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Advice from the Gunny

This article sums it up quite well.

By Ken Burger, The Charleston Post and Courier :Thurs, March 4, 2010

Occasionally, I venture back to the many bases I have visited or stationed, where I'm greeted by an imposing security guard who looks carefully at my identification card, hands it back and says, "Have a good day. Every time I go back to any Base it feels good to be called by my previous rank, but odd to be in civilian clothes, walking among the servicemen and servicewomen going about their duties as I once did, many years ago. The military is a comfort zone for anyone who has ever worn the uniform. It's a place where you know the rules and know they are enforced -- a place where everybody is busy, but not too busy to take care of business. Because there exists behind the gates of every military facility an institutional understanding of respect, order, uniformity, accountability and dedication that becomes part of your marrow and never, ever leaves you. Personally, I miss the fact that you always knew where you stood in the military, and who you were dealing with. That's because you could read somebody's uniform from 20 feet away and know the score. Service personnel wear their careers on their sleeves, so to speak.. When you approach each other, you can read their name tag, examine their rank and, if they are in dress uniform, read their ribbons and know where they've served. I miss all those little things you take for granted when you're in the ranks, like breaking starch on a set of fatigues fresh from the laundry and standing in a perfectly straight line military formation that looks like a mirror as it stretches to the endless horizon. I miss the sight of troops marching in the early morning mist, the sound of boot heels thumping in unison on the tarmac, the bark of drill instructors and the sing-song answers from the squads as they pass by in review. To romanticize military service is to be far removed from its reality, because it's very serious business -- especially in times of war. But I miss the salutes I'd throw at officers and the crisp returns as we criss-crossed with a "by your leave sir". I miss the smell of jet fuel hanging heavily on the night air and the sound of engines roaring down runways and disappearing into the clouds. I even miss the hurry-up-and-wait mentality that enlisted men gripe about constantly, a masterful invention that bonded people more than they'll ever know or admit. I miss people taking off their hats when they enter a building, speaking directly and clearly to others and never showing disrespect for rank, race, religion or gender. Mostly, I miss being a small cog in a machine so complex it constantly circumnavigates the Earth and so simple it feeds everyone on time, three times a day, on the ground, in the air or at sea. Mostly, I don't know anyone who has served who regrets it, and doesn't feel a sense of pride when they pass through those gates and re-enter the world they left behind with their youth. I wish I could express my thoughts as well about something I loved -- and hated sometimes. Face it folks - regardless if you had one tour or a career, it shaped your life.

Maine

Maine is one big step closer to outlawing loud motorcycles. Lawmakers are set to take up a bill that would make changing motorcycle exhaust systems illegal. Legislators say it's one of the most common complaints they hear about from drivers. The bill would require bikers to display the inspection stickers on their license plates that show the exhaust systems have not been changed to make them louder. Members of Maine's Transportation Committee told our media partners at the Kennebec Journal that they receive more complaints about loud motorcycles than any other issue. Bikers could face a fine up to $137 for having exhaust systems that are too loud. Lawmakers say that the bill could go into effect this summer. Loud motorcycle bill moves forward

Washington

Biker bill: Washington Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, dressed in his riding leathers, leans in Wednesday to see Gov. Chris Gregoire sign a bill to ban motorcycle profiling in the state.

Nevada

The senator was even more tickled when he realized his bill had the votes to pass out of committee. The bill would let people ride motorcycles without helmets if they are 21 years of age or older, have had a motorcycle license for more than one year and have completed a safety course. Gustavson has introduced the bill for the past five legislative sessions. The bill passed out of committee on a 4 to 3 vote with three Democrats voting against, three Republicans voting for and Sen. John Lee, D-North Las Vegas, casting the tie-breaking “yes” vote. Despite being against the bill, Breeden said she wanted to give the bill a chance. “I believe we vetted all the bills and I thought it should have an opportunity for folks to vote on it,” she said. “…I know how it’s going to come out, but I still thought it was the right thing to do.” The chair of the committee decides whether to bring up a bill for a vote. In Nevada’s case where the majority of legislators in the Senate and Assembly are Democrats, all committees have a Democratic chairperson. Often, the bills brought forward to a vote reflect the political hue – red or blue – of the chairperson. Republicans voiced their support for Gustavson’s bill. Sen Elizabeth Halseth, R-Las Vegas, called the bill a “great liberty bill.” She also said the bill could be a way to bring jobs to Nevada, echoing Gustavson’s earlier arguments that motorcycle events and interest in riding will grow if the law is repealed. Sen. Michael Schneider, D-Las Vegas, disagreed. “This is a great jobs bill for the medical community,” he quipped. “There’s a huge, huge expense in this. I would dispute what Sen. Halseth is saying.” He said that helmets provide protection from more serious injuries when motorcycle riders are involved in accidents. Removing a requirement to wear one could lead to gruesome injuries and more fatal crashes, he said. Lee said wearing a helmet or not wearing a helmet was a “personal right.” Schneider said that society ends up paying for that personal right. “It costs society so much money that, you know, the cheap way out is that people die,” he said. “They hit their head on the curb and die. That’s cheap.” Otherwise society pays the medical bills for people in assisted living homes, he said. In the end, Nevada Sens. Mike McGinness, R-Fallon, and Dean Rhoads, R-Elko, joined Halseth and Lee to pass the bill out of committee. The bill is now headed for the Senate floor.