The guy who captured Sadam

[Greg the dogsitter]

No, but you do look like each other.

[lafinfil]

swampy wrote:
I didn't serve. My ex served.

You?

Nope - missed the draft by about 3 years (was 15 when Saigon fell)
Feet so flat they wouldn't even take me now if I was of age - but that's beside the point.

Since you asked -

Three nephews all brothers - two in currently, one left but works a a civilian contractor (aircraft mechanic)
All three served starting during Desert Storm. One was Infantry & then MP and also served in Central America.
The oldest of the three is now a lifer - after 8 years enlisted went to OCS and got his bars and was commissioned
a few years ago. Works in confidential communications (top clearance) but isn't really allowed to talk about it.
I know he was in the Mediterranean several months before Desert Storm started working with satellites.

Two nieces as well. They are my sisters nieces (daughters of her husbands twin brother) but since they
have ben part of our family since birth they are my nieces too. Both were ROTC. One just graduated and is a nurse
stationed in Germany. Her husband is a paratrooper. (we just went to their wedding last summer)

Her older sister is an intelligence officer (captain) and has served all over. She was due to be done and sent home last summer
but saw the writing on the wall. She thought that there was a good chance that she would be sent to Iraq
so she volunteered to go to Afghanistan instead. She is currently there where she is calling troop movements right now.
We hope she makes it back by this coming summer.

You might be surprised at the diversity of opinions among them in regards to our current involvements.

[Greg the dogsitter]

lafinfil,

As you have more relatives in the military, I consider your opinions more valid. Congratulations!

GtDS

[Gutenberg]

Greg, I was an Army brat. I spent 16 years in the military, moving to various isolated Army testing depots. Does that count?

[Greg the dogsitter]

Hm. I don't think so. Even if that counts double, lafinfil still has you beat. Sorry. Lots of luck expressing your opinion.

[OWC Jamie]

Greg the dogsitter wrote:
[quote=billb]
My rendition of "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" is scary awful.

Some might claim to have been tortured if they weren't allowed to leave the room.

:-)

billb,

I think you're a good guy.

-D

GtDS





Leave out everything after "is scary awful" and see if you see something different.
If not, walk away. I already have.

[swampy]

Lafinfil... I thank them all for their service!

I know many current and former military that have diverse views on how things are. I haven't talked to any who are not proud of what they have done and their brothers and sisters in arms. Two exceptions to the rule are a nephew who got caught up in drugs while at Ft. Hood. He got a dishonorable discharge and has become quite the bum (35 and wanted to live at home and sponge off his mother, stole from her for drug money and who finally kicked him out 'cause he won't get a job or help around the house) And then a brother-in-law who is suffering delayed stress or something. His whole personality has changed and the family is afraid he may be a danger to himself and are working to get him psychological help.

[lafinfil]

Swampy

The sad thing is that there are many vets suffering from mental illness that may be a direct result
of the impact of their service - yet we have dumped them in the streets. e have a system that has been
caught telling their staffs to quit diagnosing PTSD because they can't keep up. This administrations treatment
of Vets has been terrible and disrespectful. Hopefully under General Shinseki's upcoming leadership
at Veteran Affairs, we will bgin to get help for them.

[swampy]

I hear you lafinfil. I hope General Shinseki can fix the broken system too. And it seems the quality of care that our service men and veterans get varies from hospital to hospital.

[Gutenberg]

Greg the dogsitter wrote:
Hm. I don't think so. Even if that counts double, lafinfil still has you beat. Sorry. Lots of luck expressing your opinion.

Thanks a lot, buddy. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a prom date in the middle of the Bonneville Salt Flats? I think I deserve a little credit here.