Just Moved -- Any riders near the Pentagon?

[forestb]

Greetings,

I just moved from Alabama to Springfield VA (commuting to the Pentagon).  Any nearby Valk riders interested in getting together?  Post here or email at heybenforest@yahoo.com .  I'm anxious to get on these unfamiliar roads with folks who know their way around!

Cheers,
Ben

[elraque]

Yahoo maps shows me about 2119.9 miles from Washington DC...

[Stanley Steamer]

Jess from VA lives up near the Nuthouse.....uhhhh, I mean White House area.....at least for a little while longer....and he just retired....he'll probably chime in when he sees this....

[eric in md]

i live 2 hours west in western maryland  cumberland md good riding up here .. one day i would like to get a group together to ride these mountains rds

[Jess from VA]

Greetings,

I just moved from Alabama to Springfield VA (commuting to the Pentagon).  Any nearby Valk riders interested in getting together?  Post here or email at heybenforest@yahoo.com .  I'm anxious to get on these unfamiliar roads with folks who know their way around!

Cheers,
Ben

Hey Ben.  I'm  a mile North of Fort Belvoir off Route 1 (22309); Springfield's just 20 minutes away.  Was riding up on the Skyline Dr today; nice and cool compared to the furnace down here in the rat race.  I'll be happy to show you VA horse country.  

Last time I was in AL was Maxwell AFB in 84-5.

I'll send you an email shortly.  

[Ice]

Greetings,

I just moved from Alabama to Springfield VA (commuting to the Pentagon).  Any nearby Valk riders interested in getting together?  Post here or email at heybenforest@yahoo.com .  I'm anxious to get on these unfamiliar roads with folks who know their way around!

Cheers,
Ben

Hey Ben,

Welcome to the northern part of the south I am in Winchester, roughly an hour away from you, and as Jess said, we will gladly show you the country side.

Yuri

[forestb]

Thanks all for the replies.     Just saw an email from Jess and it looks like we may go riding this Saturday.  I'll post the start place/time in a day or two in case anyone else wants to join us.

Cheers,
Ben

[3fan4life]

I'm in Moneta near SML and Roanoke.

any time that you feel like getting up into the Mountains give me a shout.

[forestb]

Jess and I are riding this Saturday up to Skyline Drive.  Kicking off around 0800 from my place on Whitlers Creek Drive in Springfield.  Call me or Jess if anyone wants to join us.  My cell is 334-717-0681.

I look forward to a great ride. 

Cheers,
Ben

[Cajunbone]

Live on the border of Dumfries and Woodbridge off of HWY1.  Let me know if there are any group rides coming up...right now am just getting the engine back in the Lady so will be a little while before I get her back on the road.  Ride Safe and take care...

[alph]

Well, I feel sorry for you!  To have a job that forces you to be so close to the administration that is destroying the constitution that you swore to defend.

You work for the pentagon, so that tells me you’re an American.  Thank you for your service.

Funny, remember when it was such a big story about Bush serving in the National Guard, and that it really wasn’t the military, and now we’ve got a president that was never even in the Boys Scouts!!

(I guess I’m assuming you work for the pentagon as a service man, and not as a contractor doing electrical work or something else….)

[forestb]

alph,

I am indeed a service member--16 years and counting.  I'm proud to be serving in the military, proud of my brief service at the pentagon, and proud of my oath to defend the constition.  But I also take seriously the oath that "I will obey the orders of the President of the United States," an oath which holds whether it's Clinton, Bush, or Obama (the three presidents I've served under).  The tides turn back and forth--we're a strong nation and we'll survive these shifts right and left.  I trust in our system of check and balances.  I believe in my nation's resiliance in this time of turmoil and support my commander in cheif. 

There's no Rolling Stone reporters here, right?

Cheers, Ben

[Oldswimr]

You'll be all set for Rolling Thunder next year. This year was my first, definitely going back next year.
I'm about 4.5 hours south in Elizabeth City, NC. Great ride down 301-17 to Yorktown, out to and down 64, and back on 17 south.

[Dogg]

if ya head east, you cant go much farther than me.Im in Berlin Md, 2 hrs east. 5 miles from the ocean. we have a great bikeweek here in september. be ready for it.
www.delmarvabikeweek.com     might need to copy and paste but that my town...

hope to see ya'll soon

[elraque]

alph,

I am indeed a service member--16 years and counting.  I'm proud to be serving in the military, proud of my brief service at the pentagon, and proud of my oath to defend the constition.  But I also take seriously the oath that "I will obey the orders of the President of the United States," an oath which holds whether it's Clinton, Bush, or Obama (the three presidents I've served under).  The tides turn back and forth--we're a strong nation and we'll survive these shifts right and left.  I trust in our system of check and balances.  I believe in my nation's resiliance in this time of turmoil and support my commander in cheif. 

There's no Rolling Stone reporters here, right?

Cheers, Ben

Thank you for your continued service to this great nation.

A question regarding your oaths (because I don't know the answer) -- is there a policy or standing order regarding "firing on American citizens?" Under what circumstances are you allowed or required to do so or to NOT do so?

Not that I EVER want you or any other member of our military to be in that situation, but I have a (morbid?) curiosity.

[Jess from VA]

 Elraque, there is no standing order or policy regarding firing on American citizens.

There is the old Posse Comitatus Act, which aimed to prevent the Fed from using military members in a law enforcement function inside the US.

See:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posse_Comitatus_Act

         http://www.homelandsecurity.org/journal/articles/trebilcock.htm

You may have never heard that Doug MacArthur ran depression era WW1 vets (and their wives and children) out of DC with fixed bayonets and tanks.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonus_Army

A lawful order to fire on US citizens must be obeyed.  A service member refuses to follow any order (on his belief that it is unlawful) at his own risk.

Most if not all service members who would serve in ground combat (Army/Marines/Seals/ MPs/Coasties/etc) receive training in the law of armed conflict and Hague and Geneva conventions.  These rules pretty much parallel State and Fed criminal codes regarding use of deadly force.  

[elraque]

Jess:

Thanks for the enlightenment. I have a lot to learn about being free.