The Army has released the following statement reference the MEDEVAC issue:

WASHINGTON (Jan. 20, 2012) — “Recent news items about the use of Army medical evacuation, or MEDEVAC, helicopters in Afghanistan contain troubling information. The reporting suggests that putting red crosses on MEDEVACs, and not arming them somehow, is putting injured Soldiers’ lives at risk. The facts do not support these assertions for several reasons.

First, there is no evidence, implied or proven, that the enemy deliberately targets MEDEVAC helicopters, but we know from hard experience that the enemy does try to shoot down any and all U.S. and coalition aircraft. Further, all helicopters in Afghanistan fly in pairs as a force protection matter. It’s the way we do business and to suggest that arming MEDEVAC aircraft would result in crews launching sooner is a dubious assertion.

Here are the facts: DOD has specifically tasked the Army, not any other service, to provide a standing MEDEVAC capability. The other services, as well as the Army in some cases, fly CASEVAC missions. This is a critical distinction. CASEVAC stands for Casualty Evacuation, which is a technical distinction that means they use whatever helicopters are available at the moment to extract the wounded or downed aircrews. However, DOD has tasked the Army to provide evacuation to the MEDEVAC standard, which means our MEDEVAC crews and helicopters are purpose built, manned, trained and equipped to provide advanced trauma care in flight.

While putting a red cross on our MEDEVAC helicopters has the added benefit of being consistent with the Geneva Conventions, it also marks that aircraft and crew for no other mission besides medical evacuation. In Afghanistan and other austere environments, where helicopter assets are in very high demand, it’s important that we dedicate a fleet of aircraft for no other purpose than to provide advanced in-flight care for wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines.

The Army provides the great majority of medical evacuations in Afghanistan. That includes allied personnel and even enemy wounded. The U.S. Marines in Afghanistan, and in Iraq before that, specifically asked for the Army to provide medical evacuation of its personnel because they know we provide the “gold standard” in modern battlefield evacuation. No military force in the world is better than the US Army at MEDEVAC. The 92 percent survival rate for wounded in Afghanistan is the highest in history because of the power of our MEDEVAC capability and its battlefield support network.

Another important point is that arming our MEDEVACs would significantly impact the capability of the aircraft. Machine guns, related mounting equipment, ammunition and the gunners all add weight to the aircraft. The added weight would hinder the aircraft’s ability to work at higher altitudes because of reduced lift, as well as its speed and range. Additionally, MEDEVACs can carry up to four litter patients, but if weapons were added, that number would be reduced, which would in turn require the commitment of more MEDEVAC aircraft, an already low density and high demand asset.

Further, arming MEDEVACs would not reduce the need for armed escort. Again, our aircraft travel in pairs. The decision to use escort is the tactical commander’s, and the Army does not dictate how or when it is necessary to use these assets.

Finally, it’s important to remember that the Army would change its policy if battlefield commanders wanted a change. We take our obligation to perform the MEDEVAC mission very seriously. We’re a learning organization and periodically we review our policies to make sure they remain relevant. We looked at the MEDEVAC policy in 2008, but after a review, we determined no change was necessary.

Additionally, neither the International Security Assistance Force or U.S. Forces – Afghanistan has requested a change in policy; because our MEDEVAC crews and aircraft provide the best chance at survival ever seen in warfare, and because — as commanders in Afghanistan have told us — not arming our MEDEVACs and identifying them with the red cross has had no impact on the medical evacuation mission.”

This post is my personal opinion and not representative of the Army, the Department of Defense, The United States Government, the 82nd Airborne Division, the 3rd Infantry Division, III Corps, the 101st Airborne Division, the 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, the 511th MI Company, the School of the Americas, ISAF, RC(S), RC(E), RC(N), RC(W), CENTCOM, TRADOC, FORSCOM, Recruiting Command, The United States Marine Corps, the United States Air Force, the United States Navy, The United States Coast Guard, The Boy Scouts of America, the Department of Education, or any other unit, department, office, Section, squad, platoon, company battalion, brigade, division, Corps, any branch of service, rank, MOS, or any other segment of official military or government, real or imagined.

Troops on the ground, Regional Command (South), ISAF, CENTCOM, and the Department of the Army. What do they have in common? They agree that the efforts by those to stigmatize the red crosses on MEDEVAC choppers is a non-issue.

In a recent letter to Senator Grassley posted on Michael Yon’s website, Secretary of the Army John McHugh confirmed what I’ve been educating readers on all along – that “Army MEDEVAC aircraft are manned with specially trained crewmembers and are uniquely equipped with medical equipment to provide critical in-flight medical care,” something that Pedros, Air Force and Marine CASEVAC choppers are NOT “uniquely equipped” to provide.

This issue started as an effort to arm MEDEVAC choppers, but the obvious realization that adding guns, ammo, and shooters to these assets would cause medical capabilities to suffer the conversation turned to a ridiculous argument that red crosses are looked at as some sort of homage to the Crusades or that they violated Geneva Conventions. Not sure which is more laughable.

U.S. Army Spc. Carl Jenson from Sierra Vista, Ariz., assigned to 3rd Platoon, The “All American” Dustoff, 82nd Airborne Combat Aviation Brigade, Fort Bragg, N.C., writes down the patient’s information while flying over Wardak province, Afghanistan, Dec. 19, 2011.

The reason that the Air Force, Marines, British, and Army Special Operations Forces do not use the Red Crosses is because they do not have a dedicated MEDEVAC mission. This seems to constantly get lost in the translation as various people easily influenced by the gentle breeze of shifting winds of conspiracy contact Congress demanding answers to a riddle that’s already been solved. Or better yet, a riddle that didn’t need to be solved.

As Secretary McHugh rightly noted in his response to Senator Grassley, the truth is that these unarmed MEDEVAC choppers consistently “evacuate urgent point of injury patients to the appropriate level of care within one hour of receiving the MEDEVAC mission.” These choppers do not, as some would try to indicate, sit on the ground waiting for armed escort. As a matter of fact – and something specifically pointed out by ISAF in response to this issue a few months ago – even the mission that precipitated this irresponsible call to action didn’t wait on any armed escort.

U.S. Army Spc. Carl Jenson from Sierra Vista, Ariz., assigned to 3rd Platoon, The “All American” Dustoff, 82nd Airborne Combat Aviation Brigade, Fort Bragg, N.C., writes down the patient’s information while flying over Wardak province, Afghanistan, Dec. 19, 2011.

Another misleading argument used by the crusaders trying to remove the red crosses from our MEDEVAC choppers is that such symbols are targeted by the enemy. Well, guess what. If the enemy targets our MEDEVAC choppers they are decimated by the accompanying Apache attack helicopter with its 30-millimeter chain gun, Hydra 70 rockets and hellfire missiles. Guess what else. These Apaches have 360 degree visibility of the surrounding area and a longer range than anything a Blackhawk MEDEVAC bird would be armed with. Any added defensive or offensive systems would only have a 90 degree effectiveness on each side and could hinder evacuations or cause additional injuries if the evacuation happens to be in the line of fire of enemy troops.

In reality, the vast majority of LZs for MEDEVAC birds are cleared by the time the chopper arrives. So the argument that every single MEDEVAC bird is somehow an enemy target is a farce. No one will argue that the enemy will target support assets, including medical personnel and equipment. But, the irresponsible suggestion that our MEDEVACs are under constant fire is simply inaccurate at best and an outright misrepresentation at worst. Even in the situation that precipitated this campaign to arm MEDEVACs and remove crosses, the LZ was completely secured with ABSOLUTELY ZERO direct fire enemy engagements.

No one is “passing the MEDEVAC” buck on this issue. The fact is that everyone except a select few individuals who are losing relevance are keeping this issue alive. It’s been all the way to the White House and throughout the DOD and combat theater and no changes are being made. That should say something quite profound to those that continue to fight this issue.

I want to do everything possible to keep my fellow brothers and sisters alive that I serve with here in Afghanistan. This is an issue on which few people involved disagree with me. I’ve got another meeting with a different MEDEVAC unit on Saturday, but I suspect to get the same response to this issue as I have with the two other teams I’ve contacted about it: “What are you talking about? The way we do things is just fine. Adding weapons would take up needed space and prevent mass casualty evacuation that we’re equipped for.”

U.S. Army Capt. Adam Ellington from Cedar City, Utah, assigned to 3rd Platoon, The “All American” Dustoff, 82nd Airborne Combat Aviation Brigade, Fort Bragg, N.C., finishes shutting down his UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter, Forward Operating Base Shank, Logar province, Afghanistan, Dec. 19, 2011.

And with that, I’m done. I’ve said all there is to say.

I just received this from Connor in one of my care packages and just wanted to share it. This little man is so inspiring and I hope to meet him in person one day. I sent him one of our flags a few months ago as thanks, but even that just seem to equal what we get.

Air Force officials are still trying to reduce the time it takes to ask for and receive clearance for a “pretty tight window” to fly through Iraqi airspace, the official said. To make things more complicated, flights going through Iraq also pass over Turkey, and that is a separate clearance process.

In one case, a MEDEVAC flight’s return trip was delayed because by the time it received clearance to fly through Iraq, the allotted time had already passed, the official said.

So far, the Iraqi government has not refused any Air Force requests to fly through its airspace, said Iraqi government spokesman Dr. Ali al-Dabbagh.

4,282. That’s how many of America’s sons and daughters gave their life in bringing freedom to Iraq. 4,282 brave Americans that could have just as easily stayed home and allowed tyranny to continue after we toppled the regime and liberated the Iraqi people. 4,282 troops that could have celebrated the past holidays with their families instead of giving everything to give the Iraqi people a voice in their own destiny.

Billions of dollars of hard earned American money went into beating back the forces that preferred to bring the nation into chaos. Billions of dollars that could have gone to paying down American debt, rebuilding infrastructure, improving military capabilities, strenthening our borders, and lowered taxes. Hundreds of billions of dollars.

As of December 18, 2011, no combat troops are based in Iraq. The final vehicle, a Caiman Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, rolled into Kuwait under a clear, blue sky.

Crew members of the last vehicle to roll out of Iraq stand with their truck, marked to celebrate this occasion. From left to right are Pfc. Anthony Palm of Tenino, Wash., gunner; Sgt. James Alaimo of Lake Dallas, Texas, driver; Sgt. 1st Class Hilda McNamee, of Ft. Worth, Texas, truck commander; Spc. Vergil Heger of Hilo, Hawaii, crew member; and Spc. Brittany Hampton of Killeen, Texas, medic. All are members of Headquarters Company, Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade “Greywolf,” 1st Cavalry Division.

And for all that we’ve done for them, I’m getting word from numerous sources in Kuwait and Qatar that Iraq is refusing to allow US aircraft to transit its airspace to get our troops some. Some of them have been sitting in Kuwait waiting to go on leave since December 29th!

Is our government really this incompetent that we can’t even negotiate with IRAQIS to have our aircraft simply fly over their airspace? Pathetic, if true.

“I think it is important for the court to know that Benjamin was also deployed to Iraq in 2007-2008 and has possible PTSD issues,” she wrote, referring to post-traumatic stress disorder. “He gets easily irritated, angry, depressed and frustrated.

“Benjamin also has a lot of weapons in his home, such as, firearms and knives,” Santos wrote. “I am fearful of what Benjamin is capable of with the small arsenal he has in his home and his recent threats of suicide.”

While what happened is tragic, I can’t help asking if someone had murdered her son if she’d think it was okay as long as the perpetrator “possibly” had PTSD. As someone who has struggled with PTSD for almost a decade and know dozens of people with the anxiety disorder, this pisses me off.

I have worked for a few years now trying to help remove the stigma of those with PTSD. But, story after story, we are cast as potential murderers just for having the diagnosis. Even former troops try to use PTSD as some sort of proof to support their psychotic notions that Soldiers with PTSD are a “lethal threat” to others. These morons even think that once a Soldier is diagnosed with PTSD “should not have a weapon” and are incapable of making life/death decisions. They have “no business deploying or holding a weapon.” These characterizations couldn’t be further from the truth. Why?

Let’s look at some of the parallels between me and the alleged shooter, Benjamin Colton Barnes. I have actually been diagnosed with PTSD and continue to seek treatment. Benjamin has not. Oops, that’s not a parallel. I have a “small arsenal” of weapons that would be considered “assault rifles” though I’m not too big on knives. I get “irritated, angry, depressed, and frustrated” quite often!

But, you don’t (and will never) see me in a story that accompanies the deaths of innocent people. Why? Because PTSD is not a link to homicidal tendencies no matter how much our legal system and a sympathetic press want to picture it that way. Troops with PTSD that kill others do so because they are demented and criminal, not because they have PTSD. Not ONE of the people I know with PTSD would ever do such a thing. We constantly have these conversations after such a story and NOT ONE feels that PTSD justifies or accounts for such actions.

It’s an excuse and nothing more. We live in a society where criminal behavior is NEVER the fault of the criminal, but something else. The shooter had a bad upbringing. The shooter was on drugs. The shooter was a combat vet. The shooter had PTSD. It’s all crap!

I’m so fed up with PTSD sufferers being painted as some sort of victim. Very few of us with PTSD would ever resort to such violent actions. I have no doubt that this Soldier was probably a trouble maker while in the military. I’m not even saying this guy is guilty yet. Right now, he’s only a suspect since the vehicle in question was registered to him. His mom sure isn’t helping his case, that’s for sure.

JANUARY

The year started with controversy as Navy Captain Owen Honors was relieved of command of the USS Enterprise for morale-improving videos that didn’t fit the politically correct image the Navy strives hard to achieve. The controvery provided real evidence that the Navy had fundamentally changed from its “drunken sailor” cliched days to a Navy trying to present a more professional image. Naturally, the story became a sensation thank to a media and public that simply doesn’t understand military humor.

The repeal of the longstanding “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy featured prominently on ASP this year. In January, I wrote a piece condemning the policy for its inherent lack of equality. Because the gay rights crowd has grown more and more organized over the years, they have successfully found a way to force acceptance of their lifestyle, while other deviant lifestyles continue to be banned. The repeal of this policy simply showed that with enough publicity, controversy, and a sympathetic media on your side, anything can forced upon the American people.

2011 also continued my activism in politics. I approached my state representatives about an unfair tax on our servicemembers that get stationed in Texas. Because it is economically unfeasible for Soldiers to simply travel to Texas when they are in the market for a new vehicle, most troops purchase their vehicles out of state – usually wherever they are assigned at the time. If they are in a state with no sales tax or a smaller sales tax than Texas, those Soldier must pay the difference to the State of Texas before being allowed to register their vehicle. As we all know, most auto loans have the sales tax rolled into the overall price of the vehicle in the form of their monthly payments. However, in Texas, troops are required to cough up hundreds to thousands of dollars UP FRONT before they can register their vehicles. Later in the year, I was called to testify about the bill that my representative failed at getting passed. I won’t give up!

January also saw tragedy in the shooting of Arizona congresswoman Gabriel Giffords. This single act by a madman resurrected the fight for more gun control and political posturing. The Tea Party was blamed, even though it was later revealed that Loughner was major lib. Giffords is now out of the hospital and recovering well. Loughner is thankfully dead, as all murderers should be. The story was a regular news item the rest of the year. In spite of this act, gun rights were further recognized in more states than ever before.

Michael Yon also finds some way to feature prominently on ASP each year. And every year, I and other bloggers call him on his inaccuracies, misrepresentations, violations of journalistic and embedded standards, and just outright douchebaggery. He began, typically, by attacking milbloggers – specifically Blackfive. He continued his policies of banning those that disagreed with him, which only proved the points that “milkooks” have been making for years about integrity.

FEBRUARY

In February, LL posted a great story about a young Specialist, David J Bixler, who was awarded the Purple Heart, Silver Star and CAB for his actions in Afghanistan. Bixler showed a lot of confidence in emailing directly to the CG. The email discussed his 2010 deployment with the 101st Airborne to the very location from which I write this post, Kandahar, Afghanistan. It shows a level of wisdom not normally seen in such a young troop. Bixler will go far in the Army with this mentality. The story was aptly titled, “Every Fights, Nobody Quits.”

February saw my sister from another mother, LL, jumping into the Yon fray. At some point, I think we’re all going to hit that point where we just can’t sit idly by and allow some things to go unchallenged. She ended the story with a great quote: “The true hypocrite is the one who ceases to perceive his deception, the one who lies with sincerity”~Andre Gides

I did my first gun review this year, one of many that would come down. I decided at the end of 2010 that I wanted to write reviews for the every-shooter. Those people that don’t understand specifications that technical reviews provide, but want a great gun for just self defense, target practice, or whatever. My first review was of the MPA .380 Protector-series pistol. I love it so much I bought my own. It was a lot of fun and I quickly learned how hard writing reviews of firearms can be. It’s also a little pricy, since I need to buy ammo for it. But, it’s worth being able to sample brand new guns and gun components coming on the market and pass along that knowledge.

Ian Murphy. Ahhh, who can forget Ian Murphy. This is the guy that published a story called “F**** the Troops.” Not even sure why I want to highlight this story, but it garnered a lot of hits and shows that just because someone lives and breathes doesn’t make them intelligent.

Wisconsin Democrats were afraid of their shadow and ran away to neighboring Illinois instead of doing what they are paid to do and vote on legislation presented before the body. At issue were several bills bringing back sanity to the state, including restricting public unions, legalizing the 2nd Amendment, and other bills that absolutely frightened them out of the state. Eventually, the losers came home to vote against legislation that was passed into law. Because they were butt-hurt, they sought (and continue to seek) to recall those that voted for these efforts. In the end, only two of them were recalled, proving that they aren’t so right after all. Many in the state continue to fight against the Constitution and I continue to hold them accountable with reality here and on my FB page.

MARCH

I can’t stand Michael Moore. The guy is a complete tool. But, in a strange twist we are both targets of Michael Yon’s angst! Go figure. Maybe one day, me and Moore should enjoy a (root) beer and talk about it. Anyway, Michael Moore made a completely ignorant comment about the rich sharing their money. This coming from a guy worth over $50 million! So, I brought up the obvious that Moore should share his money. I never did get a response to my email to him. But, neither did Yon, so I guess we’re even.

I wrote a few more posts about military dating scams this year, but to be honest I’m so tired of it. I’ve written everything I think I can right now. The scams haven’t changed much since last year and the information I’ve presented provides a clear path to finding out if that person you’re talking to on datingfordummies.com is real. However, each post I’ve written on these scams get literally dozens of comments EACH DAY from around the world. I even get comment in Chinese and Russian! Even a post by Marcus trying to find women (or men) who have been scammed for a radio show we did has 240 comments on it! This one has almost as many.

During my birth month, the Der Spiegel photos of troops acting like complete tools and morons were released. I’ve never been a fan of taking pictures of dead enemies. Some writers have no inner sense of right and wrong and publish them anyway. Eventually, they get booted out of their embeds. I will always call out troops for doing the wrong thing. I believe in accountability of ALL troops. This is why I never worry about baseless investigations against me. They’re annoying and distract from the mission, but since I walk the straight and narrow with the utmost in integrity (that means telling the truth for those of you just here for espionage purposes) and honor. And I will never back down from my values and beliefs.

I guess in much the same way that attacking me probably results in some minor increase in drops in the Paypal bucket for some, writing about Michael Yon generates a lot of traffic. I’m sure that most of it comes from his own curiosity. Continuing what used to be a monthly occurrence here before the insanity bar was raised, I wrote about the irony of his writings. The irony continued the entire and even continues to THIS DAY only I’m no longer really the focus of his ire.

APRIL

One of the most popular stories in April contained just eight words. It was titled “AKO Is The Worst Program Ever.”

Another Michael Yon post. I told Yon to [bleep off] and he got butt-hurt and contacted my command about unprofessional language. Remember, folks, that Yon is “former Special Forces Soldier.” This was my command’s first introduction to his mission distraction efforts. I must say, though, that this was one of my best. IMHO.

Even though Yon would claim that the military shut me up – as he does every time I’ve stepped back from ASP to regroup – I decided on my own to stop writing for a little while. I realize that I’ve done this 3 or 4 times, but each time I’ve used the time to reassess. I back off because I get to a point that if I kept writing I would say something stupid. It’s my self-defense mechanism and how I exercise restraint. Words are powerful (and expensive) weapons and some people will learn that quite soon. I don’t stop writing for attention. Usually, I do it to save my family or unit the stress of the moment and allow a particular to die down. Today, I read through the “ASP In The News” section of the site and realized all the major fights I’ve had over the past six years. Standing up for one’s beliefs is a very difficult path to take. There are always people that want to tear you down. But, I also find that standing up for your beliefs with integrity and honor will get you through anything in the end. Yes, you will piss people off but if you value principles more than you value people, it’s not so hard to get through. I’m a principled person and for that reason, I’ve made some enemies. Heck, just the other day I had a “friend” unfriend me on Facebook because I stood for the fact that I’m Christian and celebrate Christmas. I told my friends that don’t believe in Christ to leave their “happy holidays” left unsaid if they can’t bring themselves to say Merry Christmas! One of pagan friends accused me of hate and left. My response? Good riddance. I value my principles more than people!

With that said, I’m truly thankful some people I would do just about anything for. People like LL who stood up for me when I stopped writing (again). What a lot of people don’t realize is that LL and I have had some pretty heated arguments in the past. I’ve frustrated and pissed her off numerous times because of my resolve and hard headedness. But, we love and respect each other enough that in the end, no matter what conclusion we come to, we are still good friends and will always have each other’s back. Next to Emily, I’d say she’s my best friend and we’ve only met each other in person a handful of times.

Okay, on to May.

MAY

In May, LL began publishing more to fill the gap. For the first two weeks, I regrouped and reassessed. I slowly eased back in to blogging with non-confontational postings. But, my first big post was again about military dating scams. The reason this post was so popular was because I gave instructions on how to check IP addresses through Yahoo. Since 90% of scammers use Yahoo to further their efforts, this was good advice for most victims. I continue to get about 10-12 emails each day thanking me for posting this information.

We published a somewhat ironic story about bad leaders. The Army Times had a front page story that proclaimed the number one reason Soldiers are leaving the Army is bad leaders. I couldn’t have agree more. A good leader sets the tone for a Soldier’s military service attitude. It doesn’t matter if the Soldier is a first term or career Soldier. Good leaders make Soldiers WANT to continue serving. Bad leaders virtually convince career Soldiers to leave regardless of how much time they’ve invested in their service. It’s a post that continues to draw many hits from .mil IPs.

JUNE

June was another light month due to my unit’s deployment. I was also diagnosed with skin cancer and was dealing with all the procedures to remove it. In June, I was marked as “undeployable” due to my medical status. It would take me two months to fight the system and deploy with my unit.

The only real story this month were the claims by the media that DADT repeal were 100% successful. Once again, I felt it my duty to correct the record on the matter. If anything, repeal has proven to be a touchy subject and put troops in a state of unease about how to discuss it. Personally, I have no problem stating my personal (and scientific) beliefs that homosexual behavior is not normal in any sense of the word. People can call it hate all they want. I don’t hate homosexuals. I just feel their activities are wrong. My gay friends understand what I mean. I’m not afraid to be around gays, I’m not afraid to touch gays, and I’m not afraid to speak my mind about gays. I don’t like Natalie Portman’s political beliefs, but I respect her as a hottie!

JULY

In July, I shared a piece by A.W. Schade called “The Demons of War Are Persistent.” If you missed this when it was originally posted, I highly urge you to go back and read it. Schade is a Vietnam Veteran who also suffers with PTSD. This post continues to help me and really struck a cord within that I think every combat vet should read. I will never forget this advice:

To all past and current warriors, I rise and applaud your valiant stand. Nonetheless, to control War’s Demons takes time, and the battle is much harder should you challenge them alone.

So do not wait to seek medical assistance, as older Veterans had to do. For far too many warriors were less fortunate than me, and even you. PTSD is real my friends, and easily recognizable. Yet, if not confronted in early, can ruin relationships with your spouse, children, family, and career.

Remember, you will always be warriors and heroes to us all. But many will be overpowered by the demons’, and lose ownership of their soul!”

SFC Leroy Petry became the 9th recipient of the Medal of Honor at a ceremony in the White House. He is only the second living recipient since the Vietnam War to receive the medal. During the ceremony, President Obama says of Petry that “this is the stuff of which heroes are made. This is the strength, the devotion that makes our troops the pride of every American. And this is the reason that — like a soldier named Leroy Petry -— America doesn’t simply endure, we emerge from our trials stronger, more confident, with our eyes fixed on the future.”

Once again in 2011, the Navy draws criticism for it’s unique approach to combating a sexual assault. While the poster is displayed on the official Navy Facebook page, it is created by a feminist organization. The politically correct crowd again makes an issue out of a non-issue and a controversy is born. To its credit, I don’t believe the Navy ever removed the poster which was responsible for more discussion on the topic than any other poster. I supported the poster; something that drew its own bit of controvery here and on Facebook.

The military rushed to “certify” the DADT Repeal as its last order of business in July. Again, I felt the need to correct what the public was being told. The entire “certification” process was a joke and the American people (and its troops) were sold a bill of goods on the topic. Even to this date, I have yet to meet someone openly gay. So to say that the integration process is a success ignores reality that there just aren’t that many gays willing to serve. It also ignores the fact taht Soldiers HAVE asked to be moved to other rooms to avoid sharing a barracks room with a gay Soldier.

AUGUST

In August, I finally convinced the right people that I could deploy. During our departure briefings, I got to meet an angel on earth, Huggy Lady. What an awesome lady! I just wish I remember to take pictures sooner and that they weren’t as blurry. I hadn’t yet gotten the hang of my new deployment camera.

Once in Afghanistan, I asked the poignant question: What have I done? My kids were eight years older than the last time I deployed and I guess I underestimated how they would react. Looking back after six months, I think that this deployment has perhaps strengthened my bond with the kids. I get along a lot better with my oldest daughter and enjoy chatting with them on the webcam. It seems like they have aged years in just the past six months and I can’t wait to be with them again. And I’m sure Emily can’t wait to push them onto me!

Unlike my last deployment, where I was walking through the combat zone on daily patrols, this deployment has me relegated to what we coin “fobbit” duties. In the military, we joke a lot about the role of Soldiers who spend their entire deployments never stepping foot outside the Forward Operating Base (FOB). Except in cases of troops who do whatever it takes NOT to go outside the wire, I don’t have a problem with the term fobbit. There are very important missions that get done on the FOB that make it possible for the guys to be able to beat the street. There are combat troops who probably wish they could have a nice, quiet desk job and there are those with those jobs that wish they could just get out!

While I try to fight the “fobbit” mentality that tends to drift more towards garrison operations than combat support operations, I try to maintain some perspective. There are aspects of the true fobbit mentality I can’t stand, though. I wrote these posts about fobbits to really just deflate the overinflated egos of some writers who were seeking to devalue the opinions and service of troops that never had the opportunity to leave the FOB. I think I made my point quite well.

September

September unleashed drama of epic proportions. But, let’s start the month with some positive news.

On September 11, Outback Steakhouse and other OSI Restaurant Partners brought Operation Feeding Freedom to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Every single dining facility was packed with troops of all services wanting a taste of home. The restaurants served over 40,000 meals for troops all over Afghanistan. We were talking about it for days. The food was delicious and the servers were the nicest people ever. One of the places I WILL eat while I’m on leave will be Outback Steakhouse just to give thanks for what they did.

There was only really one other major story for ASP in September: Michael Yon. In typical fashion, he twisted a comment that was made about a story he had written in which he went into disrespectful detail about the death of a Soldier to an IED. Because of pending legal actions, I’m not going to rehash the issue. I will say that since then, numerous investigations have been launched (and closed) against me and other troops that have disagreed with Yon. A bunch of slanderous, libelous, and defaming statements were made. I’ll leave it at that.

OCTOBER

The stress began building and building through October. I was getting frustrated with a lot of things, including the price of internet here. We also had our first rainfall since I arrived in August. Through the added stress of investigations and false accusations, I recognized that I probably shouldn’t have stopped taking my anxiety medications. Ranger Up only helped moderately with the release of a new t-shirt in light of the “occupy” protests plaguing – yes, plaguing – cities across the globe.

To make matters worse, I lost a good friend this month. Brian Cowdery’s accidental death during a MEDEVAC mission sent me into a sort of tailspin. It took me over a week to recover and find the peace of mind to write about it. I can’t believe it’s been over two months. I still have to correct myself as the desire to send him an email creeps into my mind, only to force myself to remember I can’t. When I get back home, his story WILL be told.

I felt it necessary to remind people that Congressional investigations are serious business. At the time, a lot of people were a little confused by this post because I hadn’t made public mention that some had been launched against me. But, I think the people that needed to read this post got the message based on the hits and from where they came. These investigations continue even months later, one after another. The constant stream of baseless investigations will only serve to strengthen my position when I return home and confront the problem with my full attention.

Heizer Defense unveiled a revolutionary new type of Derringer in its DoubleTap pistol. While I’m home on leave, I will testing this pistol in person. I’m excited about this particular pistol because it represents a fundamental change in derringer design.

NOVEMBER

Last month, I met SFC Zeke. The therapy dog is making positive impressions on troops all over RC(S) in Afghanistan. He’s a great dog. After I posted this story, people from around the country sent me care packages for Zeke. I collected enough dog toys and treats to share with all the military working dogs on KAF. Zeke and I have become good friends, but I think he’s using me for my presents! He gets so excited every time I bring a box and he’s like a kid, unable to wait until we can open it for him.

In response to efforts by Michael Yon and his fanatics to paint red crosses as somehow killing our troops, I published a post that brought reality to this absurd argument. The post is so dangerous to his argument, that it is deleted any time one of his readers tries to ask him to respond to it. Truth is, indeed, a difficult concept to argue with. Other bloggers and writers would contradict this argument. Since I posted this piece, I’ve gotten emails and IMs from pilots and crews past and present thanking me for writing this. Contrary to what Yon would have his readers believe, his view isn’t widely accepted among professionals. Only by continuing to hammer misleading information and anecdotal stories written by other people that support his argument is he able to perpetuate the myth. The reason the Army isn’t changing its policy isn’t because they are blind or dumb or uncaring or unprofessional. It’s because the argument is inaccurate. Plain and simple.

As I’ve continued to progress and cope with PTSD, I continue to write about my experiences - positive and negative – as a way of healing and helping others. Not only do I hope that other Soldiers and veterans dealing with PTSD read and find inspiration, but I continue to go back and read my own writings to help me heal as well. When I’m in a different mindset, it helps to read something I’ve posted when I was feeling a great deal better.

Thanksgiving in Afghanistan was uneventful. We waited in a LONG LINE for the best meal I’ve had since I got here. The only downside was that there wasn’t any pumpkin pie! It’s just not Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top. I found out later that I just went to the wrong dining facility. The one down the road had pumpkin pie. It didn’t make me feel better!

DECEMBER

This month there was a LOT to write about. I don’t even know where to begin.

With DADT repeal a done deal, the pro-homosexual lobby refused to rest on their laurels. The complete destruction of the moral fabric of our society was not yet completely destroyed. The Senate voted to repeal Article 125 of the UCMJ that banned sodomy and bestiality. What amounted to ONE LINE in a 2000 page bill caused so much controversy it was eventually stricken from the NDAA. However, I anticipate some congressmen will get sent packing for voting to pass this legislation during the next election. This post continues to garner hits and comments, many of which I’ve had to delete due to the disrespectful nature of the comments on both sides of the argument.

In an effort to double down on the Ian Murphy’s “F*** the troops” article, Kassie Dill posts a video on YouTube explaining why she doesn’t support the troops. In response, I publish a blog post explaining why she’s a moron. Again, the truth is a bitter pill to swallow. And it burns throughout the entire process of digestion!

I’m not shy about the fact that I love my wife. I’m married to the sexiest, most beautiful, kind and loving woman on the planet. I don’t care what you men out there say, you’re wrong. I feel sorry for all the single guys out there. Since I’m married to the best woman on the planet, they will all have to now settle for second best. In my open letter to my wife, I wanted to show men out there that getting married is not the end of the world. With work, respect, forgiveness, trial and error marriage is the best thing in the world. We men need to stop pretending that marriage sucks. If it sucks for you, you’re just not doing it right! Marrying the love of my life sixteen years ago is the best thing that ever happened to me and I’m not afraid to say it. Turns out that a lot of people needed to hear it as well as this is one of the most popular (and shared) links of the year for ASP.

The Air Force tried to outdo the Navy in controversy as a last hurrah this month. Airmen were photographed displaying gangster like poses beside a military remains container. The photo went viral and the American people were PISSED! Most Airmen were pissed, especially porters, because this photo was not representative of their profession. As of this writing, the investigation is ongoing.

While it’s too early to tell how popular some of the more recent stories are going to be, my posts about the NY Times misleading readers about supposed concealed carry “facts” and yesterday’s post about my fictitious gang are gaining steam.

In spite of the latter part of the year, I still think 2011 was a great year. I made a lot of personal progress and the trials I went through only served to strengthen me and confirm my beliefs. My advice years ago that “as long as you always do the right thing, you’ll never have anything to worry about in the end” continues to ring true. It’s a bumpy road, but I’ve adopted a 4×4 life! After 252 posts, I look forward to what 2012 has to bring (besides going home)!!

The Name

The hardest part about running a gang or cult is choosing a name. All the good names have been taken already: The Branch Davidians, Hells Angels, Yakuza, Aum Shinrikyo, Bloods, Crips, 18th Street Gang, Scientology, Los Zetas, MS-13, Heaven’s Gate and Pissed Off Bastards of Bloomington to name a few.

The Poo Pond Punks just doesn’t have the sound of fear in spite of the awesome alliteration. What would be our schtick? Farting in our enemy’s general direction? Maybe the Kandahar Crime Syndicate. But, what happens when I’m no longer here? Do I need to change the name, disband the group, or turn it over to new overlords? Chcknhawk’s Harem would suggest that my followers all wear silky, mid-drift showing costumes with bells and glitter.

In the end, I have decided to just stick with what seems to be working: The Grisham Gang. My cult will henceforth be known as the Chupacabra Cult! Why? Because there is no such thing as a chupacabra, but a lot of people are afraid of them!! However, I have it on good authority there are those with large following that really ARE goat suckers, if you get my drift. *nudge *nudge *wink *wink, say no more.

The Mission

Every good gang has territory to protect. Every cult a doctrine. After numerous and exhaustive conferences with my followers (none of whom I was able to find), I’ve decided on our gangsta platform:

i. Members will use Roman numerals instead of regular numbers when enumerating our platform to confuse our less-than-bright adversaries.
ii. All gang names will be hybrids of various fruits. For example, my gangsta name is Waterpumpkin. Is pumpkin a fruit? Or watermelon for that matter? Either way, both are representative of the large gourd on my shoulders.
iii. Gang signs will only be flashed utilizing IR, with gang tattoos only readable using blacklights. In order to properly flash the gang sign, you will need a battle buddy as three hands are required.
iv. All gang members will carry a concealed Red Swingline Stapler (to put up our gang paraphernalia, of course).
v. We hereby claim the blogosphere as our “turf.” As such, all hyphenated domain names are considered gay and banned effective immediately.
vi. Our headquarters will be located in Phuket, Thailand (pronounced…nevermind), with a satellite office in Boring, Pennsylvania.
vii. This will be the official haircut. No, it will NOT be armed.
viii. All members will register for DOD, White House, and other mailing lists clandestinely. Then, when emails are received, members are to allude to the exclusivity of receiving said mailings.
vix. We hereby resurrect the “Grunge” look and adopt those colors as our own. Redneck members are authorized to wear camouflage overalls or one-pieces.
x. Marks the spot.

These are your marching orders. Any challenges to my authority shall be mocked. All references to this gang shall be disavowed. You must leave this post after reading it so that no one else sees it. The mere act of reading this post means that you are now a part of the Chupacabra Cult or Grisham Gang. The good news is that you get to pick which one! Finally, Kum Straw (kumquat and strawberry mix) has been reserved for my most favoritist fan who can’t seem to get enough of me and my “gang.”

Overseas – or at least here in Afghanistan – we are not able to log on to candidate websites on government networks due to IT policies. So, if I wanted to compare and contrast the policies of Candidate Barack Obama with Candidate Ron Paul or Michele Bachmann, I cannot do so. All three sites are blocked. It is not good policy to rely on media due to the obvious slant that various news outlets have towards one candidate or another. Heck, most news sites’ editorial boards even “endorse” candidates for election.

Each election cycle, the military assigns to troops to serve as Voting Assistance Officers (VAO). I’ve been a VAO in the past. The job of the VAO is to ensure that troops are provided with information on how to vote, not for whom to vote. They disseminate information explaining each state’s voting laws and timelines. They encourage troops to vote and have their voice heard. It is a completely non-partisan action, but stresses the importance that the military places on voting – a fundamental privilege of being an American.

Unfortunately, troops can’t visit the campaign sites of Barack Obama, Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul, Jon Huntsman, Newt Gengrich, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, or Gary Johnson.

This is a shame because it limits the extent to which troops can educate themselves on the issues that matter to them, whatever they may be. And let’s face it, the best place to find that information is directly from the source.

I know some people may be saying that troops shouldn’t be accessing campaign information from government computers anyway. Obviously, that’s a matter of opinion since we are able to access voting information, why information linked to that. Since elections affect military personnel they should have access to information about them if it doesn’t violate DODD 1344.10 or AR 600-20 (for the Army).

After citing a few cases of “legal” concealed carry permit holders committing crimes (I’ll get more into that later), Luo makes are very ironic statement that to the untrained eye doesn’t mean much.

“Gun advocates are quick to cite anecdotes of permit holders who stopped crimes with their guns. It is virtually impossible, however, to track these episodes in a systematic way. By contrast, crimes committed by permit holders can be.”

The irony in this is that Luo lays out a multitude of anecdotes to make his case that allowing Americans to exercise their constitutional rights creates more crime.

At the beginning of this completely skewed piece advocating for gun control, the author notes that more than 240,000 people in N. Carolina have a permit to carry a concealed handgun. The author, probably intentionally, waits a few more paragraphs before throwing more numbers out there. After all, most gun hating liberals have difficult following lines of thought, so this figure is quickly forgotten by the time his next set of numbers is revealed.

More than 2,400 permit holders were convicted of felonies or misdemeanors, excluding traffic-related crimes, over the five-year period, The Times found when it compared databases of recent criminal court cases and licensees. While the figure represents a small percentage of those with permits, more than 200 were convicted of felonies, including at least 10 who committed murder or manslaughter. All but two of the killers used a gun.

I say that because sure enough ThinkProgress.com picked right up on THIS point, without putting it in perspective. The title of their gun control manifesto is “Half of North Carolina Concealed Carry Permit Holders With Felony Convictions Keep Their Permit.” This is the scare tactic that Luo was most likely looking for. The other one, of course, are the visuals they try to create by citing that guns are now allowed in “once off-limits [places], like bars, college campuses and houses of worship.”

Folks, I’ve been carrying a gun into my church for years and there’s NEVER been an issue.

Anyway, what the untrained eye and nodding-head liberal gun grabbing elite don’t see in the above quote is the word “or.” “More than 2,400 permit holders were convicted of felonies OR misdemeanors. Since the author doesn’t provide his readers with a link to his sources of information nor does he spell out exactly what “felonies OR misdemeanors.” Over the past few years, simple things have been made into felonies to influence voters and support gun control. Amazingly, you can be convicted of a felony for simple things like violating a curfew or loitering, vandalism, using even mild drugs like marijuana or having prescription medication you were given, DUI, or forgery. None of these are necessarily violent crimes but according to federal law prevent you from exercising your constitutional rights. Each day, our congress thinks up new felonies under the guises of “hate crimes” or other such nonsense. The fact is that most felony convictions are drug-related and of those most are marijuana, a substance far less harmful than legal drugs like cigarettes and alcohol.

But, aside from the felonies (and let’s assume they are ALL violent felonies, not drug related), this story says OR misdemeanors. A misdemeanor is as simple as jaywalking, having your radio too loud in your house, protesting without a permit, flying a flag in certain places, or dog bites. In Texas, promoting the use of or owning more than six vibrators is a felony. Naturally, the author downplays that 2,200 of those were misdemeanors but then makes a big deal that 200 were convicted of felonies (most likely the majority of which were drug related). However, he does give a glimpse as to the nature of his numbers.

Look at the original quote above about the 2,400 convicts. That number alone only represents only 1% of ALL concealed carry holders. The 200 felonies represents only .08% of all N. Carolina’s permit holders. But, it gets better. Of those 200 felons, 10 – yes TEN!! – actually committed murder or manslaughter. So, only .004% of ALL CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT HOLDERS in N. Carolina committed murder or manslaughter. But way, it’s even better. Only 8 of those even used a gun! Now, we’re down to .003%!!

The author also tries to confuse his readers by linking in “weapons” with gun-related crimes. The author never identifies what is considered a “weapon” for the purpose of this story, but it could be anything from brass knuckles, to a vehicle, to rope, to a candlestick. Think Clue the boardgame. Gun grabbers like to confuse the issue by mingling guns with everything else that isn’t a fist. They inflate their numbers, as Luo did, by including “weapons” in their figures to justify something that isn’t justifiable if you just crunch the numbers.

The other telltale sign of a gun grabber is the flippant dismissal of reports that contradict their efforts to highlight the minority of permit holders that commit crimes. It’s funny because the author even says this in the middle of the story:

Researchers acknowledge that those who fit the demographic profile of a typical permit holder — middle-age white men — are not usually major drivers of violent crime. At the same time, several states have produced statistical reports showing, as in North Carolina, that a small segment does end up on the wrong side of the law. As a result, the question becomes whether allowing more people to carry guns actually deters crime, as gun rights advocates contend, and whether that outweighs the risks posed by the minority who commit crimes.

Luo is trying to contend that the .004% of permit holders that use guns to commit crimes – according to his figures – are reason enough that the majority of Americans should not be allowed to own or carry guns. It’s interesting that he quotes so many anecdotal stories about holders that commit crimes, but doesn’t share any stories that contradict his own argument.

Every month in the American Rifleman magazine, the official magazine of the NRA, has a section call the Armed Citizen. It highlights between 6-10 stories each month of how legal permit holders deterred crime using their gun. So, it’s NOT impossible to track these episodes. They are published in newspaper accounts around the country. I have a Google News alert that sends me these stories (and it’s how I found this absurd piece too) on a daily basis.

Oddly, the common denominator in many of Luo’s stories is alcohol. I find it odd that Luo would work so hard to highlight crimes committed because of guns when it seems obvious to me that alcohol should be his main target. Naturally, gun grabbers like ThinkProgress won’t mention this. Their effort is to get rid of guns so that only government is the power in the country. This mentality ignores the reason the founders included the Second Amendment to begin with – to keep the government honest.

In a press release today, Joel Arends, Chairman of Veterans for a Strong America, released a statement that said:

“When seeking the office of commander-in-chief of our nation’s military, its important for candidates to recognize that we have a professional, all volunteer fighting force that adheres to a code of regulations and laws.

One of those regulations is Department of Defense Directive 1344.10. This directive prohibits members of the military that are serving on active duty from wearing partisan political campaign t-shirts while on active duty and from mixing the use of military rank and insignia with campaign paraphernalia.”

The title of this press release was “Ron Paul Using Illegal Behavior of Soldiers in Iowa Campaign Flyer” and was focused on a campaign flyer that allegedly uses troops wearing their rank in military uniforms with political t-shirts on.

This claim simply is NOT accurate. In 2008, I wrote a piece explaining 1344.10 and what troops were and were not allowed to do with respect to politics.

There is nothing in 1344.10 that prohibits troops from wearing “Vote for Ron Paul” t-shirts or that of any other candidate. As a matter of fact, DODD 1344.10 expressly allows troops to communicate “a personal opinion on political candidates.” Surely, wearing a t-shirt that highlights a favored candidate is doing just that. I do, however, agree that if these Soldiers are wearing their uniforms they are violating other tenants of the directive that directly prohibits them from doing so “as a representative of the Armed Forces.”

It seems this is just another attack on a man that many within the Republican establishment are growing afraid of. It saddens me that this organization would be a part of that attack machine.