Military Pay, not to be confused with Shirley of Laverne and Shirley

Here's another one that HAS NEVER SERVED in the military and making assumptions like all of them.... I totally agree with the response from the airman and challenge this CINDY WILLIAMS to serve at least 6 months rotation and then say we get paid enough!! HOOORAY for the A1C Michael Bragg,  Hill AFB AFNCC  CINDY WILLIAMS was appointed by Obama as an Assistant Director for NATIONAL SECURITY in the Congressional Budget Office..... Military Pay  This is an Airman's response to Cindy Williams' editorial piece in the Washington Times about MILITARY PAY; it should be printed in all newspapers across America.  Ms. Cindy William  wrote a piece for the Washington Times denouncing the pay raise(s) coming service members' way this year citing that she stated a 13% wage increase was more than they deserve.  A young airman from Hill AFB responds to her article below. He ought to get a bonus for this.  "Ms. Williams: I  just had the pleasure of reading your column, "Our GI's earn enough" and I am a bit confused. Frankly, I'm wondering where this vaunted overpayment is going, because as far as I can tell, it disappears every month between DFAS (The Defense Finance and Accounting Service) and my bank account. Checking my latest earnings statement I see that I make $1,117.80 before taxes per month. After taxes, I take home $874.20.  When I run that through the calculator, I come up with  an annual salary of $13,413.60 before taxes, and $10,490.40 after.  I work in the Air Force Network Control Center where I am part of the team responsible for a 5,000 host computer network. I am involved with infrastructure segments, specifically with Cisco Systems equipment. A quick check under jobs for "Network Technicians" in the Washington, D.C. area reveals a position in my career field, requiring three years’ experience in my job. Amazingly, this job does NOT pay $13,413.60 a year. No, this job is being offered at $70,000 to $80,000 per annum............ I'm sure you can draw the obvious conclusions.  Given the tenor of your column, I would assume that you NEVER had the pleasure of serving your country in her armed forces.  Before you take it upon yourself to once more castigate congressional and DOD leadership for attempting to get the families in the military's lowest pay brackets off of WIC and food stamps, I suggest that you join a group of deploying soldiers headed for AFGHANISTAN; I leave the choice of service branch up to you. Whatever choice you make though, opt for the SIX month rotation: it will guarantee you the longest possible time away from your family and friends, thus giving you full "deployment experience." As your group prepares to board the plane, make sure to note the spouses and children who are saying good-bye to their loved ones. Also take care to note that several families are still unsure of how they'll be able to make ends meet while the primary breadwinner is gone. Obviously they've been squandering the "vast" piles of cash the government has been giving them.   Try to deploy over a major holiday; Christmas and Thanksgiving are perennial favorites. And when you're actually over there, sitting in a foxhole, shivering against the cold desert night, and the flight sergeant tells you that there aren't enough people on shift to relieve you for chow, remember this: trade whatever MRE's (meal-ready-to-eat) you manage to get for the tuna noodle casserole or cheese tortellini, and add Tabasco to everything. This gives some flavor.  Talk to your loved ones as often as you are permitted; it won't be nearly long enough or often enough, but take what you can get and be thankful for it. You may have picked up on the fact that I disagree with most of the points you present in your open piece.  But, tomorrow from KABUL, I will defend to the death your right to say it.  You see, I am an American fighting man, a guarantor of your First Amendment right and every other right you cherish...On a daily basis, my brother and sister soldiers worldwide ensure that you and people like you can thumb your collective noses at us, all on a salary that is nothing short of pitiful and under conditions that would make most people cringe. We hemorrhage our best and brightest into the private sector because we can't offer the stability and pay of civilian companies.  And you, Ms. Williams, have the gall to say that we make more than we deserve?  A1C Michael Bragg,  Hill AFB AFNCC  IF YOU AGREE, PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT OF THE AMERICAN FIGHTING MEN AND WOMEN.  THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

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Christmas Poem

IN GOD WE TRUST

 

 

Christmas Poem

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY! COUNTRY, MY CORPS."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I WEPT FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND!
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."

This poem was written by a Marine.

The following is his request. I think it is reasonable.....

PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities.  Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your small part to plant this small seed.

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Biggest dog in the world !

Remember during reading, one stone equals  fourteen pounds PETS Meet  George the Great Dane The  first time we saw George, our beloved Great Dane, he was  no  more than a tiny, cowering  ball of fuzzy fur. As my wife Christie opened the door of the crate he’d travelled in, he  teetered to a standing position  and looked out at us, moving his head slowly from  side to side, taking in the wonder of it  all. Finally, as if weighing us up and deciding we were acceptable, he tentatively  pushed his little nose forward  and gave Christie her first lick. Puppy love: A young George with  Dave's wife Christie. Even as a pup he had  comically large paws .   He came  into our lives in January 2006, just a few months after  we had married and set up home  in Arizona . We both had busy jobs, Christie selling medical equipment while I was a  property developer, but she had  always planned that, once she had a house of her  own, she would also have a  dog. She wanted a Great Dane as they make great family  pets, so we tracked down a  litter of 13, born 1,000 miles away in Oregon .  Their owner emailed us a photo showing a  chaotic jumble of paws, snouts  and tails. Twelve were entangled with one another, but  our  eyes were drawn to one pup  standing apart from the rest. He was  clearly the runt, endearing him to Christie  immediately. Though it didn’t really register, George’s  paws were comically large  even  then. But all we saw was this cute puppy. We certainly  never  dreamed he would one day  become the biggest dog in the world, standing nearly 4ft high at the shoulder, 7ft long  and weighing nearly 18 stone.  Right now, he just looked bewildered. George made the long  journey from Oregon to Phoenix by plane and  we picked him up from the freight area,  tired but unshaken.. As soon as  George settled into our home, we discovered our plans to be  fair but firm parents were  wishful thinking. All the things that make  Great Danes wonderful pets — their lack of  aggression and their attachment  to humans — make them more emotionally sensitive  than other dogs. They need to  be with their ‘pack’ at all times and at  night the cute pup with intensely blue eyes turned  into a caterwauling banshee  whenever we tried to leave him alone in the kitchen. No matter how much we  reminded ourselves that he had every  home comfort (warm dog bed, warm blanket, warm  kitchen,  squeaky bone), each  whimper created a picture in our heads of a   tragic, abandoned pup, desperate for his  mother. Eventually, we  gave in  and shunted George’s dog bed into our bedroom.   Magnificent: George measures more than  7 ft from nose to tail and weighs 18 stone and is the world's biggest dog, but he's  terrified of Chihuahuas .. In the coming months,  Christie really threw herself into being a  mum to George. As well as a photo album,  he had a growth chart — we were  soon reading it in awe. At five months he still acted like  a puppy, chasing his tail and  playing games of fetch and tug-of-war with his favourite bit of rope. But he was already  the size of a fully-grown   Labrador . He was putting on more than a pound a day  and he bounded around like Bambi,  skittering on our wooden floors and hurling himself at everything he fancied,  including us humans. His  displays of affection could leave you pinned temporarily  against a wall or a piece of furniture. His size did not go  unnoticed in the outside world. Our local park  had a section for puppies but we were  bullied out of it by other owners, who were scared George would hurt their pups  — but the opposite was  true. The smaller dogs ran around and under him, and he’d  be constantly sidestepping them, obviously anxious and  jittery. Slowly we realized that our enormous puppy was a big softie. Besides  his terror of being left alone,  he had a fear of water. He’d growl anxiously at the side of  our swimming pool, alarmed that his ‘pack’ members would so  willingly place themselves in danger of drowning.   If the pool  was his most-hated place, his favourite was our bedroom.  Eventually he outgrew the single mattress we placed there for  him and preferred instead the  comfort of our king-sized bed — sprawling between us like some over-indulged prince  while we spent half the night  clinging onto the edges.    Paws for thought: George's giant feet  dwarf Dave's hand In the summer of  2006, we solved this problem by buying him his  own queen-sized mattress, which he still  sleeps on today at the bottom  of our bed. But soon we encountered another challenge  as George reached doggie  puberty. Once he had grabbed life by the lapels, now he was grabbing onto legs — table legs,  chair legs, human legs, he  wasn’t picky — and doing what all male dogs do with  the vigour of a canine  giant. He calmed down in the furniture department after we  had him neutered, but then he  took up a new hobby, eating as if it were an Olympic sport. A sausage on the barbecue was like  a siren to a passing sailor.  You couldn’t turn your back for a minute. And he  was so tall that he actually  had to bend down to pinch food off kitchen  counters. He could reach the  high shelves as well, so we had to hide everything  away in cupboards. Soon, he was getting  through around 100lb of  dry dog  food every month. As he approached his first birthday in  November 2006, weighing about  14 stone, it was getting physically impossible to make him  go anywhere he didn’t want to —  including the vet’s surgery. He had not forgotten the time he went there in possession  of his manhood — and came out  less than whole. As soon as he recognized the  entrance, he  refused to  move. So I had to take him around to the less  familiar back door  instead. For all these troubles, George gave us plenty in  return, not least the following  year when Christie lost the baby she was carrying.  Evidently tuned in to her grief, George  was a constant presence at her  side. When she sat, he sat too. When she stood, he stood  and padded alongside her to  wherever she was going. His personality grew  more delightful the bigger he got. A male Great Dane typically weighs from nine to 11 stone,  but by Christmas 2007 George  weighed 15 stone — bigger than most men. At this  point, he loved being chauffeured around  in my golf cart and would sit  in it, his haunches on the seat and front legs on the  floor.   By Christmas 2008, our  canine colossus weighed 18 stone. A friend  suggested he might be a contender for the  Guinness Book of Records, but  we had other things to think about: Christie had  discovered that she was pregnant  again. With size comes problems: George the  giant barely fits in the back of his owner's SUV The trouble was, when  our daughter Annabel arrived that September  George made it clear he wanted nothing to  do with this interloper. He was  used to spending nights in delightful oblivion at the foot  of  our bed. Annabel’s  high-decibel presence simply wasn’t on. When she cried, he’d wake, harrumph and then turn  over in annoyance. Once it was  clear the racket was going to continue, he’d exhale  heavily again, till one of us finished  that mysterious feeding thing we did with the noisy intruder. But while he might  not have cared much for Annabel, George loved  her dolls, especially a stuffed green one  that played a nursery rhyme  when squeezed. Whenever he could, he placed it  between his paws and pressed it  so he could hear the tune. It was like a security blanket. It was a period of such big  adjustment for him that if it  made him happy, then it was fine by us and our patience  was rewarded.   Slowly,  George understood that Annabel was our pack’s  youngest member and in need of  his affection and protection. And on Christmas morning, he ended his three-month sulk,  acknowledging her presence with  a lick of her hand. It was the best present we  could have had — although the beginning of  2010 brought more good news. A doggone miracle: George the Great  Dane with the Nasser's daughter Annabel at home in Arizona   Over the  previous weeks, while Annabel slept, Christie had  applied to the Guinness World  Records people on George’s behalf. That February, one of their adjudicators came to watch  George being measured in the  presence of a vet. He was officially declared not  just the world’s tallest living dog (43  inches from paw to shoulder) but the tallest dog ever. The following week we  flew to Chicago to appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show and were put up in one of the city’s  most luxurious hotels. We had a  huge sitting room, dining area and even a bar —  but there was just one problem. There was  nowhere for George to sleep. As we enjoyed a gourmet meal and a bottle  of red wine that night, he  struggled to settle on two roll-out divans provided for  him. Infuriatingly, they  wouldn’t stay together. So he had his head on  fontfontfontfont

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Supladang Dalaga

Excellent police work!

Semper Fi…

 

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Merry Christmas

Happy Christmas to everyone and a very Merry New Year 2012 MERRY CHRISTMAS!!                                 HO HO HO HO…..LOL                         Merry Christmas

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Jeopardy Question

Did you know this?    The Jeopardy Question No One Could Answer :          ARLINGTON  CEMETERY Jeopardy Question:     On Jeopardy the other night, the final question was "How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns"  ---- All three contestants missed it! --    This is really an awesome sight to watch if you've never had the chance. Very fascinating.    Tomb of the Unknown Soldier     1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why?     21 steps:  It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute which the highest honor is given any military or foreign dignitary.     2. How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why?     21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1     3. Why are his gloves wet?  His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.  4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time and, if not, why not?  He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.     5. How often are the guards changed?     Guards are changed every thirty minutes,  twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.  6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?  For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be  between 5' 10' and 6' 2' tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30.       They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the  rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform or the tomb in any way.       After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on  their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only  400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their  lives or give up the wreath pin.       The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the  top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.  There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform.. Guards dress for duty  in front of a full-length mirror.  The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone nor  watch TV All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid  to rest in  Arlington   National   Cemetery . A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred. Among the notables are:       President Taft,    Joe Lewis {the boxer}  Medal of Honor winner Audie L. Murphy, the most  decorated soldier of WWII and of Hollywood fame.  Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for  guard duty. ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.  In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching  Washington,  DC, our  US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the  hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They  respectfully declined the offer, "No way, Sir!" Soaked to the skin,  marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a serviceperson. The tomb has been patrolled continuously,  24/7, since 1930.  God Bless and keep them.     I don't usually suggest that many emails be forwarded, but I'd be  very proud if this one reached as many as possible. We can be very proud of our young men and women in the service no matter where they serve. IN GOD WE TRUST

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MORE New Walmart Shoppers

I’m pissed and I have a scooter.     Poka…what?   Pants on the ground   A little more material….please!   I’ve got no words.   Poor Tweety.   OMG   If this was Texas …then I bet they were done in 20 minutes or less.   Let it go back to the wild….please. run kitty….run…..   No words for this.   What the……   By golly she is still in a size 4…..and she aint lying.   And she stops by walmarts before going to ballet.   He could have at least color coordinated.   It’s the devils wife….i just know it.   Horder?      I’m sure he smells as good as he looks.   At least his hat and purse match.   Where are my clippers….lets just finish this please.   Is that pink underware??? Or a crease in his stomach?   Just resting the girls?   A wolf is attaching this  poor lady….or man???   Some shorts are just too tan….that is shorts right???   Moma….i gotta borrow your moo moo and shoes if you want a snack.   Lets do some tucking in next time…shall we.   I think that’s two different boots.   That whole outfit is why she in on the wine isle.   Honey…walmarts is out of razors again.   Is that a rainbow snow cone on her head?   Uumm…ewww?   Cant wait to see what he pulls out.   Nun meets cross dressing devil woman needing new shoes?   WTH   **squirt**

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