May 26, 2005

The Long Journey Home

Well, as you can see by my previous post I am home safe in the States. My trip back wasn't bad at all. I flew a Boeing 777 from Frankfurt, Germany to Chicago. The nearly 10-hour flight was very comfortable. I watched a few movies, slept a little and the next thing you know I was at Chicago O'Hare. I was impressed. I fly so much that I tend to get sick of it, but that flight wasn't bad at all.

I had about 34 hours in Chicago. Ah, the windy city. I stayed in a very nice hotel and had a great time.

Late in the evening this past Monday it was back to O'Hare and off to home. The four-hour flight home was horrible. It was so bad you would think I'd left my will to live in Chicago. Nothing I could do would make me comfortable. I was cramped, hurt, tired and a bit pissy. This time it was a Boeing 747 and there was an ass crammed in every single seat. That and there were about 5 rows to many. For those of you who don’t know me, I am a short man. I am lucky if I am 5'6" tall and I didn't have nearly enough legroom. That flight flat out sucked!

Anyway, I am back and slowly getting into the groove of life outside of a hotel with maid service. Give me a day or two and I'll be searching the news sites and finding something to rant about.

Thanks again to everyone who reads regularly.

lagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 09:16 PM | Comments (4)

February 23, 2005

Sick And Tired Of Being Sick And Tired

Everyone knows the feeling demonstrated by the title of this post. I am down to the wire. I will be leaving this Saturday for a temporary duty assignment that could last as long as six months. To all of you who have wished me well and offered prayers I thank you. However, since this assignment is not classified I can tell you that I am going to a location in Germany, so hopefully the prayers will not be needed. It should be a good temporary duty.

Now back to the title. Last Saturday my Five-year-old daughter came down with the flu. Our weekend consisted of washing out the puke bucket, changing sheets, and washing/changing pajamas. Poor thing handled it very well but it definitely slowed the process of preparing to leave. So, Monday rolls around and she starts feeling better. About that same time I get the runs. I think maybe I caught her flu bug but (no pun intended) it manifested differently in me. I got the fever, aches and pains, and headache, but (again no pun intended) instead of vomiting I have the runs. To add insult to injury I have had the worst heartburn of my life these past three days. Now, not to be graphic but imagine every time you sat down to crap you also had to deal with the acid reflux that came with every push.

This morning we learned that the baby (6 mos. old) is now sick. He has projectile vomited 3 times so far today. So, now we are back to washing sheets and changing pajamas. All the while, we are trying to catch up on laundry, pack my bags and straighten up the house and mow the lawn. I don't want to leave anything undone, as I know my wife will have her hands full with two kids and a full time job. She also has to worry about yard inspections since we live in base housing.

So needless to say it appears that many things will be left unfinished. Luckily one of my neighbors offered to mow the lawn soon and what will be left undone in the house shouldn't be too hard to handle.

It is also a great relief to know that although they are more than ten hours away by car the in-laws are always willing to help if need be.

I am sorry for the slim posting but as you can see our circus has kept us very busy.

I'll post what and when I can and hopefully once I get into a routine in Germany I'll be able to post regularly again.

Thanks to all for the kind words.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 10:50 AM | Comments (5)

December 14, 2004

Ten Year Anniversary

Well, today is the big day. On this day in 1994 I was sworn in to the United States Air Force as an Airman Basic (E-1). I started basic training yesterday or so it seems. I can't believe that I have been in the service for 10 years. It barely seems possible that it has been 10 years since I sewed on my first stripe.

I have to admit though, when I look back it has been one hell of an experience. Besides training me in Law Enforcement and Security as a Security Policeman the AF has afforded me the opportunity to lateral train into Combat Arms, my present job.

I have been to more countries than I ever could have imagined as a kid. I have been to England, Italy, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Cuba, and have made numerous pit stops in other locations throughout Africa. I also lived in Japan for two years.

I spent my first five years working in Law Enforcement and Security (Primarily in Law Enforcement). I have spent the last five years working in Combat Arms. My present duties range from teaching small arms marksmanship to performing maintenance and modification of AF small arms.

I am or have been certified on a nearly endless list of weapons:

The M-16, M-16A1, M-16A2, M4 Carbine, M-60 Machine Gun, M-249 Squad Automatic Rifle, M-240 Medium Machine Gun, M870 Shotgun, M12 Shotgun, M500 Shotgun, UZI, MP5, M9 (Beretta 9mm), M11 (Sig Sauer 9mm), M203 Grenade Launcher, LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon) Rocket, M2 (Browning .50 Cal Machine Gun), M29A1 (81mm Mortar), Claymore Mine, Hand Grenades (All types from high explosive to smokes and simulators).

In addition to being certified to carry these, I can certify others. I am also certified to perform all maintenance (gunsmithing) functions.

I wouldn't trade my experiences for anything else in the world. While from time to time I share experiences and I am sure that I will share my experiences from my next temporary duty or deployed location there are other memories that are mine and mine alone and yet other memories I just don't care to talk about.

Well, as of today I am 1/3 of the way through my career. That's right, I have every intention of staying in as long as the AF will have me which could be as long as 30 years. My goal is to one-day reach the rank of Chief Master Sergeant (E-9). While only a small percentage of the enlisted structure make it to this level, I believe that I will one day be ready for the level of responsibility of a Chief.

I remember the day I left home for basic training. We were driving to the MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) and my Father (Sitting in the back seat) told me how proud he was of my desire to serve our nation and how proud he would be to see me in the uniform he wore just 20 years before. He told me that he would be proud no matter what came of my AF career as long as I gave it my best.

Well I did, I have, and I will continue to do so as long as I can. When I received Honor Graduate in Basic Training, I said it was for my Dad. When I received Distinguished Honor Grad at the Police Academy, it was for my Dad. When I received Honor Grad at Air Base Defense School, it was for my Dad. Four years later when I re-trained into Combat Arms and once again received Honor Graduate, I said it was for my Dad.

When I said it is for my Father, I meant that in honor to the upbringing I received. It was my Father that impacted my life most in molding me into the Father, Son and Airman that I am today. We continue to talk almost daily and whether he realizes it or not he continues to guide me.

I am sure there are times that he thinks he was too hard on me, or perhaps he wasn't or couldn't do enough for me, but I say he couldn't have done it any better. If it weren't for the values I learned as a child and the respect for our country and our way of life that I learned I wouldn't still be in the AF today.

So, Dad (Sgt/E-4, USAF) I guess you are one of the key people that I should thank for the life I am so grateful to have and the love of the Air Force and the United States that guides me in my life.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me in my career and whom will continue to do so. Thank you to everyone who reads my ramblings and motivates me to continue to share my thoughts on everything imaginable.

14 December 2004. 10 Years United States Air Force

SSgt SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 10:00 PM | Comments (13)

November 05, 2004

Prepare For Americas New Party

Vote Repubocratitarian in 2012.

If there is one thing that this election has taught me it is that we need someone other than the cookie cutter Republican or Democrat to run for President.

One of my troops (staunch Kerry supporter) and I (obvious Bush supporter) have spent much time debating politics and collectively we have discovered that our nations greatest weakness (politically speaking) is the fact that we are always stuck with one Republican and one Democrat candidate.

It's time for a new party, a third party that can better adapt to the needs of the American people.

I am tired of the old you voted for Bush so you are a Republican. Well guess what people I am not.

OK, so if you voted for Kerry you are a Democrat right, wrong!

Let's take a look at where I stand on the issues.

I am:

- Pro Choice (predominantly a Democrat belief)
- Pro gun owner’s rights (predominantly a Republican belief)
- Pro Stem Cell Research (Democrat)
- Pro Military/National defense (Republican)

And the list goes on and on like this.

One idiot told me that I can't think this way, or you are "all fucked up"

But am I really? If most Americans stripped off the labels (Democrat or Republican) they would surely discover that they have beliefs that align with both parties and maybe it is time for a candidate that is closer to the overall needs of America.

So I'd like to announce the beginning of the Repubocratitarian Party.

I will balance the budget!
Preserve both Gun owner’s rights and a woman’s right to choose.
I will ensure that medical research is never hindered by religious debate.
This nations military and our national defense will remain a priority.

Vote SlagleRock 2012 (Hey a guy can dream right!)

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 09:10 PM | Comments (7)

October 02, 2004

Things That Really Irritate Me

Someone ever say or do something that you just find absolutely stupid? Of course this has happened to you, it happens to everyone. If you are the person who reads these 9 things and doesn't understand them it is because you are the annoying ass hole that keeps asking these questions or doing these things.

9 things I hate:

1. People who point at their wrist while asking for the time.... I know where my watch is pal, where the hell is yours? Do I point at the family jewels when I ask where the toilet is?

2. People who are willing to get off their ass to search the entire room for the TV remote because they refuse to walk their fat ass to the TV and change the channel manually.

3. When people say, "Oh you just want to have your cake and eat it too". Damn right! What good is a cake if you can't eat it?

4. When people say "it's always the last place you look". Of course it is. Why the hell would you keep looking after you've found it? Do people do this? Who and where are they? Have they been diagnosed?

5. When people say while watching a film "did you see that?". No loser, I paid $12 to come to the cinema and stare at the damned floor. Oh and by the way, shut the hell up, I just paid $12 to watch the damned movie.

6. People who ask, "Can I ask you a question?".... Didn't really give me a choice there, did ya sunshine?

7. When something is 'new and improved!'. Which is it? If it's new, then there has never been anything before it. If it's an improvement, then it isn't new; there must have been something before it.

8. When people say, "life is short". What the hell?? Life is the longest damn thing anyone ever does!! What can you do that's longer?

9. When you are waiting for the bus and someone asks, "Has the bus
come yet?". If the bus came would I be standing here, dumb ass?

Actually there is a 10th thing that drives me nuts (truth be told there are probably another 100 or more things that drive me nuts) and that is those people who perpetuate ignorance in unfounded old wives tales. I am the last person that needs to hear that, "when you sneeze you are dead for a second, because your heart stops beating." Things of that sort. Drives me nuts. Save these goofy old tales for the ignorant.

So, where did this rant come from you might ask. Recently I was introduced to a new member of my unit. This person, knows and says every single cliché imaginable.

Can the clichés, kill the old wives tales and give me at least three (preferably six) feet of personal space. If I want to talk to you or want you to touch me, I'll let you know.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 12:12 PM | Comments (5)

September 25, 2004

Hi Yo Silver Away

Yesterday I was browsing around the BX (Base Exchange) and I picked up the Star Wars trilogy on DVD. I was pretty stoked to have all three of the original movies on DVD, One because I am movie/electronics nut and two because it is one of the most memorable movies of my youth.

After I picked up my copy of the trilogy and was walking out of electronics I noticed something even more exciting.

There it was sitting on a shelf completely out of place like it was calling to me, as if some divine power had placed it at exactly eye level to ensure I'd find it.

The Lone Ranger Show Collectors Edition

I got 17 episodes from the original series, 1949-1957. A two DVD set and get this it was only $6.95. I was more excited to find the Lone Ranger than I was the Star Wars trilogy. The Lone Ranger series ended (stopped production) nearly twenty years before I was born, but I have so many memories of watching the re-runs with my grandfather and sometimes even my pops on weekends.

When I was a kid I got to meet Clayton Moore (The Lone Ranger) and I got his autograph. That was the coolest to me. I still have that autograph today, safely tucked away in plastic.

Now many young people would read this and think I am crazy. "The Lone Ranger who is that" they would surely ask. I mean, he's no Pokemon or Yu-Gi Oh, is he? Hell yes he is, The Lone Ranger stood for all that was good, something that we need to revisit with today’s youth. Even many from my generation wouldn't watch it simply because (oh no) it's in black and white. If it is not a video game, or bloody violent movie most of our youth isn't interested.

Now before anyone whines about my interest in the series I do realize that it is full of inaccuracies and stereotypes, but I also know that it came from a time when those things weren't so important. I can imagine how nice it must have been for an entire family to sit huddled around the radio to hear the original radio broadcasts of The Lone Ranger.

To my surprise, my daughter (5 years old) is a huge fan. So far we have watched 6 episodes together and she keeps asking how many more there are and when we can watch the next one.

I just thought I'd share. I really was tickled to find this DVD set.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 07:05 PM | Comments (7)

July 18, 2004

Enter the Parking Garage: Patriots Fight Back

A few nights ago two friends and I decided to do the tourist thing. We decided to go downtown, see the river walk and have some genuine Mexican food. So, we did just that. We parked in an underground parking garage near the mall on the river walk and strolled up and down memory lane. We BS'd about the first time we all got to go off base after basic training and how funny that was. The three of us had a great meal and a few beers at one of the tiny Mexican restaurants on the river. As our evening wound down we headed back to the car.

We got in the car and started to back out of the parking spot when all of a sudden a little white car slammed on the brakes directly behind us, preventing us from backing out. Immediately three males (teens to early twenties) jumped out of the car and ran up to the drivers side of my friends car.

As they were approaching, my buddy (we'll call him Bruce for this story, you'll see why in a minute LMAO) jumped out of the car, and I hopped out as well.

Initially the three individuals didn't even acknowledge Bruce. The littlest one of the bunch started calling us everything from "crackers" to "bitches." He immediately addressed my second friend (we'll call him Pappy) who remained in the back seat. Now being cops (at least the two of us who had nuts enough to get out of the car) we did what we are trained to do: we tried to diffuse the situation. In the mean time, I was slowly making my way around these three thugs unnoticed.

The little thug we'll call Stupid (and again you'll see why) leans down and looks at Pappy and says, "What did you say bitch?" Pappy says, "Dude what are you talking about?" Stupid says "You flipped me off and called me a fag when we drove by, Bitch!" Now in reality even if Pappy would have done something like this (which he did not) those thugs never would have been able to see him as Bruce's car windows are tinted jet black.

Bruce steps forward a little and says, "Hey, you guys take off, this dude didn't say anything to you, we were talking to each other in the car so I don't know what you think you saw."

So long story short, Stupid and Pappy continue to yell back and forth for several minutes.

Finally Stupid tells Pappy, "You are getting your ass beat bitch, either you can get out here and take a beat down or I am coming in there! Better yet, how much money you got bitch, maybe we'll just take all you bitches money." Oh and yes, chicken shit Pappy is still in his seat with his seatbelt on.

So Pappy says one last time, "Just go away I didn't say shit to you."

About that time Stupid made his move and started towards the car door. Bruce steps between them and says, "You aren't getting anywhere near my fucking car or my friend"

Now unbeknownst to me as well as these three thugs, old Bruce is a Black Belt in three different martial arts. As Stupid is moving in, Bruce jumps straight up in the air and snap kicks this little thug under the chin so hard his head flips back like a Pez dispenser.

As soon as it all started I made my move. I grabbed the biggest of the three from behind in a standard choke hold. Once I had better control, I turned him around and adjusted my hold so that I was crushing his windpipe. Immediately after I grabbed the big Mongo looking fucker, the third thug started toward me. Mongo started gurgling get back, "Get back! This dude is going to break my neck." So turns out they had a chicken shit in their group too, or at least they do for now. The third punk stepped back towards their car and watched as Bruce proceeded to beat the ever living shit out of his mouthy little friend, Stupid.

I held the big guy in a death grip so he couldn't move. Every time he attempted to free himself I proceeded to tenderize his ribs with several ferocious punches.

While we were standing there my friend Bruce looked like a hurricane of arms and legs, he was spinning and kicking/punching this little thug all over the place. At one point I think he even helped him up so he could spin kick him again.

After what seemed like hours of scuffling, Mongo dropped like a lead weight, and I thought I had killed him. When Mongo dropped, the third guy must have got his second wind. He started at me like a bull. Without hesitation I kicked him in the balls so hard he could have worn his manhood as earrings. As he started to double over, I knuckle punched him in the throat. He hit the ground next to Mongo like a ton of bricks.

After a second or two, thug #3 gets back up and starts running towards the car. To my relief Mongo came to (he just passed out) and ran to the car as well. They drove off and left their mouthy little friend to the wolves.

Now we clearly have the upper hand so I go over and pull Bruce off of Stupid. This little thug looked like Rocky after his fight with Apollo Creed. This kid's face looked like 20 lbs. of ground beef. He was barely conscious. About the time I pull Bruce off a cop rolled up. He immediately cuffed the little thug. We thought it odd that he didn't cuff us, but it turns out that someone had called the cops and told them we were getting car jacked. On his way up to our level he could also see a little of what was going on as he looked diagonally through the garage.

Three hours later, several statements and hospitalization for all three of the "hard asses" we were let go. No bail, no notifications to the base (thank god) and no arrests for the three of us.

It turned out that this had happened several times in the past few weeks to people who were parked in that same area (blind spot to the security cameras). These thugs were deliberately targeting people with out of state plates, starting a fight and then stealing whatever they could.

In the process of giving our statements, the cops asked Pappy where he was during all of this. He said, "I just froze, I don't know why, but I froze."

The cop responded with, "It was a good thing you hang out with Bruce Lee and Hulk Hogan or this could have been very bad for you."

Pappy actually caught a lot of shit from the cops for leaving us hanging, but in hind sight it was funny as hell. Those three thought they were going to get paid. Instead they got hospitalized and arrested. The big guy had a sprained neck and broken ribs. The little guy had a broken nose and lost a couple of teeth, and their friend knows exactly what his testicles taste like.

Moral of the story, you never know what you might get into, and starting a fight with complete strangers can clearly come back to bite you in the ass.

That's one for the good guys.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 01:40 PM | Comments (10)

July 04, 2004

July 4, 1998 (My Most Memorable Independence Day)

Everyone has favorites. A favorite person, a favorite movie a favorite holiday etc.. And for each one of those we all have a favorite moment to accompany each of these.

One of my favorite holidays is Independence Day. It is a chance to look back and reflect on the previous years freedoms. It is a time for family and friends to get together and really appreciate the life we live in the United States.

My favorite Independence Day was in 1998.

I was in my third month of what would end up being a 5.5-month deployment in Kuwait. I was part of a large build up near the Iraq border.

We didn't have many things for entertainment or celebration. The Services Squadron decided to host an Independence Day party. They barbecued the worst steak, hot dogs and hamburgers I have ever eaten. We joked all day long that it was really camel ass and goat balls. Since alcohol was not allowed in Kuwait we also had tons of near beer. If you've never tried a non-alcoholic beer don't bother, it will only piss you off.

They hosted games, such as a dunk tank, water volleyball, softball etc.
Needless to say it was a very good day, all four branches of the service came together to appreciate our freedoms, the freedoms we were all there to defend.

Like most events the celebration started with the posting of the colors. The honor guard was unique it consisted of Two US Airman and two British Royal Air Force Airman.

Near the end of the opening ceremonies an amazing thing happened; the Royal Air Force flew overhead in their Tornado fighter jets, during the fly over they performed a missing man formation. The Royal Air Force officer who was narrating the opening ceremonies said that the RAF wanted to show their appreciation for America and honor all Americans on their Independence Day.

Think about that for a moment. The country that we fought for our independence two hundred and twenty two years prior was honoring us. Everyone knows that England is our greatest ally and likely always will be, but that was the icing on the cake. The mutual respect that our two nations share could never have been more obvious than that moment when one jet peeled away from the formation as a symbol of all Americans that never returned home.

Enjoy your Independence and remember all who fight to keep it that way.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 10:54 AM | Comments (3)

May 29, 2004

September 11th 2001 A Reflection

Below is a personal recollection of the initial moments of September 11, 2001. My wife and I were both on active duty, stationed at Travis AFB, California. I wrote this on the 1st anniversary of the cowardly attack on the US. It was my reflection on a most troublesome time. While I intend on re-running this on Sept 11th this year I decided that this Memorial Day weekend was an appropriate time to post this personal essay. Feel free to comment and please direct anyone you like here to the site to read the thoughts of one patriot, one airman as he looks back on one of the darkest days in US history.

On September 11, 2001 my alarm went off at 0545 just like any other day. Like any other day I did not turn on the television or radio. The love I have for my wife and daughter prevented me from doing anything that may wake her or my little angel prematurely on their day off. I went through my normal routine. I showered, shaved and donned my crisply ironed uniform and spit shined boots just as I had done for nearly 7 years. I left the house in good spirits.
Mentally, I was prepared to teach my M-16 class on that fateful Tuesday. While driving to work I was listening to the radio just as I did every morning. At approximately a quarter until seven the radio DJ’s cut into the song and announced that a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center towers. Initially I was horrified at the thought. Then I started to think that was simply inconceivable and the DJ’s (known for horseplay) must be playing some sort of very sick joke. As I made the turn onto the road leading into the back gate at Travis AFB, CA I noticed something peculiar. Traffic was backed up a great deal. Was it an accident I thought? I didn’t see anything in the road up ahead. Was something wrong on base? Then the fear hit home. The radio DJ’s weren’t joking; we were under attack. Quickly I changed the radio to another station to verify the horrifying news, then another and another. I must have checked every single FM station that I could tune in. Moments later the radio announced that a second plane had struck the other tower. I was getting the information in bits and pieces from numerous radio stations. Later I heard another plane crashed into the pentagon. Moments later they announced that one of the WTC towers had collapsed. Initial casualty estimates were in the tens of thousands. As I sat there in traffic, eager to get to my unit where I could perform my duties as a Security Forces member, I cried. The tears flowed almost uncontrollably. The knot in my throat felt the size of Texas. It was possible that I may have lost thousands of my brothers and sisters, my fellow Americans. I thought about my wife and daughter. I thought about how terrible it would be to be a family member of someone who worked in those buildings.
I immediately began working on a plan to have my daughter picked up by grandma so that my wife, also a Security Forces member, and I could do what we do best, serve this great nation. I knew that long arduous shifts were in our future.

Slowly traffic cleared. As I made my way through the gate I stopped to talk to a fellow SF member, he was in tears. He was instructed to allow only active duty military onto the installation. Numerous “non-essential” personnel were sent home. He feared for his family that lived in the San Francisco area.
As I crept in traffic closer to my squadron I noticed an unfamiliar sound. Something I had never heard living and working so close to the airfield. Silence. Suddenly there was no air traffic. No planes were landing. Nothing was taking off or taxiing.

As I rounded the corner to my unit, I didn’t bother to stop at my office, without hesitation I drove on to the armory. I was certain that I would be armed to perform my primary duties as a Defender, air base defense. I was anxious to get intel, find out what the hell was going on. Who attacked us, why? I had so many questions.

As soon as I arrived at the armory I was told to call my wife. Everyone was being recalled to duty. The phone rang for what felt like an hour and when my wife answered, it took her a moment to realize what I was saying. After the initial shock and likely fear had a moment to settle she informed me she, “was on her way.” On her way to work she dropped our daughter off at the Child Development Center (day care) and rushed on to the armory to draw her weapon and perform her duties.

Initially we were told that I would be working a 12-hour day and she would be working a 12-hour night. Since we had no idea how many consecutive days we would be working and what we would do for our daughter, as daycare was only good until 6pm we called Grandma to the rescue. Grandma and Grandpa drove over 100 miles and picked up our little girl from daycare. They took her back to relative safety in a small town in northern California. My wife and I knew she was in great hands. With our daughter taken care of we could focus on the task at hand.

The response of the American people was amazing. Each day after my wife and I settled in to the routine, if you can call it that, we drove to work and saw literally hundreds if not thousands of Americans all along the roads leading to the base waving flags and lighting candles. Horns honked, people waved and the gratitude was unbelievable.

Thanks… Initially the appreciation of America was a huge uplift. It kept me going when I felt totally exhausted. It went on day after day after day. Then one day as I was walking to my house from my car, I passed my neighbor. I had passed this man a million times and he had never said as much as hello or how are you. He stopped me and told me thank you. He went on to elaborate on how proud he was of the military and how grateful he was for, “those in uniform”. I told him thank you and headed home.

Over the next several days this trend continued. If I stopped in a gas station in uniform someone stopped me and said thank you. It actually got to the point where I would not go to a public place in uniform (other than work). I started to become angered over the appreciation of strangers. I asked myself why is it now that all of these people are grateful, but on 10 September they barely acknowledged me when I walked by. For a few days I milled this over in my head. Should I feel good for all of the admiration, or should I be spiteful that it took an attack on American soil to wake up certain segments of our society. Finally I settled into the idea that these people were thankful even before the attacks they just chose to express it more after.

While I can’t say how long we worked or how different the duties became I can say the camaraderie of the troops was something that I will never forget. I have been deployed several times. I have been to hostile fire zones, and the feeling here in the states was the most memorable.

Terrorists plotted and enacted a cowardly attack on U.S. soil. Their hatred for our freedoms were brought to the public eye in a most brutal way. America lost more than 3,000 wonderful people that day but Lady Liberty regained her resolve. To this day a full year after the attacks on the trade center and the pentagon, flags still fly high. There are more American flags flying today than there were before the attacks. You see flags on poles, in windows; from stickers to banners they are everywhere. Old Glory, the symbol of American patriotism and resolve can be seen more places today than ever before. All the terrorists did was remind Americans just how precious our freedoms are and just how important our military is.

While the attack was a tragedy I believe it will make The United States and even better, stronger place to live and serve.

As Todd Beamer said aboard flight 93, Just before whipping some terrorist ass, “Let’s Roll!”

Posted by SlagleRock at 10:05 PM | Comments (3)