AMERICAN MERCENARY IN THE UKRAINE

There's speculation in the comments below this clip in YouTube about whether he's American or Brit - seems he could be either - I watched it a few times and figured that guy might be a Brit but his accent seems more American if you ask me. Looks legit . . . S.L.



I also found it funny that to some of the people commenting, "American mercenaries" automatically means "Blackwater". Blackwater was a private military company - in fact they no longer exist as Blackwater - and what they do is legitimate security work, highly regulated and overseen by the US Government.

You've got to figure - we've had almost 15 years of continual war ... before that we had a professional military the likes of which the world has never seen, with a lot of continual experience in places like Grenada, Lebanon, Panama, Kuwait, Iraq, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Libya and the Mahgreb . . . and so of course it is inevitable these days that guys are "freelancing" - in two places specifically: Ukraine and Iraq.

The American warrior class is firmly established and quite distinct and visible . . . we are also the most misunderstood class of American society . . . and it is an honor to be included as a member of it . . .

STORMBRINGER SENDS

GERMANY DENIES ASYLUM TO AMERICAN DESERTER

Remember THIS guy?

April 05, 2011 Agence France-Presse

Germany has denied asylum to Andre Shepherd, a former US Soldier who deserted his unit in Iraq citing opposition to the war, a spokesman for the federal office for migration and refugees said on Tuesday.

"The asylum claim was rejected because there is no evidence to suggest that the asylum seeker could have been involved in war crimes or other crimes during another posting to Iraq," the office said in a statement.

"He could not cite any concrete crimes his unit committed during his first tour. In addition, as a helicopter mechanic, he was not in danger of becoming involved in fighting and therefore in possible crimes," added the office.

Shepherd, 33, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, walked off his base in southern Germany in 2007 and spent 19 months on the run before applying for asylum.

Before then, he had completed a five-month stint in Iraq between September 2004 and February 2005 where he serviced Apache helicopters as part of the 412th Aviation Support Battalion.

When ordered back to Iraq, he felt he could not continue to take part in what he said was a "completely illegal war" and became the first US Soldier to claim asylum in Germany.

His lawyer, Reinhard Marx, said his client would likely contest the decision but that a forced return to the United States was "out of the question."

"He has married a woman with German nationality, so he has a residence permit. This is about whether the German authorities accept his status as a refugee," Marx told AFP.


This is a good first step - too bad it took two years. Now, for our laws and our oaths of military obligation to have any meaning whatsoever, Andre Shepard must be tried for desertion during wartime. American forces defended Germany for over fifty years - we stared down the Soviet Red Army at Checkpoint Charlie, we did the Berlin Airlift, and we called out the Communists at the Wall, provided moral support and more, until at last that wall came down and Germany was unified once more - and all the while Germany's economy benefited from not having to maintain a huge defense budget. The least Germany can do now is to extradite this piece of excrement so he can face the consequences of his actions. Otherwise, NATO is a joke and Germany will share the same shameful status as Canada during the Vietnam conflict - refuge for deserters.

- SEAN LINNANE SENDS

"Footprint of the American Chicken"

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ARE YOU AN AMERICAN, OR DO YOU JUST LIVE HERE?

This came anonymously to me via the email machine. I do not know who Heather Carlton is, but I can assure you that when and if she ever emerges to contact Blog STORMBRINGER - she will have a permanent seat at our table. - Sean Linnane




Are You an American, or Do You Just Live Here?


By Heather Carlton

Our country has become a country of Americans and other people who just live here. It pains me because I believe that this will change our nation from greatness to mediocrity.

I saw the flag wave as I stood at attention during the playing of our national anthem. It was simply sublime. I could see the tears well up in the eyes of my brother, a twenty-year Army veteran. I could feel the tears in my own eyes. The song pulled at the heartstrings of every member of our family. But not everyone in the crowd felt that way. Not everyone is moved by the ring of freedom.

There are six children in my family, and four of us have served our country. We have uncles who have served, and my grandfathers served. We have a long history of service. There are few citizens in this country who can't find a military member in their lineage. I say "citizens" because this is where I will clarify my statements.

People in our families have served and served with pride in their hearts. When the anthem plays, they remember loved ones and friends who died for this great country and feel proud to have known them. They remember that freedom is not free.

When I watch the news and I see that more of our soldiers have died on foreign ground, it chills me to the bone. It causes my heart to ache for the families and loved ones who have sacrificed it all for our freedom. It has been said that our country is great because "all gave some and some gave all." However, our country is not made up that way anymore.

What has happened to our country? We have become a country of entitlement. Liberals tell us we should allow the illegal immigrants to come here because they are just coming to feed their children, that if you were starving, you would come here, too. They say they are not hurting anyone.

I am here to tell you they are hurting someone. They are hurting us. When Ellis Island was receiving immigrants in record numbers, the people who came to this country came because they wanted to be Americans; they kissed the ground and prayed thanks to God for getting them to this great country and allowing them its vast opportunities. They had to endure great evils and hardships to get here, but they did so happily. They learned our language, and they wanted to assimilate into our culture. They loved America and became Americans.

Now, we are receiving record numbers of illegal immigrants. These people who do not respect our country enough to enter the country properly and legally. They do not care that we have laws, and they bring their own culture here. Many of them do not respect our flag; in fact, they burn it and spit on it in public, periodically. These people are not coming here to be a part of our great country. They want us to learn their language, they want our jobs, and they send money back to support their economy. They do not even plan to assimilate. They will take what they can from our country and leave when it is convenient. These people are weakening our country.

So I say to you: There is a difference between the people who live in America and the people who are Americans. If you are an American, then you should be truly outraged at what is being allowed to happen to our country! You should feel angry over how undeserving people are receiving the freedom and rights that you and your loved ones have fought for and died for. You should feel sad because so many people no longer remember that being an American is really about, and they are all right with settling for just living in America.


Ask yourself. Do I deserve to be here? Do I love this great nation which is unlike any other? Or do I simply reside here? Freedom is not free, and it is not an entitlement. Freedom is ours because of people who loved this country and loved the principles of this country so much that they gave everything they had.



Heather Carlton is a Graduate of the University of Maryland and Veteran of the U.S. Navy



UPDATE: Since I posted this, I have become aware that this piece originally appeared on American Thinker - an excellent blog which I whole-heartedly support. - Sean Linnane


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WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

From Reno, Nevada:







That's a K-BAR Fighting Knife he used to cut down Old Glory; commemorative engraved edition.


I only hope when the day comes I'm confronted with a patriotic challenge like this, I'll have as much class and balls as this guy displayed.


- S.L.



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THIS DAY IN HISTORY

On August 29, 1944, 15,000 American troops marched down the Champs Elysees in Paris as the French capital celebrated its liberation from the Nazis.


An American M8 armored scout car in front of the Arc de Triomphe at the "Liberation Day" parade.


American soldiers watch as the Tricolor flies from the Eiffel Tower again, August 1944.

THE AMERICAN ARMY

"The reason why it is so difficult to fight the American Army is because they never follow their own doctrine."
- A Russian General





"War is Chaos, and the reason why the American Army excels at War is because they practice Chaos on a daily basis."
- a German General

TRAITOR

America has had traitors in every war we've been in - here is the latest to betray his country:

AMERICAN CHARGED WITH GIVING AL QAEDA NYC SUBWAY INFORMATION
- Associated Press, 23 July 2009



NEW YORK - An American man charged with giving Al Qaeda information on the New York transit system and attacking a U.S. military base in Afghanistan has been a secret witness in the fight against terror both here and overseas, authorities revealed Wednesday.

Court papers unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn identified the defendant as Bryant Neal Vinas, nicknamed "Ibrahim" or "Bashir al-Ameriki," who grew up on Long Island.

The official described Vinas as a militant convert who was captured last year in Pakistan. Prosecutors charged Vinas in a rocket attack on U.S. forces in Afghanistan in September 2008. Court papers allege he also gave "expert advice and assistance ... on the New York transit system and Long Island Railroad."

For five months last year, Vinas received "military-style training" from Al Qaeda, according to court papers.

More details here.


The only crime worse than murder is treason - S.L.

AMERICAN DESERTER IN GERMANY

Meet Andre Shepherd, American Deserter:


He has chosen to live the good life in Europe, via a legal loophole, while better men and women than him stand by their obligations.

This worthless piece of human debris apparently brainwashed himself, seduced by members of the German punk rock / anti-war movement.

These are your friends, Andre Shepherd. You have thrown in your lot with them.

I lived in Germany and observed this crowd - they are the same long-haired, maggot-infested bunch one finds in any country of the Free World; Che T-shirts, Arab keffiya's, etcetera. Nothing original about them, never had an original thought in their lives; they glorify totalitarian dictators like Fidel Castro and terrorist scum like Yasser Arafat. In 2003 they marched in support of Saddam Hussein - the guy who operated a national level torture machine that included rape rooms, people fed into wood chippers and acid showers.

The deserter Andre Shepherd is currently supported by Ulli Thiel, a 65-year-old peace activist in Karlsruhe. Mr. Thiel and his wife set up a bank account in the soldier's name, and they deposit about $262 a month so he has spending money. Mr. Shepherd says he hopes to finish his university degree in Karlsruhe if he wins asylum and that he could happily spend the rest of his life in Germany. "It's just amazing here," he said one morning recently in Mr. Thiel's living room as his German host poured him a cup of coffee.

The United States has had traitors and deserters in every war we have been in - Andre Shepherd is the latest to don the Yellow Badge of Cowardice.

FOOTPRINT OF THE AMERICAN CHICKEN

Situation Update: German immigration authorities heard Mr Shepherd's case, and are currently examining his eligibility for asylum. A decision should be reached within the next few months. If asylum is knocked back, Mr Shepherd will appeal to the courts, a process which could take up to five years.

In the meantime, Mr Shepherd can legally stay in Germany, but cannot return to the United States. The decision to desert was not an easy one, Mr Shepherd says. "Your home country will always think you are a traitor, whether you were justified or not," he explained.

YOU THINK?

There is no honor in what you do, Andre Shepherd. You enlisted in the middle of two wars and THEN you decided what you are doing is wrong? Let me tell you what you did: you turned your back on your country and your comrades in time of war. For the rest of your life, every morning as you look in the mirror, a little voice will be going in the back of your throat as you try to convince yourself that what you did was OK . . .

Every day, for the rest of your miserable life, you will have to justify your actions to yourself, to your friends and family, and to your children and grandchildren when they ask, "Daddy, what did you do in the big Iraq War?"

"WAR IS AN UGLY THING, BUT IT IS NOT THE UGLIEST OF THINGS. THE DECAYED AND DEGRADED STATE OF MORAL AND PATRIOTIC FEELING WHICH THINKS THAT NOTHING IS WORTH WAR IS MUCH WORSE. THE PERSON WHO HAS NOTHING FOR WHICH HE IS WILLING TO FIGHT, NOTHING WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN HIS OWN PERSONAL SAFETY, IS A MISERABLE CREATURE AND HAS NOT CHANCE OF BEING FREE UNLESS MADE AND KEPT SO BY THE EXERTIONS OF BETTER MEN THAN HIMSELF." - John Stewart Mill