Anna was here visiting with us on their way through to and from vacation. Oh yeah, and she brought Marcus with her!
While he was here, Marcus introduced me to something called “Geocaching.” Actually, I had heard about it before and even registered at the site, but never really went far beyond that. As someone who LOVES land navigation, I was intrigued with this sport. According to geocaching.com, “Geocaching is a worldwide game of hiding and seeking treasure.”
The “treasure” isn’t really treasure. Usually, it is comprised of little figurines, buttons, pens, and other items. The treasure is in the hunt! So far, I’ve found four of the six points I’ve gone after. I have a handheld GPS unit that is about seven years old and doesn’t do well in forests. Emily allowed me to order a new GPS for Father’s Day and I’m looking forward to looking for more sites as well as hiding a few myself.
If you haven’t heard about this or want to get started, check out www.geocaching.com for more information. It’s a great way to hone your land navigation skills.
An Army Sergeant stationed at Schoffield Barracks in Hawaii was recently awarded the Silver Star for bravery on the field of battle. The Soldier, Sergeant Scott Kenyon, first shot, then wrestled with an Iraqi insurgent who was shooting at him with a silenced 9mm machine gun. He didn’t even hear the shots until one hit his kevlar, the bullet embedding itself into the side of it, and one into his body armor. The bullet hit his helmet so hard, it turned his head to one side.
“I’m not going to lie. I was scared — I was scared to death,” the tall and lanky 22-year-old man from Lansing, Mich., said yesterday.
Kenyon shot the insurgent in the hand, causing the weapon to fly out of his hand. He also shot the other Iraqi that was firing on him. According to the Honolulu Advertiser:
But he kept going, wrestling down the Iraqi who had the machine gun, while another Schofield squad killed the other man.
Yesterday, against a much different backdrop of greenery at Schofield Barracks, where the greatest threat was rain, Kenyon received a Silver Star for his actions in Iraq nearly a year ago on June 6, 2008.
The medal is the nation’s third-highest military award for valor. Kenyon was recognized for his courage under enemy fire and effectiveness in subduing two enemy combatants.
About 75 fellow soldiers in B Company of the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry “Gimlets” stood in formation during the award and congratulated — and razzed — Kenyon afterward, shaking his hand and slapping him on the shoulder.
“Serving my country is enough for me. Getting the Silver Star — that’s a bonus,” Kenyon said.
He also pointed out the contributions of the other soldiers on the mission.
“It wasn’t just me,” said Kenyon, a somewhat reserved soldier who didn’t look entirely comfortable in the spotlight.
Read the rest of the story about this brave hero HERE. There is also a video of the award ceremony at the site. I’ve sent him a request to come on the You Served Radio Show to talk about the experience.
The Army has bent over backwards the past few years to ensure that our returning troops get the care and help they need. In an era when our military has been at war for over seven years straight, the longest in our history, it’s important that these warriors are taken care of.
When I returned from Iraq in 2003, we didn’t have all the programs that are out there now to assist the troops with their transition from combat to garrison life. Ironically, OIF1 vets saw more sustained combat than anyone since but probably got the least attention when they returned.
The Army has taken very public and demanding positions about the mental health state of our troops. Vice Chief of the Army Gen. Peter Chiarelli even did a military post tour to personally ensure that leaders and troops understand that we are taking this issue seriously. In just the past year, we’re been required to undergo extensive death by powerpoint briefings and boring lectures about suicide, depression, mTBI, and PTSD just to name a few. It’s relentless and covers ever base imaginable. And while I don’t even vaguely presume to question Gen. Chiarelli’s intentions – because I know they’re pure and honest – I can’t help but wonder if mental health really is that important to the Army. I have interviewed Gen. Chiarelli enough times to know that his efforts are out of genuine care for our troops.
New programs directly target our leaders to provide the training needed to recognize in our troops and ourselves that there is a problem. While boring, the training is much needed and serves to at least provide troops with the proper mindset. I’d rather be bored and informed that entertained and none-the-better for it!
The Army created a website not long ago (one of many) to help Soldiers seek help for mental issues. The site, Army Behavioral Health, provides link to various resources Soldiers can go to for assistance. But, it came as a shock to me when I clicked on the “Mental Health Counseling and Security Clearances” link for some information to research. “Sorry, that file was not found” greeted me promptlly. As it did when I clicked on the “PTSD/MTBI Program for Families” and “Suicide Prevention Commander’s Toolkit” links, among others. As someone with a security clearance, I’m particularly interested in what the Army is putting out about this above the press briefings. I was disappointed to see the links didn’t work.
The Army has created another great site called “Battlemind” that is geared towards providing “Armor For Your Mind.” As part of the Battlemind mentality, they released a video called “Pulling the Stigma Down” to encourage Soldiers to seek help without fear of stigma or professional stagnation. I uploaded the video to my Great Americans account, but I’m having issues uploading videos for some reason, so in the meantime it’s hosted on YouTube.
General Chiarelli has assured Soldiers that they have nothing to fear in seeking help. However, many troops still fear the stigma and worry about their careers. Ladies and gentlemen and fellow Soldiers, I’ve finally – after six years – decided to lead by example. I will either ease your fears and provide with proof that you have nothing to fear or I will go down doing what I think is best for me and my family by seeking the help I’ve pretended I don’t need for so long. I just can’t afford to way much longer.
I am someone who can worry about worrying. I caught myself this week anticipating the anticipatory grief I know I am entering again facing this upcoming deployment. Those of you who have been through a deployment know exactly what I am talking about. You are standing in the shower at 6am waking up and preparing for your day, when suddenly the thought enters your mind “What if I get the call today?” You are grocercy shopping and in the produce aisle when a thought enters your mind about funeral arangements.
Anticipatory grief is fairly new ground, but it is usually defined as a grief reaction to a loss that is anticipated and not necessarily realized. When you suffer with anticipatory grief you may have intrusive thoughts of the “what ifs” and some times even flashes of a picture of your soldier suffering or being wounded. I have yet to meet one spouse or parent of a soldier who has either been deployed, is deployed or is ready to deploy that has not dealt with these feelings. The feelings, intensity and expression of these feelings all fall on a continuum, but they are very real and can be very disturbing, nonetheless.
Grief is the internal feeling we have when we have a loss. That loss is not always death, although that is usually the first thought that comes to our mind when we think of grief, grieving, and mourning. The loss that is grieved can be a real or perceived loss (such as with the anticipatory grief.)
With deployment there is always grief felt over the loss of close contact, the loss of “peace” while grappling with the concepts of war, as well as the loss of the perception of safety for our loved one. When we are actively grieving we usually find ways to express this internal (and very intense feeling) outwardly. In some cultures there are very passionate ways that people release their feelings of grief — their mourning style is very intense, immediate and more primitive than we, as Americans, tend to express our grief. We tend to internalize things more. It’s a cultural norm and expectation.
I found myself the other day over extending my schedule and taking a 1000 new projects. Why? Because when I am busy I keep my mind focused on what’s before me. For proactively tackling the toll stress takes on my physical body I am starting to slowly get myself back into my running routine. To keep me connected to my soldier while he is on the battlefield I am making sure I am connected to soldiers in Iraq already through troop support. I am also working on starting a Blue Star Mothers of America chapter here in my town.
With a little creativity, a lot of prayer, and a ton of grace we will get through this deployment and come out the other end closer and stronger. It never just happens that way. I think that preparing on the homefront is vital for surviving the duration of the tour.
8:25:45 PM: Watch this 60 min episode that is about Chapter
18 of this book, http://bit.ly/rm7wo
8:26:55 PM: You can also buy Jason’s book here on amazon.com, http://is.gd/IyNg
8:31:17 PM: Jason is talking about the Cheeseburger approach to get detainees to talk
8:34:10 PM: We are talking about how to positively and negatively motivate detainees to talk
8:36:29 PM: Jason is talking about how they got eyeglasses for a detainee and because he could now see, he spilled his guts & told them all they wanted
8:39:40 PM: Jason is talking about capturing the known Taliban leader known as Billy the Kid
8:46:29 PM: Jason got out at 15 years in the Army because he wanted to start a family and did not like how the Army was treating him
8:51:35 PM: Jason has always worked with VetsForFreedom
8:56:36 PM: New blog entry: Anticipating Anticipatory Grief http://bit.ly/14grrY
9:01:16 PM: Well we finished up the show and Jason is gone
Tonight’s show is a special one where Troy and CJ will be talking with experts on enhanced interrogation, and dealing with the outcome of enhanced interrogation. We will be discussing what is and what is not considered torture.
First up we will have Marine LTC (ret) Neal Puckett. Neal is the attorney for CPT Roger Hill, and this is Neal’s second time on You Served Radio. He and Roger were on the show back on May 7th, 2009 when we talked with both of them about Roger’s Article-32 hearing. Neal was also the attorney for LTC West and some of the marines accused in the Haditha incident. He has also been involved with a lawsuit against Congressman Murtha.
After Neal we will be talking with CPT (ret) Jason Meszaro. Jason is the author of "Interrogation of Morals" that reveals first-hand experience with interrogation techniques used in Afghanistan, which he participated in, and at Gitmo, which he watched.
You won’t want to miss tonight’s show as it will surely be controversial and should help highlight a lot of issues and facts that are being glossed over or completely missed by the media today.
By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in Uncategorized
Need mortgage advice? Kate can help. Thinking about buying a new car? Kate can shed some light. Are you and your family making a PCS move and need moving tips? Kate has an idea or two.
Kate Kashman, author of military.com’s blog, The Paycheck Chronicles, Navy wife, mother of four, blogger, PR Specialist and on the go 24-7, is our next “On Loan At You Served” guest. Luckily for us, Kate took ten minutes out of her frenetic schedule to talk a little bit about the blog and how she got started writing it.
Kate’s blog is designed to help military members with their everyday financial situations and advise them on how to “make the most out of their paycheck.”
A one-time mortgage professional, Kate was handling PR duties for military.com when they approached her about writing The Paycheck Chronicles. Kate was also writing for SpouseBuzz.Com at the time, and continues to do so. She’s been writing the blog since last July and the she’s gotten solid responses from both the military and personal finance communities.
“The responses have been interesting,” she said, “we’re still gaining speed on the military side.” Kate said folks can be woefully uneducated about personal finance, so she tries to incorporate where to find good deals, basic finance education and links to other useful finance information in her daily posts.
Kate said she enjoys getting feedback from people who have benefited from reading her work, and she would love to write the blog forever, and while that may or may not happen, she will continue to educate through The Paycheck Chronicles.
“We’re very fortunate (military members) that we get paid every two weeks -and while that might not be a lot of money – you need to make the most out of that paycheck.”
The name of the program is catchy, but really the laptops are for the spouses and family members of the flat tops. The All American Direct company is giving away 2 laptops equipped with webcams every month to the spouses and family members of deployed military members. If your loved one is deployed right now you qualify to enter. All it takes is an essay and the information below.
Would a brand new laptop and webcam help you keep in touch with your husband, wife, son or daughter, mom, dad, brother, or sister?
Would a brand new laptop help to improve your quality of life, especially since an important contributor to your home is now serving our country overseas?
Submit a 400 word essay below, telling us your story of need, and detail why your family should be picked out of thousands of Americans to win this month’s laptop.
You may also submit an entry by going to http://www.youtube.com/group/laptopsforflattops, joining our group, and submitting a one minute video. When you submit your video, please remember to begin it with your name, and then submit an entry to www.allamericandirect.com/military with the words “see video”, so we can send you your laptop when you win!
The prize package includes a laptop with a built-in webcam, as well as an additional webcam that can be sent to your loved one who is serving overseas.
If you win, you will be contacted by our executives, and a laptop will be sent to your door!
The entries will be judged by the following criteria:
Intensity of need as expressed in the essay
Immediate family member is an active member of the US military and is stationed overseas, as confirmed by their military identification number.
Winners will be selected from entries collected in April through May, June through July, August through September, October through November, and December through January 2010.
Contest Rules:
Submissions must come from a family who has an immediate family member (husband, wife, mom, dad, brother, sister, son, daughter) who is serving in the US Military in a location not in the continental United States.
Submissions may come on behalf of a third party who has an immediate family member (husband, wife, mom, dad, brother, sister, son, daughter) who is serving in the US Military in a location not in the continental United States.
Entries must be submitted through allamericandirect.com/laptop
All entries must be associated with a AllAmericanDirect.com registered email address
Entries must be associated with an “opt-in” email address
AllAmericanDirect.com submissions must include name, email address, phone number, and physical mailing address.
Families that submitted essays in previous months may resubmit a new essay each month if they are not selected
Essays should be no longer than 400 words
Entries cannot be from an employee of or immediate family member of an employee of AllAmericanDirect.com
For over 2 years at VA Mortgage Center.com, we’ve awarded academic scholarships to students who have served in the military (or have a family member who has served). It’s a cool program that we absolutely love because we get to read a ton of essays from students and parents around the country each semester.
Congrats to the winning students and their families. One thing to note about this program – every single dollar sent to these kids is donated directly by VAMC employees voluntarily. I’m proud to work with each of you – thanks for making this program possible over the years.
I got a flat tire today. A blow out – causing the steering wheel to jerk violently in my hands and the car to veer to the left, into oncoming traffic. Somehow, I managed to pilot myself safely to the shoulder, and get out to assess the damage. I was on a busy rural highway and it was 75 degrees and sunny, which means people where driving way too fast, with their radios way too loud… barely turning their heads to glance at me as they whizzed past. The tire, of course, was ripped wide open. (No, I’m not sure how that happened. Yes, I am sure that it was in no way my fault.) That means my usual go-to fix… the can of Fix-A-Flat stored in my glove box, was not going to cut it.
Did I cry? Did I throw my hands up in the air in despair? Hell, no! I am an Army wife. And Army wives are resourceful.
So, the plan consisted of standing beside my blown-out tire with the can of Fix-A-Flat in my hand, looking altogether perplexed and damsel-in-distress-like.
Can you guess what happened next?
About 45 cars sped by with no sign of tapping their breaks to avoid hitting me, much less offering assistance.
To me, this could have been a metaphor for deployment. Here I am, obviously in the middle of a crisis, and everyone else is zipping by in their own lives, taking care of business. Oh sure, we all say that if we saw a motorist in need of assistance on the side of the road we would stop to help – but would we really? Would we risk being inconvenienced, or late for our own plans? (Did I mention that I was in my bathing suit, a T-shirt and flip flops? And still, I got…. Nothing.)
How many times have people offered to “be there” for our military families while their soldiers are deployed and then not offered when help is actually needed?
I have car trouble a lot.
When Paul was deployed, I ran out of gas in the middle of a busy intersection. (No, the reserve tank light was not on. Yes, I am still sure it was in no way my fault.) I was blocking traffic. It was pouring rain. I was wearing a suit and 3-inch heels. So there I am, standing in the rain beside my car – Army wife sticker and blue-star banner proudly displayed in the back window – wondering why the car has suddenly stopped moving. Clearly, not a good day for me. And what do the good citizens around me do? They honk, and shout, and flip me the bird… like this is my plan all along, to pull right into their way and then stop my car. Really? It doesn’t even occur to you to ask if I need help?
This time, my resourceful Army wife plan consisted of sobbing uncontrollably, screaming ‘My husband is deployed, dammit!’ at drivers passing me and finally concluding that all civilians are jerks and hoofing it a ½ mile to the nearest gas station with my heels in my hand and my make-up running down my face.
The morale of the story? (Besides the obvious conclusion that I should not be trusted in a car alone.) First, if we assume that someone else will assist, we could be stranding a heck of a lot of damsels. And second, sometimes those who need help have a hard time asking for it… especially if you’re driving by too fast.
