Post 142

By federal law, women are prohibited from being in positions in the military that involve direct combat with the enemy.  There are two branches of the Army that women can't serve in... Infantry and Field Artillery. Of course with today's warfare that's pretty much just a joke.  There are no front lines.  Combat Support and Combat Service Support branches now regularly engage with the enemy...

Which brings us to the story of SGT Leann Hester.  SGT Hester was selling shoes in 2001 when she decided to enlist in the Kentucky National Guard.  She attended Basic Training shortly after 9/11 when her drill instructors told her over and over that soon she would be fighting in a war.  And in 2004 she we called up and sent to Iraq as part of a Military Police unit.  Her job there was to secure convoy routes from insurgents and IEDs.  And if you think that wouldn't involve combat, you're nuts.

On March 30th, 2005, SGT Hester was in a convoy when it was ambushed by insurgents.  SGT Hester and her squad leader, SSG Timothy Nein, took up positions between the insurgents and the convoy they were protecting.  For 45 minutes they fought off the insurgents.  SSG Nein and SGT Hester dismounted their armored Humvees and lead the counterattack.  By the time it was over 27 insurgents were killed and 7 captured.  Only 2 US soldiers were injured.

For their actions that day, SSG Nein was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the 2nd highest award to the Medal of Honor.  SGT Hester was awarded the Silver Star.  She was the first woman since WWII to receive the award and the first ever to receive it for actions against an enemy force.  In WWII, Army nurses had received the award for evacuating wounded under heavy fire. 


If someone... man or woman... straight or gay... if anyone can do the job... it's our obligation to let them.

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So Libya is about to be the next domino to fall in the Arab world...

Here's a quick background... Libya was ruled by a king until 1969 when a group of junior officers staged a bloodless coup d'tat while the king was out of the country... the leader of the officers promoted himself to Colonel and has ruled the country ever since.

I've never really understood by Gaddafy (or however you spell it, since there's no standardized way to Anglicize the Arabic name, one news company counted 26 different ways people have spelled it) chose to make himself a colonel instead of a general but whatever.

Anyway, unlike Egypt, these protests have been violent and Gaddafy has been rather brutal in his attempts to put it down... Estimates are that over 1000 people have died so far... But the noose is closing in on him. Government officials are resigning and military and security forces are defecting to the other side. 

It's only a matter of time.

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In Indycar news... the IRL is trying to lure some NAPCAR drivers to run the season finale race in Las Vegas... NAPCAR has a Saturday race so their Sunday is open... the carrot they're using?  $5million.  If a non-series regular wins the Las Vegas race they'll come away with a $5million bonus.

In other news, with the shitty economy it's getting harder and harder to get a ride.  One of my new favorite drivers, Pippa Mann, has been searching for a ride for a while now... And now it looks like Tony Kanaan, a long time popular driver, has lost his sponsorship and therefor his ride.  Sucks.

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Dear Gas Stations...

I know that there's unrest in Libya... but really you know, I know, EVERYONE knows, you're just using that as an excuse to gouge us at the gas pumps.

There is NO legitimate reason to raise gas prices 30cents in one afternoon.

Fuckers.