Johnny & Jane Marchin Home to........

Johnny comes marching home — to no job
Out of Iraq’s frying pan, into an economic fire

Why do we still continue to ignore the fact that women serve, Johnny comes marching home and similar, in greater numbers and are a big part of our military operations? They have always been a Big part of the Military Family and an Important part!

The gathering might have been even more boisterous were it not for the realization that these Guardsmen are coming home to face a new enemy — a swooning economy that has landed like a KO’d heavyweight on the canvas of their home towns......

Sgt. Russell See of Elkhart said he found out in April that his job as a welder at Valmont Industries had vanished, a development that was communicated via an e-mail from the human resources department........

Another of the many promises this Nation doesn't keep, though in tough times holding the jobs for those who serve in the Guard can be real tough for a small business. And the big corporations don't have the money left, even if there's work needed to be done to help their bottom lines and give to investors, after the hugely gross compensation packages, gross amount of company perks and those really gross bonuses even for total failure!

And why aren't they spending that money, keeping the reaganomics/free market promise of 'trickle down' to those that produced the products and services? Teabaggers pay attention!

While they serve, their civilian jobs are protected by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), but that is no help when layoffs occur, unless discrimination can be demonstrated......

Oh, and how many of their kids are serving...

he figures he has only eight months or so to either find a job or consider what is now almost unthinkable — signing up for a third tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan......

Probably not many at all, no need to if sending the same fighting soldiers back over and over!

And oh again, speaking of the younger family members of the wealthy, as well as so many more. Just some more of those who are serving you as well:

Weapon of Choice

Where are we getting our real news from in these past times, especially about the two long running occupation theaters we have our soldiers engaged in? I would suggest we're getting a better look on these conflicts, and other real news, from local outlets and not the so called National Media Cable Outlets, which seem to give more talk, from so called experts and analyst, singular opinion, than real news reporting, with the occasional mini doc thrown in.

I did a post yesterday on Veterans and the problem of Homelessness within our community of brothers and sisters, all the video's and links were from local outlets, or individuals.

Same a few days prior to that after the tragic incident at the stress clinic In-Country in Baghdad. These were also local outlet reports and investigations on the stress of War and Occupation and PTSD possibly playing a major roll in what happened.

Without this technology we'd be as we were before, if coming from local outlet news, of a national concern, wouldn't be seen or known except by those in that viewing or reading area. With this now these reports can be passed forward for many more eyes to view and read and even do research on. But it's still coming from the local, not the national, and in many cases than being than carried forward by the national media being reactive and not proactive.

There's another piece of investigative journalism that just came forward. This on a subject concerning the military and veterans of another of our conflicts, that like many many many others, has been pushed out of site and out of mind so the country can ignore and not deal with!

KCTV5 Investigative Journalism: Kansas City

Since 1991 the U.S. military has admitted to using depleted uranium in armor and ammunition on a large scale. But since then, a debate has raged about its long-term health effects on soldiers and their families.

Could one of the most effective military tools in their arsenal actually be harming soldiers?

Part One


Gulf War Syndrome, or whatever name one wants to label it with, has been virtually in the total dark as soldiers, and their families, suffer and some have died from. Virtually nothing has been said nor discussed about this, and yet one possible cause of some of the human poisoning and suffering, depleted uranium, is not only still in use, in two theaters of occupation, but has been developed even further for artillery etc. since Gulf War I.

Only 77 soldiers from Gulf War I and just four from Operation Iraqi Freedom are being tracked clinically. Jerry Wheat is one of them.

"I had a tumor removed in the 90s from my left arm that was in the bone, and DU stores in the bone," said Wheat.

Wheat said he has endured a series of health problems.

Why isn't there much more research going on, and should already have been, many of us know, we've seen this before!

Fahey criticizes the testing methods, characterizing the results as a case of "don't look, don't find."

"So, they have structured their studies, in my opinion, to come out with conclusions that validate their spin, which is that DU is completely harmless," said Fahey.

Fahey suggested that because DU continues to be a critical tactical advantage on the battlefield, the military has a vested interest in keeping it there.

Part Two

Jim Bunker, president of the National Gulf War Resource Center headquartered in Kansas City, Kan., said it was an honor to be among the thousands who served in the first Gulf War. But now he says, that same service has left him with unanswered questions about his health.

"I went into the service because it was a family tradition. It's something I always wanted to do. My dad was in the service, my uncles were in the service, my grandpa was in the service," said Bunker. "It was something that started over time -- having a hard time breathing, muscle twitches and later on muscle cramps. And nauseousness."

This last blockquote tells the story, a story many of us Vets already know full well, and made for not the vets benefit but for the countries so it can be pushed out of site!!

"It's virtually the same script as the Agent Orange saga that happened where you had people exposed to Agent Orange returning home, reporting health problems, and the government denying that, first of all, that Agent Orange was dangerous at all, and then entering this debate of who was exposed and how much they were exposed to," said Fahey.

The Crusade for a Christian Military

Much has been stated, angrily, since a Homeland Security Department Intelligence Assessment {pdf} report was released the other day on Rightwing Extremism. The report gives a window into the "Possibilities" in one segment the Military Veterans, especially, who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, "May Be" Recruited by extremist groups, known to already exist and growing.

This report Does Not Label Military Veterans as Radical Rightwing Fanatics, as a security report it just points out the possibilities this country may be facing, and not only by the recruiting of a few of the tens os thousands who have served Honorably under orders of the CiC in these two occupations, Right or Wrong in policy they may be.

But that seems to be how the so called "Strong on National Security" political party wants to spin it, it is a security report, which was headed by a bush appointee, pointing out that there may be a few who, without the proper help they may need from their experiences in these Wars/Occupations may be easy prey to the fanatical side of this society, and having the training most of those that belong to these groups don't!

Republicans on Wednesday said a Homeland Security Department intelligence assessment unfairly characterizes military veterans as right-wing extremists.

House Republican leader John Boehner described the report as offensive and called on the agency to apologize to veterans.

The agency's intelligence assessment, sent to law enforcement officials last week, warns that right-wing extremists could use the bad state of the U.S. economy and the election of the country's first black president to recruit members.

The assessment also said that returning military veterans who have difficulties assimilating back into their home communities could be susceptible to extremist recruiters or might engage in lone acts of violence.

"To characterize men and women returning home after defending our country as potential terrorists is offensive and unacceptable," said Boehner, R-Ohio.

There's a report coming out in the May Issue of the Harpers Magazine which tells of what has already been well known and lobbied to stop, Religious Fanaticism, the extreme fringe of the evangelical christian movement here.

This is just a few cuts to point you to the announcement about this issue

Harper’s Magazine Cover Story: Evangelical Proselytization Still Rampant in U.S. Military

The May issue of Harper’s Magazine reveals the continued practice of Christian evangelical proselytization in the American military and a lack of recourse within the Obama administration, according to a leading civil rights watchdog group prominently featured in the magazine’s cover story.

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation MRFF and its founder and president Mikey Weinstein were profiled by Jeff Sharlet in his piece for Harper’s Magazine, “Jesus Killed Mohammed: The Crusade for a Christian Military.” Mr. Weinstein is the nation's leading advocate for the protection of individual soldiers’ constitutional rights to religious freedom and a frequent critic of the U.S. military hierarchy’s blind eye to efforts to evolve the nation’s military into a modern day band of Christian crusaders. >>>>>Rest Here

We've already had an awful lot, finally coming out, about what the possibilities may be, from what's already going on within the military, and the possibilities of what the multiple tours and two theaters may do do to some.

Once again those especially who don't receive the proper care for what they've experienced. Add in a collapsed economy, a divided country that's lost it's moral compass and refuses to hold those that led it down that path to be accountable.

We already experienced what just a couple of fanatics can do in Oklahoma City Bombing long before what other fanatic's did on 9/11, the first from the inside the second from outside of the country.

The follow is another Intelligence Assessment this one from 12 January 2007:

Gang-Related Activity in the US Armed Forces Increasing - PDF UNCLASSIFIED//LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE, the link is from the Military Times.

(U) Scope Note
(U) This intelligence assessment addresses standing FBI gang intelligence requirements set Part I.B.1.2. The assessment also addresses the Military and Civilian Infrastructure (INFR) requirements of the National Intelligence Priorities Framework.
(U) This assessment explores the prevalence of US-based street gang members serving in the US military. Data for the report was obtained from FBI information, open-source documents, and the following law enforcement sources:

This report came out on June 30th 2008:

Gangs Increasing in Military, FBI Says

A group of nine gathered, ready for an initiation.

Juwan Johnson of Baltimore, Md., willingly took a savage beating to join the Chicago-based gang Gangster Disciples. He was punched, kicked and stomped until he was barely conscious. After the beating, his new brothers put Johnson back in bed where he later died from his injuries.

This did not happen in a back alley of a gang-infested urban city. It took place at Kaiserslautern Army Base in Germany.

In 2005, the decorated 25-year old Army sergeant was killed after completing a tour of Iraq because he wanted to join a gang -- one he found while in the military.

You can do searches yourself and research, what started slowly, on the reports of what war and occupation can do for some, even highly trained and disiplined military personal.

This Country cheered on these occupations with high percentages, than sat back as soldiers were sent for extended multiple tours in either just one or both theaters, than sits on it's collective hands, once again, not wanting to pony up the costs of what's needed to care for the results of these now long running occupations!

I'll leave you to actually think of what the Possibilities are now forth coming, and not only from within but the huge numbers of possible others, from outside our borders, seeking retaliation and retribution for what we've done and created!!

The Other Shoe Dropping in Iraq?

As bad as Iraq was and is, it soon could become worse than the very recent past nfew months and they haven't been a sunday afternoon picnic!

markthshark posted this Diary last night: Moqtada al-Sadr Ends Four Month Pact with Rival Shi'ite Council.

Amazingly this Extremely Important bit of Reality made it up to the recommend list disappointing, I'll bet, at least one diarist posting either a slam post against or a love thy one for the favorite candidate 'Who's Gonna Save The World'. Folks, just abit of another reality. Only You, together with many many many others can right the course of this Ship of State, but I degress.

Could the other shoe hit the floor in Iraq?

The purpose of 'The Surge' has not come to the reality wanted, a functioning Iraqi Government { and it won't as long as control is coming from Washington}. But with the Blastwalls in Baghdad, alliances and paying those who were formally fighting us, and Most Important, Ceasefire agreements with the main Insurgent Iraqi Groups has quieted, at least abit, the Violence, but still Innocent Iraqi's and Occupation Forces have been Killed and Maimed, and this month already seems to be heading back towards Escalation.

Al-Sadr's Mahdi Army is among the most powerful militias in Iraq. The crux of the message being sent by the organization was that al-Sadr followers would be free to resume their activities if no message was sent by the cleric on Feb. 23.

And so add to the diary link subject above, which is bad enough, and watch for any news on the date directly above for Al-Sadr threatens to lift cease-fire, and the robins may be starting to show up in the north, for spring time here, but the Violence in Iraq could be heading, once again, into the Abis of the Extreme for Our Troops and the Iraqi People, who's Lives and Country have already been Destroyed by Us!

According to al-Obeidi, this "has been conveyed to all Mahdi Army members nationwide."

Got that, all Mahdi Army members Nationwide.

The U.S. military has welcomed the cease-fire, saying it is a major factor in the estimated 60 percent decline in violence in the country in the second half of 2007.

What will the War Profitteers and War Mongers, in Washington, do. Offer Al-Sadr Billions to hold his supporters back, and what will they do, even small factions of?

As this Debacle continues!!

“ Every war, when viewed from the undistorted perspective of life's sanctity, is a "civil war" waged by humanity against itself."
- Daisaku Ikeda