Air Force Staff Sergeant Michelle Manhart poses nude for Playboy's February issue and is relieved of her duties.

Aw, c'mon. This woman has put in thirteen years including service in Kuwait. She's a married mother of two.

And she's hot.

Gentlemen, I think we need to show some solidarity for Michelle. Let's make the February issue sold out by next week. Who's with me?

And for what it's worth, if you're a Battlestar Galactica fan Tricia Helfer is also featured in that issue. Just throwing that out there.

UPDATE:
I have been to the mountaintop. And it is good. :wink:

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Sean Hannity had an impromptu conversation with our soldiers in Mosel. AllahPundit at HotAir.com clipped the video.

Some people believe the media. Some people believe the "Iraq Surrender Group".

I believe these guys. Case closed. God Bless 'em.

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Passed along by Robert (the Llama Butcher). There's nothing I can add other than to encourage you to share this with everyone you know.

A Different Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light, I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest, My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white, Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe, Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep, Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem, So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near, But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear, And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night, A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old, Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled, Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear, "Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve, You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift, Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light.
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right, I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line, That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
"My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam', And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while, But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag, The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone, Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet, I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another, Or lay down my life with my sister and brother.
Who stand at the front against any and all, To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright, Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least, Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done, For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret, "Just tell us you love us, and never forget To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone, To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead, To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust, That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

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John Hinderaker of Powerline and I have something in common. We both didn't post this photo because we assumed it would be overkill:

Drudge has it up as do many bloggers, but the MSM has absolutely ignored it. Wonder why? Thus far, only the NY Post has picked up the story, calling it a "smart bomb" dropped on Kerry. So here it is.

Unfortunately, I had to crop it a bit because MuNu is having problems with turning images into thumbnails.

And the unit has been identified: 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 34th Infantry Division (MN National Guard). Give 'em hell, guys!

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With the possibility of North Korea "testing" a new Taepodong-2 nuclear missile, the Defense Department has formally activated it's nascent missile defense shield system.

The U.S. missile defense system includes 11 long-range interceptor missiles, including nine deployed at Fort Greeley, Alaska, and two at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The system was switched from test to operational mode within the past two weeks, the officials said.

One senior Bush administration official told The Washington Times that an option being considered would be to shoot down the Taepodong missile with responding interceptors.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice added that any launch would be a serious matter and "would be taken with utmost seriousness and indeed a provocative act."

Well, thank God George W. Bush said "no" to the out-dated and useless ABM treaty and had SecDef Donald Rumsfeld put a plan in place to implement this program!

Rummy has issued a warning to that buck-toothed little twerp Kim Jong-Il:

"Now witness the firepower of this fully ARMED and OPERATIONAL missile defense shield! Fire at will, Commander!"

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From the NY Times: Young Officers Leaving Army At A High Rate.

"It was the second year in a row of worsening retention numbers, apparently marking the end of a burst of patriotic fervor during which junior officers chose continued military service at unusually high rates."

"The Army has met or exceeded its goals for retention for the past five years, records show. It was 8% over its goal for 2005, and 7% ahead of its targets for 2004. The number of re-enlistments has exceeded the Army's goal by a larger margin each year since 2001.

Soldiers like the Army, 'and the war is not causing people to leave,' says Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty, an Army spokesman. Through March, 2,325 U.S. troops had been killed in Iraq; 1,593 were Army soldiers.

The Pentagon announced in March that each of the armed forces was on track to meet its retention goal for the year.

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In this season of giving, help remember those who are giving so much. Head on over to the Thank A Soldier Week website and e-mail a holiday message to our men and women serving all over the world, sponsored by TownHall.com.

Thanks to The Real Ugly American for the heads-up!

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An story about four soldiers who lost their lives in Vietnam. After 38 years, they finally come home.

Reprinted with permission by The Ugly American.

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Dan at A Slower Pace alerts me to this site where you can type up a message to our men and women serving overseas, via "Operation Dear Abby".

Before you head off to wherever you're going today or before you get too involved in preparing your own meal, head on over and send a message of support and thanks (and don't wait too long, after all Thanksgiving is almost over on that side of the world!)

And spread the word to family and friends. The link is here: http://anyservicemember.navy.mil/

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1 Happy Thanksgiving Ex-Donkey!

Posted by: Wild Thing at November 24, 2005 10:35 AM (tj1zH)

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Yesterday, I encouraged all readers to visit Grey Eagle's A Female Soldier 2 and leave a show of support in the comments section of her most recent post.

As of now, more than 200 of you have left kind words of encouragement and gratitude for the work they are doing in Iraq. If you haven't yet or are only just hearing about this now, I urge you to go there now and do so.

Jay Tea at Wizbang has a good summary of her situation and how we can help: "while we can't extract the venom, we sure can dilute the hell out of it!"

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1 Great post thank you for getting this out there ex-donk. I found another great blog from a soldier in the field recently. Please visit Sergeant Will Whitley's site read this post: http://willwhitley1.blogspot.com/2005/11/hits-home-hard.html and be sure to thank him for his service. I tried to leave a trackback but getting some kind of error.

Posted by: The Ugly American at November 21, 2005 01:51 PM (TEE0r)

2 Hi Gary, I just wanted to thank you for getting the word out about Grey Eagle. The results have been "shock and awe!" So many comments and so much support it is absolutely wonderful. Thank you for your part in it. Anna The Right Place Contributor

Posted by: Anna at November 23, 2005 02:59 PM (Mrl8I)

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Raven at And Rightly So! has a history lesson of this day. Go check it out here.

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I'd like to take this opportunity to showcase a site that'll make you appreciate the work they do. National Guardsman, sent to aid our fellow Americans in the wake of Katrina, show you first hand their experiences on the Gulf Coast. I've included it in the "support the troops" section of the sidebar.

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Here's a good one:

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Major Dad brought this program sponsored by Soldiers' Angels to my attention. Project Valour-IT (Voice Activated Laptops for OUR Injured Troops) provides voice-controlled software and laptop computers to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand and arm injuries or amputations.

I have permalinked it under a section of links called SUPPORT THE TROOPS! in the sidebar. You can also check it out here.

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