Fallen Soldiers In Iraq And Afghanistan: Starting The Week With The Proper Perspective October 1, 2007

THIS WEEK THE PENTAGON HAS RELEASED THE NAMES OF 10 SOLDIERS AND MARINES KILLED IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN:

Army CSM Jonathan M Lankford, 42, of Scottsboro, AL
Army SPC Joshua H Reeves, 26, of Watkinsville, GA
Army SPC David L Watson, 29, of Newport, AR
Army SFC Matthew D Blaskowski, 27, of Levering, MI
Army SSG Kevin R Brown, 38, of Harrah, OK
Army CPL Anthony K Bento, 23, of San Diego, CA
Army SSG Zachary B Tomczak, 24, of Huron, SD
Navy PO2 Charles Luke Milam, 26, of Littleton, CO
Army PFC Christopher F Pfeifer, 21, of Spalding, NE
Army PFC Mathew D Taylor, 21, of Cameron Park, CA

WE PRAY FOR YOUR FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES

AND THANK YOU.

BLACKS & WHITE BOYS TAKE THE ROMNEY APPROACH TO MILITARY SERVICE: THANKS, BUT NO THANKS

Nobody's Feeling The Whole Going Off To War Vibe: Here Comes The Draft???

WASHINGTON (AP) - Frequent tours for U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan have stressed the all-volunteer force and made it worth considering a return to a military draft, Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute said Friday in an interview with National Public Radio's "All Things Considered."

"And I can tell you, this has always been an option on the table..." Lute added.

Oh really, is President Bush aware of this?

When Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., called for reinstating the draft as a way to end the Iraq war some time ago, critics accused him of political grandstanding. Guess he was just ahead of the curve.

Black Military Recruits on the Decline

Now the official word is that repeated deployments are affecting not only the troops but their families, who have major say over whether a someone decides to stay in the military, Lute said.

Translation: Military wives are saying if you re-enlist, I'm leaving your ass. The reason is obvious - even the folks serving are starting to no longer believe in this war against "terrorism" we're raging.

And if former Massachusetts Governor and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's five sons don't have to go, then why should others have to sacrifice?

"There's both a personal dimension of this, where this kind of stress plays out across dinner tables and in living room conversations within these families," he said. "And ultimately, the health of the all- volunteer force is going to rest on those sorts of personal family decisions."

Bush picked Lute in mid-May as a deputy national security adviser with responsibility for ensuring efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan are coordinated with policymakers in Washington. Lute, an active-duty general, was chosen (not surprisingly) after several retired generals turned down the job.

The military conducted a draft during the Civil War and both world wars and between 1948 and 1973 until President Nixon abolished it. The Selective Service System, however, was re- established in 1980 and has maintained a registry of 18-year-old men.

If we can have a female president, then the registry should also include women, right?

BLACKS ENLISTING IN THE MILITARY DROPS DRAMATICALLY

WASHINGTON (AP) The number of blacks joining the military has plunged by more than one-third since the Afghanistan and Iraq wars began. Other job prospects are soaring and relatives of potential recruits increasingly are discouraging them from joining the armed services.

According to data obtained by The Associated Press, the decline covers all four military services for active duty recruits. The drop is even more dramatic when National Guard and Reserve recruiting is included.

The findings reflect the growing unpopularity of the wars, particularly among family members and other adults who exert influence over high school and college students considering the military as a place to serve their country, further their education or build a career.

For more, click here.

IS BEING GAY DA BOMB?

FYI: These AIN'T The Bros From Three Bros And A Sister!

A watchdog organization that tracks military spending said it uncovered a strange U.S. military proposal to create a hormone bomb that could purportedly turn enemy soldiers into homosexuals and make them more interested in sex than fighting.

Oh course you know they were planning to test this on Black men and illegal immigrants.

Are we being paranoid? Maybe. But c'mon family -- we do have a documented history of being guinea pigs.

Pentagon officials confirmed that military leaders had considered, and then subsquently rejected, building the so-called "Gay Bomb."

As part of their effort to develop non-lethal weapons, the proposal suggested, "One distasteful but completely non-lethal example would be strong aphrodisiacs, especially if the chemical also caused homosexual behavior."

The documents show the Air Force lab asked for $7.5 million in 1994 to develop such a chemical weapon. $7.5 million? That's some crazy stuff folks!

CBS News has all the fruity details.

THE WAR WAGES ON, BUT NO MORE DOWNLOADING IT

Military Blocks Usage Of YouTube, MySpace, And Other Sites

You know those men and women dispatched to Iraq and other parts of the world are not happy soldiers right now.

As we have previously stated on this site, we recognize that these brave folks are fighting to keep us safe. Without question, they have our 100% support!

But we're not getting the real story here, family. Instead, we're getting this.

FOLKS WHO GET IT: WEST POINT GRAD HENRY O. FLIPPER

First Black To Graduate Finally Gets His Due

Original story by John Milburn (AP)

Stoically enduring hate and harassment to become the first black graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Henry O. Flipper probably never saw it coming.

Born a slave in Thomasville, Georgia in 1856, Flipper was West Point's first brother to endure four years of hardships actually receive his commission.

He graduated in 1877, just 12 years after the Civil War.

At Fort Davis, Texas, in 1881, Flipper's career took a dire turn when white commanders accused him of embezzling $3,792 from commissary funds. Flipper initially discovered the funds missing from his custody and concealed their disappearance from superiors, hoping the money would return.

He was court-martialed, acquitted of embezzlement but convicted of conduct unbecoming an officer, and dishonorably discharged. Later, Flipper would write in a letter to a congressman that the crime "of being a Negro was, in my case, more heinous than deceiving a commanding officer."

Althoug he went on to a successful civilian career as an engineer and expert in Spanish and Mexican land law, wrote several books and worked as a special assistant to the U.S. interior secretary, Flipper spent decades unsuccessfully trying to clear his name.

His family continued the fight after his death in 1940. In 1976, an Army board commuted Flipper's dismissal to a good conduct discharge, concluding that his conviction and punishment were "unduly harsh and unjust."

In 1999, President Clinton granted him a full pardon.

The Army took another step in honoring his legacy Friday with the dedication of a bust of him at the Buffalo Soldier Monument at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Sometimes we get discouraged when we comes across stories like the one here about how we are losing our boys.

Our faith is restored, however, whenever we rediscover hero's like Henry Flipper. Thank you Black man. HOOAH!