It is kind of funny it has been a year since I did a part of my military story. I will tell anyone that in the larger scheme of things my Marine Corps time was brief and unremarkable. However, this is my story and I like being able to tell it. You can get caught up by listening to Part 6 below.
You can listen to “Can’t Stop Us” by Mugzy Brady. He is a rapper and hip hop artist from Australia. Mugzy was on #128. I am dropping his track, “Can’t Stop Us”, at the end of this podcast. Go to https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMugzy/
Bill reached out to me on Facebook Messenger about coming on Oscar Mike Radio. He asked me if I would come out and talk to him at his headquarters in Worcester, MA. I headed up on cold morning in February and found the office pretty easily.
I met Bill and said introduced myself. The first thing that stood out were all the coats and toys in his office. He explained that they were a donation from UNUM Insurance Company https://www.unum.com/ and would be given to children of Veterans in need.
Bill got a laugh out of me with some good natured ribbing about me being a Marine. I had learned about Bill’s Air Force Career and gained a massive amount of respect for what he did when he served.
We moved the conversation to how Bill got Project New Hope off the ground. There is this desire that Bill has to serve and be of service. Meeting the other volunteers who popped in and out to work the mission was one of the highlights of the day.
There is also a Project New Hope Office in Westfield, MA. By car is it 60 miles one way to Westfield. That is a lot of ground to cover for any non profit organization. Bill and his team are committed to Veterans and I was glad to make the trip to meet everyone. A big shout out to BOSE for supplying headphones to troops. Thanks for my pair Bill, they sounded great!
500. 500 times 22 equals 11,000. Jim Tough actually does 25 per day because he gives a pushup to the Infantry, the Airborne Ranger in the Sky, and all other military. So Jim has actually done 12,500 pushups over the course of 500 days.
I want you all to watch Jim’s Day 500 video here (Like and Subscribe while you are at it!). What really stood out is how Jim articulated the scope of the problem of Veteran’s Suicide. He described what was lost as a result in a way that few people understand.
I believe is Jim’s desire that one day he will not have to do pushups. Wouldn’t that be great? The need to talk about someone killing themselves will no longer be a priority. I want to be there when that day happens. Jim talks about some of his battles with PTSD. This is honest talk where Jim does not hold back on what is needed to step away from the abyss.
I thought about how much effort it takes to provide an insightful message and 22 – 25 pushups over the course of 18 months. Creating any kind of content and sustaining the necessary energy to do so is impressive. What is more impressive in the Day 500 video, Jim doesn’t make it about him doing the pushups.
Usually, it would be good for one of these types of situations and podcasts to talk about a bright future after an amazing accomplishment that someone like Jim did. The future will be bright when Jim doesn’t need to do anymore pushups. However, as long as he is able, Jim will be telling us to stay in our fight and don’t quit.
You can listen to “My Journey” by Mugzy Brady. He is a rapper and hip hop artist from Australia. Mugzy was on #128. I am dropping his track, “My Journey”, at the end of this podcast. Go to https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMugzy/
“Could the Chinese Navy sink two of our aircraft carriers?” Sure, if our carriers sat in the middle of the sea with no crew, or support craft and were stationary….. It is a valid question though and I think it is posturing by China, but raises other questions. I think the one question every American should be asking right now is, “How do we pay back the $1.2 trillion dollars we owe China?” Mull on that one for a while…..
The story goes on to say that, “Aviation Electrician’s Mate 2nd Class Joshua Wood, a practitioner of Heathenry for more than five years, was appointed Heathen lay leader for the carrier. ” This means that the sailor had to meet the requirements from his religion and the Navy in order to be appointed as a lay person. Wood can now conduct sumbels on this ship for others who practice heathenism.
A sumbel is a rite or ritual where a drinking horn is passed around the group. Members of the group say a prayer to the god or gods they want honor and then pass the horn around. The leader then concludes the ritual.
Cynically, I could look at this and say this is just an excuse to get out of work and cause more headaches for the brass. However, freedom to practice one’s goes back to the Pilgrims on the Mayflower.
Mugzy Brady – Understand Me
You can listen to “Understand Me by Mugzy Brady. He is a rapper and hip hop artist from Australia. I am dropping his track at the end of this podcast. Go to https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMugzy/
What did I did I do for New Years? I did nothing exciting which was great! I worked on the blanket I am making for a friend with cancer. This was also a year I was happy to do Dad’s Taxi. A service which beats Uber and LYFT. I finished podcast 128 for Mugzy Brady, and just hung out. It was a fantastic New Year’s Eve!
“The military divorce rate is calculated by comparing the number of troops listed as married in the Pentagon’s personnel system at the beginning of the fiscal year with the number who report divorces over the year. The information is managed and compiled by the Defense Manpower Data Center.” (Military.com article by Amy Bushatz ). Interesting viewpoint on divorce among female servicemembers. It would appear that female Marines have a hard time. I believe there are a couple reasons for that, but I don’t blame the Marine Corps.
My SNCOs and Officers were right. E-4s and below should not get married during their first tour.
Jody and Jodie Podcast Links
I will add the episode links so you can get caught up. This is a year long series, so buckle up
You can listen to “My Journey” by Mugzy Brady. He is a rapper and hip hop artist from Australia. I am dropping his track at the end of this podcast. Go to https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMugzy/
