Archive for February, 2007
February 8, 2007 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in Military News
DENVER - A bill making it easier for overseas military personnel to vote was quickly approved Tuesday by the State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee in the Colo. House. ‘House Bill 1149 would allow commissioned officers to sign absentee-ballot applications for registered Colorado voters stationed overseas.’ Soldiers must cast an actual vote but someone else can do the paperwork. The measure is especially important to special forces who are in outlying areas. There are hopes the bill’s passage will spur other state to pass similar legislation.
Found here.
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February 7, 2007 By Marcus
Posted in Guest Blogger, Why We Serve
I have spent a good deal of time over the last four and a half years attempting to explain why I serve. That is a question I am asked all too frequently, and I have never come up with an answer I feel adequately explains my service.
There isn’t a huge history of military service in my family. A couple of uncles by marriage have served, but the last relative related by blood to serve was my great-grandfather. This was a fact unknown to me until he passed away in late 2001. I had already entered the Delayed Entry Program, but Grandpa’s mind had already failed him. I saw the tri-folded flag on a stand next to his open coffin and felt a connectedness I had never felt with him before. We weren’t very close through most of my life, but I felt as close to him in that single moment as I fell with my father and grandfather. Even that connection doesn’t come close enough to explain why I serve.
I am one of the younger voices in the MilBlog community. I joined the Marine Corps in the months just after September 11th. I vividly remember the images of that day, and the uncertainty on every face in my high school. My classmates and I had visions of graduation and college already in our minds, and nothing could take our focus from the end of our high school career until that day. I saw tears running down the faces of people I’d known for the majority of my life. Never did I think I would see them openly weep. I saw rage in the eyes of some of the calmest minds. Never did I think such anger could come from their heart. Never did I think I would take a stand to protect all of them and the American way of life.
I serve so that something like September 11th doesn’t have to happen to any nation ever again. I pray that sacrificing any plans I made as a high school senior will keep even one innocent American from falling to terrorism. I pray that I can help make a difference in this world now to bring about a hope of defeating radicals. Most importantly, I hope that I can one-day give a better world to my daughter so that she and her family can live the American Dream.
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February 6, 2007 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in Veteran Benefits
An article in a VFW news release states that if you are a wartime veteran who is no longer able to work and have a limited income, you may be eligible for a Veterans Disability Pension. “Many veterans of wartime service are completely unaware of the fact if they are age 65 or older and on a limited income they may qualify for a VA pension even if they are not disabled.” To learn more about eligibility call 800-827-1000 or visit the VONAPP Web site.
Found here.
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By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in Veteran Benefits
VA Mortgage Center.com has released a BAH Calculator to help determine the cost of a home for which you qualify when using your BAH. It is a simple, but cool tool.
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By DougT
Posted in Guest Blogger, Why We Serve
[Continuing on with the "Why We Serve" series is Doug from Afghanistan Without a Clue. This is an excellent post and you can get updates from his experience in Afghanistan from daily updates on his blog.]
My path to military service and my current assignment in Afghanistan is rather unusual, but it just shows that those of us defending our country are as different and unique as the general populous. When I was growing up, joining the military did not seem so far-fetched. My father was an Air Force officer, and I was a huge military buff most of my childhood through high school and college. I studied World War II, built models from the period, and memorized all sorts of military trivia.
Yet, soon after I graduated from college (with a degree in English Education) I became a high school teacher. I also got married, and after four years of teaching, I was tired of poverty. I had a wife and two kids to take care of, but there isn’t much you can do with an English degree other than teach. But I did discover that you could join the military and go to Officer Training School with any degree, assuming you scored high on their tests and were selected by their board.
My wife Jancy was an Army brat, and of course I was an Air Force brat, so we both knew how tough a military life could be on the kids, as they switched schools over and over again. We weren’t keen on going back, but we weren’t keen on being poor either, so I took the plunge and joined. I have never regretted it.
The Air Force has indeed been a tough life. After our last move a couple of years ago, we both never wanted to move again. But we’ve had the pleasure of living in Germany, as well as many places in the US, and I’ve been fortunate to have a series of fascinating jobs. The pay is pretty good too, and after twenty years, you can retire and get half of your basic pay for the rest of your life. Not too shabby.
So far I sound more like a mercenary than a patriot, but economics does lead many people into the military. However, it isn’t mere money that keeps people serving year after year. Since being deployed to Afghanistan for eight months so far, with four to go, I have changed quite a bit.
It all started about a year ago. The Air Force was going to be filling Army positions in both Iraq and Afghanistan. That meant that not only would we be deployed for a year, we would have to go to Army Combat Skills Training first. We would be wearing body armor, carrying weapons, and going into harm’s way. You can’t imagine how shocking this was to us in the Air Force. We didn’t do that sort of thing. We did our fighting from airplanes, and those who didn’t fly were stationed well behind enemy lines at air bases. Now we were being thrown into the Army. Yikes! This was scary. I was certainly afraid. In fact, my current boss, Maj Apple, is filling a slot that was turned down by six previous majors. By that I mean they decided to get out of the Air Force rather than do this job. These are guys with 12-15 years of service, and they got out. I don’t say this to insult them, just to show how frightening it was.
I had almost 18 years in when I got tagged, and for me it was an easy decision. Even though I was 44 years old, I’d take whatever the Army was going to throw at me. I wasn’t real excited about it, but I was going to stick it out. I’m glad I did, and not just because I’ll get my retirement pay either.
Arriving in Afghanistan was like going to another planet. You can check out my blog for daily descriptions of the culture shock I experienced as I tried to adapt. But I have learned so much here, made good Afghan friends, overcome my fears, and generally become a better person (at least in my humble opinion). I’ve also come to more fully appreciate how precious our freedoms are, and how vigilant we must be to protect them.
Afghanistan is an Islamic Republic, which means the laws are based on the Qu’ran. If any Muslim leaves the faith, they can be executed. Anyone who admits to being a homosexual will probably be killed by their own family, but if they survive that, they will certainly be arrested and probably executed by the state. Trying to convert someone to any other religion will either get you deported, jailed, or executed. Many women are still treated more like property than like human beings. It was even worse under the Taliban, and it’s pretty bad now. It is people with this mindset that we are fighting, and they aren’t going to go away.
We often talk with our interpreters, or the Afghan soldiers we work with, and try to explain things like freedom of religion or equality of the sexes, and I think while they understand the words, they don’t really understand the concepts. But they do understand that we are one of the wealthiest nations in the world, and Afghanistan is one of the poorest.
Virtually everyone here would move to the US in a second, given the chance.
With all our problems, America is a fantastic place. Our freedoms and prosperity offend the Islamists that seek to destroy us. We have a long way to go before we dare relax. If they ever get a nuclear weapon, they will not hesitate to use it. Do not be deceived; they hate us that much. I’ve seen first-hand how much the Taliban hate their own people.
I’ve rambled a bit, but now to the crux of the matter. I now serve with a new sense of pride that I am contributing in a small way to the protection of our country and the rebuilding of another. I have no desire to die here, and I hope to return in one piece and enjoy my retirement. But for these last two years in the Air Force I am part of something important and essential. I will have amazing stories to tell, and I have been changed for the better. As I say to my men as we drive around Kabul, It’s hard to believe we get paid to do this.
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February 5, 2007 By Hook
Posted in Guest Blogger, Why We Serve
[The next guest blogger up in our "Why We Serve" series is none other than Sgt Hook. Sgt Hook will be attending the MilBlogging Conference in Washington DC and will be providing updates and reports about the conference on this blog, so be sure to check them out on the days surrounding May 5. We are sure you will enjoy his post in the "Why We Serve" series.]
I was born the son of a United States Coast Guardsman. His father an immigrant from Scotland who at age 14 arrived to Ellis Island and quickly went from the coal mines of Pennsylvania to the halls of a big city newspaper in Connecticut. He left Scotland after losing his father to the war, a proud warrior in the famed Scottish Black Watch Regiment.
My dad, my hero, the commander served some 28 plus years in the uniform of the United States Coast Guard first as an enlisted man, and later as an officer before retiring. As I moved towards maturity and my high school graduation, he tried to talk me into joining the service, any branch thereof, but at 18 years of age, having moved every three years while growing up, I wanted nothing more to do with military life.
Four years later, after dropping out of university and bouncing around from bartending job to bartending job, I joined the Army. I think it is important to note that why I joined is a bit different from why I serve. When I sat down with the recruiter, I was looking to put some direction into my life after leaving school and was very concerned with making enough money to pay on my student loans. I was adamant though in that I wanted a job that offered training in aviation so that I could use those skills as a civilian someday down the road.
Admittedly, patriotism and a sense of serving my nation were not upper most in my mind as I entered the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS); food, shelter, and bills most certainly were. I do think, however, that a sense of duty contributed to my decision in joining the Army (and not the Coast Guard is a post in itself). I say that because though I quite deftly negotiated for an aviation job with the Army counselor charged with drawing up my contract, the moment I stood flanked by our national colors with my right hand raised and swore an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, I felt my heart swell and I can sincerely say that it has not shrunk since, in almost 20 years.
“I, Sgt Hook, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”
But that was when I joined and why I joined, this post is titled Why We Serve. I have taken that very same oath 4 times over since that 21st day of May, 1987, re-enlisting and re-affirming my commitment to serve.
I think it safe to say that I continued to serve for a myriad of reasons over the years. Foremost was/is that I absolutely loved my job. I mean how cool is it to get paid a decent wage to fly helicopters all over the globe, learn to shoot five or six different weapon systems, meet women from several different countries, attend military schools that challenge your soul, forge friendships for life, and make a difference in the lives of others? It truly isn’t just a job, it is an adventure (at least I didn’t throw in “being all one can be”).
As I grew up, both personally and professionally, I found that I continued to enjoy serving. I relished in teaching young Soldiers the lessons that I had learned and found pride in watching many of them rise up and meet challenge after challenge.
I eventually settled down, a little, married and started a family and my reasons for serving became firmly entrenched within who I am. When my son was born and I held him for the first time I was instantly overcome with just how heavy of a responsibility I faced in raising him. It was not lost on me that my chosen profession, the profession of arms, protected his future, defended a way of life that would provide him, and all the other babies in the hospital nursery, with freedoms and opportunities not found anywhere else in the world.
We serve not for ourselves, but for others; our children, family, loved ones, and friends. We serve for those that served before us, desperate to not allow their sacrifices be for naught, determined not to let them down. We serve for those unable to serve themselves, offering hope and help that they may one day know liberty. We serve in hopes that those we serve will be proud of us. We serve with honor. We serve in victory. We serve. Sgt Hook out.
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February 4, 2007 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in Why We Serve
We have received so much positive feedback in the short time since CJ did his guest blogging post on “Why We Serve” that we have decided to do a series on the topic. If you would like to add your own post in the “Why We Serve” series, contact us by sending an email to blog -at- vamortgagecenter.com or leave a comment on this post.
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February 2, 2007 By CJ
Posted in Guest Blogger, Why We Serve
[The post is from CJ at Soldier's Perspective. His blog won our Best MilBlog contest. CJ and Marcus donated the $2,500 to the Camp Lejeune Ballerinas. Well done fellows. We hope everyone enjoys this fantastic post by our guest blogger CJ.]
Kind of an all-inclusive title coming from just one Soldier. The fact is that there are as many reasons “why we serve” as there are Soldiers doing it. My goal is to give you a little information about my experiences over the past 12 years in the active duty Army that allow me to answer this question. I’ll start with why I serve.
I joined the Army in January 1995, three years after graduating high school. My father was a Command Master Chief (CMC), E-9, in the Navy. I grew up in the military. Some would say I’ve actually been serving my country for 33 years. But, the military wasn’t a natural option for me. I was a punk growing up. I generally stayed out of trouble, although I listened to heavy metal music and frequently dyed my hair bright colors. The day I joined the Army I had purple hair. My drill instructors called me Barney because after my initial buzz cut I still have a purple tint to my noggin. After high school, I became a DJ in overseas clubs in Japan and also worked as a loss prevention specialist in the Navy Exchange.
When I left Japan in 1994 (I graduated in 1992), I found myself almost broke and had gotten engaged to the most beautiful woman in the world. My sister was about to join the Army but backed out at the last minute and felt guilty for it. She gave her recruiter my name and said “he’ll join for sure”. I laughed when I got the call.
The recruiter wanted me to come in to take some tests, but I played hard to get and made him come to my house. After all, HE wanted ME. Recruiters don’t generally allow recruits to take these tests in home, but I did and scored well. Little by little I found myself sucked into the military lifestyle again. I wanted to be an MP, but at the time there was a height limit and I’m only 5′5″. Instead, I chose to become a linguist.
I think all along I knew deep down that I was going to join the military one day. I loved my country greatly, though guys that looked like I did don’t typically join the military. I looked up to my father and all that he had accomplished in the Navy. I loved travelling and, to be honest, the prospect of spending the rest of my life stuck in Florida didn’t appeal to me. I signed up for six years and haven’t looked back since.
I didn’t join for college money, though I paid into the GI Bill and have been taking advantage of the educational benefits. I’ve earned more than two years of college credit from my military experience without ever stepping into a classroom or taking a class. Honestly, I didn’t even join for travel. One of my childhood dreams was to become a truck driver, which would have fulfilled that need. And I didn’t do it for the money. I only got an $8000 bonus for joining (Soldiers now can get almost $40,000). My father made it clear that no one gets rich in the military. We lived comfortably on his CMC pay but definitely weren’t well off by any means. I still have my first few pay stubs that prove I wasn’t going be joining yacht clubs any time soon.
I joined the Army to become a man. I wanted to be able to support my future wife and do something noble with my life. There are worse things in life to do than serving one’s country.
Most of the Soldiers I’ve had the privilege to serve with feel the same way. We love our freedom so much that we’re willing to stake our lives on it. Soldiers died with a purpose. They died for something far more important than a pair of Nike shoes or a stereo system. They died for far more than road rage or a drunk driver. Their lives and their deaths had purpose. They died protecting people who have no influence over their lives. They died for people with different values, beliefs, religious convictions, and motives. In some cases, they died for people who would much rather have killed them themselves. But, they still died for something!! I would say that each of us live for something as well.
It is true that many people join the military for college, large bonuses, and the free medical care. I don’t think that you can find a Soldier who joined for that one specific purpose. Granted, it is a motivator, but it’s not the be-all-end-all of reasons. Soldiers have an inherent sense of selflessness that engrained in them. No one in their right mind would risk their lives on a battlefield just to pay off a college loan. They’re safer trying to rob a bank for the money. We do it because they love this country. We do it because they love freedom. We do it because we want others to have the success and freedoms we enjoy here at home. We do it for you.
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By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in Veteran Benefits
Minnesota GI Bill To Provide Education Benefits; Governor unveils $74.8 million Military and Veterans support package
January 8, 2007 — Continuing his commitment to members of the military and veterans, Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced an historic $74.8 million Military and Veterans Support Package to assist veterans, active military members and their families.
“The brave men and women in the military raise their hands and courageously serve all of us. We owe them our appreciation and respect in our words and our deeds. This Military and Veterans Support Package strongly sends that message,” Governor Pawlenty said.
The Governor’s proposal includes two dozen initiatives. The two largest items are a 100% exemption from state income tax for military pay and military pensions and a Minnesota GI Bill that will provide education benefits to thousands of veterans and their dependents. The $74.8 million package of initiatives will be included in the Governor’s budget proposal later this month.100% exemption from state income tax for military pay and pensions � $16.5 million
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February 1, 2007 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in Veteran Benefits
U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) announced Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2007 that the budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs under the fiscal year 2007 Joint Funding Resolution is $3.6 billion higher for veterans medical care than the budget approved by the previous Congress.
Rahall, an outspoken supporter of our Nation’s veterans, said that the increase will help the VA health care system better keep up with inflation and the increasing number of veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.
“This funding increase will provide $278 million dollars more a month for the VA system,” Rahall said. “This increase is essential if we want to avoid harmful cuts in health care services and the sooner we pass this legislation and send it to the President the better it will be for our brave servicemen and women.”
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