The Discovery Times Channel has an agenda, and it’s about as transparent as glass. They are against the Administration, the President, and even the American People. Some of their programs make me want to throw up, and others make me want to put a boot through the TV, as if that would help. But the worst series they have ever filmed, by far, is this sad story of the sorriest National Guard unit on record. If this is the best Arkansas has to offer, maybe we should just let them secede from the Union and bid them good luck. I have seen throughout my military career a number of NG and RES units, both AF and Army, and this series does a terrible disservice to all of them.

Somebody must have forgotten to tell these guys that, upon their activation, they are active duty and it is their responsibility to be indistinguishable from the Regular troops. Serving as a paramedic for some 10 years at Ft. Stewart, which has a large NG training area, I’ve had a number of occasions to interact with them. Some were about as dumb as these AR guys, but most took their training seriously. One of the worst calls I remember going on, was when a drunk driver – on post, no less – ran over and killed one of those guys who was innocently walking to his barracks. Every month when I go over to Stewart for Rx refills, I have to think about all the sad calls I went on there. But I have observed the tenant unit closely, and have made some judgements about them.

If the DTMS network wants to do a profile of a military unit in Iraq, they should do a program on the 3rd ID, from Fort Stewart. These guys are top notch soldiers, and they’re getting the job done without all the whining, crying, and carrying-on of this Arkansas unit. If all Matt Hertlein, Tommy Erp, and Joe Betts can do is piss and moan about being activated, they are poor examples of US military members. We should all be rising up in anger over this terrible mischaracterization of our military, as it reflects poorly on all of us who have served honorably and proudly in defense of our nation.

I for one, am mad as hell about this, and if I knew who to complain to, I would. I did not want to go to Vietnam, or to Taiwan, or to the Philippines, or Korea, but when I got my orders I went, and I did the best durn job I could, because I had signed on the dotted line and no one forced me. This in the day when there was a draft. I’ll never forget my first enlistment. I took the oath from my Dad’s Squadron Commander, Maj. William Woolsey, at Castle AFB’s Comm/Nav shop – which was the career field that I wound up in for the first 12 years. They put a picture of it in the base newspaper – why, I never knew – just to make a big deal out of it. That left me totally unprepared for my arrival the next day at Lackland AFB! My recollections of Basic sorta leave me chuckling. It was interesting to say the least, but I have to admit that I learned a few things there. BTW, does anyone remember what a 341 is? I’ll leave that one for the comments section……

OK, I got my gripe out in the air. I just hope no one watches the “Off To War” series and gets the idea that it represents ANY other unit in the US military. Those folks are unique, and they are the LEAST representative of our fine military men and women of anything that I know. I will be happy to see that program go off into the sunset, with their tails between their legs as they deserve.