized asbestos as insulation. Due to its flame resistant, durable and inexpensive properties, asbestos was viewed as the ideal choice for military applications. Over 300 asbestos-containing products are said to have been used by the Navy during this time period.

Shipyard workers, sailors and tradesman aboard these ships were wrongfully exposed aboard navigation rooms, sleeping quarters and mess halls. These shipyards played significant roles in efforts to build and repair ships on the west and east coasts of the country.

The carcinogenic affects of asbestos exposure were well documented at the early part of the 20th century, but manufacturers repressed this evidence from the public. These manufacturers have been struck hard by scandals, and rightfully so. Hundreds of thousands of military veterans have been plagued by asbestos related illnesses as a result of negligence and conspiracy.

Frequent exposure to asbestos can lead to related ailments such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. These forms of asbestos lung cancer account for three percent of cancer diagnoses in the U.S. alone. One of the hardest diseases to accurately diagnoses, mesothelioma has a latency period that can last 20 to 50 years, making mesothelioma prognosis from physicians a difficult task. In many instances, these veterans do not become aware of their disease until they have aged significantly. Mesothelioma treatment has varied effects on victims. More often than not, it is fatal.

The danger for asbestos exposure is still present today with over $194,000 worth of asbestos imported to Iraq in 2003. Aside from daily threats from military assignments and enemy fire, soldiers stationed in Iraq based in the country are at risk because intense desert winds can carry asbestos dust many miles.

Veterans who seek to receive compensation and assistance for their medical ailment find themselves in a tricky situation. Although mesothelioma is not listed as a service-related disease, they can still apply for Veteran Affairs (VA) benefits but most demonstrate evidence that exposure occurred at the time of their service. Many are hopeful the new presidential administration will push through policies that will help veterans and their families receive their rightful compensation and assistance for their condition.

Just need to get out there and remind all that the time was not the only change this weekend.  Saturday night as most know marks the beginning of daylight savings time.  Also it is time for us to break out our desert cammies.  With the breakout of desert cammies remmeber to roll those sleeves up and all the good jazz.  I actually think I might be just a little jealous of the Army right now because they wear the same cammies year round and don’t have to worry about maintaining two sets of uniforms.