“Initially, it was like, ‘OK, he’s dead,’ ” McAlister recalled thinking. “Focus on the firefight, getting everybody out of here. When he came back to life, it’s like, ‘Oh, here we go. This just got interesting.’ ”  —Sgt. Alan McAlister, USMC

Sgt. McAlister wasn’t talking about something from a Larry Correia book.  He was talking about HM2 Jake Emmott, who took a rifle bullet to the side of his nose, which travelled through his sinuses, and ejected near his ear.  Did I mention that he was taking care of a wounded Marine when he got hit?  After regaining consciousness, he stood up, refused aid, and continued to provide critical first aid to the Marines he was charged to take care of.  When it finally came time for him to get on a helicopter, he did it under his own power.


I like to think I’ve got a good work ethic and can take a lot of pain.  But to be perfectly honest, I don’t think I’m tough enough to take a rifle bullet to the face, refuse pain meds, continue my job, and walk out of the freaking area.  


And to top it all off, HM2 Emmott is trying to finish his rehab and get back into shape so he can pass the Marine physical fitness test and go back to being a combat medic with his Marines.  He’s lost half his hearing, the left side of his face is mostly paralyzed but getting better, a good chunk of his skull has been replaced with a plate, and all he wants to do is return to Afghanistan and continue his mission.


As a proud Army veteran, I have to say that this is a story about a Navy medic that should be told to every boy and girl in American schools so they know just how dedicated the men and women who protect them are.


H/T to This Ain’t Hell and Navy Times for the story. 

When given the opportunity to bone the wife of one of your subordinates, turn 90 degrees, set off at a quick step, and drop into a double time to the nearest exit.


A lieutenant colonel stationed with the Army recruiting group in North Carolina is alleged to have decided to give his personal phone number to a woman who was working for him and incidentally is married to one of the Non-Commissioned officers who work in his recruiting offices.  One thing led to another, and soon the good LTC and the army wife were carrying on like a couple of college kids in heat, according to evidence provided by the woman’s husband.  


At the same time, the cuckolded NCO, who was showing signs of stress related psychological problems, got busted for DUI, and not for the first time.  There are few things that will end your military career as quickly as a DUI, and having more than one is a big “Game Over”.  You can get through beating your wife, destroying government equipment, or being a scumbag on duty.  But Lord help you if you climb into the driver’s seat after getting lit.  No excuses for the good sergeant. He’s a big boy and he’s taking his lumps.  The BC took a special interest in SGT Streeter, and began trying to kick him out of the Army while he was sleeping with the man’s wife.


When he found the text messages and pictures his wife had on her phone from his battalion commander, SGT Streeter did the smart thing by going to a forensics company to get all of the data he could off of the phone.  He didn’t harm his wife, his commander, or himself, although I can tell you from personal experience that the temptation was there.  He sent a copy of his evidence to the Inspector General and another copy to the press.  Some will fault him for going to the press, but after seeing a lot of the “rules are for little people” mentality in all parts of the government, including the military, I can’t blame him for putting a bright light on the situation from outside the chain of command.


So now we have an NCO who is still probably going to be booted from the Army, a wife and a husband who have a badly bruised marriage but are trying to patching things up, and a Lieutenant Colonel who is under investigation by the Army and may have thrown away almost $2 million in retirement benefits along with his career over a fling.  


All of the accusations against LTC McNair are of course just that, accusations.  The investigation continues, but it doesn’t look good for this officer.  If he’s found guilty, I hope they throw the book at him.  I will end this screed with something that should have rung through his mind when confronted with the temptation to bone the wife of one of his soldiers: (Emphasis is mine)

Officer’s Creed

I will give to the selfless performance of my duty and my mission the best that effort, thought, and dedication can provide.
To this end, I will not only seek continually to improve my knowledge and practice of my profession, but also I will exercise the authority intrusted to me by the President and the Congress with fairness, justice, patience, and restraint, respecting the dignity and human rights of others and devoting myself to the welfare of those placed under my command.
In justifying and fulfilling the trust placed in me, I will conduct my private life as well as my public service so as to be free both from impropriety and the appearance of impropriety, acting with candor and integrity to earn the unquestioning trust of my fellow soldiers–juniors, seniors, and associates–and employing my rank and position not to serve myself but to serve my country and my unit.
By practicing physical and moral courage I will endeavor to inspire these qualities in others by my example.
In all my actions I will put loyalty to the highest moral principles and the United States of America above loyalty to organizations, persons, and my personal interest.