SOME SOLDIER'S MOM

6 Years... and a Heartbeat Ago

2011-10-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

We will not forget. We will speak their names. We will tell their stories.

6 years.. and a heartbeat ago.

Rest in Peace.

9-11-01

2011-09-09T22:25:00.000-07:00

I arrived at my job at a midtown Manhattan law firm about 7:30 that brilliant Fall morning. With the first reports of a plane crashing into the World Trade Center, I tracked down the firm’s technology manager with the key to the big screen television in the largest of the firm’s conference rooms. The screen flickered on just moments after the second plane had hit. We ran out and into the offices of others that worked early that morning and soon the few of us that first stood in shock in that conference room swelled to virtually the entire staff by mid-morning.

I called my husband at his suburban office across the Hudson River when the radio in my office reported the first plane hitting. Being a retired Naval aviator, he said perhaps the pilot of the small plane (as initial reports indicated) had suffered a heart attack or other health crisis since it was easy enough to miss the massive towers and go for the water beyond. When the second plane hit, he knew immediately -- as we all did -- that it was not a small plane and that it was no accident.

I had telephoned my twin sister after the first plane hit the Towers, waking her with the two-hour time difference. She, like my husband, assumed it was a small plane and had drifted back to sleep -- until our youngest sister had called her just minutes later tearfully asking if she had heard from me and describing the second plane hitting the second Tower. While Manhattan telephone service was overwhelmed at the instant the second plane hit, I did have internet access and couldn’t have possibly known when I responded to an email inquiry from a high school friend and Navy vet, “Life as we know it will never be the same. It has forever changed.”

A number of the stores and banks that had initially opened in the early hours to serve the “arriving for work” crowd had closed, but before they left staffs had wheeled television sets into the windows of their establishments and turned the volume high so that those on the street could follow the unfolding story. People in my office told stories of being on buses traversing the Manhattan streets and gazing out and wondering about the clutches of people gathered around shop windows, and not believing the unfolding story after alighting from their buses.

Gary, a legal assistant, was a runner and ran to work every day over the Brooklyn Bridge. When he arrived breathless that morning, he told us how he was half way across the span adjacent to the Towers when he became aware of the sound of an airplane in the vicinity -- planes could not approach any of the area airports via the airspace over Manhattan -- and pulled off his Walkman headset to locate the source of the sound. A number of other people walking over the bridge had also stopped to watch the plane coming across the sky, all believing that the pilot would divert to the water at the last minute, and the screaming that followed when it did not, and the sense of panic that enveloped the crowd as police ran onto the bridge yelling for everyone to “Get off the Bridge!!”

By mid-morning those in the firm that had made it into Manhattan before it was locked down crowded into the conference room; tears were abundant as the images of people falling or jumping from the buildings flickered across the screen and estimates of ten thousand dead filled the airwaves. All of us knew people in the Towers: family, friends, former co‑workers, adversaries. There were small screams and loud gasps when the Pentagon was hit as the reality that the United States was under attack rudely pummeled us. Standing on the inside window ledges of our 28th floor offices we could see the smoke rising from what would later become known as “Ground Zero”. Cries of “No! No!” echoed through the room and many simply stared in utter disbelief when first one, then the other, of the Towers collapsed. To the man (and woman), there was not a New Yorker that ever believed the Towers could or would collapse no matter the disaster. Except that we were attacked, it is still the most incomputable part of that day for me.

Someone called the local hospitals at everyone’s insistence that we should go give blood, only to be told that we should check back in two days, as they couldn’t accommodate the line of people that already stretched around the blocks.

Shortly after the attacks, entry to and exit from Manhattan by vehicle was stopped and we were, effectively, “locked in”. Hotels in Manhattan quickly filled and those of us that lived in the suburbs made arrangements to sleep that evening under desks, on office couches, in office chairs if necessary. Those staff members that lived in other boroughs of New York City began the long journey home on foot. Later that week, they told stories of how people set up impromptu transport spots -- where people with vans and cars would shuttle people from corners in Manhattan to various river crossings and drop them to continue their walks. How people on the other sides of the various bridges would then fill their cars with weary walkers and move them to other spots along their journeys. Other people told stories of how strangers had invited walkers to stop and sit and rest on front stoops of buildings while passing out water and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to the tired travelers.

We had no idea how long we would have to remain in Manhattan, so I ventured out of the office late in the morning to stockpile some food from the delicatessens that remained open for those of us that might have to remain. Upon exiting the office building that sat adjacent to Grand Central Station, the first thing I noticed was the unnatural quiet in the city. There were few buses and even fewer cars on the streets that normally harbor bumper-to-bumper traffic virtually 24 hours a day. The few stores that had opened and remained so had radios or televisions blasting so that the sounds of the news coverage carried to the street and radios blasted from passing cabs that had the windows open on the warm day. There were people on the streets, but so few that it might have been late at night rather than midday on a workday in the largest American city.

As I stood in front of the Fox News studios, I managed to get a cell phone call through to my husband. He was anxious that I was out on the streets of Manhattan and no longer ensconced in the relative safety of an office building. As we talked, I watched two fighter jets roar over just above the tops of the skyscrapers, followed moments later by the deafening sound of their engines as it ricocheted between and off the many buildings.

“Hold on a minute,” I said, “there are fighter jets passing overhead and I can’t hear you.”
When the sound had passed he asked tentatively, “Are they ours?”
“Well, yes, they’re ours.” Thinking what an odd question that was.
“How do you know they’re ours?” he asked.
“Well, I can see the insignia on them.”

After we ended our conversation, it settled on me that at that moment we still did not have any idea who was attacking us, or why or when the next attack might come. I also managed to speak with three of our four children, including the sailor who had returned to the United States on a temporary duty assignment from his overseas post just two days before and who would insist a few weeks later on traveling to New York from Norfolk, VA to witness the devastation for himself and for those with whom he served.

I wandered for a while up 6th (the signs say Avenue of the Americas...), through Rockefeller Center, and eventually made my way to St. Patrick’s Cathedral on 5th Avenue to stand with the mobs that sought solace in their God that day even if they weren’t Catholic.

I returned to the office to find it mostly deserted except for those of us who lived in the northern suburbs further up or across the Hudson River. Early in the afternoon, Grand Central Station had opened, only to be quickly closed again after a number of bomb threats. Late in the afternoon, we received a report that GCS was again open, and a few us decided to attempt to get home -- or at least closer to our homes.

Although our office building was adjacent to the great Grand Central Station complex, it was a two-block walk to the train terminal portion of the underground complex by cutting through the lobbies of the buildings that lay between the terminal entrance and us. That day, the walk was many blocks longer as buildings that sat above GCS had closed their lobbies as a security precaution; we were forced to wind our way with many others around the maze of buildings that comprise the Park Avenue area. While there are many transportation hubs in -- and many entrance/exit points to -- Manhattan, that day, GCS was the only one re-opened. And while there are many entrances to the terminal, there was only one open.

As we turned the corner onto 42nd Street from Park Avenue, we involuntarily stopped and held our breaths as we were greeted with a view of multiple emergency service units, National Guardsmen with automatic weapons and canine units that filled the street. The voice of a policeman standing next to the building urged us on and assured us that all was safe. The throng of people shuffled forward shoulder to shoulder through the doors.

Again I was struck by the utter silence that greeted us inside this massive and grand structure as we slowly advanced on the famous Information Booth. Because it was the only open exodus from Manhattan, the terminal was filled with people as far as the eye could see, and the most prevalent sound was that of shuffling feet. The eerie silence was broken only by people calling out the names of their desired train stop and the faceless voice that called back the track number of the train. Another voice occasionally called out that no tickets were needed and advising travelers to proceed directly to the tracks. There was no idle chatter. No laughing. No crying. I remember the conflict I felt between the sadness and the sense of safety upon seeing the armed National Guardsmen and their canines posted at each of the tunnel entrances and dotting the terminal and gate areas.

The trains had twice as many cars as usual and were standing room only by the time they left the station -- three people sitting willingly wherever possible in seats designed for two. Once again, absent was the usual noise and chatter that accompanied a trip out of Manhattan at the end of a day. No idle talk. No cell phone conversations. Quiet. Reflective. Thankful. There were a number of passengers painted in the thick cake flour dust of the World Trade Center. Faces that had been hastily wiped of the dust still bore the tracks of tears from eyes that wept from dust and that wept for humanity lost that day.

As my train exited the underground portion of the terminal, all eyes were drawn to the break in the landscape that permitted a brief but horrific view of the flames and smoke that rose from the site of the attack. We rode in silence to the first stop. As people rose to exit the train, other passengers called out to their departing brethren who had been complete strangers moments ago, “Safe journey.” “God speed.” It was a ritual that was repeated at each of the many stops made that evening. It would be the only sounds that would invade the silence of the train ride beside the squeak and squeals of the train’s wheels that sounded more like the wails of the grieving.

After exiting the train at the Tarrytown, New York station, those of us that had to cross the Hudson River for Rockland County boarded buses for the trek across the Tappan Zee Bridge. The bus approached the bridge just as the sun was dipping below the horizon and we could see the southbound lanes of the bridge had become a parking lot of vehicles trying to enter New York City, which remained closed to inbound traffic. I could see people perched on the hoods and roofs of their cars as we passed on the northbound side; some were talking on phones, some were apparently napping.

As we approached center span, I and everyone else on that bus gasped as we caught an unobstructed view down the Hudson River to the smoke that glowed a fierce crimson red at its base and the upper reaches of which were brilliantly backlit by klieg lights that now lit the search for survivors at Ground Zero. I would recall that sight each of the too many nights that others and I turned in our bus seats to look back at Ground Zero as we exited the Hudson River tunnels into New Jersey... all the nights through the winter months that the ground glowed and the smoke billowed at Ground Zero

Our bus dropped us off at the commuters’ parking lot and I was dismayed at the number of cars that were still there at the late hour. I am still haunted by the memory of the cars that remained unmoved through the remainder of that week and through that first weekend until they were towed or removed by family -- windshields covered in sympathy cards and notes from people saying that they were praying or that they hoped the people were ok.

We lived just 20 miles from NYC... and our county and our town were havens for many NYC police and fire department members. Every day -- every day! -- for more than 13 months after 9-11, a column ran on page 3 of our local paper that carried the legend, "The following remains of victims of the World Trade Center have been identified:" For the five weeks following 9/11, there was at least one funeral a day in a church somewhere in the smallest county in New York State. In the 3 weeks immediately following 9/11 there were often two funerals per day just in our town and the heavily Irish neighboring town of Pearl River.

Like most New Yorkers, we had no desire initially to visit Ground Zero. It was not a tourist attraction -- it was hallowed ground where the business of searching for the dead was ongoing. However, over the Columbus Day weekend in early October, our Navy son traveled to New York for the purpose of visiting us and witnessing the devastation of Ground Zero. Reluctantly, we accompanied him and our two other sons to the site where the North and South Towers had once stood… the place where I had first visited Windows on the World and experienced my first taste of Steak Tartare prepared at table side and had looked in wonder at the city below. Where I had on many occasions fought my claustrophobia riding the elevators that never failed to make me queasy and to make my ears pop every few floors.

On that October morning, we walked around a number of blocks of rubble at Ground Zero. Again, although there were multitudes of people walking around the site, the relative quiet of the scene was noticeable and sticks in my memory. There was little talking and there were quite a few people weeping quietly. My only reaction -- having been at the Towers so many times before -- was a whispered, “Oh, my God,” at each turn. The only real sound that day was the sound of the heavy equipment working the mountains of debris and the occasional direction from the New York National Guard members who guarded the site and blocked access to, “Move along.” As we had walked along blocks adjacent to World Trade Center, it was impossible not to notice the caked dust on all the facades of the buildings and caked in the rungs of the fire escapes that are fixtures on the outsides of the older buildings... the dust making the gargoyles on the buildings more garish and menacing as we passed. The dust was not "dust" as you and I might find in our homes or offices -- but a thick grey residue that had the consistency of cake flour... compact, moist, thick.

It was nearly impossible not to stop every block to turn and stand with our mouths agape. The sheer magnitude of the devastation could never be captured in film or on the little screen of the television. I compare it to seeing the Sphinx or the Great Pyramids or the Grand Canyon: no picture can ever capture the depth and breadth of the scene that unfolded. After having witnessed that scene, it became -- and remains -- my opinion that had we not had the need to recover the remains of the murdered, Ground Zero should have been left as it was on 9-11 until every person in the U.S. and everywhere else in the world that cherished freedom and representative government had witnessed and experienced the horror that was Ground Zero. I took many people to Ground Zero over the years we remained in New York. It's impact on me did not diminish with time or the stages of debris removal. I have never been to GZ without tears.

The other image that has stayed with me from the period of time immediately following 9-11, was the NYC Columbus Day Parade that year. I know there was great debate about whether to hold the parade, as had Major League Baseball and the National Football League… seeking the balance between grieving the dead and celebrating that the attacks on our country had not dimmed the American spirit. Many businesses in Manhattan are closed on Columbus Day, but not the law firm for which I worked. The Columbus Day Parade is a boisterous celebration of Italian Americans and is one of the premier parades during the year along with the more famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

As I walked that day from 6th Avenue and 42nd Street through the city to 45th and Park Avenue, my path crossed the staging area of the parade floats which were parked along both curbs. As it was just past 7:30 in the morning, and given the holiday, the streets were mostly deserted. I remember it was a particularly brisk morning for that early in the Fall and I could see my breath as I walked. As I turned down one street, I noticed that the empty floats were each guarded by either a National Guardsman or a New York City policeman. As I walked, I closed upon the only other pedestrian on the entire block -- an extremely well dressed gentleman in his 50’s with a smart hat and cashmere coat. In one hand, he held the handle of a stylish attaché and balanced on his left arm and held with a glove-clad hand was the lid of a box that held 10-12 cups of steaming coffee from the local bakery. I stopped briefly to watch as he made his way to each soldier and policeman on this cold morning dispensing coffee and creamers and offering his thanks to each one. To this day, I regret not having my camera to snap the picture of this solitary man and these guardians on that lonely street. It captured for me just one of many ways in which we all changed on “that day”.

After 9-11, like others that traveled there every day, I became used to entering the tunnels under the Hudson River being guarded by police officers with side arms, but exiting in the evening guarded by Guardsmen with automatic weapons in response to some threat or other. We learned to take it in stride when our path on the city streets was blocked by armor-vested patrolmen responding to a threat ‑‑ simply detouring around a corner without a second thought. It was not unusual after 9-11 to have people look up to track the path of a low-flying police helicopter to determine whether we needed to change direction or move in the direction opposite whatever trouble the helicopter might be navigating towards. But New Yorkers went to shows and concerts. Traveled. Conducted business. Reveled on New Year’s Eve. New Yorkers, like most Americans, were on guard -- became more vigilant -- but could not be stopped from the American way of life. And while we remain on guard -- and at war -- we will not be deterred from the mission. We will not be defeated nor subjugated nor deterred.

9/11/11. Nothing will ever remove nor dull my horror or rage of that day. Not one day... not 10 years... not some act of the president nor of congress. People murdered... slaughtered. Nothing could dull my memories. Nothing should. I will not forget. I will not forgive.

Happy Alive Day, Son.

2011-08-23T06:11:00.000-07:00

We are so happy to be able to celebrate this day!

We make no effort to forget that day, but each new day takes us further away. And that is good.

We love you more than you know.

You Can Be a Hero for Wounded Heroes

2011-07-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Just weeks before our son, Noah, was wounded in 2005, our much-loved friend Chuck Ziegenfuss was also wounded. From bad things, good things sometimes come. In this case, it is Project VALOUR-IT (Voice-Activated Laptops for OUR Injured Troops). This is the only fund raiser I participate in all year.

From Chuck Z:

In 2005, I was wounded. For some months, I was unable to use my hands. They were simply too badly damaged from the blast, and the surgeries to make them usable again left me unable to do anything for myself.

Then came Soldiers Angels, who gave me a laptop, and paired it with special software that allowed me to control the computer, using only my voice! Imagine, being able to do anything you can do with a mouse and keyboard, using just your voice. For me, it allowed me to do one thing that I could do before I was wounded.

That one thing when everything --feeding, cleaning, scratching, everything -- had to be done for me... that one thing I could do for myself that allowed me to connect to my soldiers, friends, and family. That one thing... that one thing began a long road to recovery. It gave me hope that I could learn to do other things like I did before.

That one thing is only possible if people like you care enough to help. We have provided thousands of these systems since 2005, but the needs for these systems is still increasing. I visit military medical facilities and meet with wounded troops, and know that there are ways to help them... and right now, I have to tell them to wait because we need funding.

Should our wounded have to wait for something that can help them heal, take their mind off their pain, or bring them a little sense of self?

Please help us raise $100,000 between July 1-14 to keep us in the business of providing for our wounded. It seems like a lot of money, but every single dollar helps. Every dollar donated goes to the troops. None of the VALOUR-IT donation goes to administrative or other costs. You'd be hard pressed to find any charity that does that, but it was a stipulation I made when we set it up. That number seems huge, insurmountable. But you know how you eat an Elephant? One bite at a time. Give what you can, please. I know times are tough. Times were pretty tough for me, too, and are pretty tough for young men and women learning how to use prosthesis, getting skin grafts, having wounds washed out...

Donate if you can, please share the message with others. Get your friends to give what they can. Write about it on Facebook and twitter. Call in to a radio or TV show. Spread the word. Spread the love. Spread the hope.

Thank you.

This year DH and I are supporting Team Navy (it's just a friendly inter-service competition -- but ALL money goes to ALL wounded regardless of service branch!!)

For you with smart apps, here's the QR -- just scan and go!!

Please give what you can. EVERY dollar helps. (and if you just can't bring yourself to give via TEAM NAVY, there are links to Teams Army, Marine Corps, Air Force on the page as well.

PS If you are still just THINKING about a donation, consider this: you just read this on a computer, using your hands... imagine how isolated you might be if you couldn’t.

Feel free to copy & paste this message to friends, families, co-workers... share the links... share the images. Good to go!

Gary Sinise Launching Foundation

2011-06-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

borrowed from Gary's Fb page

I have been a fan of Gary Sinise -- personally and professionally -- for a long time. I LOVES me some Gary Sinise. He is one of those people who uses his notoriety and personal resources for good in the world. Closer to my heart is that his favorite cause is the military -- active, veterans, the wounded. With this announcement, he takes another piece of my heart. As the wife of a veteran, the mother of a wounded veteran, and the mom of an active duty sailor, Thank you, Gary, from the bottom (and the corners) of my heart.

Presidential Citizens Medal Winner, Actor Gary Sinise Launching Foundation

Los Angeles, CA. (June 15, 2011) – Award-winning actor Gary Sinise will launch the Gary Sinise Foundation July 4th, 2011 to honor the Nation’s defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need. The foundation will provide and support unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen and build communities.

Some of the many programs include relief for wounded warriors, entertainment for service members and their families, school supplies for children where U.S. troops are deployed, and scholarships for veterans. The foundation will also support and promote several quality organizations, some of which include The United Service Organization (USO), Operation International Children, Snowball Express, Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, American Veterans Disabled For Life Memorial, Fisher House Foundation, People to People International, Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, TAPS-Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, The FDNY Fire Family Transport Foundation, Hope For The Warriors, The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, The Navy Seal Foundation, and Disabled American Veterans.

The launch will coincide with the release of Jonathan Flora’s documentary “Lt. Dan Band: For The Common Good”. During the 30-day online release, when people stream the film at http://www.ltdanbandmovie.com/, one out of every four dollars will go to the Gary Sinise Foundation to support its programs.

********************

ABOUT GARY SINISE:In 2008, he received the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second highest civilian honor awarded to citizens for exemplary deeds performed in service of the nation. He is only the second actor, and one of only 110 people in history to have received the honor. Other awards include The Medal of Honor’s Bob Hope Excellence in Entertainment Award, The Spirit of the USO Award, The Ellis Island Medal of Honor, The Harry S. Truman Good Neighbor Award and the Heart of a Patriot Award from USO of Illinois. In April 2011 he received the USC School of Social Work’s Crystal Heart, the school’s highest honor for his outstanding community service, and the university established the Gary Sinise Endowed Scholarship in the School of Social Work in his name to support further education in the area of military social work.

Sinise has done hundreds of personal appearances and concerts with the Lt. Dan Band worldwide, mostly for military related organizations. He has participated in more than 40 tours and made more than 150 appearances for the USO alone, and traveled to bases in Alaska and throughout the US, and overseas to locations such as Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, Belgium, The UK, The Netherlands, Italy, UAE, Qatar, Korea, Singapore, Diego Garcia, Okinawa and Guantanamo Bay, raising the spirits and boosting morale of hundreds of thousands of troops and their families.

As a result of Sinise’s first two trips to Iraq, he started Operation International Children with Seabiscuit author Laura Hillenbrand, which has worked with schools in the U.S., corporate sponsors and People to People International to supply the military with well over a quarter of a million school supply kits, along with more than half a million toys and thousands of blankets, backpacks, pairs of shoes, Arabic-language books and sets of sports equipment to provide to children in conflict areas.

Sinise serves as the spokesperson for the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, traveling the country to raise funds to build the memorial to honor America’s three million living disabled military veterans, which broke ground in 2010. He was involved in raising funds for The Pentagon Memorial located just southwest of The Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, where one can find a permanent outdoor memorial to the 184 people killed in the building, and on American Airlines Flight 77. He also helped raise funds to build The Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance in KeySpan Park, to honor the first responders, those fire, police and emergency personnel from across the nation who raced to the sites after the terrorist attacks, risking their lives in service to others.

“The Foundation is a strong, dependable resource to spread the 'give-back goodness’.” That’s what Gary Sinise wants his Foundation to do, “provide opportunities for people to give back.”

Currently, Sinise stars as Detective Mac Taylor and is also a producer of CBS’ highly successful “CSI: NY.”

Between Two Worlds (Redux)

2011-06-07T15:35:00.000-07:00

More than five years ago I wrote the following blog post... despite the fact that there is so little news from the front, there are still two theaters of operation... and good men and women are being deployed daily and leaving behind wives, children, parents, siblings and friends to wait. wait. wait. and worry. So it is worth reminding those who do not have loved one's in harm's way -- those who live in THIS world -- what that is like.

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Between Two Worlds

[snip]

I have recently come to the conclusion that when you have someone deployed, you live in two worlds: "This" world and "THAT" world. In This World, everything goes on as normal. You go to work (for those that work), do the laundry, clean the house, pay the bills...… You know -- all the things "normal" people do.

But we're not normal. We also live in THAT World -- the world where the telephone ringing in the middle of the night is normal 'cause it's morning over there. The world where news is everything and vague reports of improvised explosive devices can raise your heart rate 10 beats a minute and unconfirmed reports of soldiers' deaths can cause you to inhale involuntarily. The world that can fall apart in an instant when the caller ID says it's Fort _____ or there's a knock at the door and the chaplain is standing there.

In This World, holidays are a day off or a reason to shop. In THAT World, holidays are markers of time passing... merely milestones until homecoming. First we got through Valentine's Day,… then Easter (telling ourselves that they'll be home next Easter), then Memorial Day (oh how we'll celebrate next Memorial Day!), Independence Day (we'll have the best barbecue next 4th!), Labor Day, Columbus Day...… just marking time in THAT World... the World where you live between goodbyes and hellos until it's goodbyes again.

In This World, birthdays and anniversaries, the births of children, the marriages of friends and family are celebrated with a degree of sadness because your soldier is not here... your soldier is in harm's way. Can you ever truly celebrate in This World when your heart is mostly in THAT World? We do but only because we are forced to live in This and THAT World.

We live in This World where the ringing phone is just a ringing phone -- an annoyance, an interruption... but we are forced to also live in THAT World where we curse because the phone does not ring often enough or can bring unhappy news... where 21st century technology is a tether to That World but which we curse in blackout or busy times when we are plunged into unwanted silence.

In This World, shopping is a normal every day activity, but because we also live in ThHAT World, it is a lifeline to our soldier: shopping for the things they need...… the things they like..… the things that tie them to home -- to us...… tie them to This World and learning that soft toilet paper or their favorite brand of salsa may be more priceless than gold in THAT World.

In This World there are 24 hours in a day, but because we also live in THAT World, we live a parralel 24. As we progress through our days in This World, we are calculating the time in THAT World and conjuring up pictures of what our soldier is doing at that moment. When we eat we wonder if they had a hot meal today...… when we shower we wonder if they had hot water for a shower or whether it was a water bottle rinse off...… we wonder if the mail even got through today. In This World, "Where did the time go?" is a simple phrase. In THAT World, it is a blessing that the hour or day went quickly because in THAT World time passes excruciatingly slow --… especially those last few days until that plane touches down and the senior officer yells, "Dismissed!"

In This World, you are brave, tough, and supportive and you dare not admit to many that in That World you are also weary, frightened, worried sick, and lonesome for your soldier and sometimes you cry about it for him and for you.

In This World, you smile politely when someone asks about the yellow ribbon pin or the purple ... bracelet you wear... and you smile broadly when they ask you to thank your soldier for their service in That World.

In This World you wonder why people clap when David Letterman or Jay Leno say hurtful things about the War while your soldier fights nobly in THAT World for their right to say it. In This World you find that you talk back to the television a lot and that you stop watching or listening to Senators and Representatives and clueless celebrities who can't seem to put aside their partisanship long enough to see the effect some of their mindless statements have on those that live in THAT World and are fighting That war. In This World you wouldn't dream of challenging someone demanding that we cut and run, but because we also live in THAT World, we have no qualms about telling them that they don't know their butt from an indentation in the Earth's surface and thoughtfully answer all their rote mumblings about oil, lies, wealth, WMD -- and when they spout "We support the troops" -- we don't hesitate to ask them to prove it!

Before this deployment, I thought that once our son -- once Our Guys -- were home, I would return to living in just one world -- This World. However, now that the deployment is over, I have come to realize that a part of me will always live between the two worlds. That World is now an integral part of This World for me... as it is for many others.

In This World, your friends are those you know in your neighborhood and from the PTA or Lions Club meetings. For the families of those deployed, our friends in This World include everyone that understands all too well THAT World: friends that are serving, those that have served, the families of those that are deployed, have been deployed or are deploying and the people that really do support them... always ready with a helping hand, an encouraging word, a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold in good times and bad. THAT World is a big world inhabited by a large family of which I am proud to be a member and for which I will forever be grateful.

Copyright 2006. All rights reserved.

Memorial Day: Honoring Those Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice for Freedom

2011-05-28T18:24:00.000-07:00

Mansions of the Lord

To fallen soldiers let us sing,

Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing,

Our broken brothers let us bring

To the Mansions of the Lord.

No more bleeding, no more fight,

No prayers pleading through the night,

Just divine embrace, eternal light

In the Mansions of the Lord.

Where no mothers cry and no children weep,

We will stand and guard though the angels sleep,

All through the ages safely keep

The Mansions of the Lord.

For Tim, Tommy, Vince, Rich, Jeff , Matt, Jason , David

The Death of Osama/Usama bin Laden: A Personal Reflection of My Journey from There to Here.

2011-05-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

The death of bin Laden earlier this week brought a sense of elation that surprised me. I suppose it was catching the enthusiasm in the voice of the youngest son -- the one wounded in Iraq -- who called with the news: "The motherfucker is dead! They got him!!" Surprisingly, the list of who the "motherfucker" might be was short. After dismissing the one U.S. citizen on my list, I knew it was the mass murderer bin Laden. (BZ ST6!!)

I recall to this day the thunderbolt that hit me the moment I -- as well as all the world -- realized our country was under attack. I suppose only a few did not immediately suspect it was Islamic terrorists; after all, the United States and all Western interests had been under attack by these nut cases for decades (DECADES, people!) When I responded to an email from a high school friend that morning from my Manhattan office, "The world as we know it has changed forever", I could not have imagined how the events of that September morning 10 years ago would so intimately affect me and the members of my family.

Of course, there were the immediate impacts on our daily lives: the seemingly endless stream of funerals and memorials in our close knit suburban New York community for those who were murdered that day; the barrage of news reports; the sensory assault of the flames, smoke and ash from the World Trade Centers that continued for months on my daily commute; the ghastly, haunting visit the entire family made to Ground Zero just weeks after 9/11 -- at the insistence of our eldest son home on leave from his overseas posting with the Navy who declared that he must be a witness for his fellow sailors.

The more lasting impacts of that day: the insidiousness of increased security at transportation hubs and the continuing invasion of privacy; the too politically correct environment foisted on us by the very monsters who shield the class of persons committing these grave acts of violence under the guise of "tolerance" and the suddenly-abhorrent practice of profiling; the media's incessant drone of "too much" and "too little" or "too soon" and "too late"; politicians' looking to blame someone for something or everything syndrome and their annoying whining; the plague that is the media and politicians that makes intelligent people mistrust and disbelieve the spin and any words that emanate from our so-called representatives and those cupcake news anchors of the world; not to mention how we have come to stare with more bewilderment than bemusement at the holier-and-smarter-than-you COMEDIANS and ACTORS who don't get.it, have never got.it and never will.

Most importantly for those who do GET.IT is the nagging crick in the back of our brains that pricks at us often: when and where will the next attack come? It's not a matter of IF. It is only matters of time and place.

I have said often that the events of 9/11 were one of the reasons we retired when we did. Both DH and I had good careers and we could have worked for many more years. The events of 9/11 three years earlier, the grind of a long daily commute and the seemingly endless security status changes, together with changes at our work places, caused us to look again at our priorities. And at the back of our minds was the knowledge that our youngest son WAS deploying to either Iraq or Afghanistan in the [then] near future.. We simply decided one day to "get where we are going".

bin Laden's attack on the U.S. also sealed our youngest son's commitment to military service. Having two brothers and a parent with military service (all Navy), Noah had already indicated his interest in enlisting; 9/11 gave him a laser focus on it and no admonition to consider all his options -- college, ROTC, military academies -- swayed him. He likes to tell people that we were opposed to his Army enlistment, but nothing could be further from the truth.

His unit's deployment was inevitable and we prepared for it like most other parents of children in the military: with trepidation and constant reminders to remain upbeat and to not focus on the dark side (yes, young Luke, there really is a dark side...) We may have been more familiar with the military, but we were as apprehensive and as worried as any other parents... although our son's willingness to keep us in the loop (sometimes to complete distraction) was apparently not the norm for most parents. That said, however prepared we might have been to the idea of deployment, I can say unequivocally that it was no easier on me than on other moms and, because of his two tours in Vietnam as a Navy pilot, was probably harder on Dad.

The idea of blogging my experience of having a child at war didn't dawn on me until weeks before the deployment as I began searching for information on what my son would need, want, experience, what services available and maintaining contact with him and his unit. It became clear in those early days of the Iraq war that the perspective of a parent -- especially of a mother -- was lacking. After a young sergeant in Noah's unit told me that information to parents was really an after thought because, after all, I was just some soldier's mother got me thinking about writing the stories not yet told.

I blogged regularly through Noah and his friends' ("my Guys") deployment; the send off; the waiting; the many deaths in his unit; our son's wounding; the deaths and funerals of some of his closest friends; on most of Noah's recovery (when he would let me say), his marriage, divorce, and the birth of his son, young Tom Terrific. I even posted the video of the bombing in which he was wounded.

I have blogged on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD ) and on the link to traumatic brain injury (TBI), the perceptions and the efforts to address the issues -- including the steps and missteps of the services and government and its agencies and efforts at redress.

Noah's medical discharge from the Army, together with the transfer and relocation of some of my Guys, end of service commitments, and the adventures and misadventures of others, meant my connection to the Guys' subsequent deployments and their lives in and out of the Army became tenuous and my blogging slowed. Eventually, I felt there was little of interest to blog about to which I felt a connection -- the connection that enabled me to write with conviction and vigor.

Added to the lack of material for which I felt a passion to write is the constant stream of requests from commercial enterprises to promote their products or web sites, from a million self-proclaimed "support the troops" or "veteran-friendly" organizations and enterprises, from the military services to participate in telephonic conferences or round table discussions of meaningless and uninteresting topics (pleas for topics more interesting than the new DoD energy policy falling to nearly-deaf ears...), the outright self-promotion of some bloggers and their patent dishonesty, made Some Soldier's Mom (the blog) seem more and more like unpaid work; the serious affection I had (have) for telling the human side of service waned. I blogged less and less.

Grandbabies

Add to all of this the very fact that there is life "after". Life after children at war. Life after wounding. Life during and after recovery. Six years at our new home and in the community, we have many friends and we enjoy their company often. We are involved in volunteer work. We have hobbies -- sewing, poker, pottery, metal detecting, reading, spending time together... We are involved with family: our eldest continues his career with the Navy. Our daughter continues her medical residency. One son continues to search for meaningful employment in a horrible economy. We have three grandchildren and are looking forward to the arrival of another granddaughter this summer. We travel. We entertain old friends and family at our home (we had so many over the Easter weekend that we had to break out the sofa bed and inflatables!!)

My Men

Tom Terrific & his Dad

Noah -- the impetus for the blog -- has completed courses of study for two careers and is gainfully employed. He is a single Dad in a committed relationship. He is probably as "recovered" as he will ever be. His life "after" -- physically and emotionally -- is significantly and profoundly different than he or any of us could ever have remotely imagined. He is vigilant in his care and follow up, but his extremely busy life doesn't leave a lot of time to dwell on the life "before" and often allows little time even for medical appointments; his life now is full of NOW and today... not a lot of time to dwell on any day before the list of what must be done today (except for sometimes in the dark hours of morning and on the anniversaries of the darkest days). Every day is a new day. Every day, that is a good thing.

Opa & Tom replacing batteries in a toy

That is where we are. This is where I am. So although we have arrived at "where we are going" our journey through life continues. It just doesn't currently include much blogging. If something catches my eye or peaks my interest, I'll be here. My email is still active (and I regularly answer many mothers' pre-service and pre-deployment emails.) My posts on having a child deployed, on pre-deployment items, care package and holiday package suggestions still are accessed/read often. I still hope that they are helpful to people facing or in the midst of deployment. I hope some day they will all be unnecessary and simply historical "footage" of a time of great (but necessary) madness in our world.

We still think of and pray for our Sheepdogs every day. And we pray for peace. Every single minute of every single day, we pray for victory and peace.

Special Holiday Sale for Military and Veterans at Sears December 11

2010-12-10T13:24:00.001-08:00

Special Holiday Sale for Military and Veterans at Sears December 11

In the last Salute to Heroes sale of the year, Sears is celebrating America’s service people (Military, Veterans, Police, Firefighters, Teachers, and Hospital Staff) with an extra 10% off apparel, shoes, lawn & garden, electronics, tools, home fashions, automotive and more Saturday, December 11, 11 AM-2 PM (in stores only).

It’s the perfect opportunity for last-minute shoppers since there are tons of great deals. Also, if your home needs a little heating help, or appliances are wonky after Thanksgiving and a number of holiday parties, the 10% off also applies to Sears Home Services, including expert repair service for heating & AC systems, appliances, lawn & garden equipment and more. (Please keep in mind that the home improvement offer ends 12/18.)

“Local heroes” need to print out the Storewide Savings Pass and ID to prove their “local hero” status. You can download the Storewide Savings Pass at http://www.sears.com/salutetoheroes and here’s a link to the sale flyer and the in-store coupons: http://www.sears.com/ue/home/12_11_Salute_Local_Heroes_Flyer.pdf?adCell=W3

By the way, it’s also a season of giving – Sears’ Heroes at Home Wish Registry helps to bring the holidays home for many deserving military families. This video is inspired by real letters from soldiers and their families: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqDzkjl-66I

Hope you’ll consider giving back – you can contribute in-store or online at http://www.sears.com/heroesathome (donations are accepted until Dec 31).

SEARS: HEROES AT HOME

2010-11-25T18:00:00.000-08:00

As y'all are starting your shopping, I ask that you remember SEARS -

SEARS HELPS HEROES FULFILL WISHES THIS HOLIDAY

Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry™ offers America the chance to say “thank you” and helps military families have the holidays they deserve!!

With more than 480,000 U.S. soldiers currently on active duty*, Sears is once again calling on America to step up and say “thanks” to the nation’s troops this holiday season. As part of its long-standing commitment to real life heroes, Sears is proud to bring back its annual Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry™ to give back to the men and women who serve our country by inviting Americans to donate to the Heroes at Home Wish Registry.

With thousands of active-duty military fathers and mothers away from their homes fighting for our country, the Heroes at Home Wish Registry helps to bring the holidays home for many deserving families. By bridging the miles with a little holiday cheer, the Wish Registry provides a chance for active military members to connect with loved ones during the holiday season. Many families that were helped by last year’s efforts shared their stories to encourage active members of the military to register this year, some of which are posted on the Wish Registry website. One family shared:

My husband has been deployed the last two Christmases and I have tried to cope by making it just another day – no tree, no presents, etc. When I heard he was selected for your program and received the email to go buy decorations I was crying. I thought, for once it would be nice to make myself happy and bring back Christmas! I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart and let you know what a difference you are making for military families.

Now through Dec. 31, Americans can support the Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry by making a contribution to the Wish Registry either in-store or online at Sears.com/heroesathome. Donations made to the Wish Registry are not tax deductible and will be used to purchase Sears gift cards that will be equally distributed to all registered families.

“Through the Heroes at Home Wish Registry, Sears is able to give back and say ‘thanks’ to the military members who selflessly protect our nation every day,” said David Friedman, SVP, Sears Holdings and president of marketing, Sears Holdings. “The Wish Registry enables Americans to show their gratitude to our military heroes and help make the holiday season brighter.”

Year-over-year, demand among the military community continues to grow. This fall, thousands of active members of the military registered to participate in the Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry; achieving more than 23,000 registrants in less than 24 hours after activating the website. Now in its third year, the Heroes at Home Wish Registry has helped more than 51,000 military families and has raised more than $12.2 million. For many, the wishes fulfilled in years past have been simple and practical, including everything from warm clothes to new toys for their children to a Christmas tree and other holiday decorations for their homes.

Furthering its long standing commitment to the military, Sears Blue Tool Crew will launch a new military discount program for tools this Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Starting on Veterans Day, Sears will offer a 10 percent discount on all in-store, regularly priced tool purchases, including Craftsman tools, when customers show a valid military I.D.

“We are honored to be able to provide our military heroes with the Sears Blue Tool Crew military discount as a token of our appreciation for the ongoing commitment and service they provide to our country,” said Steve Light, SVP of Tools and Hardware for Sears Holdings. “Being a member of the military is a lifelong commitment and Sears is dedicated to providing ongoing support to our military customers and their families who serve our country every day.”

Customers can also support America’s troops by voting for the “Deck Your Halls” sweepstakes. For every vote received during the sweepstakes Sears, along with its holiday trim shop business, will donate $1 to the Wish Registry, up to $10,000. Now through Nov. 22, customers who vote for their favorite holiday product theme as part of the “Deck Your Halls” sweepstakes will be entered to win prizes worth up to $2,000. For complete rules and entry please visit www.sears.com/deckyourhalls.

Sears Holdings’ ongoing commitment to assisting troops and their families includes several recruiting and employment programs, as well as a military pay differential to Sears associates employed (full time) who are reservists serving on active duty. Reservists who are employed full time are allowed to continue participating in life insurance, medical and dental programs.

For additional information about the Heroes at Home Wish Registry or to make a donation, visit www.sears.com/heroesathome.

THANKSGIVING 2010

2010-11-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

My personal morning & evening prayer:

Thank you, God, for all of my blessings. Please keep all whom I love and cherish safe and warm.

"Restrepo" on National Geographic Channel

2010-11-24T08:27:00.000-08:00

Korengal Valley, Kunar Priovince, Afghanistan: A soldier from Battle Company smokes a cigarette during Operation Rock Avalanche.

(Photo Credit: © Outpost Films/ 2010 Tim Hetherington, from the award winning documentary, Restrepo.)

RESTREPO - National Geographic Channel

Monday, November 29 at 9pm ET/PT

Restrepo chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley. The movie focuses on a remote 15-man outpost, Restrepo, named after a platoon medic who was killed in action. It was considered one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military. This is an entirely experiential film: The cameras never leave the valley; there are no interviews with generals or diplomats. The only goal is to make viewers feel as if they have just been through a 94-minute deployment. This is war, full stop. The conclusions are up to you.

Here's a little taste:

HOLIDAY MAIL FOR HEROES!!

2010-11-17T18:10:00.000-08:00

Calling all Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, schools, Bible & Sunday school classes, churches... well, calling EVERYONE!!!

Holiday Mail for Heroes Program Overview

It’s that time of year again! The American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes have teamed up for the fourth annual Holiday Mail for Heroes program.

From now until December 10th you are invited to send holiday cards to our American service members, their families, and veterans all over the world. Anyone can send a card and you can send as many as you would like! Please send all cards to

Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD
20791-5456

The deadline for this year is December 10th. Unfortunately, if your cards are not postmarked by December 10th they cannot be delivered. After Pitney Bowes collects and screens the mail received in the PO Box, Red Cross workers deliver holiday greetings to service men and women in their communities. Check out how our uniformed men and women and their families expressed their gratitude for the Holiday Mail program when it delivered cards to Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Read more and see a great video HERE.

Please share... repost, email... let's get this done!!!

PROJECT VALOUR-IT AUCTIONS!!!

2010-11-07T09:15:00.001-08:00

Act fast to win one of these great items in the Valour-IT auctions - these items close tomorrow (end time noted is Pacific time). Proceeds go to Valour-IT, bid now - don't miss out!

RESTREPO mini poster signed by the filmmakers 05:45:33

"Restrepo plunges viewers into the experiences of soldiers on the front lines of the Afghan War" - a feature-length documentary that chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. The movie focuses on a remote 15-man outpost, "Restrepo," named after a platoon medic who was killed in action. It was considered one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military. This is an entirely experiential film: the cameras never leave the valley; there are no interviews with generals or diplomats. The only goal is to make viewers feel as if they have just been through a 90-minute deployment. This is war, full stop. The conclusions are up to you.

"RESTREPO mini poster signed by filmmakers Tim Hetherington (recipient of four World Press Photo awards, including the World Press Photo to the Year (2008), and an Alfred I. duPont Broadcast award for his work in Afghanistan for ABC's 'Nightline') and Sebastian Junger (bestselling author of "The Perfect Storm" and "War.")

Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran Medallion 07:08:49

This coin from Eagle Crest commemorates the Veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and features intricate, multi-colored designs on both sides and the words, "Democracy, Bravery, Honor, Sacrifice & Freedom"

U.S. Army Combat Infantryman Medallion 07:14:14

This coin from Eagle Crest commemorates the U.S. Army Combat Infantryman. Its green and gold face displays four Infantryman on foot. The blue and gold flip has 5 stars and a long rifle.

Personalizable US Coast Guard cross-stitch 07:42:34

Counted cross-stitch of the U.S. Coast Guard emblem suitable for personalization with name/rank and additional information (years of service, unit, etc.)(see example photo). Finished piece is designed for a 3.5" x 5" opening (mat or frame). Can be mounted with a custom-cut mat (NOT part of auction item) for dual openings in an 6x10 frame (see example photo). Auction winner will need to provide contact information in order to arrange personalization before item can be shipped.

Leadership in Action signed by author ADM Greg Slavonic 08:16:59

This auction is a copy of ADM Slavonic's upcoming book Leadership In Action. It will be released to the general public on Amazon.com in MID-NOVEMBER. This is an ADVANCED copy. ADM Slavonic will sign and ship. SPECIAL TO VALOUR-IT! Greg Slavonic has brought together several contributors for this book that would rightly be on a "Who's Who" list of our nation's most highly honored and decorated military leaders; two-, three- and four-star Generals, Admirals, Captains and Colonels, war heroes and two Medal of Honor recipients--they know what it takes to lead and to succeed. In the pages of this book, you will find something that is critical to success in life--a philosophy of leadership that you can take for your own. By reading each chapter, giving thought to what you've read and applying what you've learned in action; a discerning reader will gain a thorough understanding of what real leaders are made of--and in the learning can become one too.

Day by Day comic strip book. Signed and Numbered. 09:18:49

The first DayByDay Cartoon book collecting all of the www.daybydaycartoon.com strips from 2002-2003. This miniature coffee table book measures 7"x7", features a high gloss softcover, is 132 pages with 363 toons and is signed and numbered by creator Chris Muir.

Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes (2010, Hardcover) 12:38:18

A visceral, gripping, epic novel of the Vietnam War written by a highly decorated war veteran, MATTERHORN throbs with compelling authenticity on each of its many hundred pages. Though its topics are embedded in our cultural consciousness--napalm, Agent Orange, tortured soldier's souls, the chaos of guerrilla warfare, the impossible ethics of violence, the beauty and horrors of the jungle, loyalty, insanity, friendship, and death--MATTERHORN renders the Vietnam experience anew, boring relentlessly down on the specific kinetic reality of the time and place. Karl Marlantes writes with an intense immediacy reminiscent of Mailer's THE NAKED AND THE DEAD or James Jones's THE THIN RED LINE. MATTERHORN deserves to take its place on the short list of great works about America's engagement in Vietnam and the powerful reality of armed combat.

'This We'll Defend' Army Medallion 13:08:45

This coin from the Northwest Territorial Mint commemorates the U.S. Army. It has an Army themed front side with the words, "This We'll Defend." The flip side has the Department of the Army seal.

HELP OUR WOUNDED!! Give to Project VALOUR-IT.

2010-10-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

Soldiers Angels Project VALOUR-IT TEAM ARMY

Our enemies tried to kill them. You can help them heal.

And you can give via the many auctions scheduled... check HERE !!!

WHAT IS PROJECT VALOUR-IT?

Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, helps provide voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries. Technology supplied includes:

Voice-controlled Laptops - Operated by speaking into a microphone or using other adaptive technologies, they allow the wounded to maintain connections with the rest of the world during recovery.

Wii Video Game Systems - Whole-body game systems increase motivation and speed recovery when used under the guidance of physical therapists in therapy sessions (donated only to medical facilities).

Personal GPS - Handheld GPS devices build self-confidence and independence by compensating for short-term memory loss and organizational challenges related to severe TBI and severe PTSD.

The experience of Major Chuck Ziegenfuss (pictured), a partner in the project who suffered serious hand wounds while serving in Iraq, led to the creation of this program that has used voice-controlled laptops to the support recovery and reintegration of thousands of wounded troops since 2005.

"At that time I had no use of either hand. I know how humbling it is, how humiliating it feels. And I know how much better I felt, how amazingly more functional I felt, after Soldiers' Angels provided me with a laptop and a loyal reader provided me with the software. I can't wait to do the same, to give that feeling to another soldier at Walter Reed." - Captain Chuck Ziegenfuss

HOW YOU CAN HELP!

This is our chance to give back to our wounded warriors - give them something that will help them heal and connect with family, friends, and their comrades back in the combat zones.

You can help by donating and spreading the word about Valour-IT and Soldiers' Angels.

So I'll end this by saying thank you to all of you (small spheres of influence) who have helped these amazing American men and women.

If you can't pick up a rifle, then please help our warriors.

SEND CHOCOLATE TO THE TROOPS

2010-10-19T09:58:00.000-07:00

go to A Soldier's Perspective for the details!! Who doesn't like chocolate????

Military Children: Serving in Hawaii

2010-10-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

from Major Ziergnfoos, the 25th Infantry Division's Strategic Communications guy

A Call to Action - Military Children in Hawaii

We've known for decades that Hawaii is a great assignment - except for the schools. The lack of quality public education in Hawaii is an assignment deterrent for many and a constant quality of life issue for those assigned here.

We now have a unique opportunity to inform and influence the education of our children in Hawaii and perhaps all children in Hawaii. U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM)has teamed up with John Hopkins University for the first-ever "Military Child in Hawaii" study. All Soldiers with school age children, assigned in Hawaii , are invited to participate, whether your children are in public, private, charter, home school, or off-island. We need you to speak up and be heard.

Soldiers and family members can expect to make many sacrifices in the service of our Nation, but your children's education isn't one of them. I urge you to take this survey, and allow your children 10 years and older, to take this survey. To sign up for this survey, simply go to http://www.hawaiikids.org/

Thank you

Posted by MG Champoux

Your Opinion, Please...

2010-10-07T15:27:00.000-07:00

Go register your vote... at this poll on what you'd like to have bloggers blog about...

POLL HERE

Sears Salute to Heroes Sale - Sept. 25

2010-09-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

BIG SALE AT SEARS ON SAT. SEPT. 25 TO HELP HEROES

The Salute to Heroes Sale is this Saturday, 9/25. Sears is celebrating America’s service people (Police, Military, Veterans, Firefighters, Teachers, and Hospital Staff) with an extra 10% off of apparel, shoes, lawn and garden, tools, home fashions, electronics, automotive and more this Saturday, September 25, 11 AM to 2 PM. In a few select cities, the sale will run all day: Denver, CO; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN and New Orleans, LA. LUCKY!!

Run on over to YOU SERVED and read all the details -- including how to get print the All-Day Pass... and other details!! Saving money AND helping Heroes??? How good does it get??

5 Years. Really? 5 Years??

2010-08-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

Five Years. Really? Five Years? A winding (bumpy and gnarly) road. Still moving forward -- even if it takes one step forward and two back. Love conquers all. Happy Alive Day, Son!! We love you.

(turn on the sound... ignore the chanting)

PS No good guys killed (just many Tangos). Two wounded. Both recovered.

MY COUNTRY: SMASH HITS to Benefit Military

2010-08-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

As those of you who are familiar with my blog know, Fisher House is very near and dear to my heart as the DH and I were guests at the Fisher House in Landstuhl, Germany when our son was wounded in Iraq in '05.

The Fisher House Foundation provides housing for the military, both active and retired as well as the families of military personnel who are receiving treatment at a military medical center. Fisher House Foundation has a network of 50 comfort homes in the United States. Each facility is 5,000 to 16,000 square feet, with as many as 21 suites, donated to the military and Department of Veterans Affairs by the Fisher House Foundation. There is NO FEE to stay at these homes.

I have extolled Fisher House and the tremendous service they provide. We love Fisher House and will always be grateful that Zach Fisher (and the Fisher Family) so loved our military, saw a need and filled it!

I also love country music... my blog posts are filled with quotes and personal reviews of country songs and performances... so I was MORE than delighted to learn that MY COUNTRY: SMASH HITS will be released on Tuesday, August 24, 2010 and that all proceeds will benefit the Fisher House Foundation!!! So you get great music for a truly great cause!! You just can't beat that.

The CD is a compilation of hits from a superstar line-up which includes Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker, Reba McEntire, Trace Adkins (in our house, the DH sometimes refers to Trace as my boyfriend and I regularly refer to Reba as his girlfriend LOL), Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Rodney Atkins, Jypsi, Randy Houser, Big & Rich and Montgomery Gentry. The project is a multiple CD series with each annual volume benefiting the Fisher House Foundation.

Ken Fisher, Chairman - The Fisher House Foundation, says

“We appreciate the support of each artist and I am grateful that they chose to participate in this remarkable project by sharing their music. Fisher House is humbled to be the beneficiary of "My Country" and to have Stadium Entertainment and EMI partner with us in supporting military families has been phenomenal. Fisher House serves as a tangible symbol of our support for our military, and when someone walks through the doors of a Fisher House, we want them to know that there are others who care about them in their time of need - and when you purchase this CD, you're showing them that you not only have great taste in music, but that you care. That's my country!”

Legendary Doonesbury creator, cartoonist, Garry Trudeau graciously donated a special cartoon and designed the cover of MY COUNTRY: SMASH HITS (seen above).

I hope these artists and everyone involved in this project will accept my personal thanks for undertaking this effort.

You can pre-order MY COUNTRY: SMASH HITS at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Buy dot com . Be sure to check out the Facebook page as well!!

URGENT!! OIF/OEF VETERANS DISCHARGED FOR PTSD

2010-07-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

OIF/OEF Veterans: TIME IS RUNNING OUT. If you were discharged for PTSD and received LESS THAN A 50% disability rating from your service branch, you MAY be able to receive some additional benefits.

A LAWSUIT HAS BEEN FILED THAT COULD HELP YOU.

YOU MUST FILE YOUR OPT-IN TO THIS CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT BY THIS SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2010.

GO TO THIS WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION AND FORMS!!!

http://www.ptsdlawsuit.com/index.html

BE CAREFUL TO READ EVERYTHING AND/OR DISCUSS WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS AS THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES and YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS/CHOICES CHANGE IF YOU OPT IN TO THIS LAWSUIT.

Fun on the Fourth!

2010-07-04T18:36:00.000-07:00

Fun on the Fourth!

Uncle Evan and Tom

Dad Noah and His Best Buddy

Tom does NOT have a booboo on his head... he is "Mr. Band aid" these days!

He is so natural and unafraid on the ponies... now he wants one!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!

2010-07-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA! YOU ARE THE GREATEST COUNTRY ON GOD'S EARTH! I LOVE YOU, AMERICA!!

GIVE SOMEONE ELSE'S MONEY TO THE USO!!!

2010-06-29T14:11:00.000-07:00

Bacardi USA’s “60 Second Cocktail Program,” is an initiative launched by Bacardi, USA in association with the USO. This summer, Bacardi, USA encourages Americans to toast to the troops with its “60 Second Cocktails Program”. Bacardi has committed to donate $75,000 to the USO at the onset of summer, with consumers (21+) able to increase the total donation; each time a fan joins Bacardi’s “60 Second Cocktails” Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/60SecondCocktails and clicks DONATE, the company will send $1 to the USO. With just one click, anyone can give!

Civilian and military people alike understand the USO’s important mission to raise morale for soldiers overseas. From Operation Enduring Care to the Celebrity Entertainment Tour, the USO has been providing a home away from home for American servicemen and women since World War II.

On the “60 Second Cocktails” Facebook page, you will find easy grilling and cocktail recipes using Bacardi products from celebrity chef John Besh and seasoned mixologist Bryan Stowe, both of whom have served in the U.S. Marine Corps. The “60 Second Cocktail Program” is fun for summer and an easy way to give to the USO.

So go over -- click the DONATE tab and give the USO some of Bacardi's money!! And spread the word!!!

____________
Disclosure: I have received no compensation in any form for this promotion.

SOME MARINES NEED SOME STUFF!!!

2010-06-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

SOME WOUNDED MARINES NEED SOME STUFF. BOSTON MAGGIE SAYS SO (and I'd do what she says!!)

GO NOW AND READ... THEN SEND!!!

http://bostonmaggie.blogspot.com/2010/06/listen-up-i-want-something.html

The Grind & the Grindstone

2010-06-19T00:21:00.000-07:00

I know I only occasionally blog around here any more... life moves on... the Army veteran attends school, works and is raising his son... the Navy son can't say much about his line of work and what he can say doesn't need to be posted. "My guys" have been deployed twice since Noah was with them and there isn't much to write home about these days (a pretty much "been there done that" from the guys). I'm not really a "diarist" that feels the need to document my daily life -- don't get me wrong -- I LOVE to read some of the diaries around the blogsphere (mostly because it reminds me how grateful I am that I don't have young ones to raise any more! WHEW! It is HARD WORK!)

I suppose I could post every time I discovered evidence on what moms, dads and spouses have all known for forever and is now being verified through clinical studies:

Blasts in Iraq are causing long-term damage to veterans' brains

Specific PTSD Symptoms Related to Anger and Aggressiveness Among Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans

Prevalence of Mental Health Problems and Functional Impairment Among Active Component and National Guard Soldiers 3 and 12 Months Following Combat in Iraq

Military Still Failing To Diagnose, Treat Brain Injuries

The list could go on and on...

Which is what leads me to this post.

First, let's get clear that FAR MORE soldiers/marines come home from combat WITHOUT POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) than who suffer symptoms. Even accepting the highest estimates of 15% with symptoms of post-traumatic stress there are even fewer with the more chronic form -- called PTSD. Which translates to more than 90% of returning combat veterans DO NOT have PTSD. (and I resent the efforts of organizations, the anti-war crowd and many in the mainstream media who are so eager to broad brush ALL combat veterans as somehow being abnormal or to be feared upon their return and ascribing all bad conduct by anyone who ever wore a uniform to this condition! more pointedly, I am entirely DISGUSTED by those who only CLAIM to be afflicted in order to game the system and be unjustly rewarded. To those I advise: What goes around, comes around.)

That being said, for those who suffer from PTSD or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or both, the daily "getting on with it" can be a grind. The grindstone can be smaller some days and way larger the next. That grindstone of depression (sometimes), anxiety (sometimes), nightmares (sometimes), insomnia (sometimes), anger (sometimes)... it wears on these warriors. The need to take daily medications to control some symptoms -- or the resistance to being medicated -- wear on them, too. Their worry and efforts to define what is "normal" (hint: this IS "normal") adds to the grind.

Reintegrating into a world that doesn't quite get it -- however appreciative they are or say they are -- is grit on that wheel. Getting into school, getting a job, raising a family, dealing with family (basically living your life) -- all the situations, problems and stresses the unaffected world does -- but so much harder for those with the vagaries of memory problems, physical ailments, concentration issues, etc. This all speeds the grindstone's spin for those dealing with the effects of PTSD and mTBI.

The families of these people -- parents, spouses, siblings and children -- do not escape the grind or the grindstone. That temper, those nightmares, that depression and anxiety, memory issues and problems with concentration... and their WORRY for those they love can grind on them, too.

It has been five-and-one-half years since my son, Noah, deployed to Iraq. Just about five years since he was wounded. Four years since he was diagnosed with PTSD. Three years since he was medically discharged for all of the above. He has had to juggle many things in these five years -- marriage, a new child, divorce, school, job -- but he has done it. It has taken work on his part and a lot of tongue biting and sometimes gentle coaxing on family's part. It is a journey that has many twisted roads... it is not a journey that will be over any time soon. It will be a challenge for all of his lifetime.

Don't misinterpret this. The road to "recovery" is NOT a snake pit. It is NOT a losing proposition. On the contrary -- with the permission of the military and society to admit you suffer these things... with the encouragement to recognize the need and seek help from so many sources -- the prognosis is better than it has ever been!

But it also requires a great deal of acceptance and understanding... and effort, commitment and resources on the part of those afflicted with PTSD and/or mTBI and their families. Is it hard? Can be. Is it a bumpy road? Usually. Will there be bad days? Yes. Will there be good days? Yes. Is it worth the effort? HELL YES!!

And the more we talk about it, the more encouraging we are, the more we applaud those who accept that challenge -- to be better, to get better... fight the grind and the grindstone -- the better we all -- as people and as a society -- will be.

The important thing to understand is that THERE IS A BETTER. It is NOT a hole from which you cannot climb. It is NOT a permanent state of "sucks" and "sucks more"... "sucks less" and "doesn't suck" CAN be part of the vocabulary. Most importantly: you are NOT alone and you will NOT be left behind. Our son Noah, our family and his friends can all testify to it. Remember, grinding rock is what produces the brightest gems! :-D

PTSD RESOURCES

Defense Center of Excellence (DCoE) for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Outreach Center

DCoE RESOURCES

Barney Frank Erotica

2010-06-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

Barney Frank's wet dreams come true: he'll have 1.3 million guys in fancy uniforms at his beck and call (lalalala Y-M-C-A... Y-M-C-A....) -- MAYBE. Cut the number of those to do the work. Reduce the number of tools to do the job. Cut their pay. Cut their benefits. Increase their health care costs. Just Who the hell will want to enlist or stay???

(from the MOAA newsletter my emphasis [my comments] )

Legislators Urge $100 Billion Cut in Military People Programs

On Tuesday, Reps. Barney Frank (D-MA), Ron Paul (R-TX), and Walter Jones (R-NC) as well as Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) released a copy of their letter to the National Commission of Fiscal Responsibility and Reform requesting serious consideration of major cuts in defense spending. They expressed "an ongoing commitment to strong national defense," but said the ever-growing national debt requires a reduction in defense spending over the next 10 years. [funny how that time period just happens to coincide with the astronomical debt calculations for gov't forced health care... why not just repeal obamacare if you really want to save some money and reduce the deficit, you moron!]

Specifically, their letter endorses the recommendations of the Sustainable Defense Task Force, a group of analysts and scholars [anyone with military experience??] seeking to reduce military spending in procurement, research and development, personnel, operations [you mean, like WARS??] and maintenance, and infrastructure. The Task Force proposes a series of measures that could possibly save $960 billion between 2011 and 2020. ["could possibly"? you mean coulda shoulda woulda maybe might perhaps???]

That task force proposed reducing personnel costs by more than $100 billion during that period by cutting 200,000 military personnel, yielding a peacetime active duty end strength of approximately 1.3 million, recalculating military compensation to curtail pay raises, and imposing substantial increases in military health care fees.

MOAA finds it appalling that, in the midst of a decade-long, two-front war - when we are demanding far greater sacrifices from military people and families than we have in generations - any panel of so-called "experts" can conclude that the force is too big and that military people don’t deserve their current compensation package. [could not have said it better myself!!]

But I will finish with this message to Bwaney Fwanks: ARE YOU FRIGGIN' NUTZ?? (ok, I may have answered that already!)

For the Yonbots: A MUST READ

2010-06-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

UPDATED: Be sure to read THIS at the Mudville Gazette... just a little taste of reality...

If you think you should believe Mr. Yon -- a photographer/web author who is ONLY an OBSERVER -- over the voices of experienced (real) PARTICIPANTS in winning wars, then you should most definitely read Responding to the Yonbots.

Chuck whipped out his saber and gave a few quick slashes...

and rode off into the light of day!!!

All I can add is HELL YES!!!

Summer 2010

2010-06-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

there is no love better than this... and no laugh sweeter...

the water was ice freezing cold -- but kids don't seem to mind... near 100 for today and tomorrow and Monday, so the water will warm and cold water probably added... hard to get him out of the pool (although he is NOT crazy about the floating on a raft thing -- YET LOL! )

Memorial Day 2010

2010-05-28T20:35:00.000-07:00

Because the current President is too busy vacationing to pay respect to this country's war dead at Arlington National Cemetary... you know, the ones who died for him, and you, and me, and mine. Personally. So I give thanks and honor those who gave their lives to honor, defend, and protect me.

Memorial Day

"And today we remember all who have died, all who are still missing and all who mourn. And on this day, especially, our nation is grateful to the brave and fallen defenders of freedom. In every generation of Americans we have found courage equal to the tasks of our country.

The farms and small towns and city streets of this land have always produced free citizens who assume the discipline and duty of military life. And time after time, they have proven that the moral force of democracy is mightier than the will and cunning of any tyrant."

-President George W. Bush

Learn more about United States National Cemeteries

Medal of Honor: Speak Out! Against Suicide

2010-05-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

Medal of Honor: Speak Out!

As part of their commitment to serve their country, more than 30 of the 91 living Medal of Honor recipients have joined in a public service campaign designed to help stem the rising tide of suicides among military service members today.

These recipients, who have survived some of the most harrowing experiences in combat, including years as POWs, physical wounds and emotional trauma, felt compelled to speak out to America's military, share their experiences and encourage them to seek help for behavioral health issues that are often a result of deployment and combat. Their message is simple: Don't let the enemy defeat you at home!

In their own words, Medal of Honor recipients encourage America’s military by reminding them that seeking care is indeed a courageous act. One that shows they recognize the need to stay strong in mind and body.

Listen up, men & women!! Active duty, Guard, Reserve, Veterans. Never give up! There is help... there is HOPE.

Need help? Need to find help??

http://www.militaryonesource.com/ 1-800-342-9647

Veterans: http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/gethelp.asp

If you are in crisis, please call 911, go to your nearest Emergency Room, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273- 8255 Veterans press “1” after you call.

You can also go to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline webpage to chat live with a crisis counselor at any time of day or night.

Arizona SB1070: Arizona did not make illegal, illegal.

2010-05-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

From the (AZ) Daily Courier. (My emphasis)

5/11/2010 9:56:00 PM

Talk of the Town: SB 1070 simply says 'illegal' is illegal

By RUSSELL PEARCE

Special to the Courier

I am the author of Senate Bill 1070, signed by Gov. Jan Brewer.

Maybe liberals ought to read the Constitution, case law or even just the bill itself before citing incorrect information. Fear-mongering and misinformation are the opponents' only tool against this common sense legislation.

"Illegal" is not a race, it is a crime. SB1070 simply codifies federal law into state law, removes excuses and concerns about states' inherent authority to enforce these laws and removes all illegal "sanctuary" policies.

When do we stand up for Americans and the rule of law? If not now, when? We are a nation of laws, a Constitutional Republic.

Arizona did not make illegal, illegal. Illegal was already illegal. It is a crime to enter or remain in the U.S. in violation of federal law. States have had inherent authority to enforce immigration laws and have failed or refused to do so. Sanctuary policies are illegal under federal law (8 USC 1644 & 1373) yet we have them all over the United States.

Paul Kantner of the 1960s rock band Jefferson Airplane once remarked, "San Francisco is 49 square miles surrounded by reality." When I first heard that San Francisco was planning to boycott Arizona over the SB1070 legislation that I introduced, this description seemed fitting.

However, when neighboring Oakland's city council voted 7-0 to boycott Arizona last Tuesday, and President Pro Tem of the California State Senate Derrell Steinberg announced a campaign in the legislature to boycott us, it became clear that San Francisco is merely ahead of the California crazy curve.

Why did I propose SB1070? I saw the enormous fiscal and social costs that illegal immigration was imposing on my state. I saw Americans out of work, hospitals and schools overflowing, and budgets strained. Most disturbingly, I saw my fellow citizens victimized by illegal alien criminals. The murder of Robert Krentz - whose family had been ranching in Arizona since 1907 - by illegal alien drug dealers was the final straw for many Arizonans.

Illegal aliens have murdered dozens of other citizens of our state. Currently, 95 illegal aliens are in Maricopa County jail on murder charges.

Most of the hysterical critics of the bill do not even know what is in it. All SB1070 does is allow Arizona law enforcement officials to detain illegal aliens under state law. The law does not allow police to stop suspected illegal aliens unless they have already come across them through normal "lawful conduct" such as a traffic stop, and explicitly prohibits racial profiling.

Aside from the unfounded accusation of racial profiling, the chief complaint about the bill is that it infringes on federal jurisdiction by enforcing laws. However, a long legal precedent going back to 1976 allows states to enact legislation to discourage illegal immigration so long as it does not conflict with federal law. We specifically designed SB1070 to mirror federal immigration law to avoid such a conflict.

For all their newfound respect for the authority of federal immigration law, the open borders advocates who oppose SB1070 have no problems with "sanctuary cities" such as San Francisco that explicitly obstruct federal immigration authorities to protect illegal aliens. In 2008, San Francisco began a campaign to encourage illegal aliens to take advantage of the city's public services.

Mayor Gavin Newsom stated, "We have worked with the Board of Supervisors, Department of Public Health, labor and immigrant rights groups to create a city government-wide public awareness campaign so that immigrants know the city won't target them for using city services."

The results were tragic. A few months after the campaign, Edwin Ramos, an illegal alien and member of the MS 13 gang, murdered San Francisco resident Tony Bologna and his two sons whom he mistook for rival gang members. Ramos had a lengthy criminal record including a felony assault on a pregnant woman. Police arrested him on gang and weapons charges and promptly released him just three months before the murder. Not once did San Francisco report him to immigration authorities.

Our law is already working. One can just scan the newspapers and see dozens of headlines like "Illegal Immigrants Leaving Arizona Over New Law: Tough, Controversial New Legislation Scares Many in Underground Workforce Out of State,"

In contrast, American citizens are leaving California. For the past four years, more Americans have left the state than have moved in.

In criticizing the SB1070, President Barack Obama said, "Our failure to act responsibly at the federal level will only open the door to irresponsibility by others." There is nothing irresponsible about enforcing our law, but President Obama is right in that this is only necessary because the federal government does not do its job.

The solution is not "comprehensive immigration reform," a euphemism for amnesty. This will only encourage more illegal immigration. Making illegal aliens legal does nothing to change the social and fiscal costs they impose on Arizona or the nation as a whole. In fact, the Heritage Foundation's research puts the cost of amnesty at more than $2.5 trillion.

The federal government simply needs to enforce its immigration laws by cracking down on employers of illegal aliens, securing our borders, and deporting illegal alien criminals. Attrition by enforcement.

If states understand states' rights and our Constitutional duty and responsibility to our citizens this legislation in Arizona will be a model for states across the nation and the federal government and it will end illegal immigration to America, but President Obama is looking toward San Francisco instead.

Russell Pearce is a member of the Arizona State Senate representing Legislative District 18 and author of SB1070.

And just a note to the (cough) esteemed Gov. Schwarzenneger who said he was afraid if he came to AZ that we'd try to deport him... Why? Are you here illegally, Aaaahnold? Or are you just opposed to the enforcement of U.S. laws? Yah.

Finally... some great t-shirts & other gear from STAND WITH ARIZONA (And Against Illegal Immigration) HERE.

ATTENTION ARIZONA WOMEN VETERANS

2010-05-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

Attention all women who have or are currently serving in the military

2nd annual state-wide Arizona Military Women's Conference

When: Opening ceremonies are 1 p.m. Friday afternoon 5/21/10 (with a welcome reception from 5 - 8 p.m.) and Saturday 5/22/10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: Sheraton Crescent Hotel, 2620 W. Dunlap Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85021

Why: You have benefits that you earned through honorable service to your country. You owe it yourself to find out more.

This year, we have great exhibitors and an excellent program. If you are interested in receiving updates as information becomes available, please send an email to gforsberg@azdvs.gov.

***** UPDATE - April 26, 2010 *****

The keynote speaker will be LTC Dawn Lake (USA, Retired) and our mistress of ceremonies will be COL Pam Rodriguez (USANG, Retired). MG Irene Trowell-Harris, R.N., Ed. D (USANG, Retired) will also provide information about the VA's Center for Women Veterans since her appointment in 2001. Each presenters is a hero who has a wealth of information to share.

You will also hear from experts on various benefits. These panelists can provide you immediate, accurate answers to your questions on various topic (such as compensation and pension, employment and small business opportunities, education, Women Veteran Coordinators, VA Eligibility and Minority Veterans, Vocational Rehab, Troops to Teachers, Education, Social Security, and medical benefits).

A mobile vets center will be available during the conference so that attendees will have the opportunity to confidentially speak with trained mental health counselors. Attendees who wish to initiate a claim will also have an opportunity to meet with professional Veterans Benefits Counselors.

We are keeping registration costs to a minimum ($30 for the conference includes lunch on Saturday). Please do not let your ability to pay keep you from attending, however. If you are having difficulty paying registration, contact the Registration Chair at (480) 833-9680 to learn about scholarships available.

DEADLINE May 5, 2010: To reserve lodging, please access the link Sheraton Crescent Hotel. The Sheraton Crescent Hotel is a beautiful pet-friendly and family-friendly hotel with great amenities. The rooms are being offered at $69 per night plus tax.

To make certain we have an accurate count on meals to serve on Saturday, we must also receive your registration no later than May 5, 2010 to ensure you will get a meal. Attendees are welcome to register at any time, however, and walk-ins are welcome at the conference.

GO HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION & REGISTRATION FORMS

Win an iPad!!!

2010-04-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Go HERE for all the details -- time to bid!!! (and support a worthy cause -- Soldiers' Angels who try to make sure that no soldier goes unloved!)

Here is this juicy little item from our friends at You Served... and how you can win an auction AND receive a brand new iPad...

Andrew Diabo: Fraud (Fake Marine)

2010-04-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

Have limited time these days for blogging... so many other things taking my attention...

Go watch this video... and be sure to go to The Sandgram and read about this despicable person. Disgusting. I hope they catch this guy. You may argue the merits of the Stolen Valor Act, but when you use phony military service to defraud people, you should Expect No Mercy.

New Veterans' Caregivers Bill -- A Response to Molly

2010-04-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

So Molly Pitcher said to my last post:

WOW. Where to start. Every veteran is entitled to treatment at a VA whether service connected or not. If you are service connected over 50% all treatment is free. Women do not receive adequate care. I would suggest reading recent GAO reports on the matter. What you take for granted in your private physicians office, I thank Congress for. Childcare: women vets are WAY younger than male vets. therefore childcare is a HUGE barrier to care. Its also true for most OIF/OEF vets. However, women are getting the spot light. It will benefit the single dad tho too. so why complain? To answer you question about a admitted vet: way too early to tell, these are pilot programs. Women are a small minority in the VA. We fight extremely hard to get equitable care (and it is not equitable). Please do some reading before writing against what we work hard for. Check out GAO please. I will be interested in what you post then. I mean you no disrespect and have a huge amount of respect for any mother with as many children as you in the service, however how many are daughters? Follow up with me at my email, and I will be happy to send you the different reports.

Different niches of veterans have been fighting for whats best for them since there were veterans groups. Women are finally doing the same. Don't discount that. esp. when they are the smallest minority in the VA.

Wow. Where to start? I was going to respond via email (but I didn't see an addy at her address), but when I thought about it, I realized it was a good opportunity to educate people -- not just on this particular bill, but on the Veterans Administration health care system... although I am far from an expert (Lord, can anyone be an expert on that bureacracy?) but I'll talk a little just on the points Molly makes.

Shall we begin?

First, Molly: I did read the 2009 GAO report; heh. To imagine that you had but I hadn't. Thanks for offering to provide copies, but I have them*:

Exec summary including recommendations: http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-287#recommendations
Full report: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10287.pdf

On to the specifics.

Molly: Every veteran is entitled to treatment at a VA whether service connected or not. If you are service connected over 50% all treatment is free.

Molly, you really should have clicked on the link with the big red HERE that took you to the VA eligibility page (my emphasis):

1.VA must determine your eligibility [for VA health care] status as a veteran by reviewing your
◦Character of Discharge from active military service, and your
◦Length of active military service [snip].
2.VA must determine whether you qualify for one of the eight enrollment Priority Groups.
+ Enrollment Restriction: In order to ensure the availability of quality and timely health care to veterans with service connected conditions, special authority based on military service, low income, and those with special health care needs, in January 2003 VA made the difficult decision to stop enrolling new Priority Group 8 (high income) veterans whose income exceeded VA Income Thresholds.

IF you are enrolled in the VA, care for ALL service-connected conditions is free -- even if it is not rated at or above 50% disabled (you're just in a lower priority group which has its own problems of getting services). The rules for care and medications you receive via the VA for non-service conditions are complex (can you say convoluted?) but the bottom line is that you MAY have to pay a co-pay or fee. Or not. Results may vary.

However, here's where I think Molly got the service-connected over 50% is free (my emphasis)

Certain veterans do not need to be enrolled to receive medical care benefits.
You do not have to be enrolled if you:
•Have been determined by VA to be 50% or more disabled from service-connected (SC) conditions
•Are seeking care for a VA rated service-connected disability only
•It is less than one year since you were discharged for a disability that the military determined was incurred or aggravated by your service, but that VA has not yet rated

yeah. but it's still free. And it is true that any veteran can walk into the VA to seek treatment; whether it's free and how long the wait is a different story.

Molly: Women do not receive adequate care.

Horse hockey. The 2009 GAO report found that there were varying levels of compliance with privacy configurations of check-in areas, waiting rooms and exam rooms at SOME VA facilities -- but made no finding or recommendation with respect to the SERVICES PROVIDED TO WOMEN VETERANS. Your statement that "women do not receive adequate care" is a talking point and a sensationalist headline, but not substantiated by the "recent GAO report" you so readily refer me.

As a matter of fact, the recommendations in the 2009 GAO report were to improve compliance WITH EXISTING PRIVACY POLICIES and mandates relating to access to information on women veterans services via the VA website and its materials. As the GAO noted, many of the problems with privacy compliance have to do with the lack of space, current [physical] configurations of VA facilities, standardizing reporting of implementation of privacy measures; special note is made that many of the VA facilities were having difficulty meeting the "one-stop care" measure because they could not attract physicians and mental health providers with gender-specific (i.e., women's health) training to satisfy the mandate -- especially at facilities that treat few women veterans.

The GAO report does enumerate many gender-specific services provided to women veterans:

The VA facilities GAO visited provided basic gender-specific and outpatient mental health services to women veterans on site, and some facilities also provided specialized services for women. Seventeen of the 19 medical facilities GAO visited offered basic gender-specific services including pelvic examinations and cervical cancer screening on site, and 15 offered access to one or more female providers for gender-specific care. The availability of specialized gender-specific services--such as treatment of reproductive cancers--and mental health services for women varied by service and facility. While some VAMCs offered a broad array of specialized gender-specific care on site, smaller CBOCs referred women to other VA or non-VA facilities for many or most of these services. Nationally, 9 VAMCs have residential mental health programs that are for women only or have dedicated cohorts for women.

One of the GAO's recommendations is for the VA to improve the information about these services and to make the information highly visible on the VA website. (see Summary, para. 2, and recommendations, generally). In their report (p. 10), the GAO said, "VA Facilities Provided Basic and Specialized Gender-Specific Services and Mental Health Services to Women Veterans, though Not All Services Were Provided On Site at Each VA Facility." They go on to note that those facilities that did not provide every female-specific service referred female veterans to other [VA] facilities for such care (same practice as for all veterans when services required are not offered at the closest VA facility). The GAO also reports that all facilities planned to offer all female-specific services in the future. In not one case did the GAO cite inadequacy of care or a disparity in care given to male v. /female veterans.

Is that a justification for the VA facilities for not having implemented the privacy measures that were noted all the way back in 1982 (and '92 and '94...)? Hell no. Should have been done LONG ago. But inadequate privacy is not the same as inadequate or inequitable care.

Now, if you were referring to the VA's Report of the Under Secretary for Health Workgroup, Provision of Primary Care to Women Veterans and the discussions of women veterans' dissatisfaction (performance) ratings for VA services... or the mismatch in utilization of services (immunizations, colo-rectal screenings, etc.) between male and female veterans, the assumption being that these services are not being offered or communicated as well to female veterans? OK. I get that. Something that needs attention. However, utilization of care is not the same as adequacy or equity of care. I heard no such allegations of inequity by the female veterans appearing before the Committee on Veterans Affairs (see discussion a bit later) nor did I read or hear examples of services provided to male veterans that women veterans did not also receive. Does that mean there aren't any disparities? No, but no one has recently spoken to some disparity or a level of disparity that exists and requires attention. Do service levels and quality differ from facility to facility? Yes, they do. But those measures are across the board and not explicit to women veterans. Poor (and exceptional) service affect men veterans at those facilities as well.

Molly: childcare is a HUGE barrier to care.

The GAO report (in addressing the "one-stop care" model mandated to better meet the needs of female veterans) states [at p.2] (my emphasis),

Because many of these women work or have child care responsibilities, multiple visits can be problematic, especially when services are not available in the evenings or on weekends.

[Note that the footnote to this entry states that under current law, the VA cannot provide child care nor operate childcare facilities.]

Even in facilities that have "one-stop" providers, the GAO notes [p. 26, para. 2] that many of the women veterans themselves have opted to have their gynecological care from a VA provider separate from their VA PCP. The GAO report does not say or even intimate that child care is a significant problem or bar to access and offers no facts, figures, suggestions or recommendation for such.

In fact, since the GAO report is silent on the issue, I was curious where the impetus had come from. Seems the child care "thing" resulted from testimony from two of five [hand-selected] female veteran panelists representing various veterans' organizations that appeared before the July 2009 Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs Hearing on "Women Veterans: Bridging the Gaps in Care".

According to the summary of the panel's testimony provided by Women's Rights/Change.org, the panelists "spoke about the vital need for child care at VA facilities, as well [as] the importance of making VA clinics and hospitals more child-friendly." I watched the video of the hearing to ascertain who said what and the basis of this dire need. Ms Olds of the VFW listed child care among the needs of women veterans on par with hiring more physicians and mental healthcare providers, access to service, and outreach to women veterans, etc. It was a big issue for panelist Ms Williams, as well (she sits on the Board of a women's veterans organization whose name was not in her written testimony and I could not understand the organization's name from viewing her testimony.)

Ms Williams regales the Committee and guests with shocking stories of a woman veteran who had to change her child's diaper on the floor at a VAMC while waiting for appointments and of another who was told emphatically that if she couldn't find child care for her child, she should just not show up. I don't doubt for a second these stories are true -- who would make such things up? I find no study, no data, no survey -- nothing in sworn testimony or reports or news stories -- to indicate whether, in fact, lack of childcare impacts in any way access to health care for veterans (male or female); there are just anecdotal accounts that it's a problem for two veterans.

In her testimony before the Committee, Ms Olds referred to the VA's Report of the Under Secretary for Health Workgroup, Provision of Primary Care to Women Veterans and pointed to their findings generally -- which led me to think it contained facts or a discussion or study or recommendation on child care, but I could find no such information in that report on the need for child care. I did find (my emphasis):

While no-show rates for general primary care have a target of 13 percent, the no-show rates for women’s gender-specific prevention clinics have ranged from 14 percent to well over 28 percent at most facilities. (f/n 70) Factors related to no-show rates for women’s clinics differ from those for men, e.g., not missing work and childcare and eldercare responsibilities.

Don't get me wrong. I was a working mother with young children before most of the women on that panel were born; my former DIL is a working mother; we have a daughter who expects to be a working mother in a few years; and six nieces -- four of whom are currently mothers of very young children. I fully -- and I mean FULLY -- understand the problems of balancing work, family and all our other commitments as women -- including to our own health -- and the child care issue. It all just leads me to ask how all the mothers of young children in America who are NOT veterans get to medical appointments and what do they do with their children... and makes me wonder where all the child care facilities are in non-government hospitals and medical facilities around the country?

I am ok if the VA provides a stipend to cover child care costs the same way mileage is reimbursed, but not OK with using funds to create and staff child care facilities. Of course they should outfit restroom facilities with changing tables -- but childcare? I'd also be OK with the VA partnering with child care providers or day care centers to provide occasional care for veterans' children while they are at the VA. [Side note to Molly: My son would not really benefit from childcare at the VAMC since he and his child's mother -- also an enrolled veteran, fwiw -- provide child care for their child for ALL of their personal commitments.]

Frankly, while it may be a problem for SOME women veterans -- and I empathize, I sincerely do -- is it a "HUGE" impediment in access to care? No.

Since both the GAO report and the VA Report also found that having a job could also be a factor that prevented female veterans from accessing care, is it proposed the VA pay them, too? Perhaps the Congress that is so willing to pass inane and often over-reaching laws should MAKE employers give veterans time off for medical appointments? Maybe it can be illegal to fire or suspend a veteran-employee for attending medical appointments? (Sure... one more reason not to hire a vet.) Besides, every attempt at legislating decency throughout history has failed. Not sure what will have to be done about elder care responsibilities... (well, if Obamacare comes to pass, we won't have to worry about us elders. ok. /snark)

WHY should the VA provide newborn services? OK. I do get that the VA offers obstetrical care -- but not at its facilities. They do cover it... so I see where the whole newborn services got there... but that's not mentioned in the GAO report or the VA's report either! Maternity and neo-natal care is available through private providers or community health care providers -- at facilities far better equipped to provide such services. In fact, the GAO notes that veterans requiring obstetrical care are routinely referred to non-VA facilities for such care and the report contains no note nor offers a recommendation to provide newborn services or provides a justification.

The use of resources to provide these services to the very small number of female veterans that might require them is a misplacement of resources. Could it be nominal in the scheme of things? Sure. But where does it end?

Molly: Women are a small minority in the VA.

You make my very point: if women veterans are such a small percentage of the overall veteran population (8% of 23,067,000) -- and child-bearing female veterans an even smaller percentage -- why siphon off dollars, resources (space and staff) and create programs for that small group of veterans when there are so many other needs to be met that could serve ALL veterans?

The original VA medical system's mission was quite explicit: "to provide care to veterans with service-connected disabilities. In addition, to the extent that staff and facilities are available, VA facilities can provide care for non-service disabilities to veterans who are unable to defray the cost of care elsewhere."

It seems that the purpose of the VA is now to be everything it can be to every single veteran -- that qualifies. The money earmarked (and I use that term deliberately) for these new expanded women-only services (some of which are not detailed) could well be used to expand the eligibility to veterans -- including women veterans -- who remain excluded from all VA medical services because they are above the even newly-revised financial threshold and do not have combat- or service-connected conditions.

I am not against providing services to female veterans. On the contrary: female veterans -- like male veterans -- have earned every service at the highest level. Where there are deficiencies -- in either male or female care -- they should be addressed. However, I am opposed to creating special programs that apply to a very tiny minority of veterans when the needs of ALL veterans -- male & female -- are better served by the use of those funds and facilities... especially when no need has been empirically established for things like childcare and newborn services. In fact, the money being spent on these measures could easily have been used to bolster and expand the class of providers caring for the wounded or increase the comepnsation level.

Molly: What you take for granted in your private physicians office

I take nothing for granted.

Molly: I mean you no disrespect
sure you do... if even a little or you wouldn't have admonished me as you did.

have a huge amount of respect for any mother with as many children as you in the service, however how many are daughters?
Jeez. I'm surprised you didn't pull the race card... or the chickenhawk argument... and you didn't mention that in addition to the three sons (two are veterans and one is active), my father was a disabled veteran, my husband is a veteran (note: 25 years, 2 combat tours, and not eligible to enroll for VA medical services!), one sister is a veteran of the USMC in the 70's, and we have a nephew also serving (AF). As for the daughter? She went to medical school. Aren't my husband and three sons enough?

Molly: I will be interested in what you post then.
Well, now you know.

_______________________

* Here's the links to the 1982 GAO Report , 1992 Report , the (limited scope) 1994 Testimony (report) and of course, the GAO's and VA's 2009 Report is linked above.

New Veterans Caregivers Bill: A Small Rant (I Don't get it.)

2010-04-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I do get the principle parts of the bill -- and good that the approximately 2,000 family members who care for the severely wounded in their homes day in and day out. Yeoman's work... and long overdue for recognition and compensation.

But this I don't get.

From Many Angles to Caregiver Bill

Expand VA services for 1.8 million women veterans currently receiving VA care or expected to enroll in the system. VA for the first time will cover up to seven days of newborn care for enrolled female veterans. Other initiatives will force changes to the VA health system to make it respectful of privacy and other needs of female veterans. VA is directed to launch a pilot for providing patient childcare services too.

OK, I know I'll take heat for this... but can someone explain this to me?? EXPAND services??? Do women veterans not get the same services as male veterans?? Is there some service (besides GYN) that doesn't apply EQUALLY to men? What do they want to expand?? I don't get it.

The VA is now going to provide childbirth services?? NURSERIES? Is childbirth now a combat- or service-related medical condition? The VA has a hard enough time attracting physicians and medical professionals to treat the GENERAL veterans' community and now they'll have to hire OBs???

Do women veterans have some additional privacy concerns that aren't being extended and/or that don't apply to men?? In every treatment area in our VA there are curtains and private examining rooms... it's not a shower room atmosphere. If there was a problem at selected facilities, did that require a piece of legislation -- and funding??

"Other needs of female veterans??" That's a rather nebulous phrase. WHAT other needs?? I'd like to know.

Filner said other parts of S. 1963 focus on VA health care “access for people who don’t normally have access. Like women. It’s time to think about childcare, privacy curtains, to think about respect, basically.”

"Access for people who don't normally have access... Like women??" Since when? Every veteran -- male or female -- has access to the VA if they meet the eligibility requirements. If the intent is to grant women veterans access under conditions that men cannot qualify -- well I object. STRONGLY object. If they want to expand access, then they should open the VA health care eligibility to ALL veterans and not just the combat- and service-connected disabled or the very poor. (Oh, you didn't know that access to VA health care is limited to certain classes of veterans?? Go HERE.) They certainly shouldn't be granting special privileges to veterans who just happen to be women.

Childcare services? The VA is going to provide babysitters?? (This from a woman with a VA-enrolled son who has a child.) Will the VA be taking charge of the child/children when the veteran has to be admitted?

Older veterans will find it refreshing, he said, to see children of women veterans, from time to time, in waiting areas of VA medical facilities.

“It changes the whole ambiance of the place,” Filner said. “It’s no longer a bunch of dying people. There’s life! And so… childcare not only helps the families with kids but the whole atmosphere.”

Ambiance??? Atmosphere??? Atmosphere??? Are you kidding me??? If you want children's ambiance go to the play areas at McDonalds or to Chuck E Cheeze or volunteer at a day care center. Jeez. What happened to finding your own childcare and being responsible for your child/children?

This is nuts! I'm damn sure this isn't what the VA was set up to do. YES I know there are women veterans... and I know that there are areas of "special" in that topic, but the VA as a Nanny?? FFS.

It is high time that we accept that there is no way to meet every single need of every single veteran for things NOT connected to their service. If it's service-connected, we should spare no effort or funds. However, given the demands -- practically and financially -- on the VA for medical and psychological care for SERVICE-CONNECTED conditions, is this really the best use of the money?? Birthing and childcare?? Turning this esteemed veterans medical provider into a new welfare program is a tragedy. What other needs common to ALL veterans will be shortchanged or not be attended while these new women-only mandates are established and funded?? It's just plain crazy, I tell you.

Next they'll be mandating sex-change operations for transgender veterans. These new women-only measures are plain pandering and electioneering. I'm sure I could come up with a list of services to ALL veterans that should be expanded or improved rather than adding obstetrics, newborn care and babysitting services.

OK. rant end.

The American Legion Steps Up (Again). You Can, Too.

2010-03-30T11:39:00.000-07:00

Your son is killed in action and vile people come to his funeral carrying signs thanking G-d for his death... they say it is protected speech. (It may be, but AT the Marine's funeral? How deeply can you hurt someone with your speech before it's over the line?) You exercise your right to sue to get the objectionable behavior stopped. You win in one court, lose in the Appeals court and then the Supreme Court -- THE Supreme Court -- agrees to hear the case. Then the Appeals Court judge -- not waiting to see how the Supreme Court holds -- orders you to PAY THE COSTS of those who have caused you such hurt.

Well, the American Legion has come forward to advance the funds for this father AND they are planning on filing a brief with SCOTUS supporting the father -- and all parents who have had to endure those despicable "protesters". Just hate mongers in sheeps' clothing.

Go read all of this and find out how to help over at the Legion's BURN PIT.

My kudos to the American Legion!!

Ant & Grasshopper: Old Story, New Moral

2010-03-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

based on an email from my sister Paula...

OLD VERSION

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. He has a small business that employs 10 bugs of various colors. He provides a living wage and provides as many benefits (health insurance, holidays, sick time) as his business can afford and still have money left to invest and grow his business (so that he can hire more people).

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. He thinks nothing of spending his welfare money on the newest car, the newest phone, the newest game system and is outraged that anyone could expect him to spend money on adequate housing or health insurance.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed as are his employees.

The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be responsible for yourself! Work hard, live within your means, save for a rainy day and your future.

MODERN (Democrats) VERSION

The ant works hard in the withering heat and the rain all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. He has a small business that employs 10 bugs of various colors. He provides a living wage and provides as many benefits (health insurance, holidays, sick time) as his business can afford and still have money left to invest and grow his business (so that he can hire more people).

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. He thinks nothing of spending his welfare money on the newest car, the newest phone, the newest game system and is outraged that anyone could expect him to spend money on adequate housing or health insurance.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed as are his employees.

Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant and the other hard-working bugs should be allowed to be warm and well fed while he is cold and starving.

CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food...

America is stunned by the sharp contrast.

How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper and everybody cries when they sing, 'It's Not Easy Being Green.'

ACORN stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the group singing, "We shall overcome." Then Rev. Jeremiah Wright has the group kneel down to pray to God for the grasshopper's sake.

President Obama condemns the ant and blames President Bush, President Reagan, Christopher Columbus, and the Pope for the grasshopper's plight. Mrs. Obama says she has never been proud of the ant's country but likes the grasshopper's country better.

Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid exclaim in an interview with Larry King that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share of the grasshopper's needs (but not his own. The ant is too "rich".)

Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer.

The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and fined for laying off the green bugs he has employed because he can no longer afford the salaries, taxes and health insurance premiums for all, and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his business closes, all the bugs are unemployed, and the ant's home is confiscated by the Government Green Czar and given to the grasshopper.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper and his free-loading friends finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which, as you recall, just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around them because the grasshopper doesn't maintain it.

The ant disappeared in the snow, never to be seen again.

The grasshopper is found dead from over-consumption, and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the ramshackle, once prosperous and once peaceful, neighborhood.

The entire Nation collapses under the debt created by self-serving legislation bringing the rest of the free world with it.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be very careful how you vote in 2010.

Soldiers Angels is Awesome and Doesn't Need Embellishment

2010-03-08T10:32:00.000-08:00

Soldiers Angels is awesome and doesn't need embellishment. From my friend, MaryAnn - Soldiers' Angels Germany:

A word about the UK MailOnline story

How sad that the simple truths of a story can get lost in the retelling.

It was a story of how The Many pulled together and did everything in their power to meet The Needs of The One.

A story of how we as human beings take care of one another. A story of military medicine at it's finest. [snip]

Greyhawk has the real story, and tells it much better than I can.

We fight because it's the right thing to do; because all of humanity is our tribe.

God bless all who answer that call, and God bless those who care for them.

Be sure to read it all. MaryAnn is as selfless and as caring an individual anywhere on God's Earth, and our soldiers -- especially our wounded -- and thir families have no greater an ally and friend than she.

Update: I'm not the only one who thinks so highly of MaryAnn... READ Afghan Quest

Folds of Honor Foundation: Scholarships for Families of KIA and WIA

2010-03-08T09:36:00.000-08:00

The Folds of Honor Foundation (FHF) provides post-secondary educational scholarships for children and spouses of military service men and women killed or disabled while serving our great nation. Scholarships are to be used to subsidize the costs of tuition, school books, fees, room and board, special tools and equipment necessary for coursework, school-approved tutoring, and any other expense that the school in which the student is enrolled may deem appropriate and unmet. Scholarship funds will be paid directly to the school, and the standing policies and procedures of the school will guide the release of funds. Any unused funds will be returned to the Folds of Honor Foundation at the end of each semester. Nearly 1,000 scholarships have been granted in Folds of Honor's first three years.

Patriot Golf Day, our flagship fundraising event, is a cooperative effort with the PGA of America, USGA and is sponsored by our corporate champions American Express and Lifelock. This past Labor Day weekend, golfers across the country were asked to give an extra dollar to fund Folds of Honor scholarships. In three years, we have raised $5.3 million for deserving families.

Please visit www.foldsofhonor.org for more information on Folds of Honor.

SAVING ABEL USO TOUR TO PERSIAN GULF

2010-03-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

UPDATED 3/4/2010

http://www.ustream.tv/savingabel

It's where Saving Abel's USO tour will livestream tonight 10ET.

SAVING ABEL MAKES LONG-ANTICIPATED JOURNEY OVERSEAS AND PERFORMS FOR TROOPS ON USO TOUR TO PERSIAN GULF

Week-Long Tour Kicks Off in Qatar and Kuwait, with USO Concert at Camp Arifjan
To Be Broadcast Online in Early March with Help from Ustream

Twitter Pitch: Follow @the_USO and @SavingAbel for updates from their rocking tour through the Persian Gulf

ARLINGTON, VA. (Feb. 24, 2010) – Rock band Saving Abel teamed up with the USO for a weeklong USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour in the Persian Gulf. Busy visiting and performing for troops in Qatar and Kuwait, Saving Abel has entertained more than 3,500 troops so far and just finished filming their USO show at Camp Arifjan. Footage from the hi-energy USO show will be broadcast in early March with help from Ustream.

• As part of their eight-day, three-country USO tour to the combat zone, Saving Abel will visit eight military bases and perform seven concerts. Known for their radio-ready sound, memorable melodies and hard-hitting tracks, the band will also sign autographs, pose for photos and spend time with soldier.

• Having entertained 1,750 troops in Kuwait, the group filmed their USO show at Camp Arifjan on February 23 and will provide viewers with an exclusive behind-the-scenes look of USO entertainment in early March. With the help from Ustream, the concert will be picked up by MySpace, Facebook and other social networking sites, and is dedicated to America’s armed forces and their families.

• Visit http://www.ustream.tv/savingabel and http://www.uso.org/ for concert updates.

• Students from St. Albert the Great School in Louisville, KY, created an assortment of cards and artwork, which Saving Abel has carried overseas and are hand delivering to troops in appreciation.

• This is Saving Abel’s first USO tour. The band has been eager to travel overseas for quite some time and have made multiple appearances on bases stateside.

• Avid supporters of the U.S. military, Saving Abel performed for troops in October ‘08 as part of MTV’s "A Night for Vets: An MTV Concert for the BRAVE."

• Known for such songs as “Addicted," 18 Days,” “Drowning (Face Down)”, Saving Abel was formed in Corinth, Mississippi in ’04.

The safety, well-being and happiness of our nation’s troops have always been close to our hearts. And what better way to show them we care, than by traveling to the Persian Gulf on a USO tour and rocking out America’s soldiers. The USO has a rich history of delivering a touch of home to our men and women in uniform, and Saving Abel is honored to be apart of that legacy. We couldn’t do what we do everyday without them, and we are forever grateful. -- Saving Abel

No matter where we go or who we are playing in front of, we always make sure people know that from our perspective it is each and every one of their responsibilities to support our troops. They do so much for us, they deserve to be recognized. We have these freedoms because of what they do. -- singer Jared Weeks

America’s armed forces do more than defend our borders and protect us from harm, they sacrifice their lives for us 365 days a year and serve our nation proudly from all around world. Through USO tours like Saving Abel, the USO is able to give back to our nation’s troops by lifting their spirits and bringing smiles to their faces. We are thrilled to be working with Saving Abel and know that those in the Persian Gulf are in for a great treat. -- Sloan Gibson, USO president and CEO

Hey! Mr. President & Congress! Listen Up (Healthcare Forum)

2010-02-25T10:20:00.000-08:00

First, the big mistake in this "forum" stuff IS THAT YOU DID NOT INCLUDE CONSUMERS.

Since I wasn't invited, here's some of my thoughts.

1. If you want to immediately reduce the impact of health care costs, reduce -- and then eliminate - the threshold for tax deductibility of medical expenses. Not everyone -- in fact very few -- Americans have access to pre-tax Medical Expense Accounts. Why should only SOME citizens have access to tax-free money for medical expenses?? Let us deduct ALL of our medical expenses from our income. Yes, that will have an income consequence for the Feds, but if the goal is TO HELP AMERICANS AFFORD HEALTH CARE, this is step one.

2. Pres. Obama IS WRONG. The government does NOT have to legislate the minimum standards for health insurance. The government simply needs to require full disclosure and let the consumer choose. The government decided to protect investors this way when they required companies to include in their proxy statements and annual reports a STANDARD FOR DISCLOSURE. Companies are required to compare their performance to comparable companies in terms of return on investments and disclosure of compensation, etc.

Same thing would help ME -- as a CONSUMER -- to choose MY insurance and how much I want to pay for it. Pick the 10 most common and/or 10 most expensive health conditions and make the insurance companies tell me whether they cover it FULLY. Make every insurance company tell me IN READABLE TYPE what the lifetime limit on the policy is. Tell me how much of my premium is used to cover administrative costs -- including executive compensation.

Yes, let me shop for insurance anywhere in the country, but give me a way to compare the coverage AND LET ME CHOOSE. That's the American way. I don't need no stinkin' "protection" from the Feds. If a company covers two days for childbirth and that is disclosed when I buy the policy, that's it. Let ME decide what I want, when I want it and how much I'm willing to pay for it.

Let me choose the coverage I want -- like well-care and preventative care -- and eliminate certain coverages I don't need. I do not need Obstetrics coverage and I don't want to pay for it. I get the idea that this is part of spreading the risk & spreading the cost... but then do something to LIMIT my exposure -- like meaningful tort/litigation reform.

There should be two types of coverage: HEALTH coverage for well care and routine care and the hospitalization and catastrophic coverage -- for surgeries and long-term treatments. Now we don't have a choice -- these are all rolled in... separate them and let me shop separately. Maybe I want to cover my own routine care and only want catastrophic coverage? Let ME choose.

3. The high risk pool for those with pre-existing conditions. Yes, it's abhorrent... but if you require each health insurer to assume a certain number of those policies -- as they require auto insurers to do for high risk drivers -- then everyone in the U.S. will assume a fair portion of that risk. That's fair to me. No one gets dropped and no one is denied insurance and everyone assumes some of the risk.

4. Community-based health care. No one is talking about that. Where I live, there are two LARGE community health clinics. People who cannot afford (or choose NOT to buy health insurance) can use the community health clinics. What you pay is based on what you can afford. Many people who have insurance also use the clinics. They are full service. They are principally funded by tax dollars but also by charitable contributions and donations of time from health care professionals and the community.

5. Fraud and waste. Exactly WHY does it take THIS health care proposal to address that?? If this is a problem, deal with it NOW. If you cannot agree on anything else, carve this out and JUST DO IT.

All of these should be separate pieces of legislation. If one works, great. If one doesn't, it gets dumped or tweaked.

If I hear one more person -- from the President to the Congresscritters tell me one more time that this is such a complicated issue -- implying that we are uninformed or too stupid to figure this stuff out -- I am going to shoot my television!!

=============================================================

So I watched the health care forum... mostly political theatre and posturing... but, Mr. President, besides the not-even-thinly-veiled threat that either the Republicans do it your way or you'll do it without them... if you are the President of ALL the people, why did you only ask the Republicans if they could compromise?? Isn't the very definition of compromise for BOTH sides to give & take?

Sleepy’s Comforts the Troops with Pillow Donation

2010-02-09T11:22:00.000-08:00

I have had sleep problems for the past 10 years... there is nothing I value more than a good night's sleep. And I can say that the last 3 mattresses we have purchased for our homes have come from Sleepy's.... so I was delighted when this arrived in my email.

Sleepy’s Comforts the Troops with Pillow Donation

Mattress Company Partners with Give2TheTroops to send Pillows to Military Overseas

To give troops a soft spot to rest their heads, Sleepy’s, the family-owned east coast mattress company, has developed a pillow donation program in partnership with Give2TheTroops, a non-profit organization which sends care packages to the military. Through a program called “Comfort Our Troops,” when consumers purchase any Tempur-Pedic pillow at one of Sleepy’s 700 retail locations between January 28 and February 28 Sleepy’s will send a travel pillow to troops overseas via care package from the Give2TheTroops organization. The pillows will be packaged with other “comforts of home” such as snacks and toiletries.

”Sleepy’s is proud to engage our community to support the men and women who serve our country through the ‘Comfort Our Troops’ program,” said Adam Blank, Chief Operating Officer at Sleepy’s. “We hope that when they lay their heads down, they are reminded how truly grateful we are for their service.”

“A cozy bed is one of the things that our soldiers miss the most while they are away,” said Andi Grant, President and Founder of Give2TheTroops. “The ‘Comfort Our Troops’ program is a great way for people to give our soldiers a little piece of home and help them sleep a little easier.”

To purchase a pillow in support of the “Comfort Our Troops” program, please visit one of Sleepy’s 700 retail locations beginning January 28. For information on the program, please visit Sleepys.com or give2thetroops.org.

ABOUT Give2TheTroops
Give2TheTroops® is a NONPARTISAN, NON-POLITICAL, PATRIOTIC organization aimed at supporting U.S. deployed and wounded troops in harm's way. We are managed by patriotic volunteers who ensure that deployed U.S. military members in all branches of service are supported with letters and care packages. Give2TheTroops was founded by a U.S. Marine wife in December of 2002 when her husband was deployed for a year with Operation Iraqi Freedom. The organization grew rapidly as more people wanted to show their support for our troops. Give2TheTroops has headquarters in Connecticut with branches located throughout the country. Give2TheTroops are incorporated and certified as a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, non-political, non-partisan organization. For more information, call 888.876.6775 (888.TROOPS.5), or visit us at http://www.give2thetroops.org/

ABOUT SLEEPY’S
Sleepy’s, The Mattress Professionals(R) is a privately-owned 4 generation company with over 700 locations in thirteen states, spanning from Vermont to West Virginia. Throughout Sleepy’s 52-year history, they have supported the idea that one mattress does not fit all, carrying a wide selection of mattresses so their customers are certain to find the one that suits them best. Keeping up-to-date on all the latest innovations in sleep technology, Sleepy’s, The Mattress Professionals(R) carries the latest in Sealy, Serta, Simmons, Beautyrest, Posturepedic, Tempur-Pedic, Sleep To Live mattresses and 12 other brands to fit any price range or comfort level. For more information, call 1-800-SLEEPYS (1-800-753-3797), or visit us at http://www.sleepys.com/.

This ends February 28 -- so get a move on!! Personally, I think nothing says, "I love you!" on Valentine's Day more than a new pillow (with a piece of diamond jewelry perched on top, of course!)

*******

I received no products or compensation in any form for publishing this blog post.

HELP VETERANS: PTSD FOUNDATION

2010-02-02T12:08:00.000-08:00

Hi there,

Greetings from the East Coast of New England. As an organization who has a personal or professional interest in Veteran's Groups or post traumatic stress disorder, I am contacting you regarding my latest novel, THE LAST SURGEON and its Fundraiser launch party, on February 16th, 2010, to benefit the Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Project.

The party will be held at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston -- an evening full of books, auctions, music, great food, and appearances by some of the country's best writers, including Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, Gary Braver, Lisa Gardner, Joseph Finder, Andre Dubus III, Mark Vonnegut, William Martin, Sandra Lee, and Hank Phillippi Ryan.

If you are from the New England area, I would be thrilled if you could attend. All ticket proceeds and a portion of the book sales will benefit the Home Base PTSD Program. It's a great event for a great cause. You can purchase tickets by visiting the LiveNation website.

For those who can't make it, I encourage you to help spread the word.

Between today and February 16th, 2010, I'll be conducting a little fundraiser of my own via social media. It's free to participate and a great way to help out.

Here's how it works:
1. I'll donate $1 to the Mass General Hospital Red Sox Homebase PTSD Foundation for every additional Facebook fan I acquire until book launch on February 16th, 2010. I encourage you to spread the word and to suggest for your friends to become fans -- it's an easy way to help a great cause.

2. For you Twitter users, I'll also be donating an additional $1 for all followers who adopt THE LAST SURGEON Twibbon. If you have a Twitter profile, simply click HERE to get started.

I would love it if you could help out in some way to support this event. If you cannot attend, I'd appreciate it very much if you could help pass along this message to contacts who might be of interest.

Warm Regards,

Michael Palmer

Five Years of Lessons as a Soldier's Mom

2010-01-26T18:09:00.000-08:00

My last blog post for PBS Point of View: Regarding War is up... I share some of the lessons I have learned as Some Soldier's Mom:

This month marks five years that I have blogged about the experience of being a soldier's mom. It has been five years since I stood at Fort Benning and tearfully (later hysterically) said farewell to my youngest son and his Army brothers ("my guys") as they left for Iraq. These five years have been a wild and horrific — and wonderful — ride. Today I share the most intense of the lessons I have learned.

1. Life really is frail. [snip]

2. There really are no words to comfort the mother or father or spouse or siblings of a soldier who has died. [snip]

Read them all at Conversations: Coming Home and add yours in the comments!

Vigilance: The Good Kind

2010-01-05T09:12:00.000-08:00

Over at PBS - Point of View, I blog about the necessity of being vigilant in protecting the warrior legacy:

It is important for all of us — citizens who truly support the troops and who honor our veterans — to become active and remain engaged in protecting the warrior legacy. As we head into a new year, I implore everyone in the military, veterans, their families and the general public to learn about proposed and pending legislation and to be energetic in communicating their opinions to their Senators and Representatives. This is important not just at the federal level, but at the state levels as well.

As state and federal legislators look to reduce spending or find funding for pet (read: pork) projects, military and veterans programs will be looked at as likely sources for cuts, because of their relative size to other budget commitments. Our watchfulness will be vitally important to the roughly 1.4 million personnel on active duty, the additional 900,000 members of the Reserve and National Guard and the 23.2 million military veterans in the United States.

Please go over and read all of it and bookmark some of the links to military and veterans organizations -- and to your legislators -- that are provided.

You should also take the time to read the contributions by the other bloggers at the PBS/Conversations - On Coming Home blog... and leave your comments!

The Bonds That Tie

2009-12-22T12:12:00.000-08:00

Over at PBS.org I have written a post about the meaningful bonds that are forged during military service... among soldiers... among wives... among parents...

Throughout the course of our lifetimes, we make and break bonds with people. Some bonds are formed in friendship: schoolmates, neighbors, fellow workers. I have close friends from each of those groups. I maintain, however, that the bonds forged in military service are perhaps the strongest of all bonds. Stronger than steel. Stronger than adversity. Stronger than time.
We all know the story of veterans sittin' around and one says, "No shit!! There I was..." followed by a story of improbability or hilarity, typically punctuated with profanity, irreverent phrases and sordid images. It will end with much backslapping and hearty handshakes. The circle might contain members of a single unit or a single war, or it might contain an assortment of veterans from many of this nation's conflicts. But they are bonded and tied to each other by the commonality of their service. Some are bonded by the mettle and the blood of battle. You need look no further than the Illiad or the St. Crispen's Day speech from Shakespeare's Henry V for evidence of the emotional connection these men share.

[snip]

Some of my closest friends today are people I didn't know before my son deployed. We met via military blogs (including my own) and private online Internet forums established by parents of soldiers — one by a Third Infantry Division parent, another established by military moms for military moms. These were places to share information, to share worry, to celebrate good news and to commiserate when the news was bad. These were places that let us share this bond, hammered and shaped by our worry for our sons and daughters.

These relationships are equal parts ethereal and practical; as much emotional as they are physical. It involves both the spiritual and the material worlds — prayers and novena candles as well as care packages and cookie recipes. It is an inclusive sisterhood for which we did not volunteer, but in which we are now forever members.

You can read it all at PBS/POV: Conversations on Coming Home

Milblogs Go Silent: A Protest

2009-12-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

Army Master Sgt. C. J. Grisham has always led from the front, from combat that earned him the Bronze Star with V device, to doing right by the men he led. His honesty won him readership and respect, from the White House on down. Yet, when he stood up for his children in school, his command did not stand by him. You can read more at Military Times to get the full story.

Please donate via PayPal; log into PayPal on your own, go to the send money page, and put in his email: dj_chcknhawk AT yahoo DOT com; or, you can send donations directly to:

Grisham Legal Fund
c/o Redstone Federal Credit Union
220 Wynn Drive
Huntsville, AL 35893

Please write "Grisham Legal Fund" in the memo line if you use this option.

Milblogs have been a vital link in getting accurate news and information about the military, and military operations, to you. Today, many milblogs are gone and others are under attack from within and without. Today, you have the chance to imagine a world without milblogs, and to do something about it. Make your voice heard by writing your congressional representatives and others, and by making donations as you see fit.

The battle for freedom of speech and the marketplace of ideas is fought on many fronts and in many ways. Without your help, the battle may well be lost.

The Tradition of THE TREE

2009-12-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

I am telling the story of the tradition of some Christmas Trees with a very powerful message... over at PBS/Point of View - Regarding War.

In December 1966, a helicopter sat on the deck of an aircraft carrier off the coast of Vietnam with its crew of five on "stand by." These stand-by assignments were really "sit stills" — you had to be in the chopper and ready to fly a CAP (combat air patrol) at a moment's notice. Many times it was eight hours of sitting and waiting, and not flying.

The pilot of the helicopter was a 24-year old lieutenant fresh from the farm fields of Illinois via flight school in Pensacola. His crewmates, some younger, but none much older, sat and stared out at the pitch black trying to make out the shape of the Navy fueler that had pulled alongside earlier in the day, but which now melted into the blackness of the ocean at night. Occasionally, one of the crew would flip on a red-lensed flashlight to check the time. There was little radio traffic through the headsets and all conversations were conducted at a whisper given the EMCOM (emergency communications only) status — the wind rushing by the open side panel of the chopper the most persistent sound.

About midnight, a lone sailor approached and slid an armful of packages and letters across the floor. "Mail call," he whispered, turned and departed. Under the red glow of a flashlight, the parcels were divvied up to their recipients; the largest of the parcels was passed along to the pilot.

I hope you will stop by and read (it is a true story!!)

PTSD: A Different Perspective, Part II (A Parent's View)

2009-12-07T11:08:00.000-08:00

I have the second part of my perspective (a PARENT'S perspective) up over at PBS: Regarding War/Conversations:

My blog, Some Soldier's Mom, followed my son through his deployment, his wounding, his evacuation and our journey to Germany, his return home, the memorial services and funerals attended for many of his friends, his efforts to handle his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) himself and his subsequent acceptance of formal care for his invisible wounds. We — his parents, family and friends — were drawn into this nightmare by our love for our soldier; we have spent countless hours researching, learning, supporting and advocating.

Through all of this, we have tracked his progress — both the steps forward and the steps back. I have ranted, raved, blogged and asked the obvious questions about diagnosis, treatment and the stigma of PTSD. I have blogged many times about the changes in our son.

For those that truly have PTSD — that is, when the symptoms of post-traumatic stress (PTS) have become chronic — it is the bogeyman behind every door, hiding in every shadow; it is the invisible monster that has stolen the smiles and maybe even a part of these soldiers' souls. These young men and women fight every day trying to get that stolen piece back and to keep from losing more. It can be incredibly tough for those veterans and hard for their families.

The blog post contains some places to start if you are looking for information regarding PTSD in your loved one...

PTSD: A Different Perspective (Part I)

2009-12-01T09:26:00.000-08:00

PTSD looks to be the diagnosis of the decade. Seems everyone has it, or wants to claim it. In the 80s the diagnosis was ADHD... In the 90s, was it narcissism? And now, PTSD: apparently you can get it soon after watching a movie, or years after some bad act. It's all the rage in the news, and a convenient excuse for bad behavior. Even if someone has never personally experienced the trauma, it seems like they only have to hear about someone else's trauma, and POOF — they have PTSD! Worse still are those who point to combat stress as proof that service members are the victims of some nefarious plot. If you believe the media and some politicians, every bad act by someone who happens to be a veteran is the result of some neglect or refusal to identify and treat this condition.

Read the rest of my PTSD: A Different Perspective (Part I) at PBS/Point of View/Conversations

Our Mr. Virgil

2009-11-28T11:34:00.000-08:00

Back in 1999, the family made a decision to get its first dog. I was working from home, the oldest children were out of the house and there was just Noah, so we said, "OK, what the heck... it won't hurt to look. We got our Miss Java. A year later I took a position with a Manhattan law firm and after a few months, we decided that Java needed a companion as she seemed so lonely. So off we went to the animal shelter and found this scruffy looking chow-shepard mix.

He sidled over to the kennel door and licked my hand. He bared his teeth -- but it was not in aggression, but that "smile" chow-chows do. We put him on a leash and walked him... that was all it took to convince us that he was meant for us. We have never regretted it a single day.

He was a dog that probably should never have been adopted out. He was the original junkyard dog -- literally. He had been malnourished and was food aggressive most of his life with us -- NEVER try to take food or a bone from him once he had it in his mouth! He didn't much care for most other dogs and some people -- although it was hard to tell how he would react, so we always took caution when out with him. But once Virgil was your friend, he was your friend.

He LOVED chasing squirrels. When we lived in New York, we never had a squirrel or ground hog in the back yard once Virgil came to live with us! He loved baths. Most dogs are not fans of being bathed -- Virgil couldn't be kept out of the tub! In fact, when we lived in a house with tubs that had shower curtains, when someone got in the shower, he would ease first his nose into the shower, then one leg, then the other... and before you knew it, Virgil was in the shower WITH you!

And he loved being groomed -- whether it was brushing him or clipping his thick dark fur for the summer months -- he would sit contentedly and finally fall over as you combed through his fur. But don't ever try to clip his nails -- Lordy! If you brought out the clippers, he would move to the furthest corner and give you a, "Don't even think about it -- I'm serious!" growl. And he only growled when he meant it.

But his most favorite activity was what we called "surveying the castle grounds". When we lived in New york, our rear deck was a full story above the ground; you could see our yard and all the surrounding yards and streets from the top step of the stairs to the yard. He would spend hours sitting on that top step surveying all his world... and being sure it was safe for his pack. Same when we moved. Even yesterday as he sat on the top step overlooking our property, he managed to leap up, assume the "don't mess with me" stance and give a few hearty barks as a jogger passed by on the trail behind before he had to lay down to conserve his waning strength.

He never much cared for veterinarians... our vet in New York (who was a close friend) used to ask whenever we made appointments for the dogs, "Is this the good dog or the devil dog?" (always said with affection... he had Chow-chows). But he came to love Dr. Smith, his vet here... and because Dr. Smith had a death in the family, and has been away these past few weeks, most recently, he befriended Dr. Baxter (after many visits and many tries LOL).

He never seemed to like children -- often saving his wildest barking for them. Since we didn't have many details about the first year of his life, we weren't sure what the genesis of that dislike was, so we were always especially careful not to bring him anywhere there might be children. When Thomas came to live with us we became especially vigilant, but our worries were for naught -- Virgil and Tom bonded and Virgil became protective of the littlest pup in the pack. I know because Tom is just 2 that he will soon forget Virgil, but he will notice his absence. Even while Virgil was hospitalized earlier this week, he asked every day, "Whar Birgil?" and put his little hands up in a questioning pose. Virgil was really Tom's first dog.

Back in May, just after we had to have our Miss Java euthanized, our Mr. Virgil was diagnosed with Cushings Disease. He had all the tests and he did not have adrenal tumors, so likely pituitary in nature. Virgil had already developed chronic pancreatitis and chronic bowel inflammation besides his thyroid problem; since his Cushings symptoms were moderate, we decided (along with our vet) to not administer the harsh medications for Cushings. With or without treatment, the life expectancy is the same, so why make Virgil miserable? Three weeks ago, his appetite (which has always been VORACIOUS) diminished to half, and two weeks ago to nothing. Tests revealed that he had also developed diabetes. After a hospital stay and unsuccessful treatment, his appetite still had not returned. We kept him here at home and comfortable as long as we could... and as long as Virgil wanted.

Yesterday he was tired. Hard for him to stand and walk. But he could still wag his tail whenever we entered the room. This morning, we knew it was time. His breathing was labored and he was exhausted. He still wagged his tail. As I had with Java just a few months back, I snuggled up next to him on a quilt brought from home, held him in my arms and told him how much we loved him... and how happy we were that he had come to live with us... and just how happy he had made us. And I meant it. Virgil always let us know -- whether we had been out of the room for 10 minutes or away for weeks -- how happy he was to see us!! As much as we always let Virgil (and Java) know how grateful we were that they shared our lives, Virgil (and Java) always let us know in their wagging bodies and gleeful yips and barks that they, too, were glad to be here with us.

Today, as I had with Java, I stroked him and told him about all the family's favorite dogs that would be waiting to jump and play with him... and he sighed a deep sigh and pressed his nose to my cheek and gave me a last kiss... and I asked him to wait for me at the Rainbow Bridge...

Rainbow Bridge

for

VIRGIL, July 4, 1999 - November 28, 2009

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.

There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals that had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. Her bright eyes are intent; her eager body quivers. Suddenly she begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, her legs carrying her faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again.The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

WIN FREE MILITARY BOOTS FOR LIFE!

2009-11-19T11:20:00.000-08:00

MILITARYBOOTS.COM is running this contest... and I, for one, cannot wait to see the pictures and hear the stories! I am certain there will be many, "So there I was... no sh*t..."

Your boots have endured everything you've thrown at them. Drilling. Marching. Combat. Miles upon miles through never-ending plains, scorching deserts, and urban jungles. Whatever your boots' story may be, we want to see 'em.

The Converse Military Boots For Life Contest is searching the planet to find the oldest, most worn-out set of boots. The more battered and tattered, the better. Whether you've crawled through swamps or scaled mountains, you could own the winning pair...and score a LIFETIME SUPPLY OF CONVERSE BOOTS!

Submit a photo of your boots along with a brief story telling us why your boots are in the world's worst condition. Send your entry to contest@militaryboots.com by March 31, 2010.

Show the world what it's been like to walk a mile or 20 in your boots. And be rewarded for your effort!

Win a free pair of Converse military boots every year for the next 20 years, courtesy of Militaryboots.com.

PBS/Point of View: Regarding War

2009-11-17T10:37:00.000-08:00

Our son has been home from war four years and medically discharged for two. His reintegration has not been without its roadblocks and setbacks but, for the most part, like a significant majority of veterans, his life has moved forward — not always in ways he imagined, but forward nonetheless.

No surprise in the lessons we have learned: the people who have helped him the most in his continuing journey have been his family, friends and the veterans' community — especially "The Bridge Builders," described by poet Will Allen Dromgoole as those who cross the chasm and stay to build a bridge for those that come behind.

New posts are up at PBS/Regarding War... including a Vietnam Vet's take on his PTSD... I could use some comments LOL everyone else wants to give "attaboys" to the huffington post people blogging there... so chime in if you feel the urge

http://www.pbs.org/pov/regardingwar/conversations/

Veterans' Day 2009

2009-11-11T10:52:00.000-08:00

I want to salute the veterans in my family...

My Dad L. (Army), my husband J. (Navy), my sister P. (Marines), son E. (Navy) and son N. (Army).

And saluting those still serving...

Son J. (Navy) and nephew Steve (Air Force).

From the oldest to the youngest, they have served in WWII, Vietnam, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Thank you all. You do us proud.

Watch "The Way We Get By" on PBS Tonight

Today is Veterans Day, the one day out of the year that is specifically designated as a time to honor those who serve our country. But Bill Knight, Jerry Mundy, Joan Gaudet and the rest of the Maine Troop Greeters honor veterans and military members throughout the year by greeting them at a tiny airport in Bangor, Maine. In fact, they've greeted over 900,000 soldiers to date! These senior citizens have take it upon themselves to greet every troop plane arriving or departing Bangor, which is the last and first piece of U.S. soil many GIs will see before and after their deployments.

The Way We Get By, which tells the stories of Bill, Jerry and Joan, airs tonight on PBS at 9 PM (Check your local listings).

In connection with the premier of "The Way We Get By", PBS online has relaunched its "POV - Regarding War" site and I will be contributing my thoughts and responding to readers' comments for the next next few months. The site's relaunch is an effort to bring a wider audience to the experience of military service -- especially on Coming Home -- as seen from the Point of View of a Vietnam War veteran, an Iraq War veteran, a military spouse, and a mom.

I hope you will tune in and see "The Way We Get By" and stop by the POV site and read and comment on the conversations there. People not only will have the opportunity to comment on the contributions on the "Conversations" area, but to share their own stories, as well.

Dear CNN: That's NOT What He Said (Again)

2009-11-10T12:09:00.000-08:00

You need to read Greyhawk's coverage of a blatant distortion of the truth that CNN and now other news organizations are spreading.

The TRUTH: The soldier said he clearly heard Hasan shout, "Allah Akbar" when he began firing last week at Ft Hood... the adrenaline made the soldier forget he was SHOT -- it did NOT make him forget what Hasan said.

To you at CNN: you are either the world's worst reporters of news (ok, that's true) OR you blatantly rewrote the Private's interview because you didn't want to hear what he said (yeah, I get that you do that, too). Maybe it's both. And neither of those is speculation.

Please go over and read... HERE. And tell your friends... and family... and tell them to tell their friends and family... Do not let CNN excuse or canonize the TERRORIST MURDERER who killed American citizens... American soldiers.

And I urge you to read the story of the U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen who were "punished" for being male and white... no matter that they worked harder and longer than many others to make the Naval Academy Color Guard... but were yanked and replaced before their appearance at the World Series for a more "diverse" looking color guard... even though those others selected may have been less qualified. Srsly. If it shouldn't be about color (as so many tell me), THEN IT SHOULD NOT BE ABOUT ANYONE'S COLOR!!

WELCOME BACK VETERANS.org

2009-11-09T14:14:00.000-08:00

I know you'll be celebrating Veteran's Day this Thursday. But if you are looking for an extra way to honor our Veterans, this might be up your alley.

Major League Baseball and Welcome Back Veterans are asking people to share their message of thanks to American veterans:

http://www.welcomebackveterans.org/thanks

They will be displaying many of the messages on the Welcome Back Veterans website, and making sure all of them are sent to Veterans themselves -- to show them how much we all stand behind them.

Hope you can take a second to take a look and join the movement.

We Remember

2009-11-08T13:20:00.000-08:00

A Hero's Salute... and Ralph Peters Ft. Hood's 9/11

2009-11-07T11:25:00.000-08:00

11/7/09: Updated below the legend with an opinion of Ralph Peters. Thank you, Ralph. A timely message!

A first responder to a lone gunman's attack at Fort Hood Nov. 5 renders honors at retreat after aiding his fellow soldiers. U.S. Army photo

Our hearts are heavy... Our prayers and thoughts are with our sons and daughters and their sons and daughters at Ft. Hood.

Be sure to read Greyhawk's initial reporting on those who were killed yesterday... and be sure to check back at Mudville Gazette often for updates.

11/7/09

New York Post

Fort Hood's 9/11

By RALPH PETERS

On Thursday afternoon, a radicalized Muslim US Army officer shouting "Allahu Akbar!" committed the worst act of terror on American soil since 9/11. And no one wants to call it an act of terror or associate it with Islam.
What cowards we are. Political correctness killed those patriotic Americans at Ft. Hood as surely as the Islamist gunman did. And the media treat it like a case of non-denominational shoplifting.
This was a terrorist act. When an extremist plans and executes a murderous plot against our unarmed soldiers to protest our efforts to counter Islamist fanatics, it’s an act of terror. Period.
When the terrorist posts anti-American hate-speech on the Web; apparently praises suicide bombers and uses his own name; loudly criticizes US policies; argues (as a psychiatrist, no less) with his military patients over the worth of their sacrifices; refuses, in the name of Islam, to be photographed with female colleagues; lists his nationality as "Palestinian" in a Muslim spouse-matching program, and parades around central Texas in a fundamentalist playsuit — well, it only seems fair to call this terrorist an "Islamist terrorist."
But the president won’t. Despite his promise to get to all the facts. Because there’s no such thing as "Islamist terrorism" in ObamaWorld.
And the Army won’t. Because its senior leaders are so sick with political correctness that pandering to America-haters is safer than calling terrorism "terrorism."
And the media won’t. Because they have more interest in the shooter than in our troops — despite their crocodile tears.
Maj. Nadal Malik Hasan planned this terrorist attack and executed it in cold blood. The resulting massacre was the first tragedy. The second was that he wasn’t killed on the spot.
Hasan survived. Now the rest of us will have to foot his massive medical bills. Activist lawyers will get involved, claiming "harassment" drove him temporarily insane. There’ll be no end of trial delays. At best, taxpayer dollars will fund his prison lifestyle for decades to come, since our politically correct Army leadership wouldn’t dare pursue or carry out the death penalty.
Maj. Hasan will be a hero to Islamist terrorists abroad and their sympathizers here. While US Muslim organizations decry his acts publicly, Hasan will be praised privately. And he’ll have the last laugh.
But Hasan isn’t the sole guilty party. The US Army’s unforgivable political correctness is also to blame for the casualties at Ft. Hood.
Given the myriad warning signs, it’s appalling that no action was taken against a man apparently known to praise suicide bombers and openly damn US policy. But no officer in his chain of command, either at Walter Reed Army Medical Center or at Ft. Hood, had the guts to take meaningful action against a dysfunctional soldier and an incompetent doctor.
Had Hasan been a Lutheran or a Methodist, he would’ve been gone with the simoon. But officers fear charges of discrimination when faced with misconduct among protected minorities.
Now 12 soldiers and a security guard lie dead. 31 soldiers were wounded, 28 of them seriously. If heads don’t roll in this maggot’s chain of command, the Army will have shamed itself beyond moral redemption.
There’s another important issue, too. How could the Army allow an obviously incompetent and dysfunctional psychiatrist to treat our troubled soldiers returning from war? An Islamist whacko is counseled for arguing with veterans who’ve been assigned to his care? And he’s not removed from duty? What planet does the Army live on?
For the first time since I joined the Army in 1976, I’m ashamed of its dereliction of duty. The chain of command protected a budding terrorist who was waving one red flag after another. Because it was safer for careers than doing something about him.
Get ready for the apologias. We’ve already heard from the terrorist’s family that "he’s a good American." In their world, maybe he is.
But when do we, the American public, knock off the PC nonsense?
A disgruntled Muslim soldier murdered his officers way back in 2003, in Kuwait, on the eve of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Recently? An American mullah shoots it out with the feds in Detroit. A Muslim fanatic attacks an Arkansas recruiting station. A Muslim media owner, after playing the peace card, beheads his wife. A Muslim father runs over his daughter because she’s becoming too Westernized.
Muslim terrorist wannabes are busted again and again. And we’re assured that "Islam’s a religion of peace."
I guarantee you that the Obama administration’s non-response to the Ft. Hood attack will mock the memory of our dead.
Ralph Peters’ latest novel is "The War After Armageddon."

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/fort_hood_xjP9yGrJN7gl7zdsJ31vnJ#ixzz0WCPg3GPk

George, Laura Bush visit wounded Hood soldiers

The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Nov 7, 2009 10:05:55 EST

FORT HOOD, Texas — Former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, visited wounded soldiers and their families near the site of the worst mass shooting on an Army post in the United States.

The Bushes made their private visit to Fort Hood’s Darnall Army Medical Center on Friday night. Bush spokesman David Sherzer said in an e-mail that the couple thanked Fort Hood’s military leaders and hospital staff for the “amazing care they are providing.”

AND WHERE IS OUR ESTEEMED PRESIDENT???

2:45PM THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY depart The White House en route Camp David - South Lawn

CONGRATS NY YANKEES!! #27

2009-11-04T20:59:00.001-08:00

WWWWHHHHHOOOOOOOO!!!

CONGRATULATIONS
NEW YORK
YANKEES!!!!!

THANK YOU, GEORGE. THANK YOU.

Attention SecNav!!! Calling all Sailors!!!

2009-11-03T10:47:00.000-08:00

OK, what's with the Navy guys??? You can't all be deployed!! We're waaayyy behind the other services!!!

Come on, let's get on board here! Navy won this little competition last year, and I just know we can again!

PROJECT VALOUR-IT.

Please donate to this worthwhile cause of providing laptop computers to wounded military...

Project Valour-IT helps provide voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries. Items supplied include:

Voice-controlled Laptops - Operated by speaking into a microphone or using other adaptive technologies, they allow the wounded to maintain connections with the rest of the world during recovery.

Wii Video Game Systems - Whole-body game systems increase motivation and speed recovery when used under the guidance of physical therapists in therapy sessions (donated only to medical facilities).

Personal GPS - Handheld GPS devices build self-confidence and independence by compensating for short-term memory loss and organizational challenges related to severe TBI and severe PTSD.

Please give what you can... even $5 goes a long way to get us to our goals.

Note: while this is a friendly inter-service competition, money donated is used to assist members of ALL services branches...

GO NAVY!!!!!

Happy All Hollows Eve

2009-10-31T13:55:00.000-07:00

I wanna be like Dad...

Valour-IT Fundraiser

2009-10-25T22:10:00.001-07:00

PROJECT VALOUR-IT.

Please donate to this worthwhile cause of providing laptop computers to wounded military...

Project Valour-IT helps provide voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries. Items supplied include:

Voice-controlled Laptops - Operated by speaking into a microphone or using other adaptive technologies, they allow the wounded to maintain connections with the rest of the world during recovery.

Wii Video Game Systems - Whole-body game systems increase motivation and speed recovery when used under the guidance of physical therapists in therapy sessions (donated only to medical facilities).

Personal GPS - Handheld GPS devices build self-confidence and independence by compensating for short-term memory loss and organizational challenges related to severe TBI and severe PTSD.

Please give what you can... even $5 goes a long way to get us to our goals.

Military bloggers and friends have a friendly inter-service competition to raise money for this noble cause each year) but if you want to contribute for some other service, find your preferred service:

Team Leaders:
Air Force - MudvilleGazette (http://www.mudvillegazette.com/)

Army - Blackfive (http://www.blackfive.net/ )
Marines - Villainous Company (http://www.villainouscompany.com/vcblog)

(but if you want to be part of the winning team, give NAVY!!)

40 AND FABULOUS !!!!!

2009-10-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

4 games to go for #27!!!

I Met This Man...

2009-10-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, I met this man.

I knew that this man was special the minute we met and I knew I loved him from almost the first. The love I have for this man -- and the love he showers on me -- instantly healed every wound and harm ever done to my heart. Now when I search my heart I can not find an instant that I did not love him. I believe I loved him before we even met and I know for certain there will never be a moment that I don't love him completely and without reservation. As far as my heart can feel forward and back, I love this man.

The very presence of this man makes the world a better place. His service to his country for more than two decades is a source of pride not just to himself, but to his entire family. He makes those around him -- especially me -- better people. His solid support and encouragement have helped me and others achieve things never imagined. I have tried to do the same for him and I hope I have succeeded more times than I have failed. He is far more than any woman could ask of a husband. He truly is my rock... my partner... my friend. My best friend.

He raised our children with a firm but gentle discipline which was far outweighed by the love, affection and encouragement he showered on them. To this day, when he hears a son's or daughter's voice he lights up like a Christmas tree and there is a spring in his step that was not there minutes before. He is still quick to praise and offer encouragement and guidance even though they have established their career paths. As a grandfather, there is none better... the laughter and squeals of grandbabies brings out his own laughter and playfulness.

He was an attentive son who loved his parents without reserve. He tended to them in their dotage and buried them with the respect and tenderness of a man confident in the love they shared.

He is a much respected and loved brother. Happy in the memories of the three brothers' youth together and resolute in their mutual affection as they age.

I never hesitate to tell those who wish to know that the best part of my day is waking next to this man and it is only equaled by the last "I love you" shared with him at night. I truly was incomplete until I met this man.

Birthdays are the days we get to tell those whom we love that we are happy they are in our world. So, DH, this is to let you know how happy I am that you are in my world.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY DEAREST HUSBAND.
WISHING YOU MANY, MANY HAPPY RETURNS!!

All my love -- always.

Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay

2009-10-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay

What is it?

Soldiers, veterans and survivors of those whose service was involuntarily extended under Stop Loss between September 11, 2001 and September 30, 2008 can apply to receive $500 for every month, or portion of a month, they served under Stop Loss. The 2009 War Supplemental Appropriations Act established and largely funded the payment for all military services, but dictated that each service process and pay their own applicants. The Army estimates that 136,000 of the approximately 174,000 eligible servicemembers served in the Army.

What has the Army done?

The Army has created an application process for active-and-reserve component Soldiers, veterans, and survivors of Soldiers to process claims for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay. By law, the Army can only accept claims between October 21, 2009 and October 21, 2010. Eligible candidates must submit their request within this timeframe, or the Army will not be able to process their request. The Army has set up an email address to field questions people have regarding the benefit.

How can people apply?

Candidates for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay must submit a claim at Retroactive Stop Loss Web site . This Web site is the preferred method for submitting applications; however, other means for doing so, such as by mail or fax, will be available to those without access to computers. Additional communications will provide instructions for alternative forms of submission. During the application process, candidates will be asked to show documentation that indicates the time they served under Stop Loss. The necessary documentation, depending on their type of service, includes the following:

● Enlisted Soldiers need to present their DD Form 214 and DD Form 4 Enlistment/Reenlistment/Extension contract(s).

● Enlisted Soldiers who were in an indefinite status need a memorandum showing retirement/separation request was denied or an approved retirement/ separation was amended.

● Officers need a DD Form 214 and memorandum showing Retirement/ Separation request was denied or an approved retirement/separation was amended.

● National Guard Soldiers need to show DA Form 4187 for Stop Loss adjustment of ETS, separation documentation NGB Form 22, and/or NGB Form 1966.

What continued efforts does the Army have planned for the future?

The Army will review, process and pay qualified candidates as they submit their applications at Retroactive Stop Loss Web site. Candidates who meet the criteria and show the required documentation will receive their retroactive payment in a one lump sum. The Army will not accept applications submitted after October 21, 2010.

Resources: Retroactive Stop Loss Web site

Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry!!!

2009-10-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

Sears invites all active military members to register for the Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry program. The Heroes at Home Wish Registry allows America to thank our military heroes and their families by donating to the program. All donations will be evenly distributed in the form of Sears gift cards amongst all military families and members accepted into the program. Registration will be open between 8:00AM CT - 6:00PM CT each day, so register and review program details at www.sears.com/wish today.

We Have Not Forgotten

2009-10-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

Your brothers miss you... even as they have returned to Iraq.

We remember you. We tell your story. We still mourn. And we bear witness. And there are those that carry the name that will tell the story to a whole new generation.

Rest in Peace.

My Thinking Exactly...

2009-10-13T12:27:00.000-07:00

Conservative v. Liberal

If a conservative doesn’t like guns, he doesn't buy one.
If a liberal doesn't like guns, he feels that no one should have one.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat.
If a liberal is, he wants to ban all meat products for everyone.

If a conservative sees a foreign threat, he thinks about how to defeat his enemy.
A liberal wonders how to surrender gracefully and still look good.

If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life.
If a liberal is homosexual, he loudly demands legislated respect .

If a black man or Hispanic are conservative, they see themselves as independently successful.
Their liberal counterparts see themselves as victims in need of government protection.

If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.

If a conservative doesn’t like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those they don’t like be shut down.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn’t go to church.
A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God or religion silenced.

If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.

Troops in A'stan Need Your Help NOW!!

2009-10-07T23:53:00.000-07:00

UPDATE FROM TANKER BABE: all the basic necessities have now been covered! In less than 36 hours, the basics for 56 soldiers have been donated by great and caring Americans! HOOAH! However, the project is not done... we are still hoping to replace the rest of their other personal gear via the American Legion's efforts (see next paragraph & the original blog post.) Bless all who honor our military men & women!!

[from The Burn Pit: UPDATE: OK, link is now active for credit card donations. I just did mine and it went through. Make sure you only click the "donate" button once. Tomorrow I will have info up for those who wish to donate via check or send in items.]

As you all know, this past weekend, an American Combat Outpost was overrun in Afghanistan and 8 American soldiers were killed and many wounded. What many people do not know is that the soldiers who are still there (but pulled back to a Forward Operating Base) lost everything but the clothes on their backs.

This from a friend at the American Legion:

Everything the men of Bravo Troop 361 Cavalry had with them that they were not wearing was destroyed in the battle for Combat Outpost Keating. [snip] These men have lost friends, lost their outpost, and lost all their belongings. One who made it out wrote that “most people back home don't even know -- no one gives a shit”. Well, many of us do.

You can check at TankerBabe's website for a list of basic necessities for which she & others are trying to get commitments (extra clothing, towels & wash clothes, undershirts... things like that.)

If you can commit to providing certain things on her list or wish to make a cash donation towards these basic necessities, please email TankerBabe at tankerbabelc@gmail.com or Mark at the American Legion MOTHAX@LEGION.ORG

Additionally, the American Legion is setting up a relief fund that will be collecting money to replace the soldiers' iPods, DVDs, PCs and other such "comfort" items (which are NOT issued by the Army) that make serving in some of the most Heaven-forsaken country on Earth bearable.

And you can prove [you care] by giving whatever you can to try and buy these guys things like running shoes, and other essentials, as well as some comfort items like iPods and DvD players. The American Legion’s Operation Comfort Warrior has kicked in $1000 to start the Combat Outpost Keating Relief Fund... I intend to get these items out by the end of next week. ANY amount you can give, no matter how small will help us prove that we do care.]

The whole story (including details of the battle and the aftereffects) can be found at this post at the American Legion Blog "The Burn Pit" The Battle for COP Keating and How You Can Help

The American Legion will be posting the contact information for the Legion's COP Keating Relief Fund there shortly.

Please pass this information on to friends, families and colleagues. If you are a member of a club or church group that might wish to help, please be sure to involve them, too!!

And be sure to read Greyhawk's roundup of information before, during & after at Mudville Gazette.

Many Thanks!

-- Some Soldier's Mom

PS To the azzholes out there who are writing these incredulous blog posts about how the U.S. spends so much on defense yet we have to have private fund raising to give these soldiers this stuff: You are f@#$%^ MORONS!! Your total IGNORANCE of all things military is showing! If you read Tanker Babe's info closely enough, you will see that she makes clear that the Army is replacing the basics -- one set each (usually... except ACUs). The call is to help provide for additional things & EXTRA sets of socks, boots, running shoes, EXTRA towels & soft blankets, etc. (which all soldiers everywhere also provide themselves!) The American Legion effort is addressing PERSONAL and COMFORT items like DVDs, iPods, maybe laptops...

So you should either PUT UP or STFU... 'cause you are the exact same group of people who would be whining and shuffling if the military gave that kind of stuff to the troops.

From a favorite Army friend:

My reply would be simple. Would you rather the Army buy Body Armor or Socks? The stuff's expensive. If you say both, you don't understand competing demands. Both cost money; to buy one, you have to forsake some quantity of the other. Every item the Army buys has a priority. Socks are a lower priority than other things. I'm sure the Army has a warehouse full of socks somewhere, so lets focus on logistics. It isn't like the supply officer can run to wal-mart. They are in Afghanistan. It isn't the asshole of the world, but you can smell it from there. Everything has to be brought in either by trucks on nearly non-existent roads or by aircraft. Sure, those C-17s look big, until you stock them with essentials like food, ammo, medical supplies, mail, repair parts, petroleum, oil, and lubricants for weapons, building supplies for defenses, and water--for 500 people, for a week or a month.

So now it's a logistics priority. Where do uniform items fall on the supply priorities? Well below the other things mentioned. Mail has an immeasurable effect on morale, so it almost ALWAYS gets priority, right behind bullets, chow, and bandages. Broken uniforms can be fixed with a (much smaller) sewing kit. Uniforms wear out a lot faster when they don't get washed often, even faster when they are hand-washed. When water has to be flown in, washing clothes isn't at the top of the list of things you use water for.

Instead of reasoning with you about supply chain metrics or the priorities of resupply, I'll just ask you to pony up five fucking dollars, the cost of a Latte and Biscotti, and buy a damn pair of socks for a deployed soldier. Then spend an extra five dollars (might have to forgo renting a couple movies this weekend) and mail them to someone whose highlight of the week might just be that single pair of fresh, clean socks he received in the mail. Take stock of your cushy -assed life and do something for someone else for a change. Stop bitching about how much the government spends on defense, and help a soldier out. Right now, it doesn't matter WHY there's a shortage, it only matters that there IS a shortage, and the fastest way to fill that gap is by the American People stepping up and taking action themselves. Nobody's asking YOU to pick up a rifle or put YOUR life at risk. They're just asking you for a pair of fucking socks.

Better yet, keep your money and your fucking stamps. I'm sure those same men would rather go barefoot until their feet bleed than accept a gift given begrudgingly. If you're pissed off about the need, fill the need, then petition congress for a redress of grievance -- like the way DoD can't supply adequate socks. It's a right those soldiers DON'T have, that they are fighting for you to keep.

-- No Nom

The Trinity Site & the Very Large Array

2009-10-05T19:19:00.000-07:00

Did a weekend trip to New Mexico where we met up with some family from Colorado... visited The Trinity Site -- only open two weekends a year... great opportunity to see a bit of history... and a trip to another place on my Life List, The Very Large Array. Fascinating. Interesting and wonderfully scenic. Altogether a wonderful weekend with the DH and a favorite sister and her DH... relaxed and intellectually stimulating... We were absolutely thrilled to learn that our tour guide through the VLA site and control center was an astronomer who was involved with the first proof that quasars actually existed and weren't just theoretical. Too cool. His knowledge and enthusiasm was contagious and uplifting. HIGHLY recommend both sites (although Trinity is not open again until April.)

Wanna Take a Ride? Blog World & New Media Expo 2009

2009-09-26T15:01:00.000-07:00

My friend and fellow military blogger Laughing Wolf has a challenge he'd like you to help him with:

Well, I love a challenge and now have quite a large one on my plate. It seems that the folks at Blog World & New Media Expo (Las Vegas, NV Oct. 15-17, 2009) think we can get 200 people to the milblog track, and is willing to back that with up to 200 free memberships!! He has challenged me to get the word out to as many military members (current and veteran), milbloggers, milblog readers, military supporters, and others as possible, particularly in the California, Arizona, Nevada region.

So first, anyone currently serving or former service who drops Laughing Wolf a line at blake at blakepowers.net with BWE09 Registration in the subject line, and tell him in the body who they are, he/she will get a code for a free registration!!

Second, all milspouses, spousebloggers, milparent, milparent bloggers and military supporters can also get a code if they do the same!!! And I see on the BWE site that the Hilton has an awesome $69 room rate until Oct. 1.

So if you have an interest in new media (twitter, face book, flickr, etc.) and blogging -- especially military-related -- AND you want a great weekend in Vegas, you need to contact LW asap.

Do it. It's a great experience!!

DEAR ILLINOIS 41st Dist.: VOTE FOR MATT BURDEN

2009-09-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

Matthew Currier Burden. Matt Burden to some. Blackfive to others. He's taken the plunge. He's running for the Illinois House of Representatives from the 41st District.

I personally have known Matt for a number of years. He and I have exchanged emails and we have had long talks. He was% one of the first people to contact m after Noah was wounded in Iraq. He put Soldiers' Angels in touch with us so that Noah would have whatever he needed (including hugs and clothing) when he arrived in Germany.

Matt is a special man. He served his country both as an enlisted Army soldier and as an officer. He is a military blogger (actually, the largest).

He is a family man. He has a great wife and two wonderful kids.

He was the editor of The Blog of War (to which I contributed and essay).

He works tirelessly for wounded warriors (Soldiers' Angels, among many organizations) and in defense of warriors' legacy (Warrior Legacy Foundation). And that's in addition to his full time job and milblogging.

He is kind, caring, intelligent, and a no nonsense kind of guy. He describes himself as a Reagan Conservative. Above all, Matt Burden is HONEST. If we're going to change this country back to what it should be, start with little steps. This is one of them.

VOTE FOR MATT BURDEN (but only if you live in his district)

Donate what you can. $10 or $25...

I'm only sorry that I do not live in Illinois any more, but Matt makes me proud to say I am a native Illinoisan.

The only complaint I have is that Matt has set his sights (for now, at least) too low in running for the Illinois State Legislature. I personally think he should run for the U.S. Senate seat!!

HERE'S THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE.

HERE'S HIS BLOG ENTRY.

Matt, we are so proud of you!!! You are JUST what Illinois needs!!

For Maggie45 and My Other Peeps...

2009-09-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

allergies = puffy eyes

helping grandpa

wonderful... happy... funny... delightful... he makes our hearts smile

It's 9-11. Patriots' Day. A Day of Remembering.

2009-09-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

I will be attending a 9-11 Memorial this evening in our town. This is the t-shirt I'll be wearing.

I'll stop by church earlier in the day. A tradition... my visits the first 3 anniversaries were to St. Patrick's Cathedral on 5th Avenue in Manhattan... as I had visited St. Pat's on 9-11-01 as fighter jets skimmed the top of the skyline overhead and the Nation waited to know just who had attacked our country that day.

I told my personal story of what it was like in Midtown Manhattan and in the days that followed HERE on the 5th Anniversary.

Absolutely be sure to read the stories of Rick Rescorla -- an incredible man and HERO who saved THOUSANDS of lives that day. HERE. HERE. HERE. HERE.

Be sure to read some of the stories of the 2,996 who died that day. Those that were murdered that day -- many of whom were NYPD and NYFD from our neighborhood and the surrounding communities.

And I get that some people are idealistic -- or perhaps naive -- and want to honor the dead and those who eagerly served on and after 9-11 with good deeds, but that whole day of "service" thing should have been 9-10 or 9-12.

9-11 is a day of mourning. A day to remember those who died. A day to remember that this country was ATTACKED. A day that still evokes the images of mothers and fathers (sons and daughters) leaping to their death; of people screaming to be saved from the smoke that burned their lungs and the fire that burned their skin; of the firefighters who strode to their deaths in those buildings; of the thousands of families who first, wondered, and then had their hearts ripped from them as it became clear that there would be no survivors. It became a macabre ritual to open our suburban paper each morning and read on page 3, "The following remains from the World Trade Center have been identified..." Every day. FOR 13 MONTHS.

Sorry, but as I told a friend who forwarded a suggestion that we all pray to overcome our "petty differences" in the world, I didn't think 2,996 deaths that day (or the tens of thousands that have been murdered worldwide by extremists) to be "petty"... and that it will take me a lot longer than eight years to approach forgiveness. As a Christian I guess I should be working on it, but I'm working on my other imperfections first.

And if anyone has the audacity to tell me that my shirt conveys the wrong message (as had been suggested to one of my sons who wore his shirt earlier this week), I will tell them that not only is it my right to wear it, but they'd be wearing this shirt, too, if they bothered to educate themselves about the enemy. And if you want to know how long these terrorists have been at war with US, see HERE.

We must remember. Never forget.