There was a fire fight on the news last week.

[Joe for Clark]

It was only memorable to me, really, in that the news people got caught in it and filmed the kids in the fight.

They showed the kids - you could see the insignia - and sure enough, it was the 3rd brigade, 2nd division that had been rushed into Baghdad from Mosul.

I hear people saying the fight is going to start - man, it already started.

For it to appear on the news - just means it started sometime before.

Just thought I'd point this out.

Joe

[MadMaddie]

1. Yea Joe I know...I am trying my hardest to get mentally

prepared for the escalation of American deaths..my heart is heavy on this MLK day...his speach about why we should get out of Vietnam rings true for today's Iraq quagmire..

[Joe for Clark]

3. In the end Vietnam will be a lot easier to get out of than

Iraq will.

I really don't care about the protocal of this. Frankly, if a republican was willing to take this "stupid war" head on - I am ok with that.

This "surge" was predestined - at least as of 11/6/06 it was.

How long do you think it takes the kids to be brought on line here?? You know??

SO- while I am respective of many things - I really only care that those kids get the hell out of there in as reasonably in one piece as possible. I care about our kids - and they are ALL our kids.

The rest is BS - this is JUST about the kids to me. My kid, a lot of kids. They are really all good kids, you know. They do not deserve this. They know full well what is coming.

They aren't stupid.

Joe

[rexcat]

2. My nephew is in the 3rd brigade...

He is currently in California doing desert training. He returns to Fort Benning February 15 and off to Iraq March 1. He was told his tour in Iraq would be 18-24 months at best.

[Joe for Clark]

4. I hope your nephew comes out OK.

If he is out of Benning - not 2 div - remember every division has brigades, right.

The army deploys in 12 month intervals- supposedly. They only say 12 months anyway.

Joe

[rexcat]

7. He has been in training...

He was in the Navy for five years and September of '06 changed over to the Army. He has been training as a Scout. According to what he told his parents it would be in Iraq 18-24 months. He is not one to exaggerate, especially with is mom. With what is going on the 18 months might be closer to the time he will spend there. Right now they are extending them up to 15+ months. I am going to try and get down to Fort Benning before he goes but I don't know if I can swing it.

He is looking forward to his tour in Iraq which I don't understand. I spent four years in the USAF during Vietnam. The closest I got to "action" was fighting gonorrhea at the beach front at Patrick AFB, FL (Cocoa Beach, FL) and we lost that one too! I was a laboratory technician and medic and we had several wounded Marines come in and out of the hospital at Patrick AFB. Their wounds ended up killing them but it took a long time to do it and it was not pretty.

[Joe for Clark]

8. Oh, go and see him.

The gonorrhea "fight"- that is funny.

Man -everybody is full of piss and vinegar out of the box - that is normal, I think.

GO.

Joe

[rexcat]

9. Nothing like a short arm inspection first thing in the morning!

[Joe for Clark]

11. GO SEE HIM.

What do you have to lose???

Joe

[rexcat]

13. If I can manage three days off in a row...

and he can get a weekend day off I will go and see him. It is 597 miles from home to Fort Benning. A 9 1/2 hour drive doing the speed limit but I never knew a speed limit I did break. Right know I have no way of contacting him so I will try February 15 when he completes his training in California. My biggest problem is my work. I am a consultant and I might have to change some on site visits.

I think my sister will try to see him also. I need to see when she and her husband will be going down. It might be easier if on him (his schedule) if we can all see him at the same time.

[Joe for Clark]

16. I understand -

I didn't mean to be preachy.

You can only do what you can do.

But it won't matter if you come seperately or not.

Those kids get really lonely by the time they get thru.

I'll say - when Troy did his time at Leonard-Wood - I shut down my practice and we flew to St Louis and we used every hour - me or my wife with him. And it wasn't enough.

I remember what my brothers went thru - and I knew how important it was to them for my parents to go to them and spend the time with them.

You can only do what you can do - but do the best you can. Nobody can expect more than that.

I hope all goes well with the boy,

Joe

[northofdenali]

10. rexcat, when were you stationed at Patrick?

I was there from 75 - 77; of course, I was raised on Merritt Island, so it was more or less "home".

[rexcat]

12. I was at Patrick 72-75...

I got out on December 23, 1975. A 58 day early out becasue they were letting people go right and left and I was "accepted" to BCC. Actually I was going to BCC when I was in the AF. I also worked at Cape Canveral Hospital part time in the lab and I was doing some community theater just to keep busy.

[northofdenali]

14. Weird - I also went to BCC and worked at Cape Canaveral Hospital -

great minds DO think alike, don't they? Both were before my AF service, though. CCH in 1972-73, BCC from 72 to 73. Remember the surfing area, the Shark Pit? It's been revitalized after a number of storms. My brother says still good surfing there (I haven't been to Cocoa Beach since 1995, but my mom still lives there).

[rexcat]

15. We left in 1980...

I worked at CCH 1973-1980, graduated BCC in 1978. CCH merged with Holmes Regional Medical Center years ago. The hospital is as screwed up as it ever was. I don't think I would send a dead dog there for treatment! I met my wife at UCF in Orlando. We ended up in SW Ohio via Nebraska and Arizona. We go back to Titusville in see the in-laws a couple of times a year and I still have friends in Cocoa and Cocoa Beach.

[TomInTib]

5. Good catch, Joe.

K&R

I surely hope that all is well with you and yours.

[Joe for Clark]

6. Thank Tom -

As well as can be expected.

I was only sorry that wasn't Geraldo Rivera under fire last week.

God knows he deserves to be.

Best to you Tom,

Joe