Ms. Kemp

Good day hard-chargers, today we have un-fortunate news.

Dr. Janet Kemp, a longtime Veterans Affairs administrator who established the Veterans Crisis Hotline Line, passed last week.

Kemp had an illustrious 30-year career at the department which featured numerous honors for her mental health work, including a 2009 award, Service to America Medal for her work on the veterans suicide prevention hotline.

Since the initial launch ten years ago, the Veterans Crisis Hotline has answered over 3 million calls and initiated emergency intervention in almost 75,000 cases.

It's become the keystone of the department’s efforts, and employs more than 500 specialists.

Kemp oversaw much of that expansion, growing the program from small offices at the Canandaigua VA Medical Center.

In 2011, during a military suicide conference in Washington, D.C., Kemp admitted she did not initially think the hotline would be such a critical tool.

“I said, “I don’t think veterans will call ... We have (other) crisis lines in the country. Why don’t we use those?’”. “And I have never been so wrong about anything in my entire life.

“Veterans do call. All genders, all ages, people with all sorts of needs. If the services are there and help is there, people are reaching out to get them. Now our main task is being available for the veterans in need.

At this point it’s working in all sorts of ways and shapes that we didn’t imagine.

Kemp worked as VA’s National Mental Health Program Director for Suicide Prevention from 2007 until 2014. From there she was Chief of Education for the VA Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention until retiring in 2016.

She was the lead author on numerous reports on mental health and suicide prevention at the department. Kemp earned nursing degrees from SUNY Plattsburgh and University of Colorado-Denver before starting her work with VA in 1986.

Ms. Kemp, thank you for your unwavering support and dedication to veterans. You've saved more lives than people can actually comprehend and for that you will never be forgotten.


May you rest in paradise ma'am...


Isaac J. Hall II
#SemperKill

Remembrance On Memorial Day

When I think of memorial day, I don’t necessarily think of getting a day off from work, nor do I ever really think about how good the ribs are going to be at the barbeque. I think of military men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country.

I get a mental visualization of a gorgeous setting that takes place at grave sites. Grave sites that are decorated specifically for veterans who signed the dotted line knowing that this could very well be the outcome.

I was a sophomore in high school, when the Twin Towers fell, the principal came over the intercom and said “A tragedy has just happened, you all need to tune in immediately.” While seeing the gruesome footage I just kept thinking to myself how so many lives were changed in an instant because of this heinous act.

What people didn’t realize is that same night bad-ass Air Force Parajumpers were in Afghanistan calling for fire and dropping bombs on enemy targets because the war had just begun.

There have been wars throughout history and there have also been people who are skeptical because of the many men and women who have been taken away from us. Some even see war as a complete waste that will do nothing for either side.

There is an old saying which states “if you want peace you must go to war,” this has been evident since the Egyptians walked the earth therefore I don’t feel the lives lost were in vain.

I see this more-so as a testament to how faithful our men and women are to this country, being that they are willing to risk their lives by going to combat zones.

There is a father of 4 with a beautiful wife who made the sacrifice, there is also a woman who gave up a full ride at a great school because she wanted to follow the footsteps of her older brother.

I honestly get a bit chocked up when I spend time thinking about those who have laid down their lives as they fought for our country. This beautiful country filled with selfless people from all walks of life.

For those who have been taken away from us that did their time in the Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, Army, National Guard, and also Marines. I want to sincerely say thank you…

The standard was set because of you, with that being said your hard work and dedication will not be forgotten. On this very day we celebrate your altruism and unconditional love for America.

Nothing you’ve done has been in vain as each and everyone of you played a pivotal role in the success of your specific missions.

You are greatly appreciated and will remain heroes in the eyes of the American, because you made the ultimate sacrifice by laying down your life for this country.

Isaac J. Hall II

#SemperKill

You Took The Words Right Outta My...

How we doing hard-chargers!

So we got a few words from a former Army Soldier, who was blessed to see both sides of the playing field. I give you a few good words from retired Sergeant Micheal Thorin.                          (I thank you for your sacrifice to this great country my good sir.)

I believe that "balanced" rivalry is good. 

If I had to say one branch actually believed themselves superior, it would be the Marines. Sadly, having come from the Army, I would have to bow down and give credit where credit is due.I've seen more fit Marines than soldiers, which is pretty amazing considering the Army has and enlistment size of 541,291 compared to the Marines who have only 195,338.   Hence the few the proud...

From the outside looking in, it appears the Marines go more "by the book" when it comes to physical fitness standards, also Marines have an individual drive to maintain fitness and uniform standards.

Here is one exception that I may add; infantry units and combat arms units in the Army, have soldiers are mostly fit and ready.                                 

I attribute this to self preservation. When I was a medic assigned to a medical company, we did PT, but it was not the "get your but up and drive on!!!!" kind of PT.

We were never really driven to excel...

Now let me add that Infantry units and combat arms all "live and die by the sword". Meaning that their ability to constantly push themselves in order to ensure that they are not only fit enough to ensure their survival, but also fit enough for their brothers, and now sisters in arms, and their equipment as well.

Meaning if a soldier goes down during an engagement, you may have to pull that soldier out. If your 70 pounds overweight and your last meal was a Coke and a bag of barbecue pork rinds, you are going to have a less than stellar performance.

Now, all of this is dependent on whether or not you have a strong chain of command with a great desire for integrity; i.e. Instead of pencil whipping PT scores and "pencil/pen" weapons qualifications to keep the numbers up, a chain of command that doesn't want to guarantee troop strengths by the power of the pen.

Rather instead keeps troop strengths up by assuring PT, weapons qualifications, height/weight, and uniform are enforced daily so that when all of these are done for record, thereby maintaining troop strength by ensuring compliance daily. This is so soldiers do not have a chance to not simply go with the motion, but to be the force that drives the motion.
Another thing I had noticed was the difference in services. In basic training we were told everyone's primary MOS was 11B. I did not see many of our support companies live by this belief. 

However, you look at the Marines, and they say that every Marine's primary MOS is 0311 Rifleman, and the majority of all MOS's in the Marines life is this belief.
Again, I am not intending to offend anyone, but 11B and combat arms (19D, etc), more closely matches to the Marines.

I know there are officers who not only require that the standards be met, but also led by example, and lived out the standards.

Just my take, and I may be completely off. I pray that my fellow Army Soldiers, Airforce Airmen, Coast Guardsmen and Navy Sailors do not get offended, because when it all comes down to it and rivalry becomes an issue, everyone better remember that the military is like human physiology, where if one system of the body shuts down or doesn't function properly, THE OTHER SYSTEMS WILL SUFFER.

                

It is the same way for the sum total of our military; when one suffers, we all suffer.

Always remember this and realize that rivalry can be fun and bring forth a sense of esprit de corps, however, if taken to an extreme, the body can suffer.

God bless, and may we continue to keep each and every branch of our military strong with a desire to make each branch strong and compliment each-other, as this was the original concept.

Your words are greatly appreciated here sir. I think even with the rivalry among branches, everyone has to remember that we're all brothers and sisters fighting for our gorgeous illustrious country.

Thank you to all who have made the sacrifice to serve America.

Isaac J. Hall II

#SemperKill

In 'Mad-Dog' Mattis We Trust

Good day everyone, got some neat information about one of the most accomplished military figures of our time. Hard-Chargers, I give you the 26th and current United States Secretary of Defense James Norman Mattis.                                                                             

Mattis, is a retired United States Marine Corps general who served as the 11th Commander of United States Central Command and was responsible for American military operations in the Middle East, Northeast Africa, and Central Asia, from 2010 to 2013.                                                 

January 20, 2017, Mattis was confirmed as Secretary of Defense by the United States Senate. He had only been three years out of active duty despite US federal law requiring a seven year-year cool down period for retired personnel in order to be appointed Secretary of Defense.He was the first member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet to be confirmed.Barack Obama appointed Mattis, to replace General David Petraeus in 2010, prior to that Mattis commanded United States Joint Forces Command from 2007-2010. 

He served with as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Transformation and also 1st Marine Expeditionary Force US Marine Forces Central Command and 1st Marine Division during the Iraq War.James Norman Mattis was born September 8, 1950 in Pullman, Washington. He is the son of Mrs. Lucille Mattis and also Mr. John West Mattis who was a merchant mariner. His mother immigrated from Canada to the U.S. as an infant and worked in Army Intelligence in South Africa during World War II.

Mattis earned his Bachelors of Arts in history from Central Washington University in 1971.He also earned his Masters of Arts in international security affairs from the National War College in 1994.James Mattis, initially enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1969. He was a second lieutenant through the Reserve Officers Training Corps in 1972. During his years in service, Mattis was seen and considered to be an intellectual among upper ranks.

He’s even been described as one of the most urbane and polished men in the military. It is said that he carried a personal copy of the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius throughout his deployments.Mattis was a lieutenant/platoon commander in a rifle/weapons company in 3rd Marine Division. As a captain he was assigned to the Naval Academy Preparatory school, which was composed of enlisted midshipman candidates with company officers and enlisted staff. He was also a major at a Recruiting Station Portland Oregon.

He’s known for his intellectualism and interest in the study of military history and also world history. He has a personal library that is said to include over 7,000 volumes and a penchant for required reading list for Marines under his command.

In Marines he instills risk management asking of his Marines to be well cultured pertaining to the regions where they deploy and also has his Marines undergo cultural sensitivity training.As Colonel, Mattis commanded 7th Marine Regiment. He led the 1st expeditionary brigade as its commanding officer upon promotion to brigadier general.

Mattis gets an extreme amount of respect from Marines, not because of the ranking. This is due to what we Marines consider real leadership, Officer Nathaniel Fick, gave an example of this after he spotted Mattis in a fighting hole conversing with a sergeant and a lance corporal. He was in the freezing night-cold in Afghanistan, out on the lines with his Marines when he could have been in a warm hooch.

President Donald Trump, met with Mattis for a little over an hour November 2016. He later stated General ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis was going to be considered for Secretary of Defense as he was very impressed. He considered him a General’s General!       Mattis is a very decorated Marine…

1st Row: Defensive Distinguished Service Medal w/ one Oak Leaf Cluster ** Navy Distinguished Service Medal ** Defense Superior Service Medal

2nd Row: Legion of Merit ** Bronze Star Medal w/ Combat “V” ** Meritorious Service Medal w/ two Gold Stars ** Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal

3rd Row: Combat Action Ribbon ** Navy & Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation ** Joint Meritorious Unit Award ** Joint Meritorious Unit Award ** Navy Unit Commendation

4th Row: Navy & Marine Corps Meritorious Unit Commendation ** Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal ** National Defense Service Medal two Bronze Stars ** Southwest Asia Service Medal two Bronze Stars

5th Row: Afghanistan Campaign Medal w/ one Bronze Star ** Iraq Campaign Medal w/ one Bronze Star ** Global Was on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal w/ one Bronze Star ** Global Was on Terrorism Service Medal

6th Row: Humanitarian Service Medal ** Sea Service Ribbon w/ one Silver Star two Bronze Stars ** Marine Corps Recruiting Service Ribbon w/ one Bronze Star ** Polish Army Medal (Gold)

7th Row: NATO Meritorious Service Medal ** NATO Medal ISAF ** Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) ** Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Rifle Expert Badge (4th Award)  *****  Pistol Expert Badge (2nd Award)

Mattis is also a lifelong bachelor who has never been married nor does he have any children. His nickname is “The Warrior Monk” because of his bachelor life and his lifelong devotion to the studying the art of war.I think I speak for most when I say thank you for your service in the Marine Corps. As well as your continued devoted service to our country.

Isaac J. Hall II

#SemperKill

WE DROP BOWS ON EM!!! ----->(MOAB)

How we doing hard-chargers!?! :)

So I'm sure you've heard about the 21,600lb bomb we dropped on an ISIS target right??? No??? Ok well lemme give you a better explanation thereof...

Thursday, U.S. forces dropped the largest conventional bomb in its depository on an ISIS tunnel complex in Nangahar province, which is eastern Afghanistan. 

The proper nomenclature is  the GUB-43 Massive Ordinance Air Blast. aka ----> "Mother Of All Bombs" or "MOAB" which is 21,600lbs and it was developed in 2003 during our Iraq campaign.The explosion of this beast is equivalent to 11 tons of trinitrotoluene (TNT) and is capable of a one mile blast radius in every direction. 

It is said to be the largest guided bomb in the history of the world with extraordinary impact and detonation. This would be the first time of its usage in combat and serves as a reminder that this war has lasted 15 plus years since we as the US first invaded Afghanistan.The strike was designed to minimize the risk of Afghan and U.S. Forces conducting clearing operations in the area while maximizing the destruction of ISIS-K fighters and facilities. MOAB is intended for soft to medium surface targets covering extended areas, so this would be targets contained in an environment. (i.e.) Caves, Canyons, clearing extensive mine fields' and for psychological effects.

As of now ISIS fighters are using bunkers and tunnels to thicken their defenses. So this would be the correct munition to reduce these obstacles and maintain the momentum of our defensive against these savages.

According to US officials the number of ISIS fighters in eastern Afghanistan is estimated to be around 600-800 which is a major decrease in numbers from an estimated 3000 in late 2015.The U.S. military has been conducting operations against ISIS in Afghanistan for the past year. Specifically in southern Nangahar, since March, and have reduced the threat to a smaller area by two thirds. This was the first time that the U.S. encountered an extensive obstacle to its progress.

To everyone freaking out over this happening, the U.S. military's planning to use the MOAB goes back to the Obama administration. Therefore the Department of Defense officials were aware of the intent and plans to deploy this beast of a weapon.

                                                        

People seem to be a bit nervous with North Korea, preparing to conduct a nuclear test of their own. So many have questioned our commander in chief if this would send a message to the eastern aggressor.It is rumored that North Korea, led by dictator Kim Jong-Un, vowed to 'pulverize' US bases and South Korean capital Seoul if it was threatened by the US military, which is carrying out drills on the Korean peninsula. 

(Don't threatened my country...)
Trump stated “I don’t know if this sends a message. It doesn’t make any difference if it does or not. North Korea is a problem. The problem will be taken care of.”                         

The U.S. using this bomb again in the future depends on the tactical situation, the weapon was employed for a specific tactical solution to a military problem and that alone determines when and how one would operate on the battlefield.

As always hard-chargers, keep up with current events.

Isaac J. Hall II

#SemperKill

U.S. BLAST Syria via Trump

So we blasted the ass of a Syrian air base, with a barrage of cruise missiles, Thursday night. Which was seen as retaliation for the gruesome chemical weapons attack against civilians.

President Donald Trump, deemed the U.S. assault as vital to deter the future of poison gas and from there called on other nations to join. 

Hoping to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria.This was the first direct assault on Syrian government and Trump's most dramatic military order since becoming president.

Trump announced the assault stating Syrian President Bashar Assad, was responsible for the chemical attack, which employed banned gases and killed dozens.

The U.S. strikes which were 59 missiles launched from the USS Ross and the USS Porter. Striking the government controlled Shayrat air base in central Syria.

This was where U.S. officials say the Syrian military planes that dropped the chemicals had taken off. U.S. missiles hit approximately at 20:45 p.m. in Washington, which was 03:45 Friday morning in Syria.

The missiles targeted the base's airstrips, hangars, control tower, and ammunition areas. The strikes killed some Syrians and wounded others, however, a precise number wasn't given as said by Tala Barazi, whom is the governor of Syrias Homs province.

President Trump, ordered the strikes without the approval from congress or backing of the United Nations. As president he has the right to use force in order to defend the national interests and protect civilians from gruesome atrocities.

The president appeared to be very moved by the photos of children killed in the chemical attack, calling it a "disgrace to humanity."

U.S. officials blamed Russia, who is one of Syria's most important benefactors. Moscow failed to live up to a 2013 agreement that was intended to strip Syria of its chemical weapons stockpiles.

U.S. Tomahawk missiles, fired from warships in the Mediterranean Sea, which targeted an air base in retaliation for the attack that America believes Syrian government aircraft launched with the nerve agent sarin mixed with chlorine gas.

Trump has advocated greater counterterrorism cooperation with Russia, Assad's most powerful military backer.

As of now we all know that the U.S. is no longer interested in trying to push Assad, from power over his direction of a conflict that has killed hundred and thousands of people and led to the worst refugee crisis since World War II.

 The assault itself puts America at risk of plunging into the middle of Syria's conflict, complicating the safety of hundreds of U.S. forces fighting a separate campaign against the Islamic State.

If Assad's military persists in further gas attacks then the Trump administration may logically pursue increased retaliation...

Prior to the strikes, U.S. military officials informed their Russian counterparts of the impending attack. The goal was to avoid accidents involving Russian forces.

Russian U.N. ambassador warned that any negative consequences from the strikes would be on the shoulders of those who initiated such a doubtful and tragic enterprise.

The U.S. notified its partner countries in the region prior to the launching of the strikes. Trumps decision to attack Syria, came three years after then President Barack Obama, threatened Assad with military action after an earlier chemical weapons attack killed hundreds outside of Damascus.

Obama, had declared the use of weapons as a "red line."

At that time several American ships in the Mediterranean were poised to launch missiles only for Obama to back out after many in congress balked at his plan. He instead opted for the Russian backed plan which was to eliminate Syrias chemical weapons stockpiles.

The world learned of the chemical attack earlier in the week in footage that showed people dying in the streets and bodies of children stacked in piles.

The outcry internationally fueled an emotional response from president Trump. The show of force in Syria raises legal questions. It's unclear what authority Trump is relying on to attack another government.

 It's also unclear whether Trump is adopting any broader effort to combat Assad. Under Obama administration, the United States  pulled back from its support for rebels when Russia's intervention in September of 2015 led to a series of battlefield defeats.

Trump and his aides had acknowledged in recent days the reality of Assad being in power, saying his ouster was no longer a priority. But the chemical weapons attack seemed to spur a rethink.

May we be alert for what is to come...

Isaac J. Hall II

#SemperKill