This is my rifle

[RavenHawk]

You never give up your weapon! I learned this a long time ago at MCRD, San Diego:

This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than the enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. My rifle and I know that what counts in war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, or the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit.

My rifle is human, even as I am human, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strengths, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will keep my rifle clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other.

Before God I swear this creed. My rifle and I are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life.

So be it, until victory is America's and there is no enemy.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/11/middleeast/yemen-unrest/

How many carrier groups do we have? The 11th, 13th, or even 15th MEU should be in the area. That is one of their functions, to go in and pull out US personnel. Whoever authorized this has just committed treason. If this originated from the Whitehouse, it is grounds for impeachment. This could be the last straw with the military. If you think I am p***ed off, you’re right.

[RavenHawk]

Now I’m hearing that Marine Corps weapons were destroyed at the embassy and it was personal weapons that were turned over at the airport but were made inoperable prior. Still, something that I thought I’d never see. Obama’s Paper Tiger…what a joke.

[ellapenella]

I can't even read it . makes my blood boil . So the pool escaped ? that was our embassy there as well , did you see them having a pool party in it ? I really don't like them , at all. The article reminds me of the way our ambassador was unable to be protected 'cause they would be offended Obama said, so he complied w/them . so they were the security for Stevens.

Now I'm hearing that Marine Corps weapons were destroyed at the embassy and it was personal weapons that were turned over at the airport but were made inoperable prior. Still, something that I thought I'd never see. Obama's Paper Tiger…what a joke.

what paper ?

Edited February 12, 2015 by Ellapennella

[Varelse]

How is this Obama's fault exactly? Seems like the GOP congress is tying his hands behind his back from where I stand. Interesting rifle creed. MCRD 3rd Batt, India co. here. Ours was different but then again that was 1987..

ETA: But yes, makes my blood boil too. Maybe for slightly different reasons but can't shake the deja vu and the PTSD has definitely ramped up in the past year...again.

Edited February 12, 2015 by Varelse

[ellapenella]

How is this Obama's fault exactly? Seems like the GOP congress is tying his hands behind his back from where I stand. Interesting rifle creed. MCRD 3rd Batt, India co. here. Ours was different but then again that was 1987..

ETA: But yes, makes my blood boil too. Maybe for slightly different reasons but can't shake the deja vu and the PTSD has definitely ramped up in the past year...again.

what is ETA ? I wanted to say that I hope you take care of the PTSD you say is present in your emotions and mind . Where did you serve ?

I'm not certain to who you're first question is addressed to . But I don't have the answer for you . I don't know about the paper. i asked too but ? no answer was given.

[acidhead]

Just like Saigon except without the helicopters on the roof.

[Varelse]

The question on "how it's his fault exactly" isn't meant to provoke-I'm truly uninformed on how that cluster**** unfolded.

ETA means edit to add. I served in the first GW. You come across as very young, please take no offense if I ask, do you remember what that was all about? It was kind of the preface to all this.

When I turned 21 I got drunk off Saudi moonshine with a few other jarheads and Saudi Arabian nationals who weren't drinking but enjoyed watching us get drunk. They were in the staging area inside our camp working as drivers for the national firm that Bin Ladin's father owned. That firm was driving most of our 3B's south to be cleaned and sent home on ships on 18 wheeled lowboys. I didn't know it then but they were wahhabis. Roughly 10 years later wahhabis just like the ones we laughed with and introduced to Sammy Hagar flew planes into the WTC and Pentagon. And now those same wahhabis have roots in ISIS.

Kinda makes you scratch your head eh?

Ironic ain't it?

[Imaginarynumber1]

From your article:

"All crew served weapons were destroyed at the embassy prior to movement. None of them were 'handed over' in any way to anyone. The destruction of weapons at the embassy and the airport was carried out in accordance with an approved destruction plan," the statement read.

• 
  

The statement continued: "To be clear: No Marine handed a weapon to a Houthi, or had one taken from him."

Leave the part out that completely contradicts your OP, though.

Edited February 12, 2015 by Imaginarynumber1

[ellapenella]

@Varelse

About 8 months ago I heard of the Wahhabi 's . Who they really are . I heard they're pretty bad in their ideology . I heard they have ties with the Saudi's and something of their involvement in everything. They're bad. Really bad.

I know of the gulf war. I hope you're well from it all . If only you knew then what you know now you wouldn't of drank the *Wahhabi lighting* -'cause you know they're not friends . I don't know what the OP was mad about , I too am uniformed about it. I started to read the article but felt annoyed by it so I didn't read anymore of it.

I don't know about you but I've always liked Sammy Hagar's singing over David Roth's. Oh and -thank you for your service for our country . what's your favorite song from Sammy Hagar ?

[acidhead]

Now ive heard it all.

[ellapenella]

[ellapenella]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri-obaBZr9I

[Taun]

@Varelse

About 8 months ago I heard of the Wahhabi 's . Who they really are . I heard they're pretty bad in their ideology . I heard they have ties with the Saudi's and something of their involvement in everything. They're bad. Really bad.

I know of the gulf war. I hope you're well from it all . If only you knew then what you know now you wouldn't of drank the *Wahhabi lighting* -'cause you know they're not friends . I don't know what the OP was mad about , I too am uniformed about it. I started to read the article but felt annoyed by it so I didn't read anymore of it.

I don't know about you but I've always liked Sammy Hagar's singing over David Roth's. Oh and -thank you for your service for our country . what's your favorite song from Sammy Hagar ?

Ella... To a military person (such as myself and others here) handing over your weapons is a sign of surrender... The initial reports of this made it seem as though the Marines had been ordered to surrender their weapons - that is (I believe) what had the OP upset..

[ellapenella]

@ Taun

yeah ? that's why i couldn't read it. It reminded me of the Benghazi scandal. I know it differs but , still we weren't permitted to protect our own why, for fear of them being offended ?

YES , if that was what OP was mad about , then OP has every reason to be angry . I'm not happy about it. Makes no sense. what's going on over there ? what's up with Obama, seriously . Seems like the man will jump onto the airwaves real fast to create division but why not be a real American and jump on the airwaves real fast in our defense for real . Is he a bleeding heart for Islamist no matter what , 'cause we know who his father was, is how i feel. dreams of my father. Forget him . I dream of my founding fathers haunting his a** .

I'm mad. sorry.

Edited February 12, 2015 by Ellapennella

[RavenHawk]

Leave the part out that completely contradicts your OP, though.

And you Imagine too much. The first articles I read were the initial reports and referenced that CNN had released it. So I posted the CNN story but didn’t read it thoroughly enough to realize that it was a later report. That’s why I followed it up with a correction in my next post. But it doesn’t contradict my OP at all, if you understand anything. The Marines still had to give up their weapons. That they didn’t just hand them over and destroyed them with sledgehammers is good. But it is still humiliating and that only enables more of the same elsewhere.

I say again, where was the Carrier Task Force and MEU? Why did the Marines have to leave by civilian charter? Creating the image of defeated with their tails between their legs? Hope that image is worth it. We got lucky that this didn’t turn out to be another Benghazi. It could have been another Goliad or Malmedy.

This President has done everything he can to destroy American Hegemony and worldwide prestige. That strategy is going to backfire and hit the next President right across the face. We’re going to find ourselves in the middle of a major war sometime after the next two years hobbled and handcuffed because of what Obama is doing right now.

[ellapenella]

I say again, where was the Carrier Task Force and MEU? Why did the Marines have to leave by civilian charter? Creating the image of defeated with their tails between their legs? Hope that image is worth it. We got lucky that this didn't turn out to be another Benghazi. It could have been another Goliad or Malmedy.

This President has done everything he can to destroy American Hegemony and worldwide prestige. That strategy is going to backfire and hit the next President right across the face. We're going to find ourselves in the middle of a major war sometime after the next two years hobbled and handcuffed because of what Obama is doing right now.

[Varelse]

@Varelse

About 8 months ago I heard of the Wahhabi 's . Who they really are . I heard they're pretty bad in their ideology . I heard they have ties with the Saudi's and something of their involvement in everything. They're bad. Really bad.

I know of the gulf war. I hope you're well from it all . If only you knew then what you know now you wouldn't of drank the *Wahhabi lighting* -'cause you know they're not friends . I don't know what the OP was mad about , I too am uniformed about it. I started to read the article but felt annoyed by it so I didn't read anymore of it.

I don't know about you but I've always liked Sammy Hagar's singing over David Roth's. Oh and -thank you for your service for our country . what's your favorite song from Sammy Hagar ?

Hot Summer Nights

[ellapenella]

Hot Summer Nights

Eddie sounds great ! too...

[ellapenella]

@ Varelse , my favorite

[ellapenella]

@ Varelse

hope all is good . is it o.k to ask you about Yemen ?

[Varelse]

Eddie sounds great ! too...

I just wrote a colorful description of the scene that night but I bumped the back button on the gd mouse and erased the whole post.

But imagine 4 Marines in t-shirts and camo pants playing wild air guitar swinging their grapes like mad apes while Eddies intro kicked out of one of the truck's cabs. Half empty 1L Alwadi water bottles-the kind that cost 10 bucks each, laid on the asphalt next to warm cans of sunkist. Across from us were 5 national drivers sitting cross legged with ear to ear grins on their face, two even bobbing to the beat. One of them wore a MC cover he paid 5 Dinars for and we all smoked bidis or Marlboros.

We ended up letting them keep the 5150 tape and stumbled back to the tents. A lot more happened during this surreal cultural exchange I'll never forget but these days i sometimes wonder if they weren't just sizing us up.

The next morning it was back to front gate guard duty, hoping the area sniper/s rumored to have taken a few others while on post at other nearby camps were just that-rumors.

Edited February 13, 2015 by Varelse

[Varelse]

@ Varelse

hope all is good . is it o.k to ask you about Yemen ?

You can ask but I really don't know anything-seems almost like a media blackout is taking place.

[ellapenella]

I just wrote a colorful description of the scene that night but I bumped the back button on the gd mouse and erased the whole post.

But imagine 4 Marines in t-shirts and camo pants playing wild air guitar swinging their grapes like mad apes while Eddies intro kicked out of one of the truck's cabs. Half empty 1L Alwadi water bottles-the kind that cost 10 bucks each, laid on the asphalt next to warm cans of sunkist. Across from us were 5 national drivers sitting cross legged with ear to ear grins on their face, two even bobbing to the beat. One of them wore a MC cover he paid 5 Dinars for and we all smoked bidis or Marlboros.

We ended up letting them keep the 5150 tape and stumbled back to the tents. A lot more happened during this surreal cultural exchange I'll never forget but these days i sometimes wonder if they weren't just sizing us up.

The next morning it was back to front gate guard duty, hoping the area sniper/s rumored to have taken a few others while on post at other nearby camps were just that-rumors.

ahh man . Eddie rocked your faces off. ! he's so good . I feel honored that you shared your memory with me about that. meant a lot. I love you guys for all you do. you give and gave so much of your selves.and i am grateful and so very proud of you all. thank you .I hope i don't embarrass you , but i really mean that.

I always thank and support our troops . I think they need to know , they're loved and appreciated. . it's just the way I am.. sorry

Edited February 13, 2015 by Ellapennella

[ellapenella]

You can ask but I really don't know anything-seems almost like a media blackout is taking place.

I just heard the news saying that instead of handing over the weapons they dissemble them and broke them . but what I couldn't understand is that Yemen said they could leave if they hand over their weapons. The rebels also took over the cars and trucks. I can't understand why this is happening like it is. we can beat them but why are we being held back ?

[ellapenella]

Telling our Marines that they could leave IF they hand over their weapons what would that fall under ? The Marines had orders given to them by who? the state dept. to give the rebels their weapons, but instead they destroyed them. who's trying to arm the rebels ?