One of the toughest courses the U.S. Army has to offer is Basic Airborne Training.  The course is designed to train soldiers and officers how to become Paratroopers.  The course is held at the Airborne School in Fort Benning, Georgia.  The course is only 3 weeks long, but will test your physical endurance and mental toughness far beyond the normal boundaries.

Becoming a Paratrooper is certainly not for everyone.  The training is long, hard, and physically demanding.  Most of the soldiers that are not in top physical condition will be eliminated by the end of the first week.  This is one course that will really separate the, “men from the boys.”

If you are interested in making the military a career, taking the Airborne course will definitely enhance your rank and credentials.  All of the military’s special forces and special operations units like, the Green Berets,  Navy Seals, and some specialized Ranger units, must be Airborne qualified before they can become a member of these elite units.

In the first week of training or “ground week,” the soldiers will be subjected to extreme physical conditioning, and basics like how to wear the parachute harness properly.  They will also be trained on how to exit the aircraft properly by training on the “mock” door.  They will also be taught the techniques of proper parachute landings, how to handle their parachute during the descent, and then they will actually jump from the 34 foot tower which actually simulates an actual jump.

During week two the tough physical conditioning continues along with training designed to teach a soldier how to control oscillation during their descent.  More training is employed to emphasize safe landing procedures, and then the latter part of week two is spent making jumps from the 250 foot tower.

In the third and final week of training, the soldiers will make five real jumps from either an C-130 Hercules or a C-141 Starlifter aircraft.  After the successful completion of five jumps they will earn their coveted silver ”Airborne Wings.”

The American Airborne Units have an incredibly rich and prestigious history.  They have played an important role in the Normandy Invasion of World War II and the Battle of the Bulge.  They have fought gallantly in the jungles of Vietnam, and have effectively engaged the enemy in Operation Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan.  A substantial number of Medal of Honor recipients have also been Airborne soldiers.

If you’re looking to enter the military and are seeking a real challenge that can help enhance your career,  consider enrolling in the Airborne training.   The training and camaraderie is second to none, and you will truly understand what Paratroopers mean when they utter their famous motto, “Airborne All The Way.”

There are many of us that use our time to care for stray and feral cats.  I have been involved with cat rescue since 1988.  In doing so, I have learned a great deal from these intelligent felines.  Cats are survivors and unfortunately, when someone disposes of their feline by simply leaving it to fend for itself, there are still some things we can do to help make their lives safe and comfortable.

Cats like most animals need three basic things.  Food, shelter and water.  Providing food and water may be a basic task, but when winter arrives they still need shelter from the elements.  There are a few basic shelters we can build relatively quick, and will help keep your felines warm and comfy, and also prevent them from getting frostbite.

One of the most basic but effective ways to build a shelter is to use heavy corrugated boxes.  I have a Rite Aid Pharmacy nearby which always has a good supply of these boxes behind their building in the trash bin.  These boxes are easily folded for storage or disposal, are very heavy and durable, and can easily be put together in a few short minutes.

I usually look on the boxes and find four tabs that are numbered.  If you just fold tab number one over tab number two and so forth, your boxes will be assembled in about a minute.   After the boxes are assembled I then place two heavy duty, Hefty trash bags over them.  Next, I tape the bags to the boxes by applying the tape completely around the box and corners. I tape it so the bags are flat against the surface of the box creating a nice smooth surface.

Once you have covered the box with the two bags, you need to create an entrance hole.  I stand the box up with the end where the entrance will be and with a knife, cut a roomy circular hole to form the entrance to the box.   Try not to make the hole too large.  The size of the entrance will be made according to the size of your cats.   When this is completed you will have a few ragged edges of the tape showing.  You can tape the edges to the box or just leave them alone.  The edges will not hinder the entrance to the box.

The next step and an important one, is to insulate the box for the felines.  There are several ways to do this, and there are many items we can use to make the interior comfy for them.  You can use straw to make a good clean warm bed for them.  Straw is good because if it gets a little wet, it can dry quickly, and it is also easy to refill and basically cheap to purchase.

The use of items like old rug remnants, discarded clothes, towels, blankets, and even worn out clothes can also form a warm, soft and comfortable lining for the felines.  If you use these items just be sure to check and replace them if they become wet from inclement weather.

Another quick and easy shelter I once saw that was quick and effective, was a large canvas or tarp, supported on eight cinder blocks.  A lady feeding a large colony of felines had constructed this shelter by placing four cinder blocks on the ground, and then tucking the back edge of the canvas under the two rear cinder blocks.  She then placed two more cinder blocks, one on top of each rear block to anchor the back of the shelter securely.  On the front of the shelter she then stretched the canvas so that she tucked the front ends of the canvas between two cinder blocks creating a low lying, but roomy entrance.  This gave the large colony of cats plenty of room to lie within the shelter and avoid any dangerous exposure to the elements.  Of course with this type of shelter no real lining or insulation is needed.

Once you have decided to provide shelter for your cats, be sure to place the shelter in a place where the cats feel safe and secure.  Try to avoid areas with high human traffic if possible, and stay clear of roads and highways.

Cats are incredibly intelligent animals and you will be surprised at just how fast they will utilize your shelter once it is provided.  I used to feed about a dozen ferals at my old apartment complex, and when winter came and I placed the shelters outside, they immediately took to them and snuggled up for the night.  I usually make one shelter for every two cats.  I do this because cats like to snuggle with each other to keep warm, and I noticed that each box was always shared by two cats.  Try to make sure your boxes are roomy enough so they can accommodate two cats if possible.

One of the nice things about providing shelter for your strays and ferals is that it also helps you establish a closer relationship with the cats, which may help you socialize them for future adoptions if possible.

For those of us that are involved in caring for these wily little rascals, a little compassion can go a long way.  I hope these tips are useful in helping you extend that compassion to our lovable, less fortunate, feline friends.

More than 40 years ago, on May 27, 1958 the first Phantom F4 fighter jet took to the skies.   This incredible aircraft the first one used as an interceptor by the U.S. Navy, was also capable of flying as a ground support bomber for the United States Marine Corps.  The aircraft has flown an infinite variety of missions such as, air superiority, close air support, interceptor missions, air defense suppression, long range strikes, attack and reconnaissance.  It still holds records today in a variety of categories that no other aircraft can challenge.

Its main form of notoriety was its use during the Vietnam War.  Nothing was more comforting to the soldiers of the Vietnam conflict, than to see this beautiful aircraft come to their aid with its fearsome and deadly accurate fire support.  There has been a multitude of lives saved by the timing and precision of this awesome aircraft.  It has also been used with great success in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm.

The Phantom was the first multi-service aircraft, having flown with the U.S. Navy, Air Force and Marines.  It is the first and only aircraft to be flown concurrently by both the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.  From 1958 until its retirement in 1996, it has flown more than 17 million miles and is still active today in the defense of 11 nations worldwide.

The Phantom was built by Mc Donnell Douglas Aircraft in St. Louis, Missouri.  There were 5,057 of the planes built in the United States, and it still holds the record for the largest production run of any supersonic jet fighter built in the United States.

The jet fighter seated two pilots, and flew at Mach 2 (twice the speed of sound) and could carry a payload of up to 16,000 pounds of bombs, rockets, missiles and guns.  The pilots that flew this incredible fighter praised it for its reliability, effectiveness, and most of all its safety.

The F4 Phantom today, remains one of the most popular aircraft of all time with both pilots and aircraft buffs of all ages.  Its popularity is evident by the fact that many of the airshows conducted within the United States each year features the mighty Phantom F4 as its headliner.

It seems that no matter how much or how little experience we have in regard to writing, there is always room for improvement.  We all constantly strive to make our articles more attractive and interesting to our audience.  There are some things we can consider whenever we begin our writing, that can help bring attention to our articles, and at the same time, keep the reader’s interest peaked.  Here are a few tips to help us improve our writing and reach our desired audience.

We know that narrative adds interest to any type of writing.  “Telling a story,” is an excellent way to attract your reader’s attention at the beginning of your article.  Its a great way to start, but remember we don’t want to stop there.  Our goal is to keep our reader hungry for more information.  If you can begin your article by introducing a good story line, the chances of your article reaching more reader’s will be maximized.

Another great way of attracting readers to your article is simple but explosive.  Use a “startling statement” like a fact or opinion, to open your article.   Very few things gain the attention of a reader than an opening sentence that is startling and direct.  You want your reader to be “shocked” into reading further.  You want them to be pulled into your writing or be intrigued with it.  An example might be; The United States plans to bring back the draft in its attempt to wage war with Iran.

One of the most powerful ways of bringing attention to your writing is beginning your article by, “asking a question.”  This introduction has a number of useful purposes that can benefit the author.  By asking a question, we are informing the reader what the article is really about.  This also gives the reader a chance to decide whether or not the article is of interest to them.  This type of writing strategy also stirs a response in the reader, and may even illicit a mental response that will allow the reader to challenge your statement and read further.

The ability to use “specific language” in your writing also helps attract interested reader’s.  Always use specific details and examples to support your statements.  Nothing is less attractive than a writer that cannot support the topic he is writing about.  Always remember, the content in a piece of writing is more important than its style.  If what you are writing about is not interesting, your way of saying it, no matter how skillful, will probably make it less desirable to your audience.

A good writer may also incorporate the use of images, specific active verbs, strong adjectives and descriptive words that convey meaning to our senses and help us delve more deeply into the writing.

I hope these few tips serve as useful tools and help transform some of our articles into interesting topics for our reader’s.

Good luck and great writing!

For many of us that enjoy the great outdoors and wildlife, there is an area close to home that we often overlook when studying nature…our own backyards!  Yes, some of the most interesting forms of wildlife, the feathered and furred, can be found right outside your back door.

My own little wildlife haven is nestled in the suburbs, just outside center city Philadelphia.  It is a residential area bordered by busy streets and heavy traffic.  The street outside my door is bursting with traffic at least 16 hours a day.  However, the roar of buses, cars, and trucks, has little or no effect on the many animals that make our home-their home.

Unfortunately, in this day and age, because of over-development and crowding, many animals have learned to adapt and live in close proximity to people.  And for those of us that enjoy sharing our space with these intelligent and sometimes industrious creatures, we can derive much enjoyment from them, if we are careful and observant.

On almost any given morning just before sunrise, my yard plays host to a multitude of varying animals.  Some like the raccoon have been busy all night searching for food, while countless feisty squirrels are just awakening to start their busy day.  When the raccoon is about to retire for the day, the squirrels are starting their day.  The squirrels day is a busy one and their survival depends upon their success.  The chilly days of autumn are becoming shorter now and this triggers the squirrels instinct to find and store food for the long winter months ahead.

Another patient but busy little body is the eastern cottontail rabbit.  Every morning scattered about our lawn is a family of rabbits chewing away on a vast menu of grass and other green goodies.  Like the squirrels, the rabbits have become accustomed to my wife and I, and politely ignore our presence.  I find it fun watching the tiny newborns as they romp and eat alongside their mother.   Its also interesting to see how easily they get along with the more energetic and industrious squirrels.

Not all of our backyard wildlife are frequent visitors.  For example, I like to classify some of these critters as interlopers, or species,” just passing through.”  We don’t always see the raccoon or the opossum as often as  the rabbits and squirrels, but nonetheless, they make their presence known, and we see enough of them to enjoy their antics.

The slow moving opossum with its lack of keen vision saunters about our yard as though it is intoxicated, but this hardly impedes its ability to find food, even under the worst conditions.  The raccoon, that clever little masked bandit, is readily adept at opening trash cans to get whatever morsels it might offer.  One of my daily chores each day is to place the lid back on the trash can and replace the scattered food the raccoon refused to eat from its menu.  He is smart enough to sense that I like him, and on some nights will raid my trash can while I am watching him.  His antics are hilarious and we really enjoy his company.

Then there is the colorful variety of birds that fill our yard with their melodic chirps and beautiful songs.  We have robins, mockingbirds, blue jays, sparrows, juncos, finches and catbirds.   One of my favorite birds is the mourning dove.  Its song is sad and doesn’t seem to fit the beauty of this friendly bird, that returns each year to use the same nest to raise its young.

Sometimes, on occasion,  we have the opportunity to see an owl or hawk interrupt its journey to seek rest in a nearby tree.  They are a large and imposing figure as opposed to the songbirds, who immediately sound the alarm and vacate the area until the raptors move on.

In the winter months we miss our feathered friends when they migrate, but leave plenty of food in our feeders for those too old or weak to make the long journey.  This provides us with an opportunity to share the company of our avian friends all year long.

The natural world is fascinating and has much to offer us if we know where to find and enjoy it.  In this case, there are no travel plans needed, no reservations or expense, you need only step out your back door to discover and share one of nature’s greatest treasures.

Vincent Robert Capodanno was a soldier of extraordinary courage.  He was born on February 13, 1929 in Staten Island, New York.  He was a catholic priest that graduated from the Maryknoll Seminary in 1949.   Father Capodanno initially worked as a Missionary travelling the world and serving in countries like Taiwan, China, and Korea.

After serving several years in foreign countries where he helped to build schools and establish catholic parishes, Father Capodanno opted to embark on a career much more challenging.  Father Capodanno requested service as a chaplain in the United States Marine Corps.

Father Capodanno attended Officer Candidates School and in the midst of the Vietnam war was assigned to the 7th Marine Division, in 1966.  His service during that year was at the height of the war, when the fighting was intense and casualties were high.

Father Capodanno was not your ordinary chaplain.  The majority of chaplains were kept away from the real dangers of combat, and usually served in areas of relative safety.  They usually conducted religious services and counseled weary and tired troops at base camps.

Father Capodanno was a different breed of Marine Chaplain.  He was always in the midst of the fighting, going out on missions with his beloved Marines.  There was no safe area for the chaplain, only the front lines where the Marines needed him the most.  As a chaplain, he led, inspired, and constantly exposed himself to enemy fire while attempting to console and administer the “last rites,” to critically injured Marines.  The Marines loved their chaplain and thus named him, “the grunt padre.”  The word “grunt” is a term used to describe combat infantryman.

Upon completion of his initial tour of duty in Vietnam, Father Capodanno requested an extension of duty and was then assigned to the 5th Marine Division.  Once again Father Capodanno, fearless and resigned to serve alongside his battle weary Marines, was immersed in some of the worse combat of the Vietnam war.

On September 4th, 1967, in the Que Son Valley, soldiers of the 5th Marine Division found and engaged a large unit of North Vietnamese, approximately 2,500 of them near the village of Dong Son.  It was only 4:30 in the morning, but the fighting was savage and intense, some of it at very close quarters.  The Marines of Company D were far out-numbered and in desperate need of reinforcements.  The casualties mounted and there were desperate attempts by medevac choppers to evacuate the dead and dying, but intense ground fire kept the choppers from landing.

As the battle continued, there were 26 marine casualties by mid morning.  The situation was becoming dire and in an attempt to avoid being overrun by the North Vietnamese, an additional Company of Marines joined the battle.  By 9:15 am, the fighting was so intense that yet another request for help arrived in the form of two more Marine company’s.

During the early hours of the fighting, Father Capodanno monitored the progress of his Marines from the Headquarters operations room at his base camp.  He felt helpless and isolated from his beloved Marines and boarded a helicopter with other soldiers heading for the battle.  Whenever his Marines needed him, he was always there, and this was no exception, they needed him now more than ever.

Father Capodanno and the troops reinforcing the already beseiged Marines joined the battle just outside the small village of Chau Lam.  They immediately came under horrific and intense fire from the large contingent of North Vietnamese soldiers.  They were caught in a large, open area and the fighting was fierce.  The North Vietnamese soldiers were so close that the Marines at times, engaged their enemy in intense “hand to hand” combat.

Father Capodanno completely ignored the danger of the situation, as he ran in the face of intense enemy fire to help his Marines.  Father Capodanno, undeterred in the midst of the battle, continued to tend to the wounded and dying.  Going from man to man, he prayed, cradled, and when needed, gave comfort and consolation to his dying Marines.   The soft words of comfort and prayer from Father Capodanno would be the last words some of these Marines would ever hear.

As the fighting progressed, Father Capodanno was severely wounded in the face and hit by a round that almost severed his entire hand.  Still the Chaplain continued on his mission.  Father Capodanno spotted a lone Marine that was gravely wounded only a few feet from an enemy machine gun position.  Father Capodanno started for the soldier but was hit and killed trying to save the wounded Marine.

Father Vincent Robert Capodanno, a Marine Corps legend, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on December 27, 1968 for his courage and service.

A cattail marsh is basically any low lying area that holds water long enough for soft stemmed plant life to take root.  Marshes can form in the backbay of a river, or on the edge of a lake, or in a flooded meadow. Marshes can form and flourish for years, or disappear in a relatively short period of time.  The life of the marsh depends on a variety of environmental factors that impact its existence.

Over time, nature exerts its influence on the marsh and the bottom of the marsh may build up as sediment flows in from upland streams and settles around the stems of plant life.  When plants and animals die, they add to the growing accumulation of sediment.  Eventually, the marsh becomes so shallow from the sediment that the water may dry completely, making it difficult for the cattails and other aquatic life to survive.

When the marsh dries out and cracks in the sun, the plants and dead animals begin to decompose.  The vast amount of seeds that have been buried in the marsh for years, are in turn nourished by the plant and animal matter, and start to grow a rich green carpet in the marsh.  Plants compete for sunlight, space and nutrients and also add to the growing garden of the marsh.

The various sedges and grasses will be the dominant plant life as a result of the new environment.  If for some reason enough water doesn’t form in the marsh, it may then be transformed into a swampy area or a sphagnum bog.  If an adequate mix of rain and upland water returns to the marsh, then cattails and other water plants will once again be the dominant aquatic life.

The fuzzy brown “punk” or “cat-o-nine-tails,” as the cattails are commonly referred to, is the mainstay or icon of the marsh.  These tall, rangy plants, contain more than 250,000 seeds packed tightly within its seedhead.  When caught in a strong wind the seeds will spread and start a new cattail colony wherever the seeds fall and take root.  Like many other plants, the seeds can also be carried when they stick to the fur, feathers, and feet of animals as they traverse the marsh.

Some of the plants you might find in and around a cattail marsh are;  jewelweed, water willows, arrowhead, pickerelweed, wild rice, water celery and duckweed.  Some of these plants that survive cold weather also provide warmth and shelter to animals during the winter months.

Some of the wildlife you may find in and around the cattail marsh are: muskrats, canada geese, mallard ducks, red winged blackbirds, northern harriers, cottontail rabbits, turtles, and the eastern snipe.

Cattail marshes are very common throughout much of the eastern United States.  They can be found from Maine in the north to Florida in the south and west from Ohio to Wisconsin.

Feline leukemia is one of the deadliest of all diseases to affect cats.  Many kittens and young cats are more prone to the infection than others.  A number of factors actually contribute to the disease.  There are age, health, environment and lifestyle factors that all play a role in contracting the disease.

The virus itself is passed on through saliva or nasal fluids.  It may also be passed on by urine, feces, or milk from cats that are infected.  The virus can also be passed by fighting, sharing litter boxes with infected cats, and even by grooming.  Female cats can also pass the virus on to their kittens through nursing if the mother is infected.  Owners that allow their cats to roam freely outside also put their cats at tremendous risk of contracting the disease from other free roaming cats or strays.

Cats that have feline leukemia should be isolated from healthy cats to prevent healthy felines from contracting the deadly disease.   If you have a cat with leukemia and want find it a mate for company, be sure you seek a cat that already has the virus.  I have a friend that owns 3 cats, all of whom have feline leukemia and are relatively healthy, but she never attempts to adopt normally healthy cats to her family.

Basically, the virus attacks the immune system of cats and renders it defenseless against other illnesses and diseases.   Sometimes your cat will not show any symptoms of the disease, and you will be unaware of the virus.  Then over time your cat will start to fall victim to the degenerative effects of the disease.

Some of the symptoms to look for are as follows:  loss of appetite and weight loss.  At first your cat may shed a few pounds, but then the loss will become greater and more significant, and your cat will look as though it is literally wasting away.

Poor coat, enlarged lymph nodes and persistent diarrhea, along with a fever are also telltale signs.  Lack of energy, anemia, bloody stools, and recurring infections can also indicate your cat may be suffering from leukemia.

If you find your cat showing any of the symptoms described above, be sure to seek medical attention for your pet immediately.  Some cats afflicted with the disease can live long, healthy lives, so the outlook is not always gloomy.

The best was to assure your cats health, is to subject them to periodic visits to your veterinarian for checkups and blood tests.  A simple blood test that only takes a few moments can mean the difference between life and death for your pet.

The transition forest is the area where two very different forest types overlap.  The snowy needleleaf forests start in northern Canada and work their way down to their southern limits in the United States.  The broadleaf forests of the eastern United States extend as far north as they can and intersect with the needleleaf forests thus the term, “Transition Forest.”

This unique relationship also has an impact on the various animals that inhabit this area.  There is a distinct variety of wildlife, flowers, plants and insects that live there.  For example, only in this transition forest, could snowshoe hares from the north, run alongside eastern cottontail rabbits from the south.  Plant species vary accordingly in some areas and you can find spruce-fir forests among the northern peaks, but below you can also find forests of oak and hickory trees.

The famous sugar maple tree is probably the most dominant tree, occupying more than half of the transition forest.  There are also yellow birch, eastern hemlock, and American beech trees, that cover large portions of the forest.  The transition forest covers a huge area and what you see depends on where you are within the forest.

Some of the common plants available are black cherry, northern red oak, elderberry and mountain laurel.  You can also find trilliums, white baneberry, and Canada mayflower in abundance there.  The combination of of densely populated evergreens and hemlocks provide feeding and nesting sites, as well as shelter for many animals of the forest.

The wildlife inhabiting the area can be just as varied as the plant life.  There are deer mice, gray squirrels, northern and southern flying squirrels, gray fox, wood frogs, salamanders, porcupines, grouse and several species of hawks.

Another important part of the transition forest is the forest floor itself.  The forest floor here remains moist, due to the shade and fallen leaves of the larger trees.  This is important and beneficial to species like the lungless salamanders, (which must keep their skin moist in order to breathe) and other reptiles and rodents.  Fallen trees and hollow logs make favorable homes for cavity dwelling animals and birds.

If you’re like me, and love to hike and explore, you may want to plan a visit to this beautiful, vast, area.  There is certainly a treasure trove of places and sights to see that you will never forget.   You may want to plan your trip in the autumn of the year…the view is breathtaking!

Where To Find This Habitat:

Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, Wisconsin, N. Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and W. Virginia.

One of the most important tasks to undergo if you own a bird feeder is to keep it clean.  This should be done thoroughly and at frequent intervals.  If you don’t keep the feeders clean, you will see a decline in the birds using it, or worse yet, they can suffer disease as a result of moldy or spoiled food.

One of the rules of using feeders is to be sure not to place fresh food in the feeder without removing the old, moldy, food.  Nothing is worse than placing fresh food on top of old spoiled food.  Always remove the old food before re-filling the feeder with fresh food.  Even a little moisture can cause fresh seeds to spoil and spread bacteria.

Salmonella is one of the leading diseases associated with dirty bird feeders.  Birds that suffer from the effects of this disease look emaciated and will show signs of weakness, and dehydration.  The birds that are affected by salmonella may even roost close to the feeder, or even within it before they die.  A recent study has shown that house sparrows suffered the most mortality, followed by juncos, goldfinches, mourning doves and grosbeaks.

These are some simple tips you can follow to minimize or eliminate this needless suffering and keep your feeders clean and safe:

Try using a weak bleach to totally disinfect your feeder at least once a year, maybe more if you use a platform feeder.  For more frequent cleaning, you can also use a mild detergent to scrub your feeder, especially if you have a tubular feeder where the food portals can clog easily.

Be sure to disinfect and clean all surfaces, interior and exterior.  If you haven’t cleaned your feeder for quite some time, then you may need something to scrape away the hard packed seeds and hulls.   A long handled brush is a good tool for use in the hard to reach areas of your feeders, or for scraping seeds and hulls.

Remember, it is far easier to empty the feeder before any moldy debris accumulates and then keep the surfaces as clean as possible with your cleaning materials.

For those of us that enjoy feeding our feathered friends, a few minutes of routine care and cleaning can keep our birds healthy, safe and happy.