Charges against Marine Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani were dismissed earlier today by military judge Col. Steven Folsom. The charges were dismissed without prejudice which means they can be refiled at a later date. However the judge excluded Marine Forces Central Command from future involvement.
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14 June 2008 Happy 233rd Birthday US Army!!!

I served in the United States Army for 7 years, today is a very special day. I want to take a moment and wish each and every one of my fellow veterans and all active duty Army soldiers a Happy Birthday as today the United States Army turns the big 2-3-3.
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All soldiers are well aware of the term “friendly fire.” It is a sad fact but friendly fire happens in the heat of battle. However recent news stories add a new “friendly” form of death, that by execution. I’m going to term this “friendly execution.” And it is the topic of today’s rant.

Apparently twelve documented cases of service members being killed in Iraq due to improperly grounded electrical wires have surfaced. The latest being of Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, a highly decorated Green Beret.

Losing a soldier is always hard to take but when our brave service members die in manners like this it is really difficult to comprehend. Why would the military knowingly allow a problem to continue when it is so easily fixed? Read the rest of this entry »

As a veteran, Memorial Day is a holiday that I take to heart. I sat out in my backyard today and just took a few minutes to reflect on all of my Army buddies, especially those who are no longer around to celebrate.

I bought RhondaHolland.com awhile back to make is easier for people to track me down. I am amazed at how many of my former unit members have actually found me via a Google search. And even happier that they took the time to do so. It is days like today that I miss them more than ever.

About an hour ago I got a telephone call from someone I served with in Japan back in the late 80’s - early 90’s, he was quick to wish me a happy Memorial Day and it brought a tear to my eye. He served in a special ops unit and has lost many friends who served in some of the most dangerous places on Earth for a soldier. I remember the nights when we sat around drinking beer asking all the questions service members ask themselves when they actually have time to reflect. I think in the end we still feel it was our duty to serve and we do not regret it. Read the rest of this entry »