A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of being able to view a new documentary called A SECOND KNOCK AT THE DOOR. It covers an issues that is taboo within military families and is underreported by the media like most things related to war.

The term “friendly fire” evokes memories of Patrick Tillman, the American football star who left the NFL to join the United States Army after 9/11 and was subsequently killed in Afghanistan. The controversy behind Tillman’s death included the Army’s cover-up of friendly fire, which unleashed a media maelstrom as was told in the documentary THE TILLMAN STORY. For Christopher E. Grimes, then a graduate student planning his Master’s thesis in Public Policy at Northwestern University, the case provoked the question: how many other cases like Pat Tillman’s are there? The results of Grimes’ thesis research is the award-winning documentary feature A SECOND KNOCK AT THE DOOR, which shares the heart-breaking stories of four families who have lost loved ones due to friendly fire.

When I was first asked if I wanted to review the film, I was hesitant. I tend to see most documentaries coming from the film industry about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as slanted against reality and in a manner that casts a negative light on our troops. So, admittedly, I went into this with skepticism and a desire to at least warn my readers about the film. What I found was quite different.

A SECOND KNOCK AT THE DOOR is a very unbiased and objective view of what families goes through in finding out that their loved one was killed by friendly fire – or even just suspected.

The military as a whole, and the Army specifically, has learned a great deal about how to handle suspected incidents of friendly fire since the Tillman case. The military has recognized that hiding or minimizing the truth is not beneficial and only makes matters worse.

The film rightly highlights that fratricide, the actual term for “friendly fire,” is a given in war. There has never been a war and will probably never be one in which a troop is not accidentally killed by a friendly force.

When I was in Iraq, we suffered a close call near the town of Al Mishikhab, south of An Najaf. Our Cav Squadron broke off by troops to envelop the town. Mishikhab is located in a fertil area along a river I can’t remember the name of (didn’t write it in my journal for some reason). C Troop (Crazyhorse), 3-7 Cav crossed the river to the east and then began pushing north. A Troop (Apache), continued along the main MSR on Route 28. At this point, a major sandstorm was blowing through but nothing to the level of one to come a few days later. At a point along the route where our two troops’ movement began to come closer together and parallel each other, our troop was mistaken for enemy movement. We had been fighting the Republican Guard and had them in a pincher movement. Unfortunately, FBCB2 was not as widespread in early 2003 and Apache thought we were enemy tanks through the haze. A Bradley opened up on us with its .50 Cal machine gun. Immediately, the nets filled with frantic calls for cease fire as leaders recognized friendly fire. Thankfully, no one was injured in that brief encounter as only a few bursts were shot out.

Unfortunately, such is not the case for some families.

The Army’s policy on informing the families of fallen soldiers is to “give them the truth, they best they know it and as fast as they can.” This was not the experience of the four families featured in the film that had to wade through red tape and wait between six months to a year to have the deaths confirmed as friendly fire only after repeated inquiries. The families of Sgt. Lee Todacheene (Farmington, NM, Navajo Nation), PFC Jesse Buryj (Canton, OH), PFC David Sharrett II (Oakton, VA) and SPC Wesley Wells (Libertyville, IL) open their homes and their hearts to share their stories of loss, betrayal and frustration.

Often times, it’s just as confusing for military officials as it is for families to find the truth. The “fog of war” affects us all and the truth doesn’t usually come out until autopsies are done and questions arise. Because our troops are so highly trained to prevent, if not miminize, fratricide it’s easy to immediately conclude in most cases that this isn’t an option.

Grimes does a commendable job of undertaking intense research and sharing BOTH sides of the issues – the families’ and the military’s. His research shows: Following the Gulf War I, where the number of deaths resulting from friendly fire accounted for 17% of US combat deaths, the Department of Defense completely revised casualty reporting procedures associated with friendly fire, requiring that the Army provide casualty information to the next of kin in an “accurate and timely manner” after a “reasonable suspicion of fratricide” is established.

A SECOND KNOCK AT THE DOOR is a gripping documentary that has earned Best Documentary nods at both the East Lansing Film Festival and the Sycamore Film Festival. The DVD version was officially released on March 13, 2012 and is available for purchase at the documentary’s website at www.asecondknockatthedoor.com.

A Second Knock At The Door Trailer from Cinema Libre Studio on Vimeo.

This review is solely based upon the opinions of the author and do reflect the views, opinions, endorsements, or perception of any branch of the United States Government or military unit.

Tuesday Morning a NATO helicopter crashed in Afghanistan, destroying the aircraft but fortunately no casualties to crew members on board. Several NATO convoys were attacked by roadside bombs and IEDs. One attack resulted in 12 killed and 28 wounded in a southern Kandahar province. IEDs were also used to killed several NATOP members in Eastern Afghanistan. In May 2011 there have been 29 coalition forces members killed. Since our last report 9 American soldiers have been killed. In 2011 there have been 1582 U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan.

THE FRONTLINES OF IRAQ

Roadside bombs wounded six in a western district of Khadra and several other bombings took place throughout Iraq. In Kirkuk, several attacks were carried out which killed several civilians. A parked car bomb was used to target police and its blast killed two civilians and wounded 14 others in Kirkuk. Two Americans were also killed in operations in Baghdad. There were several outbreaks of violence in the capital city which resulted in several Iraqi civilians wounded or killed in clashes. Since our last report 2 more Americans were killed, bringing the total American death toll in Iraq to 4,454.

To read the full update please visit The Frontlines Weekly Update Brief (May 16-22, 2011). If you have a different opinion or comment please post it here, or email me at askthewarrant@thefrontlines.com. Thank you.

very respectfully,

The “Warrant”

References

The Economist. (2011). May 21-27th Issue.

iCasualties. (2011). Coalition Casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan. Retrieved from www.icasualties.org.

Taliban insurgents kidnapped 50 Afghan police officers in an ambush in northeastern Afghanistan. Insurgent forces in the Helmand province attacked an American unit with small arms fire, killing SPC. Justin Ross of Wisconsin. Other ISAF members were killed in separate attacks using IEDs and small arms fire. Since our last report nine more American have died in Operation Enduring Freedom. The war in Afghanistan has claimed 59 American lives thus far in 2011, and the total for the war is now 1,514 (www.icasualties.org).

THE FRONTLINES OF IRAQ

Several attacks by gunmen occured throughout the country, and insurgent used bombs to kill contractors, police, and civilians. Gunmen using silenceers killed a police colonel in his house in Ramadi and a roadside bomb was used against a food distribution center in Baghdad. One American soldier died in Iraq since our last update.  American soldiers killed in 2011 is eleven and an overall death total of 4,441 (www.icasualties.org).

If you have a different opinion please email me at askthewarrant@thefrontlines.com. Or to learn more visit The Frontlines. Thank you.

very respectfully,

The Warrant

References

The Economist, March 26-April 1, 2011

The Frontlines Weekly Update Brief thefrontlines.com/the-frontlines-weekly-update-brief-march-21-27-2011

iCasualties. (2011). Coalition Casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan. Retrieved from www.icasualties.org

How do you lose $900 million? Afghan businessmen and investors believe much of the money has been pocketed by an elite group of privileged, and those with political ties to President Hamid Karzi’s government (New York Times, 2011, para 7).

The Kabul Bank is also the pipeline through which the United States military pays Afghan security forces. Now, the military paymasters must find other banks to process the $800 million payroll. This incompetent and fraudulent mishandling of such sums will not go unnoticed. The International Monetary Fund has not yet renewed its aid program to Afghanistan. The program expired last September, and it remains to be seen if the IMF will continue their aid, or will simply cut their losses and move on.

If you have a different opinion or comment please post it here or email me at askthewarrant@thefrontlines.com. To learn more about The Frontlines, and how you can support our veterans, please visit http://www.thefrontlines.com. “Fronts Change. Memories Don’t.”

Very respectfully,

The “Warrant”

http://www.thefrontlines.com

References

The New York Times (2010). Losses at Afghan Bank Could Be $900 Million. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/31/world/asia/31kabul.html?_r=1

SGT Eric Newman was killed in Afghanistan October 14th of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.  He was assigned to 1st Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment, 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C.

I have been on more KIA missions with the MS PGR than I care to count. Every time there is an out pouring of love, loss and support for the family and I know that I shouldn’t be surprised by the support a community shows for one of our fallen heros, but this time I was completely amazed. The city of Waynesboro, MS came to honor SGT Newman in a way that I have never seen before. It started at the airport in Meridian, MS on Thursday when Newman’s body arrived, and continued all along the 50 mile route to Waynesboro and the funeral home. There were officers and fire fighters from Wayne County, Waynesboro, and Meridian,as well as 47 PGR and bikers.

I don’t think there was any kind of auto moving in the city other than the procession from the time we entered till we arrived at the funeral home. I have made the comment several times that it is hard to ride my Harley with tears filling my eyes and goggles, but this time was different. There were more tears.

The city of Waynesboro had heard that “uninvited guest” were targeting this service and those same uninvited guest even had it up on their web site. I am not sure if it was one woman or several, but there were flyers being handed out as Newman’s body was being escorted through town. One concerned citizen made it a point to give the flyer to the PGR State Captain, Ed Baker and he went to work to confirm their attendance.

The “uninvited guest” have to obtain a permit to legally protest. After a bit of investigation and some phone calls, Ed sent us all and email telling us that a reporter had a direct quote from the city clerk that they had NOT gotten that permit. That allowed the PGR to focus on what we were there to do, honor a true American Hero.

Visitation was Friday evening and about 20 of us were there to stand the flag line. The city of Waynesboro sent out a message that they wanted to do something for the PGR for being there to honor it’s fallen son and the Honor Guard from Ft Bragg. Many of the churches and community members came together to set up a feast fit for a king. We ate in shifts so as to make sure there were enough PGR members there to stand the flag line and have extras to rotate out with. I was lucky enough and honored to be in the group that arrived at the firehouse while the Honor Guard from Ft Bragg was still there. What a great group of soldiers! It was an honor to meet them.

The city had invited them to attend the football game that night. As they arrived at the ball field, they announced that the soldiers were on their way in. As they entered the field, there was a standing ovation. I was told that it brought them to tear to see such a greeting.

A the end of the evening some rode home and some of us grabbed hotel rooms.

Services were held on Saturday, October 23rd. A Never Forget flag had been embroidered in honor of SGT Newman and was flown for the escort from the funeral home to the cemetery. It was presented to Newman’s mother with the hope that the Waynesboro Police Dept. will fly it in honor of SGT Newman.

There were over 100 bikers on over 90 motorcycles that came to stand the flag line, and to honor and escort SGT Newman to his final resting place.

Once again, the “uninvited guests” made a very small presents. I did not talk to her and the only time I saw her was after she had been asked to leave and had only moved her SUV to the other side of the funeral home. Once we knew she had not left, we alerted the officers there and they took care of it. When it was time for the escort to the cemitary, the officers made sure that she didn’t leave when we did.

We formed a flag line at the cemetery and presented the mother and wife with plaques in honor of SGT Newman.

I want to say thank you to the city of Waynesboro for showing such great support to SGT Newman’s family and friends and to the PGR. When a community comes together such as they did, it restores my faith in humanity.

All of the video in this post was shot by a reporter from The Wayne County News.

Pictures were taken by Gold Star Mom, Wilma Allen; Stacy Price Lee and myself.

This is going to be the most updated version of my exposure of these Nigerian scams that target military personnel on dating sites. If you have a photo that is being used to scam women by using photos of military personnel, send to cj[at]soldiersperspective[dot]us and I will update this post. Eventually, women will be able to come here and SEE that the photos are being used on multiple women. It may also tip off people to who the REAL Soldiers are so they can understand that their names and/or images are being used illegally. If you are a Soldier in one of these photos, please contact me from your military email address so I know you’re legit.

Let’s get started…This post will be updated as photos are submitted to me. If you are being scammed by someone using these photos, please put your stories in the comments section. And keep in mind that the people in these photos are not the problem. They are victims just as much as those that they scam.

Claims to be Perry Terry Knox. Tells the standard retirement story, with a 11 year old son. Said he was a Sargeant. Asked for an iPhone, but when told it was too expensive asked his victim for a Blackberry. Uses the Datehoodup.com website.

This person is claiming to be Major Mark Collins Ehresman. Now, for anyone that knows anything about the Army uniform, knows that this is NOT an officer’s uniform.

These are supposedly of someone going by the name Tom Curtis. He uses the email tomhcurtis69@yahoo.com. Because of the size of each photo, they were obviously taken from either a MySpace or Facebook page. I’ve seen that last photo used in other scams as well.

These photos are supposedly of a Captain Steven Massingale Barrett. Yet, one just need look at the rank on the second picture to see how dumb this Nigerian scammer is.

Here’s the storyline on this guy, who uses the name Robert Bill Haggard.

My name is Robert Haggard.I was born on the 2nd of August, 1961 at Baptist Hospital of California. I started A & A Children Academy at 6 and later on continued from Calvary Baptist Church Schools. I was very playful at school and it affected my academic works. I joined the Military academy at the age of 16. I was in the boarding school so my parents visit me once in a while. I didn’t spend much time at home. My mom was a head teacher and dad was in the medical field.
I fought in the Gulf war in 1990 to 1991. The gulf war was fought to liberate Kuwait from autocratic rule of the late Saddam. I had a pretty bad experience.
I am an E-6 Staff Sergeant (SSG). I also act as a platoon sergeant in the absence of the Sergeant First Class. I am the leader of my squad. I am a non commission officer and I work in the junior management of the military.
As you already know, I am currently stationed in Baghdad , the capital of Iraq.I have to let you know that I am on my second mission to Iraq and I have already spent 10 months here in Iraq. My first mission to Iraq was in 2003. My mission ended in 2005. When back to the States, I found out that my ex betrayed my love by going in for another man. She cost me a lost. She misused my properties so I paid her off. I was in love with her with all my heart but she let me down. I was with her for 14 years.
My son lives with a friend in Miami. I have full custody of him. I do not want to pay my ex any amount of money again.I will be getting him to stay with me when i come home soon. I was married only once. I am now looking for another woman to involve myself with. I will be home in 3 months. Actually, we are not allowed to communicate with outsiders because of security reasons but I need a woman for myself. A woman that will be there for me and I will be there for her too. I will not be able to call you because we are not allowed to communicate with outsiders on phone. Everything is monitored.
My relationship with my ex was like this. I loved her with all my heart. In fact it is true. I wasn’t thinking she can do such a thing. I helped her in her work, support her family, spending much time with her as much as I could. Going with her to the beaches, the movies and a lot of interesting places just trying to make her the happiest woman in life. I know she is regretting it by now. Her parents once called me and were apologizing for her but I already made my mind. I don’t know why she drew away from me. Maybe, she can’t control her sexual desire. I do not get angry. It happens once in a while but I know how to control myself. In the army, if you can’t control your anger, you gonna end up fighting all the time. Will like you to also send me some pictures of you too.Take care.
I am concluding this letter here but remember this am serious about my words
Have a good day.
Hugs,
Haggards

I highlighted the glaring holes in this guys story, especially the rank. As I’ve said before, Soldiers ARE able to call back home and have contact with “outsiders”. What a weird term they use. Again, judging by the size of each of these photos, they were most likely snagged from a MySpace or Facebook page. Anyway, on to the next.

Meet “Captain James Miniard of the US army”. What a promotion for this guy, huh? I highly encourage you ladies being scammed by these guys to actually do a Google search on military ranks. You’ll knock out 90% of your problems right there.

The first one goes by the name MikeJones@Yahoo.com. The other 3 are supposedly the same person and goes by the name SGT.Oliver@yahoo.com ( full name Oliver Adamson). I’ve heard this name both ways. Both of these men were on HOT or NOT.

These are supposedly of a” Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Lanois” from Cleveland North Carolina…and is presently stationed in Afghanistan in a “very dangerous are” in Kabul and that he is with the Second Falcon Bridge Combat Team 82 SF Base. Again, notice the rank of this LTC!! What a coincidence! I’m in the First Blue Falcan Blog Brigade!

Here is a pic of “MAJ Joseph Morris” aka jose.muriz@yahoo.com. No explanation about why the name and email address are different. Probably tired of creating new Yahoo accounts and keeping up with them. Same story wants ts2 money and transit money. Says he was in 24 years, wants to retire and marry his victims and has money aplenty. Again, if someone says they need you to pay for communications, it’s a scam. Soldiers can pay for it themselves. It can also be taken out of their paychecks automatically if they “don’t have cash on them”.

Here is “John Palmas”. He said he was from CA studied at West Point, been in the Army for 15 years. Now in Afghanistan and will come back in 11 June. They always say they’re coming home soon so that when something goes terribly awry, they can bilk you for sympathy money for hospital clearances and all that crap. The interesting thing about these photos is that the scammer actually took the time to remove the name tags from the photo. Could be anyone here!

The first 4 photos are of a young James Ruddock and his family. He says he is from New York and a widower with 2 daughters and that he also had a house in England that he was going to retire to ‘any day now’. He targets women in the UK mostly, it seems and proposes marriage, using his dead wife and two kids as emotional bait.

He also says to some women that he was supposed to be in Afganistan with a house also in the UK that he was going to retire to a different location. He sends out emails from “a diplomat” whose English and grammer are very poor but his emails requesting money for a package to be delivered to the UK. He also uses the name of Steve Ruddock and Mark Ruddock as well.

This one is funny, but the person using the above photos claims to be a Captain Brown Mark (Mark Brown?). The moron can’t even use photos of people with the right name in his scams!! He uses the email address brown_mark50@yahoo.com. This guy is such a tool, he tries to use General Odierno in his scam. He sent one of my readers he was trying to scam the following email explaining that “CPT Brown Mark” had been wounded and she needs to send him money to leave:

This is to inform you that that tallibiance man as attack the solider mans that they realse for the leave and will are very sorry to let you know that the travel will be in this week………And will are by let you know that you can still make the payment for your solider man capt Brown Mark in two day

GENERAL RAYMOND T. ODIERNO
Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp taji
APO AE 09342

Now, I don’t know if ya’ll have ever had a chance to listen to General Odierno speak, but he sounds NOTHING like that letter. See for yourself:

This is supposedly Lt. Christopher M Morris with Military Number (USArmy/MlL 456378) based with the 32nd Infantry Division camp phoenix kabul in Afghanistan. There is no such person in the Army as Lt. Christopher Morris and we sure as heck don’t have “military numbers”. Oh, did I mention that the Army doesn’t have a 32nd Infantry Division?

Here are the pics that the scammers used on another reader using the name Sgt Patrick Mcdonald. This moron also sent pics using using the name Gen. David Petraeus. Ha! EVERYONE knows who General Petraeus is, but these guys aren’t smart enough to realize that.

The next scammer uses the name Capt. Harry Swain of the US Army, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, MOS 11B Infantry and these photos. When anyone asks him questions, he is vague on the answers – probably because he doesn’t know anything! He only communicates through yahoo and of course is retiring in June. This is so that he can set up the classic Nigerian Retirement pass payments, as if a Soldier needs to pay to retire from the Army! I tried looking into this one, but there are so many Swains in the Army, but none of them with a first name Harry.

The guy using these photos seems to have hit the motherload of images. He calls himself Arena Adams. He even has pictures of his “kids”. It’s beyond twisted when they start to use servicemembers’ kids. The have all come out of Saudi Arabia, but could easily be routed through there from Nigeria and other African nations.. He has a “diploma” (diplomat) contact the victims, Mr. Randolf was his name, and uses the phone number 233543756622. He also had the story that he wanted to open a jewelery store when he got “home” and was going to send a package containing all his worth, $950,000 in gold and $600,000 in money, to hold till he got here. I wonder how much shipping would cost on nearly $1 million in gold? It conveniently gets stuck in customs and after spending $11,000 for the weighing fee (oh, that’s how much it costs!), he still needed another 5,500. Said his birthday was April 30, 1969, and he sponsors children in Iraq, that he has 15 children that he set up a foundation for and provides for them.

Interestingly, the reader who sent this to me said, “When I told him I wanted to send him something for his birthday, he gave me the address 60 mango tree blvd, Accra Ghana, with the name Alexander Ofori Hammond as the person who will be receiving it.” I’m surprised since usually they just claim they can’t receive packages due to “security”.

I’m not even going to create some witty banter for the guy using these photos. I’m just going to copy and paste his intro email. It’s too funny to miss, especially that he calls himself “Mac Donald” as if it’s two names:

I have decide to take my time to write out this message to you and I will expect same back from you.hmm i lived in U.S right at this moment,in the beautiful city of Farmington Hills, Michigan where i had been for so long since the divorced between my Mother and my Daddy. Really before my Dad passed away, we were living peacefully together, but on a official peace keeping mission in Dafur War Region, let me quickly phrase out this that my Dad and my mother are American. My father was from the Marine Military,My mother is a teacher.They both met on a trip down to Paris, they met each other and were friends till they were finally able to find true love which had led them together to have given birth to me. hmm they both were Christians, just like my Mother would say to me, that if my Daddy wasn’t a Christian, she wouldn’t have agree to marry him when he proposed to her. We all were living peaceful before my Daddy had to divorce my Mom due to some sort of things i don’t know if i should tell you here because i don’t know you yet, so please don’t worry about it, i am only trying to be cautious of who i am dealing with, maybe when i know you enough alright? anyway to make it short, my Daddy and i lived alone in Farmington Hills, Michigan after the divorced between him and my Mother. So Mom couldn’t stand it living in the city anymore, she packed her stuffs and then went back to United kingdom to live on her life right there.unfortunately,I lost my father on the line of duty, he was on the sea as a marine Major when he fell to the bullet of Jamaican Militant.His death made me to join U.S Army because he was given a state of heart burial and all his benefits was converted to me as a beneficiary, which will make me to get more benefits after I retire from my present job. It was so painful to recall this memory at last i had no other choice than to go live with my Mother in Scotland United Kingdom as i felt needed someone around to help me through life difficulties before i can carry on myself you know what i mean. My Mom and i live together in an apartment here before i travel down to US when i got deployment to Sudan Dafur war region for peace keeping in the country. I am the second child of my parents because we are two in number of our parent. Honestly she is very nice, kind, caring and loving Mother anyone would pray to have. She treats me sister like every good Mother would treat their beloved children.
I have spent 19 good years in the Military,got rapid promotion due to my dedication to my work. I have been to some countries, mostly to lead the troop on peace keeping mission and aid relief mission. I am planing ahead for my future as I am looking forward to meet through right woman, so I can make my final decision to tender my resignation letter, in order to enjoy my new relationship and build a strong family.Now i must tell you i am looking for in a soul mate, someone i could call my own, a woman in whom i could invest my time, good deeds, seriousness. I know out there lies someone who has the nature of God inside of her, someone who would be ready to give 100% of herself. Of course i am not getting any younger as my age increases by year.I am 6’1 in height .. I do not smoke but drink socially. just looking for the rightful one now.Also this is the quality i seek in a woman,one who will be dedicated to being my wife, loyal, faithful and honest. One who knows what it means to being in love, one who is very affectionate, simple, easy going, fun to be with, caring, very sincere, very romantic, giving nature, tolerant home loving, hard working, reliable, sensual, with a sense of humor. One who will be a good Wife and who can take care of me and my one kids!
I am tired, need some rest. I led the early morning parade for the troop in my Base.
Have a great day and waiting for your message.

Warm Regards,
Sergeant Mac Donald

These photos look familiar. The individual has already appeared on this list, but now under a different name:

Notice how the scammer has removed the name from the uniform? That enables him to use any name he wants while sending out the same photos to other women. Here’s his story (with yet ANOTHER) rank faux paux:

Hello how are you going today ? well thanks a lot for your replyed …
well i have been devorced for 4 years now ..i have been in iraq 2 years 4 month now ..I;m in iraq baghdad now …i have been in the army 21 years …I’m army side …I am an E-7 Staff Sergeant (SSG) and now working with the un. I also act as a platoon sergeant in the absence of the Sergeant First Class. I am the leader of my squad. I am a noncommission officer and I work in the junior management of the military…well i have only one sister living in germany .. i have no kids …My mom was a head teacher and dad was in the medical field of the army and later worked with the .Gold mining company in ghana but as i m talking to you now i lost both of them..i will get back 25th june for retirement , that why i m serious here looking for woman who is can be with me for the rest my life …,I’m pride of myself in being honest and most trustworthy, I seek that in a mate, someone who is compassionate yet understanding who has a calm behaviour and a great personality…I b’lieve there is no ideal relationships, Be honest a relationship is hard work and compromise, It is as good as you make it, What makes a relationship ideal to someone is how much time and effort one puts into it and how committed two people are to it..

I love the grammar from this “senior NCO”. It’s also interesting that a SFC is in a “squad leader” position. BWHAAHAH!

The scammer posing as “SGT David Monfils” is one of the earliest names used for these scams. I hadn’t seen the name in a LONG time, but now it’s cropping up with photos. It used to be part of those “I have a million dollars buried in Iraq and I need your help getting it back” scams. Now, “Monfils” is trolling internet dating sites.

Now, this guy cracks me up. He even sent his victim a “scan” of his “passport”, an obviously photoshopped monstrosity of an attempt. I love the lines through the face. This is supposedly SGT Steven McCabe, but after searching for the person in the passport in the Army database, I came up empty!

These photos are of “Sergeant Heicken Kenneth” of the “US ARMY on mission to Iraq.” However, I’m trying to figure out who in the Army wears German uniforms and drives around in a vehicle with the German flag on it. The scammer using these photos lifted them from a Reuters photographer because he didn’t even remove the embedded code describing the photos. Since they are pretty cool pics of our German brothers in arms, you at least deserve what they are:

Top Picture: German Bundeswehr army soldiers with the 3rd company of the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) patrol during a mission in Chahar Dara district in the outskirts of Kunduz, northern Afghanistan, May 11, 2010. It’s actually a Reuters photo by Fabrizio Bensch.

Bottom Picture: German Bundeswehr army soldiers with the 3rd company of the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) take cover after detecting a suspicious site during their search for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Chahar Dara district on the outskirts of Kunduz, northern Afghanistan, May 12, 2010. Also from REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

He uses the email address sgt_heicken@yahoo.com.

I’ll just let the dufus (Andrew Sanchez) using these photos tell you about himself, since I can’t seem to make any more fun of him than he makes for himself without realizing it.

I am presently in Afghanistan at the moment and would be back by next month, I have been serving for 11months here now and would be done by next month. I work in the Military and I am a Lieutenant, My work schedule is like a 24hour thing I dont have any schedule as we work round the clock here trying to keep peace here, I just have little time for myself here so you need to see how glad and excited to know that I would be back home next month.

between the 6months I would be off work. I have only lived in Lawrenceville GA and I have really enjoyed my stay here and would always love to stay here. That was where I was given an apartment and I could decline the offer as I also do like my apartment. I am not at all bothered about the distance. Andrew

I keep forgetting when he says he’ll be home!

By the way, a lot of scammers are starting to ask for things like iPods, undershirts, digital cameras, and other items. They are asking people to FEDEX the items to this address:

Wisdom Dome
60Mango Tree
Accra-Ghana
Zip Code…00233
Tel.Num.00233205622258 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              00233205622258      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Again, a moron who can’t read English using the photos of someone with a completely different name on his uniform. Meet “Joe Harold”. He says he is in Iraq on his third tour of duty. He is retiring in July 2010 and is looking for a life partner. He says he is is from Bedford, TX and also owns a home there. How dare he claim to be a Texan!! He, like almost ALL of these scammers, uses Yahoo: joe.harold45@yahoo.com. He is a smooth talker. He claims his mother was a head teacher and died. His father worked in Gold business in Ghana and also also died. He tells women his birthday has recently passed and how he would like to receive a gift. The posting text of Arena Adams is so similar and also includes similar text from Sargent MacDonald. Probably joe harold is also Sargent MacDonald. He asked to send an iPhone, digital camera, 5 packs of Calvin Klein white, round necked tshirts for him and his troops, chocolate, toffees and cologne. He also uses the Ghana shipping address.

I am Ivan Nobile and am with the US Army as an Intelligence Officer (MST SGT)currently serving in Iraq-Baghdad(Camp Taji),although I just got back from Afghan a week ago.I have no kids,I am widowed,lost my wife and parents in an accident 5yrs back.
My late parents were originally from Russia,and since their families never agreed for them to marry they moved to Virginia(USA) to start a new living as no family member back home in Russia knew their whereabouts.I have never been to Russia before and never met any family member of mine as my parents never allowed me,But for sure,I will visit them this year as my dad gave me all info about them before he departed.So I was born and raised in Virginia and I was educated in Arizona(AZ).
I attended my High School Education in Pittsburgh (Oliver High School) and furthered on to Central Texas College in Texas to major in Criminal Justice(Associate Degree) and then to the Cochise College in Arizona(AZ) to major in Intelligence Operations(Associate’s Degree).
I am seeking a woman that I can leave my life and love with.Someone that I can make my partner forever and be with for the rest of my life.A woman with a sense of humor.A caring,loving,faithful and loyal partner who I can trust for the rest of my life,and I hope you have all this as I seek.
I have attached some pics of me too in this email and I will love it if you could attach yours too.hoping to hear from you soon.Take care.
Ivan xxxxx

Sounds like a great guy. Too bad he doesn’t exist!

This is supposedly Kenneth Steven England, who originated from Chicago and was supposedly living in London. As you can see, the photos are small and no nametapes are discernible. Depending on how old these photos are, I may be able to find him since he wears a local patch.

This one is funny. These are supposedly photos of SSG Scott Adams from Fort Irwin, CA. Anyone that knows anything about the military will laugh when I say that the person behind these photos claims to be an ARMY SSG. When the potential victim forced the issue about pictures he changed his tune and stated he is a CSM in Baghdad. These are obviously photos of a Marine Corps Colonel. The fake Scott Adams stalks Facebook and myyearbook.com for his scams.

Okay, this next one cracks me up. Check out these photos:

[click on photo for better resolution]

I love the part on the back in the red little blotch that says “money back guarantee”! If we don’t kill the enemy, we’ll refund the cost of the war!! Here’s the photo that “Captain Cris Kepley” used to make his ID:

a href=”http://militarygear.com/asp/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ano_11.jpg”>

Good thing he brought his dress uniform to Iraq so they could create this wonderful Camp Victory ID badge!!

The douche using the photos above are of a guy who says he is in the US Army in Afghanistan. Don’t they all? He uses Badoo and his name is “Steve Lopez” but the same photos are used on other profiles calling himself Johnson. Same story:

“This Steve contacted me last week and he is a very nice person in his mess. He is an Officer in Afghanistan (though he’s wearing the uniform of a Sergeant) and have been there for 22 years and he will now retire in October. Then he will come to Sweden and marry me. And we will love each other forever. He had pray to God he should meet a girl like me and when he saw me at Badoo he thought God had made his wishes come true. He has a son in Tampa or Miami Florida, Been divorced 5 years ago. He had send me message every each morning and night but hadn’t asking for any money yet. He was telling me he was not allowed to give me his service number or his home address or his military email address cos of security (this is a lie and a classic tactic of scammers).”

He uses the email address stevelopez_27@live.com and will try to guilt you into believing him if you call his bluff by saying he will “kill himself”. Don’t fall for this tactic. Even if it were true, maybe it’s best if he just did it!

This guy calls himself Staff Sergeant Christian Richardson from Miami, FL. Again, ladies, you need to Google military ranks and you’ll see that this guy is not who he says he is.

The scammer using these photos goes by the name Marcus Movic and claims – like all these scammers – to be “a widower with a lovely Son” who’s wife was killed in an ac

cident while he was toiling in Iraq. The problem is that there is no Marcus Movic in the Army.

These are just some of the words that Sebastian Junger has strewn throughout his follow up to the success his last book, The Perfect Storm, brought him. The book is called “War” and details his 15-month long embed with a platoon of Soldiers from Battle Company, 173rd Airborne, based out of Vicenza, Italy. Not only does “War” include some of the best storytelling about the true lives of combat troops, but also gives us a compelling glimpse into the world of a combat journalist that makes Michael Yon look like one of the cast of kids on Barney and Friends.

Junger tells stories of combat the way one would expect – free of censure, exquisite in detail, and faithful to reality. He writes the book from the same depths of hell, desperation and filth that his characters are subjected to. Often times, Junger finds himself aggressively trying to juggle his fight for survival and the wits to write down what is happening around him. He doesn’t seek stories from the relative comfort of a FOB or firebase. He eats the same dirt the troops are eating, suffers the same lack of sleep, and endures the same harrowing experiences.

The result is a well-crafted story that tells the story of what our troops in Afghanistan are enduring on a daily basis. He describes the frustration that hits when air support is suppressed by higher. He dictates conversations born in boredom and the laughter that comes from near-death experiences.

At one point, one of the Soldiers – Steiner – is shot in the head by a sniper during an ambush. The bullet manages to penetrate the helmet but ends up exiting without wounding him. However, the force of the bullet is disorienting and when Steiner realizes he’s alive, stands up in the middle of a hailstorm of bullets and starts laughing. Initially, the other Soldiers are yelling at him to get down and start returning fire. The laughing, however, is contagious and pretty soon the entire squad is laughing their asses off as they defend themselves from all-out attack. It’s just one of many surreal experiences that Junger recounts in the book of how troops deal with the pressures and stresses of combat.

One aspect I love about this book is the relationship that Junger has with the platoon. He makes it clear that he is an objective journalist, but is honest in his commentary about the difficulty in maintaining that journalist integrity while relying on a group of Soldiers for his safety. It’s an interesting dilemma that I’ve never really thought about prior to reading “War”. Junger does a great job of ensuring that he the lines don’t get crossed, but explains how easy it is for them to get blurred.

Overall, “War” is a quick and fantastic read. It took me a while to pick up, but once I started reading I found it hard to put down. By the time I was finished reading, I felt like I had actually been to combat with Battle Company and suffered alongside them during their tragic losses, anxiously lived through their ambushes and firefights, and celebrated their successful missions. It’s a testament to how the success of an Army is dependent upon the success of a platoon of young Soldiers and leaders! A MUST-READ!!

Junger has also created a documentary titled “Restrepo” that is a companion movie to the book. The documentary has been called a “real-life Hurt Locker”. Look for a showing of the film at a location near you by visiting. You can see more at www.restrepothemovie.com. The book is available wherever books are sold (even in every airport I’ve been through the past four days!! Or you can just use my special link below

An article from the Washington Post titled “For soldiers, single motherhood becomes another battlefield” brings up the question of single parents in the military. Now I understand that there are many people that want to serve their country, but not all should. Heck, I tried at the age of 42 but my body did not cooperate and I chose to come home. I felt, even though the Army was willing to do what it took to help me over come the problems in my lower back and hips, that it was better for my fellow soldiers for me to stay home and give them all the support I can, than to be the weak link. And that is what I felt I would be. If you can not perform the duties required to the fullest, whether physically or mentally, then you are just putting the people around you at risk.

I don’t care if you are single, married, a single parent, or a married parent, when you sign on the line to join the Military, you should know that one day you could be sent into battle and have to leave your children behind. If you have children, then you need to weight the responsibilities as a parent against those of being in the military. What is best for you and what you feel you and your family can deal with may not be what is best for your career in the military. I am NOT saying that all military personnel should be single, many make it work. Yes, it is hard on the whole family, I don’t deny that, BUT, what do you think the military is and does?

I get so tired of people that say they joined the military to get out of this or that, or to get a “free” education. It isn’t free! That “free” education or “free” ticket out of the situation you are in could be paid for with your life. To me that is very expensive! If you are not willing to lay your life down for this Country, DO NOT JOIN THE MILITARY! It is that plain and simple.

Yes, the military still has many things that it needs to work out where women are concerned, health care and women in a combat MOS are just two. But as the article, “G.I. Jane Breaks the Combat Barrier” that they reference from “The New Your Times”, many women are honorably proving that they can handle “the shit” just as well as many men that they stand beside in battle. So how can it be any different for a single mother in the military then a single father? Just a few years ago a friend of mine that was in the Navy, retired because he and his wife divorced,  and he got custody of their children. Feeling that it was better for him and his boys, he gave up a military career that he dearly loved. I respect his decision, I am saddened by it, but respect it. He was, and still is to me, a great Sailor! And look at CJ and the battles he has gone through over the last year. He is still in the Army AND doing his duty as a parent. Yes, it has cost him greatly, but apparently he was willing to make that sacrifice for the things he believes in, the Army and being a Dad.

Many years ago during WWII, my grandmother was in the Army. First she was a flight instructor and then a darkroom tech. When she became pregnant with my mom, she was released from the Army with a dishonorable discharge.There was no debate about it and she had no choice. Today, women can stay in the military when they become pregnant whether they are married or not. That is a great thing! We have come a long way in the last 60 to 70 years. But to sit there and refuse to deploy when you have known for months that it is going to happen is inexcusable.  I understand in the case of Spec. Alexis Hutchinson that her mother was supposed to take care of her son, but she was offered other help and refused it.

Now granted I don’t know all the regulations and maybe CJ and Marcus can help me with this, but can’t a person get out of the military siting hardship, without getting a “other-than-honorable” discharge? According to the story, Hutchinson choose the”other-than-honorable” discharge because she could get on with her life and would not have to face court-martial or possible jail time. In a way, I can understand that decision and sympathize with her. But I have many questions that these articles do not answer. Did she exhaust every means possible to delay her deployment and find other arrangements? Is there not any other family? And what about the offer of help that she did get and refused? Why did she refuse it? What were the conditions of it? There are a lot of unanswered questions. I believe that MSM has yet again taken a story and reported only half of it to, once again, make the military out to be a bunch of cold-hearted bastards!

In January 2009 it was a patch of lawless Afghan desert, riddled with Taliban fighters. Today, Camp Leatherneck is home to more than 60,000 Marines. Now, as President Obama prepares to send more troops to Afghanistan, go inside the epicenter of the war in Afghanistan and meet the men and women who work in and pass through the camp. Learn what daily life is like for the people who find themselves in this inhospitable place. How do violence, boredom, heat, dust, separation from family and cultural differences affect the mind-set of the warriors? What does it take to operate a city in the middle of hostile desert – from meals to mail and from gear to weaponry? And how do you secure a giant target in the middle of the desert? For the men and women of Camp Leatherneck, the stakes are high and the pressure is unrelenting.

Explorer: Camp Leatherneck tells that story and on January 31st, you’ll be able to see it for yourself. Follow the film crew as they bring viewers into the Marines’ world of daily survival as they struggle to defeat and unseen enemy and foster friendly relationships with everyone else.

National Geographic brings an in-your-face, open view of life on the sprawling camp as it ramps up to more than double in size and supply remote outposts. Follow squads of Marines as they seek to locate and decommission IEDs along major routes and counter incoming enemy mortar fires. Feel their frustration as they try to balance the delicate act of winning hearts and minds while also trying to establish order and progress.

At times, the viewer will almost feel sorry for the Marines as they fight what may appear to the untrained eye as an unwinnable objective. You’ll see firsthand how environmentalists are also affecting relationships in places where there isn’t even much of an environment to be concerned about. Marines must deal with such mundane issues as where to direct sewage water that farmers rely upon for healthy crops.

I highly recommend this documentary to anyone that wants to get inside the lives of our Marines in Afghanistan on Sunday, January 31st, at 10pm ET/PT. Here is the teaser for the show:

And for official current information on Camp Leatherneck, check out the camp’s official website HERE.

Legal Disclaimer: The author was provided with a free DVD preview of Explorer: Camp Leatherneck. No reservations or promises of compensation were made by either the author or National Geographic Channel in the writing of this review. The views expressed in this post are those of the author solely and independently.

Good gracious! I think she forgot to let the enemy know the kinds of weapons we’re using and how much ammo we have while she’s at it. Oh, and don’t forget to publish our convoy timelines and resupply schedules. CNN is such a crock!