Doug Larsen with a photo of himself and Ronnie Winchester, left. Winchester, a Marine, was killed in Iraq in 2004.

Neat article in today's NY Times about two of my classmates.

For those who don't know me, I'm proud as hell of my alma mater, and think that being a Chaminade man means a whole hell of a lot--a point underscored when you recoginze how we answer our nation's call to service, and the unmatched commitment to our country. The Marianists mean so much to so many, and the values they consistently instill upon generations of young men is commendable.

When I caught the ND-Navy game a few weeks ago, it was hard to root against Navy, because you respect each and every one of the Middies, and the same would be true of West Point. I probably would root against USAFA.

I'll be watching Saturday:

In Army-Navy Game, Friends, Competitors and a Band of Brothers
Marc Steiner for The New York Times
In Army-Navy Game, Friends, Competitors and a Band of Brothers
OLD BRIDGE, N.J. — As Army renews its college football rivalry with Navy for the 109th time Saturday in Philadelphia, Doug Larsen’s mind will surely drift back to the game in 2000.

That was when he looked across the line of scrimmage and saw his friend Ronnie Winchester. They were like brothers, having met as freshmen at Chaminade High School, an all-boys Catholic school in Mineola, N.Y., on Long Island. But for a few hours on that day eight years ago in Baltimore, they were rivals, and loving every minute of it.

continued...

Great call on Bob Gates
Morganobrien.com supports president-elect Obama's choice of Bob Gates to stay on as SecDef. We're huge fans of Gates, and think it's a great move for our troops in the field.

During a busy week, Gates also found time to visit the megalopolis of Minot, N.D. Morganobrien.com's spies were not available to gather intel, but Time did a nice write-up:

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had his famous rules, a written roster of commands about how to deal with Washington, including such pearls as "It is easier to get into something than to get out of it." Robert Gates — his successor in the Bush Administration and, as of this week, the Obama Administration — doesn't have a list of rules. Those who only see his serious pronouncements about the nation's wars might even get the impression that Gates doesn't have a personality.

But confidants say Gates can be a funny guy who specializes in punch line humor inspired by Bill Cosby, Sam Kinison and W.C. Fields. After leaving the CIA following a 26-year career, Gates spent more than a decade giving speeches and honing his delivery. On Monday, after being tapped by Barack Obama to continue managing the nation's two wars, Gates jetted to Minot, N.D., to become the first Defense Secretary ever to visit the airmen at the missile base there. "It's always great to be out of Washington, D.C. — the only city in the world where you can see a prominent person walking down lovers' lane holding his own hand," he quipped.

And while we're at it, we're huge fans of Gov. Richardson and appointing Gen. Jones as the NSA was a killer move, too. (As a matter of policy, morganobrien.com does not comment on our chains of command, unless they're in a good video with Jay-Z).

Farewell to Heroes
We lost two Doolittle Raiders this week (story here).

If I were more enterprising, I'd work on a piece about these American Heroes. Here's the Wikipedia entry for more information: (link)

Backhanded Compliment/Unfortunate Quote of the Week

Hey, Big Spender!
Former Air Force Secretary Verne Orr left us this week. I don't know much about Sec. Orr, nor could I say that I even knew who he was until I read the article.

I did find Sec. Donley's quote very interesting--let me know if I'm being hypersensitive:

"Former Secretary of the Air Force Verne Orr was a leader and a professional committed to the United States Air Force and our nation during a crucial period of change," said current Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley. "Although he served during a time of increased defense spending and modernization, (emphaisis mine) he will be remembered most for his deep commitment to our Airmen and their families. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends as they mourn the loss of their loved one."

OK, I get it, we're trying to be responsible nowadays about defense spending, but why even mention that? I thought rule #1 in Air Force obituaries was to never use the word, 'Although' to begin a sentence.

You know, we did win the Cold War on the heels of his tenure, so one could argue that the spending was worthwhile...just sayin'

As always,
With my greatest respect,
xOxO
Morgan

Labels: Air Force, WiGO