Louisiana @ MindSay

 

 

 

 

In 1803 the United States, under President Thomas Jefferson, purchased the huge chunk of land known to us now as the Heartland of the United States. The land, as you can see, stretches from Montana all the way down to Louisiana.

My main motivation for this little history speel today was, 'Man, look at what they got (for lack of better word) screwed out of!'

There is a plethora of farm land and valuable areas here. Do you know how much the U. S. paid for that piece of land? We paid $11,250,000 for it!! The actual aagreement was something like, the price is $15 million but if you can apply the difference to the debt the French owe the American citizens we will can it even... Sounds like a pretty good deal huh... I think so. The United States pretty much doubled in size instantly!! WOW!

The French and the Spanish had apparently been fighting over control of the area now know as Louisiana. And in 1803 the Spanish gave the land of Louisiana back to the French who then turned it over to the United States... Obviously there is more to the story than that...But, I don't have all day!

 

I think American History is very interesting... As well as American Literature and Poetry. I would to use this brief history blog to encourage you to do your own research on the dealings and takings place of the 1800's. Many facsinating things took place there. It was once, and I am sure still is to some extent a Catholic stronghold (hence Mardi Gras...do your research..) and is the birth place of the famous Plessy v Ferguson case that challenged segregation.

I hope you will reply with some interesting facts that you find... I would love to know..  :)

 

 

In Louisiana
by Albert Bigelow Paine
The long, gray moss that softly swings In solemn grandeur from the trees, Like mournful funeral draperies,-- A brown-winged bird that never sings. A shallow, stagnant, inland sea, Where rank swamp grasses wave, and where A deadliness lurks in the air,-- A sere leaf falling silently. The death-like calm on every hand, That one might deem it sin to break, 3 So pure, so perfect,--these things make The mournful beauty of this land.

 

American Forces Press Service

 

Sept. 15, 2008 - Louisiana National Guardsmen have used high-water vehicles, boats and helicopters to save more than 330 flooding victims in the wake of Hurricane Ike. "Our Guardsmen have proven once again that they are the finest soldiers and airmen in America," said Army Maj. Gen. Bennett C. Landreneau, Louisiana adjutant general. "They are truly remarkable, working every day to assist their fellow citizens, even though in many cases their own homes were flooded or damaged, and their own families evacuated."

 

The Louisiana National Guard's primary missions are saving lives, providing security for citizens and logistics support for humanitarian relief operations and helping with clearing roads and removing debris.

 

More than 9,400 Guardsmen have participated in support of operations related to Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Gustav in Louisiana. Full mobilization of the Louisiana National Guard's 7,000 Guardsmen and more than 2,400 Guardsmen from seven other states continue to support emergency operations.

 

As the Louisiana National Guard wound down an aggressive, 36-hour search-and-rescue operation -- with aviation missions south of Jennings and boat missions to Hackberry in Cameron Parish being the focus of yesterday's mission -- they transitioned their efforts to commodity distribution, security, engineer assessments and support to local governments.

 

Additionally, the Louisiana Guard supported the Corps of Engineers by conducting aerial inspections of locks and control structures across Louisiana's coastline. After an early assessment, two National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopters air-dropped more than 200 sandbags, weighing 3,000 pounds each, to protect a pumping station in Chauvin, La.

 

Also yesterday, National Guardsmen cleared more than 48 miles of roadways and hauled more than 1,800 cubic yards of debris, totaling more than 4,200 miles of cleared roadways and 19,000 cubic yards of debris from the hurricanes.

 

To date, the Louisiana National Guard has distributed more than 11 million packaged meals, 12 million pounds of ice, and 14 million bottles of water.

 

(From a Louisiana National Guard news release.)

By Army Sgt. Jason Dangel

Special to American Forces Press Service

 

July 25, 2008 - As the sun begins to set beyond the Baghdad horizon, the sound of laughter and conversation emanates from the corrugated steel sleeping trailers of Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's Company C, 3rd Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade. Behind the chatter, an alarm clock sounds, alerting Army Sgt. David Brocato it is time to get ready for the night's mission. It's 6:30 p.m.

 

The 28-year-old crew chief knows that proper preparation is a must before any operation as he begins mentally preparing himself for the long night ahead.

 

"The reason I came into the military and into this job goes back to when I initially joined the Army," the Kentwood, La., native explained, embarking on his quarter-mile trip to his company's flight line. "If I was going to do something in the military, I was going to do something that I really enjoyed. For me, helicopters were the only choice."

 

As a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crew chief, Brocato's responsibilities seem almost endless, especially working for 3rd Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, which has a three-fold mission for Multinational Division Baghdad.

 

The battalion is responsible for air assault missions, formal aviation mission requests and routine personnel air transport -- called the Iron Horse Express -- throughout the Multinational Division Baghdad area of operations.

 

With more than 1,000 flight hours under his belt, the senior crewman's responsibilities range from in-flight instruction to performing critical fixes on the aircraft during missions.

 

Also considered the "eyes of the aircraft," he is required to help the pilots maneuver the helicopter in and out of tight areas and to watch for threats from the sky. Most missions last about six hours.

 

At about 8 p.m., with the expectation of an air assault operation tentatively scheduled three hours later, Brocato's tone became more serious as he looked over the night's flight schedule. He checked and rechecked both mission number and helicopter number before quickly moving to another office containing maintenance logs and beginning the hour-long process of ensuring his aircraft was mechanically sound.

 

"Any kind of maintenance or mechanical issues are all logged into a computer system, and it's my responsibility to ensure all the scheduled maintenance has been completed before we even go out to look at its condition," he said. "Aircraft maintenance is very meticulous because of the risk factor involved with flying. If a mechanical problem occurs in the air, it puts the whole crew at risk for injury and even death. Essentially, it is the crew chief's responsibility to ensure this doesn't happen."

 

Just before 9:30 p.m., Brocato and a trainee, Army Spc. Daniel Simonson, began their pre-flight inspections of the aircraft.

 

As they scanned the Black Hawk's exterior components, another member of the team informed Brocato the air assault mission had been cancelled. This cancellation hardly equated to anything for Brocato and Simonson, who briefly acknowledged the announcement as they continued the inspection process.

 

"When there isn't a scheduled air assault, that doesn't mean that we get the night off," Brocato said, laughing.

 

"The majority of the guys in this company are new to all of this," he continued, reaching for his flight helmet. "When we don't have a mission, we conduct in-flight training for the new guys, so when called upon they can go out and successfully perform the required missions in combat."

 

As an experienced aviator now on his second tour to Iraq, Brocato said he prides himself in the training of his soldiers and that any chance to show them how to proficiently perform their duties in the air, whether on a mission or in training, is an honor.

 

Long-time aviators of his unit consider it an honor to watch the young crew chief grow and meld into an inspiring leader, and they predict continued success in his Army career.

 

"I see Sergeant Brocato in 10 years as a command sergeant major or a chief warrant officer 3 or chief warrant officer 4," 1st Sgt. Michael Davis, the company's senior enlisted leader, said. "He is one of the best and most dedicated young noncommissioned officers that I have seen in my 23 years of service. All of the soldiers and officers really respect him, and he is truly a role model for all soldiers to emulate."

 

Just like his grandfather before him who was one of Louisiana's first helicopter pilots in the military, Brocato knew exactly what he wanted to do when he signed on the dotted line. Aviation was the only way to go.

 

With only about 45 minutes until the crew's scheduled take-off time, Brocato went over a few more things with Simonson and ensured the trainee was prepared for the mission, a duty the senior crew chief doesn't take lightly.

 

"He's been here before, knows the ropes, and he's passing it on to the new guys," said Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Shott, Brocato's platoon sergeant. "He is a constant professional. I feel very fortunate to have him as a squad leader. We couldn't do all this without him."

 

(Army Sgt. Jason Dangel serves with the 4th Infantry Division's Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs Office.)

By Army Master Sgt. Bob Haskell

Special to American Forces Press Service

 

April 30, 2008 - The Army Physical Fitness Test would be a lot more demanding if "Sgt. Ken" was in charge. It would, in his world, gauge soldiers' ability to do a lot more than perform a mandatory number of push-ups and sit-ups in two minutes and run two miles within a required time. The test would determine soldiers' fitness for combat, if Sgt. Ken had his way.  "We need to be focused on physical conditioning for combat, not just the APFT. The battlefield is no place for those who fatigue quickly," Sgt. Ken told the Army and Air National Guard's state enlisted leaders here in mid-April.

 

"Sgt. Ken" is Staff Sgt. Kenneth Weichert of the Tennessee Army National Guard. He has gone to war in Southwest Asia twice: during Operation Desert Storm as an active Army soldier in the early 1990s and again during Operation Iraqi Freedom as a California Army Guard soldier in 2003-04.

 

He is 41, and he may best be known in Guard circles as the fitness guru for GX (Guard Experience) magazine. That magazine, which focuses on Army Guard soldiers, has included his feature, "Start Fitness," for the past three years. He is now the monthly publication's co-editor for health and fitness. He also has created workouts in video, audio and print products as the fitness director for AmericanSoldier.com. He has, in short, become the 21st century's Jack LaLanne for the Army Guard.

 

Weichert enlisted in the Army in 1988 and then joined the Louisiana Army Guard in 1992 after serving during Desert Storm. He was a traditional soldier and full-time recruiting and retention NCO with the California Guard from 1997-2007 before transferring to Tennessee to join the IOSTUDIO team that publishes GX in Nashville. He has been a master fitness trainer since 1993 and has trained servicemembers and civilians for nearly 20 years.

 

The man who was partially paralyzed for four weeks from a football injury during his senior year in high school has made physical fitness his lifestyle and career.

 

Weichert is as much showman as he is a soldier. He has a Schwarzenegger-like body. He is polished and outgoing in word and manner. He has studied theater at Drake University and the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He was clearly the celebrity at the National Guard Bureau's first Senior Enlisted Leaders Conference here April 18-21. He barked encouraging commands, sang inspirational songs and counted cadence like a seasoned drill sergeant during nonstop, half-hour morning workouts that were not for the faint of heart.

 

He attended the conference, however, not to promote himself but to promote physical fitness among Guardmembers who could find themselves in combat during the global war on terrorism or engaged with wildfires or floods in this country.

 

Command Sgt. Maj. David Ray Hudson, the National Guard Bureau's senior enlisted leader and the driving force behind the first-of-its-kind conference, acknowledged that his emphasis on fitness was Weichert's most important contribution.

 

Soldiers should train as if they are athletes year-round to be physically fit for those challenges, Weichert told the state command sergeants major and the command chief master sergeants. Combat, he observed, requires a lot of upper body strength. An infantryman should be able carry a 160-pound person in full combat gear on his back for 30 meters, as if he were carrying his injured buddy to a landing zone, Weichert said.

 

Guard soldiers should be able to sidestroke the length of an Olympic pool in full uniform, holding a rifle above the water, to be fit enough to swim across a flooded river. They also should be prepared to hit a hill in full gear to help fight the wildfires that scorch sections of this country from March through October.

 

Push-ups, tummy crunches, pull-ups, marches with full rucksacks, and swimming in uniform are the drills that Sgt. Ken advocates for those who must be prepared to support their state or defend their country during crises. And the traditional troops who are not inclined to exercise have to be encouraged to work out during the 28 days of most months when they are not in uniform. "We have to 'think smart, not hard' about ways to stay in shape," Weichert said.

 

"They don't call out the Guard when things are going good. They call us out when things have gone bad," he observed. "We have to be ready -- mentally and physically. Fatigue makes cowards of us all."

 

(Army Master Sgt. Bob Haskell is assigned to the National Guard Bureau.)