Bunker Mulligan "Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry." ~Mark Twain

Drill Sergeant Rob has his new platoon beginning to shape up. For any of you who have not been through basic training in the military, it is time for you to learn something.

The Drill Sergeant explains how the training he’s giving these young studs will serve them well in the future when they may very well come under fire. But the lessons go far beyond that.

About day 3 everyone starts wondering “What the hell am I doing here?!” What they’re doing is learning life lessons. Those lessons can be beneficial on the battlefield, in business, or even in discussions about the current war against terrorists.

That’s where the Drill Sergeant takes the message.

Read it. Now.

We Were Soldiers Once…and Young is a poignant title, one that always makes me feel sad and proud at the same time. Written by Joe Galloway and Hal Moore, it is the story Mel Gibson fashioned into the film We Were Soldiers.

Joe and Wallace have penned sterling tributes to the lady of the Moore household, Julie Moore, who passed away this week.

Some military wives are cut from a different cloth than others, a fine balance of denim and canvas that looks and feels like silk.

Several years ago, Birdie had the opportunity to join this elite group. He declined because he simply wanted to jump out of perfectly good airplanes. As a proud father, I was hoping he would take advantage of the selection. Here are a few pieces of trivia regarding this fine group of soldiers.

Guards take 21 steps during their walk across the tomb of the Unknowns. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.

They hesitate after an about face to begin the return walk for 21 seconds for the same reason.

His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.

He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face, and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.

Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year. Even with a hurricane bearing down on them, they refused to abandon their post.

For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5′ 10″ and 6′ 2″ tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30″.

They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform (fighting) or the tomb in any way.

After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.

The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.

There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.

The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV. All off-duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe Louis (the boxer) and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy (the most decorated soldier of WWII) of Hollywood fame.

Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.

Want to know what it’s like to manage a house, work a job, and care for kids while the husband is away fighting a war? Shannon explains.

There are lots of women (and men) coping like this, beyond the fact their spouse is in a combat zone where people want to kill them. I read lots of prayer promises for those in Afghanistan and Iraq, so take the time to say one for people like Shannon, Sarah, and Tim.

Or maybe just mow their yard.

If you access the internet through a government computer system, you have access to The Early Bird, a compendium of news articles from around the world dealing with military issues. Some may be able to access it through other connects. I just know I can’t do it from home.

I’ve mentioned before how difficult it can be for our soldiers to distinguish friend and foe. They often look alike, and the only indicator is a weapon pointed in their direction. At that point it could be too late. This has almost always been the issue in the modern era, and is a big reason for friendly fire incidents. It becomes an even greater issue in urban settings, like Fallujah.

Today there is an article by James Hider, a journalist from the London Times. He follows the fight of a group of Marines who get into an ambush, and visions of Mogadishu come to mind.

And bravery is not something they want to be recognized for, contrary to what Andy Rooney wrote earlier this week.

Sergeant Sagredo does not want a medal for saving his men. ?A decoration would only remind me of what happened. This is something I want to forget. Unfortunately, if it doesn?t affect me now, I know it will haunt me later.?

Unfortunately, the London Times requires a subscription to read today’s edition. I’ll update with a direct link to the story if they open it this weekend.

Bogie received an email from a college buddy in the 1AD:

Short of the long: Tomorrow is my 365th day here. I (and the rest of the Division) am supposed to be down in Kuwait getting ready to fly home right now.

I’m still in Baghdad wearing all my gear.

It’s tough, but what can you do besides kill the enemy?

Professionals in our ranks. The old captain salutes you and your men.

In a syndicated article this week, Andy Rooney explains Our soldiers in Iraq aren’t heroes. I really expect more from a man who spent some time as a combat reporter. Of course, that was in a real war. None of this panty-waist crap for him, boy.

It would be interesting to have a reporter ask a group of our soldiers in Iraq to answer five questions and see the results:

1. Do you think your country did the right thing sending you into Iraq?

2. Are you doing what America set out to do to make Iraq a democracy, or have we failed so badly that we should pack up and get out before more of you are killed?

3. Do the orders you get handed down from one headquarters to another, all far removed from the fighting, seem sensible, or do you think our highest command is out of touch with the reality of your situation?

4. If you could have a medal or a trip home, which would you take?

5. Are you encouraged by all the talk back home about how brave you are and how everyone supports you?

Well, gee whiz, Andy. I think I can answer most of those for you. I have to go by what I hear from my two sons who are fighting this war, and what I believe they would respond.

1. Yes.

2. If we leave now, there would be a civil war in Iraq. (Direct quote from Birdie, who is operating in Baghdad, and spent nine months in Afghanistan.)

3. My orders are general, and our company commander and platoon leaders take input from the NCOs to determine how best to accomplish them.

4. Trip home. I may be crazy, but I ain’t dumb. Which would you choose?

5. Nobody at home tells me how brave I am. They tell me to use my good instincts and lead my soldiers well. That’s real support.

God, I’m proud of my sons. I wish people like Andy Rooney were just as proud of them.