Plan Your Weekend Around This

This coming Saturday and Sunday, 20 and 21 August, the Wartime Museum is having its second Open House of the year. The past Open Houses have been a blast and I expect the same this time around.

I've confirmed that Dave Marron from Thunder Run will be there as well as Susan Katz Keating. No big surprise with SKK. She sits on the Board. Uncle Jimbo will probably be hanging out.

I will be livestreaming some of it on our Ustream site. This time I'll be attempting a mobile livestream so it should be a bit more interesting than just a fixed camera. I've also extended invitations to two very incredible Ladies. I hope their schedules permit. If nothing else, maybe I can get UJ to do a freefly but I'd rather have the Ladies.

Come on out and enjoy the Virginia countryside, take a chance on a raffle ticket and you might get yourself a seat in a helicopter or a German tank. See ya there.

A Lot To Be Thankful For

I am thankful first and foremost to live in America. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to live anywhere else. (I can, but I won't.) I am very thankful for the dedicated men and women of the United States Armed Forces, standing the wall, walking the fence line in far away places, making sure I get to enjoy everything America stands for. Without those Warriors, we'd be lost.

One year ago today I woke up in an ICU with a breathing tube down my throat, a tube in my neck and several more exiting my body just above my bellybutton. I hurt in places I didn't think you could feel pain and all I could think about was getting that damn tube out of my mouth.

During that ordeal, I learned just how many friends I really have and I have to admit, it is humbling.

Thank you to everyone who sent prayers and good thoughts my way and Happy Birthday Tankerbabe.

Beware the Westboro Trap

H/T Dave at Thunder Run

I am allowed to burn the flag in protest if I want. Because I am allowed to do it, it is not neccessary for me to do it. The freedom to peaceably assemble and present a message, no matter how dispicable, is a fundemental right and the foundation of our Republic. Any restriction of those rights based on the message, would lead to restrictions later on for other groups with another message that offends the sensibilities of someone else.

(and you know how easily an offense can be taken nowadays)

Beware of the Military Funeral Case
By Mark J. Fitzgibbons

The obnoxious family that calls itself the Westboro Baptist Church is an example of how it is sometimes difficult to take the long view of freedom. Patriotic, constitutional conservatives, however, should be cautioned about the WBC military funeral case now in the news. It has potential for mischief against conservative activists [Ed Note: and any other activist for that matter].

WBC has made a name for itself protesting at military funerals and is in the middle of a Supreme Court battle with the father of a slain Marine over whether WBC's public relations ploys crossed the line and constituted a legal wrong. The Fourth Circuit reversed a U.S. District Court judgment awarding the father, Albert Snyder, millions of dollars in tort damages. The Supreme Court then agreed to hear Mr. Snyder's case.

[...]

If you want proof that the WBC case has potential for mischief, Harry Reid, "call-me-Senator" Barbara Boxer, Chuck Schumer, and other politicians have filed amicus curiae briefs in the case. Yes, the same politicians who, daily now, seek to destroy the First Amendment weighed in.

An amicus brief filed by 48 state attorneys general, including Richard Blumenthal, Martha Coakley, Jerry Brown, and Barack Obama's favorite state attorney general, Lisa Madigan, is fraught with politics. It is so flawed legally and constitutionally that first-year law students might even react with "tsk, tsk."

READ MORE...

David M
Editor: The Thunder Run

Thunder Run - From the Front

In today's From the Front: (Click on link to read stories highlighted below)
This post is courtesy of The Thunder Run.

Dispatches:

Bouhammer: Afghanistan Report making waves
Family Matters Blog: Spouse Looks Forward to Husband’s Return
Helmand Blog - Afghanistan: 3 YORKS' soldiers return from Afghanistan
Bruce R: On PowerPoint rangers
Home From Iraq: Friends Old and New
IraqPundit: It Doesn't Look Good
Kit Up: Kit Up! is Going to the 'Stan
Bill Roggio: Taliban strike in North Waziristan and Peshawar
Loving A Soldier Blog: Catch up
One Marine's View: Sandwich ninja
Red Bull Rising: A Minority Report: "Death to PowerPoint!"
Sketchpad Warrior: What We Do
Joan D'Arc: The Army has done it again... -
Texas Music: Pom Poms
The Torch: Afghan detainee docs decision: When the law is no longer applicable
Unambiguously Ambidextrous: Afghans Must Think We’re Insane
Wings Over Iraq: It begins...
Nathan Hodge: Drone Pilots Could Be Tried for ‘War Crimes,’ Law Prof Says
Army Live: Caring for our Warriors
Andrew Lebovich and Katherine Tiedemann: Daily brief: TTP chief alive: Pakistani intelligence
Loving A Soldier Blog: Walk the Walk...
The Captain's Journal: Marine Corps Distributed Operations in Afghanistan
From My Position - On the Way!: Recognizing the Best Military Spouse


News from the Home Front:
Report Notes Afghanistan Developments, Challenges
Report: Still not enough troops for Afghanistan operations
Joint Base Lewis-McChord airmen to receive Silver Stars, other medals Thursday
Joey Caron's dedication to country "remarkable," commanding general says
Army Releases 2010 Modernization Strategy


News from the Front:
Iraq:
Human Rights Watch interviews detainees from Baghdad secret prison
Dangerous Games
Allawi's Iraqiya bloc seeks caretaker to safeguard election results


Afghanistan:
Afghan MP Says U.S. Troops Raid Home, Kill Relative
Afghan Lawmaker's Relative Killed in Night Raid
On a Holiday for Afghans, Tight Security and Violence
U.S. Questions Karzai’s Anti-Corruption Zeal
U.S. seeks to prop up Kandahar governor, sideline troublesome power brokers
Pentagon says instability in Afghanistan has 'leveled off'
Pentagon Sees Pakistan Shift, Downplays Afghan Impact
Pakistan Taliban Chief Believed Alive
Nad 'Ali 'Super-Shura' Attracts More Than 1,100
Afghan-international Force Kills Armed Individual in Nangarhar
IJC Operational Update, April 29
Hundreds protest death of Afghan lawmaker's kin in NATO raid
Afghan support for Karzai govt low, says Pentagon
Taliban key commander killed in N. Afghanistan
Taliban guns down outspoken Afghan tribal chief
Prince Harry is trained enough to take on the Taliban
Kandahar security plan ready
Officials slam education ministry
More Aussie police due

The Thunder Run's From the Front is a daily series that highlights news and personal dispatches from the front and the home front.

Thunder Run - From the Front

In today's From the Front: (Click on link to read stories highlighted below) This post is courtesy of The Thunder Run.
Dispatches:
Michael Yon: Big Guns
Katherine Tiedemann: Daily brief: Taliban attack Peshawar police
ANNA BADKHEN: Afghanistan's Little Men
Army Blogger Wife: Deployment Question #15--Can I go too?
Army Live: (VIDEO) Sledgehammer Soldiers 6 months in
TIM HSIA: America’s Multiethnic Military
Corey Mindlin USArmy: Why is it?
David Bellavia: Veterans Take the Fight to Westboro Whackos <--(Bellavia is gonna get us in trouble)
the semi-normal, day-to-day life of a female marine: PTSD and Military Sexual Trauma
Bruce R: Afghan army marksmanship: quality vs quantity
Sargeant Stewart McCrone, Quick Reaction Force Commander, 16 Signals Unit at Camp Souter, Kabul: QRF
Bill Roggio: US-born cleric Awlaki 'proud' to have taught al Qaeda operatives
Loving A Soldier Blog: Allergies and more
LTC John: Good works, and good music
New Girl on Post: Back In The Boot
Ramblings from a painter: Skip Has Left The Building
LTC Rich Phillips: More Photos
Sic Semper Tyrannis: Iraqi election Aftermath: Sectarian Bombings
Terry Galvin: Ending Afghanistan's Agony: "Our Afghan Comrades Speak Out." Unambiguously Ambidextrous: Robert Semrau On Trial For Murdering “Soldier”?
The Unknown Soldiers: Quiet patriotism, out of the spotlight
Wings Over Iraq: The Difference
War, the military, COIN and stuff: Can Banning Ammonium Nitrate Help Curb IEDs in Afghanistan?
American Ranger: Big Problems in Afghanistan
The Captain's Journal: Chasing the Enemy
This Ain't Hell: Stop pretending that you care, at least it will make you honest.
News from the Home Front:
Local families still waiting for their soldiers to come home
DoD Agrees to Submit Some Fort Hood Documents to Senate
Administration continues to defy Senate subpoena for Fort Hood documents -
Pace of Changes Clouds Future, Mullen Says
Slain Nevada deputy had just returned from Afghanistan

News from the Front:
Iraq:
Report Details Torture at Secret Baghdad Prison
Sunni - Backed Vote Winner Seeks Caretaker Government -
Former PM Urges Interim Government in Iraq
Clinton urges Iraq to 'speedily' form government
Obama Sticks to a Deadline in Iraq

Afghanistan:
Military Disputes Taliban on Korangal Valley Outpost
Would-be Pakistan suicide bomber tells all
Five Policemen Killed In Pakistan Car Bomb Attack
UAE Jails Six For Funnelling Money to Taliban
Roadside Bomb Kills 12 Civilians In Afghanistan
Pentagon taking closer look at Afghan intel unit
U.S. Begins Inquiry on Spy Network in Pakistan
Case of teenage militant moves toward tribunal trial
Afghanistan denies police role in killing of U.N. staffers
Transfer of Authority in Helmand Province
Afghan Victory Day Celebrated in Kabul
IJC Operational Update, April 28
Terrorist attacks spike in Pakistan, Afghanistan -
Four policemen killed, six injured in suicide attack on check post in NWFP
Taliban "Ready for the Assault" in Kandahar
Afghan deputy trade minister calls for Iran’s cooperation in investment
Rocket hits Kabul City
U.S. plan to arm Afghan militia founders on tribal rivalries
Taliban protection payoffs denied by contractor
Afghans Mark Anniversary Of Mujahedin Victory
Roadside bomb kills 12 civilians in Afghanistan

The Thunder Run's From the Front is a daily series that highlights news and personal dispatches from the front and the home front.

Thunder Run - From the Front

The Thunder Run's From the Front is a daily series that highlights news and personal dispatched from the front and the home front. To be removed from this list, please reply to this email and place REMOVE in the subject line.

In today's From the Front: (Click on link to read stories highlighted below) This post is courtesy of The Thunder Run

Dispatches:


A Little Pink in a World of Camo: At A Loss
A Little Pink in a World of Camo: Hello, I'm in Delaware
A Major's Perspective: A Good Day
Bouhammer: Why we do it
Afghanistan My Last Tour: (VIDEO) Coming home
Katherine Tiedemann: Daily brief: 3 explosions strike Kandahar
al Shawa: Lethal Targeting in Iraq; Success on an Unprecedented Scale
Army Blogger Wife: Deployment Question #13--What do you eat?
Army Live: A Little Piece of Home
Bones: Enough
David Bellavia: Marine’s Murder Conviction Overturned
Free Range International: Security For Me But Not For Thee
Bruce R: Disavowed AND promoted
Knights of Afghanistan: Beer, Booze and Bribery
The Gun Line MkIII: ANZAC Day
TankerBabe: Help Us Raise Money for a Great Cause by Purchasing 173rd Airborne Throws
Hellcat Betty: Home At Last
Helmand Blog - Afghanistan: Nad-e Ali hosts “Super-Shura”
Insight of the Moment: May I be humbled
IraqPundit: What To Do Next?
Kudzu's Wandering Through the Vines: Deployments. Flaming Cars… Home
Bill Roggio: US strike kills 8 Taliban in North Waziristan
One Marine's View: One dog, One Marine, One mission
Rajiv Srinivasan: The Bus Stop
Registan.net: How to Write About Afghanistan
LTC Rich Phillips: Photos
Sketchpad Warrior: Sharing the Courage
Joan D'Arc: If you have ever lived OCONUS (outside the continental US), I could use your input...
Michael Yon: Battle for Kandahar
Terry Galvin: How The Media Spins Afghanistan
Zach Rosenberg: The Aeromedical Evacuation Shuffle
Wings Over Iraq: Do Aviators Get COIN--A Resounding "Yes"
White Rose Adventures: PGR Mission for KIA SPC Anthony Blount
The Captain's Journal: Counterinsurgency Zeal
Greyhawk: Bad news from Afghanistan
Kings of War: Apaches, Lies and Videotape
Burn Pit: What separates us from them…


News from the Home Front:
Feeling Warehoused in Army Trauma Care Units
It’s the Military, Undergraduate
Some 500 pay tribute to Pierce County soldier, 21, killed by bomb blast in Afghanistan
Charlie Company welcomed home at demobilization ceremony
Navy Names Amphibious Ship for Congressman John Murtha


News from the Front:
Iraq:
Louisiana's Tiger Brigade resumes role in Iraq's history
US soldier apologises for attack on Iraq families
Iraq Panel Wipes Out Votes, Result In Doubt -
Iraq's Sadr clarifies stance on militia's use
Iraqi Cleric Calls on Followers to Defend Against Attacks -
Qaeda Confirms Deaths Of Leaders In Iraq: Statement
Iraqi Insurgent Group Acknowledges Killing of Two Leaders


Afghanistan:
UN Curtails Operations in Kandahar After 3 Bombs
Afghan Schoolgirls Fall Ill In Suspected Gas Attack
80 Afghan Schoolgirls Fall Ill; Poison Feared
Indo-Pakistan Proxy War Heats Up in Afghanistan
Afghans burn NATO trucks in response to killing of 3 civilians
Fuel Trucks Attacked in Afghanistan
NATO: Joint Force Captures Taliban Sub-Commander in Afghanistan
Elite U.S. Units Step Up Effort in Afghan City Before Attack

The Thunder Run'sFrom the Front is a daily series that highlights news and personal dispatched from the front and the home front.

Thunder Run From the Front

In today's From the Front: (Click on link to read stories highlighted below) This post is courtesy of The Thunder Run

Dispatches:
Katherine Tiedemann: Daily brief: Quetta hospital blast kills 12
Awful, Beautiful Life: You know the saying...
TIM HSIA: On Military Awards and Perceptions of Them
Charlie Simpson's War: Back in Kabul
IraqPundit: Troubling Picture
Bill Roggio: Effectiveness of US strikes in Pakistan "decreased 90 percent" since suicide strike on CIA
Dude in the Desert: 16 April 10
Rajiv Srinivasan: Bachibas
Rajiv Srinivasan: Putting the Seat Down
She Who Waits: Blah.
Joan D'Arc: The Big Bad Wolf
The Torch: Second verse, same as the first
Terry Glavin: The Forgotten Heroes From A Forgotten War
The Unknown Soldiers: Remembering laughter
Wings Over Iraq: On Clarity
Bruce R: On the latest allegations
The Captain's Journal: Withdrawal from Korengal
MAJ JF Sucher, MD: A Whisper
News from the Home Front:
IRS Grants Military Spouses Six-Month Extension to Pay 2009 Tax
Pentagon to adopt uniform rules on guns
Gates orders security fixes after Fort Hood case
VA claims backlog scrutinized
Attacks on Military Computers Cited
Marine Says He'll Continue to Post on Tea Party Facebook Page
AG: US to shut Guantanamo prison ‘as quickly as we can’

News from the Front
Iraq:
Guardsmen Perform Civic Duties in Iraq

Afghanistan:
IJC Operational Update, April 16
ANP, Coalition Medics Complete Phase I CLS Program
Up to six dead in attack targeting foreigners in Afghanistan
Afghan troops and foreigners killed in blast
Brits Feared Dead After Afghan Bomb Blast
3 foreigners, 3 Afghan soldiers killed in Kandahar bombings
US targets Pakistanis for funding Al Qaeda, Taliban
Hidden lair of the Taliban
Afghan officials accused of illegally detaining Italians over murder plot
Petraeus says raids on Afghan Taliban leaders on rise
20,000 US troops moved through Russia
Western countries ‘eyeing permanent bases’

The Thunder Run's From the Front is a daily series that highlights news and personal dispatched from the front and the home front.