Does anyone else find this hilarious?

VetVoice...

has welcomed me to the family. What is VetVoice? “VetVoice is the online home of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. It is for Active Duty, Reserve, and National Guard members, as well as for veterans, their families, and their supporters. VetVoice is where we can come together to sound off on the issues that concern all of us. VetVoice aims to be a nexus for information and opinion on war news, war politics, deployments, optempo, veterans' issues, troops' families' issues, and more.”

I will be a front page contributor for VetVoice. My rants about the wars, the media, and politics will most likely appear on there. I am very honored to be part of this online community. They are amazing people and I couldn’t be more excited to be working with them.


VetVoice Welcomes New Front Page Contributors.

I took a leave of absence.

My semester officially ended on Friday. My papers are all handed in and I took my German final. So, I’m back.

What have I missed? 30,000 troop surge in Afghanistan? Check. A plan for the 30,000 troops? Hmm not so much…no check. Tiger Woods flooding the airwaves? Double check. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi punched in the face? Ouch. Check. Copenhagen climate meeting - 200 arrested. Check. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said: "I would still have thought it right to remove him (Saddam Hussein). I mean obviously you would have had to use and deploy different arguments, about the nature of the threat." Blair will be questioned next year at an inquiry into Britain's role in the 2003 conflict. So, former President Bush hanging in Texas while Blair is being questioned for his support for the Iraq War? Check and I’ll check the bullshit box while I’m at it.

What I’ve stumbled upon today.

Back from combat, woman struggle for acceptance.

A great article on what life is like for returning female veterans.

“Female service members have much higher rates of divorce and are more likely to be a single parent. When they do seek help at VA medical centers, they are screening positive at a higher rate for military sexual trauma, meaning they indicated experiencing sexual harassment, assault or rape. Some studies have shown that female veterans are at greater risk for homelessness.”

Vanity Fair article: Tycoon, Contractor, Soldier, Spy By Adam Ciralsky

“Erik Prince, recently outed as a participant in a C.I.A. assassination program, has gained notoriety as head of the military-contracting juggernaut Blackwater, a company dogged by a grand-jury investigation, bribery accusations, and the voluntary-manslaughter trial of five ex-employees, set for next month. Lashing back at his critics, the wealthy former navy seal takes the author inside his operation in the U.S. and Afghanistan, revealing the role he’s been playing in America’s war on terror.”

If you’ve ever had any doubt about what Blackwater really did in Iraq or Afghanistan this article will set you straight. Was I surprised when I read it? Not so much. I figured Blackwater did a little more then drive around in up-armored SUVs and act as security guards. They walked around base like they were Heaven sent and never uttered a word to anyone. After all, a private military that was paid $100,000 plus a year really were in their own league…I mean, why even have the “really” Army in Iraq if you can just use these superheroes for everything?

I have some sad news to report, “Xe Services’ (formerly Blackwater) contract with the C.I.A. was reportedly terminated by C.I.A. director Leon E. Panetta.”

The Good Old Days...

are over.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Meet my turkey Sam. I save turkeys, I don't eat them. Adopt-A-Turkey Project!!

Happy Thanksgiving! To all the troops overseas and their families, I hope you have a wonderful day! I also hope you don't have to eat MREs. With any luck, next year you’ll be in the comfort of your homes and spending the day with your loved ones.

I hope you all enjoy your crazy families, eat too much pumpkin pie, and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on television…and maybe some very very exciting football.

xoxox

p.s.
Who's coming shopping with me at 5am?!

haha.

I think it's interesting how people find my blog. This is one of my favorites.

"was shoshana in trouble for disrespecting an officer on larry king after fort hood tragedy"

Hahaha! Johnson isn’t even in the military anymore. She’s a civilian and if an officer is acting stupid she has every right to tell him. Johnson shut that JAG officer down. It’s a shame he couldn’t take three seconds to Wikipedia her. He would’ve spared himself from looking like an ass. Team Johnson!


*Hope everyone had a nice weekend!

Q&A with "Mass Casualties" author Michael Anthony.

Q: I really enjoyed your book. I think you have a unique way of telling your story and of exposing the Army’s darker side. What made you share your personnel stories along with other soldier’s stories? For example, popping pills to sleep, of all the affairs that were taking place? Of the Army brushing of the suicide attempt of a fellow soldier?
A: There are two main reasons I decided to write the story. I was home from the war for about two months, and I was on a date with this girl and she starts telling me about an article she read in the newspaper. She tells me the article was about this soldier in Iraq, and how he was the epitome of an American hero, as if the new G.I. Joe film was based on this guy. She then tells me the soldiers name and it ends up being one of my leaders in Iraq. One of the people who spent the whole year cover up crimes, one of the people who threatened to send me to jail, one of the people who covered up my friends suicide so that they wouldn’t look bad. It made me sick to my stomach to think that there are all these real heroes out there, but yet, this man was being lumped in with all the real heroes, I was disgusted by it.

Another big reason is that: “We are all entitled to our opinions, but we are not entitled to our own facts.” And the facts are that there is a big suicide and PTSD problem in the military. Everyday 18 veterans kill themselves. For the past five years suicide rates have risen in the Army, making each year, consistently, the highest year for suicide. And on top of this we have 200,000 veterans who sleep on the streets each night. The only way to help these soldiers out is to admit that there are problems in the military. If we go around telling only the good, then people will think everything’s perfect and there’s nothing to change. The only way to help is to say what needs to be changed.

Q: You say, “They aren’t sending provisions to the heroes they think we are. It is going to us doing shit jobs and others who are criminals; people doing drugs, committing crimes, molesters, adulterers; people doing anything they can to only help themselves I don’t want to tell anyone the truth because it will just break their hearts.” I’m pretty sure anyone who has or will read your book will look at the Army differently. Did you want to paint a more realistic picture of yourself and other soldiers?
A: Realistic is definitely the word. The book isn’t pro or anti war, we’ve got endorsements from pro and anti war people, democrats and republicans. It’s simply about giving a full picture, the side that a lot of people don’t want to talk about. The thing that made me saddest about people sending us all these care packages is when we received one from a nursing home. All the box had in it was used crayons, socks, notebooks, and a package of Roman noodles etc. It was knowing that a lot of these people were giving us so much when they had so little, yet, we had more than enough supplies over there. I felt like we should have been sending boxes full of supplies back to them.

Q: You also say, “I wish I could forget everything and go back to thinking that everyone in the military was an American hero.” Did you ever consider not debunking the American hero myth? How let down were you by this realization? Is it hard to accept the Army isn’t full of G.I. Joe’s and Jane’s?
A: I did think about not telling the story. Sometimes it’s easier to go on living the lies. But I realized that there are real heroes out there, and the only way to show them respect was to take away the false heroes, so that the true ones can shine.

Q: Week 3, Day 2, Iraq: You speak of a dog lying on your operating room table and then a nine-year-old Iraqi child, why did you skim over these stories? It seems as though these situations were the ones causing you to pop pills at night to sleep.
A: I don’t know, those were some of the harder parts to convey. Looking down during surgery at a dieing, innocent nine year old girl, sometimes the only thing you come up with is sadness, and that’s all you can say about a situation, it was bad or sad, sometimes it’s so overwhelming that you can’t put it into words.

Q: By the time you had written your book you had cried six times in your life. Have you cried since being home or are you bottling up your emotions? It’s a weird question but I’ve talked to other veterans who have found themselves randomly crying upon returning home.
A: I have actually talked to quite a few veterans too, that have said they randomly cried since returning home. But no, I haven’t cried since then, I’ve done a lot of work on myself, and with fellow veterans themselves, so I like to think I’ve come full circle and have found ways to deal with everything that did and does go on.

Q: “The goddamn Army made me a man.” I always hear this, you’re not a man until you’ve been to war. So what about being in the Army or going to war made you a man?
A: I think the biggest thing that I felt made me a man was when I stood up to the Army, and I was willing to go to jail and/or be shot for something I believed in. Sometimes we don’t know what we’re made of until we’re pushed to the limits, and I think the Army helped me realize what I was made of.

Q: Is home as scary as you thought it would be? How has the transition process been? Are you enjoying being a student again?
A: Coming home isn’t as easy as I thought it would be. During deployment everyone thinks of all the great things to do and how great it will be, but it isn’t always perfect. It’s hard getting back into the flow of life, and reconnecting with people. Since returning home, already two people have killed themselves and another handful are doing drugs and another handful are in PTSD clinics. Some people just have a harder time transitioning then others. But yes, I am enjoying being a student, though I wasn’t when I first got back, because I had the same issues as many, but I am in the flow of things now and am enjoying myself.

Q: Was joining the Army worth it?
A: I think so, definitely. While over there our hospital saw 22,000 patients, and I personally helped save 400 lives, so I can’t look back and say I regret being there and helping those people out. And if I wasn’t there, and hadn’t written the book, who knows how long these stories would have gone untold.

Q: Did you quit smoking?
A: Since returning home I quit drinking, smoking, pills etc. But the only thing I miss is smoking!

*Michael Anthony is the author of Mass Casualties: A Young Medic’s True Story of Death, Deception, and Dishonor in Iraq. His take on the Iraq war is like nothing I’ve read before. He exposes what the Army tries to cover-up. Spend the money and get the book.

Thank You!

Just wanted to give a big thank you to everyone who read my piece and for your kind words. The response to the article has been amazing. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my personal experience and to expose others to the many different layers of war. Thank you!

Thank you All Over Albany...

for posting my piece on your site! All Over Albany is a website that focuses on the normal things in life.

They say it best:

"All Over Albany is about all the stuff you'd tell your friends. How was dinner at that new place Thursday? What's the story with the guy who did that thing? How can I stop being bored?

It's stuff you want to know, with a few things you need to know -- and a healthy dose of stuff you never knew you wanted or needed to know."

If you're interested in my little hometown check out All Over Albany.

Part one: Iraq veteran: Was it worth it? Part two: Student veteran recounts war.

Photograph by Patrick Dodson

I wrote a two-part series for The Albany Student Press (my school newspaper) about my service in the Army and being a veteran. The second part came out today. Please check it out!



Part one.



Part two.

"The main thing I want to know about is mortars?"

I just got an email from a 17 year old girl who is interested in joining the Army or the Navy. Her main concern is...mortars. I read this and thought, "awww...she's so cute." Why do I think it's cute that a 17 year old girl is concerned about mortars? Something is wrong with me. I wish no one was concerned with mortars...breaks my heart.

Question: When someone asks you if they should join the military what do you say?

Repost: How to be feminine in the Army.

*It seems a lot of people find my blog by looking up things like "can I wear makeup in the Army"...so here you go. This is how you pull it off.

I’m always asked things like…don’t you feel like a guy while you’re doing your Army stuff? Don’t you get dirty and sweaty? You’re allowed to have long hair? Shouldn’t you shave it off like in that movie G.I. Jane? Can you wear makeup? Nail polish? Earrings? Thongs? No heels?! Welcome to my world ladies…it’s tough but someone has to do it.

I decided to make a list of how to maintain your femininity while proudly serving your country.

1) Keep your hair long or to your chin. Don’t try any of that in-between length shit. I say this for two reasons. Short hair is extremely hard to keep pulled back. Pieces will always fly everywhere, it ends up falling in your face, and you will never quit make a nice bun out of it. You end up looking like a goddamn mess. I’m particular to longer hair. I just pull it back and go. My hair is thick and when it’s short I tend to look like that guy from No Country for Old Men. And remember if you have short hair stuffed under a Kevlar, there is a good chance you may get mistaken for a twelve year old boy.

2) Makeup is allowed. Some may think it is ridiculous women in the military wear makeup but it’s not. Before I go any further, let me explain what appropriate makeup is. Please don’t be that girl who uses two pounds of eyeliner and mascara in the morning. There is no room for that Amy Winehouse off the eyelid eyeliner crap in the military. I say keep your eyes naked but if you’re one of those mascara freaks just use a little. Some women don’t have perfect skin and they need a little something to help them out. Foundation is acceptable. Just make sure it matches your skin tone. Try to avoid having an orange line around your face. Blush? Why not. Do not make your cheeks bright pink. I would go towards that sun kissed look. I would suggest staying away from lipstick unless you are a pit bull. Lip gloss, is okay but if anyone asks just say it’s chap stick and that you’re addicted (it has always worked for me).

3) Earrings? This isn’t the goddamn Air Force.

4) Nail polish? Use it. Your nails will break and become frail. Don’t use reds, purples, blues, french manicure style, or anything fancy. I would suggest using a clear polish just to protect your nails. We don’t need man hands, now do we?

5) Panties, Underwear, Knickers, whatever you want to call them. In basic training we all wore those huge white granny panties They are not cute and please stop wearing them if you still do. Some women wear thongs in uniform and I have no idea how they do it. I imagine their ass would get irritated and red. Gross. I wear low-rise bikinis from Victoria Secret…this is important because they don’t give me wedgies and they are comfortable. I should probably stay away from what type of underwear you want to wear…but leave the thongs for when the lights go out.

6) Lets talk about the end of the day, when you pull off your boots and socks. Do you notice the lovely sock line around your calves? That annoying indentation won’t go away, so this is when you have to decide what is best for you. I know you want to look cute when everyone heads out to the club on post but don’t wear a dress or skirt if you have those damn lines. They take away from the fact that your blew out your hair, sprayed some perfume, and ditched the combat boots for a few hours. They are also a clear reminder to the drunk male soldier dancing with you, that you’re still a soldier and not this hot chick he picked up a bar. The lines kill it. Wear some tight jeans and throw on some heels.

7) Bras…well there is always the super sexy sports bra. Wear it when you are doing PT and then hide it. Push-up bra? Your call. Lacey bras might annoy your skin if you’re rolling around in the dirt. I would have to go with the good ’ol lightly padded cotton bra. It holds you in place, doesn’t itch, and when you have an IBV on that little padding works wonders.

8) I suppose this doesn’t really have anything to do with femininity but it’s something I’ve noticed over the years. Ladies, when you take off your uniform and put on civilian clothes, why do some of you look like you came out of the late 1990s? I know sometimes we can only do our shopping at the PX and lord knows, they aren’t up on the current fashions but order clothes online. It’s not cute to wear Hello Kitty t-shirts over the age of 12, stonewash jeans, and shiny platform shoes. Guys, don’t think you’re not victims of the PX because you are. Cargo jeans are meant for carpenters, keep it that way. “Wife beaters” aren’t sexy, and don’t wear those stupid Army shirts that says “Hooah” or “Been there, done that.”

9) Lose the combat boots whenever you can and throw on some heels. You don’t even have to be going anywhere but put them on when you are laying in bed, when you are cleaning, or whenever you feel like you are losing your sexiness. Just because the Army has us running around, sweating, pissing in the woods and wiping with leafs, low crawling in dirt, climbing on trucks and firing weapons, doesn’t mean we still aren’t gorgeous women…it just means, we have a lot more experience then the women who never take off their heels. Be proud.

Hope this helps!

Capt. Kacey Grannis Invades Iraqi air space.

Air Force Capt. Kacey Grannis, 721st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron Mi-17 pilot, stands in front of an Mi-17 helicopter. Captain Grannis is the first female Mi-17 instructor pilot for Iraqi air force pilots at Camp Taji.

I had the honor of meeting Capt. Grannis in Washington, D.C. She is very talented and I know she's loving her mission right now. Her mom is also an amazing woman. Best of luck Capt. Grannis!

Read the article here.

$1 Million a Year Per Soldier?

"It’s estimated that each soldier in Afghanistan costs the government $1 million a year." Really? That's a lot of MREs or maybe they're getting all the proper up-to-date equipment they need. If it costs $1 million per soldier I wonder how much it costs per KBR employee? $2 million?

VF Politics.

AWOL.

Spc. Alexis Hutchinson, 21, an Army cook and single mom skipped her flight to Afghanistan because, she said, no one was available to care for her infant son while she was overseas.

Her civilian attorney, Rai Sue Sussman, said Monday that one of Hutchinson's superiors told her she would have to deploy anyway and place the child in foster care.

Read the article here.

I came across this article on MotherJones ...

Where Will They Get the Troops?

Hutchinson might just find herself in Afghanistan. I guess IRR soldiers are getting a break from deployments...sorry AWOLers.

Video of the day.

A Fine Frenzy - Almost Lover. Check it out! I love her voice and this song is...perfect.

Henry Says:

The Boys Who Cried "Fort Hood Terrorist"

What do you think? Is Maj. Hasan a terrorist or is that just the easy way out?

Clarification: “I was used to the over-educated officers who thought they knew everything.”

Apparently I have offended an officer who follows my blog with this comment. I apologize to all those officers who I have insulted…except the one who wrote this on my schools website…

“I was used to the over-educated officers who thought they knew everything. I learned to appreciate the variety of individuals the Army attracts."
The only negative thing you say about the Army is to bash officers? Really now.
Well at least these over-educated Soldiers could write a better article than you.
I follow your blog.
I was severely disappointed with this.
Hopefully part 2 is more well written.”

Please correct me if I am wrong but isn’t that the ongoing joke about officers right out of college…over-educated and eager to lead with no “real” experience? I’ve served with several officers who fit this category. So, the comment was made about my own personnel experience…go ahead be upset by it but understand officers like that do exist. I’ve also met amazing officers who were a pleasure to serve with.

Laugh it off. I’m sure officers have worked with uneducated enlisted soldiers…big deal. I’m aware and accept that the range of intelligence varies throughout the Army.

Anyways, whatever officer wrote that comment you’re a little rude and I’m sorry you took my comment personal. But Sir, please write away…enlighten me.

One more thing Sir, you're a prime example of why enlisted soldiers can't stand some officers.

Iraq veteran: Was it worth it?

I wrote a piece for my school newspaper (the Albany Student Press) about my service in the Army and being a veteran. It's running in a two-part series. Check out the first part!

Albany Student Press.


*Thank you Horton <3

Flag Raising Ceremony at UAlbany.

Here are a few photographs from our flag raising ceremony. Enjoy!

Veterans Day Reflections on Casualties of War: Nina Berman discusses her photography exhibit

Tonight at The Sanctuary For Independent Media Nina Berman will share a multi-media presentation and discuss her exhibit "Evidence and Fantasy: Militarism in American Life".

The event is tonight from 7-9pm. A donation of $10/$5 for students and low-income is suggested.

More information here.

So, I'll be attending this event tonight...sorry, The Good Soldier.

Happy Veteran's Day!!

I just wanted to say HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY!! I'm running out the door to go to a flag raising ceremony at UAlbany. More later. Have a wonderful day!

Veteran's Day Started Early For Me.

Today I spoke to my friends preschool class about Veteran’s Day. I brought in my Kevlar and uniform for them to try on. We had them do push-ups, march around, and low crawl. They were so cute and very excited to learn what a soldier does.

Best Q&A of the day:

“Does anyone know what Veteran’s Day is?”
“Christmas!”

Happy Birthday!

Today is the United States Marine Corps birthday! The USMC went active on November 10, 1775. You guys are old! Happy Birthday!!!

Darren Manzella: discharge papers read "homosexual conduct admission."

Darren Manzella did two tours of duty in Iraq, earned the rank of sergeant, all while being...GAY. Manzella decided to embrace his sexual orientation and started an open relationship with a man. If you’ve served in the military you know this takes guts. Manzella began to receive threatening emails about his sexuality. So, what did he do? He asked his supervisor for help.

"He listened and was somewhat sympathetic," Manzella said. "He told me not to worry, to try and get some rest, to go home early and see him in the morning."

By the next morning, Manzella's supervisor had reported him as having broken the law under "don't ask, don't tell," the 1993 policy that prohibits anyone who "demonstrate(s) a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts" from serving in the U.S. military.

This breaks my heart. Manzella was being harassed and he did what the military told him to do: get help. I know some people reading this will think Manzella is an idiot for going to his supervisor; he should’ve known he would get kicked out. I think what he did takes balls…more balls then sitting back and accepting the harassment. The Army has a few things backwards. For example, a woman is sexually assaulted, she is told to call a number and report the incident. However, during the process she is pushed not to pursue the issue…it’ll cause more problems; everyone will think you can’t be trusted or that you’re a hoe. She drops the issue and feels betrayed by everyone around her. Another example is Sergeant Manzella. This soldier served two honorable tours in Iraq and gets kicked out because of his sexual orientation? Give me a break. The Army is continually sending two messages. It's insane that the Army keeps in worthless pieces of shit but lets a good soldier go. They have even lowered their standards because they need people to serve. I’d rather serve with a gay man or woman then some law breaking scumbag. The day the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy is thrown out the window is the day I’ll finally say the Army is sending a clear message.

Sgt. Manzella wherever you are, I hope you know there are soldiers who support you and appreciate your service. Happy Veterans Day.

Read Sgt. Manzella's story here.

Combat Infantry Bunny.

I saw this over at VetVoice and I wanted to share it here. Check out Combat Infantry Bunny's interview on The Story. She loves bunnies and she is awesome!

The Good Soldier.

The Good Soldier will be shown at the Proctors Theater (Schenectady) on November 11, at 5:00 and 7:00 p.m.

Following the 7 o'clock showing there will be a veteran's panel discussion.

Little about The Good Soldier:

Five combat veterans from different generations of American wars tell of their alien surroundings, their connection to their comrades, and the ghastliness of their reality from the time they sign up, go into battle, and eventually change their minds about what it means to be a good soldier.

More information here.

I'll be there if I can get someone to cover my shift at work. Any takers?

Let's Hear It For Shoshana Johnson!

Shoshana Johnson was a guest on Larry King where she discussed the Ft. Hood tragedy. She sat between some JAG officer and Dr. Phil…why the hell was Dr. Phil on? Anyways, the JAG officer apparently thought he was the only who had deployed to Iraq and questioned if Johnson had served overseas. If you haven’t heard about Shoshana Johnson, let me clue you in. I’m sure you’ve heard of Jessica Lynch, right? In 2003, both women were POWs in Iraq. Lynch was all over the news while Johnson’s story was barely covered. So, Mr. JAG clearly didn’t know Johnson’s background and she put him in his place. The clip is hilarious. Please watch it.

The Fort Hood Tragedy.

I'm sure all of you know about the tragedy that took place at Ft. Hood, Texas yesterday. The events that took place are heartbreaking. As more information emerges, it’s seems hard to make sense of it all. Soldiers gunned down by their fellow soldier; An Army psychiatrist who according to his aunt, Noel Hasan, had been harassed about being a Muslim and wanted out of the Army. Regardless of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan’s motives, there is no justification for what he did. My heart goes out to the soldiers and families at Ft. Hood.

Details emerge about Fort Hood suspect.

I know a huge deal is being made about a female officer shooting Hasan and ending his rampage. Really? After what this country has been through it’s still surprising that women can defend themselves? Shoot? We don’t just curl up in corners and wait for others to rescue us. Police Sgt. Kimberly Munley did what she was trained to do. I don’t understand why this continues to blow peoples minds. If there is doubt women can handle situations like this then stop training them…or shut up and let them do their jobs.
*A reader posted this comment on the NY Daily News article (it’s linked below).
"I have been against women in combat because of my paternalistic feelings but now am reconsidering my opinion. Maybe we need more women like Sgt. Munley, American Hero, in the military. We just might win this war against islamic terrorism. She's a crack shot. 4 rounds pumped into this murdering swine even though she was injured. A female Munley Brigade could probably clear out the Taliban from the Afghan/**** mountains in 2 weeks. She has the Kick-A@ss spirit we need. I'm sure any male soldier would be proud and lucky to have a Sgt. Munley in a foxhole or alongside in a firefight. USA! USA! USA! Miss USA/Miss America is a Lady in Blue with a smokin 9mm."

It's sad that after years of war people are still oblivious to the contribution female soldiers are making.

Police Sgt. Kimberly Munley.

Give me a U! Give me a C! Give me a L! Give me a A!

My best friend Seth had the opportunity to put together a video on injured soldiers trying adaptive sports at UCLA. It's refreshing to see schools extend a hand and help soldiers out.

Pamela Parrish...is crazy.

Pamela Parrish left me a comment on my post about Michael Jacksons death.

"Pamela Parrish said...

STEP OFF OF MICHAEL JACKSON OK???? IF YOU WANT TO BITCH ABOUT SOMETHING.. TRY THE FUCKING MEDIA...

THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS DOWNFALL.. THAT MOTHERFICKING DOCTOR FINSHED WHAT THE MEDIA STARTED...

I hope that the PEOPLE OF IRAQ BLOW YOU UP..."

Really Pamela? You're that upset over my post on Michael Jackson's death? If you read the whole post you would've understood my frustration was with the media. What you should know is that you don't deserve thousands of American soldiers risking their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan so that you can tell another human being they should be blown up. Maybe instead of going to see This Is It, you should look at images of soldiers who have been “blown up.” I’m not sure a sane person would wish that upon anyone. You are a disgrace.

I also find you to be very ignorant. "I hope that the PEOPLE OF IRAQ BLOW YOU UP..." For starters genius, Iraq is not just filled with terrorist/insurgents. There are lovely Iraqis who don’t blow people up and I’m sure they wouldn’t appreciate being lumped into a category of evil killers.

I hope you educate yourself on something besides Wacko Jacko. I also hope you take the time to learn more about IEDs and what they do to soldiers. Oh, and while you’re at it read up on the citizens of Iraq…you owe them an apology. One more thing, you’re a cunt.

From Now On...

Henry Rollins Felt Like Me...For A Few Hours.

Rollins wore a pair of combat boots. Big deal. Rollins wore tan fatigue pants. Even bigger deal. Rollins was ignored. Join the club. Rollins attire confused people. They looked at him and thought, hmmm...U.S. military? And then for a moment he knew what it felt like to be a U.S. soldier in a world where no one knows what to make of us. "People would look at me, look down or away, and then appear contemplative, as if they were thinking of what I represented to them." Ground breaking. What I don't understand is why Vanity Fair paid Rollins to write about this. Pay a soldier to write a real account of what it’s like to be treated like this over and over again.

Henry take off my boots.
(link fixed!)

Dear MS HOIT: You have been awarded education benefits.

Thank you Department of Veterans Affairs! In May I started this whole ridiculously long process. I filled out my application for the Post-9/11 GI Bill program on VONAPP, waited and waited. And today I received my first payment.

Everyday for the past two months, I have checked the VA website for a sign that my paperwork was being processed…nothing. However, a few days ago I noticed that I had no pending documents. This was the sign I had been looking for…my paperwork was finally on the move! I checked my benefit status but I was still listed as Chapter 1607. Today, I received a thick envelope from the Buffalo Regional Processing Office. I am entitled to 60% of the benefits available under the Post-9/11 GI Bill…apparently that’s what 424 days gets me. I flipped the page and read, “Your school certified that you are enrolled in 16 credit hours. We sent you a payment of $400.03 for books and supplies.” Really? When? And an FYI: $400 for books and supplies bought me one and a half books…thanks. I checked my bank account and there it was! My $400 was sitting next to another payment from the VA. I’m not sure where the other mysterious payment came from but I’ll take it. I’m grateful that I received some of my money but I know many veterans who have not.

Here is what I’ll never understand when it comes to the VA: you send thousands of soldiers to war, put together the best GI Bill that has ever been offered, then fuck it all up with horrible planning and not enough employees to process claims. It’s the same old bullshit and it’s getting really old. It took months for the VA to realize they needed help. The VA sat back and waited until veterans practically knocked down the doors of their regional processing offices to do something. Then we got $3,000 in emergency money; which seemed to appear out of thin air. If it’s as simple as getting online, filling out a page of personal information, then receiving a check in the mail, or driving a few hours to a regional office then why does it take MONTHS to even get a lettered stating they received your application? Do the people who run the VA not have any common sense? It’s shit like this that makes us lose faith in the VA and the military for that matter. So, congratulations for stressing out thousands of veterans, making them take out loans to pay for school, and maxing out their credit cards. What’s even more disturbing is that all of this could’ve been avoided. Get some contractors in there and unfuck this situation.


You're late.

I'm not the only one who is pissed off.Read: Rucksack to Backpack.

Support University At Albany Veterans.

(The unofficial logo)

Tomorrow at 1:15, veterans will be meeting in the Commuters Lounge (in the Campus Center) to put yellow ribbons together for Veterans Day. The goal is to pin yellow ribbons on every moving thing we see. I bought 144 feet of yellow ribbon, scissors, and tons of safety pins. Come help out or just say hello!

Helen Benedict Made Me Think.

A few weeks ago I went to a book reading by Helen Benedict, author of, The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq. And I can't stop thinking about a few statements that were made.

One out of three females will be raped during their time in the military. Shocking? Yes. Then this fact was stated, one is six females will be raped during their lifetime. Following these statements were a few gasps. This led into a discussion about sexual harassment and assault. Do female soldiers get sexually harassed? Of course. Is that surprising? Not to anyone who has served. Is it surprising to civilians? I guess so. A lady raised her hand and asked, "do the women who join think they won't be sexually harassed or assaulted?" Benedict responded with exactly what I was thinking, "No." When I thought about joining, it never crossed my mind that I was about to enter a world where I would be sexually harassed or that rape, according to that statistic might be inevitable. Was I naive? I'm not sure. The year was 2001 when I joined not 1943. I thought I was entering into a world of equality. Regardless of sex, we were all there to do a job. I honestly didn’t even think of male soldiers before joining. I never thought, “hmm…maybe I won’t purpose a goal because some scumbag will make comments about my ass.” I thought, “basic training is going to suck.”

Any females out there think about being sexually harassed or assaulted before they joined?

Fast-forward ten minutes. Benedict talked about a female she had interviewed. The female soldier made a comment that the male soldiers who sexually harassed her tended to be older and higher ranking. The male soldiers who were her age and close in rank treated her with respect. This got me thinking. Who has continued to drive me nuts in my unit? Oh, yes. A staff sergeant that I repeatedly tell to fuck off. Who hit on my roommate and I overseas? A major, warrant officer, a first sergeant…how was I suppose to tell a major that my roommate wasn’t interested? The same major who was in charge of the Civil Affairs unit I went out on missions with? Completely Awkward.

The soldiers who were close to us in age and rank we were friends with. If they hit on us, we told them we weren’t interested and that was the end of it. I’m not saying this is how it always is. I had a tight group of friends overseas who wanted the least amount of drama and to get home.

Have any of you experienced the same problems with higher ranking? But got respect from those of the same rank?

Fast-forward twenty minutes. Benedict talked about how it’s hard for female to be friends with other female soldiers. It’s the same old story, females find it difficult to trust other females and females have jealousy issues…all the same bullshit that goes on in the real world. A comment was made about females not trusting one another because they think the other one wants their boyfriend. If I could remove part of the female brain it would be the, “I’m crazy and dramatic” part. I’ve seen this a lot in my unit and during my time overseas. This one’s sleeping with that one, but that one is looking at this one. I can not grasp how some soldiers sleep with multiple people in their unit. It’s disgusting. This is where the rumors starts, distrust starts, and division within a unit can occur. I know that if Elaine Donnelly stumbled upon this, she’d be screaming at her computer, “I told you so! Women don’t belong in combat! And I know this because I’ve toured 10 Army bases and three Navy ships in my life! I don‘t even know why people listen to me, I‘ve never served!” So, to the Donnelly’s out there: there are amazing men and women who serve who don’t partake in these outrageous activities. There are some who find their soul mates and stays completely faithful. There are some who never have a relationship with anyone in their unit. It’s just like in the real world. Every society has their fuck ups…don’t punish the others for their whorish actions.

I suppose this was just me thinking out loud. I’m curious if any of you have run into the same problems. The more I read about the perception of women in the military the more I get discouraged. There seems to be an overall thought that women are disrespected, without camaraderie, and end up damaged. Benedict said it best, women are proud of their service to their country. I am proud to have been part of the Army for eight years. I’ve been hit on while serving in the Army. I’ve been hit on as a civilian. Am I suppose to denounce life? The issues that the military has, are the same issues the real world has. I don’t understand why this is still shocking.


(Thank you Helen for allowing me speak at your reading. It means a lot that you want female service members voices to be heard.)

Welcome to German 101.

If you’re like me you’ve waited last minute to take that dreaded second language course you need to graduate. I’ve never been good at speaking another language. I failed Spanish in middle school which upset my mom because for some reason she was naturally good at rolling her “R”s. When I was a senior in high school I was forced into German which I managed to pass with a solid B. I’m a senior again enrolled into Elementary German, surrounded my fresh faced students eager to learn while I’m praying to just pass.

The first day of class was like any other; uptight students looked around at one another but not utter a word. A young woman with blonde hair stood in front of us. “Guten Morgen, Mein Name ist Katharina.” I felt smart; she spoke the five words I remembered from my high school German class: Good Morning, my name is…” Katharina handed us a sheet of paper with a bunch of German words which told us a little more about her. From what I could gathered, she was from Germany and would be the teacher’s assistant for the semester. She asked the class if anyone could make out any of the words; a few brave souls raised their hands. One thing I’ve always hated about second language classes, it’s a guessing game. Am I really suppose to know what der zweitkleinsten means?

We filed into class on Wednesday; Katharina was in the corner and Professor Undine Giguere was gliding back and forth from each side of the classroom. Giguere apologized for missing the first two classes but insisted she had just found out she was teaching a few weeks before hand. She was middle-aged, petite, short brown hair, thick German accent, full of energy, talked with her hands, and attempted to make everyone feel comfortable. She’s who you’d want to teach you a second language, not some boring old man who just reads from a book. Giguere realized learning a second language at our age is difficult; so she pulled out a little helper: a yellow teddy bear hand puppet. The class burst out in laughter. Had we just graduated into kindergarten? She put the puppet on her right hand and began blurting out foreign words. There was something comforting about that smiling bear talking to me. Her German accent didn’t seem so harsh anymore.

Giguere went over the syllabus. There would be two tests throughout the semester, pop quizzes, and homework from the textbook and an online workbook. She also made is clear attendance and classroom participation is very important. Giguere where the homework would be located on blackboard; it would be under the assignments link. But she warned us, the dates are mixed up and something assignments needed to be submitted online but some had to be written out and handed in. The class looked confused. Giguere informed us she wasn’t great at navigating blackboard and when it came to the dates for homework she told us to hand it in at the earliest date listed. During the second week of class, when some of us went online to do homework, we were told it was already too late. I knew this was going to be a long semester.

Our homework for next class was to make a nametag. Giguere gave the class construction paper. Our nametags needed to be big and sit on our desk so she could learn who we were. One student, Chris, took this assignment to heart. His name was written in fancy, beautiful cursive; it was bold. He wanted to be known. Mine was simple text medium sized; I wanted to blend in.

The next two classes we learned the basics: how to say good morning; my name is; what’s your name; How are you; thank you; and good-bye. The class seemed to be divided into certain types of students. There were the over achievers, like Ben, who never put their hand down and got a hard on when they answered the questions correctly. Ben was 17, and he made my life a living hell. Every time Giguere asked a question Bens hand popped up. He spoke every German word almost perfectly with an overconfidence tone and a sly smith on his face. I hated him. I hated that he wore Ivy league college t-shirts to class every day. I hate that his nose always looked liked it was running. I hated that I was stuck in a class with a kid seven years younger than me. I wanted his mom to pick him up and bring him back to high school. Then there were the students who were more hesitant, who raised their hand some of the time but usually waited until they were called upon. Then there were the remaining six students in the class, who avoided eye contact and tried to hide behind other students to avoid being called on. I found a good hiding spot behind a tall blond soccer player from New Zealand. He had the perfect afro to block my face from the professor but to my disappointment the second week of class he had cut it.

The third week started off with learning about standard classroom materials and objects. Notebook, blackboard, chair, table, pen, and pencil, were things we had to point to or hold up. Giguere asked to see pencils. She and I were the only ones who had one. Mine was a silver mechanical pencil, which seemed to be a new invention to her because she denied it being a true pencil. The class looked at me like I didn’t understand what Giguere had just said. I felt my face turn red. I turned to the person sitting next to me and him it was a pencil. He just looked at me. My first attempt to contribute in class and I was shot down. We then moved onto the months and seasons; to learn the seasons we were shown a poster of a song. We sang about the months and what they brought. The class giggled. Giguere apologized for the poster but told us sometimes she teaches children and today we were those children. All I remember from the song is that the summer brings grapes and the winter is cold. However, it did help me pronounce the seasons better. Maybe Giguere was onto something.

Giguere taught her class in a circle, so she can see everyone and more importantly their nametags. She wanted interaction and communication even if you pronounced something wrong. She was almost hyperactive and kept you on your toes. This wasn’t a class for those who enjoy sitting back and taking a half page of notes a couple times a week. Giguere expected you to know when to hand in homework regardless of the four different dates listed, sing songs about the seasons and raise your hand to answer whatever she feels like asking. More importantly, if you sign up for this class you need to find your inner kid and enjoy it.

Photographs.

University At Albany Gets a Veterans Club (finally).

The University At Albany seemed to be slacking when it came to their veteran students...until now! Tomorrow veterans will meet at 4pm, in the Commuter Lounge. The lounge is past the "Copies Plus" office in Campus Center. This will be our first meeting and all are welcomed to attend. Please spread the word, stop by and say hello! Hopefully, this club will lead to more veteran awareness on campus!

Haider Hamza.

I'm looking for you! I would like to come to your booth and ask a few questions. I read you reside in New York City...but where? Anyone know?

Read about Hamza here.

From the Capital Region?

I need a subject to shoot for my photojournalism final project. I will shoot over six weeks on and off. Know anyone interesting? Know of anything that is interesting? Ideas would be appreciated. Thank you!

Back From Iraq: The Veterans' Stories Project.

The Pennsylvania State University...you are amazing! During the spring 2009, semester Penn State offered a course to veteran students called, "Narrative, Oral History, New Media Technologies." Ready for this? The course was designed to teach student veterans how to use video and web technologies in order to share their experiences of the Iraq War. I'm beyond impressed! A college course geared toward veterans?! A course designed for veterans to talk about and share their experiences?! Beautiful. I wish more universities understood how important it is for veterans to have an outlet. I hope this course will be offered throughout the year.

Penn State, I salute you.

Back From Iraq: The Veterans' Stories Project.

Meet the Veterans' Here.

VA Video Regarding GI Bill Emergency Checks.

The VA made a video in regards to the GI Bill emergency checks. Here it is!




Helpful?

Weekend Plans?

At the Hudson Opera House, Helen Benedict reads from her recent book, The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq.

The reading will take place Saturday, October 17, 8pm. The opera house is located at 327 Warren St. Hudson, New York...(518) 822-1438.


The Lonely Soldier:
The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq
Beacon Press, April 2009

More women soldiers are fighting in Iraq than in any other American war in history, yet they face a dual challenge: they are participating in combat more than ever before, but because only one in ten soldiers is female, they are often painfully alone. This isolation, along with a military culture hostile to women, denies them the camaraderie soldiers depend on for survival and subjects them to sexual persecution by their comrades. As one soldier said, "I ended up waging my own war against an enemy dressed in the same uniform as mine." In The Lonely Soldier, Benedict humanizes the complex issues of war, misogyny, class, race, homophobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and more through the compelling stories of five women of diverse ethnicities and backgrounds who served in Iraq between 2003 and 2004. By following these women from their childhoods through enlistment, training, active duty in Iraq, and home again, Benedict vividly brings to life their struggles and challenges. Between their stories she weaves in accounts from numerous other Iraq War veterans, illuminating the wrenching and private war of female soldiers. Benedict ends by showing how these women came to face the truth of war and by offering suggestions for how the military can improve—including distributing women more evenly and rejecting male recruits with records of domestic or sexual violence.

Hudson Opera House.


**There will also be Rally US out of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan Now! Bring the Troops Home Now! at the State Capital Building in Albany. The rally starts at 12pm. There will be a march from the capital building along Washington Ave., to Lark Street, to Madison, returning to the starting point at West Capital Park.

More information here.

I'll be there taking photos.

Well, the bad news is...

I won't be graduating in the spring! I'm going to have to take a class or two in the summer. And the good news is...there isn't any. Oh, wait. There is good news! I'll have more time to figure out what I'm going to do after I graduate. Hopefully, I'll work in a cubicle, gain 35 pounds, watch Bill O'Reilly every night, and own eight cats. But if that doesn’t work out I’ll just join the Army again.

Side note: Stop writing me about Michael Jackson. I don't care that he passed way. I don't care that his daddy was mean to him. I don't care that for some insane reason you think you have a connection to him because you listened to the Thriller album 55 times. What I cared about was how much airtime he was getting. And whatever idiot wrote me saying, “If it was Elvis you wouldn’t be complaining.” You’re a jackass and missed my point. So, let’s review…Important news coverage: the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan. Not important news coverage: MJ’s tragic death and what Ed Hardy shirt Jon Gosselin is wearing.

Latest Numbers from the VA on ER Check Distribution.

As of October 7th, this is what we got...

The VA has issued a total of 19,136 checks from the Regional Offices for a value of $55,692,978. The VA has also issued a total of 17,025 checks via the advance pay website for a value of $49,508,000

Ready?! Combined, the VA has issued a total 36,161 checks to Veterans for a value of $105,200,978!!

Beautiful!

Soldiers Losing Heart & Lesbians More Likely to Get the Boot.

I'm about to head to night class but I wanted to post a few articles I just read.

What are your thoughts on Afghanistan? Is it time to get the hell out or send more troops?

**“The many soldiers who come to see us have a sense of futility and anger about being here. They are really in a state of depression and despair and just want to get back to their families,” said Captain Jeff Masengale, of the 10th Mountain Division’s 2-87 Infantry Battalion.

“They feel they are risking their lives for progress that’s hard to discern,” said Captain Sam Rico, of the Division’s 4-25 Field Artillery Battalion. “They are tired, strained, confused and just want to get through.” The chaplains said that they were speaking out because the men could not."


Read the article here.

**"Pentagon statistics obtained by University of California researchers show that women are far more likely than men to be kicked out of the military under the "don't ask, don't tell policy" banning openly gay service members."

Here's what I think. If you want to get kicked out, you play gay. To play gay, you jump in bed with a person of the same sex. When you're questioned about your sexuality, you wave the rainbow flag and make your case. I know a few women who claimed they were gay to get out. One of these women now has a baby...clearly, she wasn't gay. So, the question is…is it more acceptable for women to claim they are gay? Is this why they have a higher rate of being kicked out? I don’t know. It’s just a thought. I’m not so sure you’d see a male soldier jump into bed with another male soldier just to get kicked out. Who knows.

Read the article here.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is My Hero...Hopefully.

I've spent eight years in the Army Reserves and the way things are done generally never make sense. Over the years, I've found myself asking my buddies, "why the hell are we doing this?" or "wouldn't this make more sense if we did it this way?" But that is where the suggestions usually stop. No one listens to us, the higher-ups are stuck to their traditional ways, and everyone ends up pissed off. Welcome to the Army.

But the year is 2009, veterans are now in positions to have their voices heard, common sense seems to come into play, and issues are being dealt with accordingly. The main issue now: Education benefits. Veterans are enrolled into college and still have not received any of their benefits, they are maxing out their credit cards, and some have even dropped out. This is unacceptable and finally the VA has put together a plan to get emergency money to veterans.

"Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki today announced further outreach to Veteran-students eligible for a special emergency payment of their education benefits. Veterans can now apply online beginning Oct. 2. Veteran-students can also request courtesy transportation to VA regional benefits offices."

Here is a list of the Regional Offices:

Easter Area Offices:

Baltimore Regional Office (Baltimore, MD) Boston VA Regional Office (Boston, MA) Buffalo Regional Office (Buffalo, NY) Cleveland Regional Office (Cleveland, OH) Detroit Regional Office (Detroit, MI) Hartford Regional Office (Newington, CT) Indianapolis Regional Office (Indianapolis, IN) Manchester Regional Office (Manchester, NH) New York Regional Office (New York, NY) Newark Regional Office (Newark, NJ) Philadelphia Regional Office and Insurance Center (Philadelphia, PA) Pittsburgh Regional Office (Pittsburgh, PA) Providence Regional Office (Providence, RI) Togus VA Medical/Regional Office Center (Augusta, ME) White River Junction Regional Office (White River Junction, VT) Wilmington Regional Office (Wilmington, DE)

Southern Area Offices:

Atlanta Regional Office (Decatur, GA) Columbia Regional Office (Columbia, SC) Huntington Regional Office (Huntington, WV) Jackson Regional Office (Jackson, MS) Louisville Regional Office (Louisville, KY) Montgomery Regional Office (Montgomery, AL) Nashville Regional Office (Nashville, TN) Roanoke Regional Office (Roanoke, VA) San Juan Regional Office (Hato Rey, PR) St. Petersburg Regional Office (St. Petersburg, FL) Washington D.C. Regional Office (Washington D.C., DC) Winston-Salem Regional Office (Winston-Salem, NC)

Central Area Offices:

Chicago Regional Office (Chicago, IL) Des Moines VA Regional Office (Des Moines, IA) Fargo Regional Office (Fargo, ND) Houston Regional Office (Houston, TX) Lincoln Regional Office (Lincoln, NE) Milwaukee Regional Office (Milwaukee, WI) Muskogee Regional Office (Muskogee, OK) New Orleans Regional Office (New Orleans, LA) North Little Rock Regional Office (North Little Rock, AR) Sioux Falls Regional Office (Sioux Falls, SD) St. Louis Regional Office (St. Louis, MO) St. Paul Regional Office (St. Paul, MN) Waco Regional Office (Waco, TX) Wichita Regional Office (Wichita, KS)

Western Area Offices:

Albuquerque Regional Office (Albuquerque, NM) Anchorage Regional Office (Anchorage, AK) Boise Regional Office (Boise, ID) Cheyenne VA Medical / Regional Office Center (Cheyenne, WY) Denver Regional Office (Lakewood, CO) Fort Harrison Medical and Regional Office (Fort Harrison, MT) Honolulu Regional Office (Honolulu, HI) Los Angeles Regional Office (Los Angeles, CA) Manila Regional Office (0930 Manila, PI) Oakland Regional Office (Oakland, CA) Phoenix Regional Office (Phoenix, AZ) Portland Regional Office (Portland, OR) Reno Regional Office (Reno, NV) Salt Lake City Regional Office (Salt Lake City, UT) San Diego Regional Office (San Diego, CA) Seattle Regional Office (Seattle, WA)

I plan on applying online tomorrow for my payment. You can do so also at: http://www.va.gov/

Good luck! And let’s be honest for a minute, expect something not to go right. Expect your check to come a day late or your records not to be on file…something, anything. You’ve been in the Army, you know to expect the worse but hope for the best. While some say this plan came to let be grateful it came at all.

On a more personal note, this semester is kicking my ass. I was enrolled in five classes but recently withdrew from one. I had to quit one of my jobs (which I couldn't afford to do) just to have enough time to do my homework. I have a three day drill this weekend, a test on Monday, I need to get a tutor for German because I failed my first test, and my credit card is maxed out because I had to buy school books. Awesome! I need you Department of Veterans Affairs.

Burn a flag, pay the price.

In Valley Falls, New York a young man was given three choices: get turned over to the police, go one-on-one in a fight with a seasoned war veteran, or be duct-taped to a flagpole for six hours with a sign around his neck identifying his alleged crime: flag burning.

The 21-year-old decided on being duct-taped to a flagpole for six hours.

Was his punishment over the top or did he deserve more?

I think it's fitting.

Read the article here.

Fort Irwin's Theater of War by Amy MacWilliamson.

Was your training like this? Mine was not. I remember a couple of white guys hiding in the woods firing a fake AK47 at me.

Watch the photo essay here.

Levi Johnston: "Me and Mrs. Palin"

Levi, Levi, Levi. There's something about him. You may or may not like him but you gotta give it to the kid, he's living the life right now. He knocked up the girl-next-door, he's shirtless in GQ, he may pose nude, and he's calling out Sarah Palin in a new Vanity Fair article. Chances are we won't remember who he is in ten years, he'll be somewhere in Alaska hunting, but right now he's the little dick who just won't go away.

Read the Vanity Fair article here.

Department of Veterans Affairs.

I submitted my application (through VONAPP) for Post 9/11 benefits in May. I heard nothing for eight weeks. I figured everything was backed up and I had time before school started, so I decided to wait a few more weeks before calling. It's now the end of July and still nothing. I call and call and call...I get hung up on, "All operators are busy at this time." I picked up my phone at around six o'clock one night and was finally ablt to get through. A sweet southern voice was at the other end..."We just got your application two weeks ago." What? I told her I submitted my information in May, log onto VONAPP and look for yourself. She insisted I sent it in two weeks ago and seemed annoyed I was calling. It's now late August (August 27) and I get a letter in the mail..Congratulations you're entitled to receive 60% of the benefits payable under the Post 9/11 GI Bill program. Great! Now tell me why the hell when I go to verify my school attendance I can't and my benefit status is still REAP, Chapter 1607? Side note, it took the Department of VA a YEAR to give me my Chapter 1607 benefits. So thank you Dept. of VA, it now looks like I'll be turning tricks on campus for school supplies.

Operation Free in Washington, DC.

This past week I attended the launch of Operation Free along with 150 veterans in DC. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into but I soon found myself at George Washington University being trained on everything from what Operation Free is about, how to smile, sit, speak, and create my own personal story to connect with the people I would be speaking to. Long story short, Operation Free wants the Waxman and Markey Bill passed. Waxman and Markey will create clean energy jobs, help end our dependence on foreign oil, and combat global warming. Sounded good, I was in. A few hours into training, we were broken up by states and began to craft our personal stories based on four questions: Who am I? What's a quick story from my military service? Why do I care and why am I here? What do I want? My buddy was a West Point graduate who deployed to Iraq as a tank commander. He had a great story, it took his tanks seven gallons of gas just to start up!...I had shit, so I fake ate my lunch to avoid having to pull something out of my ass. After lunch we headed to the White House. We marched along those DC streets proud! We were going the White House! We thought, maybe the President would grace us with his presence. He loves veterans and clean energy, why wouldn't he come say hello?

We soon realized how far off we were.

After getting through the security check point, we walked about 50 yards and took a left into the Dwight Eisenhower Executive Building. This was not the White House. I couldn't even see the White House. President Obama was no where in sight. However, Senator John Warner took the stage and spoke about his days in the Navy and being a Marine. He words seemed to touch everyone in the audience regardless of their political affiliation...he got a standing ovation. After our "White House" visit, my group of 11 headed to the offices of Senator George Voinovich and Senator Sherrod Brown. We were herded into a conference room. Voinovich's people were nice enough to throw some guy into the room who hadn't a clue why we were there. Voinovich’s people wised up and put another guy in the room who seemed to know more on the subject. We talked, they talked, we made our points, they made theirs...insert political bullshit, the end. Brown's people were a little more on point. They were looking forward to our visit...hell, they want the bill passed! We shared our stories with Joseph Schultz, Legislative Assistant, who had to cut the meeting a short but reassured us Brown was on board. That was it. My first day of lobbying was over. Got on a flight and headed back to Albany. Woke up the next morning, went to classes, picked up a dress for a wedding on Saturday, danced to a few slow songs, decided I never want a traditional wedding, and went to sleep.

Some of the highlights from DC:

1) Learning how to smile. You need your smile to come across warm but strong.

2) Meeting the VetVoice guys. Can’t say enough good things about them. Intelligent, funny, driven, down to have a good time, and always willing to help you out.

3) Hanging out with a few women veterans. It’s always a pleasure and there’s no petty bullshit.

Waxman and Markey Bill information.

White House visit:

Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard.

The Associated Press released a photograph of Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard who was hit by a rocket propelled grenade during a firefight against the Taliban in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan on August 14.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates called this move appalling.

Is it? Or is it just the realities of war that the majority have been shielded from? I googled Bernard and came across the photograph. It's heartbreaking. Bernard's mouth is slightly open, eyes are closed, his weapon lay beside him as if his hand just went limp, his tan uniform is stained with bright red blood...the only color you pray not to see over there, two other Marines attempt to help him, he later dies from his wound.

I'm not sure if I should post the picture here. According to the AP the Marine’s father had asked – in an interview - that the image not be published.

A dad doesn't want his sons helpless body all over the internet. RIP Bernard. You died too young.


Article here.

September!

*I'll be in DC next week for the launch of Operation Free. Operation Free is "a coalition of leading Veterans and national security organizations who recognize that climate change is a major threat, and support fast, bold action. It is time for Americans to rise to the challenge, and we're taking on the fight."


Check out Operation Free here.


*Ryan Smithson, an Empire State College student and Iraq war veteran, will be reading and signing his book "Ghosts of War." The event is on Sept. 10th at 7pm at the Book House at Stuyvesant Plaza on Western Avenue in Albany. It's free. Go! Show some support. I'm going to try and make it but I have class that night.

Read a little about Smithson here.


*The Women’s Research & Education Institute will be holding their Eighth Conference on Women in the Military on September 24th and 25th. Women in the Military: Moving Forward Using the Lessons of the Past Decade, will be held at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington, VA.

For more information on the conference click here.


*Please check out Grace After Fire, an online community for women veteran.

Become a member!


*WHAT ELSE?!

Artists?

I have an idea but can't draw worth shit. Help me out?

This blog needs some Botox...

I ETS December 26th and then my military career will be over. It's been eight years of up and downs but it's all been worth it. So before then I'll be posting some of my highlights of my enlistment but then this blog is going under construction...I'm going under construction. My fall semester is going to be busy and I welcome it with open arms. I'll be taking a Photojournalism class (working on getting a new digital camera now), so I'll be posting more photos on here. During my spring semester I hope to have an internship somewhere...any suggestions? My summer has been lazy and I'm ready to just knock out school. Before I know it I'll be graduating from the University at Albany and then...well, I'm not sure.

I apologize for not updating. If you're on Twitter, lets tweet together! Hope you're all well! Enjoy the rest of your summer! Posts coming soon.

New York State Veterans.

Hello! I'm on a mission and I need your help. You've come home from deployment and you're trying to get your life back on track but you've run into a few obstacles. What are they? What do you need that isn't being offered? What could be better? Is there information you feel could be better explained or even easier to obtain? VA appointments not up to par? Could the VA center do things differently? Still waiting for that dentist appointment after a year (like me)? Do you need housing? Someone to talk to? Benefits explained? Do you wish your family had same place to turn to while you were deployed? Anything? New York isn't perfect and I want to know how to make it better for veterans. If you could please email your opinions, thoughts, etc. it would be greatly appreciated! Also if you are interested in politics let me know.

My email is: katehoit@yahoo.com

If you aren’t from New York but still have experienced issues please let me know what they are!

Please repost this on your blog, website, anywhere! Thank you!

Women of the Military documentary update!

We might have landed an agent to distribute the documentary! Hopefully it will get picked up in the near future and America can meet some of the fine women who have served this lovely nation!

Women of the Military.

Don't Wanna See Your Face, You Better Disappear...

I know some of you are really touched by the death of Michael Jackson and I guess I can understand your attachment to your Thriller album but snap out of it. Wacko Jacko was an adult who knew that popping pills and not eating was horrible for ones health, right? He could've changed his habits with a little self-determination and by surrounding himself with people who wouldn’t feed his addictions. Yeah, I've read he had a shitty childhood and was forced to work nonstop...I get it but sometimes you just have to let the past be in the past. I saw a video on CNN where the House of Representatives held a moment of silence for Michael Jackson on Friday. Do they do this for the troops that have been killed everyday in Iraq or Afghanistan? I'm sure they'd have to come up with something a little more honorable to say about the soldiers who have passed...I mean, they can't commit on their "style of dancing." For the record, 11 U.S. soldiers and 331 Iraqi Security Forces and Civilians have been killed this month. Since June 25th, 14 U.S. soldiers have been wounded in action. There have also been 38 coalition military fatalities this month in Afghanistan. So this is my moment of silence for those who have passed and who have not been acknowledged…One day our backwards country might get the bigger picture, until then Michael Jackson will flood our televisions, websites, and the ones who should be recognized will continue to slip through our hands.

I could careless about Michael Jackson’s death...my heart goes out to those who have passed and to their families.



Iraq Colalition Casualty Count.

Has college...

made me "one of them?" I love learning, reading, etc but I'm fucking busy with pure bullshit all the time! Math homework? Nonsense. Is photography art? Who cares. Take photos if you want...call them art if you want...if anyone tells you they aren't art look at who is saying it...probably some ironic asshole who thinks they're important. Fuck 'em. I need to graduate now...not in a year. And who thinks it's good for an 18 year old to go to an Ivy League school? What will an 18 year old get out of an Ivy League school besides a skewed vision on life? Our lifestyles and wants breed assholes.

War Photography.

Tomorrow is my last day of classes, so naturally today/tonight I'm writing a six page paper, studying for two finals, and wishing I didn't procrastinate.

My final paper for my History of Photography course is about War Photography. I've fallen in love with a few photographers...



W.Eugene Smith.



Robert Capa.



Margaret Bourke-White.

Flag Day Parade in Hudson, NY.

Is photography art?

My assignment: write a three page paper explaining why I believe photography is or is not a form of art. I posted this question on twitter but as some of you know, you can't really have a discussion on a site that only allows 140 characteristics. So, here I am.

Art: "Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression..."

Visual Art: "The visual arts are art forms that focus on the creation of works which are primarily visual in nature, such as drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, and filmmaking."

Photography: "Photography is the process, activity and art of creating still or moving pictures by recording radiation on a sensitive medium, such as a film, or an electronic sensor."

Twitter responses: "Digital, no. film, usually. some say the camera doesn't lie, but that isn't the truth. digital manipulation, yes. darkroom, yes."

"In my book, yes, photography=art. It uses specific means to reveal the world via the artists' unique eyes/perspective. Dorky?" No, you're not dorky!

Text message response: "I think it's an art because the artist let's the person know what they are feeling through their eyes."

So...

Appeals to the senses or emotions? Feelings? Is it the photographer who has the power to actually do that? When another human being looks at a photograph, they determine if it is worth a two second scan or $150,000...they determine if they allow a photograph to stir up feelings, to make them contemplate, to make them question, to make them laugh, cry, want to be there, they in turn take a photograph and manipulate it to how they want to see it. What is really the art of it? A photographer capturing and freezing a moment that might be beautifully lit, slightly awkward, allows you to see the vulnerability of another human or a landscape, an innocence that normally one would pass by, or is the photographer being selfish and only presenting what they choose, in turn cheating the world out of other points of view? Maybe the art of it all has nothing to do with the one snapping the photograph. Maybe the art of it is ones ability to recognize there is something there...but a photograph can symbolize anything to anyone depending on their emotional state, where they have been, what they have seen, what they haven’t seen.

Manipulation? Anything can be manipulated. A painting, a sculpture, words, love...if manipulating something means it's not art...then why stop at photography? Maybe some photographs need to be manipulated to be stronger, to get their point across, to evoke rage, happiness, in a person. Is there art is manipulating something so perfectly the person viewing it doesn't even know they are being manipulated? That in itself could be art.

I was walking in San Francisco once and stopped to look at a painting. I made the comment that I could've done that...I was told, "but you didn't." It was that simple. That painting was so simplistic that I couldn't even wrap my head around it...what was I suppose to see? Maybe I saw nothing because I didn't want to see anything. Someone probably purchased that painting for a few thousands dollars and I would've just as easily pissed on it.

Is photography an art form?

Thoughts!

Albany...

If you weren't at the Clash and Ramones tribute show at Valentines tonight...well, your idea of fun is shit and you missed out.

Sweet dreams.

Larry Meistrich (hollywood filmmaker) wants you!

Well, only if you are active military or a veteran. Meistrich is soliciting movie and TV pitches from the country's finest, with the intent to choose one project per year to produce and finance.

Meistrich wants the projects to be entirely produced by military personnel and family members. This includes writing, directing, producing, acting, production, etc.

Sounds awesome, right? Let's make a movie! Anyone have a script?

Read the article here: "We wanted to support the troops with more than just a yellow ribbon," Meistrich said.

This Much I Can Give You.

I had lost the other soldiers I was in the firefight with. They ran one way and I ran the other. My boots pounded the sand, then the pavement, then the grass. I leaned against a brick building as if it were the only thing I could rely on. A towering tree was to the left of me, it’s bright green leafs swayed toward an empty field. That much it gave me-a break from reality, a reason to close my eyes and imagine all the other places I should’ve been.

I put my M16 on burst and squeezed the trigger slowly with my left index finger. I never hit anything; not a building, not a car, not a person. It was like my bullets knew the fight wasn’t worth it but I kept shooting. In-between shots I yelled for the other soldiers. I wasn’t ready to be left alone. I wasn’t ready to die.

I closed my eyes and ran my palms down the bricks, even they were sweating. I realized if I didn’t move, I’d be killed. I opened me eyes and peered around the corner. The other soldiers were taking cover and running through the streets. I took a step from behind the building and it hit me; a bullet in my left cheek, then two more. A man emerged with dark oily hair, bright brown eyes, and overlapping teeth. He smiled as his bullets sedated me. I was unable to move, unable to care. The bullets expanded gently in my face. I was usually too scared to touch my face but some nights I ran my fingers slowly over the holes. My fingers seemed to dissolve in the gaping holes the bullets had left. There was never any blood, any death.

I always woke up the same way; staring at my bedroom wall wondering if I was going to die in Iraq. I thought until I fell back asleep. A good soldier is suppose to run through the bullets, accept the fact they might get shot in the face, a good soldier can at least shoot something. Fuck, I didn’t want to get shot in the face, I didn’t want to shoot anyone in the face, and I probably would admire the way a tree danced to the sound of gunshots.

After having the same dream for a few weeks, I thought for sure I was going to get killed over there. I imagined the letter my parents would get notifying them about my death…

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Hoit,

We are sorry to inform you but your daughter was shot in the face by a man who didn‘t believe in using shampoo. You should know the Army trained her well but apparently she liked to do things her own way. On the day of her death she separated herself from the other soldiers, hid behind a building, and she was a terrible shot. By the way, her face ate her fingers so we suggest a closed casket. We are sorry for your lose.

Sincerely,

Uncle Sam




(Rewriting my memoir piece. This might be my new beginning.)

Life updates...

I've been horrible about updating my blog. My semester ended on the 14th, get my grades back tomorrow, and my two summer classes start in a week. I'm taking the History of Photography and a math course. They are Monday-Friday, 8:30-2:50...but they'll be done in four weeks! I'm still working on my memoir piece...the editing process is interesting. It's as though the first 20 drafts didn't matter and now it's time to really say what I want to say. I'm working with a professor who has a few books out and really pushing me. Hopefully one day my piece will be published somewhere.

Germany! Thanks for the emails and facebook messages. Your English doesn't suck! I'll be taking German in the fall...can you guys help me out?

Rold and Mr.England, you guys made it over!! I hope you guys are well! Rold, how's the baby? Harm? Mr.England, coming to the states?

I'm at my Army unit until Thursday to make up some time. I've been working on soldiers promotion packets...real exciting.

Trying to meet some Iraqis who are taking English classes at the school my mom works at. Hopefully tomorrow I get the chance to meet them!

Hope all of you are well!

Five Soldiers killed at Camp Libery, What are Stress Clinics?

U.S. soldier killed five at Camp Liberty’s stress clinic.

What's a stress clinic?

In July 2005, I did a story on the stress clinic at Camp Anaconda in Balad, Iraq. This stress clinic is separate from the stress clinic at Camp Liberty. However, I figured this could shed some light on what exactly a stress clinic is.

"Being deployed in a war zone can affect Soldiers in a variety of ways. Whether a Soldier suffers from combat stress, problems at home, substance abuse, or unit and leadership conflicts the 55th Medical Company, Combat Stress Control, Indianapolis, Ind., here has an assortment of programs set up for intervention.

The Soldiers at the Restoration Clinic understand that many people need an opportunity to express their thoughts, feelings, and problems in a non-judgmental, therapeutic way. Soldiers on Anaconda have the choice of walking in, making an appointment, or they may be recommended by their command to receive individual counseling and treatment.

"We don't turn anyone way, and they would be seen and evaluated the day they walk-in," said Maj. Richard Boone, officer-in-charge of the Restoration Program.

The clinic offers therapeutic intervention classes to include: Relaxation Techniques, Stress Management, Home Front Issues, Communication Skills, Anger Management, Anxiety Awareness, Open Forum, and Depression Awareness. The main objective of the classes is for soldiers to communicate what they are experiencing, look at their own reactions to the stressors, and to see if they can resolve or alter the issue themselves.

"We are about returning Soldiers to full duty, better equipped to handle their stressors, and having a greater sense of personal well-being," Boone said.

When Soldiers come to the clinic, they may enter the Restoration Program. The program is over a three-day period, and focuses on certain classes that would benefit the individual Soldier and one-on-one counseling. However, many Soldiers do not need the full program and they would usually be back to duty within a day with follow-up care as needed, Boone said. In case a Soldier needs more then 72 hours of intervention, the staff offers a Residential Program, where they may stay up to two weeks depending on their condition and response to the treatment.

For Soldiers at other forward operating bases, the staff put together a squad known as the Prevention Team; these Soldiers travel frequently to assist troops. When they visit Soldiers their goals are to offer critical incident debriefings if someone suffered a traumatic event and to make them aware that they have someone to talk to if need be. Soldiers may also be brought into the clinic to be given additional counseling.

The staff is aware that Soldiers may feel awkward about talking to an unfamiliar person about personal problems and anxious about the process. Soldiers will be glad to know that the information they share with the combat stress staff is almost always confidential, Boone said. There are exceptions, however, when issues of dangerous behavior or illegality arise or if the Soldier is a direct command referral. In such cases some information could be shared with other healthcare providers or with the Soldier's command.

"We treat everyone who comes in here as adults, as Soldiers who are doing important work," Boone said. "We treat them with respect, friendliness, and compassion."

Being expected to carry out missions is challenging and dangerous situations may cause emotional and physiological issues. The Soldiers at the Restoration Clinic will be working with Soldiers until the end of their tour in late fall. A replacement unit is expected to arrive to continue this vital work."

Good quote from a good book...

I'm getting ready for my final in Vietnam War and Literature and I came across a perfect quote from one of the books I had to read.

The Sorrow of War by Bao Ninh...

"It was hard to remember a time when his whole personality and character had been intact, a time before the cruelty and the destruction of war had warped his soul. A time when he had been deeply in love, passionate, aching with desire, hilariously frivolous and light-hearted, or quickly depressed by love and suffering. Or blushing in embarrassment. When he, too, was worthy of being a lover and in love...
But war was a world with no home, no roof, no comforts. A happy journey, of endless drifting. War was a world without real men, without real women, without feeling."

Scene One.

Bill is asleep in his twin sized bed, covered in a thin light blue blanket. When I flipped on the light it startled him. He peeked above the blanket. His hair is pure white and messy. He remembered my face and the tall brown boots I was wearing. He asked about them. He asked about them three more times before I left. The 75 year old, Schenectady, New York, native has been in the Albany County Nursing home for four years and can’t understand why.

Born to Sally “Sadie” Dixon on September 14, 1933 at the Belleview Hospital in Schenectady, Bill has seen his mother married to four different men, three of which walked out on him and his mom, he was sent to Burke, New York, to work on his aunt and uncles farm, joined the army, and has been married four times himself. He can only recall two of his wives names.

The memory of growing up in Schenectady during General Electrics booming years evades his memory. To him Schenectady was “just busy.” Bill went to junior high school at Van Corlear and then onto Mount Pleasant high school. He was a self-proclaimed average student, his favorite subject was the arts, he didn’t play sports, and his best friend was an Italian boy named Tony. Once he mentions Tony’s name, he remembers they use to play baseball. Tony was better then him.

His Aunt Katherine and Uncle Lawrence took him into their home for a few years. Burke, New York was only miles from Canada. On clear days, Bill remembers walking out onto the porch and seeing the St. Lawrence river. His smile tells me he misses those days. Bill remembers their farm. It was large and beautiful, there were a lot of cattle, and he spent his days working. His smile vanished.

“Uncle L worked my ass off!” said Bill.

Once Sally married her fourth husband, Raymond C. Smith, Bill moved back home. This is the only husband Bill liked. The family moved into a brown and white two story house on 5th Street in Schenectady. It was only a two bedroom house. Sally had one room and Raymond had the other.

“They had separate rooms because mom was starting to get fat,” said Bill, “They couldn’t fit in the same bed. I had my own room in the basement.”

After a few years Bill went back up to Burke, New York and attended the Adirondack School of Commerce. He graduated from their one year business program and then moved back to Schenectady. When he got home, the Korean War had just started. Instead of being drafted, Bill volunteered for a two year commitment with the Army. He was put on a bus and wound up in Fort Dix, New Jersey. He was processed in and then sent across the country to Fort Ord, California. When he starts talking about California, he sits up from his bed. He’s wearing a green sweater and a nametag around his neck. This tag allows him a little more freedom then the other decaying residents.

“I loved the west coast,” said Bill, “The oceans, the weather, San Francisco. The east coast stinks.”

Bill boarded a ship and left California. He spent the next year and a half at a base outside of Frankfurt, Germany. Since he learned to type at the Adirondack School of Commerce, the Army put him in personnel. His job was easy and he was good at it. He traveled to England, Switzerland, Finland, and Scotland. Scotland was his favorite because that’s where his mother was from.

He came back to Schenectady and met his first wife Pat. They had three boys; Jeff, Tim, and Freddy. They moved around from Peabody, and Boston Massachusetts then eventually back to New York. Pat filed for divorce and Bill can’t remember why.

Bill stops the interview.

“I don’t want to do this anymore,” said Bill, “it’s bringing back bad memories.”

He lays back down in his bed and closes his eyes. He tells me he is tired. His room is adorned with four American flags, a lighthouse calendar, a dream catcher, three certificates of recognition, family photos, a valentines day gift from his wife, and a nursing home event calendar. I asked him if he’s going to go to bingo tonight. No response. He was asleep.

There are seven packs of gummy bears on his shelve. He used to love gummy bears. Whenever he went to the store, he would always buy them. He woke up when I opened up a bag. He told me to take them home with me. I don’t think he likes gummy bears anymore.

At the end of his bed there is a brown recliner chair and next to it is a Vanity Fair magazine. Bill bookmarked a page with a dirty napkin. I opened up to the page and it’s a Versace advertisement. The model is tan, wearing a short beige dress, and heels. I put the napkin back in place and put the magazine on the floor. He fell back asleep.

I woke him up and told him I was going to leave. Bill didn’t lift his head off the pillow but he smiled at me. I asked him if he knew why he was at the nursing home.

“No. Why?” asked Bill.
“Do you know what Alzheimer’s is?” I responded.
“No. What is it?”
“It’s a disease that deteriorates your memory.”
“That’s what they say I have?”
“Yes.”
“Well, that’s probably true…What memory?”

Bill and I both laughed. He’s always had the same sense of humor. I leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“What day is it?” asked Bill.
“Saturday,” I said.
“Shut off the light.”

Birthday pictures...

Around UAlbany.

I just got the best gift ever...

My boyfriend bought me a Remington rifle! Now we are going shooting! He's the best!

At 4:09am...

I will be 25! And I've never felt so complete in my life! I have great friends who support me, a mother who is crazy (in a good way) and my partner in crime, a father who is literally going crazy but still awesome, a boyfriend that I totally adore (I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world), great professors, a few jobs, and I'm out of the Reserves in December! 25 is looking good!!

Penn State University's Office of Student Affairs and President Graham Spanier...

produced a video featuring a "stereotypical "aggressive" veteran who threatens his professor." First and foremost, bravo on making yourselves look completely ignorant and uneducated. I do not know why this video was produced, I do not understand what point this video was attempting to make, and I do not understand why a group of people would go out of their way to make veterans seem unstable and irrational.

It’s hard enough to be a veteran and enrolled in college. Regardless, students and even professors already have preconceived notions about veterans. So not only do veterans have to prove they’re good students, intelligent, eager to learn…they also have to answer questions their peers may have, debunk absurd stereotypes, and show they are obtainable…not ticking time bombs like this video portrays them to be.

Veterans can only do so much. Somewhere along the line one can only hope the general public attempts to educate themselves…and produce a more accurate video. Maybe Penn State should invite a group of veteran students to speak at their school…this way we can speak for ourselves and allow the students to know what it’s really like to be a veteran in college.

Thanks for nothing Penn State and hats off to a brilliant President…clearly you’re all in good hands.

Here's the bullshit video...

Today Restored My Faith...

in my generation!

I met the professor around 11:30, chatted a little, and headed to her classroom. Whenever students walked in she had them introduce themselves to me...this made me feel a little important. Then she introduced me and had me speak about how I came to write my piece. Then it was question time...

Everyone just stared at me. Awesome. But that only lasted a very long few seconds. We got talking about situations with the Iraqis, how the Army is known for its piss poor planning, sex, what it’s like coming home, censorship, other blogs (I pulled up Army of Dude, LT Nixon, and The Usual Suspect), stop-loss, the medias coverage on the war (what coverage?), word usage...I used the word insurgent in my piece, not terrorist...this surprised some, my personal relationships with the two men I talk about in my piece, socioeconomic something something...I don't really know what this one kid was trying to get at but he was adorable so I just pretended to know what the hell he was talking about, and they asked about how much control the average soldier has over the orders given to them and what happens if they disagree. Death I told them! Just joking...the Army needs everyone they have.

One girl was extremely surprised to find out some soldiers engage in sexual activities...what! I was surprised to find someone who thought that was a surprise! The same girl commented that in some parts of my piece I was "sweet" and in other parts I was blunt and not so sweet. Then she asked me who I was...I smiled and told her I was a little bit of both.

The professor dropped the “F bomb” and I don’t think she was too excited about that. In fact, she informed the class that the only time they would hear her say “fuck” was when it was a direct quote…so she said it a few times. I felt bad.

A few students made comments that now they realize soldiers aren’t superheroes or baby killers…but we are just normal human beings. I succeeded in getting my point across and that was the best feeling in the world.

So we did this for about an hour. Everyone was so sweet and curious. It made me realize people do care.

As I was leaving the professor made a comment about me writing some more and possibly turning my piece into a book…I laughed. However, a kid asked me when the projected date was for the book…I told him it was being negotiated.

I was wrong...

I speak tomorrow! Ahh!

The Week Ahead...

Today I have to work on a paper about the automobile industry. Not completely excited about this paper but whatever I have to get it done. I have to read, "The Sorrow Of War" by Bao Ninh...by 2:45 tomorrow. Not sure if that's going to happen but I'll try. On Thursday, I'm going to be a guest speaker in the Mass Media and War In U.S. History honors class. The students read a memoir piece I wrote about my time in Iraq and now I get to answer a few questions. I'm nervous. The professor who asked me to speak is the Director of the journalism program, has a few books out, went to Brown University (had a horrible experience there once), and participated in a Strategic Policy Implementation Seminar at the Army War College. She's excited for me to come in...I just hope I don't screw up. Give me some tips! Also anyone know any bloggers who are currently overseas? She wants her students to check out some blogs. Let me know! Thanks!


Time to write about the big three going down in flames.

Thanks Easter Bunny...

for giving me my "special" eggs this morning! I popped a few Aleve, tucked a heating pad between my pants and my shirt, and now I'm blow-drying my hair... I'm sweating to death! Thanks for nothing Easter!

Let's hope my day gets better!

Happy Easter!

Hope everyone has a good day! xox

Today Eyeliner asked...

Upon hearing the news my unit is suppose to deploy to Afghanistan May 2010, Eyeliner asked...

"Where is Afghanistan?"

"By Iran and Pakistan," I responded.

"Like I know where that is."

So I googled "world map" and showed her. She looked and said...

"So they have the same weather as Virginia?

"Great Day"

I'm laying in bed with my cat Piper and reading Armageddon in Retrospect by Kurt Vonnegut. I highly recommend getting this book and reading and rereading the chapter titled, "Great Day."

Here are a few lines from it...

"Ain't this a rather dangerous profession we picked of our own free will, soldier?"

"I moved my head up and down, so's my helmet acted like a pump. It pumped air down over my forehead. At a time like that, little things can be extra-nice."

"Captain," I said, "everything there is to fight for has already done been won. We got peace, we got freedom, everybody is like brothers, everybody got nice houses and chicken ever Sunday."

"If I was ever to have a child, this is what I'd tell it: "Child," I'd say, "don't never mess with time. Keep now now and then then. And if you ever get lost in thick smoke, child, set still till it clears. Set still till you can see where you are and where you been and where you're going, child."

Get the book!

Sweet dreams.

Army life...

I'm sitting in a hotel room in the washed up city of Schenectady. This weekend I play Army. The soldiers who live at least 50 miles from the unit get put up for the weekend. My two lovely but crazy army buddies are fixing their hair and not talking about their guy problems. The world might be coming to an end. Now one is putting on eyeliner...it looks like shit but I don't have the heart to tell her.

I think the movie Crank looks completely stupid.

"When is New York going to have a flood?" Move to North Dakota.

I'm going to watch my little freedom fighters put on makeup. Army Strong!

p.s. I got an iPhone. Can you tell?

Out of Step...

with blogging! I apologize. I'll be making a comeback soon!

If you have Twitter...lets tweet together. I'm just starting to get into it.
Tweeter.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell...

Sign a petition to overturn this out-of-date policy.

Sign the VoteVets petition here!

Help me write a paper...

With the current state of the economy...have you changed the way you live? Less shopping? Less drinking? Public transportation? No more organic food? Staying at a shitty job you can't stand? Anything. Let me know please! (If you don't want to leave a comment email me: arita8x8@yahoo.com. I'll also need your full name. Thanks!)

My Partner in Crime...

Combat Infantry Bunny posted a diary on VetVoice about the Women of the Military documentary. Check it out here!

Also check out: Being a Women Veteran by Kayla Williams.

Women of the Military.

Here are a few women that are in the documentary! (Collage by Alex Horton)


The documentary is complete! We've created a web site where you can view the trailer and see who is featured in the documentary! Please check it out!

Women of the Military.

Trailer.

We are in the process on getting distrobution for the project. I will post updates as soon as I have them. I am also working on a Facebook and Twitter page.

AND...Germany Rules!

I don't know what you guys saw but thank you for all the emails and Facebook messages. You all are always so sweet and grateful. Thank you again!

Oh..

I found this eco-friendly canvas tote at the mall the other day. You can stop using all those harmful plastic bags and let everyone know how booooooring war is at the same time. Whoever invented this is like a total genius! And it's sold at Forever 21 for $1.50. All those young trendy girls can totally rock a valid viewpoint. Oh, and it’s made in China.

MilfBlogger?

So a guy that goes by "RYP" on the Black Flag Cafe Chat room referred to me as a MilfBlogger...MilfBlogger© - A female milblogger who has a presence and an opinion on the internet strictly to gain attention, work out her "issues" and get private emails/comments from lonely servicemen posted overseas.

Ouch!

Well Mr. RYP a few things. 1) I'm not a mother. 2) I'm just sharing my opinions with whoever wants to read them...I'm not looking for a certain kind of attention. If I wanted attention from lonely men there are simpler ways of going about it. 3) Why is it such a big deal for a female to talk about sex, blowjobs, and being pissed off? Does it make you uncomfortable? Sure, I could talk about doing my laundry, cooking, my nails...but not every female is a carbon copy of a cosmo girl. Deal with it. 4) Issues? I didn't really think I had issues...I mean, I took care of my one blowjob issue. But thanks for worrying about me. 5) Leave my "lonely servicemen" out of this! 6) I guess my plan for getting the attention of lonely dirty old men worked after all...I got your attention! How about you try coming up with a more appropriate name...MilfBlogger is pretty corny...along with your dramatic photo. Cheers!

The Black Flag Cafe.

2010, Defying the President's Orders, and a Soldier killed by Two Iraqi Policemen.

--Rumor has it Obama plans to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq by August 2010. Then it's off to Afghanistan! Sorry troops there's no end in sight...fuck, you probably won't even get a break.

Read the article here.

--A Soldier in Iraq says President Obama is an "impostor" and wants to see his birth certificate! First of all, why are you going to defy Obamas orders? Give me a break. But you'll follow the orders of former President George W. Bush? That got us all real far. Easterling said, “I chose to work … to support my troops and then left that lucrative position when the Army raised its maximum enlistment age to 40. Upon completion of basic training, I entered Officer Candidate School and commissioned as a 2LT in August 2007. After completing the subsequent basic officer leadership courses, I was assigned to Ft. Knox and shortly thereafter deployed to Balad, Iraq,"
Dear the Army, 40? Really. That’s to old. No offense to anyone who’s 40 and wants to join…but you might have a heart attack over there. It’s hot and the equipment is heavy. Send care packages instead.
Balad, Iraq? I wonder what orders Easterling is defying? Maybe he's refusing to walk over to pool and jump off the diving board? Oh, or walking to Pizza Hut and getting a pizza? Or maybe he's refusing to sleep in his comfy trailer every night...give me a break. I kind of miss Balad. If anyone should be "defying" orders it should come from those actually doing something over there. Shut up and do your 9-5 job. Give me an infantryman who hasn’t showered in 25 days, whos boots have practically become part of his body, who has seen the depths of war, who has dodged bullets, IEDs, and RPGs…then we’ll talk.

Read the article here.

--A U.S. soldier was killed by two Iraqi policemen in Northern Iraq. You train and pay them one day...the next day they kill you. Welcome to a world where nothing makes any sense.

Read the article here.

Lawyer?

Is anyone a lawyer who reads this? Or knows one? I have a quick question. Thanks!

Casting Call for Veterans.

A Los Angeles based film company and People Farm are seeking veterans between the ages of 18-27. They want to hear YOUR story of life after deployment. You can make a little profile and people can vote for you...give it a shot!

Read more here.

"The Lonely Soldier Monologues (Women at War In Iraq)" by Helen Benedict.

Check this out if you can! I'll be attending.


William Electric Black will direct "The Lonely Soldier Monologues (Women at War In Iraq)" by Helen Benedict. The play is based on Benedict's book, "The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq" (Beacon Press, April 2009), an intimate, unflinching, and sometimes disturbing portrait of women in today's military. Theater for the New City, 155 First Avenue, Manhattan, will present the work March 5 to 22.

Read more here.

"What Should the Iraq War Memorial Look Like?"

My life currently consists of going to classes, working, freezing, and trying to have a little bit of a personal life. So today in my Vietnam War in Literature and Film class we talked about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and then some kid asked what the Iraq War memorial should look like. I always find it entertaining when people talk about the Iraq War like it's over. My professor seemed to get really excited thinking about this. He finally shouted out, "It would be a humvee." The class waited for more. "It would be a humvee getting hit by an IED...the humvee would be like levitating...Oh, and there would be sound effects." I sank into my chair as my friend sitting next to me looked over at me. I told him I hated my life. He said he was surprised I didn't say anything. On top of my professor saying something I found to be completely appalling and disrespectful to all those who have lost their life in Iraq and to their families, some asshole student starts laughing. Really? This winner had on a New York Yankees jersey and a Yankees t-shirt under it, a shitty mustache that he thinks is awesome, Chinese symbols tattooed on the back of his neck with totally original dragons around them, he was drinking coffee out of a straw, and he carelessly giggled at my professors brilliant idea. My professor asked the class if we should sketch up the memorial idea and then he said he’s “glad this class is off the record.”

Everyday I wonder what the fuck the people around me are thinking, why they say the things they say, why things just don’t matter or seem to register, why they care about things that don’t seem to matter...and then I realize they must think the same about me. But I know I’ll never laugh at something so horrible.



*Speaking of death...

President Obama is considering overturning the policy banning photos of military coffins. If the families of the fallen soldiers are comfortable with this, I believe it's a step in the right direction. Maybe if the American public saw photos they would realize death isn't just a humvee that goes boom…maybe some would stop laughing.

Read the article here.

Nothing to do with anything...

but I was just introduced to Pandora Radio and if you love music, you'll love this site. It's the radio on the Internet...kind of. Just make an account (takes two seconds), then type in a band you like, they'll play songs by them and other bands that sounds like them too.

If you're in a mellow mood...try out A Fine Frenzy. That's what I'm listening to now.

Pandora Radio.

"Post!"

A family portrait:



My classes are going. Nothing exciting yet. My sociology professors are complete opposites. One is a fucking she-devil. She never smiles, her hair is curly and wild, her beady little eyes penetrate anyone who walks into class three seconds late, and her voice is harsh. She's no bullshit and I respect that. My other sociology professor is a goofy guy in his late twenties...I don't think he's thirty yet. Once he starts teaching, it's like letting go of a balloon and watching it make its way through the air. And on top of that, he drinks too much coffee. His voice is never at a steady tone...up and down, down and up. His jeans are also too tight but he doesn't have evil eyes.

My journalism professors are also opposites. I've only had one class with my Vietnam War in Literature and Film professor but he's funny, outgoing, and he makes the students feel comfortable. He asked our class if anyone has protested the current conflicts and four students raised their hands. One chick, who is from Jersey and talks so fucking loud, said when she was in tenth grade (2003), she was part of a march. The professor asked her what conflict...she responded with, "Iraq. No wait...Afghanistan? No, 2003...Iraq." I'm glad she knows what she's protesting. I'm also glad she feels the need to scream when she talks.

Oh, and my other journalism professor is a motherfucker. He’s old and has worked in the newspaper industry for years and years. First day of class, he asked a bunch of questions. "What is journalism? Why did you take this class? Who reads the newspaper? Who reads the news online? Who reads blogs?" Of course, I raised my hand when he asked about blogs. Who knew I'd be the only one in the class who reads blogs? Professor MF asked me what blogs I read...I rattled off a few and told him I also follow military blogs. He asked, "why?" Told him that's where I get firsthand experiences of those who have served, blah blah blah and that I'm also in the Army. "You're in the Army?" I told him yes. He kind of looked at me like, oh. Then it was time for introductions!

Professor MF came back to me.
"Ms. Hate? H? A? T? E?"
"Yes, it's Hate."
"So tell us about yourself. Why did you join the Army?"
I told him how old I was, why I joined, and then he asked what I had gotten out of the Army, and about my deployment.
Then he proceeded to say, "so you're in the Army, what do you say to those who think you just kill people."
"Uhh, I think those people are ignorant."
"Why? You're in the Army. That's what you do."
"Well, I have the right to defend myself. But we all have different MOS’s."
"Come on, you're in the Army. Say we are at a bar and we're getting a beer. And I'm like, you just kill people."
At this point, I’m getting annoyed. I don’t know if he’s trying to enlighten the kids in my class through me, or just being a piece of shit.
"I spent a year in Iraq and didn't kill anyone."
He looked at me and went onto the next student. They talked about how they like snowboarding, and how they made all-stars on their soccer team in middle school. He asked the class who had the most interesting story...everyone looked at me and pointed. I felt uncomfortable. Professor MF goes, "Oh, the Army brat." The class laughed, while I rolled my eyes and said thanks. The rest of the semester should be interesting.

Not Alone: Warrior Stories.

Kayla Williams, the author of Love My Rifle More Than You: Young and Female in the U.S. Army speaks about her experience in the Army, being in Iraq, and being a wife.

Really, you need to listen to this...

Check out her audio story here.

All Over the Place.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aw!

I'm sure I don't need to tell anyone what yesterday was but Barack Obama is our 44th President! I'm completely ecstatic. Aside from watching Obama swear in, seeing good 'ol W officially leave the White House (I waved goodbye to him from my couch), watching the President and the First Lady dance to 'At Last' at the Neighborhood Ball...one of the highlights for me was watching Obama at the Commander in Chief Ball. Obama danced with Army Sgt. Margaret Herrera of San Antonio, Texas and the First Lady danced with Marine Sgt. Elidio Guillen of Madera, California. I loved it. Now, let the games begin!


Oh, this also makes me extremely happy: Caroline Kennedy is ending her bid to replace Sen. Hillary Clinton in the U.S. Senate. She said she is withdrawing her name for "personal reasons." I wonder what her "personal reasons" are? Maybe she realized she needs a little more experience than just fundraising in NYC. If Fran Drescher comes back in the picture New York is fucked.

Bye bye Caroline.


I started classes today. I'm already sick of Ugg boots, girls with fake tans, and Long Island accents.

Progress.

So I leave tomorrow. Who knew? Can't wait to get back to the cold.

Blue Days, Long Nights.

I've been contemplating writing about my personal relationships from the time I was in Iraq to the present. I can't be the only female veteran who has lost love, found love, lost love again, dated, fell in lust, and done it all over again…right? Aside from the awkwardness of dating, things have only gotten more interesting with men after I tell them I’m a veteran.

I’ve seen how women react to male veterans…women are intrigued, they lean in close to hear all the stories these brave guys have to tell, they run their fingers up and down their arms as if they are soothing them, panties practically fly off, and then…well, there’s the reaction I get: “Oh, that’s cool”, “You got a girlfriend?”, “You don’t look like a veteran”, “You carried a gun?” And then for the most part, it’s just back to figuring out how to get into my pants. Which leads to me going home alone…and pulling out my vibrator.




*I left for Iraq kind of, sort of, not quite sure, maybe in a relationship. My boyfriend of a year and I decided to see how things went while I was over there. I called him, he emailed and sent me packages. A few months into my deployment, I emailed him less and less. How many different ways could we talk about the same thing? Yes, it’s hot. Work was good. We got mortared today, blah blah blah. It’s not that I didn’t want him in my life, I just didn’t know how to keep him part of it. Some days I thought I would get a “Dear Jane” letter in the mail. It would’ve made both our lives easier.

When I got home, my quasi boyfriend jumped right back into relationship mode. We made dinner, watched movies, and rarely ever talked about Iraq. This satisfied him but not me. He didn’t want to know about what I did or what I saw. He wouldn’t look at any of the pictures I had taken. To him Iraq was just a speed bump; something we both had to get over so we could carry on with our lives.

He told me he loved me and I had no idea what love was. I would look into his blue eyes and he was filled with hope. My brown eyes were mat and inconvincible. I wanted to remember what home was like and feel alive when he touched me. This is what made me happy before and this is what I thought I needed to be happy again. He was a stranger to me now and I wasn’t who he remembered.

Our relationship went on for a few months. One night after dinner, we ended up messing around. I unbuttoned his pants and moved slowly down his stomach with my lips and took him into my mouth. I looked up at him. While life was good for him, I had an epiphany. After he finished, he got dressed and held me for a few minutes. I told him I was tired. He left. Sitting on the edge of my bed I replayed our relationship over and over in my mind. I realized he would be perfect for someone just not me. I called him while he was driving home and ended it. I told him we both knew this wasn’t what we remembered and it never could be. I hung up the phone and cried. Within minutes I recovered. I promised myself that was the last dick I would suck who didn’t want to hear about Iraq.

And so the story goes...

2003: "Mission Accomplished"...syke.

"President George W. Bush admitted Monday it had been a mistake to hang a banner saying "mission accomplished" on a US battleship where he declared major combat operations in Iraq over in 2003."

Oops. At least he can admit when he is wrong, right?

Read the article here.


*Time to put on a dress and do an interview.

Working on the documentary...

I flew into Santa Clara yesterday. Woke up this morning, ate a cinnamon raisin english muffin, drank a lot of tea, and have been working on the documentary for five hours. The process is interesting...sometimes it's tedious...sometimes we disagree on things and other times we completely agree. My friend emailed me some music which is pretty awesome. Hopefully I’ll be able to put up some clips soon.

Tuesday we are driving to SF to talk to people on the street. I’m going to pick their brains…ask them what they think about women in the military, etc.

LA was in the 70s. It’s suppose to get up to 70 in Santa Clara. Albany is literally freezing. I don’t miss the east coast right now.

GodBlessAmerica.

PTSD...

Next week I have an interview lined up with a clinical psychologist who headed the National Center for PTSD at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System. I know some female vets read this who may or may not have PTSD...What questions would you ask? What do you want to know? If you aren't a vet but still have questions throw them at me.

When Mommy Comes Marching Home.

Boston University released a video about women veterans and PTSD. Sergeant First Class Michele Parkinson talks about her experience overseas and her battle with PTSD.

Watch the video here.

LA.

California!

I'm leaving the cold today and I'll be out there until the 15th! I'll be posting pictures and whatever else I can. If you're out there, hang out! Hope everyone is well.

So much news...

*Could there be a connection between combat stress and violent crimes? Nine soldiers who are or were at once part of the Fort Carson’s Fourth Brigade Combat have been charged with murder after returning home from Iraq. Domestic violence, rape, and sexual assault is also on the rise.

"One was John Needham, a 25-year-old private from a military family in California, whose downward spiral began when he sustained shrapnel wounds in Iraq and tried to commit suicide. This September, after being treated for stress disorder and receiving a medical discharge from the Army, Mr. Needham was charged with beating his girlfriend to death."

Read the NY Times article here.


*Military Times Poll: 6 out of 10 active-duty service members are concerned about Obama's lack of military service and experience leading men and women in uniform.

Read the article here.

*Baghdad's Green Zone was handed over to Iraqi control. I love the new ground rules..."the U.S. military must now conduct almost all of its operations with Iraqi forces, and all arrests must be carried out with warrants issued by Iraqi judges." Good luck with all of that.

Read the article here.

...while some celebrated the transition of power others prefer to kill...Attacks Occur as Iraq Takes Control of Key Sites-NY Times.

*Israel and Gaza. Gaza and Israel. It's all horrible. The IAF killed senior Hamas leader and cleric Sheikh Nizar Rayyan and now Hamas has vowed revenge..."strike at Zionist interests everywhere."

2009! 2009! 2009!

Happy New Year! Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a good night!

This year I'll be out of the Army and done with college! Ahh I can't wait!

Facebook...

I have no idea what I'm doing on this thing. Adopt me. What do you need? my email? arita8x8@yahoo.com. last name? Hoit.

Leftovers.

A few photos from a "black and white" party, a puppy, a smile for Victor, and some other random shit. I promise to post something military related soon...sorry.

How was everyone's weekend?

I'm really excited....

I got two sets of Kate Spade dinnerware that I wanted. It's called "Union Street" and I love them! And I got two Kate Spade "Larabee Dot" glasses to match!

Happy Holidays!

Hope everyone is doing well! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Albany is still a little messy from the ice storm and all the snow. Anyone snowed in? Stuck in an airport?

Side note: I got my grades back…3.94!!! I got three As and one A-. I was so excited I did a cheerleading move I haven’t done since 1999 and pulled a leg muscle. Then ran down the stairs with a laptop in hand, fell down the last two steps, and my snowflake earrings stabbed me in the face. (I was at a “wear your shittiest Christmas sweater” holiday party when I found out…hence the snowflake earrings)


Alright, I have to wrap presents still, clean, and paint my nails. Good luck with all the family fun tomorrow!

Goodbye, Hello, and Smoke Weed.

-British Forces will withdraw from the city of Basra by May. Those British guys were always so lovely to run into. They never talked to any of us. They would just chain smoke and giggle at who knows what. And guess who's going to replace them? American forces! You better watch your ass if you're in the IRR.

Read the article.


-Afghanistan may be catching up. By next summer Afghanistan could see an increase in 30,000 US forces. The increase of troops would be comprised of combat, aviation, medical and civil affairs forces. The 10th Mountain Division will deploy next month. Good luck!

Afghanistan on the radar.


-While we're on the topic of Afghanistan: Coalition and Afghan troops found 2.5 tons of marijuana...2.5 tons. Do you know how much weed that is? Jesus. Anyways, they found all this weed in an abandoned school in southern Afghanistan. And then they destroyed it. I'm sure they didn't smoke any of it.

Read the article here.

No, you can't....

wear thongs at army basic training.

I have sitemeter. I can tell how people find my blog, where they are from, etc. So, someone typed in this question on google, "can you wear thongs at army basic training."

Really? No. You can't fucking wear thongs at basic training. First, why would you want to wear a thong at basic training? Does that even make any sense to you? You aren't sitting in a classroom all day. You actually have to do things...many things and a thong would be completely uncomfortable. But you know what you can wear? You can wear white Hanes granny panties. Everyone has to wear them. And you shouldn’t worry about what type of underwear you have to wear anyways…no one is going to see them. If you’re a female and thinking of joining, please ask me questions. I’ll try to help you out as best as I can. Ground rules….One, no thongs. Two, no pink nail polish. Three, you’re going to get dirty and sweat. Four, you carry your own shit. Five, don’t get married to the first Army guy who sweet talks you. You’ll be divorced in three months. Oh, and try not to get pregnant. Six, don’t walk around like you have something to prove. Seven, don’t complain.

Stock up!

The Brown Derby.

My friend turned 25 last night. We had dinner at the Brown Derby. The food was excellent. The ambiance was amazing. And then we found a few soldiers and Marines. She drank and drank…and passed out in my bed.

Here are a few pictures.

Incoming!

Poor President Bush. He just wanted to take a peaceful trip to Iraq and bid his farewell but instead he almost got smacked in the face with a shoe.

The Iraqi journalist yelled this while throwing his shoe at the President, "This is a gift from the Iraqis; this is the farewell kiss, you dog"

Harsh.

Watch the video here.

Read about his trip here.

R.I.P. Bettie Page.

Bettie Page passed away Thursday night. She was 85. Bettie Bettie Bettie. What can I say about her? If you don't know who she is, something is wrong with you and you probably lead a boring sex life.


The LA Times wrote a nice obituary.

You've never had a bad day until you've had to carry your own leg...

A solider in Afghanistan had to carry his own leg after being attacked.

Watch the video clip here.

US Defense Department knew of the threat posed by roadside bombs...

but failed to take any action to protect troops.

I don't know about you but I'm completely disgusted. Somethings will never make sense to me. Never. Maybe if some action have been taken hundreds if not thousands of U.S. military personnel could've been spared.

Read the article here.

Semester is almost over.

Tomorrow is the last day of classes. This semester flew by. I have two finals and one might be the death of me. I signed up for classes for next semester. I'll be taking a class taught by Donald Forst. He use to be the Village Voice editor-in-chief. I heard he is amazing and I'm beyond thrilled to be in his class. I'm also taking a Vietnam War Literature class taught by Thomas Bass. He is the author of The Predictors; Vietnamerica: The War Comes Home; Reinventing the Future; The Spy Who Loved Us. I'm also signed up for a couple of sociology classes. Organizations in Society and Sociology of Work. Hope these are interesting. Now I have to finish working on a few things for tomorrow. Hope everyone had a good weekend!


Side note: President-Elect Obama named retired Gen. Eric Shinseki to head the Department of Veterans Affairs. Thoughts?

Drink Your Sorrows Away.

I just really like this article.

Cheers To 75 Years Of Drinking Legally.

BAGHDAD HOSPITAL: INSIDE THE RED ZONE.

Has anyone seen this documentary? I stumbled across it today on HBO. While I only caught the last 20 minutes of it, what I saw was almost beyond words.

It is the story of an Iraqi doctor named Omer Salih Mahdi who works in the emergency room at Al-Yarmouk hospital in Baghdad.

He takes you inside a hospital that has deplorable conditions. The staff is exhausted and drained. Iraqis are in and out of the ER with wounds from IEDs and being caught in the middle of sectarian violence. You see Iraqis who are just extremely fed up with the whole situation.

Click here to watch a clip.

Click here to read the synopsis.

Pullout and Divorces.

Read about accelerating the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.

and

Divorce rates are up among the military branches. Surprised?

"I wish the intelligence had been different, I guess," Bush said.

I guess maybe if we had different intelligence thousands of soldiers would not be dead. Thousands of soldiers would not be returning home from war wounded physically and/or mentally. Tell the family members of the deceased soldiers you guess intelligence had been just a little different.

Read what President Bush has to say here.

In My Eyes 6.

Spc. Monica Brown on 60 Minutes.

Brown was on 60 Minutes talking about her experience and being awarded the Silver Star. They also talked to a few male officers about women in combat.

However, 60 Minutes titled their article, "How Pvt. Monica Brown Won A Silver Star." Do you win a Silver Star?

Check it out here.

Thanksgiving.

eat.spend time with your crazy family.and go shopping at 5am tomorrow morning.

meet my dad, my mom and aunt, and my fake turkey.

quote of the day: "go in your jackyard and back off." F.W.H. Jr.

My Trips to the VA Hospital...

are always so ridiculous. Whenever I pull into the parking lot, I look at all the handicap parking spaces. They are usually always filled. Maybe there’s one spot open. You ever notice how many handicap spots there are? There’s a lot, but it ever seems to be enough. I always drive to the back of the parking lot. I figure if I don’t have problems walking, someone who does could use a closer spot. I walk inside and there is always several vets hanging out. The majority of them have on something camo and a dirty old hat that says where they served. I go to the elevator and wait for it to come around. No matter what, when I go to get in the elevator some guy always holds the door back for me. And when I get off, they always let me go first. The military taught them well…ladies first.

Then I go to check in. I tell them my last name and last four. I grab a magazine and sit until it’s time to be weighed, get my temperature, pulse, and blood pressure read. I’m usually the only female waiting unless my appointment is with the gynecologist. I just found out not to long ago, I could go to the VA for my yearly pap smears. Who knew? I love that I can go there for gyno visits. It seems so trivial compared to what other people go there for. The most recent time I went there, I had this male doctor, who apparently I had seen before but didn’t remember. I was getting ready for my pap smear. I wiggled my ass down to the edge of the examination table to place my feet in the stirrups and he starts talking about my ex-boyfriend. I looked at him confused, like have we met before, but he starts telling me things I didn’t even want to remember. I thought he was going to stop talking when he started doing the exam but he kept on going. This doctor was probing me, while asking me why my relationship ended. I started laughing and told him, it just ended and to please stop asking questions. So awkward.

Once I went there for a physical. I ended up meeting a gorgeous Marine in the waiting room. We did that typical, so where did you deploy? What was your job? Rank? You know, all those sizing each other up questions. The more he talked the more I realized how stupid he was. He was so good-looking, that I just wanted to duct tape his mouth shut. Maybe we could work something out if he just didn’t say a goddamn word. He wouldn’t stop though. Just kept on talking about his cousin, where he lives, and carpenter work. I was finally called in and when I was done he was still sitting there. I knew he was going to ask me for my number, so I tried to creep by him. I almost made it out the door but brain-dead Marine ran after me. I gave him my friends number and told him I was looking forward to hanging out.

Other times I’ve been there, cute little old men talk to me about their days. They like telling me about where they served and they tend to always call me kid. One guy took it to the next level once. I was sitting in a chair waiting for my perception and he just started singing cadences to me. I thought he would get bored after the first one but he just keep singing until his meds were ready. I just shook my head and smiled. Cute but crazy.

I went yesterday to get my ear looked at. Yes, I go for ridiculous reasons…but I don’t health insurance and I can’t hear. There were no hot Marines in the waiting room this time. In fact, I don’t think anyone was under the age of 65. I got weighed, my blood pressure read, etc. The nurse told me my blood pressure was low. He asked if I was dizzy and I told him no, so we moved onto the next thing. I saw the doctor. She was sweet but hard to understand. Strong accent. She prescribed eardrops to me and told me to make an appointment for a physical in two months. I went down stairs to the pharmacy and waited. The waiting area is usually just filled with old men but this time a few guys my age were waiting. This excited me…in a weird way. I wasn’t excited that they needed meds for who knows what but because they were my age. I could finally talk to someone my age who was also a veteran. Veterans are hard to find. They usually just mix in with the crowd. Sometimes I can point one out and I’ll usually talk to them. But otherwise, I hang with civilians all the time. I’ll admit it, sometimes this bores me. I love military people. On my latest trip I had an epiphany, I need to hang out at the VA hosp more often. I’m always entertained by someone who could pass as my grandfather, there is an influx of people around my age who I could have a good conversation with, and maybe I can get a hot date. See you at the VA Hospital.

Thank You.

I would just like to say thank you to everyone who reads this blog. Maybe I make you laugh, maybe I annoy you, maybe you agree with something’s I have to say, maybe you think I'm an idiot, maybe I make you want to puke, maybe you like looking at the random photos I take...whatever it is, it’s yours.

Have a good night.

In My Eyes 5.

I popped my eardrum and it's driving me fucking mad.

General Petraeus, 'don't ask, don't tell', and Contractors In Iraq.

I accidentally subscribed to GQ (don't ask) and yesterday I got my second issue. Michael Phelps is on the cover, inside I met James Franco, but more importantly there is an article on Petraeus.

Check it out here.

Obama does not plan on asking Congress to end the ban on homosexuals in the military anytime soon. He might not even get around to it until 2010. Thoughts?

Read the article here.

Private contractors operating in Iraq could face prosecution for acts committed against Iraqi civilians. I don't know why they are there in the first place. My opinion, let the military do its job. If you want to privatize a war, then get the military out of there. I have no problem letting Blackwater Inc., guys drive around in SUVs and play police officers. But get us out of there.

Read the article here.

Operation Survivor.

Survivor Corps (out of Washington, DC) has launched Operation Survivor to help service members returning home from war and their families. Lets face it, regardless of what your job was overseas, you come home a different person. Some have PTSD, TBI, and some have problems reintegrating back into civilian life. To be honest, “home” is still weird to me. We could all benefit from having someone to talk to...but it's even better when support comes from people who have experienced the same things you have. Check out their site, get some support, or find out how you can help.


Operation Survivor.

Watch CPT Scott Quilty on CNN about Survivor Corps.

In My Eyes 4.

In My Eyes 3.

2012.

Only three more years in Iraq?

Iraq's Cabinet approved a security pact with the United States that allows troops to stay in country for three years after the U.N. mandate expires. Thoughts? Just think, after we leave Iraq we can all head to Afghanistan. Might start looking into some real estate in the Middle East.

Read the article here.

Lonely War.

Read the article here.

In My Eyes 2.

Team Dunwoody.

Ann E. Dunwoody, after 33 years in the Army, is the first woman to become a four-star general. This is so amazing. Did you know there are 21 female generals in the Army?

"There is no one more surprised than I — except, of course, my husband. You know what they say, `Behind every successful woman there is an astonished man,'" said Dunwoody.

Read about her story here.

In My Eyes 1.

Slacker.

I know I've been slacking big time and I'm sorry.

Lets see...

1) I got an email this morning from VoteVets/VetVoice guys about the IRR calling up a ton of soldiers right now. Watch out. Do what I did...go back into the Reserves and get a stabilization. No deployments for your remaining time (at least that's what I got.)

2) I break my cameras. Actually, they break themselves. But point is, I got a camera and everyday I'm going to be posting a picture. They will go under the title In My Eyes (Minor Threat!) I hope you enjoy them!

3) I think I'm getting sick. Tonight I'm going to be editing my memoir piece for my professor. It's about 34 pages, he loves it, and wants to do something with it. One point for the veterans!

4) I'm going to LA in January for a few days and then up to Northern CA. Anyone from around there read this thing?

Veterans Day.

Happy Veterans Day! Thank you for your service and thank you to the families that put up with us. Please do not go shopping. Go to your local VA hospital (if you have one) and say thank you. Those two words mean more than you'll ever know.

Here are a few pictures of me while I was in Iraq, a photo of my unit, a picture of my father and I (he served in the Army also and yes, the picture is a few years old), a picture of a solider trying to feed me chicken while I was asleep (such a jerk), and a few pictures I found when I searched “Veterans Day” on google.

President Barack Obama.

Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!

I'm excited, I'm nervous, I don't believe it yet...I might cry (tears of joy.)

My friend just called me. I answered the phone, "I know!!" Then we just started screaming.

The Middle Finger.

In one of my posts for the New York Times, I wrote..."I looked around for a while, checked out the other parties, gave the middle finger to a candidate, voted, and finally got out of the booth."

A few concerned Americans have wrote comments that the act of me giving the middle finger was inappropriate, and it was a sign that I was angry, etc.

First of all, thank you for making my night even more enjoyable. You have given me something to laugh about. I wasn’t angry when I voted, I was excited. I was so excited, that my middle finger magically popped up and told someone to fuck off. Get over it. If you are honestly offended by this, I beg you to never leave your home…it’s an awful world out there. People might actually give you the middle finger.

I’m not completely sure why this was taken so seriously. I guess that’s what we do, make something out of nothing. And if I knew people would get so upset over it, I would’ve raised both my middle fingers.

If you think about it…whoever you vote for, you are basically giving the middle finger to the other candidate, right?

Well, I guess we all told someone to fuck off tonight.

The Caucus: The New York Times Politics Blog.

I had the opportunity to write on the NYT Caucus blog during one of the Presidential debates and now I'm back for election night. Veterans, their regular contributors, and students all share their election day stories, etc.

Hope voting is going well for everyone.


Check it out here.
(There are a ton of posts...scroll around!)

Here is a direct link to the comments from vets, the regulars, and the students.

I'll be posting more tonight when the returns start coming in.

vote.VOTE.vote.VOTE!

Good morning,

It's November 4th, 2008. You only really have to do one thing today and that is VOTE!!!

Fat Bastard.

A Marine calls out U.S. Rep. John Murtha. I love when people actually speak their mind.

Read the article here.

Germany...

Hello! Guten Tag!

So, you guys just saw Band of Bloggers? Were there subtitles...how did they do it?
Thank you for the emails!

Side note: I'm part German! My parents tell me that's why I'm so stubborn.

What is...

boring, exciting, uncomfortable, clever, hilarious, stimulating...what would keep you interested (in anything)? Please tell me.

Halloween.

Tonight I'm going to see Henry Rollins at the Egg in Albany. My ride is late. I didn't dress up. I have a black dress on, black tights with an odd little design in them, and black boots...my hair is also black. I suppose you could call me a witch.
Hope everyone has a good night.

Rollins

at the egg...

Wednesdays.

In-between classes on Wednesdays, I go to the book store. I try to buy at least one book...I've recently been on a Hunter S. Thompson kick (last week I bought, The Great Shark Hunt Vol. 1). Today I picked up "A Man Without a Country," by Kurt Vonnegut. I feel like I'm hanging out with my grandfather when I'm reading this...he's teaching me everything I need to know about life. He's hilarious and straight forward. Check it out.


Every week I run into the same two books. First is, “Generation Kill,” by Evan Wright. I enjoy staring at the cover like a creep. I am secretly in lust with the soldier on the left holding the flag. Then I see, “Black Belt Patriotism: How to Reawaken America," by Chuck Norris. This automatically makes me go from daydreaming about soldier boy to wanting to fight Norris. I don't know why I hate this book so much. It might be because Norris is on the cover in a karate outfit doing some wacko move. I want to throw the book out the window every time I pass it. I haven't read it, so I'm judging a book by its cover. If you read it, tell me how it is.

Seriously?





Side note: I can't wait for this election to be over with.

How to be feminine in the Army.

I’m always asked things like…don’t you feel like a guy while you’re doing your Army stuff? Don’t you get dirty and sweaty? You’re allowed to have long hair? Shouldn’t you shave it off like in that movie G.I. Jane? Can you wear makeup? Nail polish? Earrings? Thongs? No heels?! Welcome to my world ladies…it’s tough but someone has to do it.

I decided to make a list of how to maintain your femininity while proudly serving your country.

1) Keep your hair long or to your chin. Don’t try any of that in-between length shit. I say this for two reasons. Short hair is extremely hard to keep pulled back. Pieces will always fly everywhere, it ends up falling in your face, and you will never quit make a nice bun out of it. You end up looking like a goddamn mess. I’m particular to longer hair. I just pull it back and go. My hair is thick and when it’s short I tend to look like that guy from No Country for Old Men…this obviously lessens my chances of getting laid when I'm off duty. And remember if you have short hair stuffed under a Kevlar, there is a good chance you may get mistaken for a twelve year old boy.

2) Makeup is allowed. Some may think it is ridiculous women in the military wear makeup but it’s not. Before I go any further, let me explain what appropriate makeup is. Please don’t be that girl who uses two pounds of eyeliner and mascara in the morning. There is no room for that Amy Winehouse off the eyelid eyeliner crap in the military. I say keep your eyes naked but if you’re one of those mascara freaks just use a little. Some women don’t have perfect skin and they need a little something to help them out. Foundation is acceptable. Just make sure it matches your skin color, so you don’t have that orange line around your face. Blush? Why not. Do not make your cheeks bright pink. I would go towards that sun kissed look. I would suggest staying away from lipstick unless you are a pit bull. Lip gloss, is okay but if anyone asks just say it’s chap stick and that you’re addicted (it has always worked for me).

3) Earrings? This isn’t the goddamn Air Force.

4) Nail polish? Use it. Your nails will break and become frail. Don’t use reds, purples, blues, french manicure style, or anything fancy. I would suggest using a clear polish just to protect your nails. We don’t need man hands, now do we?

5) Panties, Underwear, Knickers, whatever you want to call them. In basic training we all wore those huge white granny panties…not cute and please stop wearing them if you still do. Some women wear thongs in uniform and I have no idea how they do it. I imagine their ass would get all irritated and red. Gross. I wear low-rise bikinis from Victoria Secret…this is important because they don’t give me wedgies and they are comfortable. I should probably stay away from what type of underwear you want to wear…but leave the thongs for when the lights go out.

6) Lets talk about the end of the day, when you pull off your boots and socks and notice the lovely sock line around your calves. That annoying indentation won’t go away, so this is when you have to decide what is best for you. I know you want to look cute when everyone heads out to the club on post but don’t wear a dress or skirt if you have those damn lines. They take away from the fact that your blew out your hair, sprayed some perfume, and ditched the combat boots for a few hours. They are also a clear reminder to the drunk male soldier dancing with you, that you’re still a soldier and not this hot chick he picked up a bar. The lines kill it. Wear some tight jeans and throw on some heels, but hide the lines.

7) Bras…well there is always the super sexy sports bra. Wear it when you are doing PT and then hide it. Push-up bra is only for those who don’t have huge tits. Lacey bras might annoy your skin if you’re rolling around in the dirt. I would have to go with the good ’ol lightly padded cotton bra. It holds you in place, doesn’t itch, and when you have an IBV on that little padding works wonders.

8) I suppose this doesn’t really have anything to do with femininity but it’s something I’ve noticed over the years. Ladies, when you take off your uniform and put on civilian clothes, why do some of you look like you came out of the late 199s? I know sometimes we can only do our shopping at the PX and lord knows, they aren’t up on the current fashions but order clothes online. It’s not cute to wear Hello Kitty t-shirts over the age of 12, stonewash jeans, and shiny platform shoes. You look lost. Guys don’t think you’re not victims of the PX because you are. Cargo jeans are meant for carpenters, keep it that way. “Wife beaters” aren’t sexy, and don’t wear those stupid Army shirts that says “Hooah” or “Been there, done that.”

9) Lose the combat boots whenever you can and throw on some heels. You don’t even have to be going anywhere but put them on when you are laying in bed, when you are cleaning, or whenever you feel like you are losing your sexiness. Just because the Army has us running around, sweating, pissing in the woods and wiping with leafs, low crawling in dirt, climbing on trucks and firing weapons, doesn’t mean we still aren’t gorgeous women…it just means, we have a lot more experience then the women who never take off their heels. Be proud.

Hope this helps!

Mom and Daughter Join the Army Together.

Carolyn Schapper, sent me this email this morning. It's an article that appeared in the SFGate. A daughter joined the Army and her mother decided to join also...awwww. However, the quotes are the best part. For example:

"I'm a mom," she said. "This will give me a chance to protect her and keep an eye on her."

"More than anything, Altoon (the mother) was worried that her daughter would end up in a place like Iraq. But Schlotthauer (the daughter) and Dean (the recruiter) convinced her that, as a reservist and computer information technology expert, there was little chance that her daughter would be deployed to a war zone. Not that it's never happened, Dean said, but the odds are very much against it."

If people honestly believe this...they are fucking idiots. I’ll send both of them a care package.

"Schlotthauer says she gets grief at school, too. Some wonder why a cheerleader would join the Army, or say that only ugly girls join the military."

A lof of ugly girls are in the military...and a lot of ugly guys too. What the hell does it matter?

The recruiter said (Dean)..."It's a real stereotype that the Army is a choice of last resort," she said. "We want them educated. That's why we're sending them to school. And you can pick jobs other than a mechanic or working in the dirt. "You can still be feminine and cute and wear makeup, get your nails done," she said.

This article had me cracking up. Don't worry little ladies you aint gotta be ugly, roll around in the dirt, and fix them cars...and your mommy can come along too! Give me a break. I will admit my toe nails are always a shade of red.


Read the article here.

The Embed Process.

After meeting and interviewing female service members stateside, I suggested half jokingly our next stop should be Iraq. That would only make sense, right? We interviewed a wide range of women who have served in Iraq but people should be able to actually see what Iraq is like for us. Our day-to-day lives, our jobs, where we sleep, what we eat, how we pass the time, the bonds we make, and everything else in between. I suppose we could ship over a view video cameras and do a half ass job of portraying what it is like over there...but that takes the fun out of it. So, here is where we stand...my big mouth and an amazing Navy LT from the Pentagon we interviewed got us in touch with a CPT from the Multi-National Force Iraq, who helps with the embed process...we've submitted our paperwork and are waiting for a response.

This is why I need body armor. We need to supply our own and it's hard to get a hold of. I still find this really bizarre.

I told my mother and a few friends what I was trying to do. My mother is convinced I'll give her a heart attack within the next few years and she doesn't understand why I need to do this. This is what I told her. 1) Soldiers don't get to decide if they want to go to Iraq or Afghanistan or anywhere else for that matter...they just do it. And if I need to go to Iraq, I'll go to Iraq. 2) We can do interview after interview but to really attempt to understand something or present it, you should be intimate with it. 3) I told her this will hopefully shed light on the female Soldier...maybe after this we won't be asked, "did you carry a gun over there?", "what about your period?", "did you feel weird over there?", etc.
4) And then I told her it was my old "stumping ground" and I was almost kind of excited to go back. (This was her least favorite point.) She's finally starting to warm up to the idea. She knows I won't be gone for a year or even a month...but she looks at me like there's still a possibility that the worse could happen. So I made her read this...

Security by Hunter S. Thompson

"Security ... what does this word mean in relation to life as we know it today? For the most part, it means safety and freedom from worry. It is said to be the end that all men strive for; but is security a utopian goal or is it another word for rut?

Let us visualize the secure man; and by this term, I mean a man who has settled for financial and personal security for his goal in life. In general, he is a man who has pushed ambition and initiative aside and settled down, so to speak, in a boring, but safe and comfortable rut for the rest of his life. His future is but an extension of his present, and he accepts it as such with a complacent shrug of his shoulders. His ideas and ideals are those of society in general and he is accepted as a respectable, but average and prosaic man. But is he a man? has he any self-respect or pride in himself? How could he, when he has risked nothing and gained nothing? What does he think when he sees his youthful dreams of adventure, accomplishment, travel and romance buried under the cloak of conformity? How does he feel when he realizes that he has barely tasted the meal of life; when he sees the prison he has made for himself in pursuit of the almighty dollar? If he thinks this is all well and good, fine, but think of the tragedy of a man who has sacrificed his freedom on the altar of security, and wishes he could turn back the hands of time. A man is to be pitied who lacked the courage to accept the challenge of freedom and depart from the cushion of security and see life as it is instead of living it second-hand. Life has by-passed this man and he has watched from a secure place, afraid to seek anything better What has he done except to sit and wait for the tomorrow which never comes?

Turn back the pages of history and see the men who have shaped the destiny of the world. Security was never theirs, but they lived rather than existed. Where would the world be if all men had sought security and not taken risks or gambled with their lives on the chance that, if they won, life would be different and richer? It is from the bystanders (who are in the vast majority) that we receive the propaganda that life is not worth living, that life is drudgery, that the ambitions of youth must he laid aside for a life which is but a painful wait for death. These are the ones who squeeze what excitement they can from life out of the imaginations and experiences of others through books and movies. These are the insignificant and forgotten men who preach conformity because it is all they know. These are the men who dream at night of what could have been, but who wake at dawn to take their places at the now-familiar rut and to merely exist through another day. For them, the romance of life is long dead and they are forced to go through the years on a treadmill, cursing their existence, yet afraid to die because of the unknown which faces them after death. They lacked the only true courage: the kind which enables men to face the unknown regardless of the consequences.

As an afterthought, it seems hardly proper to write of life without once mentioning happiness; so we shall let the reader answer this question for himself: who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed?"

She's now starting to understand me more.

Honestly.

I only love a few things. One is a band called Modern Life is War. You'll find them in LA, Iowa, Holland, and Dirty Jersey walking the streets. Listen to them (you have to give them a chance.)

538 Johnson in Brooklyn...can't touch this.

(Can you find me?)



Check them out on youtube, myspace, etc etc etc.

W.

I went to see W. on Friday...save your money.

1) For anyone who has followed this administration nothing in this film will come as a surprise. Nothing.
2) I thought Stone had more balls...the film was weak and I almost sympathized with President Bush. I have no idea why people were making such a big deal out of this. (Well besides the fact Bush is still in office.)
3) I was impressed with some of camera shots.
4) Condoleezza Rice was completely annoying and I wanted to slap her a few times.
5) Colin Powell...poor man. He was the only one thinking with his head. AND he just endorsed Obama.
6) Josh Brolin nailed President Bush. I did laugh at some of the phrases the President said and his mannerisms.

That’s basically it. Nothing new, nothing exciting, Stone put me to sleep.

Body Armor?

I need body armor. My unit doesn't have any (weird but true). Someone hit up their supply guy for me.

Reality Check.

I was at work and ran into a girl from high school. I hate this. I do one of two things. 1) I ignore them. 2) Or get suckered into the how are you, what’s new, blah blah blah conversation. Anyways, this girl told me she joined the Navy. We talked about when she was leaving, if she was excited and then I asked her why the Navy. Ready? This is great. She tells me she joined the Navy because, “I don’t want to go war. So the Marines and Army were out of the question. And my big thing is I don‘t want to have to carry a gun.” And no way to the Air Force because all she’ll want to do is fly a plane and she doesn’t have 20/20 vision. I looked at her like she was an idiot. I think she is an idiot. Who the hell joins any branch of the military in 2008unwilling to carry a gun or go to war? Does this chick not pay attention to world affairs? Maybe she hopes she’ll be sitting pretty on a ship, playing cards and avoiding the desert heat and sand. Someone needs a reality check.

I told her about some Navy women I know, who love the Navy and who also ended up in Iraq. She shrugged her shoulders and took a swig of her beer. She leaves in March...five months until her wake up call.

Save the Dog!

(Look how cute they are)

Sgt. Gwen Beberg of Minneapolis wants her dog! Beberg and another soldier rescued Ratchet from a burning pile of trash and now she just wants to bring the dog back to the states. However, there are rules that prohibit soldiers from adopting pets. BUT you can sign a petition to help Beberg rescue Ratchet.

Read: Army blocks soldier from bringing puppy back, by Frederic J. Frommer, Associated Press Writer

Sign the petition here. I did it and so can you.

Check out: Operation Baghdad Pups.

boring night.

I've been studying for an evil test for the past two days and I will continue to study all night. I'm almost done with school. I'd say probably another year. What's more exciting is that I'll be out of the Army in 14 months...which in Reserve time is about 42 days! Once I'm done with school and out of the Army I'll be leaving Albany. Maybe I'll go to DC, the city, or maybe LA (not a huge fan of LA but I do have a lot of friends there and it could be interesting)...I have no idea yet. Let me visit so I can decide where I want to move.

I worked today. I hate going into work. I should just quit this job. There is this lady who drives me insane. She is so loud, takes up enough room for two people...and when I'm in a sad mood I'll sit next to her just so I become completely irate. It works...I forget about being sad and becoming extremely annoyed. Try it.

Documentary news...You'll have to wait for that. Don't worry you'll find out soon. It's going to be insane. Maybe we are just insane.

Oh, and maybe some of you will be pleased to know I kind of have an editor now. Jason, I hope this makes you happy. However, he will not being editing this and I'm allowed to use my ...! He said it's "trendy."

Read: The article about McCain in Rolling Stone. It's long and scary but worth it.

Read: Western Journalists in Iraq Stage Pullback of Their Own. Coverage of the war is slowly disappearing.

Listen to: Johnny Cash!

Wesley Clark and Dispatches.

My good friend who works for UCLA, had the opportunity to interview General Wesley Clark the other day. Love him!

Watch it here.

Dispatches: by Matthew D. LaPlante. He is the national security reporter for The Salt Lake Tribune and has been to Iraq twice with Utah troops.

Check out his take.

Thoughts?

So what did everyone think of the debate?


Again, please check out the NYT Debate Watch here.

Read what my favorite LT (Nixon) thought of the debate.

The New York Times Debate Watch.

"The New York Times enlisted former and current military personnel from around the country to weigh in on the second presidential debate in real time. Look out for their remarks on The Caucus when the debate starts at 9 p.m. Eastern."

There are 13 panelists, including myself. (You might not recognize me...no glasses!)

Meet the panelists here.

Our view!

The Caucus.

I Would Like to Apologize to Everyone...

I just got this email for a concerned reader...

"Hi,

This is going to appear incredibly random and without context, and for that, I apologize. I'm just another anti-war milblogger. As a veteran also pursuing Journalism and Photojournalism, I find it exciting and refreshing to find others like myself, regardless of political stance. I suppose my comment is part compliment, and part request. You are a talented communicator with positive and important ideas, but your format and structure make your blog very difficult to read, and follow. The last thing I wanted for this email is to come off like some showy, arrogant, ass clown - please don't mistake me into that category. I don't agree with your views on the war, but I enjoy reading your work, and the ideas you are working with. My request is that you pay a bit more attention to punctuation, and compositional structure. Unless, of course, I completely missed the point and your intent as a writer is to appear less accessible.

Amiably,
Jason"


While I know my punctuation is not perfect and I guess my compositional structure is a little off (I'll work on splitting up my paragraphs), I hope you realize I want to be accessible. If you can not follow my posts, please email me...I could even call you and read them to you. Sometimes I misuse to and too...or then and than...and maybe you should know I have trouble pronouncing the word thesaurus. Oh, and if you ever meet me I'm incredibly shy and am always touching something. If you’d like to edit my shit you could do that also.

Jason, I appreciate your honesty…that’s a good quality to have. (Sorry, I really like using ... don't hold is against me)

Someone tell McCain and Palin...

The U.N. said the war in Afghanistan cannot be won military. There needs to be dialogue. Sorry McCain and Palin, a surge a few years to late of exhausted Soldiers won't do it this time.

It's complicated.

Drill Weekend, the Debate...

I have drill this weekend...which actually starts tonight for no good reason at all. We were suppose to go to Ft. Drum but someone did not do the proper paperwork for us to get funding. Brilliant. We went last month...four days there, it was hell. However, I did learn that I shoot the 9mm with my right hand while using my left eye. This takes skill considering, I shoot the M16 with my left hand (and my left eye)...but I am right handed in the "real world." Confused? So am I. I shoot completely ass backwards but at least I'm an okay shot. So who knows what we will be doing this month...probably nothing. There will be drama, talks of deploying to Iraq, harassing this one bible thumping Soldier (who I love talking to about Jesus), Soldiers sleeping in the bathroom because they are hung over...you know, the normal Army bullshit.


Who watched the debate last night?! I did. Biden let me down...only because I felt he held back a little. Palin? Energy, maverick...maverick, energy...Hello, third grade class! Extra credit! I think she should make up a new word...Mavergy. The only two things she seems to speak of in one word…it’ll make her life even easier. The best part was Palin talking about Afghanistan…. Who’s McClellan? Say it aint so Sarah!! Did ya mean McKiernan? Dog garnit, I think ya did. *wink wink*

Brandon Friedman writes about her oops! here.

If More Women Traded...

maybe the stock market wouldn't be such a mess! Thanks for nothing guys!

Is testosterone to blame for the financial crisis? By Jordan Lite

Laugh, it's funny.

Dispatches and a Portfolio.

From Vanity Fair...

Read: Return to the Valley of Death by Sebastian Junger.

Captain Daniel Kearney..."I want you guys to mourn and then I want you guys to get on with your jobs. Hey, Proctor, why did you join the army?"
"To fight for my country, sir," Private Kenneth Proctor answered.
"Did you expect there was a chance you might get injured or die?"
"Yes, sir."
"Anybody not know this is an option?"
Silence.

Look: Scenes from the Front Lines. Photographs by Tim
Hetherington.


Look: Fighters' Faces. Photographs by Tim Hetherington.


From The New Yorker...

Look: Portfolio on Service by Platon.


Listen to: Cat Power.

The Last Tour: A decorated marine's war within by William Finnegan.

This piece appears in the September 29th issue of the New Yorker. Everyone needs to read this. This Marine went to hell and back...his story is insane and heartbreaking and disturbing. I cried. Read it...please.

Staff Sergeant Travis Twiggs.



AND there are also some great photographs in this issue by Platon. He followed men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families. (You might actually have to buy the magazine to see these photos but check out his site.) PLATON.

Get Real.

I went to the bookstore today in search of a few good magazines and maybe grab a book. I found myself in the “Women’s Interest” section of the magazines. What the hell. It goes from bad, to horrible, to I really wish I was born a man. Lets see what my selection consisted of… Weddings! Thanks but no thanks. Knitters? Honestly, Knitters? No. Bead Unique, Celebrate the Holidays, tons of fashion magazines, Cosmopolitan, the Oprah magazine, Yoga…it’s a fucking trap. Apparently, I am suppose to be planning a wedding, knitting my winter scarf, wearing some shitty dress that makes you look pregnant just because it’s in style, catching up on all the new sex tips… first of all, pass the tips to the two pump chumps we tend to waste our time on, and I guess still trying to lose that stubborn 10lbs that just doesn’t seem to want to go anywhere…however, if I can’t lose the weight, Cosmo told me to just do the reverse cowgirl to hide my belly. Life is hell for women…according to these magazines. I don’t feel good about myself after browsing this shit. 1) I realize I can’t really cook or knit. 2) My holidays are going to suck because I will probably fuck up my Santa Claus cake. 3) A wedding? Lets all laugh together now. If I ever get married its when I am at least 75. 4) Maybe I should’ve bought the other black flats because the ones I have on aren’t in all the magazines. 5) Cosmo just makes women more insane…Why do they want to decode men for us? I don’t want to know what he’s really thinking when he says “hmmm” while tilting his head at a 30 degree angle…because according to Cosmo, that means I’ll be getting dumping two weeks from today because I didn’t cook dinner enough. So I finally gathered my composer and ventured off into the current affairs section. I grabbed a few magazines and then I went for it…the “Men’s Interest” section. I see gorgeous women licking their lips and pushing their asses in the air, fast cars, intelligent people on the covers of these magazines…I certainly don’t see “Guys! Drop those stubborn 10lbs.” or knit the perfect holiday scarf. It’s just not fair. Then I checked out the military magazines, which are clearly geared towards 60 year old men (The military magazines need to catch up. Stop talking about the Revolutionary War…it’s 2008, we have other shit going on). I walked out of the magazine section with Bust (yes, a magazine for women), the New Yorker and a huge headache.

So here is my point. When will women finally get their chance to be real? I have an idea! My idea…there are several blogs out there by female service members and veterans, why don’t we start a blog for female service members by female service members (for us, by us)…touch on all the topics that seem to be neglected, clarify a few things, openly acknowledge issues and challenges females face, let people into our world…and be honest doing it and laugh at ourselves a little. It would be amazing to get a group of women who would be interested in trying this out…each write something, start a new blog, and see how it goes. I have a few emails addresses of some women but if you’re reading this and think this could work, please email me (arita8x8@yahoo.com).

Al Jazeera English Version.

Iraq signs deal with shell. check out the story on Al Jazeera.

It's the end of the world as we know it...read what Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said at the annual UN general assembly.

Wafaa Bilal's "Virtual Jihadi".

I have to run out the door...however, please check this out. (read it all!)

Virtual Jihadi.

News News News!

U.S. Raid Kills 7, 3 Women, 1 child injuried.

7 Soldiers die in helicopter crash.

Our role is shrinking in Iraq.
Hello Afghanistan!!!

I'm so behind with everything...

Whenever I get Vanity Fair I always turn to the last page...the Questionnaire. I love them. So instead of doing whatever I need to be doing right now (however, today was productive so far...cleaned, went to class, picked up a few things for my fathers birthday...he's going to be 75 on Sunday…bless his old old heart, got my haircut (always a disaster)...) I'm going to do the questionnaire. Why? Because I don't feel like doing anything else...it's raining outside...it's cold...and I enjoy being alone. So here is goes...AND please do it also...it will be a great way to introduce yourself.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Being totally enthralled in something you love. (I highly dislike the word perfect).

What is your greatest fear?
Letting fear get the best of me.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
My stubbornness.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Their fear.

What is your greatest extravagance?
Traveling. I need to travel more.

What is your current state of mind?
Busy. Almost filled to the rim...a few bumps and