Axis Irons Shader by Tim Orth!!! http://strangleholdmerch.com/axis-irons-shader-by-tim-orth-p-136.html Axis Irons tattoo machines are a limited edition item with only 200 frames in existence for this particular style. Each frame is signed and numbered and each machine has a unique aesthetic. The frames are cast iron, the coils are 10 wrap. Beyond that the construction is different for every one. Brass, bronze and copper are used for the hardware. Snake skin, electrical tape, cloth tape, money and shrink wrap are used for the coil wraps. The frames are oil quenched, blued or painted. Some of the frames are heavily engraved. No matter what number you get you will be getting a well built shader machine that you can use on an everyday basis or put in your collection case. http://www.axisirons.comhttp://strangleholdmerch.com/axis-irons-shader-by-tim-orth-p-136.html These will be made available ONLY to professional Tattoo artists. After an artist purchases the Axis Irons machine through www.strangleholdmerch.com the purchaser will be contacted directly by the Stranglehold staff for various forms of confirmation options. We will make it extremely EASY for anyone involved in the Tattoo Industry to purchase this machine, if you have a business licence or a yellow pages ad or a website, or an inked nation acct or myspace acct or tattooartists.org acct - our staff will look at those pages to determine if you are ready to purchase. If confirmation is not possible, the purchaser will be refunded. You have to purchase the machine FIRST to make it worth our time and effort but we WANT to send it to you so relax, we will make it as easy as possible. http://strangleholdmerch.com/axis-irons-shader-by-tim-orth-p-136.html
Check out Chris Vennekamp! Add Chris on MYSPACE! Add Chris on INKEDNATION Taylor Cort, Rob Laux and Chris Vennekamp team together to tattoo Batman on Cory's leg. Chris is a resident at All or Nothing. They all contributed equally to the tattoo, but we had limited video footage to work with.....so, enjoy!....
Check out these Awesome Videos. These Two are Awesome. First look at Brandon Bond and All or Nothing Pitbull Rescue picking up the Michael Vick Pitbulls.
Check out this Video. This is the First look at the Vick Dogs after their two weeks training at Mans Best Friend.
A Nomination Statement is an original essay of 250 words or less, nominating yourself or someone with whom you are personally acquainted for the title: Animal Planet Hero of the Year or Cat Hero of the Year. If you are nominating someone else, be sure that you let the nominee know that you're nominating him or her before you submit your Nomination Statement. The nominee must be known to not have violated any state or federal laws while undertaking animal welfare activities. Please note that the nominee may not be deceased.
The nomination statement must include:
- A description of the cause the Nominee supports;
- The activities and actions that demonstrate the Nominee's commitment to the cause;
- The accomplishment and impact of the actions;
- How the Nominee's actions may have inspired others to get involved with the cause.
How will the winners be determined?
- Level of commitment to the cause, including time devoted – 30% of total score;
- Level of accomplishments and impact of the actions – 30% of total score;
- Inspirational value of the actions on others – 20% of total score;
- Sincerity and credibility of the statement – 20% of total score.
please feel free to cut and paste any of this text below into the "description"!!!!!
Michael Vick's Fighting Dogs Now Safe With "International Tattoo Artist of the Year"!
Michael Vick may be doing time, but three of his dogs are free at last, and enjoying their first taste of living in an Atlanta based foster care program.
The home of the Atlanta Falcons is also home to the All Or Nothing Rescue http://www. atlantapitbullrescue. com , founded by world renown tattoo artist Brandon Bond. The organization has already rescued more than 200 pit bulls from all around the Southeast. So far, the Michael Vick dogs are adjusting to their new lives better and faster than Bond and his organization even expected.
All or Nothing rescue works closely with the Georgia SPCA www. georgiaspca. com and are combining forces to insure the safety and training of these gorgeous animals.
According to Brandon Bond, who manages to take time from being one of the world's most sought after tattoo artists to save Pit Bulls, these "bully breeds" are nearly always immediately euthanized after being confiscated from the people who fight them, even though he says he has not met a single one that did not turn into wonderful, loving pet. "Rescued dogs are the most loyal animals on earth, they are thankful just to be fed", says Bond.
"Cruelty is NOT ART!!! This only takes a moment to help stop this so-called artist from killing another innocent animal in the name of art. http://www.petitiononline.com/ea6gk/petition.html In 2007, the 'artist' Guillermo Vargas Habacuc, took a dog from the street, tied him to a rope in an art gallery, and starved him to death. For several weeks, the 'artist' and the visitors of the exhibition have watched emotionless the shameful 'masterpiece' based on the dog's agony, until eventually he died. Does it look like art to you? But this is not all... the prestigious Visual Arts Biennial of the Central American decided that the 'installation' was actually art, so that Guillermo Vargas Habacuc has been invited to repeat his cruel action for the biennial of 2008. PLEASE HELP STOP HIM."
All or Nothing is Now Hiring!! All or Nothing Tattoos is currently reviewing portfolios for 1 full time artist position and 1 apprentice!!!! All inquiries should email davetedder13@yahoo.com. Please include a link to your work and a brief summary of your experience in tattooing. Check out All or Nothing's Artist Gallery .
"All Or Nothing Pit Bull Rescue" T-Shirt awill be available for a limited time only. Made from %100 pre-shrunk cotton. Order yours today and help stop the persecution. Available for a limited time only.
100% of the profits will go to food and vet bills at All or nothing Pit Bull Rescue.
I checked with Norton Anti-Virus, and they are gearing up for this virus!
I checked snopes.com , and it is for real!!
Get this E-mail message sent around to your contacts ASAP.
PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS!
You should be alert during the next few days. Do not open any message with an attachment entitled "POSTCARD," regardless of who sent it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which 'burns' the whole hard disc C of your computer. This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list. This is the reason why you need to send this e-mail to all your contacts. It is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it.
If you receive a mail called" POSTCARD," even though sent to you by a friend, do not! open it !
This is the worst virus announced by CNN. It has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever. This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information is kept
Molly Needs a Home! Molly is beautiful - black/brown brindle, big bright eyes. She is about 35 pounds and will be 1 year old tomorrow. She loves chewing on tennis balls and finding sunny patches around the house to snooze in. And after 8pm, when she gets sleepy, she likes to curl up next to us on the couch. She is crate trained - both our dogs sleep in their crates at night and are in them when we aren't home. She is ok with my kids, but would probably do better in a house without young children. Contact information: Jessica Heidish Alpharetta Cell: 678-428-7501 jheidish@bellsouth.net
Contact is Bobbicares2@aol.com. Please Watch the video of this poor girl below!
Pheonix was abandoned months ago at a boarding facility. She has been living in a cage with no walks and barely any human interaction since then. Confinement has started to take a toll on this poor girl and she has become severly depressed (but NOT aggressive.) When I went in to see her she lifted her head for one second (when I snapped the first picture) and then only barely wagged her tail after that. You can see the heartbreak in this girl's eyes. We are seeking a foster or permenant home in the NYC area for Pheonix. She is three years old, great with people and good with most dogs her size or smaller. I promised her I would help her get out of the cage. She needs to know what fresh air smells like, she needs to see the sunlight again. Please if you have room in your home and heart to help Pheonix and you live in the NYC area, please contact Bobbicares2@aol.com. For immediate consideration please download our application fromwww.bobbicares.petfinder.org and email it to Bobbicares2@aol.com
I just posted 32 pieces up on eBay right now!!! Don't miss out!!! Do a search on the seller name sparklelees Lotsa stuff to come after Bike Week too!!! GO BID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
REPOST FOR http//:www.inkednation.com/tattoocurator
What are you to do if you have a heart attack while you are alone. If you've already received this, it means people care about you The Johnson City Medical Center staff actually discovered this And did an in-depth study on it in our ICU The two individuals that Discovered this then did an article on it . Had it published and have Even had it incorporated into ACLS and CPR classes. It is very true and has and does work. It is called cough CPR. A cardiologist says it's the truth ... For your info If everyone who gets This sends it to 10 people, you can bet that we'll save at least one life. Read This...It could save your life! Let's say it's 6:15 p.m. And you're driving home (alone of course), after an usually hard day on the job. You're really tired, upset and frustrated. Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up into your jaw. You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest your home. Unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far. What can you do? You've been trained in CPR but the guy that taught the course, Didn't tell you what to do if it happened to yourself.
Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack , This article seemed to be in order. Without help, the person Whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, Has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness. However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, As when producing sputum from deep inside the chest. A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let up until help arrives, Or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again. Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital. Tell as many other people as possible about this, it could save their lives! From Health Cares, Rochester General Hospital via Chapter 240s newsletter 'AND THE BEAT GOES ON ' (reprint from The Mended Hearts, Inc. Publication, Heart Response) BE A FRIEND AND PLEASE SEND THIS ARTICLE TO AS MANY FRIENDS AS POSSIBLE
I just read an article in TODAY'S Gwinnett Daily Post that says they are trying to ban Pit Bulls from all city parks and any government property located within the Sugar Hill city limits.
WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!????????????
It goes on to say this:
"Pit bulls were for centuries developed and bred for the purpose of attacking other animals," the ordinance reads.
It mentions the pit bull's massive jaws that can crush a victim with as much as 2,000 pounds of pressure per square inch.
The Mayor and council have determined that the ordinance is *REASONABLE and NECESSARY* for the protection of the public.
The pit bull is defined as an American or Stratfordshire pit bull terrier, including *MIXED BREEDS*
The council is deciding THIS MONDAY at their session at 7pm whether to list the proposed ordinance on the City Council Agenda.
If it makes it to the agenda, the council will vote on FEB 11th whether to approve or deny the ordinance.
CAN YOU GUYS HELP WITH THIS IN *ANY* WAY?
I NEED BODIES AT THAT MEETING TOMORROW NIGHT TO PROTEST AGAINST THIS!!!
I am a resident of the city who loves Pit Bulls....but I don't actually OWN one so they probably won't pay any attention to anything I have to say!
What they WILL LISTEN and PAY ATTENTION TO...is a whole lotta people just being present to protest!!!!
PLEASE PLEASE HELP!!!!
If they get THIS passed, we are only a step away from them banning Pit Bulls from the city altogether which may be their ultimate plan anyway!!!!
If they get one leg in, they might get the other later!
We can't allow that to happen!
Meeting Info:
Sugar Hill City Hall Annex 4988 W. Broad St, Sugar Hill
(PLEASE COPY AND REPOST) Invitation: To Any And All In Respects Of "Little John" Bury When: Monday , Feb. 4th Time: 7:00 p.m. Where: Bistro 40 (Inside The Greensboro Marriot) Where The NC Tattoo Convention was held 304 N. Greene Street Greensboro , NC 27401 379-8000 For A Map: Click Here Drinks and Social Immediately Following Dinner at The Pour House (downtown Greensboro) 360 Federal Pl Greensboro, NC 27401 (336) 333-2226 For A Map: Click Here Please call to RSVP so we know precisely how many to set reservations (eating or not) Little John's Tattoo - 336-275-7161 or Daron James - 336-558-4944 After dinner we will ALL commute to The Pour House for Drinks and A Social Gathering. *On Feb. 9th there will be a "Celebration Of His Life" at The Home of "Little John" Bury for Family and Friends. R.I.P "Little John" Bury , You will be missed dearly and never ever forgotten ! Photobucket">
----------------- Bulletin Message ----------------- From: All or Nothing Pitbull Rescue Brandon Bond doing interview on 96.1 FM in Atlanta February 1,2008.
He must weigh in at 309 maybe 311. His hair is white, eyes a deep blue, And you can always feel when his stare is on you.
Wherever he goes he is always in something red with dark leather He doesn't seem to give a hoot about how hot the weather. His face is clean shaven most of the year, You can see a mighty big scar that runs from his chin to his ear.
No one really knows him, but everyone feels that somehow they do, But you always get the feeling that he knows everything about you. He is always alone, seeming to like being by himself, With only one friend we have seen and we swear he's the size of an elf.
From January to December he comes and he goes, What he does and where he goes none of us knows. He just seems to be here with us almost every day, Then it seems one day he just goes away.
All the first part of the year his attitude borders on being bad, Never smiling much, but then again never looking sad. But as the weather starts to cool, and you freeze with every mile. I swear that is the time of the year when he starts to smile.
The black Harley with the plate that says "U NO ME" that he rides all of the year, Seems to go away once December gets near. Replaced by a red Harley inlaid with gold. A scooter so nice it never seems to look old.
Throughout the year he's invited to all the runs, But he turns them down, and we think this cat doesn't know how to have fun. But when all the Toys for Tots rides start to come around, Every one of us knows where he will be found.
His beard seems to grow at the speed of light, Growing from a stubble to flowing white over night. We all have a theory that we keep inside About this big biker and the secret he tries to hide.
We are all hardcore bikers and he has told us that Nick is his name But even the meanest of us think Nick and Santa are one and the same. As we do our thing on Christmas Eve, we all keep glancing up hoping to get a sight Of Biker Saint Nick on that red sled full of toys tearing up the night.
Wherever you live and whatever you do, We suggest you ride the Toys for Tots ride near you. You may catch a glance of big Nick with his red scoot riding if you do, But if not don't feel bad, because to a child that needs that toy, that Biker Santa will be YOU.
A guy who purchased (for his lovely wife) a pocket Taser for their anniversary submitted this:
Last weekend at Larry's Pistol & Pawn Shop. L.A., I was looking for a little something extra for my wife Toni. What I came across was a 100,000-volt pocket/purse-sized taser. The effects of the taser were supposed to be short lived, with no long-term adverse affect on an assailant. The idea is to allow my wife -- who would never consider a gun -----adequate time to retreat to safety. ------WAY TOO COOL!
Long story short, I bought the device and brought it home. I loaded in two triple-a batteries and pushed the button. Nothing! I was disappointed. But then I read (yes, 'read') that if I pushed the button AND pressed it against a metal surface at the same time; I'd get the blue arch of electricity darting back and forth between the prongs and I'd know it was working. Awesome!!! (Actually, I have yet to explain to Toni what that burn spot is on the face of her microwave). Okay, so I was home alone with this new toy, thinking to myself that it couldn't be all that bad with only two triple-a batteries, right?!! There I sat in my recliner, my cat Gracie looking on intently (trusting little soul) while I was reading the directions and thinking that I really needed to try this thing out on a flesh and blood moving target. I must admit I thought about zapping Gracie (for a fraction of a second) and thought better of it. She is such a sweet cat.
But, if I was going to give this thing to my wife to protect herself against a mugger, I did want some assurance that it would work as advertised. Am I wrong? So, there I sat in a pair of shorts and a tank top with my reading glasses perched delicately on the bridge of my nose, directions in one hand, and taser in another. The directions said that a one-second burst would shock and disorient your assailant; a two-second burst was supposed to cause muscle spasms and a major loss of bodily control; a three-second burst would purportedly make your assailant flop on the ground like a fish out of water. Any burst longer than three seconds would be wasting the batteries.
So, I'm sitting there alone, Gracie looking on with her head cocked to one side as to say, "don't do it," reasoning that a one-second burst from such a tiny little ole thing couldn't hurt all that bad. I decided to give myself a one-second burst just for the heck of it. I touched the prongs to my naked thigh, pushed the button, and HOLY MOTHER OF. . ., WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. I'm pretty sure Jessie Ventura ran in through the side door, picked me up in the recliner, and body slammed us both on the carpet, over and over and over again. I vaguely recall waking up on my side in the fetal position, with tears in my eyes, body soaking wet, both nipples on fire, testicles nowhere to be found, with my left arm tucked under my body in the oddest position, and tingling in my legs.
You should know, if you ever feel compelled to "mug" yourself with a taser, that there is no such thing as a one-second burst when you zap yourself. You will not let go of that thing until it is dislodged from your hand by a violent thrashing about on the floor. SON-OF-A-... that hurt like hell!!! A minute or so later (I can't be sure, as time was a relative thing at that point), I collected what little wits I had left, sat up and surveyed the landscape. My bent reading glasses were on the mantel of the fireplace. How did they up get there??? My triceps, right thigh and both nipples were still twitching. My face felt like it had been shot up with Novocain, and my bottom lip weighed 88 lbs. I'm still looking for my testicles!! I'm offering a significant reward for their safe return. Gracie was nowhere to be found, but she left several scratches on me from where she must have launched out of the way.
No doubt, I still have a passion to become a professional body modifier. I now have the opportunity to go back to school for a 2 or 4 year degree, and possibly even my Masters if I choose. I love Architecture, so it is a strong runner in my mind. I have paving experience, so Cival Engineering is also a runner. And I have a love of plants, so Horticulture is up there too...damn it!!! I have too many passions!LOL Let's see, Architecture, there are allot of them out there, so compitition will be a bitch. Cival Engineering, not near as many out there, but also boring. Horticulture, if I were to aim toward the scientific end of the spectrum, I may stand a chance there. I seriously need to figure out what I want to do. No matter what I choose, it will mean being here for however many years school is going to be. There goes my plan of being out of here and more then a 1,000 miles away by this time next year. No matter what I choose, the next 2 or 4 years are going to be a rough haul. The conditions of school being paid for don't allow for me to work more then part-time. I am caught in a catch 22. Part-time won't allow for a vehicle. I will be living too far to walk. Living far from campus will be the only way for me to afford to survive while attending school. Frustration is now my first name, never mind my middle name. Unless I have a long lost, very rich relative, that will's me a lump sum of cash, I'm not seeing how to pull all this off. It will become apparent when it needs to, I suppose. I stand by my belief that, everything DOES happen for a reason. And the near future will find its way...........
Miss Beatrice, the church organist, was in her eighties and had never been married. She was admired for her sweetness and kindness to all.
One afternoon the pastor came to call on her and she showed him into her quaint sitting room. She invited him to have a seat while she prepared tea.
As he sat facing her old Hammond organ, the young minister noticed a cut-glass bowl sitting on top of it. The bowl was filled with water, and in the water floated, of all things, a condom!
When she returned with tea and scones, they began to chat. The pastor tried to stifle his curiosity about the bowl of water and its strange floater, but soon it got the better of him and He could no longer resist.
"Miss Beatrice", he said, "I wonder if you would tell me about this?" pointing to the bowl.
"Oh, yes," she replied, "Isn't it wonderful? I was walking through the park a few months ago and I found this little package on the ground. The directions said to place it on the organ, keep it wet and that it would prevent the spread of disease. Do you know I haven't had the flu all winter."
Please think of our solders that can't have Christmas with their loved ones because of the freedom that they provide us!!!!!!!
Something cool that Xerox is doing If you go to this web site, http://www.letssaythanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq . You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services. How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! This is a great site. Please send a card. It is FREE and it only takes a second. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against the war, our guys and gals over there need to know we are behind them..
Body:
The number of U.S. troops killed in November remained at a low not seen since March 2006 on Thursday.
The U.S. military said that an American soldier had been killed by small-arms fire on Wednesday in Baghdad, bringing the number of troops killed in Iraq to 35 for the month so far. In May, as the influx of troops gained momentum, 126 Americans died.
During that six-month period, streets that had been closed during the sectarian fighting have reopened with strict limits: Checkpoints, roadblocks, concrete blast walls, and American and Iraqi patrols are still the norm in many parts of the capital.
But some of the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who fled their homeland for neighboring Syria and Jordan and beyond are returning — with money, transport and protection from their government. The program also seeks to win favor from neighboring countries such as Syria and Jordan that are struggling with an estimated 2.2 million Iraqi refugees.
Late Wednesday, about 20 buses carrying hundreds of Iraqi refugees rolled into a Baghdad depot — the first from the Iraqi-funded effort to speed the return of families. National Security Minister Sherwan al-Waili, who met the convoy, said each returning family would receive $750 to get started rebuilding their lives.
“The returning home of displaced families is considered as a great victory for law enforcement and national reconciliation,” military spokesman Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi said. “We didn’t ask any family about his sect or ethnicity. Such things were created by terrorism and will disappear along with terrorism.”
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — Weakened by his lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis, 14-year-old Riley Woina dreams of being strong like the war heroes he watches in movies.
The Army’s 6th Ranger Training Battalion on Eglin Air Force Base recently helped him realize this unusual dream. Susan Woina joked that her son could have taken his Plymouth, Conn., family to Walt Disney World or gone on a shopping spree through the Make-A-Wish Foundation instead of spending a week crawling in the mud with soldiers in the Florida Panhandle.
“You always want what you cannot have and he’ll never be able to join the Army because of his cystic fibrosis, so of course he wants that more than anyone else would. He would join the Army today if he could,” she said. The family has no connection to the military, except through the many war movies Riley loves to watch. Inspired by his favorite movies, “Black Hawk Down” and the HBO World War II series “Band of Brothers,” he researched Ranger training and learned about 6th Ranger Training Battalion.
Riley said he couldn’t think of anything better — not even visiting a chocolate factory — than seeing Camp James E. Rudder, where Rangers face their final and most difficult training challenges.
“I knew I probably wouldn’t be able to do anything like this again. They do everything down here, the swamp training, everything,” he said, while eating with his new Ranger buddies in the chow hall. And the 80-pound 14-year-old, weakened by his degenerative illness, said he doesn’t feel any sympathy for the physical punishment Rangers experience for 18 days at Camp Rudder.
“It’s a way of life for them; they are the ones that signed up for it so it’s their fault,” he said to the chuckles of the Rangers around him.
What he likes most about the Rangers: “Their determination to leave no man behind.”
Cystic fibrosis causes a buildup of thick mucus that makes breathing difficult and inhibits absorption of nutrients, stunting growth. Riley takes nutritional supplements and respiratory medications, uses an inhaler, and sleeps with a special vest that helps to shake up and clear out the mucus in his lungs while he sleeps.
Riley is the first child to ask Make-A-Wish to visit a Ranger camp, said Capt. Jeremiah Cordovano, spokesman for 6th Ranger Battalion.
“Because this is what we do on a daily basis, we forget what it is like to be a kid. What it is like the first time you jump out of an airplane, fire a weapon; it is great to watch his face light up,” said Cordovano, who helped arrange for Riley to ride in a helicopter, traverse the swamps with Rangers in an inflatable Zodiac boat and witness a 64-paratrooper night jump from inside a C-130.
And Riley, accompanied by his parents and 17-year-old brother, gave a boost to some war-weary combat veterans.
Sgt. Jon Desrosiers recently returned from Iraq where he supported the 82nd Airborne Division as a helicopter medic.
He flew from Fort Polk, La., on what he thought would be part of a routine training support mission for Camp Rudder. Desrosiers later learned that his flight crew would take Riley on a ride over Fort Walton Beach.
“I’ve seen a lot of things in Iraq and this was something fun,” he said.
The crew presented Riley with his own flight suit, a “U.S. Army Air Ambulance Detachment” patch, and his pilot’s wings.
They also helped him to radio his mom from the helicopter while hovering above the beach.
“Mom, this is Riley. This is awesome,” he said.
“Riley, I’m glad you’re having a good time,” she said.
The Rangers joked with Riley about his fondness for the flight suit, telling him he had to take it off before he joined them to practice jump training inside a mock C-130 aircraft frame. The Rangers had earlier presented him with personalized fatigues, complete with his own combat boots and dog tags.
The Rangers showed Riley how to deploy a parachute and a reserve parachute. As his parents and older brother, Ryan, laughed at Riley’s enthusiasm, Master Sgts. Jose Morengo and Alexander Barnett rolled on the ground, jumped off benches and unfurled the parachutes.
Even a black eye, which happened as Morengo pulled the rip cord grip on a reserve parachute that he strapped around Riley’s waist, didn’t keep Riley from smiling. Morengo gave Riley the rip cord grip as a souvenir, explaining that it was the ultimate trophy of surviving a harrowing experience.
And the day got better when the men let him shoot blank M4 rounds and help clear a training room using grenade simulators. He then watched dozens of Ranger students practice being lifted in and out of helicopters on ropes.
Ranger training lasts 62 days and Camp Rudder is the final phase.
“We provide the most realistic combat scenarios and they are the most decimated when they get to us,” Cordovano said. “They are lacking sleep and food. You really get to see what you are made of and if you have what it takes to be a combat leader.”
Riley will join the successful Ranger students at Fort Benning, Ga., for their graduation ceremonies March 9, where he will get to ride in a tank and shoot live rounds.
Barnett, a 17-year veteran Ranger instructor who accompanied Riley at the camp, said the teen has the mental toughness to be a Ranger.
“He has the intestinal fortitude. Because of his medical condition, he’s tough,” Barnett said. “I was shocked he asked to do this. He’s from Connecticut, he’s a city boy. He could have asked to go the Super Bowl. I have a touchy moment every day with him.”
Morengo agreed.
“He’s got nothing to prove to us; he’s tough enough.”
----------------- Bulletin Message ----------------- From: 
