Appeaser-in-Chief Strikes Again

A little reported gem popped out today in the background, as Leon Panetta tried to convince a very doubtful Congress that Obama's Pentagon budget cuts were appropriate and necessary.

Obama has directed the Pentagon to come up with a plan to cut American's nuclear arsenal by 80%. Yes, 80%.

This is not a cut from Cold War era level stockpiles, but from the current level (which has already been slashed by 40% of the inventory when Obama took office).

There is no deal with Russia or China for corresponding cuts. This is unilateral disarmament. This is Obama throwing our weapons away in the hopes of looking good to his kook fringe base, and our enemies around the world.

The man should be charged with treason.

Update - actual numbers have come out. Under the current nuclear arms treaty with the Soviet Union (according to Putin's wishes) allows us to have 1550 active inventory nuclear weapons. That includes nukes of all shapes and sizes and delivery methods.

Obama's announced target is to get us as low as 300.

A level that low has not been seen since the mid-50s, when we were just figuring out how to build the things in quantity.

There is absolutely no requirement under treaty for China, the Soviet Union, or anyone else to reduce their inventories by even 1.

Fruit Salad, Anyone?

I'm not sure why this bothers me, but it really does ...

I recently saw photos of the new president of a national organization at a convention taking the reins of his new position. The pretty photos of him and his wife showed him in a black tuxedo, with 3 full rows of decorations on his left breast. This seemed kind of odd to me ... former militarty folks usually wear their decorations on retirement versions of their uniforms, not on civilian attire. I looked closer at the rows of medals, and found that I could not identify a single one. I don't know them all, but I am familiar enough with the military to know what they should be - at least those on the top row.

As I looked through the magazine that had his infomation in it, I noticed photos of other, lesser in stature members of this organization, sporting various levels of these medals on their civilian suits. There were also a few ex-military members in the photos - their military decorations were easily identifiable.

Curious, I emailed this new president. To his credit, he emailed back very quickly. He stated that he had served in the military for a number of years, was proud of his service, but the decorations he wore in the photos and to all public events were from the organization itself.

Huh?

So, this prestigious organization makes up its own medals and decorations for its members, who walk around displaying them in military fashion. There are very impressive looking awards for years of membership - local, state, and national leadership positions - community service - even very sharp looking ones that merely denote one's membership in a state chapter of the organization. Said president has three rows, with what looks like a total of 25 different medals (it's hard to tell exactly, there are so many of them).

I'm sorry, but I think this is an insult to the members of our military.

Knowing what this organization is and what it stands for, I really don't believe they intend any slight against members of our military. Quite the opposite. However, I don't care. It is insulting to those who have and are serving, folks who have earned their decorations and awards defending our country while in uniform.

I recently attended the retirement ceremony of good friend Outlaw13. The decorations on his chest, including the Legion of Merit awarded to him at that ceremony, are recognition of his outstanding service to his country in the US Army over a quarter of a century. The six other military members honored at that retirement had their own sets of 'fruit salad', telling the tales of their travels and service - and in some cases, heroism.

Having seen that ceremony, and then seeing these photos of civilians waltzing around self decorated with a bunch of stuff they bought out of the organization's catalog was, honestly, upsetting. I don't find it as revolting as cases of stolen valor, where someone intentionally tries to profit in some form from misrepresenting their military service (or lack of) by wearing actual military decorations they are not entitled to, but upsetting nonetheless.

The photo is of the Legion of Merit, as awarded to Outlaw13 on August 26 - a real award recognizing years of outstanding and exceptional service to the US Army and our country.

Obama's Army

Obama's remake of our military is just as deep and thorough as his attack on our way of life. The far left kook fringe, which he leads, hates the military. They want to make it weak and irrelevant. They want to change it into a passive force that is incapable of threatening anyone. By doing this, they think the world will fall in love with them. Peaceniks ... hippies ... flower power ... they want to recreate the late '60s, when our military was looked down on by so many, and mistreated by so many.

No one in our Armed Forces should believe this man or his admininstration appreciates them. His words are hollow, full of hidden contempt for our warriors. It's like having a reincarnation of Jane Fonda running the White House.

Obama's proposed replacement for the Congressional Medal of Honor ...

This Guy is a Freaking Liar!

This is just sickening ....

The French government is awarding the Legion of Merit to Howard Manoian, a vet who parachuted with the 82nd airborne into Normandy on D-Day.

Problem is, it didn't happen...

Manoian has been telling his story to vet groups, news organizations, and anyone who would listen about his exploits on D-Day, beginning with his jump and culminating in his wounding in both legs by shrapnel. In recent years, members of vet groups have been questioning his account's variety - one vet rememered that he told three different stories about where he landed during one single vet's group meeting.

Manoian actually was a member of the 33rd Chemical Decontamination unit, came ashore on Utah beach late on D-Day, and spent the next few weeks working in a supply dump near the beach. His 'wounds' were actually a fractured finger. His assignment has been confirmed through payroll records and unit rosters.

Manoian stands by his story(stories) to this day. He lives in Saint Mere-Eglise in France, site of heroic actions by paratroopers during D-Day. His awarding of the Legion was to take place in the Airborne Museum located here.

The French government is aware of the issue, and has stated that even though there is uncertainty, they were still going to go ahead with the award, since Manoian is confirmed to have participated in D-Day is some way. I guess they just didn't want the embarrassment of pulling back the award after issuing the invitations.

This has been a big problem for years - phony war heros who lie about what they did in order to profit - whether for money, or the adulation of the public it doesn't matter. It is still lying about one of the most sacred honors there is - recognition for service and heroism in battle. There have been accounts published about some WWII vets, and a lot of Vietnam vets who have been caught misrepresenting themselves over the years. I don't want to politicize this, but Sen. John Kerry's lying about his service and the affect it had on his presidential campaign are a very public example.

These guys are actually breaking the law by doing this, but there isn't a lot of effort to bring them to justice.

Shame on these people for disrespecting the memory of those who actually were heroes ....

Iraqi Motivation

This video was purportedly shot about 6 months ago in Iraq. It has been viewed almost 600,000 times on youtube. The soldier has not been identified. The US Army is distancing itself from this, stating that it is not the way the Army feels about its Iraqi allies.

This guy tells it like it is, how he sees it as someone who is risking his life everyday for people who may be happy to see him dead. I am sure he meant it as motivational, but more than likely it just pissed them off.

If coarse language offends you, don't watch it ...

Now, for comparison, a truly outstanding motivational speech from history ...

This Man Hates Our Military, Part Deaux

Obama's consideration of pulling VA health benefits from wounded/injured service personnel has created such an uproar across the country that the White House has announced it will no longer be under consideration.

It's good that it is off the table.

It's bad that it was ever on the table.

It is beyond belief that this man and his council of egghead advisors ever considered such a vile insult to people who have served in the uniforms of this country. America, remember this. Remember that this is who this man and his supporters are - it is a perfect example of what they believe in, and the contempt they have for the United States military.

Who says the French are all Stuck Up Jerks?

According to the info, this was shot about two years ago on a French Air Force deployment to North Africa. Very cool ....

Hopefully these guys didn't get busted for doing this, it is certainly the most creative use for a four engined tanker aircraft I've ever seen .....

This Man Hates Our Military

Obama the Immaculate has professed his admiration and thanks to our troops many times. This man and his liberal friends are FULL OF SHIT.

Obama's administration and the Congressional OMB are considering a plan that would require our military vererans wounded in action, or injured while in service, to pay for their own treatment through private insurance, rather than government provided VA benefits. This is apparently part of his new Health Care initiative, and a way to cut spending on our military.

The convenant between the US Government and its wounded/injured service people regarding their care and recovery is sacred and unbreakable. The idea that this man would consider breaking it for the sake of partisan politics is repulsive.

This will never happen, of course. Even Congressional Democrats have pronounced this idea DOA if it ever does come up as legislation. Anyone in Congress would be committing political suicide by signing on to it. But, that's not the point. The fact that the Commander in Chief is considering doing this is a real window into his soul.

France Wants Back in NATO

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has submitted plans for his country to rejoin NATO after a 43 year absence. His reasons are not to benefit NATO, not to add to the common defence of its members, not to aid NATO in its worldwide commitments, but to make sure that France has a platform to exert its proper influence over world events. This isn't a guess on my part, he's flat out stated it in public and to his own government.

Charles de Gaulle withdrew France from NATO in 1966, for two main reasons. First, he was upset by foreign powers (the US) basing nuclear weapons on French soil with no French control over them. Second, he was upset that France was not the dominant force behind NATO decision making. His decision mandated the removal of all US military forces from France and its possessions, causing a large effort to move and rebase forces in the middle of the Cold War.

France has cooperated (more or less) with NATO in the years since, but has not had forces under NATO military control. Sometimes cooperation has been good, sometimes not ( i.e. French denial of overflight rights for US military aircraft, interference with US action against Libya, outright sabotage of US efforts in Iraq).

Discussions for the rejoin have been going on for a couple of years, and have been endorsed by NATO's leadership, several NATO countries, and the US.

France has participated somewhat in NATO's operations in Afghanistan.

Sarkozy faces stiff opposition from the opposing French Socialist party, which had been in power until Sarkozy's election. France's wish to join must also be ratified by the member NATO countries, though that seems to be a certainty.

Apologies to Outlaw13

I wish to apologize to a good friend, known in the blogging world as Outlaw13. He's been running "Guidons, Guidons, Guidons" for quite a while now, letting us into his world of Army rotorheads.

Reading "Guidons, Guidons, Guidons" was my introduction to the world of blogging. I watched him mature his site over the months (and years) into a format I very much like - that's why I borrowed it (or stole, if you prefer).

If you haven't had the opportunity to visit "Guidons, Guidons, Guidons", you ought to - it's good, cheap entertainment!