Happy Veterans Day: Call to Duty: Boots on the Ground

Originally posted on November 1st, but I'm moving it up to celebrate Veterans Day. Watch the video.

Description: Call to Duty: Boots on the Ground
Boots on the Ground represents the commitment of the United States of American [sic] and the multiple capabilities of the American Soldier. It reflects the physical and mental aspect of being the ultimate instrument of national resolve that is both ready to meet and relevant to the challenges of the dangerous and complex 21st century security environment.
Airdate: October 9, 2006
Run Time: 00:12:00

*** Open the video here or here. ***



I consider "Call to Duty: Boots on the Ground" a must-see video.

Its illustration of "the commitment of the United States of American [sic]" and "the ultimate instrument of national resolve that is both ready to meet and relevant to the challenges of the dangerous and complex 21st century security environment", combined with President Bush's 06OCT05 defense of the Iraq mission and War on Terror, provides a benchmark for real competitive resolute American leadership of the free world.

The video rings true with the perception of the Army I learned from my experience as a soldier. Its message is from the heart and true to the Army heritage. While "Call to Duty: Boots on the Ground" seems to be designed for young soldiers to explain the 'Why We Fight', I believe this is the message that should be presented to the public as the Army face. It's stupid to pretend soldiers don't go to war or that they don't die at war. The better way is to put the hard facts into context. I prefer it over the new Army recruiter slogan of "Army Strong", although the Army Strong video is pretty good.

Happy Veterans Day. I wish all Americans who have served, are serving and will serve in our Armed Forces a Happy Veterans Day. May we live long, fruitful and meaningful lives, for ourselves and for our brothers and sisters who don't make it to come back home.

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Also see Army Lieutenant Benjamin Colgan, Castillo, and New York Times writer posits "Thank you for your service" is offensive to veterans. I disagree..

Senator Kerry insults the American soldier.

John Kerry: "You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

Kerry's response to the criticism of his remark:

"If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they're crazy. This is the classic G.O.P. playbook. I'm sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did.

I'm not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium, or doughy Rush Limbaugh, who no doubt today will take a break from belittling Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's disease to start lying about me just as they have lied about Iraq. It disgusts me that these Republican hacks, who have never worn the uniform of our country lie and distort so blatantly and carelessly about those who have.

The people who owe our troops an apology are George W. Bush and Dick Cheney who misled America into war and have given us a Katrina foreign policy that has betrayed our ideals, killed and maimed our soldiers, and widened the terrorist threat instead of defeating it. These Republicans are afraid to debate veterans who live and breathe the concerns of our troops, not the empty slogans of an Administration that sent our brave troops to war without body armor.

Bottom line, these Republicans want to debate straw men because they're afraid to debate real men. And this time it won't work because we're going to stay in their face with the truth and deny them even a sliver of light for their distortions. No Democrat will be bullied by an administration that has a cut and run policy in Afghanistan and a stand still and lose strategy in Iraq."

Senator, you have a history. Just stop the excuses and apologize, okay?

P.S. Contra Kerry's misrepresentation, President Bush's decision for Operation Iraqi Freedom demonstrably was correct on the law and facts. The US case versus Saddam is substantiated, Iraq was evidentially in categorical breach of the Gulf War ceasefire.