[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFMmJMNRv-Q[/youtube] If you happen to be in D.C., “Bridge on the River Kwai,” ranked among the greatest war movies of all time, is a must-see experience. It’s playing at the Burke Theater at the U.S. Navy Memorial Nov. 9 and is free for service members who RSVP.
Former Green Beret Tommy Sowers lost to incumbent U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson Tuesday in the race for Missouri’s 8th Congressional District. Emerson earned 65.6% of the vote with Sowers in second with 28.8%. Sowers, who ran as a Democrat, acknowledged last week he was a long shot to unseat the 8-term Congresswoman, but he remained optimistic pointing to the gains his campaign had made with independent voters. In the end, the Republican wave that has engulfed this mid-term election combined with Emerson’s experience proved too much. The former special forces soldier and West Point instructor did catch the attention…
Because nothing ruins a day quite like a piece of shrapnel firing into your groin, a British company has created Kevlar boxers to protect troops from improvised explosive devices in Iraq and Afghanistan. Called Blast Boxers, the black and yellow shorts have Kevlar sewn in to protect a soldier’s genitals and femoral artery. Sold for $86, BCB International unveiled the Blast Boxers at the Association of the U.S. Army’s convention in Washington D.C. last week. Soldiers rarely wear the groin protector that hangs down from their body armor, saying it provides little protection. However, BCB International is betting that soldiers…
Were you Snooki in South Korea or Iron Man at Camp Arifjan? We want soldiers’ stories. Where were you and what costume did you wear this Halloween? E-mail us. (This photo of faux Julian Assange and faux Pfc. Bradley Manning courtesy of Philip Neustrom, via BoingBoing. Um, too soon?)
Your pictures of war-zone graffiti can find a home at Unconventional Military Art, founded by a former soldier and his friends to collect the touching, funny or jarring images of art from overseas. Read about co-founder Jaeson Parsons, an Iraq veteran and former medic, in this week’s OFFduty, on news stands now.
HBO will air “Wartorn:1861-2010,” on Veterans Day (Nov. 11). It is worth watching. The Army has given unprecedented access to the piece, which focuses on the emotional wounds and combat stress suffered by American soldiers. The piece runs the gamut from Gen. George Patton (in)famously slapping a soldier hospitalized with “nervous exhaustion” to current Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli saying soldiers with these invisible wounds need to be removed from the battlefield with the same urgency as a soldier who has lost a limb. The documentary, hosted by James Gandolfini, captures the way in which many troops who…
Anti-DADT activist Dan Choi, a former infantry officer, is under attack for using sexist language to lambaste Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). Choi may be persona non grata in the military these days, but his comment reflects a negative current in the services.
Tommy Sowers isn’t one to back down from a challenge. He finished first in his class of Green Berets and completed one tour in Kosovo and two tours in Iraq. The Army major even convinced West Point officials to fly a class of cadets to India to meet the Dalai Lama during his time as an instructor. The fight he’s found in Southeastern Missouri, though, might be his toughest yet. Sowers is running on the Democratic ticket to unseat an entrenched Republican Congresswoman who has held the seat since 1996. Sowers, 34, got out of the Army in 2009 and…
The Army is investing $91 million to restore 552 Bradley Fighting Vehicles to pre-combat condition and add some survivability enhancements. You can read about the plans here. BAE Systems will replace old and damaged components. It has plenty of experience. The company has refurbished more than 3,390 vehicles since 2007. The Army is getting all it can out of the Bradley fighting vehicles, which are expected to be replaced by the forthcoming Ground Combat Vehicle. The service dropped $387 million in recent years to refurbish the fleet. In addition, General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products on July 8 was awarded…
Officials speaking at the 2010 AUSA Convention and Expo this week gave no indication that the deployment rotations you’ve come to know and love will change in the near future. The good news is they will ease. As the U.S. military completes the withdrawal from Iraq, the typical dwell time should go to 1 year away, two years at home for active duty and a 1:4 ratio for the reserves. By fiscal 2015, the goal is to be at 1:3 for the active and 1:5 for the reserves, officials said. This, of course, is assuming no other hot spots erupt,…
