Comments | scoutsarge: Just thought you should know.

scoutsarge

Just thought you should know.

Jun 05, 2008 12:50

There has been a lot in the news the past few days about PFC McGinnis here in Kosovo, but then again, our cable provider is the AFN (Armed Forces Network) and the Pentagon Channel, so I don't know if anyone at home has even heard about him or know why he's in the news ( Read more... )

Comments 6

sarah_sdr June 5 2008, 14:36:00 UTC

Those men were real heroes. Did you notice the trend? Aside from SFC Smith, the rest of them all threw themselves on grenades. I know there are other valiant actions happening out there; I sure hope that they are being recognized as well.

*hugs*

scoutsarge June 5 2008, 20:11:21 UTC

Other actions are being noted and recognized. There have been hundreds of Silver Stars as well as Bronze Stars and even some Army Commendation Medals specifically for Valor. I think that the medal count for valorous awards might even be in the thousands.

As for the trend in grenades - part of that is endemic to the war being fought. The insurgents primary weapons are RPG's (rocket propelled grenades) and IED's (improvised explosive devices). Grenades come next and then the ubiquitous AK-47. Explosives cause more wounds and for every soldier injured, it takes at least two to drag him or her out of harms way. To make matters "real" a grenade injuring one of my guys would bring my squad to half strength and make us combat ineffective, whereas if one of us were shot and killed, the squad would still be at 80% efficiency and still function. Sadly, combat is at times a numbers game.

anm_sa June 5 2008, 22:16:46 UTC

I've just finished reading the page with the summaries. Damn you, I have something in my eye now. Don't know if I've mentioned it or not, but thank you for all that you and your men do. I realize that this currently is a mostly thankless job, but I do appreciate it. This is coming from someone who is primarily a pacifist.

Thanks.

rosek7007 June 6 2008, 03:07:21 UTC

I cannot begin to imagine what it is like to be in the military and I cannot fathom the choices that are made each day. I read your blog and I see the words, but I don't know if I can honestly understand them. I can empathize and imagine, but I'll never know that level of sacrifice. In my mind I see the image movies and media have given me from the safety of my living room. To be in that situation, to have a blink of the eye to decide life or death, to make that choice. I believe in a situation like one of those I'd probably freeze and everyone would die. That's not me trying to be hard on myself. It's just a fact about who I am. I don't mean afraid, just that I cannot think that fast. I'm Management afterall ( ... )

midwest_siren June 6 2008, 03:16:49 UTC

I second that thank you.

Quite the statement.... joeescott72 October 5 2008, 04:16:20 UTC

You know, the only thing that really upsets me about any of the world here is that those boys HAD to die to get their recognition. We see so many of those guys coming back here ('specially since I go to the VA seemingly every other day) who're shellshocked and injured and otherwise traumatized by their wars, public and private. None of them are getting the recognition they deserve. A moment of heroism earns a posthumous medal. A lifetime of personal torture, and they have so little to show for it.

Guess that's my rant about the whole commercialism of the whole mess.

I guess I just want all of our boys coming home. I've lost too much family to wars overseas, and I want my future brothers and sisters to be able to hold their hands over their hearts.