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The REAL Reason We Were Serving Bud Light Lime at Friday's Hail & Farewell*
I just want to say, in all seriousness, that I am very proud my employer is partnering with the White House and Gen. Stan McChrystal in a new initiative in support of military families. This is a great and worthy project, and it's initiatives like these that remind me why I enjoy working for a think tank led by two veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
*There is a small but intense contingent of staff at CNAS who like Bud Light Lime, and if you were to draw a Venn Diagram of "CNAS Staff Who Drink Bud Light Lime at CNAS Social Functions" and "CNAS Staff Who Drink Diet Mountain Dew The Rest of the Day" you would see an almost total overlap. Horrifying, I know.
Mountain Dew "light"? You of
Mountain Dew "light"? You of course, mean Diet "MTN" Dew, elixir of the Gods, right?
If that "small but intense
If that "small but intense contingent" isn't entirely female, they are WRONG!
Thanks for your participation in the family support program, and good luck.
Will there be real beer too?
Will there be real beer too?
Yes, I meant Diet Mountain
Yes, I meant Diet Mountain Dew. And Visitor Redux, now that Herb Carmen no longer works here, yes, I believe it is largely the female staff who drink Diet Mountain Dew and Bud Light Lime, though I saw the (male) Air Force Fellow drinking a Bud Light Lime on Friday.
Do the folks at CNAS who
Do the folks at CNAS who drink bud light lime also like to trash talk their higher headquarters (Nagl and Fick)? ;)
gian
Yes, actually. You should see
Yes, actually. You should see the "CNAS Underground" newsletter printed each season.
"I saw the (male) Air Force
"I saw the (male) Air Force Fellow drinking a Bud Light Lime on Friday."
OK, well most of them are basically out of the closet anyway.
BTW can you taste the difference between Bud Light Lime and Diet Mountain Dew?
Aren't diet Mountain Dew and
Aren't diet Mountain Dew and Bud Light Lime a hypergolic combination?
I'm sure the Tillman family
I'm sure the Tillman family isn't too happy with yet another slap in their face by President Obama (read Mary Tillman's foreword for her book "Boots on the Ground by Dusk" in the preview at blurb.com). The documentary, "The Tillman Story," has interviews with the Tillman family voicing their displeasure with the powers-that-be.
Ironically, it's quite possible that Pat Tillman's widow, Marie Tillman, may be working with this effort through her Pat Tillman foundation. She's more willing than I to forgive and forget (or in the words of President Obama to "move forward").
In May 2004, it appears that Gen. McChrystal directed the writing of Pat Tillman's fraudulent Silver Star and the cover-up of his friendly-fire death by the Ranger RGT officers . Over the next five years, the ensuing "investigations" were part of the bi-partisan whitewash which "exonerated" Gen. McChrystal and others involved of wrong-doing.
Ironcally, although CNAS will help run the "Joining Forces" program, their Fellow Andrew Exum contributed to McChrystal's whitewash with his biased book review of Jon Krakauer's "Where Men Win Glory" (the updated paperback has much more detail on McChrystal's role than the original hardcover).
Maybe Gen. McChrystal and CNAS can do a better job of supporting military families this time around. They certainly didn't show consderation for the Tillman family in the past. The least they could do would be to confess their sins and offer a sincere apology.
If you're interested in supporting detail for my claims, see http://feralfirefighter.blogspot.com/2010/08/untold-tillman-story.html
P.S. From the foreword to
P.S. From the foreword to the paperback edition of Mary Tillman's book, “Boots on the Ground by Dusk' (available at blurb.com with a preview):
“McChrystal’s actions should have been grounds for firing. That is why it was so disturbing to us when President Obama instead promoted McChrystal to the position of top commander in Afghanistan last year. [On May 12th,] I had sent the President an email and a letter reminding him of McChrystal’s involvement in the cover-up of Pat’s death.”
“I had sent the President an email and a letter reminding him of McChrystal’s involvement in the cover-up of Pat’s death. In the letter, I suggested McChrystal should be “scrutinized very carefully” by the Senate Armed Services Committee. I also contacted the staffs of Senator Patrick Leahy and Senator James Webb and expressed my concerns. I had several conversations with members of the staffs of both senators, but it was clear that neither senator wanted to get involved.”
“… I had always believed Pat’s case was politically awkward for him [Senator McCain] and so he’d chosen to distance himself from the entire affair. … McCain was already publicly endorsing the McChrystal appointment before the hearing even began. … Sadly, McChrystal’s promotion had been sanctioned long before the hearing. None of the congressmen pressed McChrysal about Pat’s case … or detainee abuse and torture at Camp Nama …”
“Over the last five years, the Pentagon and Congress have had numerous opportunities to hold accountable those responsible for the cover-up of Pat’s death. Each time they’ve failed.”
“The Tillman Story illustrates the corruption, deception, and indifference that is systemic in our government. … The cover-up of Pat’s death was orchestrated at the very highest levels of the Pentagon, and elsewhere in our government … the government didn’t just lie to us; it lied to a nation.”
P.S. Here's some relevant
P.S. Here's some relevant interview excerpts from Amir Bar-Lev, the director of the documentary "The Tillman Story":
"General McChrystal is just one of several high-ranking figures who’s never been called to account for his role, and the story continues to this very moment. He gets up there at his swearing-in [Senate confirmation hearing June 2, 2009] and basically says what has been said all along, which is, “I know what it looks like. I know that it looks like we deliberately covered it up, but believe us that it was this Rube Goldberg-esque chain of mistakes, blunders, and errors that look like a cover-up.”
"The only f—-ing idiots who buy that, the only fools who believe that, are the mainstream press. It’s just so clear to everyone else, and it’s the equivalent of saying, “Honey, I know that it looks like I’m f—-ing your sister, but actually I dropped my wallet, and then my belt fell down, and she happened to be there.” That’s what the military has done in the Pat Tillman case."
“The public perception is that (the Tillmans) have been apologized to over and over again ... it’s ludicrous,” Bar-Lev said. “The idea there was a mistake is itself a lie. It’s a Rube Goldberg explanation. They (the military officials) say there was never any deliberate attempt to deceive anybody.” … “How somebody can get away with a lie that’s worse than ‘the dog ate my homework’ and that he would be put in charge of the war effort is ridiculous.”
" Listen, it’s not a complicated answer. No one in the government has ever admitted that there was a cover-up, and to watch the contortions that these public figures go to in order to publicly flagellate themselves without admitting what’s pretty obvious to everybody — that they tried to cover up Pat Tillman’s death — is absurd."
See post at my feral firefighter blog for links to the interviews.
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