Soldiers on Sleds 2015 Ride

Captains Log: February 20, 2015

The morning was brisk, with temperatures hovering just around zero, the trailer was sitting in the yard and the aluminum sides were so cold that bare skin would crystallize to the touch. It was quite a task lining up the truck to hook up the tongue and gently lower it on the ball of the receiver hitch. But the more challenging task was yet to come......

As I pulled the trailer forward and place the loading ramp, I started the first of three snowmobiles to be loaded on for the week-end ride. It took some doing to glide the sled up the ramp and make sure it was secured, but solely I got the job done.

Leaving the driveway and heading on to the next spot to pick up sled number two from the shop. Had the carburetors cleaned and made sure everything was in tip top shape for the week-end ride. Sled number two was now loaded and time to pick up the last sled. Scotty from PBR resort was kind enough to donate this last one, and once it was loaded I'd be heading to meet up with former Army Captain Roger Klein, who was also volunteering his time and another sled, for our trip to Camp Shed Horn in Watersmeet Michigan for the week-ends festivities.

After arriving around noon we met our hosts, Neal and Renee of Northland Docks and the owners of Camp Shed Horn who were gracious enough to donate their camp for our use for the week-end. They are the proud parents of a young lady who is presently serving in the US Army in Germany. Neal showed us around and also provided us the use of his two personal snowmobiles for the week-end. A very, very generous couple.

It was around one or two in the afternoon when we heard a knock on the door and a young man entered and identified him self as PFC Kyle Crowley from Appleton WI. He was kind of shy at first, but as soon as we loosened him up he was very comfortable in our presence. He helped us two old men unload our sleds and he could not wait to suit up in his bibs and coat and take one of them into the adjacent fields. Kyle was an experienced snowmobiler and this was quickly demonstrated as we watched from the cabin window as he surfed the virgin fresh powder in the open land.

A short while later A father and son team arrived. It was Sergent First Class Richard Helm from Medford, WI and his son Specialist (SPC) Tim Helm. SFC Helm served tours in Afghanistan's Paktika Province at a camp in Shirhana, while his son Tim is in training to be a drone operator. Both these men were novice snowmobilers and Richard had stated he had not been sledding since the 80s. They were all thrilled when we presented them brand new snowmobile suits, compliments of FXR Racing, and their representative Mr. Trevor Watson.

Last to arrive were SPC Bradley Winger from Wausau, WI and SGT Dillon Lang also from Wausau. They too were experienced sledders and brought their own sleds, which were quickly unloaded and ready for the night ride to dinner at Lac View Desert Casino for the seafood buffet. It was interesting watching all the men go through their gift bags I put together, nothing too fancy, but all donated from various local businesses, and even the local dentist, Dr. Liesen, provided the dental hygiene package for their week-end adventure. But the most exciting for them was donning their new snowmobile attire.

We spent the next hour or so chit chatting and swapping stories and getting comfortable in our surroundings and with each other. In no time at all we were on our short ride (14 miles) to the Casino for dinner. Roger made sure each rider was familiar with their sleds, and went over a few hand signals and what to look out for when riding on the trails. Then we were off, and into the woods we went. At first the speed was a bit slow, but these men quickly adapted and were were now traveling at a respectable pace. Dinner was provided through a grant from Wisconsin Public Services Foundation.

After dinner some of the men hit the tables and Sgt Dillon came back a hundred dollars richer.

We left the casino and headed to the gas station to gas up. Gas was provided through donation from benefactors through the Soldiers on Sleds www.GOFUNDME.com account. SFC Tim Klein looked smart in his new suit.

Rounding up the troops (sic) we headed back into the woods for the night ride back to the cabin. The air was clear and the sky was filled with the Northern Hemispheres various stars and constellations. A leisurely ride through the woods. A few games of pool at the cabin and they were off to bed for the night, as the next morning would be their most challenging ride.......

The next morning the men were early to rise. Coffee was on but it was interesting that these men were not like Roger and I, in that they preferred water and shunned the coffee for more healthy beverages like water and juice. But they had no trouble downing the Ham off the Bone, potatoes O'Brien, and fresh eggs I cooked up for them. They said they were not used to eating such a large breakfast in the morning. But I knew what was in store for them with today's ride and they would certainly appreciate it later......

It was time to suit up and head on out, next stop......Stillwaters Restaurant and Bar.

The experienced riding Soldiers left ahead of us, and ventured out to Lake Gogobec, on trails around the lake, while Roger, SFC Richard Helm, and SPC Tim Helm fell into sled formation and we headed south to our destination. It was about a forty or fifty mile ride. We headed south and then west, stopping off at the Bear Bar in Boulder Junction for a rest, recap and soft drink. I told the men, that we do not drink and drive on the trails, that's left for the cabin. But before I could even utter those words, they had ordered soft drinks from the waitress. From there we headed South and West for the trip to Stillwaters.

The Boulder Junction trails were a little choppy, however, it seems that Boulder Junction gets a heavy amount of snowmobile traffic. After a quick stop at the local Shell station for more fuel, we headed out. Once we hit the Sayner Barnstormer trails things got a lot more smoother and it was easy sailing. When we arrive at Stillwaters, our hosts Chuck and Karen, Chuck and old Navy man like myself, had set up a special table for us, complete with flags and great service provided by our waitress Debby. It was kind of crowded with many, many snowmobilers. Curiosity set in as to who we were and once word spread, many, many folks came up to the table and thanked these young men for their service. The food was excellent, the service was excellent and one could not ask for anything more.

After lunch it was time for our next leg of the trip.....but one of the "experienced" riders ran out of gas in the parking lot. So Chuck from Stilwaters came to the rescue and provided us with a siphon hose, where they quickly transferred gas from my sled to theirs. We put some gas in the first sled, and then the second one pulled up and we put some gas in that one too. I remarked "What am I, the Mother Ship?" to which everyone laughed. From there we headed onto Star Lake and then onto Plum Lake. Roger was quite the guide, and we ventured out from there to the Cisco Chain of lakes, were we were fortunate enough to come across a small herd of deer crossing the ice. As soon and they saw us, they high tailed it to shore and higher ground. When we crossed the last lake in the chain there were two more deer on the ice, but they just stood by and watched us as we passed. With a quick stop at Bents Camp to warm up a bit, and get some water and soda, we were off to head back to the camp for the night. We parked the sleds, entered the cabin and put another log into the wood stove in the main bunk room. The cabin was quickly heated up as the men removed their new clothing for the evening. I could tell they were beat, when we changed our dinner plans and decided to drive a short distance to Roger's Bar and Grill for sandwiches and pizza. The temperature was now dropping, -5, and then -10. The folks at the Bar were most gracious and helpful, and the food was good too, Pizza, burgers, and chilli, all what we needed to conclude the hard day of riding. When we got back to the cabin, a couple of the men took advantage of the available sauna, and soaked their weary bones in the dry heat. While out in the sauna, which was a separate building, the men could hear wolves howling off in the distance. When they returned and related the soundings, it wasn't too long before two of the younger guys could be heard on the front porch howling in the frigid cold air to see if they could get the wolves to respond. But it was late. and time to hit the hay as it was about 11:00 PM now.

The next morning, Sunday, there wasn't a peep to be heard as I arose at about seven. There was a slight snow covering the sleds, and the temperatures were at -17. Way too cold for the novice and avid sledder to venture out in.

So we spent some time looking out the window at the deer feeding on the hay that Neal had put out for them. You could tell by their winter coats they were cold and hungry.

Meanwhile I made breakfast for all, with buttermilk pan cakes and the rest of the ham. They ate hardily and decided not to venture out, as it was too cold. I told the men that the groomer had gone by numerous times during the night and prior to loading the sleds on the trailers they might want to take advantage with a quick ride, but I got no takers. So it was time to pack up, tidy up, and shut down the camp for the next party to come aboard on Wednesday, a party of twelve. This camp is an unknown secret that has now been exposed with some of the men already making plans for a trip there of their own in the future. So we took one last final photo op of the group.

Packing up:

Ready to leave:

'Till next year...........Soldiers on Sleds 2016!

Honesty and Let the Buyer Be Ware

We've all seen on network television expose's on auto repair shops, and their taking advantage of the unknowing consumer, by recommending repairs that are not necessary or even warranted. The latest one that I saw was where the investigators equipped an auto with hidden cameras in every location possible, and took the vehicle to various repair places only to have the repair facilities tell them they needed the transmission fluid changed, and they had a machine called a T-TEC machine which would remove the old fluid and replace it with new transmission fluid.

Unfortunately even though the customer's paid for the T-TEC service, the hidden cameras showed the machine was never even connected to the car and the service was never done. And so it goes, repair shops have a direct input to their impeccable reputations, by taking good care of their customers. However, not all repair shops are like that, and though it is hard to find the good ones they are out there, if you take the me to look for them.

Today consumers have many options to put a little knowledge in their pocket when they go in for auto repairs. With the advantage of the internet they can go to different web sites where there are forums that let one talk with people who have the same vehicle as themselves, and share symptoms and possible solutions to their problems. A lot of these web sites are run by the auto manufacturer themselves. Also, a lot of times a mechanic will be the one answering their questions, and making recommendations as to what they think the problem might be.

The consumer can get info on what the problem might be, how long to fix it, and how much they can expect to pay. They can then go to sites like YOUTUBE.COM enter this information into the search window and view a video addressing their issue or problem and even watch the repair being made.

Now remember, armed with all of this information at their disposal, the consumer is well equipped to talk intelligently with a repair shop to get the proper repairs. And today, this is what happened and how fast I left the repair facility.

All I wanted was a new set of all season radial tires for my truck. Just two for the back, as the ones I had on had a lot of miles on them and I noticed that they were not biting into the snow as I expected them to do. This was causing a lot of slippage that made me uncomfortable. The tires on the front were new in the last month or so, so all I needed were two on the back.

A few months ago when I was searching for tires, I stopped into a brand name repair shop, close to home, and was quoted 93.00 per tire for an All Season Radial tire. This price included installation, balancing but no old tire disposal or sales taxes. When I walked into the same shop today, the person behind the counter was waiting on someone else. As I listened to the conversation the employee told the customer that she was at 103,000 miles and needed her timing belt changed. She said OK but when she got her next check. I did not get the impression that she had a lot of money because she stated she'd have 160 hours on her next check and she'd be able to get it done then. It was stated that this would be the third time they changed the timing belt according to mfr. recommendations. She was there for an oil change and that fee was 41.00, which I suppose at todays rates is not unreasonable, and I am not sure whether this was synthetic or not. I was just listening.....

When she left and it was now my turn, I gave him the dimensions for the tire and he printed out a sheet with three choices. The least expensive was 143.00 per tire. This was certainly OK for the brand of tires on the sheet, all top brands, but conspicuously missing was the tire brand for the shop I was at. INTERESTING....Because in my investigation the brand of tire that was the name of the shop was much cheaper when looking on the internet for similar tires. I am sure the guy did not remember me from coming in before. So I asked him how much he would charge to change an actuator on my four wheel drive transfer case. I also asked him if they could check the voltages going to the actuator to make sure the wiring to it was OK. This is because I am having trouble getting my truck into four wheel drive. My research says it is a part called an "actuator" or the wiring leading up to the actuator.

Now an actuator costs about 67.00 as an after market part for my truck, but that is one made over seas and I want one made here in the US. An original equipment manufactured (OEM), one from the MFR that puts them into GM cars, is about $150.00 or so. The time it takes to replace one is about 1/2 hour. 15 minutes to change it and another 15 minutes to put the truck up and down on the rack.

So their response was "Which actuator? There are two on the General Motors transfer case?" "We change them quite frequently on GM Pick-ups" I told them there was only one on my vehicle, and it was made of plastic, and was operated by the dashboard switch, that's why the wiring and voltages neede to be checked first. So they looked it up in their service APP......"He's right, there is only one on that truck, and it takes a half hour to change it." "How much would that cost?" I said. "$330.00 with an General Motors Original Equipment Manufacturer part". (Now how would you check if you got the cheap one or the good one?) By my calculations for that repair their hourly rate is about three hundred dollars an hour......There is NO repair shop anywhere that can command that kind of hourly rate. I thanked them, said I'd think about it, and let them know on the actuator and the tires. But really, I couldn't wait to get the heck out of there.

Now I certainly can do this job myself. I have the volt meter to check the voltages, and I can change the actuator if need be, but I don't relish doing it on my back, in the winter, and on the cold garage floor. Lets face it, I am getting old. So I'll just have to have it done by someone else......but by someone whom I trust for sure. The moral here......do your homework, and work with someone whom you feel comfortable with and someone you can trust.

Intelectual Property, What Do You Really Own?

Recently in the news media was a story about the hacking incident of Sony Pictures. It seems their computers were hacked and at least five movies were stolen and distributed free of charge. On addition to that private emails we also stolen and the distributed to the media who has published and made comment on their contents. A few of these emails contained some pretty embarrassing comments from executives who made some pretty disparaging remarks about some well known celebrities.

With those disclosures this morning lawyers from Sony Pictures sent cease and desist letters to three major media outlets stating that they were prohibited from making comment, posting comment, etc. because the material in their possession is stolen. With that in mind, it is a very interesting argument for certain.

Just as it it illegal and against the law, and we would not allow a person to break into our home or business and take its contents and our personal property to then give the same to someone else, are the contents our our computers similar property? In my opinion, if it matters, is YES, most certainly. And here is my argument as to why.

If I take a concept from MY mind or a thought or idea, and put it down on paper and publish it, I most certainly own it and no one is allowed to profit from it with out my permission. So to, when I write an email to someone else, and send it to them, then I also own that too. The fact that I shared it with someone, does not relinquish ownership. Here is an example: I write an article to be sold and published in a magazine, there is no question as to ownership, until it is sold and ownership passes from me to the magazine. But the fact that I take the same article and send it to my editor for editorial correction or comment, does not pass the ownership from me to the editor. So true is the email I send to a recipient. The ownership is still mine, and does not pass from one to another.

So when the hacker comes into my computer system and steals my material or in the case in point, Sony Pictures, that hacker is in possession of STOLEN material and should be prosecuted for the theft. I am sure that in today's technological world there are many State and Federal laws that cover this. So what about when the hacker puts it out there on a website? Does that give anyone the legal write to take the information and re-publish it? Once they take the information are they in receipt of stolen goods? I would think so. I would also think that these media outlets would also understand that the same is true for them too. Should that hacker get into their computer systems and publish sensitive information, I am sure they would not be too happy about it.

The Sledders Bible a new book on snowmobiling.

Well another project bites the dust. I recently finished my latest literary work titled "The Sledders Bible. I have been snowmobiling for many years, all the way back to 1970 when I got my first snowmobile a 1968 Chapparel 440, a low to the ground and very fast sled. This was quickly followed by a 1969 Ski-Doo Nordic model, much less powerful, but it was a two up, and I had a family of four. So here I was with a wife and two kids and two snowmobiles to ride on, enjoying the winter.

In order that we could all go out together, I enlisted the help an old farmer that lived nearby. His name was Wally Marquedt. Wally was an old school craftsman. He built things by hand the old school way. Wally made for us a tow behind sled, kind of like a long dog sled, completely out of oak, so we could put the kids in it, cover them with blankets, and take them every where we went. The two of them were about three and four years old at the time.

The winters were very cold, and the old sleds did not have heated thumb grips or hand warmers on the handle bars like we have today. Snowmobile suits were one piece, and gloves were simply that, gloves. Snowmobile boots, not very well, as far as protection from the cold. I usually wore my Chippewa waterproof hunting boots. Helmets were usually motorcycle helmets equipped with a snap on full face clear plastic shield. If you were fancy, you could get one tinted yellow to help with the sun. Pocket warmers were filled with lighter fluid, lit, and carried around your kidneys in a belt contraption. But they were not reliable and the pouches we know of today were not invented yet. So riding out on the primitive trails for extended periods of time were almost non existent. Short rides, frequent stops usually at a local bar.

When I first hooked up that dog type sled to the back of the Nordic, and put the kids in it and covered them up with a mountain of blankets and took off down the frozen river, I could hear over the roar of the engine the two of them yelling and screaming for me to stop, which I immediately did. When I turned around and looked back at them I could see the entire sled completely filled with snow. They were covered from head to toe. Well, it seems that I did not have a snow flap on the snowmobile hanging over the back covering the track, and as the track picked up the snow it completely buried them.......I never heard the end of that one.....

My first ride on a snowmobile was in the winter of 1969 in Lynn Massachusetts, when we were snowed in after a terrific snowstorm. We got two feet of snow the first day and it was followed with another two feet the next. The power was out, and there was no heat. I had my car parked under a sort of lean too. It took me about four hours to shovel. I started at the road and shoveled back towards the car. Snow had entered into the edge of where the car was parked as there were no doors on the opening of the covering. So I had to shovel out around the car too.

Once I did that, I started the car up and tried to back up, but it would not budge. I got out to look at what the problem was, hindering its movement, only to discover I had two flat rear tires. We were not going anywhere......and to make matters worse, there was no heat, no electric, and my wife was seven months pregnant at the time. The tires were flattened because of the cold and the expansion and contraction of the wheel rims and the seals breaking.

We were living on Sluice Pond, in Lynn Massachusetts at the time. We were both cold and did not know what to do. The snow was so bad that Buffalo NY sent in crews with heavy front end loaders to help clear the streets. The General Electric company was hiring people at $4.00 per hour (good money for me at the time, as I was only making $1.80 an hour at my real job, working in a hardware store) to shovel off the roofs of their buildings. At about ten AM a neighbor came over to our house on his double track, one ski in the front, Ski-Doo Elan, and transported us over to his home to get some warmth. He was my wife's boss at the time, and his home had a fireplace and so we could get warm. He owned a construction company and hired me n the spot to work the GE roofs. It was during that first ride across the lake, that got me hooked on the sport, and except for a fifteen year hiatus, I have been snowmobiling ever since.

So with all that experience, both good and bad, and living up here in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, the snowmobile capital of the world, I got involved with two snowmobile clubs, got a new machine, quickly got a second one, and picked right up where I had left off. But one of the things I noticed, while volunteering at a snowmobile safety class, was that there was not any comprehensive snowmobiling guide for newcomers to the sport that would prepare them for what they were getting in to. There was a booklet the students got during the course, but it mostly covered safety and not experiences, or survival techniques. So I decided to write one of my own and make it available to the masses. It is called the Sledders Bible and it contains most everything I know about the sport of snowmobiling, and I am passing this valuable information along to the readers.

I wrote this book with the intent that anyone who reads it cover to cover would know all of the practical aspects of what can and will happen when they're out on the trails. It contains information on how to survive if stranded, what tools to take with you, the history of the sport and many many other valuable insights, lessons and anecdotes, that you can use to keep you safe and well when you are out there, which allows you to have more fun. Portions of the proceeds of the sale of each copy will be given to the Soldiers on Sleds project. The book is available through Amazon, Kindle, Barnes and Nobel Books, Google Books and from the publisher Lulu.com. The cost is 19.95. It is also available for downloading directly to your tablet, laptop or PC. So get your copy today. You will not be disappointed..... ISBN978-1-312-61248-8

Life in the Northwoods!

So here we are, with the last days of November quickly bringing the month to a close. The temperatures today were in the mid thirties, much warmer than it's been previously. With the warmth being generated on top of the snow it's causing a slight melt, and boy that melt makes it very slippery when you're walking in the yard or the driveway. But what makes matters even worse is that with the early snow we've received at the beginning of the month, totaling 16 inches, it was followed shortly there after with another eight inches of fresh powder. Now that means a total of twenty four inches on the ground. The yard has been plowed multiple times, but the tire tracks have now glossed over from frequent driving in and out. But the underneath the ground is still not frozen, and this makes for a slippery mess.

Now a while ago, in September, I took delivery of a new ODES 800 Pro Utility Vehicle. It also came equipped with a snow plow. So I thought I was all set for this winter, and last winter, the volume of snow was just too much for my small snow blower, rendering it totally ineffective and useless. Because of that, I got my four wheel drive pick up truck stuck in the driveway twice. I had to call in some favors from friends to dig it out, and then tow it out. Thank God for great fiends.

So this year I thought I was all set.......WRONG! Even though my driveway is plowed, it's not plowed down to the road gravel. There is still a couple of inches of snow that we leave purposely to cover it. The reason for this is to allow us a good foundation for when we take the snowmobiles out in and out of the yard. We need some snow to drive on, and that is where my problem started today. I couldn't get out of the driveway with my truck. I just kept sliding and sliding up the ever so slight hill to the road. Finally it happened, I was stuck and there was no getting it out. So now what?

ODES TO THE RESCUE! Now this is the second time I have had to do this this year, and it's and inconvenience, I know, but it's also a life saver. What is it? Well would you believe that little 800cc UTV is strong enough to pull out the truck when it's stuck. Yup! Just a 20 foot tow strap hooked onto the front tow hooks of the truck and the other end to the winch of the UTV on the back, and with one person behind the wheel, and me driving the UTV, ZOOM!. We were out in a flash.

So for all my retired friends who move South during the winter, you might be thinking, why in the world would you want to do this? Well, we'll never be stranded, with the truck, UTV and two snowmobiles we have at the ready, we're well equipped transportation wise, and money can't buy the beauty we have to enjoy, and the large group of good friends we have up here. Friends who enjoy the same things we do, and who are always there to lend a hand should you need one.

Thanksgiving, what does it mean to you?

Thanksgiving, what does it mean to you? For some, it is a time to get together with family and friends, raise a glass, and enjoy each others company over a good meal. For others, it is a day off of work, a day to enjoy a day of eating and merriment, or for others, it's a day to watch football.

Some people will travel great distances to make this happen. They'll travel the crowded highways, they'll "enjoy" the hustle and bustle of crowded airports and other transportation complexes. All in the quest to be there with their family and friends to celebrate a great meal and great company.
But for some it is just another day, another day to try and cope with the everyday struggles that some people go through, through no fault of their own. Nobody actually asks to be poor, homeless, or lonely. It is those people who we have to think about.

Did you ever think that the first Thanksgiving was just that. That the participants, the Pilgrims, were the lonely, the homeless, and the dissolute? Think about it? First of all they came to the continent with nothing but what they could carry with them. The only food they had is what they brought. They stepped off the Pinnace that brought them ashore and onto the rock to assist them getting their feet on the new land.

Did they land in Plimoth (old English spelling)? Well not really, they actually landed in Provincetown on the tip of Cape Cod in November. They could not make it there so they set sail again and traveled farther North finally landing in Plimoth in December, 1620. So here they are standing on the beach and looking at the forest ahead of them. No shelter, no streets, no roads, they were now homeless. They were in dire need of help. Oh sure, they could chop down a few trees, and build a shelter. But anyone who has ever seen what these shelters looked like, with amazement, and wonder, "how did they survive the harsh winter?" Well the fact of the matter is that they did not do that well after all. A typical dwelling for the first Pilgrims was a simple structure comprised of sticks and twigs. It was not the log cabin one would have thought, there was not time enough to fell a tree, hand hewn the log and put together a sturdy structure. If anyone has ever been to the New England coast in December, it is brutal. The wind comes off of the ocean and travels right through a person. Winter coats, well not for them. There certainly was not any clothing that provided warmth like clothes of today. So they were forced to move inland.

There were 102 passengers on the Mayflower when it landed, and 45 would meet their demise in that first winter. Seven of those were children ranging in age from four to seventeen. There were thirteen woman and twenty-eight men. The first Native American to make contact with the Pilgrims was Samoset who would not make contact until the following March, so until that time, the Pilgrims were strictly on their own. So here we are, the Pilgrims, Americas first homeless.

If Samoset did not make contact with them they surely would not have survived at all. The Pilgrims were very surprised that Samoset greeted them speaking English. Samoset was a Sagamore (stature) and was relocated from Maine by some English sailors. He was from the Eastern Abernaki tribe, which was not the natives of the Plimoth area. The local tribes were the Wampanoag and their chief was Massasoit. Samoset was on a journey to meet with Massasoit when he came across the Plimoth colony. He simply walked straight into the center of the village which certainly surprised them as they did not think there was anyone else living in the area. But back to the December time frame.......

They landed on December 16th and three days later after some exploring the local area, they came across an abandoned Indian village which was known as Pawtuxet. During those first three days they stayed aboard the ship as their place of shelter and they needed a more permanent place, and winter was setting in and the temperatures were dropping rapidly. In the village, there were a few dwellings there and they immediately took advantage of them and quickly moved in. Although they wondered where the inhabitants had gone, they were unaware that the entire village had been wiped out by a small pox epidemic that occurred earlier. This is a typical Wompanoag dwelling.

As you can see, it would have been a very cold place to spend a winter. So with that in mind, be thankful for what you have, not what you want. Think, that there are many people on the streets, who wish that they had what you have, no matter how small it is. What is their day going to be like today? Think of those elderly who have no one in their lives or family anymore, how their life is today, and how they will be spending this Thanksgiving day. Extend a hand, invite them in, provide a meal, and give thanks, thanks for what you have, thanks for your family, and thanks that you are not where they are and give help while you can, and when you can..........

Another Good Man Bites the Dust!

Well if you have not heard by now, I'll break the news for ya. Today Chuck Hagel, Secretary of Defense was forced out of the White House. This is the third Secretary of Defense that have left the Obama administrations since he has taken office. He looks for good people, appoints good people, gets bipartisan approval on his appointments, and then as soon as he hears something he does not like, they are out of there. Obama has done this with a lot of his "advisers" that come from the military side of the house, especially the Pentagon and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Many top level military generals have been put out to pasture since he has come into office.

So just who is left to advise him on matters of National Security? Well when he calls together his National Security Council, There isn't one person who has any experience in protecting you from enemies.

So let's start with the National Security Council who are they and what is their history when it comes to protecting us. The Chairman of the National Security Council (NSC)is the President. Regular attendees (both statutory and non-statutory) are the Vice President, Joe Biden, the Secretary of State, John Kerry, the Secretary of the Treasury, Jacob Lew, the Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hegel, but now vacant as of 11/24/2014, and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, Susan Rice. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the statutory military advisor to the Council, and the Director of National Intelligence is the intelligence advisor. The Chief of Staff to the President, Counsel to the President, and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy are invited to attend any NSC meeting. The Attorney General and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget are invited to attend meetings pertaining to their responsibilities. The heads of other executive departments and agencies, as well as other senior officials, are invited to attend meetings of the NSC when appropriate.Starting with Obama himself, he has no military experience or foreign affairs experience.

Joe Biden was a Senator before becoming vice-president. Most of his life after college and law school was involved in politics. Jo Biden has never served in the military. During those early years, Biden received five student draft deferments during this period, with the first coming in late 1963 and the last in early 1968, at the peak of the Vietnam War. In April 1968, he was reclassified by the Selective Service System as not available for service due to having had asthma as a teenager.

Susan Rice, one of Obama's top advisers. This is the woman who gave wrong statement regarding the Benghazi fiasco. According to Wikepaedia:

"Rice served in the Clinton administration in various capacities: at the National Security Council (NSC) from 1993 to 1997; as director for international organizations and peacekeeping from 1993 to 1995 and as special assistant to the president and senior director for African affairs from 1995 to 1997.

At the time of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, Rice reportedly said, "If we use the word 'genocide' and are seen as doing nothing, what will be the effect on the November election?" Rice subsequently acknowledged the mistakes made at the time and felt that a debt needed repaying. The inability or failure of the Clinton administration to do anything about the genocide would form her later views on possible military interventions. She would later say of the experience: "I swore to myself that if I ever faced such a crisis again, I would come down on the side of dramatic action, going down in flames if that was required."

Islamists took control in Sudan in a 1989 coup d'état and the United States adopted a policy of disengagement with the authoritarian regime throughout the 1990s. After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, however, some critics charged that the U.S. should have moderated its policy toward Sudan earlier, since the influence of Islamists there waned in the second half of 1990s and Sudanese officials began to indicate an interest in accommodating U.S. concerns with respect to 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden, who had been living in Sudan until he was expelled in May 1996. Timothy M. Carney, U.S. ambassador to Sudan between September 1995 and November 1997, co-authored an op-ed in 2002 claiming that in 1997 Sudan offered to turn over its intelligence on bin Laden but that Rice, as NSC Africa specialist, together with the then NSC terrorism specialist Richard A. Clarke, successfully lobbied for continuing to bar U.S. officials, including the CIA and FBI, from engaging with the Khartoum government. Similar allegations (that Rice joined others in missing an opportunity to cooperate with Sudan on counter terrorism) were made by Vanity Fair contributing editor David Rose and Richard Miniter, author of Losing Bin Laden.

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, a longtime mentor and family friend to Rice, urged Clinton to appoint Rice as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs in 1997. Rice was not the first choice of Congressional Black Caucus leaders, who considered Rice a member of "Washington's assimilationist black elite". At a confirmation hearing chaired by Senator Jesse Helms, Rice, who attended the hearing along with her infant son, whom she was then nursing, made a great impression on senators from both parties and "sailed through the confirmation process".

Rice supported the Rwandan, Ugandan, AFDL and Angolan invasion of Zaire (later known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo) from Rwanda in 1996 and overthrew dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, saying privately that "Anything's better than Mobutu." According to Gérard Prunier, a staffer to the Assistant Secretary said that "the only thing we have to do is look the other way", with respect to Rwanda's continued intervention. New York Times correspondent Howard W. French said that according to his sources Rice herself made the remark. It should be noted the Congo Wars spearheaded by Rwanda led to over five million deaths. In 2012 when serving as U.N. ambassador, Rice opposed efforts to publicly censure Rwandan President Paul Kagame for again supporting a Congolese rebel group, this time in the 2012 Congo conflict Despite the sacking of the regional capital of Goma. The Rwandan government was a client when Rice worked at Intellibridge in 2001–02.

On July 7, 1998, Rice was a member of an American delegation to visit detained Nigerian president-elect Basorun M.K.O. Abiola. During this meeting, Abiola suffered a fatal heart attack.

Although Rice supported the Lomé Peace Accord, some observers criticized the Sierra Leone agreement as too indulgent of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and for bringing the war criminal Foday Sankoh into government, leading to the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1313, which blamed the RUF for the continuing conflict in the west African country." So it is no wonder that we have a person advising the President to stay clear of ISIL issues in the mid east.

Secretary of State John Kerry. A lot of people may or may not know of John Kerry's military service. he enlisted in the Navy Reserve in 1966, and went on active duty to Vietnam for an abbreviated four month tour aboard a swift boat. He received the Silver Star, Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. However, upon his return and release from the service he joined the Vietnam Veterans Against the War and demonstrated at various protests. He has been in politics ever since.

Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew, another career politician. Harvard Law School and Georgetown University for his law degree.

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel According to Wikipaedia, "volunteered to be drafted into the United States Army during the Vietnam War, rejecting a draft board recommendation that he go to college instead. He served in the United States Army infantry in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968. As a Sergeant (E-5), he served as an infantry squad leader in the 9th Infantry Division. Hagel served in the same infantry squad as his younger brother Tom, and they are thought to be the only American brothers to have done so during the Vietnam War. They also saved each others lives on separate occasions. Hagel received the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, two Purple Hearts, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge." He went from an enlisted man in the Army to the Secretary of Defense. He was the only one of the members of the NSC to have served on the ground with the troops as an enlisted man, and after returning became a news broadcaster and reported on the war.

There is going to be a tough nomination process for the next individual to be nominated by the Obama administration. They certainly do not want to listen to issues and advice on foreign policy where it might involve putting any troops into the picture, whether on the ground or in the air. It seems like a slap in the face to all those who fought and those who died when this administrations takes a pacifist attitude towards other countries walking all over us. The President more than likely already has a replacement in mind and we will see in the next few weeks as the person is put up for the position. Obama will surely try to get this all done before the next Congress is seated, where he will surely have a much tougher time getting his nominee seated. Meanwhile ISIL continues to kill......... The new Congress will not be here soon enough for this person to enjoy the future encounters.......