Six Steps to Victory - Part II (the next step)

Posted By Blackfive

Message from Eric Egland, author of Six Steps to Victory:

Hey Team Blackfive,

Here is an update on "Six Steps to Victory--A Bottom Up Solution in Iraq:"

Feedback has been incredible. Blogs and e-mail forwarding have yielded hundreds of responses in the last few days from troops on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, active duty generals, Vietnam vets, civilian experts, and concerned citizens.

Thanks to sites like Blackfive, this has the makings of an internet-enabled prairie fire.  The grass roots wisdom of the American people is awesome, and it is exciting to use the internet to tap into the collective insights out there, which are leading to action and informing the manuscript I am finishing for publication in the spring.

Hey, do you know anyone who is just about to deploy, or has just arrived in Iraq, preferably in a line infantry, ground-owner type unit? Goal is to implement Step 3--connect the American people to the effort by giving them the chance to directly support the guys on the ground.

I am trying to line up a few battalions who would want to get sponsored by a city here and use the WalMart 'wedding registry' to order what they need-- video games, dvd's and books for themselves; cell phone cameras, laptops and video cameras to give to supportive locals for help with spotting bad guys; and dolls, bicycles, microwaves and generators to strengthen relations with the locals.

I have the list of deploying units, but prefer to go grass roots so I don't have to put up with some brigade XO tell me to send a white paper and powerpoint brief--only to never hear back from him.

Let me know if you or your readers can connect me with someone from a combat battalion either in country or about to deploy in the next few months.  I can explain that all they would need to do is go to WalMart.com and sign up for a gift registry account, tell their buddies in the unit, send me the account information and I will take it from there.

Once they start getting stuff, they can take pictures and e-mail them back here so the folks supporting them can get the feedback to see that their efforts are really making a difference.  I have mayors, CEOs, nonprofit presidents, church leaders, Rotary clubs, political groups and other local leaders from Alaska to Florida chomping at the bit to help out. People here really want to help but don't know how--beyond prayers, bumper stickers and care packages.  Also, if one of your readers wants to sign their city up to sponsor a battalion, they can e-mail me at SixStepsInIraq@hotmail.com...

More after the Jump...

Once we get one city to step up and send some stuff totaling an impressive amount, say $10,000, we will seek national media coverage so the city leader can issue a challenge to other American cities to do the same thing.  Then, we can ask the Pentagon to provide a list of battalions and let cities and corporations bid to sponsor a battalion, with the honors going to the cities that pledge the highest amount of support-per-citizen or employee.

I was interviewed on TV a couple of weeks ago about 'shared sacrifice' between the public and the troops in Iraq, and the host suggested--straightfaced—that meant we need a new gas tax.  I see it differently...

The American people don't need a new tax.  Instead, they need a challenge. And they will rise to it.

Also, anyone who can connect me with someone from WalMart.com, Ebay or some similar tech enterprise to try to get a better 'wedding registry' tool that would allow troops to order from anywhere, whether WalMart, Ebay, or WickedLasers.com to get those handheld visible lasers that the Army refused to issue.  But I think WalMart is the best place to start for now...

Here is the link to the article again in case you want to forward:

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/012/930jbmte.asp

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Mission: To protect and promote the reputation and dignity of America's Warriors.
Join us!

Comments

Six Steps to Victory - Part II (the next step)

Message from Eric Egland, author of Six Steps to Victory:

Hey Team Blackfive,

Here is an update on "Six Steps to Victory--A Bottom Up Solution in Iraq:"

Feedback has been incredible. Blogs and e-mail forwarding have yielded hundreds of responses in the last few days from troops on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, active duty generals, Vietnam vets, civilian experts, and concerned citizens.

Thanks to sites like Blackfive, this has the makings of an internet-enabled prairie fire.  The grass roots wisdom of the American people is awesome, and it is exciting to use the internet to tap into the collective insights out there, which are leading to action and informing the manuscript I am finishing for publication in the spring.

Hey, do you know anyone who is just about to deploy, or has just arrived in Iraq, preferably in a line infantry, ground-owner type unit? Goal is to implement Step 3--connect the American people to the effort by giving them the chance to directly support the guys on the ground.

I am trying to line up a few battalions who would want to get sponsored by a city here and use the WalMart 'wedding registry' to order what they need-- video games, dvd's and books for themselves; cell phone cameras, laptops and video cameras to give to supportive locals for help with spotting bad guys; and dolls, bicycles, microwaves and generators to strengthen relations with the locals.

I have the list of deploying units, but prefer to go grass roots so I don't have to put up with some brigade XO tell me to send a white paper and powerpoint brief--only to never hear back from him.

Let me know if you or your readers can connect me with someone from a combat battalion either in country or about to deploy in the next few months.  I can explain that all they would need to do is go to WalMart.com and sign up for a gift registry account, tell their buddies in the unit, send me the account information and I will take it from there.

Once they start getting stuff, they can take pictures and e-mail them back here so the folks supporting them can get the feedback to see that their efforts are really making a difference.  I have mayors, CEOs, nonprofit presidents, church leaders, Rotary clubs, political groups and other local leaders from Alaska to Florida chomping at the bit to help out. People here really want to help but don't know how--beyond prayers, bumper stickers and care packages.  Also, if one of your readers wants to sign their city up to sponsor a battalion, they can e-mail me at SixStepsInIraq@hotmail.com...

More after the Jump...

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