Archive for January, 2009
January 20, 2009 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in Blogroll, Charities/Contests, Top Posts
You Served and VA Mortgage Center.com are proud to announce the MilBlog Bailout of 2009.
As you know, we love reading what every soldier, veteran, friend, and family member has to say about their lives in the military. In recent years, milblogs have become one of the strongest and most popular forces in driving that communication. That’s one of the reasons we started You Served – we wanted to become an active part of the conversation.
So what is this MilBlog Bailout? It’s an opportunity for any military blogger to blog for free in 2009. We’ll reimburse you for your hosting bill. With hard times falling on many in our country with the economy (etc.), it would be a shame if even a single milblog shut down this year for financial reasons.
If you currently blog on a free service such as Blogger, we’d be happy to help you move to your own domain. The associated costs are eligible to be completely covered through our MilBlog Bailout.
Please note that if you choose to participate, you are in no way obligated to endorse our blog or our company. No advertising agreement or requisite ‘pat on the back’ is necessary. We are offering this program because we love military blogs. We love reading them, we love having bloggers on our podcast, and we love working with some of the best out there in CJ, Troy and Claire.
Sign up today for the MilBlog Bailout Program and spread the word to anyone who may be interested. The program is limited to the first 25 bloggers who sign on so please respond quickly!
3 Comments »
January 19, 2009 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in Uncategorized, Why We Serve
In early 2008, VA Mortgage Center.com released our first Stats and Reports section on VA Loans. We recently updated the report with new figures for 2009. While most of the general statistics related to Veterans remained the same, changes in the housing market, lending, and the general downturn of the economy have us all sitting in a very different position than the one we were in a year ago today.
Is it a good time to buy a home? Refinance? The short answer is – generally, yes. The Veterans Benefits Improvement Act which became law in October 2008 helped create a flood of new VA refinances. The 100% cash out option has made it very attractive for military homeowners to refinance and lower their monthly mortgage payment.
Coupled with the fall of interest rates, now is the time to at least explore your options when it comes to refinancing.
Falling home prices have created an outlook for 2009 that is attractive to buyers. Those who can qualify for a VA Loan – that is, YOU – are perhaps the most powerful home buyers in the market today. No downpayment, great rates, government-backed financing. You probably wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the housing markets in heavy military areas are doing extremely well also right?
As always, thanks for reading and listening here at YouServed.com.
2 Comments »
January 16, 2009 By CJ
Posted in Uncategorized, Why We Serve
On Nov. 11, 2008, CPT Joseph Merrill and 1SG James Meltz, Company Command Team, D Co., 27 Infantry Brigade Combat Team, New York Army National Guard, were awarded the Bronze Star for Valor for their actions south of Kabul on the night of May 25, 2008.
CPT Merrill and 1SG Meltz led a convoy bound from Kabul to Kandahar when a Taliban force ambushed it with small-arms fire and grenades. When a Rocket-Propelled Grenade -round hit one of their up-armored HMMWVs, 1SG Meltz directed suppressive fire and brought the crew of the disabled vehicle to safer ground. Keeping constant contact with each other, CPT Merrill and 1SG Meltz coordin
ated direct actions that forced the enemy to take cover behind a nearby barricade. Through the ensuing three-hour fight, CPT Merrill and 1SG Meltz systematically positioned their men to envelop the enemy. Finally, with a well-aimed anti-tank missile, 1SG Meltz destroyed the barricade, exposing the remaining enemy position and then eliminated the threat, successfully repulsing the enemy while suffering no casualties.
For their gallantry in action, CPT Joseph Merrill and 1SG James Meltz are this week’s Warrior-Soldiers.
2 Comments »
By Claire
Posted in Spouse and Family
Last week I wrote about a strength’s based view of military marriages. I did a pretty extensive search on research around marriage and the military, and of course there was not much that was documented on the characteristics of strong military marriages. One article I came across piqued my interest though, and I set it aside to write about this week.
The article I came across was about a specific intervention used on a small number of military couples who sought counseling after reintegration stress was causing their marriage to suffer. These couples were seen by therapists who used the “Role-Exit” theory to counsel them. The article does not give specifics about the approach, nor does it say exactly how the model was implemented (so to control for variables in the approach). There was definitely not enough participants for any conclusions to be drawn, and the article’s authors never try and say that their work is generalizable outside of the couples who actually participated. I found it interesting because of the model used, and the couples who did participate seemed to find it helpful.
The theory has an interesting background with a very rich history and a good longitudinal follow-up (which is the best in social research, but rare). The article’s authors explain:
Role-exit theory was initially designed and explored by Helen Ebaugh (1977). Role-exit is defined as the “departure from any role that is central to one’s self-identity” (Ebaugh, 1988, p. 149). Ebaugh initially formulated her theory following research done with 57 former nuns who left convent life following Vatican II (Ebaugh, 1977). She followed up this initial research through the study of groups of retirees, recovering addicts, parents who gave up custody of children, and others (Ebaugh, 1988).
Ebaugh was able to categorize the actual stages that a person goes through when they are leaving a particular role they once held. This is very common in a lot of social theories. It is a method of explaining the progression of adjustment and adaptation when people are faced with changes. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross was a pioneer in naming stages of human grief. The US Army has also released developed a similar stage-progression theory around deployment. It can be a very effective tool for understanding where support may be most needed. Usually these stages are not mutually exclusive of one another. Sometimes they can happen simultaneously, and sometimes they can happen in regression as well. I am just clarifying that a theory that uses stages is not arguing that the process for human adjustment is not a linear process that happens in single momentary events. These stages are normally cumulative and may recur in various stages or adjustment (maybe same issue with a new level of understanding). Continue reading this post…
3 Comments »
January 15, 2009 By Troy
Posted in Podcast, Why We Serve
First let me say that you can now email both hosts (CJ and I) directly with ideas for guests or topics, questions for guests, requests for information, or job offers on any major TV or radio network directly at cjandtroy@youserved.com.
Also, you can now follow You Served Blog and Radio show on Twitter. Our twitter address is www.twitter.com/youserved.
As for tonight’s show, we will have music band A.I. They have a new song entitled “Time 2 Come Home” dedicated to troops. Check out more of their music at http://www.aimusic.com or on iTunes.
Milblogger, good friend, fellow soldier, and author Toby Nunn is now working hard with Soldiers Angels. We’ll talk to him about what the organization is about.
We are also working on getting a surprise guest on the show for tonight. So be sure and check us out at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/youserved
No Comments »
January 13, 2009 By CJ
Posted in Uncategorized
Being a Cavalry Soldier since I came into the Army, I love to support the Cav. When I first started this project, it was to support a deployment of the 11th ACR during their last deployment to Iraq. I never changed the name, but now the project supports ALL troops, depending on which units I have addresses for at the time. Sometimes it’s a Marine unit and sometimes it’s an Army unit. This year it’s the Army’s turn again.
Each year, I collect donations to purchase Girl Scout Cookies which are sent overseas to troops for their enjoyment. Girl Scout Cookies are a little piece of home that brightened MY day when I got my first box in the…um…box! The sandbox of Iraq that is. I remember unwrapping that log of Thin Mint cookies that had been fused together by the heat. Nothing like eating an entire log as if it were a chocolaty, minty hot dog! It was impossible to separate them individually so I didn’t try.
Well, the Girl Scouts are at it again and so am I. But, this year is even sweeter than past years. Yesterday, I picked up nearly 100 pounds of free Starbucks coffee donated by Americans for the troops from the local Starbucks Coffee on Airport Road in Huntsville (plug, plug). This is the second time they’ve collected and donated Coffee For The Troops. Last year was over 100 pounds of coffee. Many of these bags have personal messages of support for the troops written on them in black marker.
To find out what you can do to help, please check out my other blog at A Soldier’s Perspective.
No Comments »
By Troy
Posted in Blogroll, News
Via the 2009 Milblog Conference website…
“As you know, we experimented with moving our annual conference to Vegas in 2008. We had a great time in Vegas – how could you not have a great time in Vegas – but, Washington is a better venue for our official conference, so the 2009 MilBlog Conference will be held in
Washington, DC. Milbloggers will continue to have a presence in Vegas at the annual Blog World Expo, which recently made some news, but the big conference will move back to Washington.
Going back to the successful model of 2007, all events will take place at The Westin Arlington Gateway on April 24-25.
Read the entire story here and learn about room reservations and more.
No Comments »
January 12, 2009 By Troy
Posted in Life in the Military
Where are they? Will someone tell me? Will someone please point them out? Apparently most of the true war-fighters are in the company grade ranks and below in the Active Army, and very few are in the Battalion or higher ranks.
You may be asking yourself “Troy, what are you saying? Are you bashing the military leadership?”
I am calling it like I see it, and it is up to the reader to define what it looks like to them. If you listened to the New Year’s Day You Served Radio show hosted by CJ and myself, then you heard us talking to Scott Kesterson. Scott talked about some of the things he saw over the last three months while embedded as a reporter in the southeast of Afghanistan along the Pakistan border. There are a couple of points Scott brought up that I want to highlight which are very disturbing.
The first is his statement (and Scott had told me about this while he was in country) of a Brigade Command Sergeant Major using high dollar and high-tech surveillance drones to watch his troops in the field on combat operations to see if they were out of uniform. If this is true, and I must say I could see this happening, then it is a gross violation of the Army’s Fraud, Waste and Abuse policy. More importantly it would be a terrible testament to how mis-guided some of the leadership has become. It is one thing for your soldiers to be protected and disciplined, it is something else to use the highly sought after and expensive commodity of unmanned aerial drones in order to spot uniform violations while the soldiers are in combat.
Another point Scott brought up was the Rules of Engagement (ROE) he saw when he was there. The 0% collateral damage ( a result of Hamid Karzai running his mouth about how we save his country and make it stable and keep him in power….ohh I hate that tool) standard that is placed on the soldiers in Afghanistan. It is an impossible goal and causes soldiers and leaders to second guess themselves. When soldiers second guess themselves when it is time to pull the trigger, then our soldiers die. The end result of all the training we do in the army over our entire career is focused on that moment that if you ever have to make a life and death decision on pulling a trigger. When that split-second comes, the training and automatic reflexes kick in and each soldier is responsible for their actions, or in-actions. If we are trained how to spot, positively ID and eliminate an enemy, then that is all there is needed to it. The last thing we want soldiers to do is pause for even a second and re-evaluate the situation to decide if they are going to get in trouble or not. There are some other parts of the ROE that Scott discussed which are also very disturbing, but I won’t repeat them here. I encourage you to go give it a listen yourself.
I asked Scott about the differences between this 3 month tour and his first 12 month tour when he and I were both in Afghanistan. In my frequent conversations with him, I knew this one was tough on him. When asked why, his response was simply he had never seen the American fighting man so demoralized when it comes to the mission and the leadership.
Take a look at the case of 1SG Scott and Cpt Hill and the charges they were brought under. I blogged about this and in fact have been in personal contact with Cpt Hill and I can tell you that their situation is another great example of the higher leadership failing them and their soldiers.
So where are the true warfighters? Where are the field grade officers that put the mission before their own OER? Where are the senior NCOs that have not forgotten what it is like to be a grunt in the trenches? I know they are out there as I run into them every once in a while. If you are reading this blog and you think you are a real warfighter that puts men and mission first above your own self-interest, then I would like to hear from you in the comments. If you are offended by my blog, then you are probably one of the people I am talking about and I invite you to comment also. Maybe we can chat and I can remind you of the term selfless service and putting the Army’s needs in front of your own.
OER-Officer Evaluation Report
3 Comments »
By Troy
Posted in News, Podcast
The VAMC You Served blog and radio show is now up and running on twitter. You can follow along to see when the latest posts are created, get updates about the show or even get show reminders by going to www.twitter.com/youserved.
If you have a twitter account, follow along and get updates on your phone or pda.
No Comments »
January 11, 2009 By CJ
Posted in Uncategorized
As Disney Parks ask “What Will You Celebrate?” and invite guests to turn their personal milestones into magical family vacations in 2009, America’s military personnel will have one more reason to celebrate: Free multi-day admission to Disney’s U.S. theme parks.
With the “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute” offer, active and retired U.S. military personnel, including active and retired members of the United States Coast Guard and activated members of the National Guard or Reservists, can enjoy complimentary, multi-day admission into Disney’s U.S. theme parks, great rates at select Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort hotels, and additional special ticket offers for family members and friends.
“For so many of the men and women who serve in our U.S. military, time together with their families is cause enough for celebration,” said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “We are grateful for their service and hope ‘Disney’s Armed Forces Salute’ will allow our troops to create wonderful, magical memories with their family and friends.”
At the Disneyland Resort in Southern California:
Through June 12, 2009, each active or retired member of the U.S. military can receive one complimentary three-day “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute” Park Hopper ticket valid for admission to both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure parks. During the offer period, active or retired U.S. military personnel also may make a one-time purchase of an adult or child three-day “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Companion” Park Hopper ticket for up to five family members (including spouse) or friends for the price of an adult 1-Day Park Hopper ticket.
Disneyland Resort hotels are also offering special room rates for active or retired military personnel. For example, at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel, active or retired members of the military and their families may find hotel rooms starting at $119 per night during value season, with great savings during other times of the offer period. This offer is available through June 12, 2009, and the number of rooms available at these special rates is limited.
For information regarding “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute” at the Disneyland Resort, or to make reservations, military personnel may call 714/95….
At Walt Disney World Resort in Florida:
Through Dec. 23, 2009, each active or retired member of the U.S. military may obtain one complimentary 5-day “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute” ticket with Park Hopper and Water Park Fun & More options. This ticket is valid for five days of admission into the four Walt Disney World theme parks, plus a total of five visits to a choice of a Disney water park, DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park or certain other attractions. During this offer period, active or retired U.S. military personnel may also make a one-time purchase of up to a maximum of five 5-Day “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Companion” tickets (one theme park per day) for $99 per ticket, plus tax, for family members (including spouse) or friends. Although this ticket for family members and friends does not include either the Park Hopper or Water Park Fun & More options, this ticket can be upgraded to add either such option, or both, for an additional $25, plus tax, per option. All tickets and options are non-transferable and must be used by Dec. 23, 2009.
Ask about the great rates that may be available at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels for active or retired U.S. military personnel during this offer period.
For information on the “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute” offer at Walt Disney World Resort or the Disneyland Resort, or to make reservations, active and retired U.S. Military personnel may call the ITT office on their base. Information about “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute” offer at Walt Disney World Resort is also available at www.disneyworld.com/military.
Through the years, The Walt Disney Company has demonstrated its support of United States’ servicemen and women through a variety of initiatives. Disney’s support for the U.S. Marines’ Toys for Tots program started 58 years ago – when Walt Disney became one of the original sponsors. Since 1995, Disney’s Operation Uplift program has sent over 90,000 postcards to troops worldwide, thanking them for their service. The company also supports U.S. service members and their families as a sponsor of the USO and its centers. Each year, Operation Disney Care packages, containing Disney DVDs, books, magazines and games, are sent to centers around the world to help entertain the servicemen/women and their families, Disney Minnie Grants are used to host family appreciation events, while Disney VoluntEARS donate many hours participating in local USO projects.
8 Comments »
