Congratulations to Nick Parker, winner of a You Served HD Flip camera. Nick was one of a only a few military history buffs who answered all 25 of our tough questions correctly on his first try.
Readers are still able to take our Ultimate Military History Quiz any time. Check back with us in April when we will unveil a new Quiz and giveaway!
Redeployment is a joyful time, there is no doubt about that, but it can also be a time of stress and uncertainty. I found some great links to some very good resources that help shine a light on some of the conflicting feelings and stress that families can encounter during this transition. Below is an excerpt from one online brochure I found and following that is a list of helpful links:
Excerpt
The following suggestions are intended to help you and your loved ones get reacquainted with as little stress as possible.
Soldiers:
• Take time to listen and talk.
• Make time for each child and for your spouse.
• Support the good things your family has done.
• Remember – romantic conversation can make
re-entering love relations easier.
• Manage money carefully.
• Don’t overdo the “reunion parties.”
Spouses
• Avoid a busy schedule.
• Go slowly in making adjustments.
• Remind your spouse that they are still needed.
• Discuss division of the family chores.
• Stick to a budget until you have time to talk
about money matters.
• Make time to be alone with your spouse.
• Be patient in rebuilding your relationship.
Children
• Slowly resume the old rules and routines.
• Be available to your child, with time and
emotions.
• Let the child be the first to renew the bond.
• Expect some changes in your child.
• Focus on successes; limit criticisms.
• Encourage your child to tell you everything that
happened while you were awayEXPECTATIONS FOR SOLDIERS
• Even though you may want to talk about your experiences, your family may not.
• Roles may have changed with regard to basic chores and household duties.
• Face-to-face communication may be difficult after a separation.
• Closeness may be awkward at first.
• Children grow up during separations; they may seem different.
• Spouses become more independent, and may need more space.
• You may have to change your outlook on priorities in the household.
EXPECTATIONS FOR SPOUSES
• Soldiers may have changed.
• Soldiers may feel “closed-in” or claustrophobic and may need space to feel comfortable.
• Soldiers often feel overwhelmed by the everyday noise and confusion of home life.
• Soldiers may need time to resume sleeping patterns.
• Soldiers may feel left out and need time to adjust.
• Soldiers may feel hurt when small children are slow to hug them and show emotions.WHAT CHILDREN MAY FEEL
• Babies less than 1 year old may cry when you hold them; toddlers may not know you at first
• Preschoolers 3-5 years old may be afraid of you.
• School-aged children 6-12 years old may demand more of your time than other children.
• Teenagers may seem moody, and act as if they don’t care.
• Some children may be anxious, fearing your expectations of them.
• Children may have symptoms of minor illnesses.
• Children may be torn who remained at home.
Reunion and Post Deployment Resources (NMFA)
Homecoming Tips
The American Red Cross (Deployment Tips and information on reunions)
The American Red Cross offers a guide for military persons who are returning home and their families with suggestions for how to make a smooth transition.
Navy
Resources to Prepare for a Safe Return from Deployment
It’s time to come home after a long and dangerous deployment. Well-deserved celebrations and joyous reunions await, but so do the temptations and risks that frequently claim too many of our people. Here are some items to help you prepare your troops and yourself for the return home.
Army
A Soldier and Family Guide to Redeploying (pdf file)
This information guide is intended to help address redeployment issues and concerns you or your family might have. The reuniting process involves changes for both you and your family. Knowing what to expect, how to deal with the changes and where to get help, can make homecoming enjoyable and less stressful for everyone.
Army Community Service
Resources for Army families.
Found at NMFA.org
The Army announced yesterday that it was ending the “controversial” stop-loss program. This is good on one hand, but not really worthy of a big press conference on the other.
The American people need to understand a few things. First is that Stop Loss isn’t an all-encompassing, massive program that is keeping most troops beyond their active duty enlistments. In fact, only slightly more than 1% of the active duty force is even affected by the policy. Second, stop loss is nothing more than using Soldiers who VOLUNTEERED to serve a combined eight years of military service either in the active or IRR component. Soldiers in the IRR (Individual Ready Reserve) can be legally called to active service when/if needed. The fact that we have been fighting a war in two separate nations is reason enough, along with the fact that our military is eight divisions smaller than it was in the 90’s prior to Clinton’s military cuts.
I’m a little irate about the $500 monthly payments going to Soldiers who are affected by stop-loss. I’ve mentioned this one too many times, but there are still people out who feel that they should be additionally compensated for abiding by a contract they voluntarily signed. It’s a waste of money and it’s wrong.
Our country has lost its founding principles. Our government has told the American people that contractual law is no longer enforceable. If you can’t/don’t pay your mortgage, no problem. Congress will just pass a law that bars landlords from evicting you. The landlords will lose money, but you’ll be safe. Don’t want to serve in a military you signed a contract to serve? No problem. The government will pay you to keep your word. If you complain enough and make a public spectacle of yourself, the military will relent and let you go.
It’s a shame, ladies and gentlemen. A noble profession of arms has been brought to its knees by a bunch of whiny piss-ants who were given everything they wanted on a silver platter growing up. They’re grades were probably elevated for fear of hurting their feelings. They probably played sports in which no team lost and points were recorded. And now the world’s largest and strongest military is being forced to cater to these same brats in the form of bribery payments of $500 per month because their panties would get soiled if they’re held to their word on a contract they signed.
It’s sickening and despicable. I am truly glad, though, that we no longer need the policy (or won’t use it as often). It’s one less argument the pro-gay lobby can use to further their cause about further eroding our military morale and discipline.
Another example of bravery from our NCO Corps.
BAMBERG, Germany — Staff Sgt. Lincoln V. Dockery said he didn’t even see the grenade that sent shrapnel into his right forearm while charging insurgent fighters in Afghanistan’s Korengal valley, Nov. 16, 2007.
“Someone yelled out, and I looked up and saw it coming. My hand went up and a hot, sharp feeling went through,” he said.
Dockery, a combat engineer then assigned to a route clearance patrol with Company A of the 173rd Airborne Brigade’s Special Troops Battalion, said he decided the injury wasn’t major, and continued his charge up a hill into enemy fire and earning a Silver Star for valor. The medal and a Purple Heart were awarded here, March 11.
“I don’t want to think about what would have happened had he not been there,” said Capt. William Cromie, Dockery’s platoon leader that day in Afghanistan. “It would have been a completely different day. While described in the infantry field manual, and taught at every schoolhouse in our career, if asked to charge into an enemy, uphill and within hand grenade range, most people only know yes as a book answer.”
Dockery said the description of the mission for which the patrol departed from Forward Operating Base Asadabad in Kunar Province that day sounded like the description of their mission for any other day: “Out looking for bombs.”
“My only concern was for the guys who worked under me,” the 25-year-old Runnemede, N.J., native stated.
His concern became reality when the lead vehicle on the mission, a Husky mine-detecting vehicle, activated an improvised explosive device. Rocket-propelled grenades immediately started hitting the damaged vehicle and it became clear the convoy was in the middle of an ambush.
“Across [a nearby river] we could see RPGs and small-arms fire coming at us,” Dockery said. “But when I looked over to the right, I could see that RPGs were hitting our side of the vehicle.”
Dockery determined that another enemy fire team was hidden much closer, and that a quick decision had to be made.
“I realized the enemy was actually 20 meters from our position,” he said. “If we didn’t assault the hill they were attacking from, they would have taken us out. They couldn’t miss with their weapons they were so close.”
Dockery said his first move was to investigate the lead vehicle’s driver, Pfc. Amador Magana, who could have been seriously injured or killed by the IED blast.
“I could see RPGs and rounds impacting all over the vehicle, and the front windshield was about to cave in from all the (AK-47) bullets,” Dockery said.
Sneaking around from the other side and climbing up the back tire, he knocked on the window and saw that Magana was barely conscious, but not wounded. Magana managed to give a thumbs-up, he said, and soon stood up, manned his M-249 machine gun and returned fire on the enemy.
Dockery said he then made his decision to storm the hill.
The sergeant began making his way up the hill with one of his Soldiers, Spc. Corey Taylor, as their team members provided support from the convoy.
During the charge Dockery was injured, but he kept going, through hand grenade exchanges and incoming RPGs.
“The shrapnel didn’t really hurt initially. We also had to dig shrapnel out of Taylor’s leg later,” he said.
The pair low-crawled the rest of the way up, watching bullets kick up rocks and dirt all around them, then pushed the enemy back from their position and found the IED command detonator and wire.
Indirect fire, air strikes and other close air support was called in later to deal with about 30 fleeing fighters, but Dockery’s assault kept everyone else from the patrol alive.
“Hopefully anybody would have done the same thing I did that day,” Dockery said, downplaying his role in the event.
Cromie, who was awarded a Silver Star July 12, 2008 for his own actions in Afghanistan that day, sees it differently. He said Dockey was nothing less than a hero.
Before the mission, Cromie had put Dockery in charge of his own squad and made him a patrol leader for the eight months the unit performed route clearance operations.
“I had an insurmountable amount of trust in him,” Cromie said. “He was the most combat proven NCO in the platoon.”
A brand new officer at the time, Cromie said having such a competent NCO was amazing, and that he will measure every one he works with up to Dockery.
“He’s the best at what he does,” the captain said.
Dockery has lived in Bamberg for eight years with his wife Dominika and son and daughter, Lincoln, 4, and Pria, 2. He said plans to stay there the rest of his life.
On tonight’s show we will be talking to and getting an update from Andi (www.spousebuzz.com) on how the milblog conference (April 24-25th) is coming along.
Also we will be talking with Afghanistan and Iraq vet Mike Jones. Mike was a Company Commander on the ground during Operation Anaconda and served with last week’s guest Brandon Friedman. Mike has recognized the stresses that combat puts on our men and women today, in addition to the stresses put on the family members of those that must share the house of the veteran. This recognition has motivated him to start the website www.notalone.com.
As per the Notalone.com website “Not Alone began with the idea of creating a space for warriors and families dealing with combat stress to come together, where they can spend time with others and start the healing process.”
In addition to those great guests CJ and Troy will be talking about several hot topics in the news this week, to include but not limited to; The ending of the Stop Loss policy, the repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, and other hot topics that come to mind.
Sergeant Tommy Rieman was awarded the Silver Star for bravery and courage while he and his team were ambushed during a surveillance mission deep behind enemy lines in Iraq.
As the words said by Drill Sergeant Hulka in Stripes, Alabama NG needs to lighten up. Hey I am sure many members of the Alabama NG watched and laughed at Borat, so they need not be so wrapped tight by Sacha Cohen’s latest prank. I mean he has already made one trek across country doing this same thing. Apparently he is up to it again.
One thing is for sure, there is no such thing as bad publicity. I am sure many will be waiting to see this movie just to see the scenes where he becomes part of the Alabama NG.
http://www.military.com/news/article/borat-star-fools-ala-national-guard.html
Hey CJ, aren’t you from Alabama?
I found the following article at the Ft. Gordon Signal. Spaces are limited so get your application in if you would like for your child to participate. Go to the Operation Purple camp website for locations:
“The National Military Family Association’s Operation Purple camp program will once again be accepting applications online, beginning March 16, at www.operationpurple.org
The program aims to help military kids experience carefree fun while also learning coping skills to deal with war-related stress, and fosters relationships with others who know what they are going through because they are experiencing it, too.
Operation Purple camp also helps kids to gain confidence and teaches them to be stewards of the community and of the environment.
In 2008, military children ages seven to 17 had a chance to stay at the free, week-long, overnight camp at one of 62 locations in 37 states and territories.
Camps are free to all participants, thanks to support from the Sierra Club and the Sierra Club Foundation. More than 20,000 kids have participated in the program since its inception.
War takes its toll not only on the troops who fight in the field, but also on the Families who wait and worry at home. More than 155,000 kids have at least one parent who is deployed in the war on terrorism. That number doesn’t include those experiencing routine, but often lengthy, deployments and separations from loved ones through military service.
Many of these children have more than one parent or Family member deployed. The OperationPurple camp program, created in 2004, imparts the message on these young heroes that “they serve, too.”
Any military child can apply, but priority is given to those who have a parent, guardian, or Family household member deployed between September 2008 and December 2009.
If all spaces are not filled with campers who meet the deployment criteria, the remaining camp slots are filled with any military child from any service branch, the National Guard, Reserve, U.S. Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.
For more information about the program, visit the Web site
www.operationpurple.org
For information about the National Military Family Association, contact them by phone at (703) 931-6632, or by E-mail at families@nmfa.org”
There’s no doubt that our military is extremely stretched. We’re working hard to complete what President Bush started and President Obama continued in increasing our troops numbers to alleviate some of these stresses. We’ve won the war in Iraq (yeah, I said it) and the results of that success means fewer troops will be deployed.
Now that the country can no longer really complain about Iraq, they’ve shifted their focus to suddenly considering Afghanistan an unwinnable war and are now attempting to create a situation of perceived failure. I’ve heard people on my other blog complain that “the Taliban didn’t fly those planes on 9/11″ as their reason. They’ve also seized upon our suicide rates and sought to use the wars as the causes.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would be lying if I didn’t say we are stressed out. I would be lying if I said we aren’t tired. I would be lying if I said that there aren’t times where we want to throw up our hands and just stop fighting. But, the truth is that through all of that we are strong. We are tired, we are stressed, and we are fed up, but we will NEVER give up.
Our military does not understand defeat. The only way we can lose is if our elected officials and the American people lose focus of our purpose and mission. They almost succeeded with Iraq. Had we pulled out when they wanted us to, we would have lost because we weren’t given the opportunity for success. Thankfully, some semblance of common sense prevailed.
Now, we need that common sense again as we refocus on Afghanistan. This is not an “unwinnable” war. Only idiots, morons, and ignorant politicians would suggest otherwise. Our military is strong, versatile, and motivated. We overcome far greater obstacles than this. We’re tired, but we’re strong!!
You Served's Claire talks about the life of a military spouse - the hardships, the joys, and everything in between.
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