Today is military day here at The Western Word. I write about a new military task force being proposed in the Montana State Legislature. I also write about a new report that tells us the Army is not doing a very good job at treating soldiers with PTSD. Plus, I voice my support for combat medals like the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart to be ranked ahead of a new medal called the Distinguished Warfare Medal. There’s more so read on…
Category Archives: Ready to Fight?
Finding a Hero
It was nice to see that someone else believes those representing the Great Falls area in regard to the military were more or less surrendering to the decision to move the F-15 fighter mission from Montana to California. I had previously written about Montana’s military in the column called, “We Need a Hero.” You can read it HERE.
Montana State Senator Ed Buttrey lays it all out in an over 1100 word Guest Opinion that appeared in today’s Great Falls Tribune (not on-line as of my deadline) and recently in the Fairfield Sun Times (available online HERE).
Buttrey begins his Guest Opinion with: Continue reading
We Need a Hero
Being one who has long supported the military missions around Great Falls and across Montana, as well as being one who has actually been in the military (that’s how I got here), I was somewhat alarmed after catching THIS STORY in today’s Great Falls Tribune.
Short version: It does not look good for military missions around Great Falls, Montana.
The people interviewed for the story did not present a very rosy picture for the Air Guard and the Active Duty military base. Starting with the headline “MANG’s mission change probable” and a 30% loss of personnel and ending with the missile bases losing another 30-50 missiles, the future does not look very bright at all. Continue reading
Ready to Fight? Part III
Today is the final installment of “Ready to Fight?” These three columns are devoted to keeping and adding military missions here in Montana. The “Ready to Fight?” columns were in response to a Great Falls Tribune Editorial last Sunday about fighting for military missions. You can read it HERE.
In part one I wrote about the waste of money and the politics involved with the announcement that the Montana Air National Guard’s F-15s would be going to California. You can read Part I HERE.
In part two, I wrote about what the State of Montana can do and what the local military committees (the Chamber) can do. You can read Part II HERE.
Today I write about what the local Economic Development Authority, the Congressional Delegation and last, but not least, the local media, can do to be “Ready to Fight.”
At the end, I have closing comments. Read on… Continue reading
Ready to Fight? Part II
In part one of “Ready to Fight?” I wrote about the waste of money and the politics involved with the announcement that the Montana Air National Guard’s F-15s would be going to California. You can read Part One HERE. This editorial from the Great Falls Tribune was the basis for my column.
I’ve picked five things that the local community can improve upon or do to actually be “Ready to Fight.” Putting all five ideas in one column makes it a long read, so today I will talk about what the State of Montana can do and what the local military committees (the Chamber) can do.
On Thursday, I’ll talk about the local Economic Development Authority, the Congressional delegation and last, but not least, the local media. I’ll also have closing comments.
Sadly, it does not seem the community is ready for this fight. It may be too late. There’s just too much of “marking your territory” from some in the community, but that’s not to say the community does not support the military personnel in and around Great Falls. They do.
If the State of Montana and the Great Falls Chamber of Commerce really wants to put up a “helluva fight” (as the Great Falls Tribune calls it) for long-term military presence in Montana, here are some things they can do. Continue reading
Ready to Fight?
First we had the headline from the Great Falls Tribune, “Air Force confirms MANG to lose F-15s” which was first announced by Congressman Denny Rehberg and first posted here at The Western Word.
Then in the Sunday paper, we had the “symbolic” editorial from the Tribune brass, “Community, delegation need to fight for MANG missions.”
While there’s sadness in Great Falls, Montana, there’s joy in Fresno, California.
I would be shirking my duties as a columnist/blogger if I did not take an in-depth look at the Tribune editorial. So today is part one of a two part column about that editorial. Continue reading
