Our discussion yesterday about censoring Google Earth led me to ponder about military censoring in general. Should the United States censor anything? Isn’t this the land of the free? I believe the obvious answer to that question is that some censorship of delicate information is vital for any nation. Military persons are not allowed to divulge sensitive information. However where do you draw the line? It is important that military censorship does not go too far so as to infringe on the rights of the citizens and soldiers of this great country.
During WWI, censorship was common for British soldiers. Any » Read More

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Separation is never easy. It doesn’t matter who you are or what side of deployment you find yourself living on. Being separated from those you care about is an aspect of military life nobody ever really adjusts to. Sailors and soldiers who deploy leave home painfully aware that they face a heck of a long time away from their friends and loved ones. What can the rest of us who remain behind do to help them through it? We can actually do a lot. We can start by making » Read More

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Google Earth has revolutionized the way that people look at our world today. With just the click of a button, you can travel to any destination to see an aerial view of that location. This is a beautiful piece of technology indeed. But is it something that could easily be utilized to harm America or other nations? The one reason people argue against such a claim is that the images from google earth are months old. However many military bases around the world do not change there operation every few months.
The United States government has certain military bases/sites censored by » Read More

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The Judge Advocate General’s Corps refers to the judicial segment of any of the United States military forces. JAGs in the Marines, Air Force, and Coast guard maintain active officer status while serving. However JAGs in the Army and Navy only serve as law officials without officer status.
You may remember the popular TV show, JAG which introduced the public to the ideas and procedures that are a part of the military court system. JAGs are commissioned to defend and prosecute based on military law. This law is based on the Uniform Code of Military Justice. This code, also known as » Read More

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President Bush recently met with the leader of North Korea, to discuss the relationship of the two nations. As I saw this, I couldn’t help but wonder what will amount between the United States and North Korea. It seems that in recent years, the relationship of North Korea and the United States has been characterized by US prevention of North Korea utilizing Nuclear weapons. North Korea has attempted to make peace with the United States lately for fear of possible attacks.
In the press conference, President Bush announced that trade between the two nations would resume once again. This of course » Read More

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A friend sent me the following announcement currently traveling the Web: “Very soon you will see a great many people wearing blue every Friday. The reason?
Americans who support our troops used to be called the ’silent majority.’ We are no longer silent and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record-breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or overbearing. Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends simply want to recognize that the vast majority of America supports our troops. Our idea of showing solidarity and » Read More

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What are they? Well, the Rules of Engagement vary depending on the situation at hand and the people giving orders. In general, rules of engagement are rules laid down by superior officers which dictate what actions military officers are permitted to take during specific situations. Common rules of engagement for military and civilian interaction are such as: “Do not fire unless fired upon.”
In short, these rules are developed by every government to help ensure that conflicts are not escalated more than necessary. However some people argue that these rules are too infringing to military personal. Take the case of the » Read More

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I made time on Sunday to go see “Stop-Loss” showing at the theater just outside Naval Station Norfolk. The movie, starring Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum and Abbie Cornish, focuses on the
necessary stop loss policy in our current wartime situation with Iraq. I’m glad I went. It gave me a clearer perspective while reading the USA Today piece by Tom Vanden Brook, “More Kept in Army Despite Gates’ Order,” featured on AOL News this afternoon. He writes: “The Army has accelerated its policy of involuntary extensions of duty to bolster its troop levels, despite » Read More

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I have heard such cries lobbied against the United States on more than one occasion. Individuals from the United States and abroad have tried to identify America as an International Police Force. If we are a Police Force, is that really a negative thing? What else could someone hope for if not our government which functions based on democracy?
Granted our government is not perfect but I do believe that it is the best option when weighed against a dictatorship or communism. Why is communism steadily declining in this world and free trade gaining popularity? Because it is what most people » Read More

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When is it ok for civilians to die as a result of our war efforts? Civilian casualties are virtually unavoidable. But where do we draw the line. How hard should our government be working to ensure that civilians’ lives are not threatened? As we have talked about lately, our military has engaged in many wars and attacks which have caused thousands of civilian casualties. That is why people are opposed to cluster bombs, because civilians are affected the most.
Let’s look at this from an ethical perspective. When dealing with issues of war, if we do not have ethics, we are » Read More

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