I posted this in response to Hokie on the Ed's page, but realized everyone had "bugged out" to here. This is just a quick synopsis of my contacts in the military and what is happening around the world/country.

Still haven't got in contact with the boys in 10thSFG or 5thSFG. The websites appear to be back up, but still, I would like to takl to the people I know to find out whats up.

Back at Ft Hood, the guys in 1st Cav Div. are in pre-deployment after block leave for field exercises, nothing sinister there.

Over in Germany, no real news to speak of. The German Army is getting ready to rotate through Hohenfels for 30 days of field exercises against the US Army OPFOR. 7th Army is quiet. Nothing reaklly of consequence.

The gang back in Campbell are real quiet, (especially after the tragic murder there and all the media attention that went along with it.)

Ft Leonard Wood has a minor alert escalation as the Chem Bio School is there, and they might be called on at the rollover if something wicked gets unleashed by tangos. New news on Korea. Tensions escalating as the word was put out 'officially' that up to 50000 civilians (DOD and Dependants) are being issued NBC gear. Heightened sense of worry that the NK's want to pull some stuff over the new year, according to my bro (Captain/CO of and Armor Co.)

Seems that all is real quiet on the .mil side of the house. The only bothersome thing I got was not hearing from the bros in the Teams and Groups. But I'll keep trying.

-- Billy Boy (Rakkasan101st@Aol.com), December 29, 1999

Answers

Thanks, Billy. Looking forward to hearing about the activities.

-- mushroom (mushroom_bs_too_long@yahoo.com), December 29, 1999.

Billy, how do the Korean Boys feel about being left hanging in the cold dmz breeze without carrier support through rollover?

-- Nikoli Krushev (doomsday@y2000.com), December 29, 1999.

I heard on the radio that the National Guard was on standby.

-- Amy Leone (leoneamy@aol.com), December 29, 1999.

Didn't ask, but will in the next call. (Gotta love the watts line!) The guys are more worried vis a vis the China-Tiawan issue, as China has stated catagorically that they would take out any Americans of Opportunity, up to an including the Japanese Bases, and the S. Korean area. If the NK's were to hit, our guys (my bros) are not operating under any sort of illusions. They know that its a fight to the death and that its the endgame if the balloon goes up. "Speedbump" is a common term over there.

Other issues are that the South Koreans are not as co operative as they used to be either. Not as much interdependancy as there was 10 years ago. That leads to a lack of co ordination in the field between US and SK units.

-- Billy Boy (Rakkasan101st@Aol.com), December 29, 1999.

All is quiet at the Waco NG station.

-- mommacarestx (nospam@thanks.com), December 29, 1999.

Thanks for the update Billy Boy, and I will keep your bros in Asia in my prayers. Wish I could wish them safely home. Thank goodness at least some folks got the NBC gear for themselves and their families in Korea.

I watched the new head hauncho for S. Korea in a Senate confirmation hearing a few months back on C-SPAN. He was way concerned about the lack of protection for our forces and their families over there, and listed addressing this as his first objective.

I am disappointed if only NBC gear is distributed, after that dog and pony show I expected bunkers by now and urging of family to evacuate! Actually, I would have preferred a pull out cause at that time he said it was escalating to a show down and we weren't prepared (then) for a showdown. He said we wouldn't lose, but a win would take longer than appropriate. Gave me the impression our boys had been left hanging out there, and I got pissed. Sorry to ramble, just hope they got a hell of a lot more then NBC gear, the new CO has had time and certainly received the support of the Senate Committee. Hope he turned it around. *sigh

-- Hokie (va@va.com), December 29, 1999.