ArmyofOne

If you've just purchased a new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, you have our sincere congratulations, but you also might not want to read this post any further.

The 2012 Grand Cherokee, which goes on sale next month, will reportedly benefit from a $3,220 price decrease versus the 2011 model. This means that the base Laredo trim level with two-wheel drive will now carry an MSRP of $26,995. It also means that the resale value of your 2011 model has likely just taken a pretty severe whack.

Jeep introduced the all-new Grand Cherokee for the 2011 model year, and thus, only minor changes have been made for the 2012 model. The 5.7-liter V8 is now mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, rather than the aging five-speed, and models equipped with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 will now come with electro-hydraulic power-assisted steering. These enhancements are good for very minor increases in fuel economy – likely no more than a single mpg here or there.

The folks at Kicking Tires point out that the lower base price may be a reflection of higher price points for option packages and the removal of once-standard equipment. For example, the 2011 Grand Cherokee Laredo came standard with an eight-way power seat, whereas the 2012 model does not. What's more, the Laredo's leather seating package now costs a whopping $5,300 instead of $4,000.

Elsewhere in the Chrysler lineup, the 2012 Dodge Avenger and Chrysler 200 receive price decreases of $250, and the 2012 Dodge Journey costs a substantial $1,450 less than the 2011 model.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/08/16/2012-jeep-grand-cherokee-base-price-plummets-by-over-3-000/

Boy, Ya'll must be miffed. I know I would be! :chairshot:

Well, Army, after seeing what you did to that Ford several years ago, we kinda knew you were a little off balance! You didn't need to go blow yourself up a dozen times for us to tell you that!! Just kidding!!!

Come home, soldier. Last time I checked, you didn't have a tail "not that I checked" and I think that many IED encounters would make cat with 9 lives be lucky as is! You could make a killing with your mechanical experience here in Chicago, because if it has a motor around here, it breaks down after suffering through these winters!

Be safe man!

LOL< what did I do with the ford? I dont remember? the crazy amount of mods? or the fact that I floored it everywhere I went?

Thanks Steve. I am good, just adding to the PTS-D LOL. My recovery is going well. Its been about 2 weeks now, ringing in the ears and headaches have become intermittent instead of constant. I am still trying to fix my vestibular and balance issues though.

double post...oops

Boy do I agree with that....God Bless.

LOL knew you would ;)

Here we go. :whistles:

But what the heck. I agree with it too! :)

What?

Not only here we go, but no I won't! LOL!

umm wait...so do you agree or not? LOL! Either way is fine.

It is official. I have my 5th Traumatic Brain Injury.

Nowadays, mTBI (mild Traumatic Brain Injury) and TBI makes servicemembers eligible for the Purple Heart. Paperwork is in as of this morning. The Regulation was amended last year to state "...Any injury (immediately apparent or not) due to enemy action and sustained in the line of duty..."

"My Fellow Americans: As you all know, the defeat of the Iraq regime has been completed. Since Congress does not want to spend any more money on this war, and you all (and our troops) are ready to end it, our mission in Iraq is complete. This morning I gave the order for a complete removal of all American forces from Iraq . This action will be complete within 30 days. It is now time to begin the reckoning.

Before me, I have two lists. One list contains the names of countries which have stood by our side during the Iraq conflict. This list is short. The United Kingdom , Spain , Bulgaria , Australia , and Poland are some of the countries listed there. The other list contains every one not on the first list. Most of the world's nations are on that list. My press secretary will be distributing copies of both lists later this evening. Let me start by saying that effective immediately, foreign aid to those nations on List 2 ceases indefinitely. The money saved during the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of the Iraqi war. THEN EVERY YEAR THEREAFTER It'll GO TO OUR SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM SO IT WONT GO BROKE IN 20 YEARS. The American people are no longer going to pour money into third world Hell holes and watch those government leaders grow fat on corruption.

Need help with a famine? Wrestling with an epidemic? Call France ...

In the future, together with Congress, I will work to redirect this money toward solving the vexing social problems we still have at home. On that note, a word to terrorist organizations. Screw with us and we will hunt you down and eliminate you and all your friends from the face of the earth. Thirsting for a gutsy country to terrorize? Try China... Bet ya'll will only do it once.

I am ordering the immediate severing of diplomatic relations with France , and Russia . Thanks for all your help, comrades. We are retiring from NATO as well. As such I have instructed the Mayor of New York City to begin towing the many UN diplomatic vehicles located in Manhattan with more than two unpaid parking tickets to sites where those vehicles will be stripped, shredded and crushed. I don't care about whatever treaty pertains to this You creeps have tens of thousands of unpaid tickets. Pay those tickets tomorrow or watch your precious Benzes, Beamers and limos be turned over to some of the finest chop shops in the world. I love New York.

A special note to our neighbors: Canada is on List 1. Mexico is on List 2. Its president and his entire corrupt government really need an attitude adjustment. I will have a couple thousand extra tanks and infantry divisions sitting around. Guess where I am going to put 'em? Yep, border security.

Oh, by the way, the United States is abrogating the NAFTA treaty - starting now. We are tired of the one-way highway. Immediately, we'll be drilling for oil in Alaska -which will take care of this country's oil needs for decades to come. If you're an environmentalist who opposes this decision, I refer you to List 2 above: pick a country and move there. It is time for America to focus on its own welfare and its own citizens. Some will accuse us of isolationism. I answer them by saying, 'F***in' A...'

Nearly a century of trying to help folks live a decent life around the world has only earned us the undying enmity of just about everyone on the planet. It is time to eliminate hunger in America. It is time to eliminate homelessness

in America. To the nations on List 1, a final thought. Thank you guys. We owe you and we won't forget.

To the nations on List 2, a final thought: You might want to learn to speak Arabic.

God bless America ....

Thank you and good night."

"Oh and if you can read this in English,

thank a soldier."

Thanks for sharing that with us, and good to hear you're alive! It looks like that truck did its job and at least kept everyone's lives protected. <_<

If that's what a roadside bomb does to a multi-million dollar army truck, i can only imagine the damage it could cause to a human or small car. It's a shame there are people out there building weapons like that, i see now what it's so important to have you guys over there making sure these people are eliminated.

Good work out there, we appreciate what you're done for us!

For sure, that truck is the only reason I and my copilot are not dead. Every time someone thanks me for my service, silently I thank THEM for paying their taxes, enabling me and my buddies to have the best protection money can buy.

And yes, it is very important for us to be here. These are the kind of SOB's we DO NOT need on american soil. Can you imagine if they planted one on a NYC street and detonated it next to a bus? Or how about on a rail in a DC Subway? It blows the ever loving crap out of a truck with 3 layers of 6 inch thick armor, how will an aluminum skinned bus or train car fair?

It is likely a total loss. My Commanding Officer told me today, that due to my deployment history, and medical history of 5 Traumatic Brain Injuries, Moderate to Severe Post Traumatic Stress-Disorder and 25 IED Strikes over 3 tours he was pulling me off mission status due to the risk factor.

Only problem is, I feel like I got fired from my dream job, and was given a bull**** excuse. I may have all those issues, but I work very hard to ensure they do not affect my job performance. I am a soldier, and I do not belong stuck on the base doing paperwork, I belong on the ground with my guys recovering all the crap that my guys destroy and blow up, and fixing what I can.

I am REALLY bummed here ya'll. I think this might just be a career ender.

Anyway, I got checked out, I have my 5th Traumatic Brain Inury (Concussion) of my career, but I am doing ok. I should fuly recover in a few weeks. I am just totally bummed out. Oh well, I will take it for what it is.

What towed my rig to the boneyard was one of these:

M984 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck-Wrecker (or HEMiTT Wrecker for short). It towed my truck which was 110,000 lbs while my truck still had the civilian truck with half a load on it, attached. We had no way to run the hydraulics on my truck to get the civilian truck off of my underlift. The civilian truck weighs in at about 50,000 lbs with its load. That wrecker towed 160,000lbs for 8 miles until we made it to the boneyard.

A pic of what my MaxxTow Wrecker looked like new, for reference:

Here is a pic of what they store the HME in and bury it in. They pour it into 20 litre jugs (5 gallons) and they bury it, put a blasting cap in it with an initiator (usually a "pressure switch") to activate it, so when you run it over, or step on it...KABLOOOEY.

I found that 150meters from the blast site.

thought everyone would like to see whats been going on lately. I feel wretched today. I got pulled from mission status last night for medical reasons. I have been in the army 7 years, Been on 3 combat tours (2 Iraq, 1 afghanistan), and struck 24 IED's...Until the 17th of September. I was on day 2 of a Route Clearance mission, in my wrecker. Came down into a waddie (water washout in the sand), towing a civilian truck with fertilizer on the back. I struck my 25th IED, was approximately 60 lbs of HME (Home Made Explosive). We keep a tight lid on fertilizer, which is why I was towing a civilian truck. It was carrying ammonium nitrate fertilizer which is extremely easy to turn into HME. We have to keep positive control of it from the time its made till the time it goes on the ground. Once exposed to direct sunlight, it can no longer be used as explosive.

Anywhoo, Here's the damage. The wrecker was brand new, barely 100 miles on it. 2.7 Million Dollars down the drain:

^from inside the truck I had to ride in to the next FOB, where I was medivac'ed by Blackhawk helicopter.

^her current resting place, taken after I was on a chopper headed to Kandahar.

Well...the ol' Prius is finally on the way out!

Drove home a new 2011 Grand Cherokee Laredo X 4x4 V6 tonight. The wife was a little apprehensive but she drove it home while I followed in the Lexus and did great...she loves the thing! After all that arguing about it...

Anyways, its "Natural Green Pearl" which is a dark green, almost black. Very sharp, black interior. Navigation, sunroof, tow package. Got an incredible deal, too good to pass up. Sticker was $39,000 and I paid about $32,500. Not bad.

Got a Carmax offer for the Prius for 9k, we have a week on it we will probably put it on the market in that week and see if we can get $10k or $11k...

So far we are really impressed with the Jeep. It drives *great*...super smooth, quiet and stable. Technology is good, the Uconnect voice recognition is WAY better than on the Lexus. Still some rainyness around today, so hopefully tomorrow will be clear and I can get her all cleaned up and post some pictures...

I told you they could be had fairly cheap! NICE!

You guys are avg'ing 19mpg HWY smooth? That cant be right. Thats downright awful. I get 23-24 in my Ram.

Welcome home NC!

the brits do, yes, we do not. 151*F here today...:(

LOL, will do Steve! I am actually working side by side with the Her Majesty's Royal Army. These blokes are a &#33;Removed&#33; riot!

Hey all, just thought I would give you an update. I am in Southwest Afghanistan. Its EFFING HOT here. We just broke a heat record of 153*F yesterday. Thats gotta be a world record. Its averaging 135-140 here every day. We are in an area about 100 square miles thats flat wide-open desert all around, except the mountains about 60 mi. to the North.

Pix from the sandbox:

Your's truly, in Full Battle Rattle:

One of my new trucks:

^Up-armored M984-A4 HEMTT Wrecker.

My other new truck:

A $1.25 Million dollar wrecker called the MAXX-TOW. Built by International.

My living quarters, Containerized Housing Unit's, or CHU's (pronounced "chews":

hey gang, for those who wanted my address here it is:

SPC Morrison, Joshua

571st Sapper Co

14th Engineer BN

FPO AE 09372

And I don't buy for a single second that social security checks and Medicare payments are at risk here. Those are votes! And he and his side of the table can't afford to lose any.

Same with military pay. Can he afford to lose the votes of 2.5 MILLION+ service members? I can assure you that not very many servicemembers will vote for him if the military pay stops.

In april, I thought I felt bad for the people over in Afghanistan and Iraq that might have to fight for freedom free of charge. Now I am one of those people.

Yes, but the Traverse does not have factory projectors with an HID option...

Rachel Nichols....Cause shes Hawtt. :D

Well Army is the wife with you on this trip? :whistles:

:blink:

Rachel Nichols is my wife :D

(in all seriousness, I thought this was one of those hypotheticals? I would be a flaming homo if I said Morgan Freeman LOL)

Heidi Montag... Why? Well, you know the ol' college saying for hitch hikers don't cha'? "GA$, GRA$$, OR A$$"! I'm too old for the grass, married to a fine piece of &#33;Removed&#33;, and Heidi Montag seems dumb enough to flash her fake boobies at the gas station for some free gas! I'll leave the free Slurpie jokes alone on this one.... B)

HAHA :D:D:D:D

Made it to the staging area in kyzyrgstan. I cant believe they named this place like that. Who thought of that name?

Made it to the staging area in kyzyrgstan. I cant believe they named this place like that. Who thought of that name?

Rachel Nichols....Cause shes Hawtt. :D

LOL, they have come a long way, but its still VERY Cross-platformed with the Chevy Traverse and GMC Acadia. Honestly I think the Acadia has a better interior. But if the wifey likes it, its important to the sactity of marriage to keep Mrs. NC211 happy! :D

Question...NC..do you think this car would be big enough for me, my wife, 2 full size suitcases and a 100lb Chesapeake Bay Retriever?

I think the point your missing is that the debt was going to increase REGARDLESS...If you look at the past, and now the present, the increase in debt was inevitable. The money has to come from somewhere.