Erik Cancel The title field is required!

1. Wahlin Scott B

   
   7/26/2011 11:07 AM

   [img">http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll284/scottcgcs/photoErikfistpump.jpg[/img">
   
   My son is out of the combat zone on the Afghan Pakistan Border FOR THE LAST TIME TODAY! He was a combat team leader and his team suffered many casualties this 12-month deployment. They also inflicted extreme casualties on their enemy. Only a tiny percentage of enemy casualties are reported in the news. It is very hard being a parent or family member of an infantry soldier. Your soldier never leaves your mind. When he goes into combat, the whole family goes. What father wouldn't take a bullet for his son?

   
   
   
   
2. Quick Lewis W

   
   7/26/2011 1:07 PM

   Good news about Erik. I have followed your posts and thought often of your son. Please tell him that many of us want to thank him for his Service and say God bless him and his fellow troopers.

   
   
   
   
3. Rosenthal Gregg

   
   7/28/2011 5:07 AM

   Great news Scott, a son soon to be reunited with his family. I/we thank him for serving his country bravely and with honor. My father made his career serving the Dept. Of Army and retired as one of its highest ranking civil servants, I use to get sent on missions to play golf with Generals and other officers as my dads liaison (in my youth) so learned allot about military relations. I may not always agree with those who direct our solders, but those who serve and follow orders with out question, putting their lives on the line so we may be safe at home playing golf or tooling down the road without fear, are our greatest asset! It is the most importantly duty of us civilians to thank our rank and file soldiers for the job they do as they are too often forgotten when they get home and lost in the fog of moving on with normal daily life! I will be saying a Baruch (prayer) for your son in temple this Sabbath!
   
   
   Gregg

   
   
   
   
4. Wahlin Scott B

   
   8/1/2011 7:08 AM

   Thank you Gregg.
   
   [img">http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m22/wahlins/home2ndtime.jpg[/img">

   
   
   
   
5. Kinney Brian

   
   8/1/2011 2:08 PM

   Glad to hear! Tell your son thank you from SwFLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

   
   
   
   
6. Frank Siple

   

   0 posts
   
   8/1/2011 6:08 PM

   AMEN! Please welcome Eric home for all of us and THANK him.
   
   Frank T. Siple, CGCS
   Corbin Turf

   
   
   
   
7. Wahlin Scott B

   
   8/18/2011 5:08 PM

   I told him and thank you guys. He told me all about his last deployment. They lost some guys and had a number of injuries. We kill a lot more insurgents than the news says. Imagine that we have lost over 1600 soldiers in Afghanistan not to mention severe injuries. How many casualties do you suppose we inflict upon the enemy? You can be sure it is a significant multiplier of 1600. The Taliban are very brave. They will sacrifice their lives attempting to remove their dead from the battlefield. It was rugged to listen to and I can imagine many soldiers get cut off while telling their experiences to civilians. As his Dad I felt it was my duty to listen, but I have yet to recover completely. I do not know how they live that life for a year at a time and integrate back into society.
   
   He plans to buy a house in Kentucky near his in-laws. He also plans to join the National Guard Reserve and study Fire Science. I will get to visit with him in Bradenton, FL the first week in September and meet my granddaughter for the first time.

   
   
   
   
8. Wahlin Scott B

   
   4/19/2012 8:04 PM

   I visited my son in Kentucky at Christmas and left concerned. His PTSD and TBI had him in pretty rough shape. I am not sure what the VA is doing, but it is working. Just a few short months later and he really sounds good. Now his planning on staying in the Army National Guard and becoming a gunsmith.
   
   David, a month ago you sent me a photo of a "nail gun". I am sure you were aware of this, but my son told me that they actually have a nail gun. It is the 90mm Recoilless Rifle that shoots an antipersonnel round that sends nails with fins into the enemy. He said they would use it when attacked in mass and would find numerous Taliban nailed to trees.

   
   
   
   
9. Steven Kurta

   

   2 posts
   
   4/19/2012 8:04 PM

   Scott,
   Do you have those pictures from way back when he was in boot camp? I remember you posting those like years ago.

   
   
   
   
10. Wallace Jeffrey V

    
    4/19/2012 8:04 PM

    Scott Wahlin, CGCS said: It is the 90mm Recoilless Rifle that shoots an antipersonnel round that sends nails with fins into the enemy. He said they would use it when attacked in mass and would find numerous Taliban nailed to trees.

    
    
    That's gotta hurt.

    
    
    
    
11. Wahlin Scott B

    
    4/19/2012 8:04 PM

    I will have to locate those photos. If I put them on here I did not run them through Photobucket. I did come across this pic though. I had a lot of friends in the Metro-Dade Police Department when we lived in Miami. They took my son and I up for an air patrol one time, my son's first air assault, my only! We hovered over a drug dealers mansion and checked out topless girls. We blew the roof off of a cock fighting establishment. We hovered over the ocean and watched two fighter jets pass nearby. We hovered over the 50 yard line at the Dolphins Stadium. We were up for several hours.
    
    [img">http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll284/scottcgcs/1108ejw.jpg[/img">

    
    
    
    
12. Dennis Cook

    

    1 posts
    
    4/20/2012 6:04 AM

    Great news Scott, i really appreciate what our soldiers do. The sacrifices they and their families make is almost indescribable. Im sure you are very proud of him.

    
    
    
    
13. Wahlin Scott B

    
    4/20/2012 9:04 AM

    Steven Kurta said: Scott,
    Do you have those pictures from way back when he was in boot camp? I remember you posting those like years ago.

    
    
    Unfortunately I seem to misfiled them, but will keep looking. I did find these:
    
    [img">http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll284/scottcgcs/Erik.jpg[/img">
    
    [img">http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll284/scottcgcs/IED.jpg[/img">

    
    
    
    
14. Wahlin Scott B

    
    4/20/2012 5:04 PM

    One of the things Erik talks about is how dangerous their training is and how some guys do not survive it. My younger son severely damaged his ankle in Army training and it will be a challenge for him for life. I talked to one of our golfers today who was in the Marines during Vietnam. They were doing the exercise where they fire live ammunition just over your back while while you crawl on your belly under barbed wire. The guy right next to him was hit. It was apparent with one glance that injured soldier was not going to survive. They stopped the exercise and told the guys to relax, but my golfer did not stop, stayed down and completed the crawl. He began practicing his typewriter skills, working with machines that sent coded messages, anything that would keep him out of combat. Even though he was never deployed to a combat position, he still has bad nights because of that training exercise.

    
    
    
    
15. Trevor Monreal

    

    5 posts
    
    4/21/2012 8:04 AM

    God bless him and all of our brave warriors.
    We can never thank them enough.

    
    
    
    
16. Wahlin Scott B

    
    4/21/2012 7:04 PM

    Dennis Cook said: Great news Scott, i really appreciate what our soldiers do. The sacrifices they and their families make is almost indescribable. Im sure you are very proud of him.

    
    
    I very much appreciate your sentiments. People have been telling me since he joined the Army Air Assault that they are sure I am proud of him. That statement has always made me feel conflicted. He had always given me reason to be proud of him. When he joined the infantry (he told me after he signed his contract) my feeling was only apprehension. Although I am proud of him for his Army Service, the more correct feeling is that I honor him for it. One response is not more or less than the other, but it is different. I struggle to understand the macho position of many who have served in combat. My son excelled in combat, but his attitude towards it is very subdued. He said, "You get very bored waiting for the next engagement, but when it occurs and someone gets killed or worse you are okay for a while waiting for the next one."

    
    
    
    
17. Dennis Cook

    

    1 posts
    
    4/23/2012 5:04 AM

    Scott Wahlin, CGCS said:

    Dennis Cook said: Great news Scott, i really appreciate what our soldiers do. The sacrifices they and their families make is almost indescribable. Im sure you are very proud of him.

    
    
    I very much appreciate your sentiments. People have been telling me since he joined the Army Air Assault that they are sure I am proud of him. That statement has always made me feel conflicted. He had always given me reason to be proud of him. When he joined the infantry (he told me after he signed his contract) my feeling was only apprehension. Although I am proud of him for his Army Service, the more correct feeling is that I honor him for it. One response is not more or less than the other, but it is different. I struggle to understand the macho position of many who have served in combat. My son excelled in combat, but his attitude towards it is very subdued. He said, "You get very bored waiting for the next engagement, but when it occurs and someone gets killed or worse you are okay for a while waiting for the next one."

    
    
    Honor, Scott that is very well put.

    
    
    
    
18. McCallum David K

    
    4/23/2012 8:04 AM

    I do remember that drill as well..........did not get hit obviously (usually a head wound) and as scary as it was it didn't come close to live fire. It is something that stays with you forever. Heading to the Orlando area in July for a reunion.......sure lots of tears and lots lies told over countless beers.

    
    
    
    
19. Wahlin Scott B

    
    4/30/2012 5:04 PM

    I learned something today. Infantrymen make a deal with each other. If they take a shot in the spine they agree to kill each other. I could not ask if he ever had to do it. Oh man...

    
    
    
    
20. Wahlin Scott B

    
    5/3/2012 7:05 PM

    Prayer Request: I got a call from the police a few minutes ago. They would not tell me what happened except there were no felonies and no one was hurt. If you are a believer please pray for Erik Wahlin's well being and recovery.

    
    
    
    
21. Dennis Cook

    

    1 posts
    
    5/4/2012 4:05 AM

    Whoa, Scott, I hope everything is OK. I will keep Erik in my prayers.

    
    
    
    
22. Wahlin Scott B

    
    5/9/2012 4:05 PM

    He had a flashback, doesn't remember anything. He was "smoking" himself (extreme exercise) in the neighborhood. He was doing drills and scaring people. Apparently there is unique smell when someone gets all blown apart. He was reliving a particularly bad gun battle where an officer had overruled him as team leader and they walked in the line of a machine gun nest with no cover.

    
    
    
    
23. Wahlin Scott B

    
    5/16/2012 3:05 PM

    (Erik Facebook Rant: I did some editing.)
    
    I had someone thank me for my service yesterday, and for the first time it (upset) me off. The military used to fight for your freedom, WW1, WW2, Korea. I just finished my 2nd Infantry deployment in Afghanistan in which it has gotten worse over there, because you replace a bunch of (bold soldiers) from the 101st who train everyday all year physically. They run through scenario after scenario, till fighting is instinct, its natural and believe me we still had every inch of ground contested. We risked our lives did as we're told while certain commanders hid for their lives. I'm "OK" with that, but don't replace them with some (unfit) National Guard unit who trains ONCE A MONTH, AND DOESN'T TRAIN WITH ANY GEAR!! TRAIN AS YOU FIGHT!!! Now all the ground the 101st blood, sweat and shed tears to get is given right back to the (freaking) TALIBAN. Does that sound like a war or winnable game plan???? THATS NOT SPECULATION I've seen it happen over there with my own eyes twice, AND IT (freaking upsets) ME OFF. I had a good friend, great man PFC Arturo Rodriguez fought his (tail) off bravely and got killed for a hilltop that means nothing to any politician that got these brave men in this fight. Then the Army had the nerve to deny his parents the life insurance policy they okayed beforehand and he paid into because they ARE MEXICAN citizens. They take some poor brave "MEXICAN'S" money that gave his life for this country, and then not honor the deal. In mine and any other true loyal American's mind, The Rodriguez's are more American then the (rear ends) that got us in this mess. george w, dick chenney! The closest these pieces of (dooty) got to being half the man Arturo Rodriguez was is when (pooty) head shot his friend on a hunting trip.
    
    What about Iraq? Now that was genius! Take out the only military power that can check our sworn and soon to be NUCLEAR enemy. Genius!! You know what? I'm sure you guys could make a killing just selling nukes to Iran. That's the only way you could have made it easier. Look I love most of our REAL soldiers that are over there, but politics has no place in the war. You see politicians get us half ass into a war then sit back and get filthy rich off it. That's when there is a problem in my eyes. The saddest part is most guys in the Military are too brainwashed in macho (bull poop), that they loved Ga..Ga..Ga..george w because he put some $$ in the military. Look at the big picture? Was his best interest in America or himself? I've been to Afghanistan twice and killed people there that prior to them engaging me I had no problem with. Never once did I engage Osama or any of his 9/11 conspirators. I've met plenty of good Afghans. If someone invaded us would you not take up arms? I have no problem doing this country's dirty work but not for the politicians to get rich while the fighters are making peanuts. If I have to watch my friends get maimed, killed and mentally (damaged), I'm not going to do it in vain. Lets have an end game, a standard for military combat units. Its a slap in our face to turn over a year's of hard fighting to a unit that you know is going to sit on the base and not do the at least the bare minimum (to keep it). We don't fight for freedom or our way of life here, we fight for the guy next to us. If you disagree, please tell me what uniformed military could have stopped 9/11 or will ever stop a future one? All politicians are liars and crooks the Republicans are just a little better at it.

    
    
    
    
24. Sandy Clark

    

    0 posts
    
    5/16/2012 4:05 PM

    We just had a tournament here two weeks ago. A Catholic Parish, St Patrick's puts this fund raiser on every year. They sponsored a number of Wounded Warriors, I counted at least 12. These guys looked about 16 to me yet I know they were probably all young 20's. Part of me wanted to cry when I saw the missing limbs on these young hero's but the uplifting part was the fact that they were playing and the incredible can do attitude they were showing. I think the ugliness of war really hits home when you get a chance to meet the young men. It is just a shame they have had to go through so much pain that will be with them for the rest of their lives. Political wars should be avoided at all costs. It isn't fair to our fine young people that actually do the work.