JCS Chairman Begins Trip to Assess Troop Morale (co-starring Colin Quinn)

[paineinthearse]

http://www.dod.gov/news/Aug2005/20050815_2446.html




Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addresses the military audience at the beginning of a United Service Organizations show in Wiesbaden, Germany, on Aug. 15. Myers, accompanied by the USO group, is visiting American troops deployed around the world to assess troop morale and to thank servicemen and women for their service. Photo by Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen, USAF

JCS Chairman Begins Trip to Assess Troop Morale
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WIESBADEN, Germany, Aug. 15, 2005 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today kicked off a 10-day tour to meet with servicemembers and assess their morale.

Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers and a troupe of United Service Organizations entertainers visited the 1st Armored Division here. Also attending the show were members of the 3rd Corps Support Command, the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade and the 421st Medical Evacuation Battalion.

The 1st Armored Division band welcomed the chairman by playing the Kansas State University fight song. The chairman, a 1965 grad of that institution, told the soldiers he wanted the show to be entertaining and fun and that he wanted to look them in the eyes and thank them for their service.

To start the show, Myers re-enlisted 10 soldiers and thanked them for their service and the service of their families. "Families also serve," he said.

Rain forced the 1st Armored to hold the show in a hangar at an airfield. More than a thousand soldiers packed the grandstands and floor to see Fox Sports television personality and cover girl LeeAnn Tweeden, NFL Hall of Fame member Gayle Sayers, and comedians Jeffrey Ross and Colin Quinn. The soldiers appreciated the irreverent comments of Quinn and Ross on everything from politics to the Middle East.

The 1st Armored Division is scheduled to send two combat brigades to Iraq in November 2006. About half the soldiers in the crowd were combat veterans of Iraq or Afghanistan, officials said.

The trip gives the chairman the chance to evaluate troop morale on his own, officials traveling with him explained.

Wonder if Quinn did these bits?

"Weekend Update" Transcript (2/14/98)
http://www.saturday-night-live.com/snl/weekendupdate/98/2-14.html
"Thank you. Hi, I'm Colin Quinn. Okay, first lets talk about this war in Iraq. What's going on? Why are we involved? It's simple: We're the world's police man. Kuwait calls us up. We go to Iraq. We knock on the door. Hussein answers. Hussein's like the drunk-shirtless guy you see on 'Cops.' He says, 'What's up?' 'We came out because we got a complaint. We heard you have weapons in the house. One of your neighbors called us.' 'Who was it, Afghanistan? I'll kill him!' 'Cool your jets. It wasn't Afghanistan.' Meanwhile Kuwait is Iraq's wife in the background with a black-eye and smeared make-up. 'No, no. It's okay. It's my fault. He said he wouldn't do it again.' Now we get in the middle of their domestic squabble. We smack Hussein around a little bit. Threaten him. Maybe shoot him in the leg. But you know what always happens. They make up, Kuwait makes up with Iraq. They join forces and blame us. Now we're the bad guys. 'The Great Satan,' you know. Everytime we come around they egg the patrol car or burn our flags. It's not worth it. I think we should retire as the world's police man. Maybe take a part-time security job, guarding Nova Scotia."

or this gem -

"Weekend Update with Colin Quinn" Transcript (1998)
http://snltranscripts.jt.org/98/98bupdate.phtml
U.S. officials and experts say that Iraq is close to building a nuclear weapon. Translation: The U.S. will soon be bombing the crap out of Iraq. ... That's what it means.

[bemildred]

1. "So, how's your morale Soldier? Good, right?" "Yes Sir! Very good Sir!"nt

[neuvocat]

4. Well it had better be or else!

[AwareOne]

2. Colin Quinn is a right wing asshole

His brief show on comedy central turned into a pro Bush, pro war rally every night.

[neuvocat]

3. That's why I stopped watching.

I didn't care who was on there or how much I liked them, I just wouldn't watch it because of all the self-serving jingoistic bullshit that you could see on all the other channels (I haven't had cable since February and that's why I don't miss it one bit).

[MADem]

5. This is what is called a FAREWELL SWING

Myers, though he could have been nominated for another term as CJCS (hey, itsa wartime!!!) got the boot from chumpy and rummy in favor of Peter Pace (is PP more compliant, ya think??) the current #2 at JCS.

So the clock is running out on him...no more jazzy plane, no more four star suites, no more HUGE entourage with staffers in the DOZENS kissing your ass and catering to your every whim. Learn how to tie your own shoelaces all over again, pal!

Myers is doing his farewells, his wife is doing her shopping (don't forget to pick up a new cuckoo clock, hon!) and if he worried about fucking morale in Weisbaden, he really ought to find out how they'll be doing once they deploy next year to sweet spots like Fallujah and Ramadi!