Remember the Military During the Holidays (#6 for you, Em)

Rules for the Non-Military

Dear Civilians, 'We know that the current state of affairs in our great nation has many civilians up in arms and excited to join the military.

For those of you who can't join, you can still lend a hand. Here are a few of the areas where we would like your assistance:

1. The next time you see any adults talking (or wearing a hat) during the playing of the National Anthem- kick their *kitten*.

2. When you witness, firsthand, someone burning the American Flag in protest - kick their *kitten*.

3. Regardless of the rank they held while they served, pay the highest amount of respect to all veterans. If you see anyone doing otherwise, quietly pull them aside and explain how these veterans fought for the very freedom they bask in every second. Enlighten them on the many sacrifices these veterans made to make this Nation great. Then hold them down while a disabled veteran kicks their *kitten*.

4. If you were never in the military, DO NOT pretend that you were. Wearing battle dress uniforms (BDUs) or Jungle Fatigues, telling others that you used to be 'Special Forces'. Collecting GI Joe memorabilia, might have been okay when you were seven years old, now, it will only make you look stupid and get your *kitten* kicked.

5. Next time you come across an *Air Force* member, do not ask them, 'Do you fly a jet?' Not everyone in the Air Force is a pilot. Such ignorance deserves an *kitten*-kicking (children are exempt).

6. If you witness someone calling the Coast Guard 'non-military', inform them of their mistake - and kick their *kitten*.

7. Next time Old Glory (the US flag) prances by during a parade, get on your damn feet and pay homage to her by placing your hand over your heart. This includes arrogant politicians who think someone may be offended. Quietly thank the military member or veteran lucky enough to be carrying her - of course, failure to do either of those could earn you a severe *kitten*-kicking.

9. 'Your mama wears combat boots' never made sense to me - stop saying it! If she did, she would most likely be a vet and therefore would kick your *kitten*!

10. 'Flyboy' (*Air Force*), 'Jarhead' (*Marines*), 'Grunt' (*Army*), 'Squid' (*Navy*), 'Puddle Jumpers'(*Coast Guard*) Bubblehead (Subsailor)etc., are terms of endearment we use describing each other.
Unless you are a service member or vet, you have not earned the right to use them. Using them
could get your *kitten* kicked.

11. Last, but not least, whether or not you become a member of the military, support our troops and their families. Every Thanksgiving and holiday that you enjoy with family and friends, please remember that there are literally thousands of soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen far from home wishing they could be with their families. Thank our military and the sacrifices they make every day. Without them, our country would get its *kitten* kicked.

12. It's the Veteran, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press.
It's the Veteran, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech.
It's the Veteran, not the community organizer, who gives us the freedom to demonstrate.
It's the Military who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.

If you don't stand behind our troops, PLEASE feel free to stand in front of them!

I suppose I am going to be the odd man out here.
I am a Veteran although it is now over 16 years since I last wore the uniform.
I fought for a number of things and one of the biggest ones was freedom.

Guess what?
Freedom works for everyone.
If somebody decides not to stand up when the flag is being passed, that is their right. That is their freedom. I bled to allow them to remain seated if they wish.

If someone wants to burn the stars and stripes, that is protected under the Constitution and I fought very hard to protect those rights.
I might not agree with the action but, I will be dammed if I will stop someone from excersizing the freedoms that I have fought for and that others have died for.

I will step off my soapbox now.

lol @ coasties.

Or Chuck Norris. :happy:

WHOO! Isn't Chuck Norris military?

I suppose I am going to be the odd man out here.
I am a Veteran although it is now over 16 years since I last wore the uniform.
I fought for a number of things and one of the biggest ones was freedom.

Guess what?
Freedom works for everyone.
If somebody decides not to stand up when the flag is being passed, that is their right. That is their freedom. I bled to allow them to remain seated if they wish.

If someone wants to burn the stars and stripes, that is protected under the Constitution and I fought very hard to protect those rights.
I might not agree with the action but, I will be dammed if I will stop someone from excersizing the freedoms that I have fought for and that others have died for.

I will step off my soapbox now.

True dat.

agree whole heartedly - I am not military but I see these men and women everyday at the VA - I got this from one of my vets

A Pin Drop


JFK'S Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was in France in the early 60's when
DeGaulle decided to pull out of NATO. DeGaulle said he wanted all US
Military out of France as soon as possible.

Rusk responded,
"Does that include those who are buried here?"

DeGaulle
Did not respond.

You
Could have heard a pin drop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When in England ,
At a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the
Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of
'empire building' by George Bush.

He answered by saying,
"Over the years, the United States has sent many of
Its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom
Beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for
In return is enough to bury those that did not
Return."

You
Could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was a conference in France
Where a number of international engineers
Were taking part, including French and American. During a break,
One of the French engineers came back into the room saying, "Have you
Heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft
Carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he
Intend to do, bomb them?"

A Boeing engineer
Stood up and replied quietly: "Our carriers have three
Hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are
Nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to
Shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to
Feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand
Gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a
Dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and
From their flight deck. We have eleven such ships;
How many does France have?"

You
Could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A U.S. Navy Admiral
Was attending a naval conference that included
Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French
Navies At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large
Group of officers that included personnel from most of those countries.
Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a
French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many
Languages, Americans learn only English. He then asked, "Why is it that
We always have to speak English in these conferences rather than
Speaking French?"

Without hesitating,
The American Admiral replied, "Maybe it's because the
Brit's, Canadians, Aussie's and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't
Have to speak German."

You
Could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AND
THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE...

Robert Whiting,
An elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane.
At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport
In his carry on.

“Have been to France before, monsieur?" the customs officer asked
Sarcastically.

Mr. Whiting
Admitted that he had been to France
Previously.

"Then You should know enough to have your passport ready."

The American said,
"The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it."

"Impossible..
Americans always have to show their passports on arrival in France !"

The American senior
Gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he
Quietly explained, ''Well, when I came ashore at OmahaBeach on D-Day in
1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen
To show a passport to."

You
Could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My husband and I are BOTH Army Vets I served 8 yrs and had 1 tour to Iraq(05-06). He had 2 tours( initial invasion & 05-06) to Iraq & 1 to Afghanistan(09). He served @10 yrs before being medically retired due to injuries from an IED in Afghanistan.

Or Chuck Norris. :happy:

WHOO! Isn't Chuck Norris military?

*ran to go check* Huh! You are right... Did not know that... He was in the Air Force. He was in the Security Forces in S. Korea.... No wonder he knows how to kick *kitten* so well.

Oh yeah. Military = KICKING *kitten* and spitting out Chuck Norris.

If anyone wants another way to support the military over the holidays - look into sending a care package, send some Christmas cards. A little really goes a long way. Imagine - you are 18, away from home for the first time, hearing gun shots and bombs, sleeping in a tent. Where were you last Christmas? You were home with family. You had a warm, home cooked meal and you opened presents. What do you do this year? Stand your post and hope that your next meal isn't an MRE, but maybe, just maybe something warm and fresh. Even just a card showing that you are thinking of them is a great thing. If you can send some socks, t-shirts, batteries and magazines, that goes so far....