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Thursday July 31st, 2014
"It Is Not A Question of Who Is Right Or Wrong But What Is Right Or Wrong That Counts." --Geoff Metcalf Updated 1352 PST  I am on vacation for a couple of weeks in New England and posting of Triage will be sporadic until my return. During this time, I will be doing some site maintenace and making a few additions for a pending reboot. I will be adding a separate section for access to both My books and writings AND the Books On Tape I am doing for Amazon. The firtst Audio Book should be out within a week or so, and I expect three more to following about every two weeks. World & National Border Battle: A game warden hit in the head with a rock while trying to seize a raft. Police officers wounded in an hours-long standoff with a gang member wanted for murder. Criminals spewing obscenities and death threats at local cops before asking for – and receiving – medical treatment. And that was just last week. A weekly report distributed by a Texas state agency to senior law enforcement officials paints a grim picture of the Mexican border, where authorities regularly confront illegal immigrant gang members and draw automatic gunfire from across the Rio Grande, and where local, state and federal authorities fight a never-ending battle against drug smugglers. Feds Spent Thousands On Strippers, Boxing Tickets In Failed Sting On Agent... MOH Recipient Passes Away  SGM Jon R. Cavaiani (US Army – Retired) (MOH) died today, July 29, 2014 in Stanford, CA after a prolonged illness. By his side was his wife, Barbara. Born in England, Cavaiani came to the United States with his parents in 1947 at age four. Though initially classified 4F, due in part to a severe allergy to bee stings, Cavaiani eventually joined the Army from Fresno, California, shortly before becoming a naturalized citizen in 1968. He went to Vietnam in 1970 with the US Army Special Forces (the Green Berets) and by June 4, 1971, he was serving as a Staff Sergeant in Task Force 1 Advisory Element, USARV Training Advisory Group. This “advisory group” was formerly an element of the top secret and clandestine unit, MACV-SOG. On that day, near Khe Sanh, his outpost came under intense enemy attack. Cavaiani organized the unit's defense and, when evacuation by helicopter became necessary, he voluntarily stayed on the ground and directed the aircraft, which successfully evacuated most of the platoon. Cavaiani and a small group were left behind. During a major enemy attack the next morning, he ordered the remaining men to escape while he stayed and provided suppressive fire to cover their retreat. He was captured and spent the next two years as a prisoner of war. Jon R. Cavaiani was released by the Provisional Government of Vietnam on April 27, 1973. President Gerald Ford presented Cavaiani with the Medal of Honor during a ceremony on December 12, 1974. Cavaiani later reached the rank of Sergeant Major before retiring from the Army in 1996. According to John “Tilt” Meyer, president of the Special Operations Association and former member of MACV SOG’s RT Idaho, “Jon remained very active in the Medal of Honor Society and the Special Operations Association and continued throughout his life to serve his nation and his community.” Meyers continued, “Jon was an integral part of both the Medal of Honor Society and the Special Operations Association. His friends, family and brothers in arms will miss his broad smile and quick wit, but mostly we will miss his ever present willingness to help others.” The City of Philadelphia is planning a memorial and arrangements and further information will be posted as they become available. RIP My Brother Liberians Say Ebola Out of Controll  A Liberian health official says the Ebola outbreak is now above the control of its government. “Our government has declared this now as a humanitarian crisis that is above the control of the national government,” Tolbert Nyenswah, Liberia’s assistant minister of health, told CBS News. More than 700 people have died in four western African nations during the largest Ebola outbreak ever, with over 320 known cases in Liberia alone. One American died while contracting the virus in Liberia. Two other American medical missionary workers also contracted Ebola. “This virus, if it is not taken care of, will be a global pandemic,” Nyenswah told CBS News, calling for more international aid to help treat the sick and stop the spreading of the disease. Ebola Outbreak Won't Stop Plans for Summit of African Leaders President Obama still plans to convene a three-day summit in Washington for leaders of African countries even though the continent is experiencing an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, a White House spokesman said Wednesday. “We have no plans to change any elements of the U.S.-Africa summit as we believe all air travel continues to be safe here,” principal deputy press secretary Eric Schultz told reporters aboard Air Force One on Wednesday. The U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit is scheduled for Monday through Wednesday of next week. The White House is billing the event as the first such gathering of its kind. (RELATED: White House: Major International Crises No Reason To Stop Fundraising) Israel vows to destroy Hamas tunnels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel will destroy the Hamas tunnel network in the Gaza Strip "with or without a cease-fire," as the military called up another 16,000 reservists to pursue its campaign in the densely-populated territory. Netanyahu's vow came as international efforts to end the 23-day-old conflict seemed to sputter despite concern over the mounting death toll, with more than 1,300 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and more than 50 Israelis, almost all of them soldiers, killed since July 8. Young Israelis, Gazans Live-Tweet RAw But Differnet Versions of Conflict While the Israeli military and Hamas continue to fire rockets across the Israel-Gaza border today, regular citizens on both sides are using Twitter to launch a war of words about the conflict. Raw accounts of buildings being bombed and rockets going off have become a hallmark of this ongoing conflict, allowing regular people to voice their opinions and the possibility of peace. House clears way for lawsuit against Obama House Republicans voted to proceed with a lawsuit against President Obama on Wednesday, saying that his executive actions are so extreme that they violate the Constitution. The nearly party-line vote — all Democrats voted against it, and all but five Republicans voted for it — further agitated an already polarized climate on Capitol Hill as both parties used the pending suit to try to rally support ahead of the November elections. Former Clinton Press Secretary Works to Blackout Book Mike McCurry waging campaign to quash coverage of NYT bestseller 'Clinton Inc.' Former Clinton administration press secretary Mike McCurry is quietly waging a campaign to quash coverage on a new tell-all book that exposes Bill and Hillary Clinton’s massive political empire. McCurry has successfully blocked Politico media reporter Dylan Byers from writing about the bestselling Clinton, Inc., written by Weekly Standard editor Daniel Halper, according to emails obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. McCurry, who spoke to Halper, now claims that he “only vaguely remembers” the interview. In the emails, McCurry tells Byers to abandon an article about the book. McCurry is just one of several Clinton loyalists who have urged the mainstream media to boycott Clinton, Inc. and not conduct further reporting on many of the revelations contained in the book. US banks braced for large deposit outflows US banks are steeling themselves for the possibility of losing as much as $1tn in deposits as the Federal Reserve reverses its emergency economic policies and raises interest rates. JPMorgan Chase, the biggest US bank by deposits, has estimated that money funds may withdraw $100bn in deposits in the second half of next year as the Fed uses a new tool to help wind down its asset purchase programme and normalise rates. Is the president incompetent Neither offers Americans much prospect for hope It has been well established under the Constitution and throughout our history that the president’s job as the chief federal law enforcement officer permits him to put his ideological stamp on the nature of the work done by the executive branch. The courts have characterized this stamp as “discretion.” Thus, when exercising their discretion, some presidents veer toward authority, others toward freedom. John Adams prosecuted a congressman whose criticism brought him into disrepute, an act protected by the First Amendment yet punishable under the Alien and Sedition Acts, and Thomas Jefferson declined to enforce the acts because they punished speech, and pardoned all those convicted. Jimmy Carter asserted vast federal regulatory authority over the trucking and airline industries, and Ronald Reagan undid nearly all of it. The president has discretion to adapt law enforcement to the needs of the times and to his reading of the wishes of the American people. Yet that discretion has a serious and mandatory guiding light; namely, that the president will do so faithfully. Congress must counter efforts to delegitimize Israel The Jewish state has an eternal right to exist Every nation has the right and the obligation to defend itself and its citizens against unwarranted and unprovoked attacks. If the United States were being hit with rockets from our neighbors, we would expect the president to respond appropriately to defend us. Yet there is this double standard when it comes to Israel. When Israel is attacked, it’s Israel that is met with international opprobrium. I was in Israel when the bodies of three innocent teenage schoolboys were found murdered by Hamas operatives and when Hamas began firing dozens of rockets indiscriminately at Israel on a daily basis. During this time of incredible sadness and turmoil, I witnessed the nation’s resolve and supported its response. However, it did not use its force unyieldingly. Israel was more measured than many other nations would be in its place. From the beginning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made clear that silence would be met with silence and that Israel only sought to restore a relative calm for its citizens. Medal of
Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. GeneTrerally presented to its recipient by the President of the United States of America in the name of Congress. The first award of the Medal of Honor was made March 25, 1863 to Private JACOB PARROTT.The last award of the Medal of Honor was made September 15, 2011 to Sergeant DAKOTA MEYER. Since then there have been: • 3458 recipients of the Medal of Honor. • Today there are 85 Living Recipients of the Medal of Honor.  CARPENTER, WILLIAM KYLE
Rank: Lance Corporal U.S. Marine Corps Citation
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an Automatic Rifleman with Company F, 2d Battalion, 9th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 1, 1st Marine Division (Forward), 1 Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom on 21 November 2010. Lance Corporal Carpenter was a member of a platoon-sized coalition force, comprised of two reinforced Marine squads partnered with an Afghan National Army squad. The platoon had established Patrol Base Dakota two days earlier in a small village in the Marjah District in order to disrupt enemy activity and provide security for the local Afghan population. Lance Corporal Carpenter and a fellow Marine were manning a rooftop security position on the perimeter of Patrol Base Dakota when the enemy initiated a daylight attack with hand grenades, one of which landed inside their sandbagged position. Without hesitation, and with complete disregard for his own safety, Lance Corporal Carpenter moved toward the grenade in an attempt to shield his fellow Marine from the deadly blast. When the grenade detonated, his body absorbed the brunt of the blast, severely wounding him, but saving the life of his fellow Marine. By his undaunted courage, bold fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of almost certain death, Lance Corporal Carpenter reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service. From the Archives Let Slip the Dogs of War. On a Short Leash? By Geoff Metcalf November 5, 2003 "Vivacity, leadership, must be had, and we are not allowed to be nice in choosing.
We must fetch the pump with dirty water, if clean cannot be had." - Ralph Waldo Emerson I love the Army. Metcalfs have served in the Army since before we officially had one. However, I am apoplectic over the chairborne- politically correct cancer-brain flatulence, which reportedly intends to excoriate Lt. Col. Allen B. West for doing his job and saving lives. The Army has myopically filed a criminal assault charge against an American officer who coerced an Iraqi into providing information that foiled a planned attack on U.S. soldiers. http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20031028-113335-6042r.htm. Col. West did not torture or physically harm the Iraqi detainee. He did used psychological pressure to scare the snot out of the bad guy. And it worked! After twice firing his service weapon away from the wannabe terrorist (who was an Iraqi police officer) the detainee talked and gave up the information on a planned attack. Lives were saved and now some uniformed bureaucrats back in the rear with the gear want to destroy the life of a combat leader. It is enough to gag maggots. When Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan interrogates a bad guy working with terrorists by shooting him in the arms and legs we cheered. When an Army officer scares an enemy in a combat zone with a loud noise they want to nail him to a wall? The same kind of politically correct desk jockey types who are Jonesing to put women in combat, neuter fighter jocks, and impose rules of engagement for a cricket club instead of barbaric 13th century guerrillas, now seek to destroy an exceptionally effective combat leader. What is wrong with this picture? Col. West was with the 4th Infantry occupying areas around Tikrit (Saddam's hometown)…a real bad neighborhood infested with bad guys intent on killing him and his troops. An informant reported that there was an assassination plot against Col. West. The informant told the soldiers that one person involved in the attack was a town policeman. Col West had the policeman detained but interrogators couldn't get anything of substance out of him. FM22-100 (the Army leadership manual) notes that, "Leaders are responsible for the welfare, discipline and tactical deployment of their troops." Col. West wrote in an email, "I asked for soldiers to accompany me and told them we had to gather information and that it could get ugly…" He said his soldiers "physically aggress[ed]" the prisoner. Apparently they pushed him around. After the pushing around failed, Col. West says he brandished his pistol. "I did use my 9 mm weapon to threaten him and fired it twice. Once I fired into the weapons clearing barrel…and the next time I did it while having his head close to the barrel. I fired away from him. I stood in between the firing and his person. He said, "I admit that what I did was not right but it was done with the concern of the safety of my soldiers and myself." I disagree. Given the results…that saved lives, his actions were both appropriate and effective. Unlike many politicians and corporate types with less honor and character he did not try to cover up or hide what he did. He informed his superior of his actions. The incident resulted in the bad guy providing the location of the planned sniper attack and the names of three guerrillas. If Col West had waited for the ambush and shot and killed the Iraqi cop, no harm/no foul. However, because he 'scared' him with an implied threat of force 'preemptively', the Army wants to destroy his life and blow off over 19 years of superior dedicated service? For what…implementing 'The Bush Doctrine' down to Battalion level? His wife, said, "My husband is a top-of-the-line officer. My husband is an African-American. He has had to overcome a number of things to get where he is." Col. West is prepared to "…accept being retired at the grade of major and paying whatever fine required, but resignation and prison seems an attempt to destroy me,"…BULLFEATHERS! Now, more than ever, we NEED officers like this man. The Army's division of political correctness doesn't like West's interrogation tactic. An Article 32 hearing has been scheduled lead to the court-martial and a potential prison term of eight years. They should have given him a medal and promotion. Some soldiers are hinky about the Army's drive to punish the officer for an interrogation technique that probably is used regularly to get information from terrorists. There ARE consequences to what we do and don't do. For a military struggling with morale, recruiting and retention issues to do what they are to Col. West WILL exact a cost. It is a cost we cannot and should not be forced to endure. Woodrow Wilson observed," Leadership does not always wear the harness of compromise…Men of strenuous minds and high ideals come forward.... The attacks they sustain are more cruel than the collision of arms.... Friends desert and despise them.... They stand alone and oftentimes are made bitter by their isolation...." Please don't allow Col. West to "stand alone." Spread the word. There IS an election around the corner. |
         
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