Tag Archives: veterans day

Featured, US

Defense Sec. Memo Confirms Trump’s Military Parade

Leave a comment

Washington, D.C.— A memorandum for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued on March 8, confirms that a Veterans Day military parade requested by President Trump last month will be held in honor of U.S. military veterans and provides “initial guidance” for the planning of the parade.

“This parade will focus on the contributions of our veterans throughout our history of the U.S. Military, starting from the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, to today, with an emphasis on the price of freedom,” the memo stated.

The memo included a list of “considerations provided by the Secretary of Defense” including plans to “highlight the evolution of women Veterans” and assurances that tanks would not be included in the event in an effort to “minimize damage to local infrastructure.” The D.C. Council had previously tweeted their objection “Tanks but No Tanks.”

The document goes on to note that Veteran and Medal of Honor recipients will surround the President in the Capitol reviewing area, and there will be a “heavy air component at the end of the parade.”

While the document doesn’t provide a cost estimate, last month the White House budget director gave a preliminary estimate to the House Budget Committee and said the parade could cost between $10 to $30 million.

Despite having the largest and most powerful military force in the history of humanity, military parades in the U.S. are rare, with the last taking place after the first Gulf War in 1991 at a price tag of roughly $12 million (not adjusted for inflation).

In early February, President Donald Trump told his generals to begin preparing for a military parade in Washington, D.C., reportedly inspired by the French Bastille Day parade he watched in Paris over the summer. Opponents criticized the idea of holding a military parade, likening it to militaristic displays in states such as Russia or China. Politico reported there was broad bipartisan pushback— with politicians on both sides of the aisle calling it a waste of money that would break with democratic traditions. A poll conducted by Military Times claimed that 88 percent of 100,000 respondents opposed the parade and “said the military has more important needs to address.”

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders refuted those notions, stating that Trump’s intention was to have “a celebration” of the military and that “President Trump is incredibly supportive of America’s great service members who risk their lives every day to keep our country safe.”

The Trump administration has appointed numerous high-ranking military leaders into roles in the White House and cabinet, including Defense Secretary James Mattis, Chief of Staff John Kelly and National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster.

Politics

Air Force Vet Wakes Up in Federal Prison on Veterans Day

62 Comments

WASHINGTON, November 12, 2014–Decorated 20-year Air Force veteran and former firearms instructor at the Sig Sauer Academy, Timothy Arnold, woke up this Veterans Day in federal prison. Arnold was convicted earlier this year in a civilian court in Brunswick, Georgia, of manufacturing firearms and embezzlement—charges Arnold and many of his colleagues openly dispute. Active duty Office of Special Investigations (OSI) agents filed numerous complaints with the Inspector General (IG) regarding lead investigator Wendell Palmer’s “unethical” practices while building the case against Arnold. The information about the affidavits and the pending IG investigation was withheld from the court, in direct violation of the Supreme Court’s Brady doctrine requiring prosecutor Fred Kramer to disclose it. Additionally, the testimony of the defense’s star witness was prevented by unsubstantiated allegations of his contempt of court—testimony the would-be witness claims would have exonerated Arnold.

Thanks to exclusive reports filed earlier on BenSwann, Arnold’s case is receiving national attention and is the subject of an official Congressional Inquiry into its handling. Those with knowledge about the case continue to come forward, outraged that this prosecutorial tragedy happened at all, much less to a man they consistently describe as “honest to a fault” and “full of integrity.”

Tim Arnold served his country for 20 years and executed many top secret missions. Now he serves time in prison.
Tim Arnold served his country for 20 years and executed many top secret missions. Now he serves time in prison.

Before Arnold self-surrendered to the United States Penitentiary that currently holds him, he addressed several mischaracterizations made during the trial. Assistant United States Attorney Kramer accused Arnold of purchasing “stenciled golf balls” and other items “he and his friends thought were cool” using the government-issued credit card. “Yes, I bought golf balls! I also bought custom pins, pens, lighters, coffee cups, and shot glasses with the OSI insignia on them,” Arnold says, “That is what is known as swag. It is customary to give small tokens like these to visiting dignitaries, foreign agents attending training, and those you need to thank while on out-of-country assignments. In keeping with OSI regulations, I turned the swag over to the Commodities Custodian and would then ‘sign it out’ as needed.” Arnold said he was the recipient of such swag from the White Houses of both President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush. He says small gestures like these are traditional throughout the military.

Kramer accused Arnold of impersonating a law enforcement officer. Arnold says he used the AFOSI-issued badge and credentials provided to him, as he had done for years. He also willingly surrendered the badges to investigators for examination. The prosecution claimed Arnold wore various patches and pretended to be in different branches of the military. “I did wear different shirts depending upon what scenario I set up for my firearms and tactics classes,” Arnold said after the trial. “I never ran around town claiming to be an Army Ranger, a Marine sniper, or anything else.” Another detail not revealed in the trial was that during Arnold’s Air Force career, he was actually part of an elite Air Mobility Command. The jury heard a different story, however. “He’s a poser. He’s a fraud,” Kramer told them. “This is a man with no honor in him.”

Arnold refused to plead guilty to any of the charges during pre-trial negotiations and proceeded with a costly trial in order to clear his name. OSI agents who testified for the defense were shocked that a case with falsified evidence at the hands of who they believe to be an unethical fellow investigator sailed all the way through the legal system. Those who signed affidavits complaining about Palmer’s tactics are currently following up on them via every channel available. The Congressional inquiry is active. Arnold himself expects his record to be expunged once the truth is revealed. His last words before entering prison were, “I have only begun to fight.”

Related Articles

EXCLUSIVE: Air Force Veteran and Firearms Expert Convicted of Manufacturing Weapons Speaks Out

Exclusive: Air Force Vet/Firearms Expert Sentenced to Prison

 

 

US

Veterans Day Controversy: Wis. School Cancelled Festivities Because of 21-Gun-Salute

77 Comments

Students within the Eau Claire, Wis. area school district had a different Veterans Day today. Since the 1930s, local veterans came to the school and did a program that include a 21-gun salute. That didn’t take place, because of a disagreement over firearms.

According to WEAU, the veterans received several different reasons for the cancellation, but one of the main concerns focused around firearms on school grounds.

Vice President of the Patriotic Council, Kaye Olsen says, “Now as the last few years have gone on, with the school shootings and everything, it’s getting harder to do our veterans programs like we want to,” said Kaye Olsen, vice president of the Patriotic Council.

Olsen said recent school shootings has hindered the group from doing the Veterans Day celebration they want to.

“It’s really hard to tell the veterans they’re not allowed to bring those rifles in,” said Olsen. “Which, the only purpose is, to honor our flag and our country and to teach the kids.”

The district said that it’s becoming more difficult to honor the memory and sacrifice of veterans on Veterans Day:

“We like to honor the veterans; we bring them in on a regular basis,” said Tim Libham, the Executive Director of Administration for the district. “There are just some conditions that we have to adhere to and the shooting of guns, even with blanks, is something we don’t feel is appropriate given society, and the concerns that we have and that the community has, on school premises.”

Even the use of blanks is an issue: “We’d had family and students that were uneasy, even with blanks being fired on school premise,” added Libham.

The veterans group was able to have a service. It was in a Burger King parking lot, where they were able to perform “Taps” and do a 21-gun salute.

Do you agree with this school district? Give us your thoughts below?

Economy, US

Honor veterans by giving them jobs

4 Comments

Veteran’s Day is a national holiday for Americans of all walks of life to honor and show thanks to those men and women who served their country in some way throughout the years.  Parades are held, grills are fired up, and everybody shows some level of appreciation.  While most Americans think about a veteran’s service, not many think about a veteran’s life post-service.

For some veterans, civilian life is full of uncertainty, unemployment, and other struggles their military training never prepared them for.

While unemployment amongst all veterans has been on a steady decline over the past few years, young veterans, meaning those who served in post-9/11 engagements, are having difficulties finding work once they come home.

A study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2013, found young veterans, ages 18-24, had an unemployment rate of 21.4 percent as compared to their non-veteran colleagues who had an unemployment rate of 14.3 percent.

Upon finishing their service, about 87 percent of veterans say they are confident in their abilities to find a job, according to the Washington Post.  However, according to Daily Finance, 37 percent of veterans did not know how to properly write a resume and 33 percent of veterans did not know how to show employers how their skills were applicable to the workforce.

These are not the only obstacles for veterans though who seek to join the workforce.  According to a study from the Mental Health Association of New York, returning veterans often lack experience in civilian work, they have higher disability rates, and many veterans struggle to reconnect to the civilian world, all of which makes it more difficult to hire a veteran.

To combat veteran unemployment rates, many companies have said they would hire a number of veterans over the next few years.

Starbucks is one such company, and their CEO, Howard Schultz, has vowed to hire some 10,000 veterans in the next five years, according to USA Today.  To help this process, Starbucks has even hired a recruiter who is a veteran who “understands the language,” and the anxiety veterans face in joining the workforce.

“The irony there is that there is a stigma attached to many of them about either PTS (post-traumatic stress) or brain trauma or things of that nature when in fact I can personally demonstrate through the hiring of people at Starbucks who have been veterans that they have done extraordinary things,” said Schultz.

Other employers have said they are more than pleased with the work veterans who work for their companies have put out.  These employers said all veterans bring five unique skills to their work; self-discipline, teamwork, attention to detail, respect, and leadership.

Jon Davis, a Marine who served in Iraq and who was also a former hiring manager, told the Huffington Post, hiring veterans has its advantages.  One advantage, he said, was a veteran has a “strong vein of personal integrity,” which makes them trustworthy when tasked with a job.

If you are a business owner who wants to hire a veteran, visit a website like the Veteran Recruiting Service to help out.  You can also volunteer with other other such as Welcome Back Veterans and Give an Hour to show your support for veterans n other ways.