MILSPEAK MEMO volume 4 posting 10 AUGUST - 03 OCTOBER 09 THE GULF WARS

MILSPEAK MEMO
volume 4
posting 10 AUGUST - 03 OCTOBER 09
THE GULF WARS

$MILSPEAK MEMO VOLUME 4 THE GULF WARS FROM PIRATE THE COMPILER Welcome to Milspeak Memo Volume 4: The Gulf Wars. During the next three months, Memo will present readers with an overview of Desert Shield/Desert Storm (Gulf War I) and Operations Enduring Freedom [Afghanistan War] and Iraqi Freedom [Iraq War] (Gulf War II). Whew...just writing that sentence was super-complex. Sometimes I think the government labels wars so that no one can keep track of them! Here at Milspeak, we will never forget and we will keep track. When the culturists can’t sort the big picture, we’ll give it our best shot. When the historians can’t make up their minds, we’ll settle the mix by relying on the words of those who live the drama. For readers new to Milspeak Memo, here’s the lowdown on this little logbook. If you are a military person, we can post any work you’d like to share at Memo. Members of the extended military family are invited to contribute: merchant marine, civil service, defense contractors, etx., military family members, friends. Milspeak Writers aren’t censored. If it’s your material and your opinion, that’s your call. The only caveat to that is the material must be suitable for a general adult readership, and it must not adversely affect national security or troop safety. That said, Milspeak Memo is apolitical – as a literary venture, every attempt is made to give equal space to all points of view. What readers won’t find posted is anonymously written material that is designed to be misleading to foster hate and discontent among military people. The whole idea behind Milspeak is to provide a venue for military people who want to share their military experience through creative means. Most established literary venues ignore military people and think of us as dull as rocks. I know better. I try not to get caught up in politics because it makes me angry. It sidetracks me from what I am capable of doing and that is providing military people with a venue for their creative work and a place where they can be heard and respected in their own words. That’s what Milspeak is about. I believe narrative writing has the power to heal wounds of memory in writers and readers, and that military people’s true stories can help build civilian understanding about everyday military life. I don’t have a fax. But if you can scan and send material via email to postmaster@milspeak.org, I will be happy to read it. If you are a military person and have a book completed or are working on one and want to post excerpts in Memo to get the word out about your work, I’d love to comply. If you know of other military people who write and have published books, I will be happy to post links to their purchase sites if they send the link to me. I will post sketches, art, photography, songs, fiction, poetry, memoir, essay, anecdotes, etx. – by military people. I will help get the word out about books, etx. by military people. What’s important is to have your say. Write when you can, while you can. And remember, all it might take to save a life is one word, and you might be writing that one word right now. Sincerely, Pirate the Compiler AKA Sally Drumm, GySgt USMC (Ret.), AIC #375, Cold War 78-98 Contributing Compilers Mustang AKA Harry Parmer, Major USMC (Ret.), “C” Co. 9th Engineers, Republic of Vietnam and 7th MEB, Desert Storm Sachem Two AKA Tom Sheehan, SSgt U.S. Army, 31st Infantry Regiment, Korean War O.A.T.S (One Among The Salts) AKA A.L. Syor, USMC 1965-69 Mammal AKA R. Richard Brown, Desert Storm and War on Terror SEND LETTERS TO THE COMPILER\\\ KUDOSORKRAP@MILSPEAK.ORG THE GULF WARS contributing compiler’s note by mustang “For tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.” There is wise counsel in this ancient African proverb, wisdom similar to that in this modern adage: “The more you sweat in peace the less you bleed in war.” When I was a young Marine, I remember seeing these words painted on a large billboard posted at the entrance of camp San Onofre, Marine Corps base, Camp Pendleton, home of the Infantry Training Regiment (ITR), better known today by Marines as the School of Infantry (SOI). The genesis of the African proverb and the adage on the ITR billboard are founded in hard earned lessons learned from decades of adversity, conflict, and personal observations. learned first hand the value of tomorrow and sweat equity as an enlisted man during a tour of duty in Viet Nam with 9th Engineer Battalion, and as an officer on the ground during Desert Storm. Above: Mustang - Viet Nam Below: Big Julie (Mustang), Ronbo, Stormy - Desert Storm In spite of the time and geographical differences, both proverb and adage provide the same message – tomorrow’s successes are largely determined by our foresight in making decisions today. A critically important message when you consider the aspects of modern day warfare, with the diversity of adversaries and the ever-increasing lethality of today’s battlefields. We no longer have the luxury of simply learning from history alone. Instead we need to be able to predict the future so the decisions we make today will result in effective war fighting plans for tomorrow and the subsequent training, equipment, and weapons systems our forces will need to achieve success. The question is how can we predict the future with any acceptable degree of reliability and accuracy? Perhaps the answer resides within the capabilities of America’s “Futurists.” (More.......) POSTED 10AUG09 war, futurists, asymmetry, a crimson stain, a marine wife, an introduction, an echo and, consequently, business as usual, plus gorilla style - get some! POSTED 17AUG09 “HOW DO YOU LIKE MY TROJAN HORSE, NOW?” --ODYSSEUS IN AFGHANISTAN POSTED 24AUG09 UNDER CONSTRUCTION: IT’S A HAPPENING, BABY! MRAP TAKES A HIT, SYSCON DANCE PARTY, AND THE GEARS ARE ROLL’N, ROLL’N, ROLL’N ON A RIVER OF SAND PLUS TBD POSTED 31AUG09 “POLITICAL PARALYSIS IN AMERICA OR THE GULF OF NO RETURN” PLUS “SUPER CHILL” AND ‘SCREW YOU TWICE” POSTED 07SEP09 CULTURE SHOCK, MPs, 194 BRICKS, GULFBLINK ET AL, RUMI AND SEVEN PILLARS PLUS ONE HELLUVA CRAZY “MINATUR” POSTED 14SEP09 THREE WARS, THREE PERSPECTIVES, THREE GENRES “UNDER CONSTRUCTION” SORRY FOR THE DELAY FOLKS. BUILDING MILSPEAK FOUNDATION IS HARD WORK FAILED TO POST 21SEP09 “under the weather” POSTED 29SEP09 “taking care of our own” IN THE DESERT, SPACE, WOUNDED WARRIOR DIARIES, POISONED PATRIOTS, A FAREWELL, A FLAME AND A HOMECOMING PLUS THE MONKEY AND THE CROCODILE SUBMISSIONS: Send your Writing, Comments, Art, Video Clips, ETX. to Milspeak Memo DIS, RECRUITS, ANY SERVICE, ANY ERA, ANY NATION - NONFICTION - POETRY - FICTION PHOTOS SKETCHES BRING IT ON! MILSPEAK MEMO VOLUME 5 - DI BEGINS POSTING 12 OCT 09 SEND SUBMISSIONS TO POSTMASTER@MILSPEAK.ORG Share your comments on the post at the mcws blog Contact: postmaster@milspeak.org Disclaimer: The appearance of hyperlinks or logos does not constitute endorsement of Milspeak, Milspeak Memo, or linked sites, or the information (written and graphic), products, or services contained therein, by the Department of Defense, any other government agency or office. Written content and graphics on the pages within this website, whether submitted by members of the Writer’s Gallery, by contributors, guest writers, or by those posting to the Milspeak Memo feature, represent the thoughts and opinions of the writers & artists. Written and graphic content does not reflect the position or opinion of any organization, institution, or person other than the artist. Whether the content is written or visual, it is presented as submitted by the writer or artist, modified only as to format and font. MILSPEAK FOUNDATION does not engage in political activity, although writers and artists may present political opinions. Enjoy! Contributors retain all rights to their works. ©2009 MILSPEAK FOUNDATION OOHRAH!PRODUCTIONS MILSPEAK MEMO NOW INCLUDED IN POETS & WRITERS LITERARY MAGAZINE LIST! OOHRAH! Purchasing a MilSpeak Books title supports MilSpeak Foundation. Milspeak Books are available at MilSpeak Books on Smashwords! Enter coupon code CC74X at checkout to receive a free copy of the MilSpeak anthology. post complete $ shapeimage_2_link_0