775,015 Reservists Activated since 9/11/2001

I always wondered how many reservists have been activated to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11. I remember attending an Association of the US Army Luncheon where two top Generals of the US Army Reserves were talking about there plans for how the USA was going to fight the war against the terrorists. They envisioned that the fighting force would NOT be the active Army or service personnel but rather Reservists from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marine Corps Reserves.  These statistics are of men and women reservists serving in Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.  

As I have researched reports for my Posts on “Fallen But Not Forgotten”  I came across the following statistics I find amazing to say the least. IT”S NOT JUST NUMBERS! Take a look at the types of numbers and you will see what I see and am surprised at.  

As of June 29, 2010  

Total Reservists Activated since 9/11                           775,015  

Deactivated Reservists since 9/11                                    653,870  

Currently Activated                                                                    121,145  

Current Activations that are VOLUNTARY               29,791**  

Current Activations that are NOT VOLUNTARY   91,354*  

Notes:

   

* Includes members placed on Active Duty under 10 USC Sections 688, 12301(a), 12302 and 12304 

  

** Includes members placed on Active Duty under 10 USC 12301(d) and members categorized as unknown in CTS statute code  

Where were you April 14, 1973?

When you were turning 13 how much did you know about the kids you were best friends with at school?

I remember 1973 for lots or reasons. It was the year that my father took me around the world and let me see places most kids would never ever get to visit, Saigon, Phnom Pehn, Vientiane (Laos), Bangkok, Chang Mai (Thailand), The Taj Mahal (India), a cow standing on a taxi in Old Delhi, India, a visit to the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem (never went to another after that, and I was 13), the Wailing Wall, Tehran (Iran), Rome, London, Tokyo, Honolulu. WHAT A SUMMER!

Before the summer I learned how to smoke for the first time. Two kids who went to Francis W Parker in Chicago were smoking cigarettes outside one of the emergency exit doors to the school. The younger of the two brothers was in my class (at least through April 14, 1973). He introduced me to his brother who taught me that smoking was the thing to do. Kids do stupid things when in the wrong groups. The two brothers were “Vito” and “Disto” DeStefano.

On the 14th of April 1973 they left school early and never returned. I heard later than their dad was apparently the victim of a mob assassination in his driveway. I guess the sons were taken out of school for safety or some reason relative to their dad’s murder. What I did not know until just last week when I decided to do a little memory research on Wikipedia, is that their father was the infamous Mobster, Sam “Mad Sam” DeStefano (September 13, 1909 — April 14, 1973), an American gangster who became one of the Chicago Outfit‘s most notorious loan sharks and sociopathic killers. In all, the DeStefanos had six children, four sons and two daughters. Am I glad all they did was teach me how to smoke. Thank God they did not invite me over to play after school.

 I have never seen or spoken to the brothers since the day they left school. I can’t remember if we had a cigarette that day or not. I can only hope they have had a wonderful life following that tragic day.

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Conspiracy: Stink Bugs Disappear!?!

If you are from the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, you may have noticed by now that Stink Bugs have disappeared. Ants appear to be taking their place. My kids, my wife, my neighbors, the shop keepers and the rest of the Community have started looking around wondering where they went.

At a recent pool party we spent at least 30 minutes talking about where they came from. China? Peru? A Chemical Meth Lab?

They were so strange looking, almost as if they were engineered. They reminded me of a warriors shield. Hmmm.

If they were in fact engineered perhaps they were scheduled to die out and disappear. I guess they served whatever purpose they appeared to accomplish.

Problem now is the ants. Maybe stink bugs were eating the ants which is why we did not see them in the kitchen while the stink bugs were here. The stink bugs were everywhere, Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall. They occassionally few into us, landed on our heads and a few ended up on forks at the wrong time. But what they never did was BITE. A nuiscance they were. The plague NOT. I did happen to change the words to the Passover Seder held in the community and made Stink Bugs one of Pharoah’s plagues. I guess we will have to change the wording back to the original wording.

Maybe I just need to change it to ANTS.

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Fallen But Not Forgotten – July 8, 2010 (4)

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. Andrew J. Creighton, 23, of Laurel, Del., died July 4 in Oruzgan province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained on July 1 while conducting combat operations in Oruzgan province.  He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

* * * * *

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Pfc. Jacob A. Dennis, 22, of Powder Springs, Ga., died July 3 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries sustained June 30 in a weapons system accident at Forward Operating Base Lane, Afghanistan (Zabul province). He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

* * * * *

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.  

They died July 5 in Yakuta, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked their unit using an improvised explosive device.  The soldiers were assigned to the 4th Squadron, 73rd Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. 

Killed were: 

Spc. Keenan A. Cooper, 19, of Wahpeton, N.D. 

Spc. Jerod H. Osborne, 20, of Royse City, Texas.