Statement of Support

Acts of unselfish bravery will forever remain untold, but we who remain can feel the presence of the unknowable heroes, who armed with only bits of information leapt forward, to help, to persist, and to ultimately sacrifice, inspiring us all to our core.
September 11, 2001, Anonymous.

We all know that waging combat against rogue regimes who harbor terrorists and possess weapons of mass destruction is a difficult task. What many in the 30th Field Artillery Regiment Association many not realize is that many Hard Chargers have been actively engaged in combat operations in Southwest Asia. Though neither the 30th Regiment, nor any of the three battalions in the Regiment (2-2FA, 1-30FA, 3-30FA) have been deployed as a unit.
The Regiment also currently has soldiers serving in Iraq, Ethiopia and Honduras. As you can see, the Hard Chargers continue to proudly serve! I want to share with you a picture of a Hard Charger in Iraq.
This is a photo of SPC Moody (1-30FA), a Forward Observer who attached to the 3rd Infantry Division. SPC Moody is the soldier standing on the far right of the photo.

I hope everyone is doing well. Please keep our soldiers in your thoughts and prayers.

Respectfully,

LTC Sam White
CDR, 1-30FA
HARD CHARGERS!

The Ruling by Judge William Young, U.S. District Court. Judge William Young made the following statement in sentencing "shoe bomber" Richard Reid to prison. It is noteworthy, and deserves to be
remembered far longer than the judge predicts.

January 30, 2003
United States vs. Reid.

Judge Young:

"Mr. Richard C. Reid, hearken now to the sentence the Court imposes upon you. On counts 1, 5 and 6 the Court sentences you to life in prison in the custody of the United States Attorney General. On counts 2, 3, 4 and 7, the Court sentences you to 20 years in prison on each count, the sentence on each count to run consecutive with the other. That's 80 years. On count 8 the Court sentences you to the mandatory 30 years consecutive to the 80 years just imposed. The Court imposes upon you each of the eight counts a fine of $250,000 for the aggregate fine of $2 million. The Court accepts the government's recommendation with respect to restitution and orders restitution in the amount of $298.17 to Andre
Bousquet and $5,784 to American Airlines. The Court imposes upon you the $800 special assessment. The Court imposes upon you five years supervised release simply because the law requires it. But the life sentences are real life sentences, so I need go no further. This is the sentence that is provided for by our statutes. It is a fair and just sentence. It is a righteous sentence.

"Let me explain this to you. We are not afraid of any of your terrorist co-conspirators, Mr. Reid. We are Americans. We have been through the fire before. There is all too much war talk here. And I say that to everyone with the utmost respect. Here in this court, where we deal with individuals as individuals, and care for individuals as individuals, as human beings, we reach out for justice, you are not an enemy combatant. You are a terrorist. You are not a soldier in any war. You are a terrorist. To give you that reference, to call you a soldier gives you far too much stature. Whether it is the officers of
government who do it or your attorney who does it, or that happens to be your view, you are a terrorist. And we do not negotiate with terrorists. We do not treat with terrorists. We do not sign documents
with terrorists. We hunt them down one by one and bring them to justice. So war talk is way out of line in this court. You are a big fellow. But you are not that big. You're no warrior. I know warriors. You are a terrorist. A species of criminal guilty of multiple attempted murders.

"In a very real sense Trooper Santigo had it right when you first were taken off that plane and into custody and you wondered where the press and where the TV crews were, and he said you're no big deal. You're no big deal."What your counsel, what your able counsel and what the equally able
United States attorneys have grappled with and what I have as honestly as I know how tried to grapple with, is why you did something so horrific. What was it that led you here to this courtroom today? I
have listened respectfully to what you have to say. And I ask you to search your heart and ask yourself what sort of unfathomable hate led you to do what you are guilty and admit you are guilty of doing. And I have an answer for you. It may not satisfy you. But as I search this entire record it comes as close to understanding as I know.

"It seems to me you hate the one thing that is most precious. You hate our freedom. Our individual freedom. Our individual freedom to live as we choose, to come and go as we choose, to believe or not believe as we individually choose. Here, in this society, the very winds carry freedom. They carry it everywhere from sea to shining sea. It is because we prize individual freedom so much that you are here in this beautiful courtroom. So that everyone can see, truly see that justice is administered fairly, individually, and discretely. It is for freedom's sake that your lawyers are striving so vigorously on your
behalf and have filed appeals, will go on in their..... their representation of you before other judges. We are about it. Because we all know that the way we treat you, Mr. Reid, is the measure of our own
liberties.

"Make no mistake, though. It is yet true that we will bear any burden, pay any price, to preserve our freedoms. Look around this courtroom. Mark it well. The world is not going to long remember what you or I say here. Day after tomorrow it will be forgotten. But this, however, will long endure. Here in this courtroom and courtrooms all across America, the American people will gather to see that justice, individual justice, justice, not war, individual justice is in fact being done. The very President of the United States through his officers will have to come into courtrooms and lay out evidence on which specific matters can be judged, and juries of citizens will gather to sit and judge that evidence democratically, to mold and shape and refine our sense of justice. See that flag, Mr. Reid? That's the flag of the United States of America. That flag will fly there long after this is all forgotten. That flag stands for freedom. You know it always will.

"Custody, Mr. Officer. Stand him down."

How much of this judge's comments did you hear on our TV sets? Please pass this around. Everyone needs to hear what the judge had to say.

Every day I receive about 50 email from various sources. Many are SPAM, but others bring reality to the home front. I received the following from a friends that caught it on the news:

Martin Savidge of CNN, embedded with the 1st Marine battalion, was talking with 4 young Marines near his foxhole this morning live on CNN. He had been telling the story of how well the Marines had been looking out for and taking care of him since the war started. He went on to tell about the many hardships the Marines had endured since the war began and how they all look after one another.

He turned to the four and said he had cleared it with their commanders and they could use his video phone to call home. The 19-year-old Marine next to him asked Martin if he would allow his platoon sergeant to use his call to call his pregnant wife back home whom he had not been able to talk to in three months. A stunned Savidge who was visibly moved by the request shook his head and the young Marine ran off to get the sergeant. Savidge recovered after a few seconds and turned back to the other three Marines still sitting with him and asked which one of them would like to call home first. The Marine closest to him responded without a moment's hesitation, "Sir, if it's all the same to you, we would like to call the parents of a buddy of ours, Lance Cpl Brian Buesing of Cedar Key, Florida, who was killed on 3-23-03 near Nasiriya, to see how they are doing." At that, Martin Savidge totally broke down and was nearly unable to speak. All he could get out before signing off was, "Where do they get young men like this?" His cameraman could be heard to answer, "In America."

The following column was written by Cornel Nistorescu, managing director of Evenmentul Zilei (News of the Day) in Bucharest, Romania. He published the editorial on September 25th after watching the celebrity telethon in New York. It speaks volumes about how the United States is seen by people in other countries. If you are interested in sending an email to Mr. Nistorescu, the web site is www.expres.ro/press/evzilei/english/Welcome.htm

Why are Americans so united? They don't resemble one another even if you paint them! They speak all the
languages of the world and form an astonishing mixture of civilizations. Some of them are nearly extinct, others are
incompatible with one another, and in matters of religious beliefs, not even God can count how many they are.

Still, the American tragedy turned three hundred million people into a hand put on the heart. Nobody rushed to
accuse the White House, the army, the secret services that they are only a bunch of losers. Nobody rushed to empty their bank accounts. Nobody rushed on the streets nearby to gape about.

The Americans volunteered to donate blood and to give a helping hand. After the first moments of panic, they raised the flag on the smoking ruins, putting on T-shirts, caps and ties in the colors of the national flag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as if in every place and on every car a Prime Minister or the President was passing.

On every occasion they started singing their traditional song: "God Bless America!". Silent as a rock, I watched the charity concert broadcast on Saturday once, twice, three times, on different TV channels. There were Clint Eastwood, Willie Nelson, Robert de Niro, Julia Roberts, Cassius Clay, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Springsteen, Silvester Stalone, James Wood, and many others whom no film or producers could ever bring together. The American's solidarity spirit turned them into a choir. Actually, choir is not the word. What you could hear was the heavy artillery of the American soul. What neither George W. Bush, nor Bill Clinton, nor Colin Powell could say without facing the risk of stumbling over words and sounds, was being heard in a great and unmistakable way in this charity concert.

I don't know how it happened that all this obsessive singing of America didn't sound croaky, nationalist, or
ostentatious! It made you green with envy because you weren't able to sing for your country without running the
risk of being considered chauvinist, ridiculous, or suspected of who-knows-what mean interests.

I watched the live broadcast and the rerun of its rerun for hours listening to the story of the guy who went down one
hundred floors with a woman in a wheelchair without knowing who she was, or of the Californian hockey player, who fought with the terrorists and prevented the plane from hitting a target that would have killed other hundreds or thousands of people. How on earth were they able to bow before a fellow human?

Imperceptibly, with every word and musical note, the memory of some turned into a modern myth of tragic heroes. And with every phone call, millions and millions of dollars were put in a collection aimed at rewarding not a man or a family, but a spirit which nothing can buy.

What on earth can unite the Americans in such a way? Their land? Their galloping history? Their economic power? Money? I tried for hours to find an answer, humming songs and murmuring phrases which risk of sounding like commonplaces. I thought things over, but I reached only one conclusion.

Only freedom can work such miracles!

The following poem was submitted by Bob Laychak:

I would like to say that this act of aggression against the United States is the worst act that someone could do to us. My family and I would like to express our regrets to the families of the people lost in this whole tragedy, all of you will be in our prayers. And so will the ones you have lost. We are the Nation that other countries look up to because of our way of life. We have the right to do what we want as long as we are not causing harm to another or breaking the laws of the land. Freedom is a strong word and we as a country enjoy a way of life that most people cannot. In a lot of countries just to speak your mind will get you in serious trouble either thrown in jail or death. Yes, most of us do not know the restrictions that are put on people in a lot of other countries. The United States knows from past history what it is to have someone else tell you what when and how to do it. Over two hundreds years ago we stood up and said we have had another. The US will help any country in the struggle to free ti self from the tyrants that run there country. Tyrants like Osma Bin Laden cannot hide for ever and we will not let him run free and cause trouble all over the world. This act of aggression will not go unchallenged. We know what the cost will be in the long run Money-Lives-Time we all as a country are willing to pay that price. So we will except what ever the cost to show people all around the world what free people are willing to pay. Because when you are Free you want others to know that way of life. It is our God given right to be born free and to live free.

God Bless America
Hard Charger Paul Jansky

We have often seen that it is part of the American spirit to rally and help, to give assistance when those in need call. The same can be said of many Hard Chargers we know. In many ways, large and small, Hard Chargers are the backbone of good citizenship in their communities.

So it was no surprise to us that in the current crisis created by some misguided terrorists that Hard Chargers rallied to help. How many gave blood? How many donated money? How many communicated their support and sympathy by writing to newspapers, chat lines, or directly to victims' families? We do not know and have no interest in making a count. But rest assured that the anecdotes and tales we've had communicated to us in the past few weeks exhibit once again that Hard Chargers remember all in need, not simply their own buddies. No One is Forgotten, No One Is Left Behind.

Here is just one of the stories of how a Hard Charger lead the effort to provide assistance directly. When the call went out for critical supplies for the rescuers in NYC, this fellow got on the phone and worked his way through the confusion and red tape to speak with a NYFD captain. He learned of the critical need for masks, filters, and
other supplies his men could not obtain in quantity. Back at work, in his church, and among other community groups, this Hard Charger organized an effort to find the supplies, get them donated, and raise money to purchase more. Loading his van to the gills last Monday, he drove the 500+ miles to NYC to personally deliver the goods.

Bill,

A very wet ride through the mountains of PA on I-80. Got detoured to Lower Manhattan through the Holland Tunnel at about 11:30 pm Monday. We were about 8 blocks from the WTC when we hit the check point. We
saw the lights, cranes, and smoke still rising. Really eerie. They had moved the warehouse to the Javitz Convention Center, which is the Command Post for New York City. Every intersection had at least one cop on every street corner, and roving patrols of cops were driving all over. Every toll booth at the Lincoln Tunnel had two
cops checking you out as you drove up. The Javitz Center was an armed camp with NYPD, NY State Troopers, NY National Guard MPs, Sheriff's Deputies, etc. We unloaded about midnight to a heart-warming round of thank yous from some very weary but grateful cops and firemen. We attempted to get out of there before the morning traffic
started.

There were about 50 cops on each end of the GW Bridge as we were leaving. Stopped in Stroudsburg on the PA-NJ line on I-80 at about 2 am, got a room, and crashed till about 10 am. Got back on the road and home by 7:30 pm Tuesday. Got up at 5 am and went to work. Very tired, but I happy to have been able to meet a need the rescuers could not on their own. I was told that these people were working in masks till the filters clogged (usually in hours). If there were no replacement filters or masks, they continued without any protection against the airborne microbes, asbestos, and other debris.

There may be adverse health effects to the rescuers in months to come. The thing that's nearly for certain is that they will suffer a form of PTSD similar to what many of our Vietnam vets experienced. Tell all our Hard Charger buddies to do something, big or small. Just help. Whether it's blood, money, or prayers doesn't matter.

Hard Charger, Sir!

Dan Gillotti

Most of us have been waiting to awaken from a nightmare that began on the morning of 11 September, 2001. We have finally accepted the inevitable, that a state of war does exist between the United States of America and a faceless enemy known as terrorism. Our country is now preparing to take the fight to the terrorist. By their acts they have condemned themselves. Nothing in the Holy Bible, The Torah or The Koran can justify such barbarism; in fact each condemns them and their acts. This fight will occur where ever and whenever they are located. The fight will continue until they cease to exist and their support disappears.
The attack on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon served to unite the country. More so it served to unite the nations of the world against terrorism.

Many fine pieces of prose have surfaced that speak volumes about the feelings of the nation and the people of this country and the world. They will not be repeated here, however several notable quotes are presented below:

"Yes, we're in pain now. We are in mourning and we are in shock. We're still grappling with the unreality of the awful thing you did, still working to make ourselves understand that this isn't a special effect from some Hollywood blockbuster, isn't the plot development from a Tom Clancy novel. Both in terms of the awful scope of their ambition and the probable final death toll, your attacks are likely to go down as the worst acts of terrorism in the history of the United States and, probably, the history of the world. You've bloodied us as we have never been bloodied before. But there's a gulf of difference between making us bloody and making us fall."

"So I ask again: What was it you hoped to teach us? It occurs to me that maybe you just wanted us to know the depth of your hatred. If that's the case, consider the message received. And take this message in exchange: You don't know my people. You don't know what we're capable of. You don't know what you just started. But you're about to learn."
Leonard Pitts, Jr.
Miami Herald

"Go ahead and whine your terrorist whine and chant your terrorist litany: "If you can not see my point, then feel my pain." This concept is alien to Americans. We live in a country where we don't have to see your point, but you're free to have one. We don't have to listen to your speech, but you are free to say one. Don't know where you got the strange idea that everyone has to agree with you. We don't agree with each other in this country, almost as a matter of pride.
We're a collection of guys that don't agree, called States. We united our individual states to protect ourselves from tyranny in the world. Another idea, we made it up on the spot. You can make it up as you go, when it's your country. If you are free enough.
Yeah, we're fat, sloppy, easy-going goofs most of the time. That's an unfortunate image to project to the world, but it comes of feeling free and easy about the world you live in. It's unfortunate too, because people start to forget that when you attack Americans, they tend to fight like a cornered badger."

"You guys seem to be incapable of understanding that we don't live in America, America lives in us! American Spirit is what it's called. And killing a few thousand of us, or a few million of us won't change it.
Most of the time, it's a pretty happy-go-lucky kind of spirit. Until we're crossed in a cowardly manner, then it becomes an entirely different kind of Spirit.
Wait until you see what we do with that Spirit, this time.
Sleep tight if you can. We're coming."
Anonymous Lieutenant Colonel
US Air Force, RET.

When we come, don't consider it an attack on Islam. You have stepped from under the protection of Allah by your dastardly acts. The Koran condemns you and your actions, there is no protection there. America lives in the heart and spirit of all who call themselves Hard Chargers. Many of us have fought wars before. We did not like it then anymore than we look forward to the prospect of doing it again, but we will. If you thought we had grown soft, guess again. If you think we fought hard in the short scrap called Desert Storm, wait until you see us fight for our country, our honor and each other.

Hard Chargers have a motto: "NO ONE IS FORGOTTEN - NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND" We stand behind and support our President, Secretary of State and the other officers of our nation. You have given us almost 5000 names to never forget. When your training camps, supply depots, safe houses and hosts are hit, America and the nations united against terrorism will make sure NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND.

The following e-mail was received by Bill Gregory and contains some of the first good news we have received.

Bill,

Apologize for not responding sooner. This is the first opportunity I've had to get to personal e-mail. I and all the folks who work for me (18 in all) are physically OK. I have one great lady who is emotionally distraught over the loss of several friends. I lost colleagues from other offices, including a fine gentlemen Dorrie and I have known for almost 10 years, LTG Tim Maude, DCSPER of the Army.

I'll recount the events of Tuesday morning. My office was 3E479. That means it is on the 3d floor, E-ring (outer most ring), vicinity 4th corridor. I had scheduled a 0930 meeting with about half my folks in our conference room which adjoins my office. About 20 minutes prior, one of my majors announced a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center so we went into the conference room to watch CNN. The President came on and made his first statement. After listening to the President, we muted the TV to begin our meeting. Then, without warning, we heard and felt a tremendous explosion. The suspended ceiling fell on us, light fixtures fell, a large whiteboard fell on me but actually protected me from other debris falling on it.

Next, I heard "FIRE!!!" By this time I was hurrying past the open door of my personal office and I saw the window
glass had been blown in with bright yellow flames outside. Looking down the length of the rest of my section's area, I saw flames pouring through another window, almost like a blast furnace. Fire alarms were going off and some of the sprinklers were feebly pouring water on the blast. Most of my folks ran out our main door, I ran the length of the office to ensure it was a clear, then exited the far door with MAJ Vesen Thompson, a great hulk of a man, played four years of college football. Vesen had been sprayed with soot and water from the sprinkler system.

The hallway was now filled with smoke to chest level and people in various states of shock. The ceiling there had collapsed, too. Light fixtures dangled and sparked. The floor had buckled. Soldiers began taking charge--with some confusion--and we decided to make our way out the 4th corridor toward the center of the building. I was yelling "ZR!" to guide my folks out. ("ZR" is short for DAMO-ZR, our office symbol.)

Several of ZR were not in the office when the plane hit and I didn't know where they were. I could only pray they were safe. ZR organized on the move. I look back and am amazed at the fact that 4th corridor was free of smoke during those early moments. It now lies with the rest of the collapsed part of the building.

We rallied in the South Parking lot and began to get accountability. By this time, hundreds of people were there, too. I sent three of my officers to help gather us. I would like to share with Hard Chargers one very sickening 30 minute period when I didn't have accountability. The words, "No one is forgotten; no one is left behind." kept coming to my mind, and I wondered how I'd face Jack Callaway and Top Vernor. By the grace of God, ZR got out.

Fond Regards,

COL Bruce Palmatier

Chief, DAMO-ZR and Former Cdr, 1-30th FA

Recently, I was asked to look at the recent events through the lens of military history. I have joined the cast of thousands who have written an "open letter to Americans."

Like everyone else in this great country, I am reeling from last week's attack on our sovereignty. But unlike some, I am not reeling from surprise. As a career soldier and a student and teacher of military history, I have a different perspective and I think you should hear it. This war will be won or lost by the American citizens, not diplomats ,politicians or soldiers.

Let me briefly explain.

In spite of what the media, and even our own government is telling us, this act was not committed by a group of mentally deranged fanatics. To dismiss them as such would be among the gravest of mistakes. This attack was committed by a ferocious, intelligent and dedicated adversary. Don't take this the wrong way. I don't admire these men and I deplore their tactics, but I respect their capabilities. The many parallels that have been made with the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor are apropos. Not only because it was a brilliant sneak attack against a complacent America, but also because we may well be pulling our new adversaries out of caves 30 years after we think this war is over, just like my father's generation had to do with the formidable Japanese in the years following WW II.

These men hate the United States with all of their being, and we must not underestimate the power of their moral commitment. Napoleon, perhaps the world's greatest combination of soldier and statesman, stated "the moral is
to the physical as three is to one." Patton thought the Frenchman underestimated its importance and said moral conviction was five times more important in battle than physical strength. Our enemies are willing - better said anxious-to give their lives for their cause.

How committed are we America? And for how long?

In addition to demonstrating great moral conviction, the recent attack demonstrated a mastery of some of the basic fundamentals of warfare taught to most military officers worldwide, namely simplicity, security and surprise.
When I first heard rumors that some of these men may have been trained at our own Air War College, it made perfect sense to me. This was not a random act of violence, and we can expect the same sort of military
competence to be displayed in the battle to come.

This war will escalate, with a good portion of it happening right here in the good ol' U.S. of A. These men will not go easily into the night. They do not fear us. We must not fear them. In spite of our overwhelming conventional strength as the world's only "superpower" (a truly silly term), we are the underdog in this fight. As you listen to the carefully scripted rhetoric designed to prepare us for the march for war, please realize that America is not equipped or seriously trained for the battle ahead. To be certain, our soldiers are much better than the enemy, and we have some excellent "counter-terrorist" organizations, but they are mostly trained for hostage rescues, airfield seizures, or the occasional "body snatch," (which may come in handy). We will be fighting a war of annihilation, because if their early efforts are any indication, our enemy is ready and willing to die to the last man. Eradicating the enemy will be costly and time consuming. They have already deployed their forces in as many as 20 countries, and are likely living the lives of everyday citizens.

Simply put, our soldiers will be tasked with a search and destroy mission on multiple foreign landscapes, and the public must be patient and supportive until the strategy and tactics can be worked out.
For the most part, our military is still in the process of redefining itself and presided over by men and women who grew up with - and were promoted because they excelled in - Cold War doctrine, strategy and tactics. This

will not be linear warfare, there will be no clear "centers of gravity" to strike with high technology weapons. Our vast technological edge will certainly be helpful, but it will not be decisive. Perhaps the perfect metaphor for the coming battle was introduced by the terrorists themselves aboard the hijacked aircraft-this will be a knife fight, and it will be won or lost by the ingenuity and will of citizens and soldiers, not by software or smart bombs.

We must also be patient with our military leaders.

Unlike Americans who are eager to put this messy time behind us, our adversaries have time on their side, and they will use it. They plan to fight a battle of attrition, hoping to drag the battle out until the American public loses its will to fight. This might be difficult to believe in this euphoric time of flag waving and patriotism, but it is generally acknowledged that America lacks the stomach for a long fight. We need only look as far back as Vietnam, when North Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap (also a military history teacher) defeated the United States of America without ever winning a major tactical battle. American soldiers who marched to war cheered on by flag waving Americans in 1965 were reviled and spat upon less than three years later when they returned. Although we hope that Usama Bin Laden is no Giap, he is certain to understand and employ the concept. We can expect not only large doses of pain like the recent attacks, but! also less audacious "sand in the gears" tactics, ranging from livestock infestations to attacks at water supplies and power distribution facilities.

These attacks are designed to hit us in our "comfort zone" forcing the average American to "pay more and play less" and eventually eroding our resolve. But it can only work if we let it. It is clear to me that the will of the American citizenry - you and I - is the center of gravity the enemy has targeted. It will be the fulcrum upon which victory or defeat will turn. He believes us to be soft, impatient, and self-centered. He may be right, but
if so, we must change. The Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz, (the most often quoted and least read military theorist in history), says that there is a "remarkable trinity of war" that is composed of the (1) will of the people,
(2) the political leadership of the government, and (3) the chance and probability that plays out on the field of battle, in that order. Every American citizen was in the crosshairs of last Tuesday's attack, not just those that were unfortunate enough to be in the World Trade Center or Pentagon. The will of the American people will decide this war. If we are to win, it will be because we have what it takes to persevere through a few more hits, learn from our! mistakes, improvise, and adapt. If we can do that, we will eventually prevail.

Everyone I've talked to In the past few days has shared a common frustration, saying in one form or another "I just wish I could do something!" You are already doing it. Just keep faith in America, and continue to support your
President and military, and the outcome is certain. If we fail to do so, the outcome is equally certain.