Colonel Dan, SASS #24025

I was going through some old files this morning and ran across this Word document I'd written many years ago recounting one of many amusing events during my time as the Border Operations Officer for VII Corps, Germany. I just had to share this with our Saloon Gang. I look back on this as typical of large organizations whose paper work requirements grow seriously out of control. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One more story about the life of a ground pounding 11th Cav guy working at the Corps staff level for the first time. Early in my assignment to VII Corps G-2 Ops, I noticed that the Corps’ Border Ops reg was seriously outdated. Patrolling the border being close to my heart given a prior tour with the 11th ACR where I commanded a cavalry troop, I decided that I would assign myself the mission of not just updating it but totally re-writing it from the front cover to the back cover . In as much as I knew how we cav guys looked at regs, orders and requests from on high written by career Corps level staff officers who never saw the border fence up close, I made it a primary point to work with 2 ACR on this self-assigned mission. During my first visit to 2 ACR HQ in Nuremberg, I spoke with COL Bill Crouch, the Regimental Commander to get his perspective on what needed to be done to make his life easier and his mission more meaningful. The one major burr under his saddle was the vast number of reports required from his HQs on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis. He was right. I saw that the very first time I picked up this outdated compilation of changes and additions. The Border Ops reg contained a 3 full page appendix listing all the required reports, what HQs they were to be sent to, the frequency and the suspense dates for each….3 full pages of this!! He told me if I could accomplish nothing else while at Corps, if I could reduce this burden, I’d be his hero. I told him I’d do my best and do so as soon as I returned to Corps HQ in Stuttgart. True to my word, I immediately suspended ALL reports with the exception of the Weekly Border Activity report the 2 ACR had to submit to its immediate higher HQs—VII Corps…in other words….us! I told the Regiment that I would then forward that same report to USAREUR, our German counterparts and a few others that really used the data. I would consider adding an agency/HQs back on the list ONLY if valid screams were sent my way. I think you can guess what happened…NO screams were heard at any time by anybody. The Border Ops Reg was consequently streamlined, the 2 ACR continued doing its real world on-the-ground mission, their reporting lives were greatly simplified, the world didn’t end and the RCO thought I “dun good” for the Regiment.

SASS Alias: Colonel Dan SASS# 24025 From: Central Florida Cowboy Action Shooting: 20 years

More on the good news front! Continue to soldier on my friends... CD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear Colonel Dan: I want to thank you for your activism earlier this week. After I asked you to contact your Representative in opposition to Obama's Social Security Gun Ban, the House took action this week. And the results were fantastic! I must say that having lived in the DC area for the past several decades -- and having endured Obama's oppressive regime for the last eight years -- the past month has been a breath of fresh air. Donald Trump and the Republican Congress are moving swiftly to reverse Barack Obama's vile anti-gun legacy of executive actions. Trump is apparently spreading out his executive orders over a longer period of time so that each executive order can be featured in a separate news cycle. But one thing which is already happening is Congress' effort to repeal Obama's Social Security Gun Ban. Because that action was promulgated as a formal rule, it can be most easily repealed by a congressional resolution -- passed under the Congressional Review Act. This act allows the Senate to repeal the rule by a simple majority vote, without the possibility of a filibuster. Social Security Gun Ban is Built on the Stinking Carcass of Gun Control You might remember that the Social Security Gun Ban was finalized in December. It was issued in a purported effort to implement the NICS Amendments Improvement Act of 2007 -- legislation also known as the Veterans Disarmament Act, which was vigorously opposed by Gun Owners of America. Under the Veterans Disarmament Act, over 257,000 law-abiding veterans have lost their Second Amendment rights, merely because they sought counseling from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The new Social Security Gun Ban would extend the precedent to disabled persons receiving social security benefits under Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This means, for instance, that the names of those who receive their social security checks through a guardian can now be sent to the NICS gun ban list. In some states, SWAT teams would be sent to their homes to forcibly seize the guns they have. The good news is that the House yesterday passed H.J.Res. 40, to overturn the Social Security Gun Ban. The vote in the Senate, expected next week, would send the resolution to President Trump's desk for signature. The vote in the House was 235-to-180, with only two Republicans voting anti-gun and only 6 Democrats voting pro-gun. ("Aye" was the pro-gun vote and can be viewed here.) The vote reinforces recent trends in which the Republican Party has increasingly become the "pro-gun" party in America, and the Democrats, increasingly the "anti-gun" party. We're optimistic that the Senate will approve the House-passed measure by a largely party-line vote. (S.J.Res. 14 is an identical version introduced by Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley.) Under the special Congressional Review Act procedures, this majority vote will be enough to send the measure to President Trump's desk. So please urge your Senators to vote for H.J.Res. 40/S.J.Res. 14 -- legislation to overturn the Social Security Gun Ban. Sincerely, Larry Pratt Executive Director Emeritus

President Trump hit a home run with this nomination. It's now squarely in the hands of Mitch McConnell to do whatever it takes to get this good man confirmed--including extending the "Nuclear Option" that Harry Reid first imposed, to include Supreme Court nominees! I suggest pressuring your Senators to push McConnell in that direction. This is extremely important for all gun owners--get involved. http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/01/31/trump-scotus-nominee-2nd-amendment-protects-individual-right/

I always have one with me..especially in places I can't carry...like airplanes...no one ever challenges it anywhere I go. Where I can carry, I certainly do and look at the cane as my first line of defense. Like was mentioned above, in the proper hands a cane can be a formidable self defense weapon. I highly recommend that if your considering this route do it right and get the training on how to effectively employ it in a threatening situation. If you don't, you may find yourself on the receiving end after its been forcibly taken from you. I've had just such training. It was very enjoyable as well as very valuable. Then as with all skills, practice, practice, practice. Just the view from my foxhole. A side note: I bought a stock cane from Tractor Supply for less than $20. It's a one inch thick piece of solid oak. I cut it to fit me for length, lightly sanded it then rubbed it with Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil. Looks good and is extremely effective.

Please join me in congratulating one of our own.... Our Team SASS Deputy Director, Allegiance, aka Joe DeBargalis, has been named Deputy Executive Director of General Operations for the NRA! This a absolutely super news...a great patriot has been duly recognized. The NRA has chosen an authentic top notch winner to fill this important position I salute my friend Allegiance and wish him only the very best.

Please join me in congratulating one of our own.... Our Team SASS Deputy Director, Allegiance, aka Joe DeBargalis, has been named Deputy Executive Director of General Operations for the NRA! This a absolutely super news...a great patriot has been duly recognized. The NRA has chosen an authentic top notch winner to fill this important position I salute my friend Allegiance and wish him only the very best.

Thus far, I'm very encouraged and optimistic about our pro-gun future! CD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In one of the first pro-gun actions of his administration, President Donald Trump is expected to shortly move to revoke Barack Obama's illegal actions to effectively outlaw gun collecting. Obama's anti-gun "executive action" was announced on January 6, 2016 -- in the wake of Obama's unsuccessful attempt to scapegoat law-abiding gun owners for the actions of a Muslim terrorist in San Bernardino. Obama's action was implemented as a "clarification" because he knew that his lawless moves could never pass muster under the rule-making procedures of the Administrative Procedures Act. Under Obama's now-moribund "clarification," a gun owner could have been imprisoned for up to five years and fined $250,000 for "only one or two [firearms] transactions," according to a White House fact sheet. Note that, under Clinton, tens of thousands of licensees lost their licenses because they didn't have "brick-or-mortar" stores. Now, in a Clinton/Obama Mutt-and-Jeff routine, Obama proposed to imprison hobbyists who didn't have licenses because the government refused to issue licenses to them. Hence, a hobbyist who bought a firearm one day and sold it the next day at a profit could go to prison for five years. Obviously, the intent was to create such a cloud of ambiguity that gun owners would refrain from constitutionally protected activity (private firearms sales), for fear that they would run afoul of Obama's amorphous rules. Tragically, in some cases, Obama's unlawful actions had exactly the intended effect. But, thanks to President Donald Trump, Obama's unlawful action will soon be repealed -- as one of the priority actions of the incoming administration. Gun Owners of America is optimistic that this is only the first in a series of Trump actions overturning illegal Obama actions. We are also asking for Trump administration action: Removing the U.S. from the Anti-Gun UN Arms Trade Treaty; Repealing bullet and gun import bans going from Obama back to George H. W. Bush's semi-auto import ban; Repealing the suspension of health privacy laws with respect to gun owners; Repealing executive actions encouraging doctors to inquire about gun ownership and to enter this information into a federal health database; Restoring gun rights for 257,000 law-abiding veterans; Repealing Obama's efforts to strip Social Security recipients of their guns, merely because a guardian processes their checks. The work of restoring the Second Amendment to its God-given status has only just begun. But the important thing is that it has begun. Sincerely, Tim Macy Chairman

GG, Thank you for asking! I have exchanged emails with Misty and she is considering this. In the mean time, complete Chronicle editions are archived on the SASS website and you can access my articles that way. Soldier on...

Once again, I backed the wrong horse in this race. Just as I did in 1985, I was hoping for and backing the Glock but the Sig is a great pistol also. My final hope is for a .45 not the 9mm but that's just the view from my foxhole... http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2017/01/20/army-picks-sig-sauers-p320-handgun-to-replace-m9-service-pistol.html

Florida's first district is well represented! I sense a new awakening in America...and it begins in earnest on Friday. It will be up to us to keep this going my friends. Saddle up with Team SASS! CD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.pnj.com/story/opinion/2017/01/17/rep-gaetz-second-amendment-negotiable/96686296/ Rep. Gaetz: Second Amendment not negotiable Congressman Matt Gaetz 3:54 p.m. CT Jan. 17, 2017 Liberal activist John Cork asks in a recent column, “Who is Matt Gaetz Protecting?” The answer: Gun owners and our Constitution. Some on the left believe the Second Amendment is negotiable, flexible – even forgettable. I don’t – and Andy Marlette’s cartoons provide the evidence. Our founders understood that America’s strength comes from empowering citizens, not government. In the words of Thomas Jefferson, “Laws that forbid the carrying of arms…disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man" (quoting 18th century criminologist Cesare Beccaria). Jefferson’s words ring true today – especially given increasing violence in society. When Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Michael Bloomberg called for a repeal of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, I proudly stood up to them. We didn’t weaken Stand Your Ground, we made it even stronger to protect those under attack. As a state legislator, I championed open gun carry in Florida. Forty-Five states allow open carry in some form. States that allow open carry have 23% less violent crime, fewer murders and fewer aggravated assaults. The numbers don’t lie – which is likely why Mr. Cork didn’t cite any. Congress can do more to restore the rights of law-abiding gun owners. Today, when a Florida conceal carry permit holder travels to Alabama, Georgia or any other state, they cannot carry absent duplicative permitting. I’ve joined Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) introducing national conceal carry reciprocity legislation. In our state, conceal carry permit holders are remarkably law-abiding citizens. In fact, they are eight times less likely to commit crimes than members of law enforcement. We hope to pass this bill soon. Mr. Cork writes, “There are numerous effective strategies that reduce the odds of the mentally ill obtaining firearms. The NRA and Rep. Gaetz oppose them all.” That is a lie. And I can prove it. No person should be able to walk out of a mental institution and return to an arsenal. In 2013, I was Criminal Justice Chairman in the Florida House of Representatives. We worked with Democrats, Republicans, the NRA and others to pass HB 1355. According to nonpartisan analysis, this law prohibits the sale or delivery of firearms to someone “adjudicated mentally defective” or who has been “committed to a mental institution.” That’s just commonsense. Perhaps Mr. Cork should take better aim of the facts before publishing fake news. For eight years President Obama has blamed law-abiding gun owners for the tragic events caused by a disturbed few. In Northwest Florida, we proudly “cling to our guns and bibles.” We always will. And if anyone ever wonders who I am protecting by supporting the Second Amendment, it just may be you or your family. Because, in America, you always have the right to protect yourself. Congressman Matt Gaetz represents the First District of Florida. He serves on the Armed Services, Budget and Judiciary Committees and lives in Fort Walton Beach.

Let Freedom Ring! http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/01/15/iowa-senators-push-constitutional-amendment-blocking-gun-control/

I believe Jeff Sessions would be a great AG. It's time to put the pressure on your Senators. CD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Demand that Your Senators Vote to Confirm Sessions as Attorney General Dear Dan: Stunned by the defeat of Hillary Clinton, the Far Left is now flailing away to create a new benchmark for Donald Trump's Cabinet appointments. Under their standards, "No Gun Owners Would Be Allowed." Their first target is Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions, who was examined by the Senate Judiciary Committee this week. As a U.S. Senator from Alabama, Sessions is "A" rated by GOA, given that he has voted pro-gun nearly 100% of the time. Not surprisingly, roughly 1,300 "law" professors spewed out a muddled rant objecting to Sessions' confirmation. Why? Well, Sessions, like GOA, opposes amnesty for millions of illegals, in a transparent effort to turn the whole country "blue" -- just as California became "blue" following the 1986 amnesty bill. And remember the anti-gun "sentencing reform" bill, which would have released drug traffickers onto the streets, while imposing a new five-year mandatory minimum for gunsmiths? Both GOA and Sessions opposed the anti-gun bill, and we worked to kill that legislation last year. But, of course, that's unacceptable to the "law" professors. These are the same goofballs that produced a 23-page letter in support of anti-gun Justice Sonia Sotomayor -- and that produced 1,000 "law" professors in support of anti-gun cop-killer-lawyer Debo Adegbile. The fact is that, after 8 years of lawless AG's who have tried to destroy the Second Amendment in every way possible, Jeff Sessions would administer his department in accordance with the law and the Constitution. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has come out in strong support of Sessions, showing how he would represent a tremendous break from the previous eight years: Senator Jeff Sessions' nomination to be the 84th attorney general of the United States is fantastic news for those who revere the rule of law.... The Obama Department of Justice openly ignored the laws it didn't like. While Senator Sessions condemned so-called sanctuary cities, the Obama DOJ funneled hundreds of millions in grant money to them -- despite these cities' brazen refusal to abide by our country's immigration laws -- and it endangered Americans all over the country by itself repeatedly refusing to enforce these laws. Furthermore, the Obama DOJ routinely preferred to act as a quasi-legislature, attempting to rewrite straightforward laws -- and even the Constitution itself -- to fit its radical agenda.... In stark contrast to his predecessors, Obama lost more than half of his cases at the Supreme Court, including nearly 50 unanimous rulings. As a Senator, Jeff Sessions has voted for concealed carry reciprocity and for restoring gun rights to military veterans who have been disarmed for maladies such as PTSD. Plus, he has voted against a ban on commonly owned semi-automatic firearms and magazines, and he voted to prohibit the U.S. from implementing an anti-gun UN treaty. Sessions has also been a leader against Universal Background Checks in the Senate. Unfortunately, Sessions' answer on this subject during the confirmation hearings this week was somewhat weak, but it does not change the fact that he voted against Universal Background Checks in 2013 and 2015, plus against the Obama no-fly gun ban in 2016. As Attorney General, Sessions could rein in the ATF by prohibiting them from copying 4473 forms, as they are currently doing. He could put a permanent end to Fast and Furious and Operation Choke Point (which has shut down many lawful gun businesses). Plus, he could issue opinions which advance the pro-gun "football" in several ways, including: Exempting residents of Constitutional Carry states from the federal prohibition on carrying a firearm in a school zone -- and from undergoing Brady checks. Decreeing that Gun Free School Zones are unconstitutional, as per the 1995 Lopez decision, thus ordering the ATF NOT to enforce the act. It's been a long time since an ardently pro-gun attorney general served as the nation's top cop.

Exactly. In the article I wrote on "Unalienable" and "Inalienable" I concluded that politicians deliberately began using "inalienable" so they could eventually take advantage of the legal definition and distinction. Paranoia on my part? I don't think so. Just the view from my foxhole...

RRW, Thank you for posting this---it was a good and valued offering.