Thursday, July 9, 2009

Lets Support our Military and get them Hunting

Reposted from Hunting Life, MAJ Darin Harper is a member of the 506th Infantry Association.

Thursday, July 9, 2009
Our military is one of the finest group of men and women in the world and each and every day those men and women support and protect our freedom to speak, shoot, hunt and fish. These men like also like to take time out of their busy schedules and enjoy the pleasure of getting outdoors and hunting with friends and family. Our military is certainly not the best paid men and women and I know most all of them are not serving our country for the money, that is for sure.

After getting this great letter from Maj, MS Darin L Harper(US Army), I am proposing that we reward our military with resident licenses in all 50 states. Each state controls their resident and non-resident costs for licenses and every state has the option to declare military members as exceptions to the rule. In fact I am pretty sure that most level headed politicians and game and fish officers would stand right beside me in saying we need to support our US Troops both at home and abroad.

Lets work together to give our United States soldiers the right to buy resident tags and licenses for hunting in every state of our great country so they can enjoy the outdoors no matter where they are stationed.

Letter From Maj, MS Darin L Harper(US Army):

Mr. Paulson -
My name is MAJ Darin Harper, I am an active duty officer in the US Army, and am currently a student at the Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth KS. I have served in uniform since 1987 when I enlisted after High School graduation and have served in a variety of assignments all over the world. In the course of my profession I have been assigned to seven different locations in the continental United States as well as four overseas assignments including a tour in Iraq and Afghanistan. I am an avid outdoorsman and enjoy hunting and fishing whenever I can. As a service member I get the opportunity to apply for a resident license in whichever state I am currently assigned. I am extremely appreciative of this benefit as the cost of seven different out of state licenses over the past 16 years would be pretty expensive! However, because my profession often sends me to locations that are not of my choosing, if I want to hunt with family or friends in other states (even ones I had lived in before) I loose my resident status. For most hunters, the additional cost of hunting out of state is just a part of the game, if you don’t want to pay…don’t play. Over the past four years I have been deployed twice and have found it challenging and expensive (when I am home) to attend a family quail hunt over Thanksgiving in Oklahoma, summer fishing trips with other family members in Colorado, and Spring turkey hunting with friends I just left in Kentucky.

The operational tempo of the US military, over the past eight years, has forced many of us to change assignments and locations at a rate higher than ever before. I think that states should allow active duty servicemen to apply for resident licenses regardless of their current location. The states themselves would benefit from this as their total number of sold licenses would increase among service members as opposed to them not buying one at all because of the high out of state costs. I think it would also increase the total number of sportsmen in the military if the costs and availability of licensing was reasonable.The views expressed are my own and are not the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

Thank you for your time,

Darin L. Harper
MAJ, MS

Well Darin, I agree with you 100% and I think that if you are out there working to protect my freedom to hunt, fish and shoot and raise my family, then you should absolutely be allowed to hunt and fish in every state of our great country and with your military ID you should be able to buy a license and tags just like a resident. I believe our politicians should get to work and communicate with their game and fish officers and make this happen. We need to support our troops and we should help them to enjoy our great outdoors they work so hard to protect......
Kevin C. Paulson
Founder of HuntingLife.com








POSTED BY KEVIN C PAULSON AT 11:20 AM | 9 COMMENTS | LINKS TO THIS POST | EMAIL A POST




Comments:

I agree with MAJ Harper's letter, and what others have posted here. Service members should be able to purchase residential licenses in any state regardless of state citizenship. When service members are on leave, the leave form (DA31) should be considered a valid license in any state the service member chooses to hunt or fish in.

Posted By SPC Winters on Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 04:00 PM
I agree. It's our chance to do something for them and we should do it.

Posted By B E Bates on Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 03:13 PM
I agree that active service men and women shouldn't have to pay for an out of state license. They probably shouldn't have to pay at all.

Posted By Melissa on Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 02:11 PM
I 100% agree with Darin and feel it is the very least we can do for the ones who give so much for their country.

Posted By gary r west on Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 01:19 PM

i think it is a very good idea, and to carry it even farther, the only requirement is that they only should have to pick up a permit with no cost at all.


Posted By johnk on Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 12:38 AM
Great point to bring up, Kevin. I don't see how this could be rightfully refused. It's the LEAST we could do.

Posted By Matt Walters on Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 09:47 PM
In my personal opinion, you should not have to be a resident to hunt anywhere. Each state should have a resident or non-resident (vacationer) license or else there should be a national fishing/hunting license that covers the entire continental US with each state getting a percentage of the fee.

Posted By Stephen Manning on Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 12:19 AM

100% agreement here. Our service men and women give up their time, risk thier lives, move around as required. . . all to protect the freedoms we enjoy. Definitely, even if they are passing through a state, they should be considered residents. They serve this country, and that means all 50 states.

Call me crazy, but I think if servicemen are on active duty, they should not be charged for the license or at least get a dramatic discount.


Posted By David Hayden on Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 12:17 AM
I couldn't agree more! This is something that has never crossed my mind, but I would fully support it.

Posted By Heather on Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 12:08 AM

Friday, July 3, 2009

Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home Ceremony

Fort Campbell, Kentucky 1400H 16 August 2009

MG Jeffrey J Schloesser, CG 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) has announced a Welcome Home Ceremony for Vietnam Veterans during the Week of the Eagle at Fort Campbell Kentucky on Sunday 16 August 2009.

Vietnam Veterans from ALL units, branches and services are invited to participate in this very special opportunity. Vietnam Veterans will have the rare privilege of receiving the same welcome home that every member of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) receives when they return from the war on terrorism.

To participate, everyone is to enter Fort Campbell, KY at Gate 7 on Sunday 16 August 2009 and assemble in casual patriotic attire no later than 1400H CST (2:00 PM) at the Freedom Fighter Gymnasium near the 4th BCT (506th Currahee) headquarters.

Buses at the Freedom Fighter Gymnasium will transport everyone to and from Hangar 3. At Hangar 3, family and friends will assemble inside while the Vietnam Veterans form and "dress right dress" outside the hangar.

The grand moment will be when the hangar doors open to the sound of patriotic music, banners, cheers and tears. The Vietnam Veterans will be greeted by our new Commanding General, MG John F Campbell (former Commander 1st Bde 82nd Abn Div), families, friends and other patriots. What a memorable moment! I am a veteran of the Vietnam War and it touches me deeply to know that our Commanding General has made this special effort to include the Vietnam Veteran in the same honors given to our active duty Soldiers.

After the Hangar 3 ceremony, buses will return everyone to the Freedom Fighter Gymnasium (air-conditioned) and a sit down free Bar-B-Q meal for the Vietnam Veteran and one guest. The Golden Rule Smokehouse Restaurant is donating the meals.

To confirm (1) how many will attend the ceremony (2) to reserve a meal for yourself and one guest, (3) your branch of service and (4) handicap needs, please call the Hopkinsville-Christian County Chamber of Commerce at (270)885-9096 or email akrohn@hopkinsvillechamber.com NLT 9 August 2009. Also, please show your appreciation to the Golden Rule Smokehouse Restaurant for their generosity to the Vietnam Veterans. The website listing the Week of the Eagle activities is Week of Eagles.