I think this is aweful. But compared to the other Bushco lies and cutting of Vets benefits etc. it sadly pales.

Yes, I see the pattern. How cruel and indifferent they are to our military families.

I hope Karen knows she is in my thoughts, I wish her strength and comfort.

The AP report also said that Mr. Ballard was buried in Arlington National Cemetary. Does this revalation mean that his grave will have to be moved? What purpose is there in putting this information out now, a year after it was known?

Think about it,What better way for bushit to get his revenge on Karen for playing a part in Camp Casey and being in Crawford. Makes sense to me .These are very cruel people,and they just keep showing us over and over just how cruel they really are.

' What purpose is there in putting this information out now, a year after it was known?'

What kind of a stupid question is THAT?
I'm appalled that the military knew how this soldier died, but kept that information from his family.
They were Tillmanning this kid: using his death to prop up their phony war.

Being a mother who has buried a child (not military) I know the heartbreak our gold star mothers feel. I support our troops...I am proud of them for no matter what they face they still show compassion in the midst of all the insanity. They come home and try to pick up their lives and go on. I want with all my heart for every single Amercian service person to be brought home now....I still can't see a true objective for our people over there to fight for. Freedom??? What does that mean in context to those in the middle east. I am angry at the lies and deciept that has taken the lives of so many and destroyed the lives of so many other Americans and their families. Bush needs to be made answer for his lies and bufoonery. I didn't vote for him and was rediculed cause I saw his true colors when he was just a boy working in a savings and loan. Seems a lot of Americans have poor memories and are very short sighted!

Actually, I believe any soldier/serviceman is entitled to be buried at Arlington.

YOU BET IF YOURE IN THE aRMY YOU BETTER TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. nOONE ELSE WILL. bECAUES OF LACK OF CARING--AFTER A YEAR IN iRAQ i KNOW A YOUNG MAN WHO SMOKED A JOINT IN HIS ROOM AND WAITED TO BE CAUGHT. gOT OUT ON AN HONORABLE GENERAL SO HE COULD COME BACK AND CHECK ON 3 KIDS ,WHO NOONE WOULD LOOK INTO. gOOD OLE aRMY!!!

I don't believe it! I read the article and it states that the tank he was on was returning from operations and backed into a tree and a branch hit the gun causing the gun to fire killing him. Am I the only person that finds this rather dubious claim a bit farfetched??? We're not talking about a cheap old revolver or poorly maintained rifle that goes off at the slightest jolt here. It was a mounted machine gun! Now picture this please...they back into a tree where a single branch hit exactly on the trigger and shoots him who was/must have been standing directly in front of the gun for it to hit him. That of course means that the alleged branch would have had to miraculously passed through his body to reach the trigger!!! I would guess this is the true reason behind it taking over a year for the truth to come out...not a bungle, but a cover up! I just hope someone with the right juice realizes these obvious lapses in the story and makes a formal inquiry so this poor woman and her deceased son can get not the bs they have, but truth and justice. Of course I realize thats something rarely seen under GW!

{ed note: Comment removed since HCOCDR posted as someone else, blatantly disregarding one of the very few rules we have here.}

{ed note: Comment removed since HCOCDR posted as someone else, blatantly disregarding one of the very few rules we have here. In this comment, he agreed with what he wrote as "Timmy" in the previous comment. Knock it off HCOCDR. Please don't force me to be your kindergarten teacher. Thanks. BF}

re #10
Yeah, Brad, stop banning people. You really have to stop that banning stuff. Jeez.

I am devastated by the traversty of calculated lies the Army and the Pentagon will tell families and the American public. I am a retired SFC of the Ohio National Guards Military Police Unit. I like so many other soldiers witness first hand how the Army covered up lies of two soldiers death in the 135th Military Police Company back in December 2003. SSG Arron Reese and Specialist Todd Bates were originally cited as heroes. Reese fell over board off of an Iraqi boat and Todd Bates jump in to save him. Both soldiers drowned. This is what bothers me, the official military report rumored came back and said that these soldiers were horseplaying. Give me a break the accident took place between 10:00 and 11: 00 at night. Everyone that knew these soldiers knew that was a lie. This lie was told to the investigators by Iraqi's especially the one who was driving the boat these soldiers were on. The other problems there was no life preserve jackets for the soldiers , no safety equipment on the boats. Who was held accountable not the Platoon Sergeant, not the First Sergeant, not the Company Commander, not the Battalion Comander they all walked away with no accountability from the 18th MP Brigade or CJTF command in Baghdad Iraq. Neither the Pentagon or the White House can adequately explain these soldiers deaths. I am ashamed of the US. Government for not holding the military accountable.

sorry

Brad,

There are over 14,000 servers here in Iraq are you going to try and ban them all? One day you will have to make a stand and defend the gibberish you spew to logical thinking individuals in this world, you might as well start now. Your censorship and oppression of free speech on your so called public blog only works one way. You allow people like Doug and others that agree with you to post anything they want as long and as many times as they want if it is against the Troops, or Commander in Chief. You say you support the Troops but you know in your heart you don’t and they and the American People know you really don’t. You want things to fail in Iraq and what about the people that helped us, to hell with them. Maybe we can evacuate them to the superdome. What would you have us to do? There is no plan from your side, just like the local leaders in New Orleans they expect the world to take care of them. You run all over the US begging for gas money yet accusing the troops of lying and sometimes they are those that do. But they get caught and the correct information gets put out, we police ourselves. You hate it so much that we are succeeding in Iraq, but just you wait until the death toll reaches 2000 you will be shouting it from the rooftops. The troops know what we are doing here we don’t need you or our mothers to protect us. The President plan is working and it has worked all over the world. No two democracies have ever gone to war with each other. Like I said in my other post that were removed, we need to keep people like you around to illustrate what things would be like if you were ever in charge of anything. Thanks for this service.

HCOCDR: You say the troops know what they're doing there. Please tell us, exactly what are you doing there? Looking for WMD's, links between Sadamm/Iraq and Osama/Al Qaeda, or bringing democracy? If you're bringing democracy, why are they basing their constitution on the Koran?

So, what are you doing there? Please tell us.

And you are NOT fighting for my freedom.

Bush ruined the military. Recruitment is at crisis level. So, this tells me that conservatives are not lining up to sign up for this "noble cause", right? If conservatives were signing up for the military, there would be no recruitment crisis. You can't blame us liberals, we don't believe in the war.

Where's your conservative buddies backing you up? MIA, that's where they are. They also don't believe in this noble cause. They say they do, but they're not signing up for the military, right?

Instead of wasting your time on liberal blogs, why don't you put your time into going on conservative blogs and asking them to sign up and help you?

w. lied to get a foothold in the middle east for OIL. OIL for his supporters and backers. I feel war and nukes should be a very last resort, when no other options are available. In the case of Iraq, while Saddam was indeed a horrendous tyrant (there are a couple dozen in the world), there were options available. Does that mean we invade all the countries of tyrants? No, w. chooses to bring "democracy" to those with OIL. It is so transparent!!

Dear Liberals,

I am sorry to hear that the death count is less then you had hoped. I saw Brad reporting 40000+ deaths from the hurricane which I am sure wont be mentioned again.

I know how much harder it will be for you liberals to use a number that doesnt get to 1000 against Bush.

But the good news for you liberals is maybe they will find more dead people somewhere they havent looked yet.

Better Luck Next Time.

COMMENT #9 [link]
...ExSailor said on 9/11/2005 @ 9:58pm PT...

I don't believe it! I read the article and it states that the tank he was on was returning from operations and backed into a tree and a branch hit the gun causing the gun to fire killing him. Am I the only person that finds this rather dubious claim a bit farfetched??? """

I might be able to help you understand this one having served on the M-1A1 tanks. The loaders m-240 is located on top of the tank on a ringmount around the loaders hatch. It is fired by a butterfly trigger at the base of the handles. The loader pushes down on them to fire the weapon. The trooper was a 1LT that means he was the commander of his tank. He was most likely standing in the commanders hatch. If a tree branch was in the way as the tank was backing, it was very possiable that the branch hit the back of the weapon on the triggers spinning and fireing it in the direction of the Tank Commander. The noise of the tank may have muffled the drivers hearing and with the loader and gunner most likely having been off the tank pulling security or groundguiding the tanks and without CSI Iraq, the it is likely the crew could not have been sure where the shots came from. As for the notification after it was found out back in the states where the investigation should have concluded, it should have been sooner. There is no excuse for that, but I don't think the President would have been involved, maybe something just as simple as an 18 year old unit filing clerk made a error. Thanks to you guys and all you do to help us recruit, thats the Army we have. Way to go.

{ed note: Aliases -Buckshot/Karla Stout/TNT/Ken/Ben/Paula/Paul/Corrine/Lefty/Clarence/Kallie/etc., Deleted due to repeated, flagrant violations of the very few rules we have here: Insulting other commenters, posting under different names, etc.}

COMMENT #4 [link]
...Laura said on 9/11/2005 @ 7:14pm PT...

"""Think about it,What better way for bushit to get his revenge on Karen for playing a part in Camp Casey and being in Crawford. Makes sense to me .These are very cruel people,and they just keep showing us over and over just how cruel they really are.""""

Wow, how did the President know she would be there a year before. The same way he should have known the Mayor of NO would not use his busses to get his people out of the way of a storm?

MY condolences to Karen Meredith.
HCOCDR we meet again. I don't usually post here but I do lurk. HC hope all is going well for you. I was sorry to see you banned from the Conyers blog. I enjoyed your posts when they weren't cut and past. If there are 14000 servers in Iraq why do we only hear from you? Why do Q and A with yourself? Ask someone else in your unit to join you in blogging. Anyway, good to see you have found a new home here with Brad. This article sheds some light on the Katrina tragedy and spreads blame around so it should be of interest to everyone.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9287434/site/newsweek/
If one person died from neglect in the storms aftermath it is
too many. The labels of liberal and conservative are a mystery to me but I see that Mr.Bush is at a 39% approval rating. Unless 52% of the US population is liberal then it looks like Mr Bush isn't scoring too high with people in the middle either.

...HCOCDR I am aware of the turret styles and even trigger style on the weapon..which is why I am quite sure it is rather unlikely that the weapon would fire like that. Even if by a billion to one chance the trigger on the pintle mounted M-240 was hit by branch since the coaxial mount has far too much equipment around it to make it even remotely feasible... unless this was the most poorly maintained weapon in the US arsenal, it would stop firing when the mount started to "turn into him" as you say... or perhaps you would have us believe that the offending branch maintained contact with the trigger despite the turning and the kickback shaking the weapon?

The above of course is ignoring the fact that a trained tank commander would NOT back into a tree...one of the oh so rare tree's that are allowed to remain standing in the areas the troops are based in since they have removed the vast majority of them to avoid any possibility of enemy combatants using them as cover. A wise move, but it does kind of limit the possibilty of this rather unlikely scenario doesnt it? Now I support the troops, and served proudly in Desert Storm, but honestly Mr Bush has his head up his ass! Even discounting the fact that Iraq had no WMD's and were NOT involved with AlQueda...He could have still waged his little war for personal profit which is what this is...if he only had a brain! All he needed to do was get Arab support for it before he went in. And that would have been easily done if he reminded Iraq's neighbors that Saddam is an agressor...that the victims of his regime were Muslims and he needed to be removed to promote peace in the Muslim world and preservation of their religious culture without them having to cowtow to his dictatorial whims in order to carry out their pilgrimages to Iraq's holiest sites!

Sorry Brad I will stop there before I turn this into my own blog

Well maybe not if the branch did not fall but was sticking out from the tree and they were backing into cover to go into tank lizzard mode. Shade is valuble thing here in Iraq

Well, lets see before coming here we trained in Egypt and Jordan, we landed in Kuwait, received supplies from Saudi Arabia, went on R&R in Qatar, and we now help train the Iraqi Army. I thought these countries were Arab? My fault.

Interesting isn't it that we only hear from "a troop" and isn't amazing how he has volumes to say but no facts to offer.

HCOCDR anyone can set up a website why don't you do that and that way you can control the nature of the conversation. Gee at least Ken, Susan, Ricky will talk with you.

Or better yet, I'll ask the guys at the VA I volunteer at, to write to you. The ones that have learned to use a keyboard with their prothesis arms. That means they don't have their real arms anymore. Lost them to an IED. You do know what that means don't you?

Perhaps we should provide an address of the Bush & Co adult kids for HCOCDR and he can ask when they are enlisting...after all it is just reading and relaxing in Iraq now all the killing is over, don't you just know.

I would like information on how to keep recruiters off high school campuses. Just found out recruiters are allowed to be at every lunch in our high school.

According to the Principal, the recruiter cannot approach the kids, but if a kid walks by the recruiter can engage them in conversation.
First the Principal said he had to allow it then at the end of the conversation said it was a personal decision on his part.

I intend to take to the newspapers and the school board. I am willing to bet 90% of the parents do not know this is happening in our small community.

Dear all,

I saw this happen with my own eyes. I was a loader on the tank covering Ballard's tank's move. I'll try to be discrete out of consideration for the family. Yes it was a tree. No, it wasn't "backed into", they were driving past the tree when a branch set off a five round burst on the loaders 240.

Oh yeah, to all those "conservatives" out there who support Bush. You are all deluded fools. Pray there is no God.

To Bush Supporting Trolls and Dead-Enders -

You are welcome to give your opinions here, as I've said many times. What you are not welcome to do is personally attack other commenters or LIE.

HCOCDR - I see why you were banned at ConyersBlog. You are apparently a congenital and unapologetic liar. It's a shame you can't make your case without doing so. You said:

There are over 14,000 servers here in Iraq are you going to try and ban them all?...Your censorship and oppression of free speech on your so called public blog only works one way.

There is no "censorship or oppression of free speech" here, HCOCDR. You were not banned, nor has any "troop" been banned from posting here. I have been very courteous to you in letting you say whatever you like, until you lie, attack other posters and then --- pathetically --- post in someone else's name so you can then agree with yourself (since apparently nobody else does).

If you continue to do so, however, --- to pose as a phony, and to infer that we do something here that we don't --- you *will* be banned. I'll ask that you don't force me to do so. Behave like at least a 10 year old, and you will get to continue posting your point of view here as you wish. As wrong as it clearly is. It's up to you. I *own* and pay for this *private* site, where you have no "right" to anything beyond the courtesy I extend you. Don't push me.

MEDIUM RIGHT - See the above message to HCOCDR, and take it for yourself as well. You lied in saying...

"I saw Brad reporting 40000+ deaths from the hurricane which I am sure wont be mentioned again."

Of course, you saw no such thing. You saw David Edwards report that the Shelbyville Times-Gazette quoted HOMELAND SECURITY PERSONELLE as requesting 40,000 body bags. You also saw David say that "We pray that this number is the 'worst case scenario'". That post is here.

KEN - You're just a sad person. But thanks for stopping by!

Seriously...why you wingnuts can't simply make your case here (or anywhere) without the use of demonstrable lies speaks volumes.

"Pathetic" is the word that comes to mind...over and over.

This lie is so small compaired to all the big lies, though no less sad.

As the Downing st. Memos prove, the bush admin. knowingly lied about WMD.

As web sites like http://reopen911.org show, then events of 911 themselves are most likely a BIG LIE. And the 911 commision was a MASSIVE LIE and a big white house cover up.

I am so sorry for this womens loss. Yet I wonder how americans continue to tollerate such immoral leadership.

Omid Zehtab is correct in his posting.

I am also a soldier in the 1st Armored Division and have been serving in Germany with the unit for some 10 years now. At one time I was in the same tank battalion, the Iron Dukes of 2-37, with a home station in Friedberg, Germany.

This incident is a sad failure of the the army's beauracracy, but is by no means an attempt to cover up anything in the slightest.

In fact, there was debate about the press release being perceived the same as the Tillman case. However, in the interest of truth, the updated information was released as soon as the family was notified of the findings.

Yes, the last investigation ended a year ago. However, at that time the 1st Armored Division was also in a state of transition, redeploying back to home stations in Germany, after already having been extended for 3 months past the normal 12-month tour.

There is no excuse for the failure to notify Ballard's family of the subsequent findings in a timely fashion, but the reality of the chaos flux filling the ranks of troops, already exhausted and frustated, just wishing to get home themselves may have contributed to the failure.

There is another reality that also needs to be considered. Medals, Awards, and Decorations from past wars often catch up many years later, even after some of the recipients have passed away. Love letters are found in post offices, never having made it to their intended. Historical accounts are revised and refined, often being defined with the light of new evidence or personal accounts.

This is not to discount the pain of Ballard's family or any of the others who have lost loved ones, however, this the reality often associated with war.

There seems to be an myth of infallibility of the military, purported by those who are uninformed or have never been uniformed.

Yet, those servicemen and women serving wherever they may be, are human. They are the same people in your local communities, who have chosen a path many cannot fathom nor would choose for themselves. The military members are wonderful people, but are by no means, infallible.

A mistake has been made. However, as critical thinkers, it is our responsibility to examine this issue and decide does this really add fuel to the fire in the case against the validity of this war? I think not.

Ballard was a tank commander and a career soldier. Tillman was a national sports hero. Both chose to serve their country. I submit that if Tillman had never been killed or that there was not such a controversy surrounding his death, then Ballard's case would not be considered in this or any other forum.

I contend that this is a sad commentary on the human condition as both Ballard and Tillman were giants among men, having both paid the ultimate price.

This issue should not be used as leverage against the war, because it is not a cogent argument. The premises are not valid.

This is not to say that I agree with the situation, because I do not. Ballard's former unit is preparing to head back to Iraq in the next few months. For many of the soldiers in the unit it will be their second tour in Iraq.

Let's raise other issues that need serious examination and not get bogged down by an unfortunate mistake.

Try some of these issues and note they are not in order of importance.

1. Troop Level Adequacy
2. Proper Equipment
3. Validity of the War
4. Military Benefits
5. Voting Methods
6. Women in Combat (and they are there)
7. Recruiting Practices
8. Rentention Levels
9. Misappropriation of the National Guard
10. This list goes on and on.

Let's all think about things before we jump on the band wagon and start pointing fingers, and let look for answers to the problems we have.

Thank you for your consideration,

Iron Soldier

Brad,

You didnt write that story, but you posted it for obvious reason. Exploiting death. Calling me a liar is ridiculous. But following that logic, whoever wrote that story is a liar, and you posted an article by a liar, to further you cause.

Cant win an arguement without using lies Brad?

Commander HOC:

People support the troops even if they ARE AGAINST THE WAR. Wake up time...

TIME FOR ACTION!!!

Another one down: Mike Brown resigns from FEMA

MSNBC: Mike Brown Resigns

Michael Brown has permanently resigned, and Bush* approvals continue to fall!!!

WHO'S REALLY RESPONSIBLE?!?? WE NEED BUSH, CHENEY TO RESIGN!!!!!!

Force Bush to Resign immediately people, everyone hates him and hes become a casualty to the republicans. Then we only have to deal with Cheney/Hastert. Force him to resign, think about it: We can't impeach him immediately and it will take a while to convict him. We can't go after him either for at least 4 months until washington is cleaned up. Just pressure him to do the right thing and resign....

To save face, I believe Bush would resign. Cheney will never do anything like that but we can boot Bush out of there, and start shaming the R's!!!!

Example of letter you can write: ( comments@whitehouse.gov)

"Bush, I don't think you're Hitler or Maria Antoinette.

Signed,
An american"

Doug E.

sorry for feeding the trolls, but this one is just so laughable that i had to say something --

Medium Right, you silly lunkhead, if there had been any other reports on the death toll from Hurricane Katrina, those would have been reported here, too.

the thing is, there weren't any. the estimates were all consistent, from the experts themselves, those folks on the ground who actually know what they are talking about.

no one but you "rejoices" at a high death toll, no one but YOU has said or suggested anything of the kind. true to form, the ghouls of the blogosphere all seem to be right-wing trolls. why are you guys like that, do you think?

you don't know me, and i'm fairly certain you don't know brad. so how do you justify posting that you know how *anyone* feels or thinks about *anything*? you're just making stuff up.

i can't imagine why you feel the need to do that, so i am guessing the statements you've made are things that you want to be true about liberals in general and the Americans on this blog in particular (which is sad and sick in itself). do you spew such claptrap because you are intentionally lying, unable to argue your own beliefs in any substantive or factual way, or because you really believe your own b.s.?

Ken was one of my best friends, and still is even when he lost his life. Ken was there in Iraq because he believed in what he saw was the right thing to do. I agree with the list Iron Soldier posted. Everyday I think of him and honor him in ways that the "ordinary" citizen could not relate to. Freedom is definately taken for granted by those who have enough wind in their lungs to speak out against the war, yet they find no wind to support the troops and honoring the ones lost properly. If every single person in the nation, regardless of your views of the war, send a letter, care package, or even just a plain magazine subscription to the troops, whether you know them or not, would defiantely give the troops the support and thoughts they deserve. But that won't happen, too many are arguing who is right, who is not, and at the same time the troops are not receiving support by their own fellow American. I talked to Ken every two weeks, and sent letters to him and supported his troop.

Army spokesman, Col. Joseph Curtin
"The tank accidentally backed into a tree and a branch hit the mounted, unmanned machine gun, causing it to fire"

That statement is either wrong...or the proported eyewitness posting here is fabricated. Since obviously there is no way to discern the truth amid the conflicting stories...I will simply state that after the Tillman death from FF a few months prior, and the still ongoing trouble with independent security contractors who have fired on US troops and killed numerous innocent Iraqi civilians while guaranteed they can not be prosecuted...only fired at the worst!
I believe the incident warranted an independent investigation including examining the rounds that killed Mr Ballard. I do not think it is too far a stretch to believe that the military would cover-up another FF death to avoid further embarassment as they have so frequently done in the past! Even now they are still uncovering incidents of FF from WWII that have been hidden all these years. Of course now it's too late since it took a year for the family to find out the "truth" and any evidence has of course by now been lost/destroyed....

Trevor, everyone supports the troops whether they're against the war or not. Being against the war isn't the same thing I'm afraid. Most people are so supportive of the troops they want to see them get back home safe and right now, before they die needlessly to protect oil in a carnage infested vacuum of death.

Take a glass of milk, sit back, and think about your life for a change.

Doug E.

To further explain the investigations:

An initial report of her son's death was delivered by the Army, but not by actual members of the unit.

Second, a 15-6 was initiated by that unit and...

Third, CID, which is independent from the unit and 1st Armored Division, investigated the incident.

The rounds were examined.

This is normal procedure, but it takes time. This is at conflict with the standards of notifying NOK in a timely fashion. It is not a perfect system.

Dang, many times the family members stationed in Europe know about the death and are planning memorial ceremonies before the Pentagon is notified or is capable makes the official announcement of a casualty, and this techinically is not within regulations, although regulations should be used as guidelines and are not always the law.

What happened is that somewhere along the line during the transition of the division out of theater, the final report was never followed up on, and with the almost immediate change in stations many of personnel returning from Iraq to other duty stations outside of 1st Armored Division, the issue fell through the cracks as teh unit moved out but CID remained in place, thus a disconnect.

Col. Joseph Curtin is an Army spokesman stationed at the Pentagon. He is not in 1st Armored Division nor was he at the time of the incident.

Omid Zehtab is a good soldier and has no reason to make any of this up. He is a line trooper in a combat unit.

Stop trying to find a reason to link this to a conspiracy because the facts are just not there to usupport such a claim.

As for the M-240 swinging around, this is possible, if left unattended and the swivel mount was left unlocked with the weapon off safe.

I spent 4 years on an M1A1 in 2-4 Cav at Ft Stewart and with 2-37 Armor in Germany. It is possible to back into a tree, or get knocked off a tank from brush or a variety of other bad things.

It takes the combined senses of the entire crew to maneuver at tank with all safety. Combat is dangerous and people die.

The guys were exiting a combat situation. It was an accident.

It must be realized that this unit was in combat, and remained so for some time.

I saw every casualty report to come out of 1AD's deployment as part of my job. I can tell you that this is not one that needs to be questioned aside from the bungeled final report.

Keep in mind that 1st Armored Division also tried a Captain from the same unit for manslaughter against an Iraqi prisoner well before this issue arose. It just doesn't make sense to say that this was a cover up when it would be more logical to try to cover up the murder of a prisoner.

Other issues like the soldier suicides that are kept quiet are what should really be the focus.

Trust me on this issue, that is the sort of question you need to be asking.

And if you are looking for issues regarding funding misappropriations, ask about FOO money.

Thanks again for your time,

Iron Soldier

Brad, in addition to your comment #33:

Ken #23 is our old friend Karla Stout ... also known as ... buckshit, TNT, Shirley [Posted by talkleft at February 15, 2005 11:10 AM --- Shirley is Buckshot and has been limited to four comments a day under either name. S/he's a chatterer.. ] ... and possibly more. It is a sad case - probably addicted to twinkies.

Here are a few links re: buckshit/shirley/karla/tnt/ken

buckshot's chance for honor

buckshot reneges on $2,000 bet

Outing of buckshot

buckshot, stop your deceptive posting or you *will* be banned.

Actually in my comment #43, I didn't get the chronology right. blogads.com was still offline making pages load in too slow. It looks like Brad told buckshot to beat it in the "buckshot reneges" link. It is a Pathetic Loser.

OMID ZEHTAB, TREVOR FLOTH and IRON SOLDIER - Thanks all for both your service, and your comments here! Your honest insight is very much appreciated and welcome here any time!

And to sad sad MEDIUM RIGHT, who said...

You didnt write that story, but you posted it for obvious reason. Exploiting death. Calling me a liar is ridiculous. But following that logic, whoever wrote that story is a liar, and you posted an article by a liar, to further you cause.

Cant win an arguement without using lies Brad?

Sorry to disappoint you, MR, but I neither wrote it, nor posted it. Which you would have learned had you actually read my comment. Easier to do when your head is not in the sand, I suspect.

13,996 more servers to go.

Iron Soldier
If the incident indeed happened as you and Omid Zehtab state then it is indded plausible to have resulted in such an accident. My only insight into the tragic incident comes from the apparently still inacurate accounting given by Col. Joseph Curtin and personal knowledge of the great care taken in maintaining thparticular weapons in good working order so a stuck trigger would NOT happen. Now given the description given in the original article, I believe you must admit that is a rather unlikely occurance. The difference between the tank moving backwards and forwards makes all the difference in the world in such a case....

I also agree that soldiers suicides is a major issue that recieves far too little attention. And too this situation I eluded to concerning the security contractors...this must be addressed soon as even from accounts of Iraqi officials the US military is being blamed for this when they had nothing to do with it, and this is encouraging further attacks against US Forces! I am well aware of the fact that military personnel can face severe penalties if they kill a non-combatant. But these private security firms are guaranteed immunity and face being fired as the most severe penalty. So one of them could literally go apeshit and open up on a crowd of civilians...and be fired as a result?!? That is what is guaranteed to them by the government of Iraq at the insistance of the administration.

--> Please DONATE to help keep The BRAD BLOG Blogging!

'''I *own* and pay for this *private* site, where you have no "right" to anything beyond the courtesy I extend you.''

I'll make a donation for you here.

HCOCDR don't leave a deposit.

Hehe!

#39
I sent a zillion care packages to my loved ones in Viet Nam. Give us an address in Iraq and we will send a package.
I sent some magazines to my nephew in Iraq. He had someone take a picture of him holding one up and sent the picture home. I guess it was his way of saying "Hey, I got them". Problem was when his family first saw the photo they panicked because they thought he had been taken hostage. Apparently this is how they date a hostage photo is with a magazine. I kind of stopped sending things after that )

IRON SOLDIER & Omid Zehtab keep safe guys .
Good to have your input .Answers all "user side" questions logically with obvious firsthand experience with the hardware involved.Thanks.

Comment #31 Texaslady:

The ability for recruiters to be in high schools and get the names/addresses of students was "buried" in the several-hundred page "No Child Left Behind" law. You can contact your local high school and "opt out" of them getting your kids names/addresses and sending them military pamplets, etc...

Some high schools have set up "counter" military tables next to the recruiters, sometimes actual students have done this.

Here's what really fries me about this: I had 2 kids in high school, and I didn't even know there were always recruiters in the lunch rooms and in the classrooms.

That is "using" the classroom setting, and implying that the school endorses joining the military, as the kids are taught to sit and listen to them, like they are taught to sit and listen to their teachers. I think this is very very low!!!

I think there's 2 big points about the military:

1. Bush ruined it; recruitment is at crisis levels, because of his reckless foreign policies.

2. Depleted Uranium. When bombs go off, they give off Depleted Uranium (DU). Hundreds of thousands of our American soldiers who came home healthy from Gulf War I, are now disabled or dead. There is a media blackout on this. And imagine how many Iraqi civilians have died of DU? And will die living in that area? At least our guys get to come home!

All of you soldiers posting here, do you know about Depleted Uranium???

And, do you think high school recruiters are telling the kids about DU?

I think it's an insult to the intelligence of our troops, to say that they can't separate supporting them from supporting Bush. That is using Patriotism so as to never question our leaders putting our troops in harm's way, on the basis of lies.

The most dangerous and un-Patriotic thing you can do is to blindly follow our leaders, and never question them.

Never before Bush got in there, did I question the miltary so much. I feel sorry for them, because it is their duty to listen to the president. So, if you get a lying president who puts troops in harm's way for a bunch of lies, I feel really really bad for them. It makes me sick!!! These bunch of draft-dodging f***ing creep/chickenhawks! All of whom dodged combat. Cheney had 5 deferrments. We all know about Bush. Check out all of these chickenhawks: Wolfowicz, Feith, etc... They're all former PNAC members who are "using" the lives of our troops for their lying agenda. Everytime I see any of the troops killed, announced on TV, I feel like throwing up. And they hypocritical conservatives who back the war, won't sign up to join the military and back the troops. At least, those of us against the war, want our guys home safe right now. These pro-war rightwingers hypocritically are pro-war, but wont' join the military, but don't want our troops home.

Yay Big Dan! I'm standing up cheering for your post #53!!! Thank you for taking the time to put all that down into words for this thread. DU is the most dispicable part of this unbelievably heinous war.

Doug E, first of I don't need to drink a glass of milk and think about my life for a change. Wherever your last comment on your post came from, I think it would be better if we just frogt what you said. There is no reason for me to sit back and reflect or to worry. Not my style, so don't lose so sleep on it, ok. We don't need you developing a grumpy stage in your life......

forgot and off, msp I know. No hate out there, just opinions. Still proud to be an American.

Big Dan - That is my point exactly. If the parents know this is happening and do not care..ok but sure strange that two I have spoken to so far had no idea.

And Section 9528 of the NCLB Act- specifically states the same amount of access much be given to college or employment recruiters. And this is not happening.

So far, found another school in the area which "has an arrangement with the military.' Their words.
Again a mix of very rich and very poor kids.

The Superintendent's office called and will research my question and get back with me. I sent the government web page with the exact wording so wonder how they will get out of that.

I will be satisfied with even 1 day a week letting them in but NOT 5 days all day. Especially when their handbook states Closed Campus - no friends, or visitors and the kids can't even go outside at lunch. Like shooting fish in a barrel.

Big Dan - just got off the phone with the Principal of the high school.. they are knocking down the days the recruiters can come in to two times a month. I can't believe it ! I am in shock.

Such a different, different attitude than Monday.

I still want to push for notifying the parents about the Opt Out...which has to specify what you want your child Opt Out of. If you don't specify colleges might not get your child's information and it would be detrimental.

Anyway, thanks for your information and I have to take a deep breath...still in shock that I accomplished something...a very small step but still a step.

Big Dan - just got off the phone with the Principal of the high school.. they are knocking down the days the recruiters can come in to two times a month. I can't believe it ! I am in shock.

Such a different, different attitude than Monday.

I still want to push for notifying the parents about the Opt Out...which has to specify what you want your child Opt Out of. If you don't specify colleges might not get your child's information and it would be detrimental.

Anyway, thanks for your information and I have to take a deep breath...still in shock that I accomplished something...a very small step but still a step.

{Comment by "Pete" aka Ken/Karla Stout/Buckshot deleted for repeated and flagrant inability to follow the few rules we have here. Including not posting under different names and not insulting other commenters. And not acting like a 2 year old.}

Good job Texaslady!! I don't think that is a small step at all. I went to the sites you gave me and will get started tomorrow collecting info.

I was happy to see so many groups in my area.

Well done, Texaslady!

Yup. One person can make a *huge* diff!

Keep making noise!

Omid Zehtab is telling the truth, i wished that 1lt Ballard family will never know the truth but how could keep that a secret forever, i was zehabs gunner that night