A Soldier's Perspective

Theory of America’s Founding

Wes — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:11:21 +0000

The principles of America’s founding amount to a remarkable and radical departure from government, as practiced for centuries prior to the American Revolution. To be sure, a tradition is tied to the theory and to the men responsible. We are, however, quite remarkable as a nation today, because the Founders were indeed radical in their definition of liberty and their uncompromising demand for freedom. The theory of America’s founding may be said to be embodied in the Declaration of Independence. If anyone reads it, he or she finds that it is stated rather clearly, not hard to understand unless you’re a modern day bureaucrat or store bought politician. What comes as shock and discouragement to many, is the realization that it is no longer the dominant theory in our government or in American politics. A new political theory arose during the Progressive Era, which came to dominate outright during the 1960s. Popular and powerful today, it has already changed our government and society and now threatens remaining liberty. But let action proceed first from understanding, and to understand what’s happened, we should review the theory of America’s founding. The material that follows will borrow heavily from work by Thomas G. West and Douglas A. Jeffrey, two eminent historians associated with the Claremont Institute (www.claremont.org) in California.
The ideas or principles that comprise the American theory of government are posited as self-evident truths in the Declaration. They are universal in their application and may be true for men everywhere and for all time, because they are based on the “Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.” They are the proper building blocks for human reason in matters of politics. They are themselves inherent in human nature. To be governed accordingly, is to be governed as well as man can be. These conceptual building blocks for righteous government are: Equality, Natural Rights, Consent, Revolution, God and Honor. The Declaration’s statement of principles begins: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal . . . .” Of course, humans are entirely different from each other in terms of their gifts and attributes. The Founders, however, meant to observe that regardless of differences like looks, talents or strength, etc., human beings are all equal in the life and liberty they are born with and deserve to keep. This kind of equality confers on everyone responsibility as well. James Madison explains in The Federalist 54 that every human being, but no cow, is held morally accountable for violence committed against others, because every man is free to choose his behavior. Moreover, because of the innate temptation to abuse power (part of human nature), equality as the Founders understood it meant that no one should have inordinate power over others.
Men are therefore equal in their potential towards depravity and cruelty, if entrusted with too much power. Madison observed that men are not angels; if they were, there would be no need for government in the first place. As it is, government should not concentrate too much power in the hands of anyone or any group of people. Note that if you deny personal responsibility or pass it along to someone else or worse, to some drug or psychosis or whatever, you practically lose your basis for equality as understood by the Founders. People recategorize themselves with cows all the time, and that’s just not good horse sense. The Founders expected us to walk on two legs and to get up off all fours–to behave like responsible moral agents, because we are equal in that respect. Only in this way are the great mass of men, to paraphrase Thomas Jefferson, unfit to be saddled, booted and spurred by the favored few.
The Declaration continues that human beings are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” A right, according to the Founders, is a claim that a person may rightfully make against someone who would deprive him of what is his own. You own your clothes for instance, and you have a right to them. If someone takes them from you, you have a legitimate claim against that person. He or she owes them back–or rather, he or she has a duty not to take them in the first place. A natural right is a claim to what one rightfully owns by birth, or by way of one’s nature as a human being. Natural rights are unalienable, because they cannot be alienated or given away to someone else. A right from this point of view is a duty from another. If you have a right to liberty, I have a duty to respect that right. The Declaration specifically mentions three unalienable rights. No one may rightfully deny us these things. Note the third one mentioned above is the pursuit of happiness and not happiness itself. But the Declaration also says these three are “among” our natural rights, so there must be others. Additional natural rights may be gleaned from official documents and writings of the Founding era, and they include the rights of conscience and property, free speech and free press, freedom of religion, and others protected in what became our Constitution’s “Bill of Rights.”
The Founders would never have said that you have a right to decent housing, health care, recreation, or anything else before you have worked to get them. It is only after you have acquired your property in some legitimate way that your right to own property comes into play. That said, property rights can be seen as part of the right to liberty and the right to pursue happiness. There is also a natural right to work, and property comes into play here too. We own ourselves and our labor by human nature; ergo, we are free to work and to keep the fruits of our labor. The right to earn property, and to keep the property one earns is fundamental to the conception of Natural Rights shared by the Founders. Moreover, the right of religious liberty was not a right to exclude religion from public life. Indeed, the right to religious liberty flows from the duty that all human beings have towards their Creator. The most basic reason for freedom of religion understood by the Founders, was not to free man from obligation to God or religion, but to free him to perform his duties to God, without obnoxious coercion into modes of worship by fallible human beings in government.

Wesley Allen Riddle is a retired military officer with degrees and honors from West Point and Oxford. Widely published in the academic and opinion press, he serves as State Director of the Republican freedom Coalition (RFC) and is currently running for U. S. Congress (TX-District 25 in the Republican Primary. He is also author of two books, Horse Sense for the New Millennium (2011), and The Nexus of Faith and Freedom (2012). Both books are available on-line at http://www.wesriddle,net/ and from fine bookstores everywhere. Email: Wes@WesRiddle.com.

Army Values – Duty

CJ — Mon, 14 May 2012 01:29:40 +0000

Fulfill your obligations. Doing your duty means more than carrying out your assigned tasks. Duty means being able to accomplish tasks as part of a team. The work of the U.S. Army is a complex combination of missions, tasks and responsibilities — all in constant motion. Our work entails building one assignment onto another. You fulfill your obligations as a part of your unit every time you resist the temptation to take “shortcuts” that might undermine the integrity of the final product.

Going above and beyond. Stepping “outside your lane.” Going the extra mile. For you. For the mission. For your troops. For those with whom you serve.

What is a Soldier’s duty? In my last post on Loyalty, I quoted the oath that all members of the armed forces take when they sign up. From that point, we all ascribe to supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States. Sometimes, it may feel as if the values of loyalty and duty are in conflict with each other. In fact, doing our duty provides purpose behind our loyalties.

Duty isn’t a difficult thing to write about. My father, a retired Naval Command Master Chief, once gave me some great advice. I was having an especially difficult time as a young Staff Sergeant trying to enforce standards. The problem was that standards hadn’t been enforced in that unit for quite some time and many were comfortable with that. The status quo was being challenged. I was contemplating leaving the military after six years of service. My father told me, “as long as you’re doing the right thing, you’ll never have anything to worry about. You’re going to piss people off and it’s going to get rough, but always do the right thing, CJ.”

Last week, the Army released its suicide data for the month of April. Last month, there were 14 suspected cases of suicide. Unfortunately, most of these cases are usually confirmed. Since January, the Army has suffered more than 60 suicides.

Why am I mentioning this on a post about Duty? Because many of our Army’s leaders have resorted to more of a check the block type of attention to this issue and still don’t show much genuine care for their troops. As leaders, we are charged with the responsibility of seeing to the health, welfare and well-being of those who serve below us. Over a decade of war seems to have made our leaders wary of meeting that charge.

I’ve personally seen Soldiers try to reach out to their leaders with concerns about their mental and emotional states. All too often, these are met with either a shrug or hostility. Much of the time, leaders actually find ways of exacerbating those issues than helping with them. I have personally witnessed this with some of my previous leaders. Taking care of Soldiers isn’t just a nice thing to do – it’s our DUTY. If we remain true to that charge and honestly seek to find real solutions for our troops, I honestly believe we can make some headway in the numbers quoted above.

Another disconcerting statistic that is as unfortunate as it is repulsive are the constant stream of sexual assault cases occurring within the military. Sexual assault has gotten so bad in the military that senior leaders are mandating that most cases be addressed at the O-6 level (Colonel or Captain, service dependent).

I’m willing to go out on a limb and say that I believe nearly every single case of sexual assault could have been prevented if troops fulfilled their duty to watch each other’s back at all times. While leaders tend to be held accountable for much of the indiscipline among the ranks, the reality is that we can’t be with 100% of our troops 100% of the time. Training, briefings, and a true communication of our positions related to these despicable acts only go so far. However, battle buddies do have near-constant contact with each other and can recognize the words and actions of their friends that may lead to the occurrence of a sexual assault.

As Soldiers, it is our duty to protect each other. We do so in combat, so why not every other time? If a Soldier sees his buddy or a familiar face macking on a girl that is obviously not interested, it is his/her duty to try and intervene or de-escalate the situation.

Duty is about as easy as living the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It’s as simple as choosing the right. I wear a ring on my right hand with the initials “CTR” engraved upon it. Not that I need the constant reminder, but it’s a good conversation piece when others ask me about it.

Choose the right. Can you imagine if EVERY SINGLE TROOP lived by that moniker? This philosophy directly correlates to another Army Value that I’ll discuss in the future – integrity.

Always give 100% to the mission, to your troops, and to each other. Duty is seeing a need and filling it without being asked or specifically tasked.

President Obama to Award Medal of Honor

CJ — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:46:00 +0000

On May 16, President Barack Obama will award Specialist Leslie H. Sabo, Jr., U.S. Army, the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry.

Specialist Sabo will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroic actions in combat on May 10, 1970, while serving as a rifleman in Company B, 3d Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division in Se San, Cambodia.

On that day, when he and his platoon were ambushed by a large enemy force, Specialist Sabo immediately charged the enemy position, killing several enemy soldiers. He then assaulted an enemy flanking force, successfully drawing their fire away from friendly soldiers and ultimately forcing the enemy to retreat. While securing a re-supply of ammunition, an enemy grenade landed nearby. Specialist Sabo picked it up, threw it, and shielded a wounded comrade with his own body – absorbing the brunt of the blast and saving his comrade’s life. Although wounded by the grenade blast, he continued to charge the enemy’s bunker. After receiving several serious wounds from automatic weapons fire, he crawled towards the enemy emplacement and, when in position, threw a grenade into the bunker. The resulting explosion silenced the enemy fire, but also ended Specialist Sabo’s life. His indomitable courage and complete disregard for his own safety saved the lives of many of his platoon members.

Specialist Sabo’s widow, Rose Mary Sabo-Brown and his brother, George Sabo, will join the President at the White House to commemorate his example of selfless service and sacrifice.

Soldier Graduates 20 Years After High School

CJ — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:37:36 +0000

It had all the makings of the typical college graduation. There was the speech Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Moon had earned the right to give as an honor graduation, but when he began to thank the people who made his graduation possible, a fighter jet roared overhead, drowning out his voice as he stopped and wiped away a tear. There was the graduation cap that he’d tossed in the air to celebrate an academic milestone, only to have it travel two feet, hit the ceiling and fall to the ground. There were loved ones who’d gathered around to help him celebrate, except they were some 6,000 miles away and only appeared on Skype.

Such is a non-traditional graduation for a non-traditional student. Deployed here in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the Army Reservist with Army Acquisition Command graduated from Motlow State Community College, May 3, in the middle of a war zone, nearly 20 years after his high school graduation.

“Life just got in the way,” said Moon, of Beech Grove, Tenn. “I did three years of active duty right out of high school and went back home and started working just like anyone else. We got married and had a child right away, so education was put on the back burner.

“I just worked a normal job like everyone else to make ends meet and pay the bills,” he continued.

Between being a father and husband, there were also the deployments – two stints in Iraq and his latest here, along with 1.5 years as a trainer at Fort Benning, Ga. Despite all the responsibilities and his military successes, Moon said getting educated was always a proposition that gnawed at him – not only because he wanted to prove to others he could do it, but also to set the example for his children.

“We’re trying to set good examples for the kids – hopefully we’ll encourage them to attend college after high school,” he said. “There was [also] a sense of not fitting in. My good friends went straight to college and ended up having successful careers. In a way, I was envious of that, but I also wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, to overcome my own doubts.”

Although he was eligible for the Montgomery and Post 9/11 G.I. Bills – the latter would have paid for his entire education plus monthly living allowances, Moon passed the benefits onto his wife, who will earn her teaching degree later this month. Left without his own benefits and thrust onto active duty, Moon used the tuition assistance program the military offers active duty soldiers. With help from military education counselors and a host of tests that allowed him to bypass some core classes, Moon got to work on his academic career in the middle of a war zone – something he first found difficult because of how long he’d been removed from academia, Moon said.

“It was definitely a challenge at first,” he said. “Once I got the basics of it, everything was okay. My instructors said it’s also a lot easier for older students because they have the drive and it’s what they want to do.”

With his Associates of Science degree complete, Moon now plans to attend a university once his deployment is over and finishing his academic career. Although he will already have a family and career before finishing college, such a non-linear progression doesn’t faze him, he said.

“It’s easy to get wrapped up around what society deems acceptable,” he said. “Growing up, I always had an idea of what I wanted. It was getting married, having kids and having a house – college finally came there in the middle somewhere.”

Although his commitment will ultimately benefit his family and civilian career, such an education will also help Moon advance his military career, he said.

“The Army is pushing education, and if you want better opportunities, you have to get an education,” he said.

This, added Moon, not only applies for younger soldiers just starting their military careers, but also older ones looking to finish an education they intended to get, but never got the opportunity to do so.

“To the young guys, if you want to stay in and advance in your career, education is the way to go,” he said. “To the older guys, it’s never too late.”

Much like with the military, academia is an opportunity to improve oneself, and just as just soldiers get the opportunity each day to improve themselves in the military, Moon said they must also do the same in academia when the chance presents itself.

“Seize the day … take control of your life and do the right thing,” he said.

Story and photo by Army SGT Marc Loi.

Milblogger Family Reunion

CJ — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:20:37 +0000

The general details of the 2012 Milblogger Family Reunion sponsored by You Served and Veterans United Home Loans have been put together and we are happy to announce them here. This is open to anyone who wishes to join us, including milbloggers, supporters, non-military bloggers, family members and kids. The more the merrier!

When: Friday, August 31, 2012-Sunday, September 2, 2012.

Where: San Antonio, Texas

Tentatively scheduled Events:

Friday, 8/31/12
Travel day in for everyone

6pm-12 midnight: Party with beer and light foods at the Soldiers Angels Warehouse

The party is BYOB but a keg of beer will be provided, courtesy of VUHL. We will have sodas and water as mixers and for those choosing to not drink. Foods will be light fare, this is not a fully catered dinner event, but a social meet and greet amongst friends and family.

Dress code is casual, jeans and t-shirt type of thing. We’d love everyone to wear a red shirt for Red Shirt Friday to support our military! Ranger Up, Soldiers Angels, and many other military friendly organizations have their own version of red shirts, so let’s all make it a sea of red support!

Saturday, 9/1/12
10am – approx 11:30am: Discussion group addressing PTSD, suicide prevention, and reintegration. We hope everyone can come join us for this because anyone who has contact with military people are familiar with these topics. Whether it is a tough reintegration into family, suicidal thoughts, struggling with PTSD, or even a smooth transition, everyone has a story to tell. We’re hoping to be able to share resources and ideas on how to reach out to those who are unfamiliar with the military system (those moms back home in “Podunk”, Anywhere USA who have a son struggling and who don’t know where to turn to for help!!). This is not a “panel of experts” talking to us, this will be all of us discussing problems and solutions. There will be a few guests who will start off the discussion by telling their own stories, but it will be opened up to the whole floor after that.

11:30am-2pm: Break for lunch, tour the SA warehouse, pack some care packages for soldiers overseas, etc

2pm-4pm: The afternoon panel will cover one of two topics. The first potential topic is for the discussion group to meet with some recovering warriors from BAMC and discuss the role of social and new media with recovery. Things to be discussed would be the creation of social media groups, pages, twitter accounts for recovering warfighters, does it hurt or help? Is that an infringement on privacy and what are the opinions of those recovering themselves. Do they like it, hate it, don’t care? Does it help to post updates on social media or blogs during recovery? Who is that for, the patient or family/friends?

The other possible topic is what milblogs can do in the next phase of the war effort, homecoming and after. This discussion would focus on what milblogs and social media can do to assist our warriors after the flags get put away and hugs end. What next for the warrior? How do they transition to a pure civilian life? What resources are out there for job hunting, counseling, peer groups, etc. Wars end (thankfully) but the effects don’t, which means our support of these men and women should not end when there are no more care packages to send. How can we as a loose online community ensure that support is still there.

The afternoon panel (regardless of which one is decided upon) will be facilitated by someone to keep the discussion moving forward and on topic.

4pm-6pm: TBD – there is something in the works and when it is confirmed, we will announce it

6pm: End of day’s events. Everyone finds their own dinner and entertainment

Sunday, 9/2/12
10am: Free screening of Bards of War with producer/director, Scott Kesterson, there to answer questions

Lodging
There is a block of hotel rooms at the Comfort Suites (6350 I-35 N., San Antonio, TX
Phone: (210) 646-6600) reserved at a rate of $69/night for those who will be attending. When making reservations, mention “Soldiers Angels” to get the rate.

Registration
There is no registration fee and so this is a low-cost event where everyone is on their own. If you are going to attend, please register online. If you have a Facebook account, follow the event page for updates or find a roommate (if needed).

With the help of Soldiers Angels, we’ve secured a free gathering site and a lower room rate, but transportation between the hotel and the warehouse are your responsibility. Some of us will have minivans, so we can carpool with our friends, and there are cabs available (the hotel is about a mile away from the warehouse so a shared cab should be very reasonable). If there is an overwhelming response, we will look into getting some sort of limo-bus for the Friday night social, but there is no guarantee and is contingent upon numbers planning to attend and interest in this transportation option.

There may be some future changes in the tentative schedule for the day’s events on Saturday, but in general, this is what we are looking to do. Either way, we are really looking forward to seeing all our friends and milblogger family members again!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Marcus Penn at mpenn-at-veteransunited-DOT-com.

Soldier Missing from Vietnam War Identified

CJ — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:54:15 +0000

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Army Capt. Charles R. Barnes of Philadelphia, Pa., will be buried May 2, in Arlington National Cemetery. On March 16, 1969, Barnes and four other service members departed Qui Nhon Airfields bound for Da Nang and Phu Bai, in a U-21A Ute aircraft. As they approached Da Nang, they encountered low clouds and poor visibility. Communications with the aircraft were lost, and they did not land as scheduled. Immediate search efforts were limited due to hazardous weather conditions, and all five men were list as missing in action.

From 1986-1989, unidentified human remains were turned over to the United States from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) in several different instances. None of the remains were identified given the limits of the technology of the time.

In 1993, a joint U.S.-S.R.V. team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), conducted investigations in Quang Nam-Da Nang, and Thua Thien-Hue Provinces. They interviewed a local Vietnamese citizen who supplied remains and an identification tag bearing Barnes’ name, which he claimed to have recovered from an aircraft crash site.

In 1999, another joint U.S.-S.R.V. team interviewed additional Vietnamese citizens about the crash and they were led to the crash site. In 2000, a joint U.S.-S.R.V. team excavated the site and recovered human remains and material evidence.

Scientists from the JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used circumstantial evidence, and forensic identification tools such as mitochondrial DNA — which matched that of Barnes’ sister — in the identification of the remains.

One Nation Under God in Need of Prayer ‘For Such a Time as This’

Wes — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:43:58 +0000

Wes has a great perspective on things, which is why I keep sharing his writings. I hope you like them as much as I do and I’m honored that he allows me to publish them here. – CJ

The National Day of Prayer is an annual event passed by joint resolution of Congress in 1952 and signed into law by President Truman. Of course the tradition of calling for special days set aside for prayer goes back much further, indeed to the American Revolution and to the First Continental Congress in 1775. The National Day of Prayer is observed on the first Thursday of May each year. Because our nation continues to navigate through extremely challenging days, the National Day of Prayer Task Force chose “One Nation Under God” as this year’s theme. It is perhaps something to remember moreover, that this year is a pivotal election year. The inspiration for the 2012 theme is found in Psalm 33:12, which offers this important reminder: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…”

Another verse worth referencing is Nahum 1:7 which states, “The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” Indeed, the Book of Nahum is interesting, in that, it is actually a warning to Israel about God’s wrath and the destruction of the wicked, and a prophecy about the downfall of the city of Nineveh. There may be some allusion here to these United States! But then there are the words “for such a time as this,” taken from the Book of Esther. It is in Esther we find a message of hope and also of deliverance, and one may at least pray there’s an allusion to us in that Book as well.

Esther was a beautiful Jewish maiden. She was orphaned and brought up by her cousin Mordecai, who held office and served Xerxes the king of Persia. After dethroning his very difficult wife Vashti, the king chose Esther to take her place as queen. Mordecai and Esther did not reveal their relationship, however, probably because they did not want her Jewish parentage to enter in and become a point of contention or prejudice. Meanwhile another officer named Haman hated Jews almost pathologically, so much that he actually presumed upon the king’s authority and ordered their persecution throughout the kingdom. It is upon that occasion that Mordecai approaches Esther and asks her to intervene on their people’s behalf. At first she does not appreciate her influence, and she does not quite know the limits of her position. She is cautious at least, even afraid to broach the king on this subject knowing how hot tempered he could be. She might be viewed as being difficult like Vashti. She might blow her political capital so to speak, her query dismissed as mere nuisance or worse as a bald imposition.

Mordecai nevertheless persuades her to find courage and to persevere, by reminding her of the gravity of the situation and of greater purpose beyond her mortal self. He references the unlikely series of events that brought her to the throne and suggests to Esther that she may have come into her position just “for such a time as this.” It is a peculiarity of the Book of Esther that the name of God does not once occur in it, but the reality of God is clearly present. Esther obtains permission from the king to arrange a banquet and to invite Haman. She petitions the king at the banquet to stop all the outrages being committed against Jews in the kingdom. When asked by the king who is responsible for the terrible things she describes, she fingers none other than Haman who is there present. In an amazing turnabout, Haman is hung on the very gallows he had built and prepared for Mordecai. Talk about poetic justice! As for the Jews, they “rested from their enemies” and were allowed to take revenge—their desperate situation having turned in an instant “from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day” (Esther 9:22).

Today these United States of America face a desperate situation economically and politically, and the nation is in dire need of prayer. The people need Mordecai’s encouragement, in order to weather unemployment and a rapidly approaching debt crisis, taxes and overregulation; they need to be reminded like Esther, of their exalted position in the Republic. Americans have enemies around the world to be sure. They also have enemies within and our own share of officers in the government who presume upon the authority of the people and who subvert the written Constitution and intent of the Founders. It behooves us to remember, however, that turnabouts come quickly. Exposing evildoers in public can have a dramatic effect as it did with ACORN, and one single election can reverse four years of very bad policy practically in an instant.

THE LMT SHARPSHOOTER SYSTEM – THE ALL-AMERICAN COMMERCIAL MODEL

CJ — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:20:36 +0000

Lewis Machine & Tool Company (LMT®), an Illinois-based company that designs, prototypes and manufactures small arms, accessories and tooling components for the military, government, law enforcement, commercial manufacturers and responsible civilians awarded the UK Ministry of Defence requirement for a new sharpshooter rifle in late 2009 has now introduced an American commercial version. The UK “L129A1″ 7.62mm semi-automatic “sharpshooter” rifle was chosen based on its proven design and new features that made the rifle more accurate over longer distances. Now, for a limited time only, the newly American designated LM308MWS Sharpshooter System will be available in limited quantities.

The new Sharpshooter System, like its UK predecessor, is built on a one-piece upper receiver with a free floating 16″ stainless steel, tactically flat-matte blackened barrel with a 1:11.25″ twist with the SureFire adapter mounted. The .308 Modular Weapon System features Flat Dark Earth furniture, a semi-auto carrier group, charging handle assembly, SOPMOD buttstock, two-stage trigger, an ambi-selector and ambi- mag release and flip-up front and rear sights.

LMT® packs this collector’s rifle in a Pelican case with foam cut outs and includes not only the manual, torque wrench/driver and three Flat Dark Earth rail panels, but also eight 20-round magazines, two heavy-duty push-button swivels, a .308 OTIS cleaning kit, a sliding sling mount, a chamber cleaning rod and sight adjustment tool and a Harris Bipod assembly. A complete, one-of-a-kind Sharpshooter System in one package is available for only $4,950.09 MSRP.

THE “HEDY JANE” POCKET PISTOL BY HEIZER DEFENSE UNVEILED AT 2012 NRA SHOW

CJ — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 22:14:22 +0000

Heizer Defense LLC, a firearms company producing a new paradigm of pistols for the responsible-citizen and law enforcement markets, will unveil the “Hedy Jane” DoubleTap™ pocket pistol during the 2012 National Rifle Association Meetings and Exhibits show in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Hedy Jane DoubleTap™ is a tactical pocket pistol with 7 patents pending, built on the slimmest and lightest titanium or aluminum frame on the market today at only .665 inches wide and 14 ounces (titanium). The Hedy Jane is finished in “iPhone®” white Cerakote™ from the leaders in firearms finishes. Available in .45 ACP or 9MM, the Hedy Jane is a no-snag, hammerless pistol completely designed, engineered and manufactured to the highest degree of precision and tolerances in an aerospace facility using aerospace technology and equipment. The Hedy Jane DoubleTap™ carries two rounds in the chamber and the integral grips house two additional spare rounds on a loading device for tactical reloads. The interchangeable barrels feature a patent-pending progressive barrel porting option that cuts muzzle rise and recoil. The ambidextrous thumb latch releases the action to eject the spent rounds.

Unlike any firearm, the Hedy Jane DoubleTap™ features a truly revolutionary double-action trigger system that utilizes roller bearings for a glass-smooth action and crisp trigger pull. The Hedy Jane DoubleTap™ is available in an all-white model with stainless accents. The MSRP for the new Hedy Jane DoubleTap™ is $499.00 non-ported and $569.00 ported for the aluminum model and $729.00 non-ported, $799.00 ported in the titanium model.

Army Values – Loyalty

CJ — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:00:26 +0000

“Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Army, your unit and other Soldiers. Bearing true faith and allegiance is a matter of believing in and devoting yourself to something or someone. A loyal Soldier is one who supports the leadership and stands up for fellow Soldiers. By wearing the uniform of the U.S. Army you are expressing your loyalty. And by doing your share, you show your loyalty to your unit.”

This is my first post in my Army Values series. In the Army acronym LDRSHIP, Loyalty comes first. It’s instilled in most troops early in their lives when they first learned the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. I will be loyal to the symbol of freedom and justice in the world. I will look upon its stars and stripes and remember the sacrifices of so many who died to keep it waving and free. I will never let it fall into enemy hands or suffer disgrace through misuse or abuse. The flag stands for many of the other Army Values that we’ll discuss later – honor, respect, integrity.

And the republic for which it stands. Our nation is the best nation on the planet. Its people have perished to spread freedom throughout the world. It had fed the hungry and healed the sick. It has ended abuses, plunders, and destructions since its inception. This nation is led by the people, not a dictator or king that orders its direction. Our republic ensures that its citizens have a voice and that voice cannot be silenced. The Constitution which protects rights already inalienably given to us stands as a beacon to other nations that can only hope for what we have in their dreams – because to express those hopes openly could lead to death or imprisonment.

One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Being indivisible does not mean that we have to agree with the direction of our leaders or superiors. It means that we are undivided in standing with America through good times and bad. Our government isn’t perfect, but God has granted us this land of bounty and freedom worth protecting. In the end, when our nation is threatened we always come together to fight the common enemy. We did so after Pearl Harbor and we did so after 9/11.

Loyalty in the Army is no different. Like the Pledge of Allegiance, every single Soldier – officer and enlisted – took an oath similar to this:

“I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”

In the Army, we recognize that loyalty is the thread that binds our actions together, defines our commitment to each other, our units, our country and our Constitution. It describes our commitment to our family members and the families of our troops. It enjoins us to our communities and citizenry. It also demands a commitment to ourselves as individuals and members of a greater team. It’s a two way commitment of both leaders and the led.

It’s easy for troops to display loyalty to their leaders. Often, they have no choice. We are in a profession that demands loyalty to ensure success on the battlefield and preparing for it. However, loyalty doesn’t mean being a “yes man.” There is a delicate balancing act that must be undertaken to ensure that, for example, a Soldier’s loyalty to his supervisors doesn’t contradict his loyalty to the Constitution. This is why Soldiers are allowed to disobey unlawful orders.

When it comes to loyalty, most troops will do anything for the Army. For example, when my unit wanted to create new shirts I leveraged my contacts and asked a good friend and artist if he would create our design. I got the details of what the command wanted and a design was approved. I personally forked over $400 to pay for the second print run of the shirts to be made for the unit. As the shirts were purchased by the troops, I was largely paid back. I’m probably still in the hole about $100, but the pride I see when troops are sporting them during PT or off duty makes it easy to forget.

Soldiers display their loyalty every day trying to make missions happen. A detail may be tasked to perform area beautification (read: mow the lawn) and not be given the tools to “make it happen.” Soldiers will grab their personal equipment from home – weedeaters, edgers, mowers, and fuel for them all. It’s a rare day that I’ve seen a unit with the equipment on hand for these tasks, but loyalty pushes these troops complete the mission.

Where I think loyalty is more frequently lacking is the supervisor to subordinate realm. There is sort of an unwritten rule that leaders are always right…even when they’re wrong. If Soldiers provide a good alternate course of action to a leader’s decision and the leader ignores it, the Soldier will do what he is told as long as it is ethically, morally, and legally accommodating.

Unfortunately, there are leaders that lack the moral fortitude to stand up for their troops when a leader’s decision is adversely affecting the Soldier’s life, career, or mission. Sometimes the pressure put on leaders trying to stand up for their subordinates causes them to cave or lose principle. They quickly join the pack and pile on the Soldier even when they know he is right. Those leaders that refuse to bend on principle and remain loyal to their troops and fall on the sword on their behalf are marginalized. At that point, the Soldier is forced to rely on other Army Values I’ll discuss later – duty, personal courage and selfless service. Standing up to injustices by leaders and subordinates demonstrates a loyalty to the organization as a whole.

Thankfully, there aren’t many leaders I’ve met that fit into that category. Troops placed in leadership are largely done so for a reason. They have displayed these loyal qualities of following the orders of their supervisors while ensuring the care of their subordinates. 99% of the time, there is no dilemma. Usually, those in the 1% are eventually removed from the Army for toxic leadership. About 1% of that 1% continue on with the support of those like them and are corrupted by the process. In a way, it’s good in that younger leaders are able to identify what bad leadership looks like and avoid it in themselves as they move up the ranks. I have had those leaders throughout my career, but they were only small stains on an oversized tablecloth of good leaders.

Loyalty is accomplishing the mission to the best of your ability even when you dislike your leaders and your unit. I firmly believe there is no such thing as a bad unit; only bad leadership. I always look at it as a challenge to make that unit a better one through my example of mentorship and mission accomplishment. I tend to always complain sideways or up and never make disparaging comments to my troops about leaders or the unit. I remind them that pain is temporary. If you wait until the pain goes away, it won’t hurt any more.

For me, every day I wake up is a new day. My frustrations lead a Cinderella life – they all go away at midnight. Tomorrow is a fresh start with the hopes that those who have problems with me will wake up the same way and see their own mistakes and attempt to turn from them.

Loyalty is speaking up when you see something you know is wrong. Soldiers make mistakes; some do so intentionally. Few are done in complete hiding from others. So, Soldiers need to be aware of and use the tools available to them to correct those actions that violate our values.

Most likely, you’ve seen the stories that have surfaced of Soldiers posing with the body parts of a suicide bomber. The ensuing public outrage could have been prevented had just one of those Soldiers been loyal to the mission and the rest of us Soldiers and put a stop to it on the spot. We all know the rules about taking photos of enemy bodies for personal use. Because no one stood up and corrected these actions, our troops face the consternation of those that believe these are the values we espouse.

Besides being the convenient first letter of our Army Values acronym, loyalty is the mustard seed from which a just and honorable career is planted. My father always told me that as long as you’re doing the right thing, you’ll never have anything to worry about. You may piss off people along the way and it going may get rough, but in the end you’ll be the last one holding your head high.

The views expressed in this post are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official views or opinions of any branch of government or military unit.