A few months back and fresh off my second tour of duty in the Middle East, which included 6 months in Iraq (most in Baghdad) I applied for the Army’s Special Recruiter Assistance Program (S-RAP for short) As outlined from About.com
I figure this would a great thing to do, since I knew back then that the Army was going to have a tough time meeting their quotas in the upcoming months. This was based on conversations I had with some buddies of mine who were recruiters or who had finished up their recruiting duty. Yet there was one catch……
The program is open to enlisted Soldiers age 25 or younger in stateside units who have served overseas in support of Operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom. Soldiers currently serving overseas in support of OEF/OIF are asked to wait until their units return stateside to apply for the program.
I qualified for the ladder but the former…. Let me tell you this Ole Sarge will be retiring in about 5 years. Unless I lied about my age to join the Army when I was twelve. I would be 25. But, I figure what heck, I went on an applied for it anyway… Guess what my answer in an email response was………….
“SSG Hunter,
Your S-RAP Application has been disapproved. You must be within the age of 25 or under to apply for S-RAP.
Michelle Brown
SGT, USA
ADMIN NCO”
When I had read the response. The first thing I said was “I guess they don’t want Ole Sarge’s help” Viola Hence the name “Ole Sarge”
Fast forward today. Ole Sarge is in the process of speaking to various elementary schools and communities around the DC area during his off duty time. the first will be at Malcolm X elementary school in DC during their career week in my. My goal is not to sound like a recruiter nor tote military platitudes. However I tend to be what I call an ambassador for freedom. Freedom is not free. We all have to make sacrifices to achieve freedom. We as a nation sometimes take freedom for granted. As an ambassador I do serve at the pleasure of my government. My government issues me a riffle also if you look close I have an olive branch. With that olive branch I extend the freedom. Just like a baton I will pass it on to the those kids.
Finally in the twilight Ole Sarge will just fade away!
Train wreck he says. I hope it is not during rush hour. Traffic is bad enough as it is. Nevertheless Ole Sarge will skip the fight and take the kids out to the ball park to see the Nationals. There are enough circuses that come to town. I don’t want to see another one when Tyson comes rolling in.
Governor Robert Ehrlich did lash out at Democratic lawmakers for passing that piece of legislation he feels is unfriendly to business. As John Wagner of the Washington post writes:
Ehrlich said he was particularly troubled by a bill that would effectively force Wal-Mart to spend more on employee health benefits or make a contribution to the state's health insurance program for the poor. The legislation sent a bad message to the business community, Ehrlich said, and will make more difficult his job of recruiting companies to Maryland.
Ehrlich repeated his promise to veto the bill, which would require companies with more than 10,000 employees in Maryland to spend at least 8 percent of their payroll on health care or make a contribution to the state Medicaid program. Wal-Mart is the only known company the bill would affect.
Those who support the bill (mainly Maryland democrats) argue that large employers have (Wal-Mart) should pay their fair share of cost since some (not all) Wal-Mart employees are receiving government-subsidized health care.
Shame on the government that doesn’t want to take care of the poor. I thought democrats cared.
On April, 11 1951, America’s most distinguished Soldier in American history was summarily dismissed from command of the United Nations and United States forces by President Harry S. Truman. Gen MacArthur was fired in the midst of the Korean War. The President's order, telegraphed to MacArthur over the army network, was brief and pointed:
“I deeply regret that it becomes my duty as President and Commander-in-Chief of the United States Military Forces to replace you as Supreme Commander."
Months after the General led the brilliant amphibious assault at Inchon, despite opposition from the Joint Chiefs in DC. The Inchon landing sent the North Korean Army scrambling back across the 38th parallel driving them to the Chinese border. Only after the Chinese sent a wave of soldiers across the line to push the U.N. forces reeling back south of Seoul did Truman distance himself from MacArthur. Did MacArthur foresee the Chinese involvement from the Korean War? Or where the Chinese that paranoid that the U.N forces would invade so they had to push the aggressors back by any means?
Regardless, Gen Douglass Macarthur is one of the many great leaders in our history that I admire. Some say he was brilliant, controversial, aloof, egotistical, imperious, and courageous.Regardless of what was written and said about him. Everyday when I put that uniform on, his “Duty, Honor, Country” are the core values I try to live up to in and out of uniform I leave you with the General’s own words:
Others will debate the controversial issues, national and international, which divide men's minds. But serene, calm, aloof, you stand as the Nation's war guardians, as its lifeguards from the raging tides of international conflict, as its gladiators in the arena of battle. For a century and a half you have defended, guarded and protected its hallowed traditions of liberty and freedom, of right and justice. Let civilian voices argue the merits or demerits of our processes of government: whether our strength is being sapped by deficit financing indulged in too long, by federal paternalism grown too mighty, by power groups grown too arrogant, by politics grown too corrupt, by crime grown too rampant, by morals grown too low, by taxes grown too high, by extremists grown too violent; whether our personal liberties are as firm and complete as they should be; these great national problems are not for your professional participation or military solution. Your guidepost stands out like a tenfold beacon in the night.
Bobby Labonte won the Craftsman Truck Series event at Martinsville, and JGR diversity drivers Aric Almirola and Chris Bristol won NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series events in Virginia and North Carolina, respectively.
Bristol became the first African-American driver to win a feature race at Hickory Motor Speedway in its 55-year history.
Almirola, an Hispanic driver from Florida, won his first feature of the season at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va.
Look out for big things from Chris Bristol. Coach Gibbs has himself an up and coming driver that will compete and compete big when he gets a chance to race with the big boys in the future. Mark my words………………….
You heard it first from Ole Sarge @ the Herald ‘05
Bowe (42-1, with 33 knockouts) is 2–0 since he began his comeback at the age of 37. If this last fight is an indicator of what to expect from the man once known as “Big Daddy”. Ole Sarge has a suggestion. Take a cue from George Foreman and do an infomercial to endorse a signature product….
My idea, A “Big Daddy Bun Toaster” It worked for George (boneless chicken breast anyone?)
This is a round up of the politics that are happening in the Old Line State (Maryland) Ever since Republican Governor Robert Ehrlich was elected by the PEOPLE of Maryland. The state democrats have fought tooth and nail to make it impossible for the Governor to get anything accomplished. Tired and frustrated by thethe ineptness of 30 years of the democratic monopoly which plague the Old Line State at the gubernatorial level The people of Maryland sent the Democrats a message and voted the ass out of Governor’s mansion. What is clearly a case of sour grapes, the state democratic legislatures are out to make Governor Ehrlich 2002 victory an anomaly on their way to taking back the Governors mansion in Annapolis. First they have to keep their jobs. The people of Maryland must speak again.
This is what happens when state legislatures have too much time on their hands
Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, April 7, 2005; Page E01
ROGERS, Ark., April 6 -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. yesterday said approval of a bill that would require it to boost health care spending in Maryland could endanger its plans for growth in the state, including a new distribution center that would employ as many as 1,000.
The motivation behind this bill are special interest groups such as Wal-mart's top competitor (Giant) in the state of Maryland and its labor union.
Nate Hurst, a government relations manager for Wal-mart says "It's unfortunate that a competitor would use the legislative process," Hurst said. "Is this bill really tackling health care for the state of Maryland or trying to get at one of Giant's competitors?"
As the Washington Post article states
Although the legislation before the General Assembly does not name Wal-Mart, it appears to be the only company affected by it. The bill would require organizations with more than 10,000 employees to spend at least 8 percent of their payroll on health benefits -- or put the money directly into the state's health program for the poor.
The coalition backing the legislation said it expected similar bills to be introduced in several other state legislatures and, possibly, the U.S. Congress. U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) yesterday said he would try to use the General Assembly's bill as a model for a health care reform proposal he plans to introduce in Congress, though he did not offer a timetable.
So let Ole Sarge get this straight according to this Bill if a company doesn’t spend at least 8 percent of their payroll on health benefits, than the Old Line state will force the company to put the money into a state health program. Hmmmmmm talk about extortion under the auspices of a bogus bill. Ole Sarge thought Jesse Jackson had the shakedown sector on lock-down. Apparently he has competition from the Old Line State.
It is truly an honor to be part of a distinguished group of individuals known as the Conservative Brotherhood. The Conservative brotherhood core values plus the seven Army values are values that I try to adhere to each and everyday I wake up. I am not only proud be part of the US Army I am also proud to be part of the Conservative Brotherhood an last but not least. I am proud to be an American.
You are looking at the 2005 NCAA Champs! Although I did not get the final score correct ole Sarge did predict that North Carolina will beat Illinois in the Final Game.
This is an email I received from a friend about Denzel’s Washington’s visit to Brook Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. Kudos to Mr. Washington for taking time out of their busy schedules to spend time with some of America’s finest. You are part of the fabric that makes my country so great HOOOAH!
Subject: Denzel's visit to BAMC, Fort Sam Houston, Texas
Haven't seen this on the news.
Don't know whether you heard about this but Denzel was visiting Brook Army Medical Center, in San Antonio, Texas (BAMC) the other day. This is where soldiers that have been evacuated from Germany come to be hospitalized in the States, especially burn victims. They have buildings there called Fisher Houses. The Fisher House is a hotel where soldiers' families can stay, for little or no charge, while their soldier is staying in the hospital. BAMC has quite a few of these houses on base but as you can imagine, they are almost completely filled most of the time.
While Denzel Washington was visiting BAMC, they gave him a tour of one of the Fisher Houses. He asked how much one of them would cost to build. He took his check book out and wrote a check for the full amount right there on
the spot. The soldiers overseas were amazed to hear this story and want to
get the word out to the American public, because it warmed their hearts to hear it. I hope you will spread this story.
Seeing this photo gives Ole Sarge and idea about writing a T.V show (sort of like St. Elsewhere meets M.A.S.H)
A few months back and fresh off my second tour of duty in the Middle East, which included 6 months in Iraq (most in Baghdad) I applied for the Army’s Special Recruiter Assistance Program (S-RAP for short) As outlined from About.com![Hunter21%20copy[1]](http://hunterherald.blogharbor.com/Hunter21_2520copy[1]_small.jpg)
Mike Tyson will fight the much taller Kevin McBride (left) on June 11 at the MCI Center. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)
Governor Robert Ehrlich did lash out at Democratic lawmakers for passing that piece of legislation he feels is unfriendly to business. As John Wagner of the Washington post writes:
This is a round up of the politics that are happening in the Old Line State (Maryland) Ever since Republican Governor Robert Ehrlich was elected by the PEOPLE of Maryland. The state democrats have fought tooth and nail to make it impossible for the Governor to get anything accomplished. Tired and frustrated by thethe ineptness of 30 years of the democratic monopoly which plague the Old Line State at the gubernatorial level The people of Maryland sent the Democrats a message and voted the ass out of Governor’s mansion. What is clearly a case of sour grapes, the state democratic legislatures are out to make Governor Ehrlich 2002 victory an anomaly on their way to taking back the Governors mansion in Annapolis. First they have to keep their jobs. The people of Maryland must speak again.
