...and this is what you miss!

from yesterday's Rush Limbaugh show...



Jeff in Iraq On An Angel's Wings
July 19, 2005

RUSH: I have just a fabulous e-mail from a soldier in Iraq that I want to share with you. Dear Rush, I just wanted to let you know that I enjoy listening to your show when I get a chance. Since I am currently stationed at Camp Anaconda in Iraq, I do not get a chance to hear you while I'm here.

I wanted to let you know about someone special. Her name is Darnel and she is my "Angel." In case you aren't familiar with "Angels," they are people that correspond, via e-mail or letters, with soldiers here in Iraq. They sometimes send care packages as well. Shortly after I arrived here, I signed up on a website called "Soldiers' Angels." Within a few weeks, I received an email from Darnel. She wrote that she would be sending me care packages and asked if there was anything specific I wanted. Since then, I have been receiving at least one package every two weeks from her as well as an email or two a week. It is really amazing what some people will do for our fighting force.

Darnel is apparently a big fan of your show. She has mentioned you a couple of times in her e-mails. The last care package she sent included two of your G'itmo t-shirts. She requested that I take a picture and send it to you so that it might get posted on your web page. I thought it was the least I could do for her. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the photo. I don't know if you send out promo type items, but if you do, I would be very thankful if you could send something to her.

I am including her information below and trust that you will use it wisely.

Your friend in Iraq,
SSG Jeff Alexander

And, his angel, Darnel, lives in Lake City, Florida. By all means, we'll make sure she gets a care package from the Club G'itmo store and the EIB Store.

Links included in the email:
Visit the EIB Store & Order Club G'itmo Gear... (...Irritate Leftists All Over the World)
Adopt a Soldier... (Soldiers' Angels Home)

P.S., Rush - Thanks for reading that on air, and for getting the word out about Soldiers' Angels.

Jeff, keep your head down, your helmet on, and THANK YOU for all you do!

Pacific Ocean (July 15, 2005) - Operations Specialist 2nd Class Jabari Ettinoffe, assigned to the guided missile cruiser USS Thomas S. Gates (CG 51), tracks surface contacts from a SPA-25F Radar Repeater in the Combat Information Center (CIC) during UNITAS 46-05. Thomas S. Gates is conducting UNITAS 46-05 Pacific Phase along with naval and coast guard units from Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Panama. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command sponsors UNITAS with the objective of increase interoperability and foster cooperation among naval forces in the region. During the two-week exercise, participating forces will have the opportunity to hone and test their skills in areas such as anti-submarine warfare, air defense, maritime interdiction operations and surface gunnery. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Michael Sandberg

American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, July 18, 2005 – Iraqi and U.S. forces established a joint/combined operations center to develop intelligence and track operations during a series of missions July 15, military officials in Baghdad, Iraq, said.
This was the first time Iraqi and U.S. forces established such an operations center, Task Force Baghdad officials said. The staffs of each unit worked side by side in the JOC, resulting in the capture of 39 suspected terrorists in several operations.

"Coordination between our respective units has never been better," said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. John Basilica Jr., commander of the 256th Brigade Combat Team. "The 1st Iraqi Brigade is well on its way to being a well-trained joint staff."

On the evening of July 15, elements of the 6th Iraqi Army Division and the 256th BCT successfully detained targets in their areas of operation through cordon-and-search operations and combat patrols.

Soldiers of 4th Battalion, 1st Iraqi Army, and 3rd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, 256th BCT, searched houses suspected of holding terrorists in the Ameriyah district of Baghdad. The mission was successful and resulted in the capture of three suspects, two of whom were Syrian.

The search found 10 to 12 122 mm and 130 mm rounds enhanced with propane to make a larger fireball in the explosion.

In another 256th operation, soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, captured three personnel, all positively identified as targets. The 2-156th personnel knocked on doors when the targeted houses turned up empty, and citizens of the neighborhood led soldiers to the suspected terrorists.

The combined efforts of other 256th and Iraqi army units resulted in the capture of 33 detainees.

Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, and 3rd Battalion, 4th Iraqi Army, brought in 15 detainees after conducting their cordon-and-search missions. While conducting patrols in their area, the 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, and 2nd Battalion, 3rd Iraqi Army, performed a hasty cordon and search and brought in 18 suspected terrorists. The detainees are being held for questioning at an undisclosed location, officials said.

(From a Task Force Baghdad news release.)


Related Site:
Multinational Force Iraq

from http://www.defendamerica.mil

Tech. Sgt. Michelle Smith displays her many letters, cards and pictures mailed to her by various supporters. She is the noncommissioned officer in charge of the 386the Expeditionary Medical Group's bioenvironmental engineering office at a forward-deployed location. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Carlos Diaz


By Staff Sgt. Carlos Diaz / 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA, (AFPN), July 19, 2005 – Servicemembers with the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed location here are not strangers to receiving letters, mementos and care packages from families, friends and loved ones.

However, one sergeant assigned to the 386th Expeditionary Medical Group receives enough mail to keep a fully staffed post office gainfully employed.

Tech. Sgt. Michelle Smith’s bioenvironmental engineering office has been inundated with more than 400 letters.

“In June, we received a large box containing more than 200 support letters and care packages from various campaigns and supporters,” said Sergeant Smith, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the bioenvironmental engineering office.

Sergeant Smith said the abundance of support mail began when she signed up a few of her co-workers to receive care packages from the Operation Gratitude Campaign, a nonprofit all-volunteer corporation funded by private donations.

However, more mail began pouring in.

“An unknown person must have signed our unit up on (a) Web site,” Sergeant Smith said.

She believes that one of the 32 supporters who has adopted her since her arrival here might also have signed up the unit.

On another support Web site, she said, a person adopts a servicemember and communicates with that individual while he or she is deployed.

“Well, I didn’t just have one person adopt me,” she said. “Instead, I had more than 32 families adopt and write me letters.”

Sergeant Smith has personally written all 32 families a response letter. She also communicates with at least five of them by e-mail daily. The 386th EMDG staff also began writing response letters, Sergeant Smith said.

“I’ve never met these individuals before this deployment, but I’ve come to know them and their families quite well because of the various programs,” Sergeant Smith said.

Her mailbox has included a bounty of snacks, toiletries, music CDs, DVDs, magazines, flags, children’s drawings and letters, sunglasses, sunscreen, books, stickers, photos of the supporters and many other items.

“I receive on average about 15 letters and three to seven care packages per week,” she said.

Sergeant Smith said her previous deployment in 1998 was not showered with this much support.

“I think after Sept. 11 the general public has made a concentrated effort to support the troops by writing letters of appreciation and sending care packages,” she said.

Sergeant Smith said she is appreciative of the support the American public has given the troops.

“It’s very uplifting,” she said. “I think it’s great that there are so many people out there (who) want to express their gratitude and actually take the time to do it.

“It takes determination to go out shopping and put care packages together,” she said. “I respect their efforts, and I certainly feel it warrants at least a letter in return.”

Sergeant Smith especially enjoys and is most impressed by the thoughtful expressions of appreciation from children. The hand-drawn cards and the other items children have sent Sergeant Smith and her co-workers have decorated their faces with smiles.

Sergeant Smith has already taken the proactive measures of having her replacement adopted by two families.

“I believe it’s our duty to sign them up for some of this support,” she said. “He’ll probably have care packages waiting for him when he arrives -- just like I did.

Take a look at “The Grapevine” over at Fox News today, and you just may find a few very disturbing tidbits – like these...

Ever since the movie came out, people have been talking about whether “War of the Worlds” is some sort of commentary on the Iraq War. I didn’t see the connection, myself. Sometimes a movie’s just a movie, you know? However, the screenwriter has said that that, indeed, we're looking at cutting edge criticism here....if he can figure what he's criticizing– here’s the scoop:

Screenwriter David Koepp, quoted by the Canadian magazine Rue Morgue, said, "…the Martians [in the movie] ... represent American military forces invading the Iraqis, and the futility of the occupation of a faraway land is again the subtext." And, in an interview with USA Weekend, Koepp said, "You can read our movie several ways. It could be 9/11 paranoia. Or it could be about how U.S. military interventionism abroad is doomed by insurgency, just the way an alien invasion might be."

OK, so how many times are we going to have to go through this –

ATTENTION LIBERAL LOONIES: we are NOT LOSING IN IRAQ!!!!!!

Hubby found me this graphic a while ago, and I didn’t want to post it because of its non-family-friendly language, but now it's just gotta be done. Here's a slightly edited version:

Heh. I can't help it - I love this. Got a large-sized version on my wall. For the non-smudgy version, email me.

Oh, and by the by, the alien invasion WASN'T doomed by insurgency; actually the aliens kicked butt (so maybe there is one similarity). The aliens were defeated by microscopic organisms - basically, they got head colds, and it killed them. Doesn't this guy watch his own movies?

Next!

OK, it's a bad week for stories out of Canada. The little gem above was in a Canadian magazine, and now this, also out of the Grapevine:

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is prescribing guidelines for when the words "terrorism" or "terror" can be used: It seems to be never.

The CBC specifically referred to 9/11, the London bombings, the bombing in Bali, and the train station bombings in Madrid, saying that they should not be referred to as "terrorist acts," unless the term is used when quoting someone else. And this was a STAFF MEMO.

They say that terrorism, as a term, is "highly controversial" and use of it is "taking sides."

They offer this helpful advice "... Instead of reaching for a label ... try describing what happened."

Do they understand what "describing what happened" would mean? You'd never pass the censors! It's a BOMBING....hello...then again, maybe it would do some good for the hug-a-terrorist lefties to actually know what bombs do to innocent people...the horror that these worms are willing to inflict on whomever, just to kill. No, it probably wouldn't - they'd just start justifying it.

OK, how about this. Simple words, G-rated, describing what happened:
In all of the attacks referenced above, some TERRORISTS murdered innocent people because that's what terrorists do. In Madrid, they murdered innocent people in order to control an election (worked). In New York, they murdered innocent people in order to frighten the U.S. into leaving them alone (didn't work), and just because we represent everything they hate - horrible things like freedom, equal rights, capitalism.....

Nah, too "controversial."

Egads, might I be taking sides???

You bet.


Linked with Mudville Gazette's Open Post

Spcs. Daniel Castorena and Arthur Huehl, from 1st Battalion, 15th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, prepare to secure the roof of a suspected terrorist cell leader's house in Taji, Iraq. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Russell Cooley IV.

News of Note
London Bombings
Egypt: Detained Chemist Not Linked to London Blasts
Pakistan Detains Seven
Bombed London train removed from tunnel
Egypt: Chemist has no links to al-Qaida

Operation Iraqi Freedom
TV revives bloody past as Iraq awaits Saddam trial
Sunnis suspend membership on Iraqi panel
Talabani: Saddam trial will lower attacks
Countries seek quick justice for Saddam
British regiment 'bitterly regrets' death of Iraqi prisoner

Operation Enduring Freedom
Afghanistan's Karzai says some madrasas preach hate

Homeland Security / War on Terror
Bomber Kills Six, Injures 20in Indian Kashmir
Terror group threatens war across Europe
Lebanese Cabinet includes Hezbollah member

BRAC News
More Bases Face Closure

Other News of Note
Bush Taps Roberts for Supreme Court

Fox News
Unocal Board Recommends Accepting Chevron Bid
Enervated Hurricane Emily Slams Into Mexican Coast
Deadly Heat Wave in Phoenix
GOP, Some Dems Praise Pick
Dems Will Wait and See on Roberts
Abortion Stance Key to Confirmation
Schumer's Questions for Roberts
Fast Facts: John G. Roberts
Senators Comment on Bush's Pick
Who Is John Roberts?

Reuters: Top News
Iraq constitution body in turmoil

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Gaza pullout opponents to march to Gaza
Suicide attacker kills 10 in Baghdad
Egyptian activist not giving up on reforms
Abbas trying to contain Islamic militants
Fatah, Hamas agree to end Gaza clashes
Turks: Arrest of Kurdish rebels ordered
U.S., Turkey condemn congressman's remarks
Sudan No. 2 leader dismisses officials
Gunmen kill at least 13 Iraqi workers
Israel settlers torn between duty, family

Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
TV revives bloody past as Iraq awaits Saddam trial
Army recruits again hit as Iraq consitution faces new threat

CENTCOM: News Release
ENGINEERS WORK TO COMPLETE REPAIRS AT POWER PLANT IN BAGHDAD

Department of Defense
Bush, Australian PM Focus on Terror War — Story Transcript
Conditions in Iraq to Dictate Troop Levels — Story
Rumsfeld Thanks Polish Leader for Support — Story
Chairman Pledges Aid to Slovakian Military — Story Photos
Officer Outlines Commissions Procedures — Story Transcript

ON THE GROUND
Mail Clerks Deliver Mail, Boost Soldiers' Morale — Story

FACE OF DEFENSE
Airman Sheds Pounds, Gets in Shape to Stay on Duty — Story

TOP NEWS
IN IRAQ
Agencies Help Establish IG System
Forces Capture Dozens of Insurgents
Support Needed to Achieve Liberty
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps
Iraq Daily Update

IN AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan Daily Update
Maps
Afghan Reconstruction Group Recruiting

WAR ON TERRORISM
Military Trials to Resume
Myers, Germans Confer Photos
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

MILITARY NEWS
Guard Chief Discusses State Assets
Recruiting, Retention On Track
National Guard, Reserve Update

CASUALTIES
Officials Identify Army Casualty — Story

Weather
Iraq
Al Azamiyah Al Basrah Al Hillah Al Karkh Al Kazimiyah Al Kut An Nasiriyah Baghdad Baqubah Mosul Najaf Nineveh Tall Kayf

Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar GhurianHeratKabulQandahar

Gitmo

Today in History
1773 - Scottish settlers arrive at Pictou, Nova Scotia.
1864 - Battle of Peachtree Creek.
1868 - Tax stamps first appear on cigarettes.
1872 - Mahlon Loomis receives a patent for the wireless (radio).
1881 - Sioux leader Sitting Bull surrenders to Federal troops.
1894 - Federal troops are recalled from Chicago after ending the Pullman strike.
1917 - #258 is the first number drawn in the WW I draft.
1922 - Togo becomes a mandate of the League of Nations.
1942 - Congress authorizes the Legion of Merit Medal; the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps begins basic training at Fort Des Moines.
1944 - FDR is nominated for an unprecedented 4th term; The U.S. invades Japanese-occupied Guam; Von Stauffenberg fails in his attempt to assassinate Hitler.
1949 - Israel's 19-month war of independence ends.
1956 - France recognizes Tunisia's independence.
1960 - The USS George Washington becomes the first submerged submarine to fire a Polaris missile; the U.S.S.R. recovers two dogs - the first living creatures to return from space.
1969 - Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, from Apollo 11, take "one giant leap for mankind," and become the first men on the 1970 1st baby born on Alcatraz Island
1974 - Turkey invades Cyprus.
1976 - Viking 1 lands on Mars - the first Martian landing.
1982 - The IRA detonates two bombs in London parks.
1985 - Divers find the wreck of the Spanish galleon Atocha (I actually held a bar of gold from the Atocha...it was wild. A little unnerving, what with the two armed guards standing there, too, but wild nonetheless)
1988 - Michael Dukakis is selected the Democratic presidential nominee.
1990 - Justice William Brennan resigns from the Supreme Court after 36 years.

Birthdays
1785 - Mahmud II ,Ottoman sultan, reformer
1919 - Sir Edmund Hillary one of the first two men to scale Mt. Everest
1920 - Elliot L. Richardson, Attorney General / Secretary of Defense
1933 - Nelson Doubleday, publisher / NY Mets owner
1941 - Vladimir A. Lyakhov, cosmonaut (Soyuz 32, T-9)
1947 - Gerd Binnig Frankfurt, physicist, Nobel Prize winner

Passings
1951 - Abdullah Ibn Hussein, King of Jordan, assassinated
1983 - Frank Reynolds, news anchor (ABC)

Reported Missing in Action
1966
Barbay, Lawrence, USAF (LA); EB66C shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - alive and well as of 1998
Dillon, David A., US Army (CA); UH1B shot down, KIA, body not recovered
Hubbard, Edward L., USAF (KS); EB66C shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - alive and well as of 1998
Lewis, Merrill R., USAF (IA); F105D shot down, remains returned August, 1989
McDaniel, Norman A., USAF (NC); EB66C shot down, releasd by DRV February, 1973 - alive and well as of 1998
Means, William H., USAF (KS); EB66C shot down, released by DRV February, 1973 - deceased
Nelson, William Humphrey, USAF (MI); F105D shot down, remains returned by SRV September, 1997
Norbert, Craig R., USAF (CT); EB66C shot down, possibly Died in Captivity
Perkins, Glendon W., USAF (FL); EB66C shot down, released by DRV February, 1973 - alive and well in 1998

1969
Smiley, Stanley K., USN (NE); A4F shot down, KIA, body not recovered