WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! ARTICLE 9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Health Care Update: Bush, Cheney and Health Care ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed: The elections are approaching. Let our vote make a difference for those retired and our troops on active duty. Once again, Pete draws blood. ************************************************************************ By Pete Peterson, Health Care and Veterans Affairs Editor Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/MHCRG George W. Bush picked Dick Cheney as his running mate last week. I hope this is good news regarding our lost health care, our wounded military and our confused country. Choosing a VP candidate who's pre-TRICARE and pre-concrete bullet may be good news for all of us. Let's hope so. As the last SECDEF with an abundance of tactically and technically proficient senior officers on hand, Cheney could help Bush select a SECDEF who could regain some of our lost war-fighting skills. A solid SECDEF appointment could return a measure of personal dignity and honor to our troops. That is, if George W. Bush listens to him. Although there was a lot of touchy-feely going on even then, we hadn't yet gone COO-coo over the issue. The military had not yet been emasculated. Like many of you, I just want to believe in something. Dick Cheney, from the early 90s, is certainly an improvement over what we've got now. After all, that was the last time our troops were allowed to do their jobs - with live ammo and without sociograms. They were even allowed to win their war, something my generation can't brag about. As a VN vet, the Gulf War troops returned some of my lost pride, until the current administration tarnished it again. Cheney surely knows that TRICARE - "The HMO that goes to war" doesn't fit combat or military needs and that soldiers worried about their family's health and welfare have lousy attention spans. Their lack of attention to detail could get them and others killed, in training and in combat. The troops didn't have TRICARE debt when Cheney was SECDEF. Back then, many retirees and their dependents were more than willing to see active duty physicians at MTFs many miles away so the Docs' could keep their skills sharp. In the process, retirees stayed healthy. They made a day trip out of it. It was also a visit "home" for many, a way of staying connected with the larger military community they are a part of. It was, of course, also a period of transition due to BRAC that resulted in many retirees and dependents being shut out, but it wasn't as bad, or ridiculous, as it is now. We hope that if Bush/Cheney are the people's choice, the dug-in Republican leadership in congress will not think they've bought additional cover and concealment with the new administration. The needs of the troops (past, present, future) have to be addressed with sterner stuff than what has passed the congress these past 7 1/2 years. Unfortunately, Cheney's party hasn't made a difference in our lives lately, and they seem reluctant to do so. A return to dignity and honor, and HEALTH will go a long way to returning feelings many of us have almost lost - that we were once somebody and were a vital part of keeping our country free. We were an integral part of our nation's history. We should never end up third or fourth on the government health care priority list, nor should we be viewed as guinea pigs for what could be part of MEDICARE later, as some Democrats have proffered. Our military must be second to none. There's more to the heart and soul of this country than the latest DOW report, employment figures or CBO estimates. The US Military has always been the bearer and repository of this spirit, even in sadder times. We hope (and pray if you like) for a return to more than just a glimmer of what we once were, but a full return to the pride we once felt before we became "too expensive" for the government to care about. I would suggest to the Bush/Cheney campaign that from now until November, they pay attention to the mail they get from retirees and vets, and not ignore it as they have been doing. It could make a difference in their success or failure to get in office. Congress/ DoD: Fix TRICARE now! =====================================================================ARTICLE 10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GI HUMOR - Rules of Engagement in Today's Military ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: Some of this might not sound funny to many of you.I think they teach the scenario at Ft. Leavenworth. From multiple sources. **************************************************************************** Scenario: A Staff Sergeant is walking down the road to a port a potty and is confronted with a 10 year old boy in enemy territory pointing a gun at him. - The soldier will stand fast, request permission to fire from his company commander and remain in a non-aggressive posture, - The company commander will call the battalion commander by secure line and request permission to fire. The Battalion Commander will forward the request (in writing) to Brigade G-3 who will call division and speak to a SSG in the G3 shop. - Once the G3 has returned from town, he will immediately start working on a slide presentation in power point to present to the CG on COA 1-4. The slides will first be briefed to the Chief of Staff and will be sent back for multiple revisions. After 11 different versions have been completed, the Chief of Staff will finally approve the slides. - The CG will be presented the slide presentation and will call Corps to ask the corps commander for permission to fire. The corps commander will immediately place a call to JAG. - The corps commander is briefed by JAG, accepts his staff's proposal that the soldier should fire back, but has to call the Army commander to get permission. The Army commander asks the corps commander to fax him all the information he has on the incident and he will get back to him. - The Army commander finally receives the slides and says he will have to call the Army group commander for permission to fire. The Army Group commander listens to the Army commander then tells him that he will have to call the Pentagon to get permission to fire. - The Army Group Commander calls the Pentagon and speaks with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. The Chairman wants to know why some know-nothing Captain from a division in theater is faxing a 200 page slide presentation to him and the president. The Army Group commander tells the Chairman he will find out. - The Army Group commander calls the Army commander and asks why Captain Know-Nothing is faxing slides to the Pentagon and the White House. The Army commander calls the corps commander and asks the same question. The Corps commander gets personally involved and calls directly to the division's G3 shop and asks to speak to CPT Know-Nothing. CPT Know-Nothing is a bad OER and is reassigned to sewage control in a prisoner of war camp. The Army group commander informs the Chairman that the problem is resolved. - The Chairman tells the Army Group commander that he will get back to him after he holds a meeting with all of the service chiefs. During the meeting, the Air Force and Navy Chiefs decide they want a part in this decision now code-named "Operation Return Fire." - After consulting with PAO, the Chairman agrees to allow the Air Force to send two tactical fighter wings and a B-2 from Diego Garcia. The Chairman allows the Navy to send in 2 carrier battle groups and a Marine division. On top of all of this, the Chairman tells the service chiefs that the Army will send in two more brigades of mechanized infantry and an armored cavalry regiment. Furthermore he will ask the Secretary of defense if 500,000 Reservists and National Guardsmen can be called up. - The Chairman takes all of these proposals to the Secretary of Defense who agrees and tells the Chairman to prepare a briefing for the President. A colonel stays up for a week straight preparing briefing slides (on power point) for the President's briefing. The day of the briefing, the computer network goes down in the White House and the Colonel who worked his butt off to set up this briefing loses the command he was going to take over this summer and is forced to retire because "he should have known." - Following an oral briefing, the president approves Operation Return Fire, but first he wants to get "eyes on the target." Seal Team 6 is dispatched to the area. Upon reaching the location where the soldier reported the contact, they find the decomposed body of a dead American PFC, still clutching a hand mike to his ear, looking as if he is waiting for a response to whatever question he asked. - An autopsy reveals a blood alcohol level of 0.002 and the soldiers SGLI payment to his family is cancelled. =============================================================== ARTICLE 11 - MEDAL OF HONOR ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: WWII, August 1944/France. One man with one machine gun makes a difference. If you know of any MOH recipient who is hospitalized or has passed recently, please write James H. Also, if you would like more info on MOH recipients and their stories, please email James H at [EMAIL PROTECTED] ********************************************************************* ROSS, WILBURN K. Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, Company G, 350th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near St. Jacques, France, 30 October 1944. Entered service at: Strunk, Ky. Birth: Strunk, Ky. G.O. No.: 30, 14 April 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty near St. Jacques, France. At 11:30 a.m. on 30 October 1944, after his company had lost 55 out of 88 men in an attack on an entrenched. full-strength German company of elite mountain troops, Pvt. Ross placed his light machinegun 10 yards in advance of the foremost supporting riflemen in order to absorb the initial impact of an enemy counterattack. With machinegun and small-arms fire striking the earth near him, he fired with deadly effect on the assaulting force and repelled it. Despite the hail of automatic fire and the explosion of rifle grenades within a stone's throw of his position, he continued to man his machinegun alone, holding off 6 more German attacks. When the eighth assault was launched, most of his supporting riflemen were out of ammunition. They took positions in echelon behind Pvt. Ross and crawled up, during the attack, to extract a few rounds of ammunition from his machinegun ammunition belt. Pvt. Ross fought on virtually without assistance and, despite the fact that enemy grenadiers crawled to within 4 yards of his position in an effort to kill him with hand grenades, he again directed accurate and deadly fire on the hostile force and hurled it back. After expending his last rounds, Pvt. Ross was advised to withdraw to the company command post, together with 8 surviving riflemen, but, as more ammunition was expected, he declined to do so. The Germans launched their last all-out attack, converging their fire on Pvt. Ross in a desperate attempt to destroy the machine gun which stood between them and a decisive breakthrough. As his supporting riflemen fixed bayonets for a last-ditch stand, fresh ammunition arrived and was brought to Pvt. Ross just as the advance assault elements were about to swarm over his position. He opened murderous fire on the oncoming enemy; killed 40 and wounded 10 of the attacking force; broke the assault single-handedly, and forced the Germans to withdraw. Having killed or wounded at least 58 Germans in more than 5 hours of continuous combat and saved the remnants of his company from destruction, Pvt. Ross remained at his post that night and the following day for a total of 36 hours. His actions throughout this engagement were an inspiration to his comrades and maintained the high traditions of the military service. =================================================================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EDITOR'S NOTE: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For Article Submissions: as a rule of thumb, please try to keep article for possible publication to 750 words or less. Please make every editing effort not to exceed these guidelines and SUBMIT IN WORD FORMAT, if possible! R.W. Zimmermann [EMAIL PROTECTED] ============================================= GLOSSARY OF MILITARY ACRONYMS: We've had numerous requests from troops in different branches of the military to establish this link so that we will all know how "all you others" talk that talk. Please see below: http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/doddict/acronym_index.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ***** BOOK SALES ***** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hack's books About Face*, Hazardous Duty*, The Price of Honor* and The Vietnam Primer can be found at www.hackworth.com. They make a great addition to any library. We are offering them at special SFTT price. ==================================================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Defending America Newsletter: Administrative Volunteers: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ R.W. Zimmermann, Chief Editor, President of SFTT, Mine Detector and "Gunner" David H. 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