Sgt Stryker

Ah, it’s good to take a break every once in a while. Did you miss me? Seriously, though, I hope you enjoyed the Stephen Colbert videos. They were quite a behind-the-scenes treat, I think. If you enjoyed them on YouTube, be sure to leave a comment here and let me know. I’ve heard him as Bob Hope meets Walter Cronkite – does anyone agree? (Or am I TELLING my age with that comparison? Hah.) Seriously, though, it’s good to see a man like Colbert do something for the military – a groundbreaking USO tour at that. (And the haircut! What a hoot. Check out the videos if you haven’t yet…)

The thing about being in the modern military is that there are few breaks. It’s work day after day. Even when new work isn’t being done, there’s some type of planning or preparation taking place. Even sports and playing around plays a part in the work that the men and women in the military do every single day. I really wish more people in the media would spot all the great people serving their country and highlight them instead of worrying about celebrities’ babies. I know which is more important to all MY friends. (Yes, I could you guys as my “blogger buddies…” which is why it would be nice to have a few more comments! Let me know how I’m doing. Smile.)

Sigh. It’s been a long year so far and there’s still so much work for the US military to do all over the world. Things are progressing, though. It’s just that there are more problems popping up all the time. Even so, the military has been able to handle EVERYTHING thrown at it – even being ignored (for the most part) by the media – from televisions to newspapers to the Internet. What do you think? Are things getting better or worse thanks to the military in the US? Leave a comment and let your voice be heard!

Sgt. Stryker out.

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1st Air Cavalry Brigade Conducts Fallen Angel Training

During a downed aircraft training exercise, Soldiers from Company F, 3rd Battalion, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, pull security after dismounting a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter at Camp Taji, Iraq, north of Baghdad, June 10. The training exercise was conducted to evaluate the response times from the brigade level all the way to the men on the ground. Photo by Sgt. Travis Zielinski

Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa Funds Renovations at Mafurko Clinic in Tanga

A boy leans against a wall during a dedication ceremony at Mafurko Clinic. Service members from the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa, headquartered in Djibouti, in conjunction with the government of Tanzania and the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salam, dedicated improved facilities, funded by CJTF-HOA. The $40,000 design-build renovation project included the rehabilitation of seven existing clinic rooms and construction of a two-room addition. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jesse Awalt

Old Hickory Soldiers Sweep Palm Grove for Weapons Caches

Sgt. Vincent Bell of Charlotte, N.C., checks a radio during a sweep of a palm grove near Doura, June 13. Bell, an infantryman assigned to the North Carolina National Guard’s Company A, 252nd Combined Arms Battalion, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, battled thick underbrush and triple-digit temperatures during the search of the grove, which was outside Joint Security Station Doura near the Tigris River. Photo by Jon Soles

Wing Surpasses Historic 5K Combat Hour Mark in Single Month

An F-15 pilot and weapon system operator from the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron prepare to take off for a close air support mission, June 9. Last month the 336th EFS and 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron together logged a total of more than 5,000 combat flight hours over Afghanistan. The F-15s and A-10s assigned here provide close air support and airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance for American and coalition ground troops. Photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Lake