THANK YOU MARINES



PRIDE, FREEDOM REINS

Happy Labor Day weekend to 2/8th Golf

I want to wish you all a very "Happy" Holiday weekend and visit with your families on your extended leave!  It is because of you all that we are able to enjoy "Our" freedom as a country. I know that we are overjoyed to be able to spend time with you our son, Manuel! Extreme fishin' and backroadin' are on the agenda! Drive safe! The home fires at "Brookside" will be burning as you drive up that very long driveway to home, to people that have missed you so very much and love you beyond words.....

STORM SURVIVORS.......

Hurricane Irene was NOTHIN'....Just send in the Marines,,,they handled it!

RIP Hero's...

In light of the Memorial for the 2/8th fallen hero's at CLJ today, I did pull my earlier post. I will re-post at a later date.
Somethings are more important.

I am wishing the 2/8th families who lost a loved one during this last deployment in Afghanistan, all the love and prayers and heartfelt condolences that I can possibly share with you today. I am so very sorry for your loss.
To the brave men of the 2/8th: I am sorry for your loss of a Brother Marine, Semper Fi Marines you are always in my prayers.  Thank you for your service to this great country.
Love To You All....Manny's Mom

Welcome to the 2/8th Hurricane Party How to....

Alright since you guys (or some of you) are not leaving the base for Hurricane Irene. Here are a few party tips for a really Great time.......

http://digbatonrouge.com/article/hurricane-party-guide-2203/
Hilarious, don't be outside of this circle at your Hurricane Party!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/327222-hurricane-etiquette
Know-how's from a know it all....hurricane tips.....

http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/j/james_mcmurtry/hurricane_party.html
A real song about a hurricane party.....and you can download the ringtone for free!

http://www.patobriens.com/patobriens/web_hurricane_party.asp
Good Ole fashion advice from New Orleans...

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080830145335AAsJ3T9
Games you can play at a hurricane party!

http://www.themyths.co.uk/?p=48 A book to read when you get sick of everyone and have had to much to drink....

The old adage "if ya can't beat em, join em" applies here... quite liberally!
Be safe first and foremost, and of course have a Great time. We will be thinking of you all, prayers out to everyone on the base and in the path of Irene.
Love to you all Manny's Mom

WELCOME HOME GUY'S!

CHECK THESE GUY'S OUT HANDSOME AND BRAVE... AMERICAS FINEST MARINES!

THE THREE AMIGOS!

WELCOME HOME LCpl Manuel Urrego and 2/8th Golf Co.

Manuel and Zack

If wishes were real..

I wish....I wish I could say more than I can...this BLOG IS NOT exceeding all of my writing dreams THESE DAYS,  I can tell you that much.  I find myself at a loss lately, so much to say but limited by OPSEC. I DO NOT LIKE TO BE LIMITED ( I do understand, doesn't mean it doesn't suck)! I love you guys, so in that vain, I will do this for you, and you only.
I will be retiring this blog very soon ...I do however have someone in mind to takeover, if she agrees you will be entertained!
Manuel, this blog is for you, it always has been. It has been my way of dealing with deployment (and my way of letting you know we are still together no matter the distance) and to continue to show you and all of the guys in the 2/8th that you are all loved and missed daily.
So for today, my wish would be that my son, Lance Corporal Manuel E. Urrego were home sitting in front of the fire pit with us, laughing and talking. Me taking pictures and making everyone crazy and Manuel telling me to stop TAKING PICTURES PLEASE and how many pictures do you need to take Mom? I would give anything to hear that right now.....Soon, very soon Manuel, I will be driving you crazy with my picture taking.......

RANDOM, FUNNY, CUTE, STUPID....

Marines this is for you....

I speak to many different people in anyone one given week. I never know who I am going to meet or where? It could be at the local grocery store, Walmart, work, post office, drug store or even the doctors office, etc? I am a people person, so striking up a conversation with a complete stranger is not unheard of. I don't go looking for these people, they are just there.  I am getting to my point of the day, and this is for all of you guys in the 2/8th Golf (and all of you Marines out there if your reading this blog) from everyone I meet and speak to"THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND SACRIFICE FOR THIS COUNTRY". They find out that I have a son serving in Afghanistan (I most certainly make sure everyone knows this) and these folks have some very heartfelt comments that they so sincerely want me to pass on to you Manuel, as well as all of your brother Marines. People get teared up, they have a hard time speaking, so true is their desire to have this message sent to you all. So for all of those folks out there that I have connected with this last year, your message has been sent. God Bless Marines......

While my Son Serves....by Dave Shiflett

This is a MUST READ for all.   Well written, funny, touching and so true. Long, but well worth the time...thank you Manny. Thank you Mr. Shiflett and Thank your "Sarge" for his service to this country.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304584004576417670477053368.html?mod=wsj_share_facebook

Manuel's address

LCpl. Manuel E. Urrego 
Golf Company 
2d Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment
PSC Box 20103
Camp Lejeune, NC 28542-0103

Chuck Holton's photo's Afghanistan 2011 Oliver north's visit

Below is a link to photo's from a few weeks ago when Oliver North visited the 2/8th.  Not just pictures of Golf company they are mixed see if you can find your loved one........Let me know if you find who your looking for. :) Enjoy.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangerholton/sets/72157626892878171/with/5887792372/

A new page for you guys in the 2/8th Golf to see......

I have added a page to the right called Marine Mom's. It is dedicated to all of you out there. Stay strong,  keep the faith...  

Thank you to Marine Moms for the pics...

A VERY HAPPY 4TH OF JULY TO MY HERO'S IN THE 2/8TH GOLF CO....

HAPPY 4TH GUY'S AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR DAILY SACRIFICES AND HUMBLE SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY....YOU ARE REMEMBERED DAILY, IT IS BECAUSE OF YOU THAT WE ARE ABLE TO CALL THIS COUNTRY FREE AND ABLE TO CELEBRATE THIS HOLIDAY! GOD BLESS YOU ALL.......

To all of you guy's in the 2/8th G. co.

I can only speak for myself, but I do know others feel the same. I thank you for your hard work & sacrifice to your country. I thank you all for being such good friends to my son and keeping the faith. I can only imagine how hard it must be for you all at times, even though you are all such tough ass's as to not mention how much it sucks over there. I have enjoyed the pictures and comments and emails so very much, it has made me feel as though I am experiencing some of what you see daily and endure (during your crappy deployment in hell) a little bit, is better than nothing. You all have made me laugh and made cry with your pics and comments. You have made me Prouder than I ever thought possible to be a Marines Mom. So I want to thank each and everyone of you who have touched not only my son's life, but mine as well. Semper fi Marines. God Bless and much love to you all.....Manny's Mom

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

Charlie Biz Mullah official mascot and protector for 2/8 G. 1st Platoon

MANUEL

Get Free Facebook Graphics

Cpl. Matthew Richard

Cpl. Matthew Richard rest in peace your sacrifice will never be forgotten.....your Marine brothers will miss your brave heart. God Bless the 2/8 Golf and our Marines....God Bless and sympathies to the Richard family.....

A HUGH RANT AND PISSED OFF MESSAGE....

I want to thank you for your comments they won't get seen however if they are in a post from 2 years ago! They may go unnoticed so please post comments to a recent post! THANKS
I have not had much to say lately regarding this latest deployment or the current issues in Afghanistan. I will tell you that Manuel is well as are his Marine brothers who share his space and long, hot days....

MY RANT....
I often peruse others blogs or public FB pages for news on our 2/8 or any other Marines currently serving in Afghanistan.  Today I did have the unhappy few moments of reading a post that was linked to a very gruesome news story supposedly live from the front as it happened. The article was dated:  Monday, June 6, 2011 in other words TODAY!. I won't get into the details of whom or where it was posted,  but I will tell you that it was indeed irresponsible linking and reporting......the posting first and foremost should never have happened today. This poor Marines family could have been reading what I read before they even got a call! Because names (NOT THE HARMED MARINE) were used it wouldn't be difficult to know what Battalion or unit they were discussing(SO AS A PARENT YOU WOULD BE WONDERING IF IT WERE YOUR SON).....also specific areas were mentioned. I have to tell you my stomach was lurching all over the place and I felt as though my heart had stopped. There was no warning about the graphic or explicit content so rashly and rapidly put on the Internet from the person who linked the article or the host website.  I am boycotting the person responsible for this link they will not be read by myself and I hope anyone else I know, especially other Marines Mom friends.  I am ferociously upset about this whole disgusting situation shame on you and your horrible war reporting! From a Mom who currently has a son serving his country in Afghanistan, BE MORE RESPONSIBLE WITH WHAT YOU WRITE, WHEN YOU POST IT AND WHETHER OR NOT THE ORIGINAL WEBSITE HAS HAD RATIONAL THOUGHT BEHIND WHAT THEY DID JUST BECAUSE ITS OUT THERE DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO LINK IT OR BRAG ABOUT HAVING READ IT! Momma bear signing out.......

I found this site called the Sketchpad Warrior

2/8 Golf Co, 2009 departing patrol base Hassan Abad in Helmand Province painted by Kristopher Battles

http://kjbattles.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html

cut-off for pkgs..

Good Morning to all....in the event that you do not already have this info. the cut-off date for mailing pkgs to our Marines in the 2/8th is June 15th. The FPO-AE will be closed as of July 1st.

Helmand News Update......

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/world/05/22/11/taliban-stress-targeted-strikes-spring-offensive

2/8th Golf, Weapons, & Fox Companies, ...check out the link

http://oneclick.indiatimes.com/photo/06FX5Va8BA34G?q=Helmand+Province

Great article on Marine Dogs......

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/12/world/middleeast/12dog.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

An update from Sgt.Miller...

I thought to share this letter with those that don't get his e-mails .....

 

To Our Friends and Supporters,

It seems that the time has come that our resources shall be shifted yet once again and our current access to computers and the internet will be taken from us due to our priority of the mission and the resources we have limited to us. We have all been truly blessed this far during the deployment to be able to connect with home via the internet and to share with all that we care for so much and have such a constant and quick connection which as we all know is much better than our dependence on the snail mail which has yet to catch up to our tempo as of yet. I speak on behalf of my entire squad when I say that I will miss interacting with all of you and being able to tell you of how things are going here for all of us but know that not a day will go by that we are not thinking of you all and knowing that the reason that we are doing all we do is because of all of you and your concerned thoughts and prayers for us all. We are on the home stretch and we will continue to press on to focus on our goals and missions of success and what is important to us all and we know in our hearts of how important our actions are to all of you. These last months that are ahead of us prior to returning home will be trying and very challenging for each of us but together as brothers' we shall always stick together and look out for eachother until we are all home safe and sound to our families. Truly from the bottom of my heart it has been a blessing to be able to hear from you daily and often and to be able to be brought into each one of your lives but a little to help me escape if not for a moment away from this war and I will hold onto each story of your families and homes to keep me going and determined to keep my promise to all of you and that is that I will get all my boys home safe and sound to each of their families and know that is my only priority each decision of my days. God bless you all and know that as soon as I am able to get access to computers and such again I will contact you all and let you know how your Marines' are doing over here, until then just know that we are sticking together and taking it one step at a time to bring us that much closer to all of you.

With Greatest Respect,

Sgt Matthew Miller

2/8 Golf Co 1st PLT
Unit 73240
FPO AE 09510-3240

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY...

Happy Mothers Day to all the mom's hope it is a beautiful day for you all.

In my opinion....I just have to get this off my chest.....

All of the reports about release vs not release pictures of UBL...it is understandable why so many want to see them, for the most part, it is confirmation of his death. As if what we as a Nation, and World have witnessed is some elaborate scheme to fool us all?  There are of course, the thrill seekers, who want to see the gruesome death photo's.. to each his own. Not for me. In fact, the longer we debate this issue the longer we keep his horrible legacy in the forefront and too much alive. There is no way anyone can forget. There are a world full of people that feel we need to move on now. There are many more important things that need a great deal of attention from our President and government. I don't care to see this guy's face on my T.V., computer, newspapers or magazines.....I don't want to look at his evil, period. He is dead, let's not give him any martyrdom by continually reporting on the life and times of this very evil person...I am repulsed by the continual barrage of photo's and information about UBL. 
I haven't agreed with many things that our President has done, this is one of those things I agree with. I commend our President and Seal team 6. I like the stance that the Whitehouse is taking not releasing death photo's stating "too many way's they will be misused".  I hope they don't back down on that stance. 
In the mean time, my son and many other son's are in Afghanistan risking their lives daily as a direct result of 9/11.  Let's bring our young men home now, for good......

In my opinion...

We all woke to the news this morning, that the most hated terrorist on the planet had been killed.  Good. There isn't as much happiness for those of us who still have loved ones fighting daily in Afghanistan.  Let's bring the troops home now...all of them.  I re-posted this article from The Seattle Times, the Author gets to the heart of the matter at the end of her short article. I like it for it's uncomplicated view.
U.S. Navy Seals.....Thank You for a job well done.

American pride: They got him; now let's get out of Afghanistan

Posted by Joni Balter

Years from now, friends and family members will look at one another and ask: "Where were you when they captured Osama bin Laden?

We all remember that unspeakable September day nearly 10 years ago when Bin Laden's terrorist network shattered America's sense of security and took 3,000 innocent lives.

What a moment for the nation and President Barack Obama when he announced Sunday night that he issued the order to shoot bin Laden in a compound outside Islamabad, Pakistan.

If America has been down in the dumps lately, and oh my, we have been, this historic moment of justice should lift us a bit. For one thing, we got him. For another, we can change foreign policy in a major way.
As the spontaneous revelers know, this is certainly a moment of pride for the Obama intelligence team, for the men and women who serve our country and their families.
But once we wrap up the celebration, let's get very serious about bringing troops home from Afghanistan.

America has been looking for bin Laden for a long time. The effort was difficult, at times, hopeless, and, finally, unbelievably, successful. Americans will have many days of flag-waving and cheering and learning more about how it all came down.

And then the president should come up with a sturdy plan to end America's involvement in Afghanistan.

Afghan war documentary airing tonight "Restrepo"

Tim Hetherington, Academy Award nominated director and journalist, was recently killed in Libya.  His war documentary "Restrepo" will air this evening on the National Geographic channel east coast time 9 PM. Here is a link to the trailer:

http://youtu.be/PCPnJaxC17o

Michael Yon

I enjoyed this article by Michael Yon called "Gobar Gas," (dung) it is an article about utilizing  resources in otherwise fuel challenged countries. Check out the link!

Early Easter for me...

Good early morning to all...I did get to speak to Manny recently...he sounded great as usual, all things considered. For a Mom, it was better than Easter Flowers!  Be safe Marines and God Bless you all.

Larry the Cable Guy salutes the troops...

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=hp#!/video/video.php?v=1891922931812&oid=130841168165&comments


The female black belt instructor appears to have a dip in.....

http://www.history.com/shows/only-in-america-with-larry-the-cable-guy/videos/below-the-black-belt#below-the-black-belt

Need a knot?

I thought this site was pretty kool...since I am a fisherwoman I especially loved the fishing knots page. But there have been many times I have needed a good rescue knot (4wheeler stuck in a mile of mud) stuff like that.


http://www.animatedknots.com/

Pentagon rushes underwear armour to our Military...

Protecting the family jewels....

http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2011-04-18-pentagon-armor-groin-protection.htm

Good Morning...

A SHOUT-OUT to our men in the 2/8th!  We love you guys! Hope you are all doing well, keeping your spirits up and that mail day was a good one for all! We miss your presence here in the states, but know you are over there for us all....Thank you.

Afghan popppy cultivation

Afghan poppy cultivation to increase in north, UN says


Apr 18, 2011, 10:22 GMT


Kabul - There will be a rise in the cultivation of opium in parts of Afghanistan, including previously poppy-free provinces, the United Nations said Monday.

'A strong increase in cultivation is expected in north and north-eastern regions, namely in Badakshan, Baghlan and Faryab provinces,' the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said. 'Some parts of southern and western regions will also experience a significant increase.'

But Afghanistan will see a slight total decrease in poppy cultivation in 2011, the UN said, releasing their bi-monthly Opium Rapid Assessment Survey.

Despite high prices for opium, overall cultivation is expected to decrease slightly due to a fall in the main producing provinces of Helmand and Kandahar, the UN said.

'This is only an indicator and government policy can stimulate further decline,' said Jean-Luc Lemahieu, head of UNODC in Afghanistan, during the release of the survey.

Helmand has shown a declining trend over the last three years, with a decrease in production land from 103,590 hectares in 2008 to 65,045 hectares in 2010, the statement said.

NATO and Afghan forces have been pushing the Taliban from the areas around Kandahar and Helmand in the south since 2010, making 'some fragile and reversible gains.'

In the south a direct correlation between insecurity, lack of agricultural aid and poppy cultivation could be established, the statement said, adding some 90 per cent of the villages in the south with poor security are involved in poppy cultivation.

The increase in poppy cultivation in the relatively safe northern villages gives 'reason for concern,' UN said.

The survey also found that the 'high sales price of opium' was the driving force behind poppy cultivation in 2011. The dry and fresh opium prices, increased between February 2010 and February 2011, by 306 per cent and 251 per cent, respectively, it said.

Afghanistan is the world's biggest opium-producing country with a global share of 77 per cent. At least 1.7 million farmers are directly engaged in the cultivation of poppies.

According to Afghan, US and United Nations officials, the drugs trade has been the financial lifeline of Taliban insurgents who have been waging an insurgency since 2001.

"The Telegraph" Afghanistan News Today...

Top ten Osama Bin Laden sightings


Since the terrorist mastermind's disappearance following the September 11th attacks, there have been numerous reported sightings of Osama bin Laden, some stranger than others. Here we look at the top ten over the past decade.

By Emanuelle Degli Esposti 7:00AM BST 05 Apr 2011

1. In October 2001, an American woman told the emergency services that she had encountered Osama bin Laden at a convenience store in Pleasant View, Utah.

2. On December 17, 2001, a man in Colorado Springs, Colorado, informed authorities that he had seen the terrorist attending a Rotary Club event.

3. A senior Afghan official told Fox News in March 2002 that he had seen bin Laden travelling through the border territories with Pakistan. He described the former Taliban leader's appearence as unchanged, although he was noticeably thinner.

4. On February 27, 2004, Iranian News Agency IRNA reported that bin Laden had been captured some time earlier in Pakistan. Both the Pentagon and a spokesperson of the Pakistani armed forces denied this claim.

5. September 23, 2005. Bin Laden was believed by Pakistani officials to be on the Afghan-Pakistani border. He is said to have been keeping a low profile, with as little as ten men guarding him.

6. January 9, 2006. Michael Ledeen, an American Neoconservative with close ties to the Bush administration, wrote that, "....according to Iranians I trust, Osama bin Laden finally departed this world in mid-December. The al-Qaeda leader died of kidney failure and was buried in Iran, where he had spent most of his time since the destruction of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan."


7. September 7, 2007. American counter-terrorism expert, Richard A. Clarke, speculated that bin Laden's "phony looking beard" in a recent videotaped message may mean his original beard had been shaved to help him blend into different Muslim communities. Mr Clarke told ABC News, "One place where a beard would stand out would be southeast Asia, the Philippines, Indonesia. No one's thought he was there, but that is an environment where most men, Muslim men don't have beards."

8. In February 2008, an American woman reported to the police that she had seen Osama bin Laden at her local library in Bellingham, Washington.

9. According to an obsucre website for learning Spanish, www.spanishdict.com, Osama bin Laden was spotted enjoying a carnval in Tecalpulco, Mexico, in the company of his good friend Michael Jackson.

10. October 18, 2010. CNN claims that: "Osama bin Laden is alive and well and living comfortably in a house in the north-west of Pakistan protected by local people and elements of the country's intelligence services"

Prayer for our Marines.....

I found this prayer on M.Yon's site today.....



Be Not Afraid




You shall cross the barren desert, but you shall not die of thirst. You shall wander far in safety though you do not know the way. You shall speak your words in foreign lands and all will understand. You shall see the face of God and live.



Be not afraid.

I go before you always;

Come follow me, and I will give you rest.

Article from NewsMax a better understanding..

Some 1.4 million active-duty military personnel and their families got a rude awakening Friday, as the federal government notified them that their next paycheck will be cut in half due to the possible government shutdown
The military department that manages distribution of paychecks, the Defense Financing and Accounting Service (DFAS), posted the following advisory on its website: “Due to the government shutdown, the Department of Defense has no legal authority to pay any personnel -- military or civilian -- for the days during which the government is shut down.”

The current continuing resolution to fund government operations, including the military, expires at midnight Friday, and the current pay period continues through April 15. So without an end to the standoff in Washington, active-duty military personnel will only receive half their normal pay on April 15.

“We can only pay when we have appropriations,” a source with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service tells Newsmax. “Therefore, if appropriations were to terminate at midnight tonight, we can only pay through midnight tonight. We cannot invent money.”

The source said advice-of-payment notices usually only go out three or four days before payday, so the department is trying to understand why they went out this early. “This is one of those unusual situations where unusual things happen,” he said.

The news of the unexpected pay cut came as a big surprise to many military service men and women, who thought they would avoid an interruption in normal pay in the current cycle.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates alluded to the payroll problem on Thursday, when he spoke to 200 soldiers in Baghdad. “As a historian it always occurred to me the smart thing for government was always to pay the guys with guns first,” Gates quipped.

“But in all seriousness,” he added, “based on some stuff I read this morning, if the government shutdown starts on the 8th and goes for a week, you’d get a half a check. If it goes from the 15th to the 30th, you wouldn’t get a pay check on the 30th but you would be back paid for all of it.

“So that’s the deal and … I remember when I was your age I did a lot of living from pay check to pay check and so I hope this thing doesn’t happen,” he said.

Marine Corps Sgt. Gary Stein tells Newsmax that he only learned about the payroll reduction on Friday afternoon when he logged onto the MyPay.Dfas.mil site, which military personnel use to track their paychecks.
Waiting for him on the site was a pay notice informing him that he would receive only one week of pay on April 15.

“There are thousands of military members in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Japan who have enough to worry about on their plate," Stein tells Newsmax. “And now they have to worry about their families back home -- whether it be in Texas or Arizona or whatever state they’re in -- not getting the money they need. But in essence they’re over there fighting for free.”

A Pentagon spokesman told The Associated Press that if the shutdown were resolved by Tuesday, it might still be possible for service personnel to receive their normal amount of pay on April 15. A source told Newsmax the adjustment might involve issuing a second check to each member of the active-duty military. The DFAS source told Newsmax: “It would be our intent to make that as seamless as possible.”

But the worry is the delay required to issue a second paycheck to some 1.4 million people might delay the normal cash flow people are counting on.

“People are pretty concerned,” Sgt. Stein tells Newsmax. “I’m active duty myself. I have a landlord to pay, car payments, insurance. And they haven’t even settled whether we are going to have a shutdown yet. But they’re like, ’Well, were going to keep their pay anyway.”

Stein, the founder of the Armed Forces Tea Party group on Facebook, tells Newsmax he received a blizzard of e-mails and phone calls Friday afternoon from concerned active-duty military personnel, who received similar notices.

He also says the commissary at his base at Camp Pendleton has informed service personnel that it will close Saturday. Expenses for military families will significantly increase if they have to purchase their groceries at stores located off the base.

“My first reaction was, why so soon? Why jumping the gun? Why just assuming that a shutdown was going to happen?” Stein tells Newsmax. He adds: “What message does this send to our military? …It just seems like the upper echelon of the political world doesn’t care.”

On Thursday, by a 247-181 vote, the House passed what Republicans called a “troop funding bill.” It would pay for military operations through September.

"If you vote against this bill,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Ky., “you are voting against the troops, who are engaged in three wars."

But Democrats in the Senate rejected the bill, because it called for $12 billion in discretionary spending cuts as well.

The Armed Force Tea Party group on Facebook is calling for local tea party groups, businesses, and citizens to donate gas cards, canned food, diapers, and household good to help military families in their local areas who are hit hard by the payroll interruption.

Other information on the payroll situation from DSAS:

On-duty military reserve members reportedly would be affected by the half paychecks as well.

Because retirees are not paid from continuing-resolution appropriations, they would not be affected.

Because the normal pay period for civilian employees ends on Saturday April 9, they are expected to receive a full paycheck for this cycle.

Contract and vendor payments will continue, according to DFAS, but only if the terms of their contracts provide for work to continue during a shutdown.





Read more on Newsmax.com: Military Sends Out Half-Pay Notice to War Zone Troops

Important: Do You Support Pres. Obama's Re-Election? Vote Here Now!

Military Pay issues...

I decided to wait to comment on this crisis, I woke today to find out that of course the Government came to an agreement (basically agree to disagree for another week) but was not expecting that they would cut our military pay in half and continue to close National Parks?  Check out Michael Yon's link to the right of this post....
Our Marines are still going to be doing their jobs despite our President and our government letting them all down. Marine spouses are still going to be taking care of business at home. But...this puts more stress on our Marines currently deployed and their families at home. They should not have to be concerned with how their bills are going to get paid or if there is enough food on the table for their children.

Currently Deployed....

It is always a good day when the phone rings from across the world and you hear "Hi Mom"! You know he is fine, however he is currently deployed ... and not dropping in with his load of laundry and his cute white laundry basket that is falling apart at the seams. No, he is eating the spam and peanut butter (not together) you sent him that he received last week and wondering why he even mentioned he liked spam?  Enduring daily, what most of us can't conceive of, he and his brother Marines forge through their days for all of us. I think about you all everyday we are grateful to you.  Thank you to our Marines in the 2/8th Golf, and to all who serve. We miss you Manuel.

JUST AN UPDATE to let my followers know that after a long delay due to computer problems my blog will be updated within the next several weeks.....sorry for the delay