Somebody's Son...

It's been decided by you, my faithful followers...
Posts on Fridays will consist of random photos of our Troops.

If there is one message I wish to convey to all who take time to visit this blog... every single Airman, Soldier, Sailor and Marine has a face.

These brave men and women have families who cherish them.

Our warriors have a hometown...somewhere.

They are Somebody's Son.

To kick off this new 'series' (oh my, this does sound a bit official)
allow me to reintroduce a Marine who was a Cub Scout and graduated High School with my son, John...Zachary. I have posted several times during Zachary's two deployments, asking for your prayers while he serves our country. He will be returning home in the next few weeks, so I ask once again for God to protect this young man as he steps foot once again on U.S. soil. May God bring him home... whole in body and mind. May God bring comfort to his mom's anxious heart, as Zachary makes his journey home. May this reunion bring many happy memories and tons of joyous tears.

Brand New Must Share Blog

Happiness is learning of a young person making the choice to become a servant to mankind. Whether it is joining the Military, becoming a Firefighter or EMT... when I hear of a young person making the decision to leave the comfort and security of home...it fills me with great hope for the future of our Nation.

Allow me to introduce one of these talented young people, Bridge. I've known her for as long as I have been working at the garden center...she's worked there since she was a teenager. Bridge is a hard working, dedicated young woman. She has an incredible mind and a sweet spirit. Her talents include photography and she has an eye for design. I've watched her mature into a thoughtful young lady for over five years.

Bridge has submitted her application to join the Peace Corps. One thing I find most impressive, is knowing she will leave her privileged lifestyle with technology and all the modern conveniences...to make the world a better place. To sacrifice time with her family and friends, so she may help communities in developing countries...actually living in these communities. She will know the challenges of these communities, the poor road conditions and exist without clean water.

Bridge is documenting her Peace Corps journey in a blog titled, Life is Calling. Please stop by to welcome her to the Blogosphere and offer words of encouragement. If you would like more information about the Peace Corps, please click HERE.

Bridge, I wish you the very best as you open this new chapter of your life!

"Gunfight" in Kabul

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Eight U.S. service members and an American civilian contractor were killed Wednesday in a shooting at an Afghan air force compound in Kabul, officials said.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan said an Afghan military pilot opened fire on international troops, sparking a "gunfight." The Taliban, however, claimed responsibility for the attack and said it had been working with the shooter for some time -- an assertion that NATO denied.

Also denying the Taliban claim was the brother of the pilot.

"My brother had no connections with the Taliban, and I deny any claims of his connection by the Taliban," Dr. Mohammad Hosain Sahebi told a local Afghan TV station in a telephone interview.

He said his brother, Ahmad Gull, 48, was in the Afghan Air Force for several years and was injured many times in plane crashes. The Afghan military, however, listed the pilot as being 50 years old.

"My brother had mental sickness as the result of the plane crashes in '80s and also he had economic problems, too," Sahebi told local television.

One witness, Jon Mohammad, a military pilot at Kabul Airport, told CNN that he jumped from a second floor window to the ground during the incident. He saw foreigners laying on the ground inside the first floor, he said.

"He was religious person, but I'm not sure if he had mental illness," Mohammad said of Gull, the pilot.

The shooting started at the Afghan national air force compound at North Kabul International Airport after an argument between the Afghan pilot and an international colleague, officials said. The NATO-led force said the Afghan military pilot opened fire on international trainers and a "gunfight" ensued.

"A 50-year-old man opened fire at armed U.S. military soldiers inside the airport after an argument between them turned serious," said Col. Baha Dur, chief of public relations for the Afghan National Army at Kabul military airport.

NATO said the confrontation took place at 10:25 a.m. at the airport, where a quick-reaction force responded to a "small arms fire incident." The airport is home to NATO Air Training Command Afghanistan.

An initial report indicates the attack occurred in a meeting room at the Afghan Air Force headquarters, a location operated and secured by Afghans, a U.S. military official told CNN. The NATO-led force is investigating, the official said.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the killings "by an Afghan military pilot."

Zaher Azimi, a spokesman for the Afghan Defense Ministry, said the killings upset Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak and that "he shares the pain with the families of the victims."

Despite the account by international troops, a Taliban spokesman said a man named Azizullah was responsible.

"One suicide attacker ... managed to attack an Afghan military unit and has managed to kill many Afghan and international soldiers," Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said.

The Taliban said the man killed nine foreigners and five Afghans before being killed by the Afghan army.

"We had worked hard on this plan for a long time," Mujahid told CNN. "He was cooperating with us since long time and he was providing us information about military air operations for a long time."

NATO disputed the Taliban claim.

"We do not know why it started but there is no indication that a suicide bomber was involved and there are no reports that someone managed to get into the base to do this," the NATO-led force said in a statement.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for previous conflicts between NATO service members and members of the Afghan military. CNN could not independently verify the group's claims.

The Taliban said the man was once a pilot in an Afghan regime in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

"Since the current Afghan air forces have no planes, he was just going to Kabul airport to show up and earn his salary for a long time," Mujahid told CNN.

The man "was holding the rank of colonel at the time and he had an AK-47 with him. After his bullets were finished, then he was shot to death by armed forces," Mujahid told CNN.

There was confusion about the death toll. The NATO-led force initially said six service members were killed. It raised that toll to nine but backed away temporarily before saying again that the shooting killed nine people -- eight international service members and a civilian contractor. The Pentagon confirmed that all were Americans.

Later Wednesday NATO announced that two additional service members were killed in attacks elsewhere in the country, bringing the day's total number of NATO casualties to at least 11.

Violence between Afghan forces and NATO troops is a matter of extreme concern for NATO officials, and it is growing in frequency.

There have been 36 NATO deaths in the past two years attributed to attacks by people perceived to be Afghan soldiers or police. Officials fear that the increasing frequency of the attacks could undermine trust between NATO troops and the Afghans they are working hard to prepare so they can eventually take over security in the country.

The Taliban's claim that the Afghan gunman was their recruit follows a now-familiar pattern of the insurgency stating that attacks are theirs, even though NATO later suggests the gunman was acting out of personal motivation.

Out of 16 incidents of Afghan forces shooting NATO personnel that NATO has investigated, eight have been determined to be motivated by combat stress on the part of the Afghan attacker. The other eight investigations are undetermined.

CNN's Barbara Starr, Joe Sterling and Jennifer Rizzo contributed to this report

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Please join me in prayer for the Brave Warriors who lost their lives.
May God comfort their families, as only He can.

Wednesday Hero 04/27/2011

This Weeks Post Was Suggested by Michael

Col. Robert L. Howard
70 years old from Waco, Texas
Army Special Forces MACV-SOG Special Operations Command Korea
July 11, 1939 – December 23, 2009


You learn very quickly that Col. Robert Howard was an amazing man. Wounded 14 times in 54 months of combat. 8 Purple Hearts, 4 Bronze Stars, 2 Distinguished Service Crosses. And the awards go on from there. But it's the three Medal Of Honor nominations for three separate actions within a thirteen month period that stand out.


1st Lt. Robert Howard Receives The Medal Of Honor

You can read more about Col. Robert L. Howard here and here and a tribute page dedicated to him here.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.


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Warm thanks to Christopher Lee for his steadfast dedication to our Troops.
Special thanks to Mike Golch (who suggested this post)... not only for his service, but for his continued interest in keeping our Warriors in the hearts and minds of many.

Rest Easy, Phil

Hubster and I are safely home from Phil's funeral in Delaware. What a whirlwind of a couple days. So many people to meet and re-meet. Phil is a good man and he will be sorely missed by all who know him.

Phil is a decorated Vietnam Veteran. Following the Funeral Service, we all went to the VFW field. It was there, the Honor Guard shot their rifles and a lone Bugler played "Taps". It's impossible to stand there and not be stirred. My throat had a lump and tears rolled down my cheek. Such a simple tradition..yet oh so intense. I'm so glad the family chose to honor Phil in this manner immediately after the Funeral. As difficult as it was to watch as Ginger received the perfectly folded United States Flag...I know Phil would have had it no other way. He is a Marine. What an honor to shake the hands of the Veterans who participated in this Ceremony. I thanked each of them for their Service.

At a later date, Phil's ashes will be left at a Veterans Cemetery. It's what he wanted. The family did their best to fill all his final wishes...except for one. Phil had requested that everyone receive a handful of M&M's which have three letters (A.M.F.) on each piece of candy. Yep...that is Phil for you. He wanted "Adios, Mother F_ _ _ _ _ _" to be his farewell to this world. Yep, a Marine. The family convinced him to drop that request and stick to serving Wawa Coffee instead.

Phil... it was an honor and a pleasure to call you Brother-in-law. You are a good man and you have left a strong legacy. May Almighty God comfort Ginger in the coming days and weeks, as she learns to live a life without her beloved husband. May God comfort my husband and his only other living brother. May Phil rest easy, his work on earth in now done.


Day is done,
gone the sun,
From the lake,
from the hills,
from the sky;
All is well,
safely rest,
God is nigh.

AirmanMom a Finalist!!!

WooHoo!
AirmanMom has been selected as a finalist in the U.S. Military Parent category of theMilblogging.com Best Military Blog Award at the Sixth Annual Milblog Conference!

How exciting is this?

Truly, it is an incredible honor to be recognized. I encourage you to stop by and visit as many of the blogs you can! There are so many passionate supporters of our Military, every single blog deserves a Thank You!

We must do all we can to keep our Troops in the hearts and minds of all Americans. How fortunate we are to have the freedom to type our thoughts... let's not take any of our freedoms for granted.

May Almighty God protect each and every Airman, Soldier, Sailor and Marine.

She's Coming Home!

Leslie is coming home from Afghanistan this week! She is a friend of my son, John. Last Christmas, Good Earth's Soldier Drive sent packages to her and 'her office'. She was kind enough to distribute these gifts to other Warriors.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to welcome her home at BWI...since Hubster and I will be attending Phil's funeral in Delaware. It would have been a great honor to meet this young woman, hug her and thank her for her service.

May Almighty God bring her home safely.
May Almighty God protect each and every Warrior while they so bravely serve our nation.