Life wasn’t meant to change after the big Saddam Hussein & Osama bin Laden takedowns

During the Vietnam War, US troops were sent to Vietnam.

Press Release Speak:

Today, the Ohio National Guard is sent in “…support of the U.S. Central Command.”

“While on the nine-month deployment, the soldiers will provide installation, recovery, repair and maintenance of telecommunications network lines and infrastructure throughout the CENTCOM area of responsibility, the Ohio Adjutant General’s Department announced earlier this week.”

Source:

Jan 12, 2024 Springfield News-Sun

Call to duty ceremony honors Springfield-based soldiers ready to deploy
Members of Ohio National Guard unit to serve 9-month deployment.

Americans in the Real World

Maybe some Americans are getting ready to vote in another giant election season. Maybe they are part of the thousands of American families who have had a loved one in the regular, or reserve US Armed Forces or National Guard, who did one or more tours in Iraq or Afghanistan, going back to the 1990 Operation Desert Shield. Maybe they are not satisfied with the way DOD has performed in distant lands. Maybe they want their vote to send a message. Maybe they are not happy with the results of 34 years of Dept. of Defense operations in and around Iraq. Maybe the press release is intentionally vague in order for some Americans to loose track of what the Pentagon is up to.

Newspeople post whatever press release is handed off.

A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.

Real newspeople might ask:

Is there any military emergency, national emergency, draft, or declaration of war, linked to this movement of troops?

Checks and Balances

The US form of government is meant to include checks and balances.

Whatever happened to the formal congressional declaration of war?

This would be the time to hear from elected leaders on all the issues that have doomed the Department of Defense track record with undeclared wars going back to the time DOD was established in 1949.

This would be a time to remind people that the National Guard is meant to serve the people of their home state or other states and territories in the case of fires, floods, storm relief, etc. This would be the time to discuss ending multiple National Guard deployments to distant lands- absent any military emergency, draft, or declaration of war.

Why Would Anyone Join Today’s Military?
By Laurence M. Vance
January 5, 2024

“On August 9, 2021, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin—after consulting with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretaries of the Military Departments, the Service Chiefs, medical professionals, and leaders of the White House COVID Task Force—announced in a memo his intention to mandate that all military personnel receive the COVID shot. Said Austin:

All FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines are safe and highly effective. They will protect you and your family. They will protect your unit, your ship, and your co-workers. And they will ensure we remain the most lethal and ready force in the world.

Get the shot. Stay healthy. Stay ready.

Austin mandated the shot on August 24, 2021. A provision in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) repealed the mandate, but not before more than 8,000 military personnel from all branches of the military were discharged for refusing to take the shot. Before the bill passed, the Senate rejected an amendment to reinstate servicemembers removed exclusively for refusing the vaccine, as well as compensation for any salary and benefits lost due to the separation.

The Department of Defense (DOD) is seeking to reenlist unvaccinated soldiers who were kicked out of the military. But so far, only 19 soldiers who were removed from the Army have rejoined and only 1 has returned to the Air Force. Many are not only not going back into the military, they are suing the federal government for back pay.”

In the news:

Jan 5, 2024 The Nashua Telegraph

House wants Congress to act before deploying NH National Guard

“CONCORD — The House wants Congress to make an official declaration of war before the New Hampshire National Guard is deployed in a combat zone overseas.”

“The bill would require Congress to meet its constitutional obligation to declare war and not turn the duty over to the executive branch before putting New Hampshire guard in danger, supporters said.”

“But Rep. Stephen Shurtleff, D-Penacook, and a Vietnam veteran, said he does not support the bill and noted the State Veterans’ Advisory Council voted 20-0 to oppose the bill as well.”

“This is not a good bill, it is not good for the National Guard, it is not good for New Hampshire, it is not good for our country and it is not good for our people on active duty,” Shurtleff said, noting the state receives up to $2 billion annually from the Department of Defense mostly for planes for the Air National Guard and for the helicopters often used to rescue people.

“All of that could be put in jeopardy by the bill, he said.”

“The military needs to be able to act immediately if the country’s defense is at risk, Shurtleff said.”

“He noted when he served in Vietnam, national guard units were nearby and they acted as one unified force.”

“Mannion said since the authorization of force was passed the National Guard has been deployed in 22 countries in never ending wars, while the bill would stop the “uniparty war machine.”