MatthewMaynard.net

(posthumous)

Rank and Organization: Master-At-Arms Second Class (Sea, Air And Land), United States Navy
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as automatic weapons gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 29 September 2006. As a member of a combined SEAL and Iraqi Army Sniper Overwatch Element, tasked with providing early warning and stand-off protection from a rooftop in an insurgent held sector of Ar Ramadi, Iraq, Petty Officer Monsoor distinguished himself by his exceptional bravery in the face of grave danger. In the early morning, insurgents prepared to execute a coordinated attack by reconnoitering the area around the element’s position. Element snipers thwarted the enemy’s initial attempt by eliminating two insurgents. The enemy continued to assault the element, engaging them with a rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire. As enemy activity increased, Petty Officer Monsoor took position with his machine gun between two teammates on an outcropping of the roof. While the SEALs vigilantly watched for enemy activity, an insurgent threw a hand grenade from an unseen location, which bounced off Petty Officer Monsoor’s chest and landed in front of him. Although only he could have escaped the blast, Petty Officer Monsoor chose instead to protect his teammates. Instantly and without regard for his own safety, he threw himself onto the grenade to absorb the force of the explosion with his body, saving the lives of his two teammates. By his undaunted courage, fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of certain death, Petty Officer Monsoor gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

222 years ago, the Constitution of the United States moved out of convention and the long process of ratification began. On this anniversary, I would encourage you to consider how much of it we ignore, then make a plan for your own life to help move us towards a more perfect union in the next year.

Now, for a short term civics discussion/assignment, consider the following question: does the Congress have Constitutional authority to delegate any or all of its powers to other parts of the government, including the states or other jurisdictions?

Awarded September 17th, 2009 by President Barack Obama.

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sergeant First Class Monti distinguished himself at the cost of his life while serving as a team leader with the Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3d Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan on 21 June 2006. On that day, Sergeant First Class Monti was leading a mission to gather intelligence and to direct fires against the enemy in support of a squadron-size interdiction mission. While at an observation position on top of a mountain ridge, Sergeant First Class Monti’s sixteen-man patrol came under attack by a superior force consisting of as many as 50 enemy fighters. On the verge of being overrun, Sergeant First Class Monti directed his patrol to set up a hasty defensive position behind a collection of rocks. He then began to call for indirect fire from a nearby support base; accurately bringing the rounds upon the enemy who had closed to within 50 meters of his position. While still calling for fire, Sergeant First Class Monti personally engaged the enemy with his rifle and a grenade, successfully disrupting an attempt to flank the patrol. Sergeant First Class Monti then realized that one of his Soldiers was lying wounded and exposed in the open ground between the advancing enemy and the patrol’s position. With complete disregard for his own safety, Sergeant First Class Monti moved from behind the cover of the rocks into the face of withering enemy fire. After closing within meters of his wounded Soldier, the heavy volume of fire forced Sergeant First Class Monti to seek cover. Sergeant First Class Monti then gathered himself and rose again to maneuver through a barrage of enemy fire to save his wounded Soldier. Again, Sergeant First Class Monti was driven back by relentless enemy fire. Unwilling to leave his Soldier wounded and exposed, Sergeant First Class Monti made another attempt to move across open terrain and through the enemy fire to the aide of his wounded Soldier. On his third attempt, Sergeant First Class Monti was mortally wounded, sacrificing his own life in an effort to save his Soldier. Sergeant First Class Monti’s acts of heroism inspired the patrol to fight off the larger enemy force. Sergeant First Class Monti’s immeasurable courage and uncommon valor were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, 3d Squadron 71st Cavalry Regiment, the 3d Brigade Combat Team, the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), and the United States Army.

We learned yesterday that ACORN is a very very bad organization.

Today, we learn it is worse than we thought.

The Not-A-General head of the state of Libya wants to get rid of Switzerland, according to a report that, at press time, was uncorroborated by the UN and the Libyan government.

Switzerland should be wiped off the map and its land divided between France, Italy and Germany. That is what Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi is calling for in a motion he filed to the United Nations, according to newspaper reports.

Gaddafi is set to put forward his plans to eradiate [sic] the Alpine state when Libya officially takes over the annual presidency of the UN General Assembly on September 15, the Daily Mail newspaper reported.

I’m sorry, but how exactly does he plan on doing this? Switzerland, after all, is the country where it is perfectly normal to see a man with a 7.62mm battle rifle strapped to his back in the grocery store and no one calls the cops. What army is he going to use, the Germans? They didn’t invade in WW2, and not for a lack of ability.

According to legend, the German general asked the Swiss general after the war “What would you have done had we invaded? We had a larger air force and more tanks, how could you have stopped us?”

To which the Swiss general replied “But we have twice as many citizens with rifles than you have soldier’s in your army. The militia would have turned out, shot twice, and gone home.”

Relations between Switzerland and Libya have been tense since Gaddafi’s son and his son’s wife were arrested and accused of assaulting a hotel chambermaid in Geneva a year ago.

DO. NOT. STEAL. THE. SWISS. HOTEL. TOWELS.

Even though the complaint was dropped and the couple released on bail, Gaddafi withdraw [sic] $5 billion from Swiss bank accounts, closed Swiss business in Libya and arrested Swiss nationals in the country.

Gaddafi first mentioned his plans to get rid of Switzerland at the G8 summit in Italy in July, the report said.

“Switzerland is a world mafia and not a state,” he said, according to the Daily Mirror newspaper.

Be careful, Colonel, they may just make you an offer you can’t refuse.

A spokesperson for the United Nations told CNBC.com that no official filing had been received from Gaddafi. A spokesperson for the Libyan government was not immediately available to comment to CNBC.com.

If I was the editor, I would have told the reporter to come back when he had something of substance to report, like, I don’t know, CORROBORATION. It’s an amusing story, and I’d love to see the Colonel try to take on the Swiss, but there’s no way the Swiss would let him and his UN cronies if it came to a fight. The smart money bets on the armed free people remaining so.

UPDATE 20090905 1238: Apparently, Libya also detained two Swiss businessmen over the issue. Seems Libya is acting a little uppity now that they’ve gotten rid of their nukes. Memo to Mohammar: YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG. The dictator is supposed to act like that when they have something to back up their rhetoric, like, say, a nuclear weapons program.