"Friendly Fire" - Another Military Oxymoron

Just like "military intelligence," jokingly referred to by combat troops as a contradiction in terms where mass confusion and ineptness are more the rule than the exception. Or here is another example: "military justice" where verdicts can get passed down, based not, on guilt or innocence, but for reasons the brass calls; "for the good of the service." Yeah, whatever.

"Friendly fire" however, is much more than a figure of military speech combining one or more contradictory terms. But rather the military's way of evading and distorting an issue with words designed to reduce the impact of being killed by your own troops. They will try to spin it any way they can to use it to their advantage in a PR campaign like they did with Pat Tillman or they might trivialize it in order to protect careers. It's a precarious position one has on the promotion ladder and it doesn't take much to miss a step and get thrown off. And when it comes to careers, the military has taken CYA beyond science and made it an art form.

How can you call anything "friendly" when the condition it describes results in loss of life? A person who is killed or wounded by "friendly fire" has been the victim of a terrible mistake at the hands of their own. There is nothing friendly about it but yet it seems to have become accepted as this benign description of a broad spectrum of incidents where troops are killed by "friendly's" possibly hit by "short rounds" (bad map co-ordinates called in by some 1st looey that was napping back in OCS when they were teaching how to call in artillery). Troops are shot accidentally by their own side in a combat mission gone wrong or by "fragging," a term from the Vietnam War, used by U.S. military personnel, that means to "kill that SOB officer that wants to put me out in the boonies" or "waste that lifer so he can't testify in my murder trial" of those civilians. In Vietnam this happened every day, in one command alone where I served in I Corps, we lost our exec and a senior NCO to fragging in a single day! Read the rest of this entry »

A Voice For Marines And Their Fellow Americans

While United States Marines protect our country's interests abroad and quietly agonize over how the politicians run the wars in Iraq and Afghanistanon, Big Joe Ligotti ,The Guy From Boston, has the freedom and the balls to "tell it to the marines" and everyone else, right here in America. Admittedly, his style is unique. But make no mistake, the guy is a patriot. You may be offended by his delivery, language, intensity or just his opinions but you have to admit that what he says is worth listening to. The liberal minded and politically correct crowd have managed to let the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many and have succeeded in making this country a laughing stock. Marines and Americans need guys like Joe - guys who tell it like it is for US. Because if Marines do it they get in trouble and if I do it I am just an angry man. It takes talent and character to do what Joe does. 

Marines On Joe's Side

I first wrote about Joe Ligotti in this blog over a year ago (August 2007)in a post titled: The USO Show Marines Will Never See. He was ranting about how he wanted to come to Iraq and pass out cigars to the troops. He professed his love for our men and women in uniform then and nothing has changed. Speaking for myself, a former marine and lover of all things USMC, advocate of the Corps in all respects, supporter of all of our people in uniform I respect Joe Ligotti and his right to say what he feels. Most marines are from homespun backgrounds and would agree with his values in theory, if not his delivery. But sometimes Joe, me and my marine friends out there worry about you, when something or someone really gets you pissed, you look like you will explode any second. But I guess if you were more low key and changed your rants to runts it just wouldn't be The Guy From Boston anymore, would it?

Marines Will Accept No Substitutes

It would seem that Joe has had his problems lately. He has gone from TheGuyFromBoston.com to TheGuyFromBoston.net due to a disagreement with his former partner. This guy David Garafalo, was the guy that registered the original .com domain and when they couldn't resolve their differences he kept the website for himself and declared that "just like James Bond, anyone can play The Guy From Boston." And if that wasn't bad enough he then tried to actually convince us that his cheap substitute could replace Joe. Tell that to the Marines, Davy Boy, and see how far it flies. Forget about it! James Bond my aching ass. First of all there is no other Joe Ligotti, an American original and second, everyone knows that Sean Connery will always be James Bond!

Justice For The Marine Corps And Everyone Else

Thankfully a judge decided that this was blatent trademark infringement on the part of Garifalo and Joe is back as the one and only, USMC approved, The Guy From Boston. Spread the word my fellow Marines, Joe is back and better than ever.

New Study Shows Dieters Can Double Their Weight Loss

By keeping track of what you eat with a food diary you can lose double the weight in the same period of time than if you didn't keep a food diary. I thought this was a another gimmick until I tried it. And you know, if you are honest about it and write down everything you eat, you will be more motivated and less tempted to stray. You will be amazed at how motivating this can be.  I've tried it and it makes a huge difference. That donut or that piece of pie you ate (just this once) looks pretty bad on paper.

Identifying Eating Habits That Need Modification

A food diary will also help you identify eating habits that need to be modified. Most people only have a general idea of what they eat and a selective memory about the bad things (that donut for example) that can derail any diet. Keeping a detailed food diary will help you see where the extra calories are coming from.  A new study published in the August issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that participants in the six month study who kept a food journal six or seven days a week lost an average of 18 lbs compared with an average of 9 lb lost by non-diary keepers.

Keep A Food Diary And Exercise

Keeping a food diary is a great tool for weight loss but it's best to do it in conjunction with a regular exercise regimen. Even if it's just a short walk every day you will find that losing weight can help with high blood pressure, reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Even just a few pounds lost will help ease the strain on your joints, your energy level will improve and you just might sleep better too!

A Food Diary Is All About Accountabilty

Not only should you be honest about writing down everthing you eat but you should show it to someone like a wife or a husband. You may have been thinking about eating that donut, that just this once it won't hurt, but you don't want it to show up on the food diary at the end of the day. And, before you know it, you have lost weight!

Consuming fat is crucial to good health

If you find that hard to believe then you are among the 60 million American dieters out there that have a misplaced fear of fat. Here is why the right kinds of fat are your friends. In order to change your opinion about certain kinds of "good" fats you have to understand what "good" fats can do for you. Not only are they satisfying to the palate they are essential to weight loss. Now pay attention because this is the whole premise on which a sensible low-carb diet is based.

Eat healthy and good tasting fats to lose weight!

Healthful fats can lower bad-cholesterol levels because the body uses fat, not just carbohydrates to create energy while, at the same time, regulating blood pressure and heart rate. In other words; good fat burns body fat! Sounds crazy I know but I swear it works. Foods like monounsaturated fats; olive oil, avocados, most nuts and fish oil are some of natures finest and most healthy fats. Incorporate polyunsaturated fats like soybeans, whole grain wheat and vegetable oils, including corn, saffron and sunflower into your diet and you are off and running. Read the rest of this entry »

Speeding Marines Elude Cops

Two CHP officers were recently conducting routine speed enforcement when they got the shock of their lives. Officer Smith had just started his shift with the radar gun and was looking forward to serving up some tasty speeding tickets while a relieved Officer Jones went off in hot pursuit of some doughnuts and a potty. Both are blissfully unaware that the United States Marines are about to come calling. Out of the clear blue sky on a calm and sunny, Southern California day, what happened next is the stuff of Marine Corps legend.

A 300 MPH Marine Is Hard To Catch

Officer Smith suddenly does a double take when his radar gun alarm registers an unbelievable speed of 300 MPH - coming from an approaching vehicle! Thinking it is an error he attempts to re-set the gun but before he can gripe to Officer Jones about the department's cheap equipment - a deafening roar overhead of 8.5 magnitude envelops their cruiser and commences to give them both a good shaking. The radar gun had in fact locked on to a USMC F/A-18 Hornet which was engaged in a low flying exercise near their location. Talk about a speeder with a head start!

Marines Blamed For Destruction of State Property

When the dust had finally settled and after Officers Smith and Jones have had a chance to change their skivvies, their Patrol Captain decides to file a complaint with the USMC Base Commander, reportedly to recover money for damage to a CHP patrol car and new uniform trousers, but I suspect he was just an ex-(fill in the blank) Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine basher. What he hoped to gain by filing a complaint against marine aviators is beyond this old jarhead but the reply to the CHP Captain is classic USMC speak: Read the rest of this entry »