The United States Liberty Bell first rings out from the tower of the Pennsylvania State House, also known as Independence Hall, summoning citizens and listeners to the first ever public reading of the Declaration of Independence, then read by Colonel John Nixon in 1776.
The Liberty Bell
There may be no singular icon in American history that portrays with both imagery and sound the call to Liberty as America’s Liberty Bell!
“Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.”
It originally cracked when first rung after arrival in Philadelphia, and was twice recast by local workmen John Pass and John Stow, whose last names appear on the bell. In its early years, the Liberty Bell was used to summon lawmakers to legislative sessions and to alert citizens to public meetings and proclamations.
The first is a Bible verse taken from the book of Leviticus 25:10 and it reads, “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all inhabitants thereof.” This first inscription was appropriately engraved into the Liberty Bell because in the biblical verse directing preceding verse 10, the Bible references “the fiftieth year.” Coincidence? Probably not.
The second inscription that is on the Liberty Bell are the words “By order of the Assembly of the Province of Pensylvania for the State House in Philada.” Yes this is the exact spelling that is used on the Liberty Bell and no it is not a typo. It has been said that in the Constitution the state of Pennsylvania the state’s name was spelled like so “Pensylvania.”
The final inscription are three words centered on the front of the bell, and they are:
Social Media Day Is On the Radar at Vision-Strike-Wear
#SMDAY
Social Media Day Is On the Radar at Vision-Strike-Wear , Happy Social Media Day!
Vision Strike Wear wants to celebrate Social Media Day with you and Social Media Day Is On the Radar! Want to keep up with all things military and some fun photos and videos from all over the inter-webs? Follow us on all flavors of social media!
[Tweet “#Twitter #Military #shirt from #VSW for #SMDay.”] Vision Strike Wear is committed to ensuring we keep you up to date on what is happening in the military, important military dates from history and of course, funny pictures and videos!
In a televised speech today, President Obama outlined the goals of his administration for Iraq (and in some part Syria). Following this transcript, we have some comments pulled from an Iraqi minister from a radio broadcast today on NPR. (Note: bold text added for emphasis by us.)
President Obama addresses the press corps today about the serious situation developing in Iraq and Syria about ISIS (ISIL).
First, we are working to secure our embassy and personnel operating inside of Iraq. As president, I have no greater priority than the safety of our men and women serving overseas. So I’ve taken some steps to relocate some of our embassy personnel, and we’ve sent reinforcements to better secure our facilities.
Second, at my direction we have significantly increased our intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets so that we’ve got a better picture of what’s taking place inside of Iraq, and this will give us a greater understanding of what ISIL is doing, where it’s located and how we might support efforts to counter this threat.
Third, the United States will continue to increase our support to Iraqi security forces. We’re prepared to create joint operation centers in Baghdad and northern Iraq, to share intelligence and coordinate planning to confront the terrorist threat of ISIL. And through our new Counterterrorism Partnership Fund, we’re prepared to work with Congress to provide additional equipment. We have had advisers in Iraq through our embassy, and we’re prepared to send a small number of additional American military advisers — up to 300 — to assess how we can best train, advise and support Iraqi security forces going forward.
American forces will not be returning to combat in Iraq, but we will help Iraqis as they take the fight to terrorists who threaten the Iraqi people, the region and American interests as well.
Fourth, in recent days we’ve positioned additional U.S. military assets in the region. Because of our increased intelligence resources, we’re developing more information about potential targets associated with ISIL, and going forward, we will be prepared to take targeted and precise military action if and when we determine that the situation on the ground requires it. If we do, I will consult closely with Congress and leaders in Iraq and in the region. I want to emphasize, though, that the best and most effective response to a threat like ISIL will ultimately involve partnerships where local forces like Iraqis take the lead.
Finally, the United States will lead a diplomatic effort to work with Iraqi leaders and the countries in the region to support stability in Iraq. At my direction, Secretary Kerry will depart this weekend for meetings in the Middle East and Europe, where he’ll be able to consult with our allies and partners. And just as all Iraqis’ neighbors must respect Iraq’s territorial integrity, all of Iraq’s neighbors have a vital interest in ensuring that Iraq does not descend into civil war or become a safe haven for terrorists.
[Tweet “President #Obama and #Iraqi Representative Speak Out About #ISIS (#ISIL)”]
Earlier today on NPR, an unidentified Iraqi minister made these comments when asked if the USA should commit to using air strikes against ISIS. (We will try to find out who it was exactly. I missed it on the radio show while I was driving and also I am going to have to paraphrase this until we can get the transcript.)
The USA will need to employ it’s air force for targeted strikes against these militants and for intelligence for use by the combined Iraqi police and military forces. There will also need to be US Special Forces on the ground to help coordinate these strikes with the Iraqi troops to make the attacks effective. The new Islamic state under sharia law poses a serious threat to the stability of the region and the Iraqi people as well as the interests of the United States and its allies.
British jihadi ISIS fighters post chilling YouTube video
A shocking video nasty appeared online today showing armed British fanatics in Syria preaching terror and trying to promote jihad to Muslim worshippers back in the UK.
The men urged would-be fighters to quit western lifestyles and join ISIS – the fastest-growing militant group in the world. The 13 minutes of footage – uploaded to YouTube and since removed by the video sharing website “as a violation of YouTube’s policy on violence” – emerged as sources revealed the main priority for MI5 is tracking down the British jihadists.
The film, professionally shot and edited, shows men sitting before the black Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham flag. They are holding AK47 rifles and reciting Islamist slogans and passages from the Koran. One man, Abu Bara Al Hindi, insists joining the group will cure the stress and “depression” of living in the West.
He claims to be British and says in an English accent: “Are you willing to sacrifice the job you’ve got, the big car you’ve got, the family you have? Are you willing to sacrifice this, for the sake of Allah?”
“Then if you sacrifice something for Allah, Allah will give you 700 times more than this.” Another militant says: “You are going to die anyway.”
“The capture of the two towns — Qaim on the Syrian border Friday and Rawah on the Euphrates river Saturday— dealt another blow to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government, which has struggled to push back against Islamic extremists and allied militants who have seized large swaths of the country’s north, including the second-largest city of Mosul.
“But while al-Maliki has come under mounting pressure to reach out to disaffected Kurds and Sunnis, the display of heavy weapons by the Shiite fighters indicated that forces beyond Baghdad’s control may be pushing the conflict toward a sectarian showdown.”
The Threat of ISIS and US Special Forces
The threat of ISIS seems to be growing every day and now accounts are saying this group has been working in Syria and Iraq for as long as a year or more. The threat of the creation of new Ottoman Empire under a puritanical Sharia Law is a threat to the peace process in the Middle East as well as any hopes for democracy in the region. It sounds like the USA will need to act to stop the spread of this terrorist organization, but what response is needed and in what scale is the question.
The White House has said that “we are not going to act as the Iraqi Air Force” but it seems that the Iraqi Air Force does not have the training or equipment to handle this kind of threat. The USAF and the US Special Forces have the tools, training and ability to deliver a crushing blow to the forces of ISIS.
VSW created the USAF Combat Control shirt with hundreds of cool and unique customization options with respect for our eyes in the sky.
What do you think the USA response should be to ISIS? Should we be putting any boots on the ground? Should we be washing our hands of it all? Should we commit to Air and Naval force strikes? Intelligence only? Let us know in the comments below!
Remember Operation Iraqi Freedom and its many deployments?
Well it hasn’t been long and the vacuum left by the United States leaving this country militarily has created conditions whereby other opportunistic groups, mainly ISIS, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, have secured control of major cities in both Iraq and Syria.
The end result may be America’s eventual return to Operation Iraqi Freedom II. Crazier things have happened.
June 13th – Marcus Luttrell, US Navy SEAL, of recent movie and bestseller “Lone Survivor” was even quoted recently on his Facebook page on June 13th, 2014:
“Do I think we should go back to Iraq no, it’s hard to fight for people who will not fight for themselves. do I think we will have to go back yes.”
This Sunni Islamic extremist group has taken over most of the regions in northern and western Iraq.
As quoted on NPR ~ All across the city of Mosul are black flags with the words “Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the state of Ninewa.” They’re a proclamation that the group — so extreme that even al-Qaida has disavowed it — is firmly in control there.”
And in case anyone remembers when a tyrannical leader by the name of Saddam Hussein was in control, mass executions, gassing and other forms of torture were ideals of the day often resulting in widespread fear and ghastly executions. Now ISIS is reported as already boasting of mass executions of Shiite members of the security forces and this likely just the beginning.
[Tweet “#ISIS Sunni Islamic #extremists have taken over most of the regions in northern and western #Iraq.”]
ISIS and Order Number 34
Just in case anyone is wondering what the present state of affairs might be it is reported last last Friday, ISIS set off alarm bells when it issued a declaration of laws called “order number 34” and read it in mosques across the city. Those who come under our protection, the order says, are safe and should have peace of mind. No harm will come to you.
But those who are spreaders of evil will be subjected to killing, crucifixion or amputation. And women are ordered to stay inside; if they have to go outside they should cover up. People who worked with Iraq’s government can repent, the order says, but those who don’t will be killed. A clear signal that ISIS is controlling its part of ISIS held Iraq and will quickly be attacking and acquiring more.
If this is a sign of things to come it will not be long before the United States is requested by world leaders to return to the Tigris and Euphrates regions once again. With US Marines and Special Forces already underway and heading downrange when do you think a shooting war will occur. Odds are sooner than later.
Preview Of Coming Attractions!
US Special Forces, US Navy SEALs, Delta Force, MARSOC, Recon and a those we still have never heard about in the quiet ranks of unconventional warfare specialists come to known as the hunters. We referred to them in the past as the Al Qaeda Hunting Club members. Now we will soon refer to them as the ISIS Hunting Club.
We have the design that defined generations of extreme terrorist hunters and now we have the design for the next generation of ISIS Hunters.
America’s infantry has roots that go back as far as the War Of Independence and the forming of the First American Regiment. Seen as an integral part of the early years of America, the 1st American Regiment was first formed under orders of the United States Congress and first served during the exploration of the American West.
The First American Regiment
In 1783 after the conclusion of the American War Of Independence Congress ordered the Continental Army to disband while at the same General George Washington resigned as commander-in-chief. The orders to have the Army disbanded were never carried out.
Per an article on the 1st American Regiment found on Wiki ~ On 3 June 1784, Congress passed a new resolution:
Resolved, That the Secretary at War take order for forming the said troops when assembled, into one regiment, to consist of eight companies of infantry, and two of artillery, arming and equipping them in a soldier-like manner: and that he be authorized to direct their destination and operations, subject to the order of Congress, and of the Committee of the states in the recess of Congress.
Created to man frontier outposts and defend against Native American attacks and then later used during the Northwest Indian War it was renamed the 1st Infantry and then subsequently in 1792 again renamed as the 1st Infantry of the sub-legion.
[tweet “June Ushers In the Birthdays Of The US Infantry! #usarmy #infantry @Vision_Strike”]
The First Infantry Division – The Big Red One
Other US Army infantry are also honored during the month of June including the birthday of the 1st Infantry Division, also known as the Big Red One. This world recognized infantry division and the oldest infantry division in the United States Army, The Fighting First was first created during the 1st World War in 1917. Headquartered at Fort Riley, Kansas the 1st Infantry Division saw activity when they deployed to Europe as the First Expeditionary Division.
On the morning of 23 October, the first American shell of the war was fired toward German lines by a First Division artillery unit. Two days later, the 2nd Battalion of the 16th Infantry suffered the first American casualties of the war. By the end of the war, the division had suffered 22,668 casualties and boasted five Medal of Honor recipients.
The Big Red One was called to service again during the Second World War this time fighting in North Africa and later Sicily and then ultimately the division returned to England 5 November 1943 in preparation of Operation Overlord and the storming of the beaches at Normandy.
Operation Overlord
Another important part of US military history is recognized on June 6th. Operation Overlord. The largest invasion of Europe began on June 6th, 1944. The mission, to rid Europe of Hitler’s Third Reich and defeat Nazi Germany.
The 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th and 8th infantry divisions, 2nd, 3rd and 4th armored divisions, 82nd and 101st airborne divisions and many other divisions of the United States army participated at Normandy.
Included as well were the Rangers of the 75th Ranger Regiment who surprised the Germans with their incredibly heroic assault up the 100ft cliffs of Pointe Du Hoc.
The United States Army has had a long standing tradition of honor achieved for its incredible service and dedication not just in terms of America’s interests abroad but also in helping to preserve peace throughout the world. Vision-Strike-Wear.Com is proud to have worked with many of the units listed above in producing custom military shirts worn on the backs of the men and women that proudly hail from these distinguished military units.
June also acknowledges PTSD Awareness throughout June. For more information please go to VSW VS PTSD!
On the battlefield, emergency trauma treatments can be difficult and painful. Field Medics stuff gauze directly into a wound to stop bleeding coming from an artery. The process is agonizing and after three minutes, if the bleeding continues they must remove all the gauze and do the treatment again for it to be effective. It is so painful that they always ensure they disarm the patient before starting so that the patient does not try to defend themselves to stop the pain. (source: PopSci.com)
Even with immediate field treatment, many soldiers still bleed to death. Hemorrhaging is a leading cause of death on the battlefield. Steinbaugh of Oregon Startup RevMedx, who helped invent the new treatment, treated soldiers in over a dozen deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Gauze bandages just don’t work for anything serious”
With Steinbaugh, a small group of veterans, scientists, and engineers have been working on a better way to stop bleeding.
[Tweet “Oregon Startup’s Invention Seals A Gunshot Wound In 15 Seconds. #military #usarmy #startups #oregon”]
XStat, before and after RevMedx
RevMedx recently asked the FDA to approve a pocket-size invention: a modified syringe that injects specially coated sponges into wounds. The xStat device could boost survival and spare injured soldiers from additional pain by plugging wounds faster and more efficiently than gauze.
The team’s early efforts were inspired by Fix-a-Flat foam for repairing tires. “That’s what we pictured as the perfect solution: something you could spray in, it would expand, and bleeding stops,” says Steinbaugh. “But we found that blood pressure is so high, blood would wash the foam right out.”
So the team tried a new idea: sponges. They bought some ordinary sponges from a hardware store and cut them into 1-centimeter circles, a size and shape they chose on a whim but later would discover were ideal for filling wounds. Then, they injected the bits of sponge into an animal injury. “The bleeding stopped,” says Steinbaugh. “Our eyes lit up. We knew we were onto something.” After seeing early prototypes, the U.S. Army gave the team $5 million to develop a finished product.
But kitchen sponges aren’t exactly safe to inject into the body. The final material would need to be sterile, biocompatible, and fast-expanding. The team settled on a sponge made from wood pulp and coated with chitosan, a blood-clotting, antimicrobial substance that comes from shrimp shells. To ensure that no sponges would be left inside the body accidentally, they added X-shaped markers that make each sponge visible on an x-ray image.
“By the time you put a bandage over the wound, the bleeding has already stopped.”
In just 15-20 seconds the small sponges will expand and fill the entire wound cavity and create enough pressure to stop heavy bleeding. Because the sponges cling to moist surfaces they will not be pushed back out of the body by the flow of blood from the injury.
“By the time you even put a bandage over the wound, the bleeding has already stopped,” Steinbaugh says.
In battle, field medics carry all of their equipment with them and wear body armor. RevMedx had to find a lightweight and compact way to deliver sponges deep into an injury. They worked with Portland-based design firm Ziba to create a 3 centimeter in diameter, polycarbonate syringe that stores with the handle inside to save space. To use the applicator, the medic pulls out the handle and then inserts the cylinder into the wound. Pushing down the plunger injects the tiny coated sponges into the wound and as close to arteries as possible.
Cost and Space Savings of xStat
Three single-use XStat applicators replaces five bulky rolls of gauze in a medical kit. RevMedx designed a smaller version of the applicator, with a diameter of 12 millimeters, for narrow injuries as well. XStat will likely cost about $100 per unit at this time, but the price will go down as RevMedx boosts manufacturing of it.
If the FDA approves XStat, it will be the first battlefield dressing created specifically for deep, narrow wounds. Gauze, the standard treatment for gunshot and shrapnel injuries, is only approved by the FDA for external use, but “everyone knows that if you get shot, you have to pack gauze into the wound,” says Steinbaugh.
When RevMedx submitted its application to the FDA, the U.S. Army attached a cover letter requesting expedited approval. According to Steinbaugh, RevMedx and the military are now in final discussions with the FDA.
“I spent the whole war on terror in the Middle East, so I know what a medic needs when someone has been shot, ” Steinbaugh says. “I’ve treated lots of guys who would have benefitted from this product. That’s what drives me.”
The March of ISIS
Remember Operation Iraqi Freedom and its many deployments? 
But those who are spreaders of evil will be subjected to killing, crucifixion or amputation. And women are ordered to stay inside; if they have to go outside they should cover up. People who worked with Iraq’s government can repent, the order says, but those who don’t will be killed. A clear signal that ISIS is controlling its part of ISIS held Iraq and will quickly be attacking and acquiring more.
