Anthony, Tadpole256

Today I have the great pleasure of interviewing our long time member, Super Moderator, Anthony, know to us all as Tadpole256. Anthony has been here since near the beginning of this forum. He joined DtT on 05-05-2005, and has contributed a great deal to this site. He actively juggles posting, moderating, a full time job with the U.S. Navy, as well as running his own sites, TroopCasting - Tech Support the Troops! Army Sailor -- War in the Sandbox...

I would like to be the first to congratulate Anthony on making Chief Petty Officer! Great job and thanks for all you do, my friend.
Since my arrival here, Anthony was deployed to Afghanistan. When thinking about sailors we picture men on ships, relatively far from the action. Not so for Anthony. He was attached to an Army unit and has seen a lot of frontline action. We all stayed in touch with Anthony, as he was able to get on-line, while there, occasionally. Even with this break from being able to post everyday, he still has the most posts on this board with over 10,000 and has had the most posts since I joined! His other sites have great posts, from himself, other members of the military, their families, and civilians. There is also a large section of great photos of operations in Afghanistan. While manning a machine gun (a 50 cal., I believe), mounted on a Humvee, Anthony was wounded in action. You can see the Humvee after the attack at Army Sailor -- War in the Sandbox... He was very lucky and his injuries could have been far worse. I am honored to call Anthony a great friend and equally honored to conduct this interview.

Anthony, Could you tell us how you found this site and what motivated you to become a member, on this board, in its infant stages?

Sure. I was originally told about this site by a buddy I served with. He is registered on here by the name CriticalProcess. He is no longer in the Navy; he is now in law enforcement. He suggested I might be interested in the site because of my particular political interests, and my love of debate and discussion.

Your political view listed is Libertarian; do you still feel that is correct? If so, could you tell us what it means to you?
I do consider myself a Civil Libertarian. We are the original Conservatives. Many of our founding fathers were libertarians. To sum it up quickly, I would say that I consider myself a social liberal, and an economic conservative. People should be allowed to do whatever they like so long as it does not infringe on the liberty of others, or cost public money. I believe that the job of the government is to govern, nothing more and nothing less. I believe in minimal regulation and legislation and that the government should essentially stay out of the boardroom and the bedroom.

What are the three most important issues, to you, in modern American politics?
That's a tough question... If I were to answer off the cuff... I would have to say Privacy, Civil Liberties and the War.

Can you tell us which persons you feel were the most important in shaping our Country and why?
Boy that is another tough one... There have been so many truly amazing and inspirational people who have shaped our country... If we were limiting this to our founding fathers, I would say that I have always admire Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Payne. But the fact is that our country is still being shaped to this day. The beauty of our system of government is that it is molded and shaped and continues to be amorphous throughout it's existence.

If there was one thing you could change in our political system, what would it be?
If I could change only one thing... Well I suppose I would change the voting system to Instant Run Off Voting, which of course would require the addition of a third (or more) party(s)... But that would be a huge step in the right direction, in my opinion.

Most of us know you are a practicing Buddhist and it must have been difficult to have been in action where you may have to kill others. I thank you for your service and have nothing but respect for you but can you tell us what its like to be a Buddhist in the Military and your feelings on this?
Well first, allow me to clarify that I consider myself a practicing lay Buddhist. In particular, I am a practitioner of the philosophy. Whereas I do believe in much of the spirituality also, overall I would probably be better summed up as a Humanist (version 3.1) or a Deist if we are discussing spirituality. Now I will admit that there was quite a conundrum for me when I began to adopt a philosophy who has a central tenent of "do no harm", especially since I have been responsible for taking peoples lives. I have given this much though, and I have spent a lot of time meditating on the subject, and here is what I have come up with so far...
1) I am a realist first and foremost. I know we leave in a world with many dangers, and we live in a world where fighting will continue to go on. I believe that only the dead have seen the end of war. With that in mind, someone will always be fighting. I chose to be a warrior long before I discovered the middle way (Buddhism). I like to think that perhaps by putting myself in harms way, I am sparing someone else that eventuality.
2) I have no real family to speak of. Few would be affected if I were to be killed. Perhaps my continued service will spare the life of a family man or woman.
3) I believe it is the intent of an action, not always the action itself that matters most. For example, if you were to kill in the defense of yourself or your family, I do not believe that is necessarily a karmically bad action, but if you do it for profit or pleasure, that is certainly a bad action. I know my intent is pure, so I feel secure in my actions.
4) I hope to set an example. I have risen to a senior rank, and I am in a position of leadership and great responsibility. That in and of itself is a great honor. But I hope to serve as a positive example and a role model to all the troops I lead. This is my way of paying back all those who got me to where I am today.
5) Where would the military be today if all the good people left?

What are some of your favorite Buddhist quotes?
I do enjoy many Buddhist quotations, and I find they serve as a useful tool to pass the message on to others, but I try not to focus on the quotes for they are merely words. It is the message that matters. But, you can take a look at the "Buddhist Quote of the Day" thread at DtT to get a good idea of what I like.

We know you have a wonderful lady, Yasmeen, that just graduated. How long have you been together and how did you meet? Also, do you ever have any problems with rude people that don't except inter-racial relationships?
First let me start by saying that I love Yasmeen more than life itself. She recently graduated from University of Pennsylvania with her Masters Degree in Nursing, and she now works at the University as a Nurse Practitioner. I am incredibly proud of her. How long we have been together is a difficult question to answer because we were and always have been friends first. We have known each other since high school, where she used to play with my hair in Political Science... From then on we have had a roller-coaster relationship of sorts, mostly due to my being in the Navy and that keeping me away, sometimes for years at a time. While I was home together for three years we built a pretty strong relationship together and I fell even more in love with her, but then I got sent to Afghanistan, and now I am on my way back to that part of the world and I am back on a ship that will make frequent, long deployments... I don't think she is too happy about any of that. I am not exactly certain where we stand these days, I know it's not where I wish it were. Don't get me wrong, she'll always be my best and most trusted friend, but the decision as to where we go from here will be hers and hers alone, because she needs to decide if she can bear the Navy life.

Now that your back in the States could you tell us what your life is like, now, in the Navy?
When I first got back it was fantastic, and incredibly easy. I was assigned to a desk at a supply depot, and was not expected to do much. They were basically giving me a break. Which was deeply appreciated, but quickly got boring. Now I am stationed in Florida, assigned to a deployable, war-fighting unit and the tempo is fast. That's how I like it. It keeps us on our toes...

Could you tell us, what is the best way common folks can help our troops and which form of assistance is the most effective?
Write letters, and send care packages to the Troops. Nothing boosts morale like mail. It is great to know someone at home cares. Not everyone has family that can write to them. I would also say that you should write to your representatives and avail yourself of the democratic process. Make sure the folks on the hill know how you feel.

Given all that you have seen of the world and its diverse peoples, what do you think is the greatest barrier to world peace?
Arrogance, Foolish Pride, and Greed.

In addition, given that you have seen a lot of the peoples in Afghanistan, what do you think the people there think about Americans, (not their leaders)?
Most of them really like us. Most of the Afghans are smart enough to be able to differentiate between America and her government.

How has your service in Afghanistan influenced your view of the Iraq war?
I will not get to deep into my personal opinions on the conflict in Iraq. I will say this, Iraq and Afghanistan are two very different wars. I have always supported the effort in Afghanistan, I feel it is just and that we can make a very positive difference. I also believe we would be more successful if we had more people there. I do not understand why we got involved in a country that was no threat to us before we completed our first mission in Afghanistan.

Can you think of any changes that we can make in our military and government that would make us more effective in the world, and in attaining the goal of world peace?
I can think of many, and perhaps in time I will write about them, but for now, I think it is best that I do not delve into my personal beliefs on this subject.

Do you think we will be able to maintain our military pace without a draft?
Maintain? Perhaps... Increase? Not likely... Although we certainly could not maintain it forever... I do not believe we will see a draft though. It would end too many political careers...

How do you feel about being re-deployed?
It's my job, I raised my hand, I am ready willing and able. I serve my country with pride. I do what I do for the benefit of the man and woman on either side of me, not for the benefit of my government. I consider it a great honor to be able to fight with such fine people, and if I am asked to lay down my life for this country, I will do so with a good deal of pride and honor, because I know that despite the possible intentions of the politicians, my intentions are noble.

Could you tell us what you will be doing in your new position?
I am the Leading Chief Petty Officer of a Combat Gunnery Division.

And in closing, is there any comments you'd like to make to the Members here?
Thank you all for your ongoing support! And that you all for making DtT all it is today. You guys are what keep me coming back. Each one of you have added some special value to my life, and I have made some of my most valued friends right here on this site. I am honored to call each one of our moderators my brother. I sincerely feel I owe Jonathan (RHS) a debt of gratitude. He has helped me out so much over the years and has always been a good friend, not to mention the founder of an awesome site. Thank you all! Ty, I have to say that the honor in this interview was all mine. I think you are a truly great man who is doing great things to make the world a more positive place, I wish everyone were so proactive. Thank you all!
Namaste
(P.S.: Donate to the site to keep it alive, even $1.00 helps)
Thanks Anthony, for allowing me the honor of doing your interview.
Thank you for doing me the honor.