RunJct

At least you're not a leg at Fort Bragg......It's just doesn't feel right without airborne wings on this post. If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk

FYI: re-enlistment rates for West Pointers is 0% since they're not enlisted (retention rates would be the correct term for officers) If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk

I agree with that summary of my review. Without getting into further detail which may ruin the movie for someone here's a couple of perspectives I got from the movie: It doesn't matter what happened before, but we must win it now and you must support it. You lied to us about the war before, so why should we believe you now? War/serving the country as a motivation to do something with your life (not join the military but apply yourself in whatever you do). Doing a job vs. doing what's right. Loyalty and Courage. There's others but that's a list of some perspectives I could think of real quick. I think just about any point of view is covered by one of those. If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk

I walked out of the movie torn really. There were a whole lot of different story lines within the movie and I didnt really know what I thought of it after the movie was over. One thing is for sure though, they definitely made soldiers out to be good, honorable people. I guess it's kind of a bad day to think about the movie since earlier today I found out that friend of mine died in Afghanistan in an ambush that was pretty deadly. I don't know what to think of the Congressman's strategy and how well that it would work in real life or how the reporter reacted to it. One statement he told her that rung true was about the media's portrayal of the war..... Overall the movie showed a lot of new things (as far as Hollywood goes) about this war. It's the only one I've seen that linked soldiers' experiences to underachievers in college. I think Marg's post later on in this thread discussed that pretty well too though. If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk

Aww crap, they've denounced their old terrorist ways and now they're coming for us. If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk

I care as much as I did when Iran labeled me a terrorist.....it's provides nothing but comic relief when brought up. If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk

I completely disagree with one part of this statement. First off, yes going at it alone is much, much, much harder and will take longer to learn but it's not wasting money. Some of my most fun jumps were when I was doing solo sits trying to figure out how to get stable. I got coaching and it really helped, but those jumps before weren't at all wasting my money. I had a blast on them, I was just out in the sky doing my thing. Yes, I also know that it could have been dangerous b/c I was backsliding and might have gone into someone's area, but I'm not discussing that, I'm just talking about the notion that I hear from many skydivers that a perfect jump (technically minded) is the only way to have fun. It's just not the case....every jump should be fun and therefore it's not a waste of money. If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk

I was bored so I decided to get the online version of FM27-10 and reference my answer (to be a good little boy and always provide a reference i guess). Chapter I: "The purpose of this Manual is to provide authoritative guidance to military personnel on the customary and treaty law applicable to the conduct of warfare on land and to relationships between belligerents and neutral States." .... "This Manual is an official publication of the United States Army. However, those provisions of the Manual which are neither statutes nor the text of treaties to which the United States is a party should not be considered binding upon courts and tribunals applying the law of war. However, such provisions are of evidentiary value insofar as they bear upon questions of custom and practice. " There, I just had to do something to fill my time before bed so there's more reading for y'all. Take care If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk

I've never been there but I drive down either Airway or Airport everyday (depending on where I'm working) so I'll have to try that sometime......my favorite Mexican food place here is out off of Hwy 54 If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk

Well shit, I'm in El Paso too....but I don't leave for anywhere I'm stuck here for awhile If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk

There's a difference between Army Regulations (such as AR 670-1) and Field Manuals (like FM 27-10 that was used here). AR's are basically law (if under a strict definition of law you use the word rule). However FMs are not law. FM's are merely doctrinal guidance. You can't be punished by law if you fuck up FM 7-8 and don't follow the FM's written words in an assault. Also, I have studied FM 27-10 and there's legal errors within it. The international laws ratified into our military are all in the UCMJ, not FM 27-10. We don't prosecute people under FM 27-10 authority because it has none, you prosecute under UCMJ authority with the proper article (which if this nimwit author would research maybe he'd realize this). I know this is rambling and isn't worded so that it would make perfect sense and I skimmed over a lot of areas but sue me.....I'm tired. So y'all take care. If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk

Does this mean we can start calling him Shoeless Joe Johnson for planning the demise of the Yankees for years and simply going to New York to throw the game? If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk

Army, 2LT, Air Defense Artillery (14A) Currently in the basic course at Ft. Bliss and will serve as PL for PATRIOT here after December 16th. If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk

I have to completely disagree. I've jumped 4 different Sabre 2s.....3 170s and 1 190. When I pack sloppy or have bad body position it tends to open off heading. BUT, when I make sure I put it in the bag straight and have a good position at pull time INCLUDING when I get stood up in the harness it is absolutely perfect. I never wanted to believe that I was messed up until I got coaching and learned how I should be from pull time until the canopy was completely open. I simply believe it doesn't have as much room for error on opening than people expect from an "intermediate" canopy. But at the same time, you can open in line twists and it'll likely fly straight without diving so it's much more forgiving than say an elliptical. Just my 2 cents, take them for what they're worth. If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk

I've had one for the past year or so and absolutely love it. I mainly sit fly and it keeps the altimeter perfectly still on the wrist and never rolls back onto the hand. It makes seeing the altimeter much, much, much easier to read in freefall. Also, it has padding underneath the altimeter to make it more comfortable and there's nothing around my fingers, just looped around my thumb and then tightened on the wrist. Overall I think it's more comfortable and easier/better/safer than a normal wrist mount. I highly recommend spending the $25-$30 for one. If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk

I posted about LT Calley's superiors getting off the hook in http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1646283#1646283. Basically LT Calley gave the order to his platoon and it was his order and his alone, but there definitely was a bad command climate in his unit and his lack of training didn't help any. But no, Calley didn't get hung out to dry, he actually got off way easier than he should have. If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk

What the hell, I was laughing too much while reading this thread to not at least reply once..... According to your logic and earlier statements at least Bush isn't trying to quarter soldiers in our houses to protect the borders since they're all overseas. So when times have you down and you feel like you can't speak your mind, be happy that our soldiers are deployed and not sleeping on your couch and eating all the eggs. If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk

I forgot a great one earlier.......... Bowling for Soup, all Texas grown boys that haven't forgotten their state (like the song "Come Back to Texas"). If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk

I can't believe my hometown boy Buddy Holly just got mentioned.... And surprising that no one mentioned the other Lubbock family, Natalie Maines. Wait, no, everyone hates her, ignore that she's from Texas. But her dad/uncles, The Maines Brothers, were a really good old band and I lived in one of their family's houses growing up. If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk

I don't think there's anything in the Constitution where it says the purpose of the military is to defend our borders. I looked again and couldn't find anything in the Constitution other than the president being CIC, that you can't join if you've rebelled or given aid to the enemies, and of course the whole quartering of soldiers ammendment. I also looked up the oath of enlistment and oath of office for the Army. http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/faq/oaths.htm Even these don't mention protecting our borders. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's not their job to necessarily protect the borders as it is to protect the Nation/Constitution from enemies, which terrorists in Iraq certainly qualify right now. If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk

Fine, I guess we can all get back on topic........ I did some online searching and couldn't really find anything proving immunity from command responsibility, but there are substantiated claims for it. First, in law command responsibility has gone from basically nothing to codified laws within the past 100 years or so. Currently, FM27-10 The Laws of Land Warfare (the Army's law of war book, which is from 1967 and they're currently drafting a new one) states in article 501: The commander is also responsible if he has actual knowledge, or should have knowledge, through reports received by him or through other means, that troops or other persons subject to his control are about to commit or have committed a war crime and he fails to take the necessary and reasonable steps to insure compliance with the law of war or to punish violators thereof This "should have known" standard was last used (through what i found) in Vietnam with LT Calley, CPT Medina, and MG Koster for the My Lai massacre. Of course we all know Calley was found, given a hefty sentence that was then shortened by the Convening Authority (his general). But, his sentence was house arrest, and visitors were allowed. Now this is just hearsay but a retired Marine LTC JAG officer told me that he had women lined up outside his house because America thought he did nothing wrong and he was being unfairly punished. But he was eventually pardoned by I think the President and was free within a couple of years. Next was his company commander, CPT Medina. CPT Medina was charged with murder for failing his command responsibility by not ordering the cease fire soon enough in that he should have known this was going on. He was acquitted by a jury of his peers with no further action. Finally, was MG Koster who heard things may have happened and ordered Calley's Brigade Commander (COL Henderson) to investigate. Henderson did nothing more than put on a "show" and give a false report to MG Koster. But Koster took this investigation at face value without further questions and was administratively punished for his actions. BUT, a new rule came out of this.....the commander is not liable under the should have known standard if they were simply a bad commander and didnt have proper communications channels to talk to their subordinates etc. So that's where this applies to this case. Apparently the BG in Iraq was bad (and maybe this COL too), but does that absolve them of criminal responsibility? What about the PL, PSG, 1SG, and CO who should all be checking in on their people? Personally, I think they should all be punished under the should have known clause, because I haven't seen legitimate proof that they actually ordered these crimes. But there were reports that in her (I think) 2 visits to Abu Ghraib the BG didn't go to the wing with these crimes taking place because she was told "Oh ma'am you don't want to go there." Now any commander should immediately go to that sector if they're told that, so she should have known. Sorry for the long post, and I would have said more but hopefully that's enough to get this thread back on topic. If "if" were a fifth, then we'd all be drunk