Service members who joined up when the first full-length episode of “The Simpsons” hit the air have been eligible to retire for about five years. And while the long-running animated series rarely dabbles in military-themed humor, it’s tough for any scripted television to go a quarter-century without somebody stealing a tank, somebody else entering into a blood pact over World War II plunder, and somebody else becoming a red-team leader in an Army war game through a series of inexplicable circumstances. It’s simple math. FXX recently secured the rights to the show’s massive back catalog, and it’s celebrating by airing…
You’ve probably heard about the distinguished member of the Kennedy family who challenged a prominent politician, one who’s been frequently targeted by the military social media community, to dump ice water over his head as a way to support a worthy cause. If not, click here to read up, because this is something completely different: [HTML1] That’s UFC fighter, Texas Army National Guardsman and noted Internet thespian Tim Kennedy, taking what appears to be a cold shower and issuing a challenge to Jesse Ventura to “donate some money to the Heroes Project.” Ventura, whose logic-defying career arc already includes Navy…
First the video, then some backstory. Key quote: “It’s not as black-and-white as they said it was going to be.” [HTML1] “Camp X-Ray” will hit theaters Oct. 17, and despite multiple stories in the entertainment media praising star Kristen Stewart for this departure from the vampire-vs.-werewolf genre, the buzz hasn’t been particularly kind. The film is batting just above .500 with critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with one asking whether stellar efforts from Stewart and co-star Peyman Maadi “outweigh a scenario that feels written by a politically outraged 12-year-old.” The above trailer, however, has drawn some interest — more than 3.5 million…
To say that the Miami Dolphins’ new team credo borrows slightly from a familiar Army ethos would be like saying the team had a bit of a locker room communication issue last year. But as part of the organization’s recovery from bullying accusations, suspensions and an 8-8 season, players have penned what The Associated Press called “a credo of togetherness,” which was emblazoned on some of the T-shirts being worn by Dolphins after a recent practice. As other websites have already pointed out, the credo clearly patterns itself after the Soldier’s Creed, including some passages lifted either directly (“I will never…
Former Capt. Lee Kind has worn many hats — he’s a former Army officer, master jumpmaster, real estate agent, PT guru and author with an MBA from George Mason University — and he wants to use them all to help service members. His passion for it has yielded five books, which address physical fitness, finance, public speaking, leadership and a how-to guide to becoming a jumpmaster, respectively. He spent six years in the 82nd Airborne Division. “It doesn’t matter what branch they’re in,” Kind said, taking a break from a recent book signing at the Pentagon. “Unfortunately most folks don’t know the…
The wait for the next World Cup may be another four years, but international soccer continues, including two upcoming games here in the United States. And for current and retired members of the military, attending these matches can be affordable. Manchester United, the British Premiere League team, will play AS Roma in Denver on Saturday and Inter Milan in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday as a part of the pre-season International Champions Cup tournament. The club announced Wednesday that they are teaming up with govx.com to provide free and discounted tickets to members of the armed services for both games. Govx.com…
Two days after being awarded the Medal of Honor at the White House, Staff Sgt. Ryan Pitts had the honor of ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday. Pitts made the most of it. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5-Nsn93TcU[/youtube]
Earlier this year, while visiting family in Florida and pretty much killing time, Pfc. Paul Ieti won $150 at a Florida fair’s karaoke contest by belting out “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts. His latest rendition of that hit came with a bit more pressure. And earned him a chance at bit more cash. The 21-year-old petroleum supply specialist from American Samoa was the last of six male singers featured during Wednesday night’s two-hour episode of “America’s Got Talent,” part of the NBC show’s “Judgment Week” festivities that determined which 48 acts will move on to perform live at…
A recent USA Today appreciation for James Garner, the iconic actor who died Saturday at age 86, called him “the epitome of the reluctant hero.” The examples cited involve Garner’s on-screen choices and characters as well as his off-screen battles with studios. But before all that — before a career that spanned from Maverick to The Rockford Files to … well, to Maverick, and plenty of stops in between — Garner was in Korea, quite literally trying to avoid getting his ass shot to pieces. Then-Pvt. James Bumgarner received his second wound during his time in Korea (multiple obituaries say he…
The superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy wanted the school’s new head football coach to get a first-person understanding of the jobs his players — current Black Knights and future recruits — will be doing after they hang up the pads. So Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen, himself a starting offensive lineman while at West Point in the 1970s, brought Jeff Monken along on a fact-finding trip to Afghanistan last month, with the three-star speaking with recent academy grads as well as more senior leaders to find out how to improve the school in ways that will help future students succeed…