Don't Forget Our Troops This Holiday Season!!!!!

Here it is another thanksgiving and again we have soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen deployed all over the globe, from Antarctica to the deserts in Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan, South Korea to South America.  Today if you can think of the continent we most likely have military personal deployed  in at least one country but most likely multiple countries on that continent.

Right now most of us know the three main deployment areas, mainly Iraq and Afghanistan where our troops are currently in the most danger and of course the troops we have in South Korea and with the recent flair up may God prevent this situation from getting any worse, what few people don't know is the far flung places we do have our military personal. 

After spending 20 years in the navy, I know this can be the hardest time for our men and women in uniform, please take some time out and say a prayer for them, and if you have a way reach out and thank a soldier, airman, sailor or marine. They deserve more thanks than we or our country are capable of showing, but let them know you appreciate their sacrifices they are making for you and your family.

During this time of year the majority of us think about our troops overseas being lonely, but believe it or not, from my own experience the troops who really need our attention are those who are here stateside serving on a military base who could not, for one reason or another make it home for the holidays and will end up eating their thanksgiving meal in the chow hall, don't get me wrong the military cooks will go all out to give them a good meal, but the thought of being so "close" to home but yet so far away brings the blues to many especially for those that this will be their first holiday season away from home.

So during this season, reach out to our troops overseas and at home, if you live near a base many commands have programs where you may be able to invite serviceman or women to your home for dinner, give gifts or just write them a letter of thanks, take some time out and investigate the different methods in your area to show your support for our military.

I

Thought I might get on here and just say a bit about the San Bruno fire, its scary right now PG&E right now of course are trying to cover their asses, which is what you would expect any company to do, and all their failures will come out in the investigation.

What I want to bring up is the responsibility of each city, county, township or what ever jurisdiction you may live in. The local government is overall for the citizens well being and should be watching and keeping records of every bit of construction that has or will occur in their area. Now I've heard to conflicting story's about the age of this gas line, but the two dates out their are 1948 and 1956, either way old for a pipe and defiantly not up to the codes we have today.

Now above I did say it is the local governments responsibility which it is, however the overall responsibility for our safety and well being is ours, get involved, attend a council meeting. Find out when the pipes (Gas, Water, Sewer) where installed in your town, make the council and the utility companies responsible for the pipes test them if they are over 20 years old. The next disaster may not happen for 10 years but do you want it to be in your neighborhood.

One last thing, do you know what kind of pipes do run under your streets? Few people know because of the large military presence in the San Diego area there are highly vol tile jet fuel pipes running all over San Diego County transferring fuel to Naval Air Station North Island and Marine Corp Station Mirimar. Check it out because I be live some of those went underground as long ago as the mid 1930's. God help San Diego if one of these lines rupture.

Think about it!!!!