[HTML1] Next time you complain about a ruck march, consider Capt. Justin Fitch. The colon cancer-stricken soldier in Natick, Mass., ruck marches for fun, to heal, and to raise money to combat veteran suicide. “One thing that I have been able to rely on through rehabilitation, in exercise therapy, almost like a meditative state, is ruck marching,” Fitch said when recently spotlighted on Army.mil. Fitch tries to ruck to work at least twice a month. He recently rucked nine-and-a-half miles with 80 pounds on his back in just over three hours. On Oct. 18, Fitch finished his 23rd round of…
Browsing: Outside the wire
It seems that many people are offended by this photo on a billboard of an American soldier hugging a Muslim woman in a niqab, a traditional Muslim covering. And each of the offended people have their own different reason. On Twitter, people have called it head-turning and controversial, while in Britain a writer for The Guardian calls it racist. The photo features a real soldier and his girlfriend, according to a San Diego TV station, and the ad is inspired by a real married couple, according to the website of SnoreStop, the company using the ad. Yes, SnoreStop. The ad…
Welcome to the garrison Army. Some soldiers at major installations across the Army might have already encountered courtesy patrols, teams of soldiers who roam Army posts making on-the-spot corrections. Some posts are even targeting family members for dress code violations. And the Army’s top enlisted soldier is weighing in on the courtesy patrols. The Army is assessing performance on another field, the public schools near its installations. The chief of staff of the Army, Gen. Ray Odierno, says the Army will “put pressure” on officials responsible for providing education to the children of Army families. One person resisting pressure from lawmakers…
Last week top Army leaders showed little restraint as they blasted the many ways the budget crisis is crippling the service. And the problems are many: The Army secretary talked about the budget dysfunction and the Army chief of staff said only two brigades are now combat ready. Read more on how training, gear and benefits are feeling the pinch. Amid the budget cuts the Army must shrink its footprint. One top Army official says the only way to do that is with a Base Closure and Realignment Commission to oversee a new round of base closings. But will Congress…
Let me sum up the show at the AUSA opening ceremony for you: Army on Broadway. The pageant of soldiers-past that usually opens the AUSA convention is trying hard to be earnest, but for soldiers and NCOs in the audience it might be hard to not secretly laugh at the thought of Korean and Vietnam-era soldiers breaking into Glee-style song. The stage show points its Broadway lights at soldiers dressed up in uniforms of wars past. Particularly, err, persuasive was the Soldier’s Creed echoing from the stage, as a soldier tried to convince you she would “engage and destroy…
Congress voted to restore death benefits to military families Oct. 10 but not before the Fisher House Foundation first offered to pay the families the death gratuity. Families typically receive the money from the government after a service member dies and it helps to cover the funeral expenses of their fallen loved ones. In gratitude to the foundation, several military community Facebook pages started a fundraiser to benefit Fisher House. Led by the administrators of the Facebook page Stolen Valor, and with the help of the admins of Awesome Sh*t My Drill Sergeant Said, U.S. Army WTF! Moments, Battle In…
After a decade of high op-tempo that brought significant pay raises, benefits enhancements and swift promotions, the Army’s NCO corps is facing a slate of bad news. What is at stake? Promotions, force outs, getting kicked out of the Army for minor infractions. How are NCOs feeling the heat and how can you protect your career? Meanwhile, SOCOM funded an experiment, dubbed “Quantum Leap,” to mine data from people’s social media accounts. Does this experiment mean operators will transform the way they work and spend less time on the ground? SOCOM is not the only one looking into cyber operations.…
Reports that the Utah National Guard were in the market for two mechanical bulls in spite of the the partial government shut down have turned out to be, well, bull. A Utah National Guard and the alleged vendor say they cancelled a $47,174 sale. “The National Guard called me first thing in the morning,” Mechanical Bull Sales owner Gracienne Myers told The Salt Lake Tribune. She said the Guard told her that they were voiding the purchase offer but that they may buy a lone bull in the future. “They did the right thing,” she said. The Utah Guard has used…
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