In 2019, I wrote about the Torres v Dept. of Public Safety case here. That case has now been decided in favor of Capt. Leroy Torres, a Texas Guardsmen. The DPS would not accommodate his illness, which he contracted during his tour in Iraq. Capt. Torres then filed suit under the Uniformed Services Employment
Memorial Day is a time to remember those veterans who gave all they had to give for us. I always think of 1SGT Saenz at times like this. Some 100 of us IRR members met at Ft. Jackson on March 13, 2005. We reported to Ft. Jackson, South Carolina for in-processing and reintroduction to the
To mark Memorial Day, I would also like to recall two area San Antonio heroes. They were both fiends of mine. They both died in war zones back in 2005 and 2006 when I was deployed myself.
SSGT Clinton Newman was a fine soldier. He was a bright young man in the 321st Civil Affairs
They found his body three days after he was pulled under by the current. SPC Bishop Evans jumped in to save a couple of illegal immigrants. He did what Guardsmen have always done, save someone he never met. Two illegal immigrants are alive due to his efforts.
As the Justice of the Peace arrived, she
I have written about Operation Lone Star here and here. It is an exceedingly stupid mission, generated simply to secure an election. It is fundamentally flawed in so many ways. Chief among its problems is a lack of work for its about 6,500 Guardsmen/women. A close second is the lack of basic equipment. The
I am an Iraq veteran. I served in Iraq from 2005 to 2006. Some 140,000 other brothers and sisters served in Iraq with me. I am told there were some 1.5 million total who served in Iraq. Wherever I go, I find a bond with fellow Iraq and Afghanistan vets. We share the bond of
The Texas Military Department has activated at least 6500 members of the Texas National Guard, and perhaps as many as 10,000. Remarkably, they called some soldiers to active duty with only two or three days notice. In numerous news reports, Guardsmen have reported they are vastly under-employed. One Guardsman was quoted as saying all he
When I was called to active duty in 2003, we had exactly 5 days notice. But, our leadership had dropped heavy hints two months prior. And, that activation was classified. It was “super secret.” Still, we had those precious two months to change our lives.
Many soldiers in Operation Lone Star just had two
I first wrote this a few Christmases ago. It still seems to resonate. Every Christmas, I look back to my Christmas in Iraq, some six years ago. I served as a Civil Affairs officer supervising a staff of 3. In the war zone, everyday is a work day. On Christmas Eve, we worked a full