News

War & Politics

NF-18F — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 17:21:00 +0000

War:
1. Struggle to Drive Wedge in Syria Military Elite – Fox News
2. Hama Part II? – CNN
3. NATO Raid Kills Qaddafi’s Son – Fox News
4. North Korea Stick and Carrot Strategy – LA Times
5. How Iran Defeated Obama – The Diplomat
6. Terrorism Index – Maplecroft
7. Pakistan: Friend or Foe – AEI

Politics:
1. The Power of Bad Ideas – Peggy Noonan
2. Development and Dictators - The Economist
3. Battle over Gun Rights – Fox News
4. Obama Supporters Ready for 2012 – LA Times
5. Debt Reduction on Grand Scale – Charles Krauthammer
6. Government Cant Fix the Problem – Detroit News
7. It’s Not Amazon That’s Greedy – Orange County Register

Think Tanks:

Reset Regret with Russia

Cut Defense

Military Spending, Not Defense Spending

Test ban Treaty Still a Bad Idea

Declining Satellite Capabilities

Support the Green Beret Foundation

NF-18F — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 23:10:13 +0000

The United States Army Special Forces, commonly known as the Green Berets, produces some of our nation’s finest and most elite warriors. They fight across a broad spectrum of missions in the pursuit of freedom for those oppressed and to protect our nation from those who seek to do us harm. They are known as our country’s quiet professionals. The Green Berets have been defending our nation against its enemies throughout the last 5 decades in times of peace and war.

The liberties we enjoy as Americans don’t come without a cost. The Special Forces bear the burden of having the highest number of wounded personnel of any other U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) proponent. The Green Beret Foundation serves these quiet professionals who bravely serve the American people and its freedoms.

In an effort to fill the gaps in support left by the boundaries of other organizations, the GBF facilitates assistance to our wounded, ill and injured Special Forces soldiers and their families. We do this by providing resources to ease the burdens of some of the financial hardships that arise in their time of need as well as improving the quality of life for the soldier and the family.

Green Beret Foundation Website

Green Beret Foundation on Facebook

Green Beret Fighting His Way to MMA Title

NF-18F — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 04:11:26 +0000

Green Beret Fighting His Way to MMA Title

Tim Kennedy soldiers toward MMA title shot

Tim Kennedy is torn between two worlds.

As a mixed martial arts fighter, Kennedy is one of the top middleweights in the world, looking to beat the best while winning world titles. As an Army Special Forces Green Beret, Kennedy has spent extensive time in Afghanistan and South America. No matter which of those two worlds he is living in, he yearns for the other.

“It’s torture both ways. When I’m not overseas, I regret not being overseas,” Kennedy said, noting he stays in the loop about what’s happening in the military.

“It drives me insane, but when I’m overseas, it’s agony to be away from my family for that long. It’s torture to watch guys who I know I can compete against have such great success in MMA. Right now I’ve dedicated myself to MMA and in a little bit, I’ll go back and finish my career.”

That current dedication to MMA has put Kennedy (13-3) in a big fight July 30 at “Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson” in Hoffman Estates, Ill. Kennedy will battle former EliteXC middleweight champion Robbie Lawler in a crucial bout that could determine the next contender for Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza’s title.

Despite Kennedy’s solid record, this is his first stint as a full-time mixed martial artist. Prior, he fought in between deployments and tours of duty. Now he’s training full-time, and it’s paying off. Since signing with Strikeforce in 2009, Kennedy is 4-1 with four submission finishes and the only loss coming to Souza.

Learning to compete

It’s a big change from the days where he went into fights with little preparation.

“It was kind of working, but I just couldn’t compete at a high level because I didn’t have the time to train,” Kennedy said. “I was tough and fairly good, so I could beat most the guys on the local circuit, but for me to complete at a really elite level, I had to really dedicate myself to one or the other.”

He said the Army helped him understand discipline better and that, in turn, has helped make him a better fighter.

“Before, I just went off my God-given athletic genetics that my family gave me,” Kennedy said. “I never trained like I should, I never had fight camps. I would just fight. Now I’m very disciplined in how I approach my preparations for a fight. I can just attribute that to the discipline the Army taught me.”

That’s why it’s such a struggle for Kennedy. He loves the Army, but he also loves being home, competing in MMA and being with his family. Knowing his time in MMA is short-lived, Kennedy wants to accomplish as much as he can before heading back into the military. He wants to be Strikeforce middleweight champion, win the UFC title and beat world No. 1 middleweight Anderson Silva.

But when he does go back to the Army, he’ll leave behind a wife and two daughters, eight and nine, who both are growing up quickly when it comes to the real world and what daddy does.

“I used to tell them I was going away to kill zombies and they thought that was really funny and cute, but now they can see the news,” Kennedy said. “They know what an IED is. They know what post-traumatic stress is. When an eight-year old is like, ‘Daddy, do you have PTSD?’ you’re like, ‘Oh my God.’ So they totally get it. There’s no zombie wars. They know where I’m going, when I’m going, so it makes it tougher.”

Despite his notoriety, Kennedy stresses he is no different than any other soldier who is making sacrifices for their country.

“That’s a sacrifice hundreds of thousands of soldiers make every single day,” he said. “Why should it be any different for me? It’s absolute hell to walk away from your family for six months, 12 months, 18 months at a time like soldiers do every single day. I’m no better than any of them and every one of these guys are making the same sacrifice I’ll be making.”

Beyond MMA

For now, Kennedy is focused on MMA, but it won’t be long before he’s back overseas. And just like he has goals in mixed martial arts, Kennedy has his sights set on some specific things in the Army, as well.

“I’ve been an operator for eight years now,” he said. “I want to lead a team in combat. I’m a shooter, I’ve been a door-kicker, a sniper, now I want to be a commander. I want to lead an (Operational Detachment Alpha) in combat. Not for the sake of doing it, but I know I’m a good leader, I’m very experienced and I think I can contribute.”

Matt Bishop is a reporter and radio host at BloodyElbow.com. Read his MMA column for The Detroit News, “The KO Corner,” every Friday at detnews.com.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110722/OPINION03/107220360/Tim-Kennedy-soldiers-toward-MMA-title-shot#ixzz1TSouIgST

Charitable commitment of PGA TOUR tournaments, players highlighted in CBS Sports special

NF-18F — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 03:58:41 +0000

Charitable commitment of PGA TOUR tournaments, players highlighted in CBS Sports special

“Playing with a Purpose presented by Barclays”

Hour-long show will air Saturday, August 6, 1 p.m. ET

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Making a positive impact on the communities where its tournaments are held and players live is part of the culture of the PGA TOUR, and one that has resulted in more than $1.6 billion generated for charity since the first tournament donation in 1938. Playing with a Purpose presented by Barclays, an hour-long CBS Sports special airing Saturday, Aug. 6, at 1 p.m. ET, illustrates the charitable commitments by players, tournaments and organizations within the TOUR family, sharing inspirational stories of those who are part of the TOUR’s “Together, anything’s possible” mission.

Among the stories to be told are:

Established in 2010, The Jim and Tabitha Furyk Foundation was developed to help children and families in need. With Furyk’s success – especially recently with his 2010 FedExCup title – the Furyks felt it was time to give back to the Jacksonville, Fla., community in which they live and raise their family. In Playing with a Purpose presented by Barclays, viewers get a glimpse of the Furyks’ dedication to local organizations that offer food for underprivileged children, care for children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions that insurance does not cover, family counseling, or simply a safe place for a child.

United States Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets, bear the burden of having more wounded personnel than any other U.S. Special Operations Forces proponent, and the Green Beret Foundation provides support to the Special Forces community through health and welfare programs, travel and lodging for medical treatments, family assistance and financial hardship assistance for the families of Green Berets lost in performance of their duty. Playing with a Purpose presented by Barclays highlights Bubba Watson’s involvement in the Green Beret Foundation, which was inspired by his father, Gerry, a member of the Green Berets who passed away in October.

When he was just 13-years-old, Robert Allenby lost a close friend to childhood cancer, an experience that instilled in him a desire to one day help young children with cancer. For more than 20 years, Allenby has been personally involved in “Challenge,” an organization that offers children living with cancer and other life-threatening blood disorders the opportunity to put their illness aside and interact with other children in similar circumstances. Allenby’s efforts have helped raise more than $11 million for the organization, and he has been an integral part in Challenge’s bi-annual “Trip of a Lifetime” program, which allows 10 teenagers living with cancer to travel to and tour the United States for one month.Playing with a Purpose presented by Barclays offers a touching account of what is achieved on these trips and what Allenby has personally made possible for the children – many of whom stay at his home as part of their U.S. experience.

When Justin Rose and his wife, Kate, were introduced to the charitable organization Blessings in Backpack, they knew they wanted to start a chapter near their adopted hometown of Orlando, Fla. Blessings in a Backpack provides a backpack full of easy-to-prepare food items to elementary school students who are part of the federal government’s free and reduced meal plan – enough food and supplies each Friday to sustain them through the weekend. The Roses have participated in “backpack stuffing” events, but also hosted a charity golf outing to raise money for the organization. Playing with a Purpose presented by Barclaystagged along as the Roses took 80 children from the Blessings in a Backpack