Chances...

What you do each day effects everything you could possibly do, every step, every
breath, every choice.

One more day you made it through, proof alone that you’re making choices.
And apparently not all of them are horrible.

Each of these takes you down a path.
One more day.

But what happens when you don’t know what choice to make but you know the path you want to take?

Do you give up?
Do you settle?
Do you push forward?

I was recently told that it takes doing something 7 times for it to be recalled, 5,000 times for it to become muscle memory, and more than 10,000 times for it to be considered ingrained into one’s self.

What happens if you don’t have the opportunity to do something 10,000 times?

What then?

What if you merely have time for 10?

Can you not become great given 10 chances?

What can you achieve given 10 opportunities?

I’ll tell you this much, if you told me I had 10 chances to make every choice in my life I guarantee I’d make the most of every single one.

Every step, every moment, every chance.
What if you could ask anything without fear?

10 chances.

What if you could dream without regret?

10 chances.

What if you knew that every choice you made you could make again if the outcome was
incorrect?

10 chances.

But you don’t have 10 chances.

You’re lucky if you even have one.

I’ll tell you this, one opportunity is better than none at all.

If you don’t reach forward and make the most of that one try, the only person at fault is you.

You can blame it on this, or that, or a thousand different things.

However, if you fail to make the choice, you’ve failed yourself.

You no longer have to justify things to those around you.

But you have to convince yourself that you’re not a little bitch.

You have to look yourself in the mirror and apologize for being pathetic.

Shit, you owe your pathetic self that much.

An emotional, heartfelt, apology for failing to give your all.

Go ahead, make one excuse, give another.

Make an excuse for your excuses.

Tell yourself whatever you need to in order to deflect the pain.

But remember, it’s not going anywhere.

Dull it, ignore it, pretend all you want.
It. Never. Leaves.

The fact is, deep down you are the only person who is to blame.

Don’t be that pathetic asshole with dreams of improvement or aspirations of
advancement.

Don’t be the one claiming you’re making “attempts” to be better.

Make the choice to actually be better and do it.

I get my ass out of bed each day before the sun and I don’t lay my head down until after the sun has set.

I push harder than every single person I see, I try harder, I give more.

I push myself to be the best day in and day out.

Not better, not good, the best.

Unquestionably, without doubt, the absolute best.

Beyond the breaking point.

Beyond the pain.

It’s not that I’m immortal or a perfectionist.

It’s not that it doesn’t hurt. It kills.

But nothing hurts so bad that you can’t go a little bit further.

If I’m not striving to be number one why did I get out of bed this morning?

Just to get by?

That’s bullshit!

It’s not worth it if I’m not trying to be the best.

2nd might feel alright, 3rd might sound okay, but only the best make their mark on life.

No one remembers those who were just decent, those who got by.

When the taste of second begins to make you gag, you want only one thing.

Pure, Unadulterated, Earned, Victory.
Anyone can eventually decide to be the best given 10 opportunities.

You, however, have but one.
You have one choice to be the best.
Don’t screw it up!

You get out of bed each day and before your feet hit the ground you have to make the conscious decision to work towards being number one.

The first thought in your head should be how I become the best today.

If that’s not how you begin, you already failed.

Crawl back under the covers and remember you’re only ever going to be average.

Or get up off your ass and make the decision to become the best.

Not making the decision is choosing to fail without putting up a fight, That is the most pathetic decision of all.

Learn, Grow, Adapt, Chose, Change, Improve, Advance, Practice, Prepare, and Perform.

This this how you become the best.

And don’t just be the best by a bit.

Don’t barely squeak by into that number one slot.

Go above and beyond everyone’s expectations.

In the words I’ve heard since I was a child,
Words that I will never forget because I know I’ve heard it more than 10,000 times
“Leave no doubt!”

That is the only way you will gain the respect you desire.

Not from those around you.

Screw them, their opinion is worthless.

This is about you.

You should strive to gain respect from yourself.

You have one chance.

What the hell are you going to do with it?!?!

Front Line Females

A man I respect as a brother, friend, and I am sure unknown to him a mentor, with far more tact and eloquence in his writing has put into perspective this "women in combat" situation we have seem to have gotten ourselves int,o and will soon regret. When the next war breaks out, mark my words. I know I am the last person people will listen to on the matters of women and "their place" as my roots of though are and have always been in the "olden days" tho I do support women who strive for greatness and never try and stifle them, I would have even voted for Hillary Clinton had she made the nomination. Were off track.. and as the title ready I am not here to make you like me.

I had said earlier a man put this into words far better than I could and I felt the need to share what was said in hopes that if ever I have any "followers" they too can see why so many are opposed to this idea.

The combat arms branches are traditionally considered Infantry, Armor and Artillery and typically require a 1 to 10 ratio of combat support units.  As many of you are aware, I consider most officers to be an impediment to getting things done, so the fact that the Joint Chiefs signed off on this doesn’t immediately convince me of anything.  I am, however, the father of a little girl with whom I am constantly striving to imbue a can do spirit by telling her daily, “Girls can do anything boys can do.  You can be the president, a princess or a pirate.”  I do not believe however, that means my daughter, nor anyone else’s daughter, should now be allowed to serve in the infantry just because the military hierarchy says it is okay. 

Women, as a general rule, are simply not suited to the rigors of life in the infantry.  That does not mean some women aren’t capable of graduating the Army’s Infantry School at Ft. Benning, GA.  As an Irish-Catholic kid I know a few tough Mick Chicks who could probably make the cut, but they are not the norm, nor even an average aspiration.  The day to day life in an infantry unit is simply too onerous and physically wracking for women.  As a 17 year old infantryman, my maximum encumbrance was around 120 pounds, while I myself weighed just under 140 pounds.  It was not until I reached my permanent party that I learned “light infantry’ simple meant there were precious few vehicles to carry anything.  Our leather personnel carriers (speed-lace combat boots) were designed for that task and my back shouldered the burden.  A 17 year old female, even one of roughly the same weight of 140 pounds, would just have been unable to do what I did, for the same time that I did it. 

Understand that I am not speaking in absolutes.  I find it somewhat irritating that I must write that sentence, but I am sure someone will give me anecdotal evidence of some female somewhere who could do anything I do better and tell me that, in her day, Brigitte Nielsen could have kicked my ass AND carried my ruck.  For the record, I stipulate to those facts.  What this discussion entails is the average male and female.  I am also quite well aware that the Israel Defense Forces have female infantry.  According to the latest statistics I could find, in October 2011, 27 female combat soldiers completed the IDF Ground Forces Training Course, along with 369 male soldiers and were promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant.”  That is hardly evidence of anything, much less that the new policy in the US military is behind the times.  According to the Israel Briefing Book: Israel Overview- Israel Defense Forces “90% of all military positions in the IDF are available to women,” including the Caracal Battalion, a mixed gender battalion which patrols the Israel-Egypt border, although most serve in armor and artillery units.”  The results have been mixed at best and simply Googling the battalion will tell you why.

No woman could be expected to endure the daily rigors of an NFL franchise, at any position, because of the constant brutality.  The same is true of the Infantry.  I desire total equality for my daughter and would be beyond proud to see her in Army blue one day, but not in the sky blue of the Infantry.  That is a “boy’s club” and no females need apply.


You can read on this at EatMoreBugs.blogspot.com titled No Ma'am there is far more detail and insight given but in the end his argument is one shared by countless combat veterans such as myself. There are men who cannot do what we do nor want to and the women who do want to are just out to prove something and will get countless people injured and killed. Those that do hack it and "make the cut" and become good combat soldiers are going to be such a minuscule fraction or a percent that will never get the recognition anyway because those that shouldn't be there will have already made a bad name for all.. Its inevitable and I just don't understand what is going through the minds on anyone these days..

Call me what you want, I dont see a place for women in front line combat. The End.

What has it become?

You know.. I am really getting sick of seeing mediocrity celebrated at the level of something it's not.. It's sad to see the "every kid gets a trophy" garbage has made it to the military..

I joined, served, deployed, injured, returned, and not once was there a party, an escort, a gathering, or even a ride across post to an appt or to out process.. there was just me.

I am thankful for never having any of the hooplah I see going on because what I did, endured, and live with still today, all of it, I volunteered for and chose to do on my own accord. I did it alone, because it was what I needed to do at the time, not for recognition, parties, or to be one of "the cool kids" I did it when two wars raged and there was not end in sight. I served actively not on the weekends, and in a combat MOS not as a REMF.

I have seen far too much from so many ppl, places, organizations and on TV that its becoming less of something I can be proud of an more of a popularity contest for kids who wanna be cool too.. Give me a break, and cut the bullshit already.


Its no different to me than all the stolen valor issues we face these days, its that serious...

In the beginning..

Blogging.. not really my style.. BUT I am told to "find a creative outlet for the thoughts that turn to anger" and since writing has always been a string suit, I decided that would be what I would do. I could keep a journal.. but hell, I would forget it when I needed to write, or not be able to find it.. or a pen that worked.. I would probably loose it and that wouldn't end well.. Soooo a blog it is, since Facebook probably isn't really the place to have the thoughts constantly go. I don't care if no one ever reads any of this, that's not what i am here for. I am here to do what I need to make myself better mentally and emotionally, and if you do happen to read this and what you read here offends you or upsets you, keep it to yourself. I will not sensor myself nor do I want to debate with you about what I feel, there is a reason behind everything I do and say and your life experiences shaped your opinions and beliefs just as mine have so in laymen terms FUCK OFF

Thanks for stopping by!