Order of the Archangel
The Saint Gabriel Medal Obverse and ReverseSt. Gabriel the Archangel – Messenger of God
The Archangel Gabriel is the exalted Messenger of God, whose name means “The Strength of God.” Gabriel’s deeds are recorded in both Christian and Jewish scriptures; including his aid to the Prophet Daniel in the interpretation of Daniel’s dream-visions. In Judeo-Christian tradition Gabriel is one of the three archangels mentioned in scripture and is variously identified as the archangel of Annunciation, Resurrection, Mercy, Revelation, or Death. In these roles, many Christians believe that Gabriel will blow a sacred trumpet horn to signal the Last Judgment. At the same time, Gabriel is also the angel of the Power of God, and so in Jewish beliefs Gabriel is regarded as the angel of judgment. Christians and Muslims alike believe him to have foretold the births of John the Baptist and Jesus to Zacharias and the Virgin Mary. Muslims further believe he was the medium through which God revealed the Qur’an to Muhammad over a period of 23 years and also accompanied the Prophet on his “Night Journey.” Muslim’s hold that Gabriel sent messages to most, if not all the prophets revealing their obligations. Therefore, across the world’s three great religions [?], Gabriel’s primary task is to deliver messages from God. [more like "End times" programming for the sheeple.]
Order of the Archangel
In 2007, the United States Military Strategists Association initiated an awards program to honor the very best of America’s strategists and adopted Saint Gabriel the Archangel for this award based on Gabriel’s role in revelation and annunciation. The Order of the Archangel is competitively awarded to those individuals who have served with distinction in military strategic capacities [or who are good at selling expensive and lethal weapons systems to foreign governments] or who, through either military or non-military efforts, have advanced the goals of the Association or made significant contributions to the study, teaching, or practice of strategy.
Description
The award consists of a medallion suspended from a neck ribbon and a certificate. The face of the medal consists of an image of the Archangel, framed by: an olive branch symbolizing peace; three arrows symbolic of the arrows clutched by the Great Seal of the United States and representing martial readiness, destined avengement, and purposeful direction. Between the olive branch and arrows is the Roman numeral “MDCCLXXV” (1775) for the year of the beginning of US military strategy. Superimposed over the archangel is the Association’s Latin motto “FORTUNA FORTIS PARATUS” or “Fortune Favors the Prepared.” The obverse of the medal consists of the lamp of knowledge within a triangle emblematic of the Clausewitzian Trinity and bordered by the Latin words “VIOLENTIA” (violence), “FORTUNA” (chance), and “CONSILIUM” (policy). Beneath the triangle is a Greco-Roman short sword representing the military capability necessary to advance and sustain policy and to secure the nation. Around the perimeter of the medal is the inscription “QUI DESIDERAT PACEM, PRAEPARET BELLUM” from Roman military commentator “Vegetius”, meaning “Let he who desires peace, prepare for war.” [George Orwell had something to say about this didn't he?] A blank raised bar is available for engraving the name of the recipient. The length of the suspension neck ribbon is divided into three equal portions of red, white, and blue – the colors of the United States flag. The certificate displays a picture of the front of the medal and bears an appropriate inscription and the name of the awardee.
Eligibility Criteria
To be nominated and to receive the Order of the Archangel, the nominee must:
* Be a member in good standing of the United States Military Strategist Association at the time of nomination and award approval.
* Have served with distinction in military strategic capacities or, through either military or non-military efforts, have advanced the goals of the Association or made significant contributions to the study, teaching, or practice of strategy.
* For uniformed military personnel, have completed at least one assignment as a strategist (FA59) or an assignment involving similar duties and responsibilities at the strategic level.
Nomination Process
Nomination processes vary according to the type of membership of the nominee as defined by the Association’s Constitution.
Active Members and Associate Members. Active and Associate members must be nominated and seconded by active members in good standing with the Association. For uniformed personnel LTC/O-5 and below, the nominating and seconding individual must be senior in grade to the person nominated. All nominations must be accompanied by a formal separate page endorsement signed by the first colonel (O6) in the nominee’s chain of command. If the nominee is a Colonel or GS15, only a nomination (without seconding) from the first General Officer or SES in the chain of command in required. This nominating General Officer or SES need not be a member of the Association.
The official government SES flag has a keystone (the official SES symbol) centered on a blue background, encircled by 13 five-point stars. "The KEYSTONE of the SES is Executive Leadership."Honorary Members. Honorary members are nominated by a majority vote of the Executive Council, who will refer the nomination to the association President for approval. General Officers and Members of the Senior Executive Service (SES). General Officers and SES’ are nominated by a majority vote of the Executive Council, who will refer the nomination to the association President for approval.
Active and Associate members’ nominations and separate page endorsements will be submitted by e-mail as a letter/memorandum attachment to the Association’s Executive Secretary who will review the nomination for completeness and correctness before forwarding to the Executive Council. Note that to capture signatures, this attachment must be a scanned or image file, (e.g. pdf or jpg). Addresses/contact information for the Executive Secretary and a nomination format may be found on the Association’s website.
Approval
Recipients of the Order of the Archangel are selected based on merit and nominations require a compelling narrative of the nominee’s accomplishments and contributions sufficient to justify the award. Narrative length will not exceed two double-spaced pages. While manner of duty performance will typically provide sufficient rationale for nomination, the most competitive nominees will have also have contributed to the study and practice of strategy or to the Association in other ways as well. Examples include, but are not limited to, writing for publication on strategic issues/history, volunteer service within the Association, or public speaking/outreach on strategic topics. The intent of this award is to recognize the best of the best. [Yes, but people should be asking themselves: the best what, though? the best liars? The best psychopaths?] Therefore, although there is no limitation on the number or frequency of the award, it is neither expected nor desired that this award be made routine, identified automatically with a particular grade or duty assignment, or approved without adequate substantiation. All nominations will be acted on expeditiously in the order in which received; for planning, allow for 60 days total processing time. If the nomination is approved, the Executive Secretary will contact the nominating individual to arrange for payment of $XX in the form of a check to cover costs for the award, its certificate, and mailing. The costs incurred for awards to Honorary Members will be borne per capita by the Executive Council. [Do these characters wear black robes? Do they have a secret handshake?]
All nominations are decided upon by the Association President in consultation with the Association’s Vice Presidents. The President’s decisions on nominations are final. However, disapproval does not preclude subsequent nomination.
Exceptions
Nominations for truly deserving individuals who do not every element of the eligibility criteria may be submitted as exceptions to policy. In rare and compelling instances, The Executive Council may, by unanimous decision, opt to temporarily suspend or amend the rules and processes for nomination or award of the Order of the Archangel.
Award Presentation Approved awards will be mailed to the nominating individual. The association encourages presentation in an appropriate ceremony.
All award recipients will be recognized in the next publication of the Association’s e-journal.
Award recipients who attend the Annual Business Meeting [war is business] will be formally invested with the Order during the meeting.
Wear of the Award
The Order of the Archangel is not authorized for wear with the military uniform. However, local command guidance or custom may allow for optional wear with dress uniforms during appropriate social occasions in keeping with the spirit and intent of military uniform regulations (e.g. AR 670-1, Paragraph 29-13.d.).
United States Military Strategists Association
Idi Amin Dada (Apparently all those awards on Idi's chest are awarded for killing in the name of God)Idi Amin Dada's rule was characterized by human rights abuses, political repression, ethnic persecution, extrajudicial killings, nepotism, corruption and gross economic mismanagement. The number of people killed as a result of his regime is estimated by international observers and human rights groups to range from 100,000 to 500,000.
Amin became the subject of rumors and myths, including a widespread belief that he was a cannibal. Some of the unsubstantiated rumors, such as the mutilation of one of his wives, were spread and popularized by the 1980 film Rise and Fall of Idi Amin and alluded to in the film The Last King of Scotland in 2006.
Amin joined the King's African Rifles (KAR) of the British Colonial Army in 1946 as an assistant cook. He claimed he was forced to join the Army during World War II and that he served in the Burma Campaign, but records indicate he was first enlisted after the war was concluded. He was transferred to Kenya for infantry service as a private in 1947 and served in the 21st KAR infantry battalion in Gilgil, Kenya, until 1949. That year, his unit was deployed to Somalia to fight the Somali Shifta rebels. In 1952 his brigade was deployed against the Mau Mau rebels in Kenya. [Maurice Strong Mau Mau oath taking ceremonies in Kenya] He was promoted to corporal the same year, then to sergeant in 1953.
In 1959 Amin was made effendi (warrant officer), the highest rank possible for a Black African in the colonial British Army of that time. Amin returned to Uganda the same year and in 1961 he was promoted to lieutenant, becoming one of the first two Ugandans to become commissioned officers. He was then assigned to quell the cattle rustling between Uganda's Karamojong and Kenya's Turkana nomads. In 1962, following Uganda's independence from Great Britain, Amin was promoted to captain and then, in 1963, to major. The following year, he was appointed Deputy Commander of the Army.
King of Scotland
Near the end of 1976, Amin officially declared himself "the uncrowned King of Scotland". Amin lavished his guests and dignitaries with Scottish accordion music, while dressed in Scottish kilts. He wrote to Queen Elizabeth II, "I would like you to arrange for me to visit Scotland, Ireland and Wales to meet the heads of revolutionary movements fighting against your imperialist oppression", and allegedly sent the Queen a telex that stated: "Dear Liz, if you want to know a real man, come to Kampala." Amin sometimes argued that he was "the last King of Scotland".
"Judeo" and "Christian" are the antithesis of each other. There is NO such thing as "Judeo Christianity."
ReplyDeleteBesides, read what Jesus had to say about it all.
What COULD be more OPPOSITE?
Did they not murder Jesus???