Tag Archives: afghanistan

God in the Empty Places: Four Years Later

Four years ago I was leaving Iraq for Kuwait, the first stop in the process of coming home.  At that point I wanted to go home but I didn’t want to go either. It was the beginning of a new … Continue reading

Leave a Comment

Filed under History, iraq,afghanistan, Military, PTSD, Tour in Iraq

Casing the Colors in Iraq

Today the colors were cased in a ceremony at the US Airbase co-located at the Baghdad International Airport.  It really is hard to believe that this excursion in Mesopotamia is over.  The ceremony marked the formal end to the US … Continue reading

1 Comment

Filed under iraq,afghanistan, PTSD, Tour in Iraq

The Brotherhood: Veterans Day 2011

I am always a bit on the melancholy side on Veterans Day.  This year is no different but is a bit different because for the United States the war in Iraq is coming to an end at least for now … Continue reading

2 Comments

Filed under History, Military, shipmates and veterans

Veterans Day 2011: Giving Thanks for the Veterans in my Life

My Dad Aviation Storekeeper Chief Carl Dundas aboard USS Hancock CVA 19 around 1971 or 1972 I always become a bit more thoughtful around Veterans Day and Memorial Day.  I’ve been in the military for over 30 years now.  I … Continue reading

1 Comment

Filed under Loose thoughts and musings

An Uneventful Monday on the Eve of War: September 10th 2001

It is hard to imagine that 10 years ago the furthest thing from my mind and probably anyone else’s mind was that a brazen attack would be launched on the United States. We never imagined that by10 AM the following … Continue reading

1 Comment

Filed under History, Military, traumatic national events

The Bond

This story shall the good man teach his son; And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by, From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembered- We few, we happy few, we band of … Continue reading

1 Comment

Filed under History, iraq,afghanistan, Military, PTSD, shipmates and veterans, Tour in Iraq

Why History Matters: The Disastrous Effects of Long Insurgency Campaigns on the Nations that Wage them and the Armies that Fight Them

French Mobile Group in Indochina “Any future defense secretary who advises the president to again send a big American land army into Asia or into the Middle East or Africa should ‘have his head examined,’ as General [Douglas] MacArthur so … Continue reading

2 Comments

Filed under Foreign Policy, History, iraq,afghanistan, middle east, Military, Politics, vietnam, world war two in europe

Memorial Day 2011: Counting the Cost of War and Remembering its Brotherhood

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for he to-day that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother…” William Shakespeare “Henry V” “Heroism is latent in every human soul – However humble or unknown, they (the veterans) … Continue reading

3 Comments

Filed under History, iraq,afghanistan, Loose thoughts and musings, Military, national security, PTSD, shipmates and veterans

A Quiet Remembrance: The Fall of Dien Bien Phu May 7th 1954

French Prisoners On May 7th in Hanoi a small remembrance was held to mark the fall of Dien Bien Phu and honor the victor, 101 year old General Vo Nguyen Giap at his home.  It was one of the few … Continue reading

1 Comment

Filed under History, iraq,afghanistan, Military, vietnam

The Disdain of American Business for Military Personnel and their Benefits

“What are you going to trade off — a rich entitlements program, or boots and bullets for the troops?” Richard Spencer Defense Business Review Board (quoted in the Navy Times 2 May 2011 print and internet edition) The Federal Government … Continue reading

10 Comments

Filed under Foreign Policy, History, leadership, Military, national security, Politics