Crónica de un Velázquez

God's Care for Your Ability Level

2009-07-01T15:10:00.002-05:00

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea.

In Exodus 13:18-19, the scribes record that God was concerned that the new Jewish nation be unprepared for an immediate military campaign against the strongholds of the Philistines. Thus, he lead them through a barren land where they would not immediately encounter fierce opposition. Anyone familiar with the time, training, equipment and logistical support essential to combat operations, will recognize, that yes, humanly speaking, the Israeli nation must have been completely unready to field any competent military units, other than untrained mobs of poorly armed men. A more learned man than I might be able to teach us whether the Philistines possessed a trained citizen or mercenary army, walled cities, or such like, all of which would have been significant obstacles to even an established nation.

A question I would like to ask is, how is God's character revealed in these verses? What are some other verses that might help us to understand God and how he treats his children? Would it be too far of a leap to see that God's mercy and understanding of the infant nation of Israel might help to illustrate how he deals with new 'babes in Christ' in the Christian era?

A verse that seems to shed some light on this might be I Corinthians 10,

Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come...No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Paul, writing to the Corinthians says that 'these things' referring to the history of the Israelites written in the Old Testament Scriptures, 'were written down for our instruction'. In light of historical illustration of God's character, he states that God will never allow us to be tempted beyond our ability. God will always give a way of escape, so that we will be able to endure it, to be victorious against it.

I am sure that there are many other Scriptures and things that we could find on this subject, but these quick thoughts are a great comfort to me, as I ask the crucial question that makes Bible study important to me: How can I apply the principle that I have learned in a specific and measurable way over the coming week? My family has faced difficult times of illness, stress, and pain over the past few weeks. A great source of comfort is, that God knows us. He will not allow us to be pushed past our limit. He has equipped us for this battle in every way. He has confidence in our ability to handle this. He will provide a way of escape for us, that we can be able to bear it, through friends, family, helpful doctors, nurses, and employers. I can see this now. Indeed, as Jesus himself has stated,

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life...[l]ook at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they...Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow...But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you...? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For...your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

This last verse, about worrying today about today's problem, I have found to be a key to living a relatively stress free life, in my past troubles. Sometimes, we do not know how we can handle a whole year of trouble, or even a month, or a week, but you know what, you and I absolutely can handle one simple day, whether it be really good or bad. That is all that is required, to handle the problems today, and tomorrow's problems tomorrow.

Posted in draft form.

Bible Study - Warning on the Topical Method

2009-05-18T18:10:00.002-05:00

“[T]he Topical Method…is perhaps the most fascinating method of Bible study…Almost any great subject will take a remarkable hold upon the heart of a Christian man, if he will take time to go through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, and note what it has to say on that topic.

"But the method has its dangers…[a] well-rounded, thorough-going knowledge of the Bible is not possible by this method of study…[because] that every man…[has] some line of topics in which he is especially interested, and if he studies his Bible topically...he is...likely to go over certain topics again and again, and...other topics of equal importance he neglects...become[ing] a one-sided man.

"We never know one truth correctly until we know it in its proper relations to other truths.

"I know of people, for example, who are interested in the great doctrine of the Lord’s Second Coming, and pretty much all their Bible studies are on that line. Now this is a precious doctrine, but there are other doctrines in the Bible which a man needs to know, and it is folly to study this doctrine alone."

This is from How to study the Bible for greatest profit
By Reuben Archer Torrey

When engaging some of my friends in conversation, some of them have stated that they do not like topical sermons so much. I was surprised, and after some thought, began to see what they mean.

Have you ever experienced the benefits or disadvantages of topical study? It can be misused, but at the same time, it seems to me to be an excellent tool if used properly.

Anyways, the quotes above, succinctly state what has been on my mind.

Book Review: Intelligence in War

2009-04-30T22:09:00.000-05:00

In Intelligence in War, the acclaimed author, former Sandhurst professor, John Keegan, chronicles Nelson's pursuit of the Napoleonic Naval Fleet in the Mediterranean, Jackson's Shenandoah Valley Campaign, naval pursuit of German cruisers in World War I, the Battle of Midway, the German invasion of Crete, the Battle of the Atlantic, and the intelligence operations against the German secret weapons programs, specifically and most importantly, the Luftwaffe "flying bomb", and the V-2 Rocket.

Crucial to the World War II battles were the cryptoanalysis work that resulted in the breaking of the German Enigma ciphers and the Japanese Naval and War ciphers on a more or less regular basis, and its contributions to Allied victory. Indeed, history written before 1974, and the declassification of the 'Magic' and 'Ultra' programs, leave much untold in the history of the conflict.

Following World War II, Keegan notes Cold War efforts and the Falklands War, briefly noting intelligence operations in many other conflicts and operations.

In this book, Keegan picks and chooses battles as case studies to illustrate how some are won or lost despite of, because of, or even without intelligence. He also illustrates the fact that the most useful intelligence is gleaned from intercepted communications, whether letters, radio signals, or messengers.

Nelson's battle with the Napoleonic Fleet in the Mediterranean following the French Egyptian Campaign, is an example of how a superior force can prevail despite a lack of good intelligence. The rise and fall of Von Spee's battlecruisers and their anti-shipping efforts illustrate how, again, British forces were able to sink the German cruisers despite very poor intelligence, relying instead upon educated guesswork of the commander, and superior naval strength. The U-boat battles in the Atlantic exemplify how intercepted radio communications pinpointed the German location and intent in order to avoid or intercept them.

The Battle of Midway is a perfect example of an intelligence victory, said by Keegan to be one of the single most important Naval battles in history, where an inferior American fleet was able to mass in space and time with the critical force necessary to deliver a fatal blow to the Imperial Japanese Fleet.

Crete, on the other hand, is an example of how excellent intelligence on who, what, where, how and when the German airborne invasion would occur, resulted in a British loss, because of battlefield miscalculations, despite numerical superiority.

Indeed, one of the crucial observations that Keegan makes is that intelligence, while often crucial in setting the favorable conditions for battle is of secondary importance to the proper execution of force on force engagements. The Poles had broken the German ciphers, but due to their weakness, were easily overrun at the outset of WWII, the British failed to stop the Crete invasion, because of a failure to properly utilize their resources. Indeed, as Keegan notes, intelligence is most useful when acted upon from a position of strength, with Jackson being an example of the opposite, by his actions during the Shenandoah Campaign, where his superior generalship and local intelligence ability allowed an inferior force to avoid pitched battles of attrition, but instead fall at the right place and time to engage a stronger enemy with excellent results.

One key insight is Keegans proposition that human intelligence, i.e., agents or spies, in the field, are of much lesser importance to the conduct of conventional warfare than re intercepted signals intelligence, as illustrated by the minimal effect 'humint' had on the outcomes of the wars in the past centuries. Perhaps the war on terrorism or Cold War could be different, but due to the dubiosity of information, insecurity of communication, and despite of the glamorization of novels, movies and folklore about the significance of the 'secret agent', these have proven to have a negligible effect on the outcome of a war.

The final reckoning in human warfare is the strength, bravery and tactical skill of the men engaged in face to face combat. Force of arms ultimately carries the day, but intelligence can greatly increase its effect and application. Such concludes my brief review of Intelligence in War, by John Keegan, a very engaging and well written 349 page book.

Bible Reading Methodology

2009-04-20T11:25:00.002-05:00

Approximately every year, I attempt to read the Bible all the way through. In the past, I have either read three chapters a day and five on Sunday or four chapters a day. These easily quantifiable methods have the advantage of being simple to track on a daily basis. The downside is that you can become overwhelmed reading through some of the Jewish genealogical data or intricate rules and regulations of the old testament.

Through recent influence of the Navigators Bible Study group I am a part of, I now read in four different places. Starting in Genesis, Job, Matthew and Galatians. Job 29 is the center chapter of the Old Testament, and by starting in Job and Genesis, I should finish the Old Testament at the same time by reading all the way to the middle and to the end simultaneously. You may immediately point out that there are 929 chapters in the Old Testament so that will not result in a one year read through, but if I accelerate my reading program through the short Psalms, I am sure that it will work out eventually.

Even if I do not read through the entire Old Testament in one year, by reading two chapters per day in the New Testament, I should read it through three times per year. Anyways, this is the first time I have changed my 'straight through the book' method.

Do any of you use any other methods?

Apprehension versus Paranoia

2009-02-18T21:29:00.000-06:00

Please note that "apprehension" and "paranoia" are not synonyms. Paranoia is a mental affliction. Apprehension is reasonable awareness of hazard.

~Colonel Jeff Cooper

The End of the Matter

2009-01-29T16:52:00.002-06:00

He went on patrol tonight. It was his last. He shot the rest of the ammo he had left. Now, all he has is a dirty pistol, a rucksack and a flight bag under his cot. His tent is warm. He sleeps. Soon he will be home. He is happy.

Specialization is for Insects

2009-01-14T15:58:00.000-06:00

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

-Robert A. Heinlein

Why I Read the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times

2009-01-13T15:45:00.006-06:00

"Read the Wall Street Journal everyday, and you will learn everything they taught me at Harvard," MAJ X, West Point.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in 2007, had an international subscription total of 2 million, including the world's largest group of online paid subscribers, of which I am one out of 931,000.

The WSJ has been printed continuously since 1889, and has won the Pulitzer Prize 33 times. According to Wikipedia, it is "the nation's preeminent business news and conservative opinion newspaper."

Personally, I enjoy reading the Wall Street Journal because it is not sensationalized reporting such as that found on FoxNews, CNN, or any of a variety of news services. It reports on 'important' things like politics, international relations, and business. The WSJ features in depth analysis that sets it apart from its peers and that seems targeted towards an educated readership. This is not surprising, as the reader profile for the WSJ is 55 years old, is 60% likely to be in a top management position, and has an average income of $191,000 with an average household net worth of $2.1 million in 2005.

So why do I read the New York Times (NYT)? It reports breaking news, has a fine history of outstanding investigative journalism, and it is very well written as evidenced by the 98 Pulitzer Prizes it has won since its founding in 1851 (more than any other newspaper). If you are a conservative, it is a useful place to 'know thine enemy' due to its typically liberal editorials.

As a plebe at West Point, I had to memorize three articles from the New York Times every day and recite the gist of the articles to whichever upperclassman asked me. So, I have many memories of waking up on a cold morning, and reading articles before morning formation while shining my shoes, or straightening my uniform. Such habits die slowly sometimes.

Perhaps it is worth mentioning that the old-fashioned newspaper, especially in its modern online form, is much more efficient in the transmission of information than is its rival, the television. A practiced reader will read dozens of articles and thousands of words of information in the same time that you could view the morning news.

*All of my facts and figures can be referenced most easily on Wikipedia's References.

French Quote

2009-01-13T13:29:00.000-06:00

"Four brave men who do not know each other will not dare to attack a lion. Four less brave, but knowing each other well, sure of their reliability and consequently of mutual aid, will attack resolutely."

Colonel Ardant du Picq (Frenchman and military theorist)

Discipline versus Regimen

2009-01-12T16:00:00.002-06:00

When pondering some of my rather incurable tendencies towards procrastination and other bad habits, I remind myself that despite having attended one of the nation's toughest schools, there is a great difference between discipline and regimen.

Self-discipline is quite simply self denial, or willpower that enables you to control your impulses

Regimen is imposed from the outside. It is systematic planning often forced upon the 'regiments'.

Thus, a Soldier may wake up at 0430 in the morning, run ten miles, do 150 flutter kicks, in the snow, in the heat, anywhere, but is that Soldier self-disciplined?

Possibly not. If he is forced to run ten miles and wake up early, he is being regimented.

If, however, that same Soldier is found running on a Saturday morning while his friends are sleeping, that, my friend, is the true essence of self-discipline.

Yet, this is something that some people do not understand. Regimentation that is not internalized is only good while the system is being enforced. In fact, regimentation might even have an inverse effect on self-discipline, as the anecdotal evidence suggests when young Soldiers are released for free time.

How does this apply to my future as an autocratic father of small Velázquez'? I do not know, but it is something that I ponder from time to time. How can discipline be taught to another? Most likely through force of example, I suppose. What do you think?

Sights, Sounds and Smells

2009-01-12T12:46:00.002-06:00

Living in Iraq has many unique sounds: the familiar whomp and rattling windows of rockets being test fired by scout and attack helicopters; the immediately recognizable thump-thump-thump of a .50 M2 heavy machine, or the chatter of its little brothers, M240B and the SAW; the constant chop-chop-chop of the Chinook, or the Blackhawk or the OH-58D helicopters passing by; the familiar crackle of radio chatter with the hollow sounding awwwwwwwww that never fails to bug you from units that are beyond radio range. You get to know each other so well, that even a burp is immediately recognizable over internal comms. On a forward operating base or contingency operating base, there is also the continual roar of electric generators, the rumble of heavy diesel engines along with the rattle of shaky Rocket Propelled Grenade cages; the sharp POP or BOOM, depending on the size, when you blow something up with your trusty C4 plastic explosives. Can you ever forget the mournful wailing of the call to prayer from the Mosque’s loudspeakers?; the funny accents of the little kids begging for food, "Mister, mister!"

There are familiar smells, like the burnt dust that gets all over you, the sweet, acrid smell of an artillery shell or plastic explosive that just went off in your immediate vicinity; the awful intoxicating smell of scorched cleaner, lubricant and propellant combined with burnt gunpowder; the stinky moon dust when it rains; the malodorous scent of our friend, the Iraqi Soldier, who evidently believes it is more manly to smell bad; the aroma of your Kevlar when you put it on or take it off; the fragrance of your Army combat uniform when it is wet.

You see things too: like the quick orange flash of an improvised explosive device, followed by a lot of shrapnel and dust and the delayed KABOOOOM; the wide-eyed look of a Soldier who has been hit for the first time and is surprised to see that he is still alive; the sun, which is brighter and hotter than you have ever remembered, burning you with its hot rays; the brown, shadowy sand drifts that float by in a dust storm; the unique sign language that we use back and forth to communicate fairly well with the Iraqis, even if we do not know Arabic.

There are many who have seen much more than I have of this country, but this is what I remember. I hope that I never again view this land, at least not under the present circumstances. But someday, in the twilight of my life, I might look back and remember these as some of the best: the days when I was the platoon leader for 2nd Platoon, 58th Combat Engineers, responsible for 32 of some of the best Soldiers and Sergeants in the United States Army.

An Expensive Fish

2009-01-12T12:13:00.002-06:00

Apparently, in Japan, eating the first fish of the season brings great luck for the rest of the year, so reports the Wall Street Journal. Two restaurants in Tokyo bid and won a 128 kilogram (282 lbs) bluefin tuna fish for $104,800 dollars. If you had been at Kyubey Sushi last week, you could have tasted a sliver of the fish for only $22.

Read more at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123154398110769541.html
If you cannot read the link, let me know.

Blog Update

2009-01-11T11:26:00.002-06:00

Some of you have wondered why I haven't written in so long. Here are a few reasons: 1. Life is boring over here. The interesting stuff that happens, I do not post due to operational security concerns. 2. For some reason, the login to the Blogger is in Arabic, so I have a hard time manipulating the controls. 3. You cannot login to this from a government computer.

So, I guess no excuse really.

An Idiot is Easily Annoyed...

2008-08-14T01:52:00.003-05:00

The vexation of a fool is known at once,
but the prudent ignores an insult.

King Solomon, ESV

The prudent man is wise, discreet, sensible, careful, judicious. He is not rash or hasty in his actions.

The fool is ignorant, gullible, undisciplined, simple. He is easily angered by the slightest irritation or inconvenience.

Distractions are bad...

2008-08-13T04:12:00.004-05:00

Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.

The term red herring originated from fox hunting in Great Britain. Apparently hunters would drag a dried, red fish across the path of a hunting dog in order to train him to keep on the scent of a fox without being distracted. A good dog would ignore the scent of the red herring and continue on the original scent of the fox.

In my life, I have many distractions. I like to read the Wall Street Journal too much. I like to play chess. People are always stopping by to talk to me. These little things add up to a lot and can seriously degrade my ability to accomplish what is truly important.

Indeed, the MacArthur Study Bible points out that hard work towards empty goals is just as useless as laziness. What do you think?

Pondering...

2008-05-09T08:00:00.004-05:00

At the Academy, we always knew that some of us would have our lives cut short prematurely. My platoon leader when I was a plebe died as an engineer platoon leader while I was still at school. One of my classmates collapsed outside my window after an eight mile run and died soon thereafter. A cadet who lived across the hall from me died six months after graduation during combat operations. The list goes on.

Familiar faces you saw on the way to class, or while running up hills, or in training are now gone forever. Tim was my friend. Together, we went to church, Bible study, we won the water turbine competition together; we were one of the few who kept the same girlfriend all through college; we understood each other; we were both Texans; we both participated in the Sandhurst competition. He held me accountable in my Christian walk. He truly was one of my closest friends.

It is hard to comprehend why God choses to call home who He does. I never would have thought that God would have allowed such a strong Christian man like Timothy to die so early. After all, he was a new husband, a new father. His life was cut short. He will never see his daughter grow up and graduate. I don't have an answer to why God does the things that he does.

One thing I do know is this: Timothy Cunningham had reached a level of spiritual maturity in his short life that most Christians never reach in their entire lifetimes. He lived a life of service to others, and modeled Christianity before a great number of peers and subordinates. Hundreds of people who knew him are pondering his passing. My hope is that somehow, like the biblical Samson, he will be more of a force for good in his death than he was in his life.

God has called home on of His most loyal Soldiers. It was an honor to know Timothy, and one day, I know I will meet him again. I will always cherish his memory.

Timothy Cunningham

2008-05-09T07:01:00.005-05:00

Tim, you were one of my best friends in the world. I will always remember our studies together, your godly wisdom and sincere friendship. You are my role model for true Christianity. The world is a worse place for having lost you. I hope that I can do my part, to stand in the gap you have left. Tim, like we talked about that night before you flew to the Middle East, please know that I will always try to be a good 'uncle' to your little daughter. I'll do whatever I can to ease your family's grief and make sure they are taken care of. Sometimes I wish I could have died in your place, so you could raise your little girl Abigail and be a husband to Samantha. You were a better man than I am, and I do not understand why God took you instead of me. I will never forget you. It was an honor to serve beside you.

Well done. Be thou at peace.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day..." 2 Timothy 4

Jeffrey Velázquez,
1st Lieutenant, Engineers
Platoon Leader
58th Combat Engineer Company

http://www.west-point.org/users/usma2006/62413/

Happy New Year!!

2007-12-31T18:32:00.000-06:00

I have been enjoying 2008 for about 3 and a half hours now. Hope that those of you back in the U.S. are enjoying what is left of 2007.

The Pigeon: Threat to National Security

2007-12-24T14:47:00.001-06:00

There is a Chinese .22 pellet rifle over here with 315 confirmed kills. They turned it over to me to give to someone else, who conveniently was not around. I was doubtful. The pellet rifle didn't seem like anything special.

Could it kill a pigeon?

A dozen or so of these flying beauties roosted in a tree outside my shop, so I loaded the thing up, shined my Petzl headlamp up in the tree, and what did you see, but a bunch of pink-eyed pigeons in their nightclothes. Poor family. They now mourn the loss of their loved one.

My boss, being from New Jersey, where everyone is politically correct, didn't quite understand why I would want to harm one of "God's little creatures." I had to give him a fitting explanation about the pigeon.

Most people have heard about the carrier pigeon, and how they used to flood the sky in swarms that blackened the sun, scattering woe and confusion in their paths. Now they are extinct.

But from the shadows of the grave, the carrier pigeons' relative, the regular pigeon has arisen, and threatens to rise to the infamosity and terrible calamity of it's defeated cousin.

Unlike most of its avian kin, the pigeon is basically a flying cockroach with wings. Its sole purpose in life, is to eat trash, and deposit a slippery whitish substance, high in calcium all over the place, even on my bicycle, which was standing innocently near the tree. They deserve to die, richly so.

Furthermore, without a doubt, these are insurgent pigeons, trained by Al Qaeda to infiltrate American posts and collect intelligence on us, their feared adversaries.

They might even be suicide pigeons, sent on the deadly mission of slamming into the rotor blades and spinning turbines of coalition aircraft, causing millions of dollars of damage, and hundreds of lost man-hours.

But it doesn't just stop there. These birds are no doubt pigeons of mass destruction, otherwise known as biological agents. Have you ever heard of avian bird flu? Have you ever seen how pigeons live? It is sickening. They live adulterous lives, eat rotten garbage, and have never been converted to Christianity. I don't doubt they even drink the blue koolaid out of the Porta-Jons. They are literally crawling with loathsome diseases.

They should all be killed. Every single one. America must achieve victory against the dreaded insurgent, Islamic extremist, suicide pigeons of mass destruction.

These creatures should be torn from the sky, their feathers scattered, and their children uprooted from their homes. Their property should be seized, they should be murdered in the streets, and on the fields and airstrips. We should never rest until they are defeated and our country is secure.

The CH-47

2007-12-17T17:11:00.000-06:00

It is a wonderful aircraft. I flew in one the other day, 4-5 short flights, the back door was open and I sat next too it, trying to peer out into the night. We flew over the dark countryside, hanging on tightly.

The last time I flew in one of these was at Fort Leonardwood. The big whomp-whomp of the double propellers can almost blow a small guy over if you are close to the rotor wash. We flew over Land between the Lakes in Missouri, and tumbled out into the water. After swimming ashore, we did it again, but from a little higher up and with heavy rucks. It's called helocasting, a sport that tends to get you fairly cold and wet.

Counterinsurgency

2007-11-28T01:04:00.000-06:00

Since nothing much exciting has happened recently, I have decided to enlighten you on some reading I have been doing in the recently published Field Manual FM 3-34, Counterinsurgency.

Most have probably heard that we are fighting an insurgency in Iraq.
But what exactly is an insurgency? General Petraeus, the
current commander of troops on the ground in Iraq, oversaw the effort
to publish the first US Military Counterinsurgency Manual in 20 years.

Below are either direct quotes or paraphrases from the FM.

There are various Insurgent Approaches:

Conspiratorial -- Remain secretive and emerge rapidly to take control,
like the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in 1917.
Military Focused -- Rely on movement of combat forces instead of
political subversion.

Urban -- Increasing effective within growing urban centers, though
historically not as successful as rural based uprisings. Tactics
include sowing disorder, inciting sectarian violence, weakening
government, intimidating population, killing government and population
leaders, fixing and intimidating police & military forces, create
government oppression. The Irish Republican Army is a good example of
an urban insurgency. Small cells require little or no popular
support, making them hard to quash.

Protracted Popular War -- Mao Zedung's Theory of Protracted War
Strategic Defense -- Insurgents concentrate on survival & building support
Strategic Stalemate -- Force correlations approach equilibrium and
guerrilla warfare becomes most important activity
Strategic Counteroffensive -- Insurgents have superior strength and
switch to conventional operations to destroy government military
capability

Protracted Popular War does not require sequential or complete
application of all three stages. China, Vietnam, and Algeria are
examples of PPW, except that Algeria did not implement the last stage.

Identity Focused -- Common identity of religious affiliation, clan
tribe, or ethnic group

Composite Approaches & Coalitions -- Use different approaches at
different times and places, applying tactics that take best advantage
of circumstance.

Means of Mobilization include persuasion, coercion, reaction to abuse,
foreign support, apolitical motivations.

Elements of Insurgency include Movement Leaders, Combatants (main,
regional, local, including militias), Political cadre (militants or
party), Auxiliaries (important support services), and a mass base.

The insurgency in Iraq is quite complex. The suicide bombers and other combatants sometimes give the facade that Al-Qaeda International is made up of irrational beings, but the real brains behind the insurgency are well versed in insurgency methods based upon scholarly study and participation in other conflicts, like fighting in Chechnya and Afghanistan against the Soviet Army. Many top AQI leaders hold degrees in Engineering and other sciences from Universities in the United States, and Great Britain. The combatants are actually but the tip of the spear in an insurgency that is able to generate mass support. The actions of AQI have alienated the population, it seems, so that is great news for us.

It seems that the insurgency in Iraq is quite complex, containing elements of many different types of insurgencies from the past. The surge of troops and the implementation of counterinsurgency doctrine seem to have been quite successful in recent months. Hopefully, the trend will continue.

Cadet Prayer

2007-11-10T09:01:00.000-06:00

CADET PRAYER

O God, our Father, Thou Searcher of human hearts, help us to draw near to Thee in sincerity and truth. May our religion be filled with gladness and may our worship of Thee be natural.

Strengthen and increase our admiration for honest dealing and clean thinking, and suffer not our hatred of hypocrisy and pretence ever to diminish.

Encourage us in our endeavor to live above the common level of life.

Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole truth can be won.

Endow us with courage that is born of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy, that scorns to compromise with vice and injustice and knows no fear when truth and right are in jeopardy.

Guard us against flippancy and irreverence in the sacred things of life.

Grant us new ties of friendship and new opportunities of service.

Kindle our hearts in fellowship with those of a cheerful countenance, and soften our hearts with sympathy for those who sorrow and suffer.

Help us to maintain the honor of the Corps untarnished and unsullied and to show forth in our lives the ideals of West Point in doing our duty to Thee and to our Country.

All of which we ask in the name of the Great Friend and Master of all, Jesus Christ our Lord. - Amen

To the Success of Liberty

2007-11-09T20:19:00.000-06:00

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty." - John Kennedy

To all our friends and family who are supporting us, we are touched and encouraged by your prayers and kinds words. - Joy

Blackwater and the East India Company

2007-11-08T22:30:00.001-06:00

If you think that private firms like Blackwater are something new, think again!

In a different century, in another empire, during efforts to 'stabilize' an eastern people, the East India Company employed combat troops, ships, and imposed its rule on the inhabitants of many people, thousands of miles from home.

Times have changed.

Instead of the British Empire, we have the United States.

Instead of India, we have Iraq.

Instead of the East India Company, we have Blackwater, Triple Canopy, KBR, and a host of other companies.

Blackwater has come under increasing scrutiny, lately after an incident in which 17 or so Iraqi nationals were killed in a fire fight in Iraq. Blackwater is a private company that, among other things, provides armed security for U.S. diplomats in Iraq. This company recruits heavily from ex-U.S. and British special forces.

But what is this? A private military company? Yes, says, Blackwater. Blackwater has its own intelligence branch, aircraft division, armored division, etc., and plans to be able to field a Brigade sized unit in the near future. Blackwater was founded by Erik Prince, a Naval Academy graduate and former Navy SEAL. It currently operates the equivalent of a private military base in the South Carolina swamps, which is where the black water comes from.

Yet, diplomat security is not all that Blackwater does. It worked in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, has provided support to the Department of Defense's counter narcotic programs, and has also acquired other foreign contracts, including military support to Azerbaijan and security services to Japan. In the future Blackwater plans to provide armed military support in other crises around the globe.

So what we have here is a company, like Wal-Mart, or McDonalds, that has the ability to fight small wars, train other nation's militaries, and conduct all sorts of missions that are normally limited to national governments.

Unusual? Not hardly. Especially when you look at companies like the British East India Company, who for a period of over 250 years, raised its own armies, and governed one of the largest regions in the world.

Maybe you've never heard of the East India Company, but they held Napoleon captive on St. Helena, their teas resulted in the Boston Tea Party before the American revolution, they employed CPT Kidd (the famous pirate) to fight piracy (unsuccessfully), made treaties and agreements with multiple nations, occupied foreign soil forcibly.

After an Indian (in India) rebellion in 1857, the British government took over the armed services and administrative functions of the British East India Company, bringing its long and illustrious career to an abrupt halt.

There are convincing arguments that the East India Flag (the company flew it's own flag) was an inspiration for the American stars and stripes. Anyways, this company was a stockholder's company run for profit. It operated almost like a country within a country.

I am not an expert on these subjects by any means, but this brings light to King Solomon's exhortation that "there is nothing new under the sun." Perhaps we can better understand the unique problems of today by studying the lessons learned in similar circumstances from the past.

The Mandaeans?

2007-11-04T15:50:00.000-06:00

Most of us have probably heard of a great variety of religions. Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Shintoism, Scientology, maybe even Zoroastrianism. But how many of you have heard of Mandaeanism?

Like Christians, Jews and Muslims, Mandaeans revere Adam, Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, and Shem, but then they skip over Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, and leave out Muhammad.

But what is especially interesting about them, is that they exalt John the Baptist as the final and most honorable prophet. Interesting.

Legend has it that these people left Palestine after the destruction of Jerusalem in 1st Century AD. Legend also affirms that their original leader was raised in a Christian baptismal sect and later broke off to form his own religion. Anyways, some believe that these people are the last remnants of the Gnostics, whoever they were. The Mandaeans moved into Southern Mesopotamia where they settled in what is now Southern Iraq. That is how I found out about them.

One of their central scriptures is the draša ḏ-iahia, or the Book of John the Baptist. I have not read it, so I don't know what all is contained in it.

Worldwide, the Mandaeans number around 60-70,000. You can read more about them online at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandaeans.

Anthrax Delights...

2007-11-01T11:57:00.001-06:00

Despite the consequences, I was awarded three shots today.

The first one was my annual flu shot, in which I have a great deal of confidence. These things make you immune to virtually all known communicable diseases, don't you see? It is a lot better than the flu mist, that you inhale gallantly through the nostrils. Apparently some unlucky soldier about passed out after respirating it today. Anyways, no big deal. I don't know why they gave me the shot, though, instead of the mist.

Next on line was the Typhoid shot. Not significant either. It only gives you a headache, apparently.

Finally, the terrible, the famous, the magnificent Anthrax shot. The medium sized needle's harmless appearance belies its truly amazing abilities.

The little shot person smiled devilishly, and proceeded to warn me that within 20 seconds of the shot, I would begin to feel side effects.

Not a big deal. She stuck it in, and pulled it out. I put my uniform shirt back on, and proceeded over to a psychological screening. Didn't feel anything, then, suddenly, you feel the pangs, as it were, of interesting sensations under the skin of your arm. Lesser men might call it pain, or suffering, anyways, nothing to worry about of course. This stuff also causes joint stiffness and soreness, and other side effects.

Right now, my arm feels like a 270 pound man punched me as hard as he could in the shoulder. Not that it hurts, or anything.

Now, I wonder what all this shot will do for me? I have already noticed accelerated comprehension and alertness, and increased athletic ability, except for the one arm that feels like it is about to come off.

Upcoming Trip

2007-10-29T20:48:00.000-06:00

Friends and relatives,

As some of you know, I shall soon be leaving for some destination across the water. Anyways, if you would like to receive regular email updates, or get my physical mailing address, please let me know. I do not plan to post much besides innocuous stuff on here due to operational security concerns.

Your prayers are much appreciated.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Velázquez,
LT, EN

Breathing through your Nose

2007-09-26T17:56:00.000-05:00

Today I enjoyed taking Eagle First Responder Class. Otherwise known as Combat Lifesaver course. You learn different things about how to care for wounded soldiers to keep them from dying before a Medic can get to them or they can be taken back to a field hospital.

Well, we got these Nasal tubes jammed down our noses. They help you breathe if your face is blown off, but they are pretty nasty. Much worse than picking large burgers by hand.

Tomorrow we will stick IVs into each other. I've done it before, not that I was successful. Hopefully I can do it good enough to avoid hurting partner too bad.

Why do they call sick or wounded people patients? I think you should call them 'victims.' For example, "Splint the victim." Or "Tilt the victim's head back." Sounds so much better than "adjusting the patient."

Calling a person a patient might be fairly inaccurate, given the high stress levels frequently experienced.

Block Leave

2007-09-26T11:19:00.000-05:00

Soon, we shall be journeying into the land of promise. The great state of Texas. Discovered originally by Spanish explorers, of course.

I am looking to hunt Javelina and dove while in Texas. So if you have any places I can go, let me know. Would like to do a lot of shooting and deep sea fishing off the coast.

Might also make a trip into Chihuahua to visit family. They live up in the gold and silver mine area of Chihuahua up in the mountains. Much of our family still lives there, running various business as Watchmakers, Bio-Chemists, music and art teachers, etc.

A Guitar.

2007-09-24T22:58:00.000-05:00

I bought a guitar the other day. It was is a classical guitar, of course. Invented by the Spaniards. The current 'American' guitar devolved from it. I think it was a regression, anyways.

Well, I do not know how to play the guitar, but I will when I come back. I packed it into a shipping container the other day with my bicycle. Hopefully I can ride my bicycle and learn to play my guitar while in theater, though not necessarily at the same time.

The shipping container will be transported by boat to a port oversees, I imagine, and await my arrival wherever it is I am going. (You know good and well where I am going but am not going to start posting this stuff on a public website).

Well, violin playing does not translate into guitar ability, it seems, but I have printed out some music and begun to read it. Will let you know how this projects proceeds.

Hopefully the guitar survives its journey. I paid almost as much for the protective case as I did for the guitar.

Knighthood

2007-09-02T22:03:00.000-05:00

Entry into the Order of the Knights of Aragón & Castile, Keepers of the Damascus Steel, Protector of Spain.

Well, not really. This is a picture of me in my choir robe. I tried to post one of Joy, but she was unwilling for her picture to grace the halls of the web worldwide.

Color Guard

2007-09-01T09:25:00.000-05:00

Found this picture the other day. The 3rd & 4th Regimental Team consisted of "Chip" Kruger, rifleman, Jeffrey Velázquez, US Flag, Sean McCoy, USMA flag, Walter Velásquez, Army flag, and Glenn Hermiller, rifleman.

Members of the color guard, I would like to point out, were chosen on the basis of their great height, phenomenal looks, and military bearing. :)

Chip Kruger is now an Infantry officer, but I don't know where he is at. Walter got out of the military, he paid off El Salvador and got a job as an Electrical Engineer. Sean is in Iraq as an Infantry platoon leader. Glenn Hermiller is an Engineer officer, in Kansas, I think.

2007-08-26T15:45:00.000-05:00

Local Chess Tournament Winner!!!

Well friends and family, my husband has always been a winner in my eyes, but he is now the top active duty Chess player at Ft. Campbell! He played a series of six games, and was undefeated until playing a retired civilian chess geezer. Although second place overall, Jeffrey was the top active duty soldier player. I think this a pretty good achievement, considering chess is only a sideline hobby for him. Great job, Jeffrey!

In Praise of the Chicken...

2007-08-02T22:40:00.000-05:00

BREAKING NEWS:

This is a real story from MSNBC about a drunk German who killed 300 chickens in a car accident. Some of the chickens "were so desperate to get away that they ran into the wall and died," others "suffered heart attacks."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20236625/

What do you think of when you think of the Chicken (Gallus Gallus)? The ancient Greeks thought even a lion to be afraid of the chicken. Several of Aesop's fables reference this well-grounded belief.

Example of Virtue:

Pride

Vigilance

Bravery

Betrayal

Knowledge

Chickenpox (chickens do not get it)

Any man would be glad to have any of the above character traits.

History: Chickens hold a prominent place in world history. Archaeologists believe the first depictions of chickens to be inscribed on 7th Century B.C. Corinthian pottery, a precursor, no doubt, to the modern female humans' desire to decorate her kitchen with rooster and hen paraphernalia.

The defeat of the Roman Navy by the Carthaginians in the Battle of Deprana is attributed to General Publius Claudius Plucher's disregard for the Chicken and its wisdom. Seeing that they were nervous and would not feed before the battle, he cried, "If they won't eat, perhaps they will drink."

After the hapless fowl were tossed overboard, the Romans promptly lost the battle, sustaining a loss of 93 sheep. Upon Publius' return to Rome, he was tried for his impious ways and fined heavily.

Religion: Besides obvious uses as oracles, chickens and their behavior has been lauded and emulated by various societies.

The Jewish Talmud states that "learning courtesy from one's mate" in reference, no doubt, to a cock letting everyone know when he had found something to eat, and standing by, lets them eat it first.

It is a sign of the Zodiac on the Chinese calender.

In European folk tales, the devil was believed to flee at the first crow of the cock.

Even the Apostle Peter learned much from the vigilance and bravery of the chicken.

Contribution to Society:

Chickens can be boiled. Fried. Bar-B-Qued. Boiled. Roasted. Marinated. Smoked.

The ingredient in cakes, cookies, bread, salad, and a myriad of other dishes, the chicken has contributed greatly to the national defense through its protein and nutritional value. Valued for it's eggs, meat and feathers, the chicken decorates many a man's plate, and a woman's hat.

Industrious in life, and valiant in death, the chicken remains one of man's most favorite companions. Whether on the farm, or in the casserole, the chicken warms the hearts and minds of those who love it best.

Before 1910 the chicken was confined to Sunday dinners and other special occasions. But due to an increase in modern poultry production methods has made the chicken the most popular meat consumed in the United States, surpassing even the ubiquitous Texas Longhorn and its relatives.

Today, modern culture has paid tribute to the chicken in movies like Chicken Run, and Chicken Little.

Folklore: Humankind's infatuation with this animal have led to it's association being used for a plethora of charming maxims:

"Don't be a chicken."

"Don't act like a chicken."

"It tastes like chicken."

"Eat more chicken."

"Running around like a chicken with its head cut off."

"He flew the coop."

"Scratch around for it."

"The sky is falling!"

Philosophy: The Chicken has had a profound influence on philosophy, with such ethical dilemmas as,

"Who came first, the chicken or the egg?" or

"Why did the chicken cross the road?"

These questions have been long debated by both academic elites and the common man.

The most famous of the ancient philosophers, Socrates, according to Plato, mentioned the chicken with the dying words, "Crito I owe a cock to Asclepius, ill you remember to pay the debt?"

Poetry: Yet, what separates a chicken from most other animals? A chicken disdains, yea, even relishes the thought of its own death.

Ponder the truths of this poem, written by a young Army officer.

The Joyous Death of the Chicken

If ever a chicken needeth to die,
It's not a bother, don't ask me why,
I will not hesitate, to officiate
At a chicken head removal ceremony,

This method of execution,
Is quite humane.
It’s called decapitation,
Little struggle, no pain.

The chicken will run and jump and play,
Delighted no longer with a head encumbered.
Running about madly,
It no longer feels sadly,
This liberation from brains so joyfully encountered,
Just before eaten, is quite unconcerned,
This delicious and wonderful animal creature.
A rooster so handsome that had to die,
So that eat we could, you and I,
And deliciously savor that chicken’s meat,
Dipped in marinate, roasted in heat.

Presidential rumblings...

2007-07-23T20:59:00.001-05:00

NOTE 1: THIS CRONICA POST IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. CONTINUAL EDITING IS IN EFFECT.

Early Election Reflection

Dissatisfaction with the insurgency in Iraq, fueling plunging ratings for both the Executive and Legislative branches, have motivated unprecedented early election rumblings, with some of my dearest friends jockeying for Presidential nominations.

General Wesley Clark (Absent as of yet...)

Noticeably absent is my friend, Wesley Clark, 2004 Democratic Presidential candidate, former NATO commander, Rhodes scholar, West Point graduate.

Also depicted in this photograph is future Texas First Lady, the former Joy Alexander, of Cincinnati, Ohio. She had come up to be at a banquet with me.

First Lady, Senator Hillary Clinton

Of course, hanging right in there, is my former First Lady, Hillary Clinton. She is really sweet. I met her one time. She came to visit me in college.As you can see, she is jotting down some remarks, or policy suggestions, if you will. She claims to have learned a lot of foreign policy during her visit there...

President George W. Bush

Finally, there is my most favorite Presidential candidate of all time, President George W. Bush. He was the commencement speaker at the 2006 U.S. Military Academy graduation.

SABER 666

I really wish that my saber, serial # 666 could also be in the picture, but it is hidden by the President. I am very attached to that saber. It has been converted and is now not only a keen Christian, but pointedly Protestant and a sharp Methodist at that.

Here she is...this is the only photo I could find, as she is kind of shy. Pictured are my cronies, Kurt Goodell, currently deployed, and Jimmy Nguyen, studying to be a doctor in the University of Michigan medical program.Saber 666 can be seen hiding in the lower left hand corner. She must not have seen this one coming...

By the way, if you would every like to see this saber, it is currently in the possession of Juan Fernando Velázquez Delgado, Watchmaker. Ask him, and I'm sure he would be glad to show it to you.

It shows signs of age, due to the numerous plebes it murdered during its 70+ years at the Academy, before it was 'liberated' by one who was not afraid of the ominous serial...but it gleams with an eerie golden-yellow hue, unlike any other saber at the Academy.

Train up an Animal in the Way it Should Go....

2007-07-20T21:51:00.001-05:00

This animal, is a medium sized creature better known by the taxonomic nomenclature of canis lupus labradorus, otherwise commonly called labrador retriever in the vernacular.

Bred for excellence in water salvage of doomed waterfowl, it functions well as a retrieving gun dog due to its "sound, athletic, well-balanced conformation" in the words of the American Kennel Club, possessing webbed feet and waterproof lining, hence the name Duck.

This particular animal is owned by Jeffrey & Joy and does quite well in rigorous training exercises as evidenced by this documentary photograph. Blessed with a pedigree that rivals the royal lineage of some monarchs, the Daisy Duck is able to trace her ancestry back as far as the time of Christ in equivalent dog-years.

Daisy has been trained to exacting standards by a cruel regime of exercise, indoctrination, and spartan-like repetitious disciplinary methodology. Also holds the positions of gun dog, watch & clock dog, baby-licker dog, weight-loss program dog, infiltration beast, and light reconaissance animal. She is now able to fetch, heel, sit, kennel, and obey a variety of other commands, especially when emphasized with a stern tone of voice and a sore tail bone.

An environmentally friendly creature, she contributes greatly to the ecosystem by fertilizing small plants and other vegetation.

Juan is my father; Jesus is my grandfather.

2007-07-17T21:46:00.001-05:00

Juan Fernando Velázquez Delgado, pictured center left, is a man of interesting beginnings. Born the 4th son of Spanish parents in the old Mexican town of Santa Barbara, (est. 1541), near the gold and silver mines of Chihuahua, he grew up in an area of Mexico with a distinctly European culture, immersed in the classical music and manners of Old Spain and schooled in the flawless use of the Castellano.

An astute scholar, JFV graduated as valedictorian from the engineering prep school in Parral, Chih., graduated from the Instituto Tecnologico de Parral as a machinist, securing a 90% scholarship to the prestigious Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey, as a Math and Engineering student. Later transferring to the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, lack of funding for the other 10% of his schooling forced him to discontinue his studies.

At this point, he meets a young American nurse, the beautiful, vivacious Margaret Ebersohl of Texas, then serving as an attache to a missionary children's home. They fell in love and were shortly married. His educational pursuits on hold, JFV revived his lifelong interest in watchmaking, working first in his old college town of Monterrey, later moving to Texas in 1982, and starting his own business in 1989. A third generation watchmaker, JFV comes from a long line of small business owners and local officials.

Trained from childhood in the old profession of precision watchmaking, JFV continues to oversee his business in South Texas. His hobbies include Spanish classical guitar, collecting old revolvers and watches, and producing exceptional sons.

Picture at left, is of the proud Spaniard, Jesus Velázquez Hinojos, watchmaker, politician, actor, father of Juan F. Velázquez Delgado, grandfather of Jeffrey H. Velázquez Ebersohl.

My mother when she was a little girl...

2007-07-17T21:32:00.000-05:00

Look at this picture of my mommy. Now you know why I am so cute. She lived in Cuba, Mexico, Michigan, South Carolina, Alabama, Arizona, and who know where else, before she came to rest in Texas.

This is probably from the '50's. Who knows. Anyways, it looks very old.

Old Historical Review

2007-07-17T21:18:00.001-05:00

In looking through archives, I discovered a picture of myself as fire control officer in the Navy and my sidekick, well, I don't remember his name..

The top one is of Joy, before she became a married woman with a beautiful last name at her graduation from God's Bible School & College, an old, conservative Methodist college in Cincinnati.

Sapper School (Continued)

2007-06-23T20:51:00.000-05:00

Well, some of you keep asking what Sapper School was like.

The course emphasizes the following: demolitions, mountaineering, aerial operations, land navigation, waterborne operations, urban breaching, (military operations in urban terrain) MOUT, threat weapons, combatives and troop leading procedures & combat orders.

Demolitions was fun. We constructed cratering charges, door breaching charges, made napalm, used ammonium nitrate to make satchel charges, expedient claymores, and all kinds of interesting explosives. Napalm started some nice little fires, but it burned out.

Mountaineering was fairly rugged. We did all sorts of rappels, including the ordinary hollywood and equipment rappels. I then had to buddy rappel with a 200lb guy strapped my back, and also did the Aussie rappel, where you descend down the ropes face first, which usually means upside down.

For aerial operations, we were limited to using the CH-47 Chinook, which I had not flown on before. The Chinook is the big helicopter with two main blades on the front and back. Anyways, we flew around in them and did helocasting into the water. Helocasting involves jumping out of the aircraft, into the water. It was fun, moving at 10 knots around 15 ft over the water, so it wasn't too far up, but far enough up, that a soldier that was airborne (paratrooper) qualified refused to jump. What a wimp. We jumped a couple of times and had to swim however far you landed in the water back to shore pulling your rucksack (hopefully waterproofed) to the shore so that the Sapper instructors could smoke you some more.

Land navigation was the usual. It is six hours long, with three at night and three during daylight. Me and my partner, West Point '06 classmate, Dennis Hines, did fairly well. We did make a mistake, however, and decided to go for our 6th point with only 50 minutes left. We already had found five points and you needed only four to pass the course. Anyways, we went up the side of one of the worst mountains I have ever climbed. Of course we had our rifles and packs weighing I don't now how much, and the side of the mountain was overgrown with little saplings that snagged on my gear, making forward motion pretty much impossible. After much toil and groaning, we made it to the top, and found we had lost the map. Miraculously, I found it a few minutes later, and as we were running back down a trail, I stepped funny and hear some strange pops and snapping in my leg, and found I had sprained my ankle. I was fairly surprised as I have run in snow and ice on rocks in the hills up in New York with no ill effects, but anyways, we barely made it back in time. My ankle still is not quite fixed 6 weeks later, but I feel God helped me make it through the rest of Sapper school, carrying over 100 lbs of gear sometimes.

The last two weeks, we were out in the field, doing patrols and missions that were normally ambushes, raids or reconnaissance. Of course we were sleep deprived and starved a little. More than a few lost 15-20 lbs in those two weeks. If everything went well, we usually got 1 MRE a day, so I didn't think it was all that bad. The sleep deprivation was kind of funny. Guys would fall asleep marching down the trail, and would tumble into a tree or ditch frequently. I took a nap a couple of times as we were marching. When pulling security in our patrol bases, it got so bad that they let us stand up so that we could stay awake. Didn't help me much, though. I got quite good at sleeping standing up and was always somersaulting over my machine gun, or whatever bushes happened to be around. One time when the patrol leader at the time was briefing the key leaders, I was holding up the map so that he could use it to brief off of. I fell asleep three times and dropped the map in the middle of the briefing. Some guys suffered pretty bad. One guy tried to call in Santa Claus over the radio, people saw buildings and people that didn't exist in the middle of the woods.

One neat thing was they starved us for a couple of days and brought us back into the base camp. At the base camp they had a couple dozen rabbits and chickens. A buddy of mine and I managed to chase down the biggest chicken and killed it promptly. After taking a quick break to watch it run around with no head, we took it apart and ate it. It was kind of tough, and we ended up eating mainly some rice and potatoes they gave us, but never before had a live animal looked so delicious.

I was one of the 28 of the original 45(?) sapper candidates that completed the course. I was thankful to have made it, but frustrated that I hadn't earned the Sapper tab. I had earned all the points I needed to pass the course, but on a dark night towards the end of the course, as I was leading my patrol in a patrol base for the night, one of our guys fell asleep in the woods and my subordinates failed to account for him. Myself and my assistant patrol leader, a Ranger who was going to be the honor graduate, failed our patrol and didn't earn our tabs. The Sapper instructors later told me that it was really not my fault as patrol leader, but even so, since I was in charge, I bore responsibility for my subordinates actions. All in all, it was a great learning experience, and I hope to go back as soon as I can for more excitement.

The last thing that happened was on the morning of graduation. We had to go down to our combatives area around 3 a.m., and do our final combatives drill. Some of our instructors do cage fighting/ultimate fighting competitions, and I got hit pretty hard in the head multiple times by an instructor that I had kicked in the face one night as he tried to tie me up for sleeping standing up. Anyways, he got in quite a few good punches in on me before I managed to get him in a clinch to subdue the rascal. Too bad we couldn't hit back.

Sapper school is a pretty cool school to go to. As the 'engineer ranger school' it is pretty rigorous. Learned a lot, nobody died, starved to death, or went too crazy, so I count it as a success.

Sapper Leader Course

2007-06-11T21:52:00.000-05:00

After returning from a delightful stay in Arizona for three weeks, followed by 1 and 1/2 weeks in the field doing convoy operations I was called in on Monday and informed that I had to go to Sapper School in four days, starting on 05 May 2007. I was kind of surprised and was not in top physical conditioning due to my being on temporary duty for so long.

Anyways. I went to Sapper school and came back. It was fun. Got starved and sleep deprived. Will give more details later when I have more time.

Arizona Raid

2007-04-20T20:28:00.000-05:00

A lightning attack into Arizona was completed with a successful withdrawal today. Lieutenant Jeffrey Velázquez, Combat Engineer, participated in a deep raid that involved an air insertion and later ground movement covering thousands of miles, deep within American territory. The audacity, courage, and intrepidity of the 2Lt were impeccable at all times and a testament to valor, to country, and to everything that is noble and good in this world. Cheering crowds met him at Nashville, Tennessee as he flew in today, with local bands providing entertainment. In a prepared statement released to the press, Velázquez reported that he was in high spirits after this mission, and prepared to press on toward victory, whatever that might mean. After hurried jostling with reporters, the Lieutenant departed via personally owned vehicle towards I-24W.

Since 1 April, 2LT Velázquez has been on temporary duty to Fort Huachucah, Arizona. This is an army post dating back to when the Apaches (Cochise) and the U.S. government were having a few problems. Today, located several miles from the Mexican Border, it is the United States Army Intelligence Center. His duties there were to complete the Electronic Warfare Operations Course.

Jeffrey's beautiful wife, Joy came up to be with him for a week and a half. They had a lot of fun. They even went to the Grand Canyon. It was a pretty big hole in the ground. A little known fact is that the Corps of Engineers dug the Grand Canyon out back in the 1880's, using manpower and donkeys to carry loads of earth and rock to dump in the Colorado area, helping to form the Rocky mountains. They attended Easter Mass that Sunday, unlike good Protestants and drove back to Sierra Vista, Arizona after pondering the terrain and beauty.

Later visited Tombstone, Arizona, the scene of a famous gun battle in 1881, where Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and Doc Holliday took on some opponents at the OK Corral. Nowadays, the town is a rendezvous for Winter Arizonans as they flee the cold of the northern wastelands. People walk around and fire pistols in the air and act tough.

The Coronado National Memorial is close to Sierra Vista where the young couple were staying. They went hiking for five miles up a mountain to look over into Mexico, and then went over a dangerous overland trail to the Mexican border where they executed border surveillance missions taking pictures of a marker and saw a hole in the fence that the intrepid Lieutenant crawled through to look around. You hear about illegal immigration and drug smuggling, but don't worry; the border is protected by a 3 foot high cattle fence. The illegals are no doubt afraid that they will snag their clothing as they pass, rendering the border virtually impassable.

The altitude is pretty high, around 6,000 feet or less, estimates vary. Anyways the high altitude is good for running. Despite phenomenal physical fitness, someone felt like a little girl after running up a mountain. Evidently, they don't grow a lot of oxygen at high altitudes.

The course was interesting, but classified, so nothing to say about that.

Arizona is possesses rugged and beautiful terrain, most similar to the terrain of Chihuahuah state in Mexico, and probably not dissimilar to New Mexico, Nevada, and East Texas with which people are less familiar. Law-abiding citizens can carry a pistol openly in Arizona which the Velázquez did not do, because of the clandestine nature of the operation .

Went to a restaurant and saw 14 guys from the 'other sidewalk' acting cutely. Interesting cultural experience.

Consistency is Key

2007-04-06T23:51:00.000-05:00

Some men can do the right thing some of the time.

Most can do it nearly all of the time.

But, for a man to do the right thing all the time, everyday...that is rare.

Especially when it might hurt you or your reputation. The Bible states, ‘Blessed is the man that swears to his own hurt and changes not.’ Might this means that even if it hurts your feelings, your sense of accomplishment, or whatever else, the man who sticks to his convictions will be blessed? I think so, maybe not in this life, except for a good conscience, but for sure, in the life to come.

Sometimes it is hard to do the right thing when no one is looking. This is when true character is measured. No one would ever know that you cut corners that time, that you delved into the shades of gray.

Consistency, however, is much more than doing the right thing all the time. After all don't some do the wrong thing consistently? True, worthwhile consistency is being able to force yourself to do something that is hard, even when it hurts.

An athlete trains, not only on a cool spring morning, but also in the blazing heat of summertime, and in the freezing cold of winter. Consistent discipline drives him to perform the exercise that will enable him to compete successfully against a weaker man.

Habits, especially good ones, are hard to form, but once made, should perpetuate themselves. Running, prayer, weight-lifting, letter-writing, car-washing, yard-cutting, all of these are habits, or should be.

Remember that anybody can lie around all day and fritter their time away. It takes a real hero to go the extra mile to get the job done, or done more than once.

Consistency is key. Thou art a jewel.

Be Strong

2007-03-27T20:02:00.000-06:00

What is pain? what is misery? what is suffering? what is sleep deprivation, hunger, tiredness, muscle soreness? what are all these, but a means to an end? And what a price to pay! But remember, only a few, a valiant few, are willing to pay the price for excellence: to work while others sleep, to suffer while others play, to starve while others eat and are full. Other souls will slip into mediocrity. Does not the Bible say that a man diligent in his work will stand before kings, not before ordinary men? And what must you always remember? You are in the world’s premiere leadership laboratory, a place where pain and suffering are recognized for what they are: hard schoolmasters who prepare those of you who are able to withstand their rigors to meet with and defeat any obstacle you face. Why? Not because you are smarter. You are smart, you are strong, but your prized key to success and what makes you to be more successful than your competitors, is that you are willing to pay the price for victory. So, never forget your vows. Never complain. Never look with regret on the life you have chosen. Learn to love it. Live the life you have here to the fullest, for God is preparing you to be a leader that He can use for His glory, like a fine instrument, sharpened and oiled, fit for use by the Master to apply to His craft work here on earth. Keep your long range goals in perspective when enduring the pain of the moment. This life won’t last forever, and you must realize that. After the storm comes the calm; after the darkness comes light; after work comes reward; after courtship comes the wedding day. The harder you work for something, the more you will appreciate it and value it in the end.

Find out God’s will for you in life, and accomplish it at all costs.

There is nothing new under the sun.

2007-03-22T19:04:00.000-06:00

King Solomon stated this long ago, long before the invention of gasoline engines, aircraft, computers, etc. All these things are obviously new, but what I think he was saying is: humans are the same and always will be. The way they act, live, and think is not necessarily all that different from billions of other humans that have lived in the past or will live in the future.

Take, for example, current American politics. Is a democracy or a republic a new thing? No, remember the Roman Republic or the Greek democracies? What about abortion, homosexuality, attritional wars in far corners, lone superpower status, etc., etc? All these things have happened before and will happen again, and people will struggle on both sides of these issues or deal with the consequences of various happenings or states of being.

I have been reading 'A History of Christianity' from Christ until 1400, and have been impressed by one thing: continual cyclic momentum. The power, the purity, and the profession of Christianity has risen and fallen over the past centuries, with it waxing and waning in various parts of the globe.

What I conclude is this: don't be overawed by seemingly insurmountable obstacles in your personal, local or national area of interest. What you are facing has been faced before. People are facing similar situations now, and will face them in the future. Don't give up hope. Press on toward your objective. You are part of a cycle, a wave that may or may not be cresting in your lifetime. The time of planting seems unfruitful, but when harvest is brought to maturity, your labor will not have been in vain.

What is popular today, will fade tomorrow. Don't be overconfident of success, but at the same time, do not underestimate your potential. You may be the hottest thing on the market tomorrow.

Air Assault!!

2007-03-13T19:49:00.000-06:00

Jeffrey is in Air Assault School right now. Helicopter assault, sling-loading equipment under helicopters, rappelling, landing zone selection, medical evacuation and getting 'smoked' for various 'offenses' members of the class commit that get everybody in trouble. Jokingly referred to as 'the ten hardest days in the Army', Jeffrey will be glad to be finished with this experience.

We went to Officer Christian Fellowship (OCF) tonight, an international organization that consists of Christian military officers that work together in Bible studies at various military posts around the world. We just finished up a study of the life of Elijah. Jeffrey has been involved with this organization for about 4 years. In fact, we both attended a pre-marriage seminar hosted by OCF last year.

This past weekend, we were in Cincinnati for a few days. We got to visit our family, including Paul, Linda, and Marjorie Alexander, as well as Joy's brother and sister-in-law, Paul and Myra Alexander. We played a game called Settlers several times with our friends there. Jeffrey traded pistols at a gun show and went shooting his H&K USP Compact .40 with his brother, Joshua Velázquez at a local indoor gun range.

Joy is planning on going with Jeffrey to Arizona for a couple of weeks in the near future, where Jeffrey will be studying some military intelligence technologies in use deployed in theater.

Joy is singing in choir regularly at Park Lane Church of the Nazarene. From time to time, she solos, or even fills in on the piano of the regular piano players are sick or away. She is making new friends with Jeffrey's friends' wives, with her neighbors, and with friends at church and at a couple Bible studies we are a part of.

We live in a neighborhood reserved for Army officers and senior non-commissioned officers. Many of the houses are empty, but are filling up fast as new people move in, preparing for a 101st Airborne deployment. A Chaplain lives across the street, former classmates a few blocks away, a medical service corps officer next door, etc. It is a nice, safe, friendly community here on post. Only ten minutes drive from everything. Jeffrey enjoys this as he is able to take naps before breakfast and lunch everyday if he feels like it.

Well, have a good one.

Ft. Campbell, KY

2007-01-13T09:29:00.000-06:00

Joy and I really like our new post. We are situated about 1/4 mile into the Tennessee border. 4.5 hours from Joy's parents in Cincinnati. I suppose that we will be here for the next 3 years, approximately. We live in on-post housing on Eagle Loop in Werner Park.

Just got out of the in processing battalion. Tuesday I report in to the 326th Airborne Engineer Battalion (Air Assault). Previously organic to the 101st Airborne, the 326 was deactivated and now is being newly stood up as a separate battalion under the 20th Engineer Brigade at Fort Bragg. Only approx. 295 personnel are in the battalion and our equipment levels are non-existent. Nevertheless, we should be at 100% strength by January of 2008. Deployment to Iraq is expected thereafter.

No word on Ranger school. Successfully completed the PreRanger program at Engineer Basic Officer Leader Course at Ft. Leonard Wood, but with no slots due us because of the Christmas exodus, I hope that my new unit will give me a slot with the memo I have. Anyways, being an Engineer I can expect to go to Sapper school in the near future as well as Air Assault school, of course.

Doug and Carmela Quesenberry came up from E. Tennessee to bring us a bookcase and a desk for which Joy and I are very grateful.

Currently, I hold the position of S-2, Intelligence officer for the battalion. Hopefully this position is short-lived. I expect to receive a Sapper Platoon Leader slot within 3-6 months. We are so short on officers that they are sticking 2Lt's in random places.

We found a Church of the Nazarene that we liked a lot about 12 minutes from our home. Given our conservative Methodist background, Joy and I really liked the church. I hate church-hopping so we will probably go to this one given its theological similarity, its proximity, and the nice people that are there.

Well, I am enjoying the long weekend. I plan on changing the oil, take Joy bowling, fix up my Echo weedeater and blower I shipped up from Texas. We have Friday-Tuesday off. How nice.

Well, I better go. Adios.

Recent Occurances

2006-11-05T13:19:00.000-06:00

Joy and I are currently at Engineer Basic Officer Leader Course, designed to familiarize new lieutenants with their engineer specific training.

This is what has happened this week:

Monday: 0345: 12-mile Ranger-prep road march; classes all day
Tuesday: Went to Officer Christian Fellowship Bible study; ran 5-miles
Wednesday: Went to class. Went to church
Thursday: Had a 5 mile run test. Had company over to our house.
Etc., etc.