BULLETIN BOARD

MEET THE ADVANCED TACTICAL LASER

Taliban insurgents may soon have to worry about a for-real death ray from the skies! Popular Science reports that the United States Air Force has installed a prototype Advanced Tactical Laser on a C-130, which will be carrying out test flights later this year. This system can reach out and touch bad guys up to five miles away from 10,000 feet. And it won’t just take out small stuff – it can disable tanks! Hopefully, this new weapon will be fielded soon!

 

NRA OPPOSES SOTOMAYOR

As we go to press, Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court is going through the Senate confirmation process. However, enough information has emerged for the NRA to come out in opposition to her nomination.

 

In a statement by NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre and NRA–ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox, the organization said, “Judge Sotomayor seems to believe that the Second Amendment is limited only to the residents of federal enclaves such as Washington, D.C., and does not protect all Americans living in every corner of this nation.”

 

By the time you read this, the Senate will probably have voted, but go to www.senate.gov to find out who your Senators are how they voted on this nominee.

 

THE OHIO CROSS

While many readers are familiar with Department of Defense decorations, not many may know that the states have decorations for their National Guard personnel, too. One such decoration is the Ohio Cross, which was established in 1995 as an award for members of Ohio’s National Guard who distinguish themselves by gallantry and selfless service at the risk of their lives. The most recent recipient is Spc. Ryan H. Kilgour, who was awarded the medal for saving a woman from a burning car while he was en route to a golf tournament. WELL DONE, SPECIALIST KILGOUR!!!

 

$16 MILLION FOR PELOSI’S “PET” MICE

Among the many pork projects in the stimulus bill was $16 million inserted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to improve habitat for the harvest mouse. To put this pork-barrel project in perspective, consider that an HH-60 Pave Hawk, often used for casualty evacuation in Afghanistan, costs $15.8 million – so Pelosi’s pet project could buy the

troops at the front another Pave Hawk. And they say that the Department of Defense has to give up programs. How about Congress stops the pork-barrel spending instead?

 

NEW GRENADE LAUNCHER ENTERING SERVICE

The troops at Fort Bragg are bringing a new grenade launcher into service. The M320 fires the same grenade as the M203 under-barrel grenade launcher presently in service. However, the M320 also can use a detachable buttstock, and it is more accurate than the M203.

 

GATHERING OF MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society announced that 59 of the 96 living Medal of Honor recipients will be attending the 2009 convention, which will be held from 15–19 September in Chicago. For more information, go to http://cmoh2009chicago.org.