Archive for May, 2009
May 21, 2009 By CJ
Posted in Uncategorized
The new and improved They Have Names site is live and active
A lot of thanks are owed for this. First and foremost, I owe all of YOU thanks for voting the site the ugliest during the Lifeblue Media contest. Because of your efforts, we won a completely free redesign that is more professional in honoring our fallen heroes.
I want to give a special shout to Jourdan from Lifeblue who kept me informed along the way and was patient in dealing with my weird schedule the past few weeks. We did a lot of emailing and phone calls back and forth and I think the final product is exactly what I had imagined the site would be when I first envisioned it.
I don’t know who the developers were, but I definitely want to thank them. They responded to my every little nitpicking input. They made small changes and large changes as I asked for them. I couldn’t have asked for a better look for the site. Their efforts will literally save us HOURS in adding new stories. No longer will I sit for extended periods of time typing code and pulling out my hair trying to figure out why one page updated while others didn’t. Until now, I had to manually update each page individually and if even ONE letter was off, the whole thing was a mess.
If you’ve been thinking about getting a professional upgrade to your website, I highly recommend LifeBlue Media. Not because I won their contest and got their services for free, but because of the excellent work they did. If this is even a fraction of what they can pull off, I can bet your site will look much better. They work with people who know EXACTLY what they want in a site to those that have NO idea. They provide valuable input when something you say sounds good out loud but won’t look good in practice. Check them out at www.lifeblue.com. If you don’t need a redesign, keep them in mind if someone asks you for a recommendation. At the very least, please join me by sending them words of praise about how the They Have Names looks now. They’re email address and phone number is located HERE.
Now, on to the humble work of writing more stories!
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By myheroesathome
Posted in Guest Blogger, Life in the Military, Patriotism, Spouse and Family
I did a magazine interview yesterday about what it’s like to be the wife of a deployed soldier.
“What’s the thing you miss you the most while your husband is gone?” The interviewer asked.
“Being told that I’m pretty,” I said.
What??!
“Don’t print that,” I added quickly. “I meant to say, I miss having someone tell me my hair looks nice.”
Crap!
As embarrassing as it is to admit, it’s true. When your husband is gone for a year, it’s the little, intimate, romantic things that you miss the most. Things you never really noticed until they were gone. I’m not talking about sex. You will notice that the sex is missing. But you won’t wake up three months into the deployment thinking ‘no one has said they like my outfit in a really long time.’ You will just feel less sexy, less attractive, less confident, and you will wonder why. Maybe you get your haircut differently. But you come home to an empty house and no one is there to notice, so the thrill of ‘the new, fresh-from-the-salon you’ is gone. Maybe you buy a new dress, but there is no one to take you out to dinner in it.
In those tiny, everyday moments, I feel the loneliest. At the office, I have work to keep me occupied. I can take girlfriends to plays or gallery openings and have more fun than if I had dragged Paul along. Even on holidays, extended family keeps me busy and we usually get a special phone call from overseas. But on random Tuesday nights when I am watching the Dancing With The Stars results show and there is no one there to rub my feet or listen to me complain that Giles’ scores should have been higher… those are the moments when I hate the deployment.
Supporting our troops is critical. But supporting the families of deployed military personnel is important, too, and it’s easy. You don’t have to babysit their kids or mow their lawns for them. (Although, I don’t know many military spouses who would turn down those offers of help!) Instead, just treat them with kindness. Remember that they are doing it all alone right now, and that gentle support and love that we get from our spouses is missing from their lives.
Give hugs. Never under-estimate the power of physical touch. When Paul is deployed and I’m sleeping alone every night, it’s hard to get used to not having that contact. No one hugs you or kisses you or holds your hand. I know I can’t ask my girlfriends to make up for the kissing or hand-holding, but a heartfelt hug and a ‘how you doing?’ can mean the world to me on a stressful day.
Complement me. Everyone likes to know their outfit is pretty or their hair looks good. Usually, we count on our spouses for that validation – but sometimes it can mean even more coming from girlfriends (my husband has no idea whether my shoes are cute or not!) Or better yet, when is the last time you sincerely complemented a neighbor or co-worker? It doesn’t have to be physical. How about throwing a little praise my way because my yard looks great, or because I’m holding on to my poise even though you know it must be hard being without my soldier.
Include me. Just because my other half is missing, doesn’t mean I don’t want to hang out with you and your significant other. People are so afraid of drawing attention to my married-but-single status and making me uncomfortable as the ‘third wheel,’ they don’t invite me to do anything at all. Maybe a table for 3 would be awkward at our favorite restaurant, but I would still love to come to your house for a BBQ. Please, make the call.
Talk about my soldier. He’s in a foreign country, but he still exists. I assure you; not mentioning him does NOT make me miss him any less. Even if we’re not talking about him, I’m still thinking about him; wondering if he’s safe; obsessively checking my cell phone for his call. It would make me feel good to know that you’re thinking about him, too. Just keep it brief and upbeat.
Say ‘Thank You.’ It really doesn’t take any more than that. Just two words. Remind me that you know that I am serving our country, too; that I am also making sacrifices. And that you appreciate it. It may not make me feel pretty, but it will always make the burden of deployment a little easier to bear.
Read more from Katie Dyer at Heroes At Home
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By CJ
Posted in Charities/Contests
Those dudes that make the coolest shirts on the planet over at Ranger Up are hosting a writer competition.
What are we looking for? Things are going like gangbusters around here and we’ve come to realize that we could really use some additional “pens” in the writing department. With a stable now consisting of Nick, Kelly and Tommy Batboy, we’re looking to add anywhere from 2-5 new writers to the team.
Why would you want to be involved? Let’s harken back to youthful years of Ranger Up history circa fall 2007. During our first writer competition, we reached out to the community to find the first new writer, Tommy Batboy. Since joining the team, Tommy has become an integral part of the company: a voice in product development, a revered writer and the company’s current head of operations. Not bad, right?
Now, although we can’t promise you the keys to the warehouse, we can confirm that we are looking for someone passionate about what Ranger Up stands for: support of the military community, an unrelenting sense of humor and an appreciation for fine, woven items. If that’s you, then you could be the next Ranger Up writer.
With the writer’s character summed up, here are the “positions” we’re looking to fill:
1. A writer focused on the Army lifestyle
2. A writer focused on the Navy lifestyle
3. A writer focused on the Air Force lifestyle
4. A writer focused on the Marines lifestyle
5. A writer focused on the Coast Guard, EMS, Police, or Fire lifestyle.
6. Anyone else who’s a badass writer and loves to tell stories!
What the winning writer’s will receive:
* All winners receive the 10 tees of their choosing.
* Your work will be featured on the Rhino Den and you’ll be added to the RU “Writers” listing.
* WRITE AS OFTEN AS YOU LIKE. If you are a rockstar and can nail out 2-3 amazing stories a week, then we will put up your amazing 2-3 stories a week. We’ve got no limitations on writing volume.
* Get to work with our glowing (digital) personalities on a weekly basis.
* We’ll name our first born after you. Seriously, if you’re THAT good.
To learn how to submit to the competition, check out Ranger Up for more details!
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By CJ
Posted in Guest Blogger, Military News, News, Spouse and Family, Top Posts, Veteran Benefits
On August 7, 2007, the Army released a message informing Soldiers about the new Post Deployment/Mobilization Respite Absence, or PDMRA. PDMRA is a new category of leave similar to administrative leave in the civilian sector. It is a DOD program intended to compensate Soldiers with days of non-chargeable leave when required to mobilize or deploy with a frequency beyond established rotation policy goals. The program only applies to deployments and mobilizations underway on, or commencing after, 19 Jan 07. I want to take a few minutes and try to explain this very confusing policy.
First and foremost, Soldiers should recognize that there are no tax benefits like combat zone exclusions for taking this leave. This program does not replace or circumvent traditional leave accrual. Soldiers will earn both their standard 2.5 days per month as well as PDMRA, if qualified. I’ll break this up into Active and Reserve (National Guard) forces.
After 12 months deployment, eligible Soldiers earn ONE day of administrative absence. Those Soldiers with 18 months deployed begin to earn TWO days and those with 24 months will earn FOUR days. The deployments must occur within a 36 month period. Here’s how it works:
If you deployed for a 15 month tour AFTER the date above, you earn one day of PDMRA PER MONTH after the 12th month. Months 13, 14, and 15 each get one day for a total of three. If you deploy for 21 months, you earn two days of PDMRA PER MONTH after your 18th for a total of six days. Each month past 24 months earns four days per month. Now, this must occur within a 36 month window. If you deployed for 15 months and then didn’t deploy again for three years, your count begins back at zero for PDMRA. The only difference for the Reserve forces is that they have more time to accrue deployments. For those Soldiers, it is a 72 month window.
The deployments that are creditable under this program are to Afghanistan, Iraq or certain theater units and other areas as determined by the Secretary of the Army. For Reserve component Soldiers, creditable mobilizations are defined as mobilizations under Title 10 only and only include INVOLUNTARY mobilizations unless the duty is in conjunction with “deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan.” It gets a bit confusing for Reserve components, but here is the actual policy:
…for the Reserve component Soldiers, creditable mobilizations are defined as mobilizations under Title 10, United States Code, sections 12301a, 12302, or 12304. These are involuntary mobilizations. Voluntary mobilizations under 12301(d) /CO-ADOS, Retiree Recall) do not qualify for PDMRA, unless the 12301(d) mobilization/duty is in conjunction with ―deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan.‖ To qualify for PDMRA under a 12301(d) period of duty the Soldier must have documentation showing their Iraq/Afghanistan duty under Combat Zone Tax Exclusion (CZTE) on their LES showing the payment of Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger pay to verify the period of Boots on Ground (BOG) in Iraq or Afghanistan. More than 50% of the entire 12301(d) mobilization ―time‖ must occur BOG in Iraq or Afghanistan for a 12301(d) to qualify for any PDMRA. For example, one month of CZTE can be authorized/earned for one day in theater. Technically, a 12301(d) Soldier traveling to Iraq or Afghanistan one day per month for 6 months would earn 6 months CZTE and have an LES that indicates 6 months CZTE. However, that does not qualify the 12301(d) Soldier for any PDMRA since 50% of the mobilization ―time‖ was not preformed in theater.
For active component Soldiers, creditable deployment time commences on January 19, 2004, or the date that is 36 months prior to the Soldier‘s initial deployment, whichever date is most recent, and includes the day of the Soldier‘s arrival in theater through the date of departure from theater. For example: If the Soldier deployed October 10, 2007, creditable deployment time for the Soldier would include previous deployments back 36 months to October 10, 2004. A deployment on December 21, 2013, looks back 36 months for previous creditable deployment… December 21, 2010 in order to calculate the number of days of PDMRA earned. Make sense? It does to me, but if you’re CORNfused, that’s what the comments section is for. Ask away! The following image should explain it a little better. The red blocks account for deployment time. For qualified deployments, a number appears indicating how many days of PDMRA you have earned for that deployment.
PDMRA Example
Now for the REALLY confusing part – the Reserves and National Guard. For Reserve component Soldiers, creditable mobilization time commences on October 7, 2001, or the date that is 72 months prior to the Soldier‘s mobilization, whichever date is most recent, and includes the day the Soldier is initially mobilized through the date the mobilization is terminated; includes the effective date of the Soldier‘s mobilization orders through the date of the expiration of the mobilization order, to include periods of R&R and temporary duty (TDY) outside Iraq and Afghanistan for TDY periods of 30 days or less. For example: A deployment on December 21, 2013, looks back 72 months for previous creditable deployment(s)…December 21, 2007 in order to calculate the number of days of PDMRA earned. PDMRA accrual for RC Soldiers includes all qualifying mobilizations, not just to Iraq or Afghanistan. Only mobilizations under 12301(a), 12302, or 12304 qualify to accrue PDMRA. A 12301(d) period of duty also qualifies when it is documented that the 12301(d) period was in conjunction with a deployment in support of Contingency Operations in Iraq or Afghanistan; deployment time for this purpose includes the day of the Soldier‘s arrival on Title 10 at MOB station through his REFRAD date. PDMRA days do not continue to accrue while Soldier is on transition leave and/or extension of mobilization orders for the purpose of PDMRA usage. Here’s the reserve graphic explanation:
I think these images make a bit more sense than trying to explain it all. I could have saved a lot of energy just posting these at the beginning.
Now the question on probably every Soldiers’ mind is “how do I use it?” PDMRA can be used during any R&R leave period or in lieu of using chargeable annual leave at home station. However, you can’t add the PDMRA to R&R time. If you have 20 days of leave saved up and your R&R is only 14, you can’t extend that time period to use up your leave. You only get to use the 14 days. Soldiers may use PDMRA leave within 12 months of returning from deployment or during PCS travel. If you don’t use them within 12 months of returning from deployment, too bad, so sad. Leaders must make every effort to give their troops this time off within that timeframe. We owe it to them!
Soldiers who return from deployment due to an injury or are deemed to be “not fit for duty” will have one year to use their PDMRA from the day that they are determined to be “fit for duty.” This is good news for those Soldiers recovering from injuries sustained as a result of combat or their deployment, but stuck somewhere like Walter Reed for extended periods of time. Soldiers who are getting out of the Army can combine their ETS (terminal) leave with PDMRA.
PDMRA days do not continue to accrue for those Soldiers on transition leave and/or extension of mobilization orders for the purpose of PDMRA usage. It also doesn’t have a cash value like normal leave does. If it’s not used, it goes the way of GM dealerships and just disappears without a trace and no “cash out” option. For those Soldiers in the Reserve component with federal, state or local government civilian employment, you cannot by law receive civilian pay while using this leave. Since you are considered on active duty while taking this leave. However, there is a provision in the law that allows you to elect to receive Assignment Incentive Pay in lieu of PDMRA. For this purpose, the AIP would be valued at a rate of $200 for each day of administrative absence that otherwise would have been authorized/earned under the PDMRA program, but can’t exceed $3,000 per month. To request this, simply use the 4187 process (see your 1SG).
I hope this cleared up some of the confusion or lack of knowledge about this important way our nation shows its appreciation for what we’re doing. Our media likes to highlight all the down sides of these deployments while completely ignoring worthy programs like this, additional pay, and other benefits that Soldiers receive during and after deployments. We take care of our own and this is just another example of that.
If you have any further questions about the program, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments section so that others can learn along with you. Also, please see your PAC or 1SG. However, since I’ve been contacted by a few First Sergeants myself, they may not have the answer. In those cases, provide them with this link to educate them. They’ll thank you for it!
For services other than the Army, this program SHOULD work the exact same way. It’s a DOD program, not an Army one. We are just better at getting the word out there! 
Oh and I almost forgot, you can access a special calculator to help you figure out how much leave you may be due by clicking HERE.
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May 20, 2009 By CJ
Posted in Military News
Chicago, IL—The third annual Pritzker Military Library Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing will be announced via live webcast on Monday, June 22 at 1 p.m. Central / 2 p.m. Eastern (time subject to change) at www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org. The $100,000 honorarium, citation and medallion, sponsored by the Chicago-based Tawani Foundation, will be presented at the Library’s annual Liberty Gala on October 24, 2009 at Chicago’s Palmer House Hilton.
The Pritzker Military Library Literature Award recognizes a living author for a body of work that has profoundly enriched the public understanding of American military history. The recipient’s contributions may be academic, non-fiction, fiction, or a combination of any of the three, and his or her work should embody the values of the Pritzker Military Library.
A national panel of historians, writers and individuals related to the study of American history and heritage are currently reviewing nominations and definitive works submitted by publishers, agents, book sellers and other professional literary organizations.
The award was first presented in 2007 to James M. McPherson, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era; Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief; and For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War, among other books. In 2008, The Pritzker Military Library Literature Award was presented to Allan R. Millett, author of many books including Semper Fidelis: The History of the United States Marine Corps; The Politics of Intervention: The Military Occupation of Cuba, 1906-1909; The General: Robert L. Bullard and Officership in the United States Army; and In Many a Strife: General Gerald C. Thomas and the U.S. Marine Corps.
ABOUT THE PRITZKER MILITARY LIBRARY
The Pritzker Military Library is a non-profit, non-partisan library located at 610 North Fairbanks Court in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago, near the Magnificent Mile. The mission of the Pritzker Military Library is to acquire and maintain an accessible collection of materials and develop appropriate programs focusing on the Citizen Soldier in the preservation of democracy.
The 5,000 sq. ft. facility features over 30,000 historical, reference, biographical and rare books on military subjects, 7,000 photographs, 1,100 original antique military posters and prints, and other military artifacts from private donors and the collection of COL (IL) James N. Pritzker, IL ARNG (Ret.). Since opening in October 2003, the Library has produced over 200 programs including author events, interviews with Medal of Honor recipients, and Chicago’s only monthly public affairs program on military issues, Front & Center with John Callaway. Evening programs in the Library’s McHenry Atrium are presented free of charge in front of a live audience, broadcast live on the Internet, and recorded for later broadcast on WYCC-TV/Channel 20, a PBS affiliate. Programs are also available as audio podcasts on the Library website and at iTunes. A complimentary reception for Associate Members with wine and light refreshments precedes each evening program. Books are provided for purchase and signing at author events by The Book Stall at Chestnut Court. The Pritzker Military Library is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization with no partisan, political or governmental affiliation.
To learn more, please visit www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org.
And may I suggest Michael Yon for this award next year?
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May 19, 2009 By CJ
Posted in Life in the Military, Top Posts, Top Posts - My Post, Top Posts - Shared
The Gathering of Eagles need our help. The domestic insurgents have been protesting outside the West Point graduation ceremonies for years. They line West Point Highway with flag draped coffins and banners with disgustingly negative messages to demoralize our graduates and their families. The families of these graduates already have a high anxiety level with their children embarking on a military career in a time of war. The additional stress is unwelcome and unwanted.
For the third year the Gathering of Eagles (GOE) will provide a counterpoint to the insurgents. We will hold flags and signs of encouragement for the graduates, our troops and their families. Their efforts are greatly appreciated.
This Saturday, May 23rd, they ask all who are able to come join them in a show of solidarity and support for our new graduates and their families. We have no prior knowledge of protester activity, but they have been consistent in their protest activity there for so long that it is expected they will be there.
What: Support Our Graduates and their Families Rally
Where: Memorial Park, Mill Street and West Point Highway, Highland Falls, NY
Maplink: http://tinyurl.com/4j863x
When: Saturday, May 23, 2009, 7am to 1pm
The early start time is to avoid traffic congestion with family and visitors arriving for the ceremony. Contact Dan if you have any further questions.
3 Comments »
By myheroesathome
Posted in Guest Blogger, Life in the Military, Spouse and Family
I met with a life coach today. Even though (or especially because) I am a certified life coach, I think it’s a good idea to routinely check in with someone outside your own head about how you’re doing. Someone to ask you about your goals and dreams, and hold you accountable for them. So I did. And that hour of help looking at the big picture of my life was more valuable that the countless hours of soul-searching I’ve been bogged down in over the past week.
Draw a circle.
Now draw lines through the circle, dividing it into six equal sections – like a pizza.
Label each of the sections with these titles: Professional, Financial, Wellness, Spiritual, Emotional and Relationships.
Take a few minutes to think about how happy you are in each of these areas of your life.
Now assign each slice a number: 1 is ‘really unhappy,’ 10 is ‘everything’s perfect
Here’s what mine looks like:
Professional: 4
Financial: 1
Wellness:9
Spiritual: 9
Emotional: 8
Relationships: 9
Now, color in each pizza slice as indicated by the number you picked. For example, I’ll fill in the spiritual slice 9/10 of the way from the center. Try to consider the shaded area as a second circle inside the original one. If it were a wheel, could it roll? Mine would be a pretty bumpy ride.
Looking at the drawing, I realized that although my emotional and spiritual life, my health & wellness and my relationships are all happy and fulfilling, my professional and financial life leave much to be desired. A common dilemma for a military wife. Especially one coming out of a deployment.
When Paul deployed, I quit my job as a TV anchor in order to run our farm while he was gone. Although I started Heroes At Home during the year he was gone, my life was very much about supporting him and holding down the homefront in his absence. I went from a steady paycheck to being the much less significant income in our two-income family. We didn’t miss the money because his salary jumped with the addition of separation and hazardous duty pay. We could afford for me to focus on my spiritual and emotional well-being, my relationships, my health. And, of course, all the home maintenance, laundry, dog care, finances, cooking, cleaning, letter-writing, package-mailing, power-of-attorney wielding, vehicle upkeep, holiday celebration… and all the other trappings of a two-person life that fell squarely on my shoulders. It was a blessing to have that flexibility during a very difficult year. I am very proud of being a military wife – doing my part to serve our country by lending Uncle Sam my husband and hanging in there while he’s gone.
Here’s the problem. He’s home now. And I want my life back.
I spent a lot of time with my girlfriends during the deployment. I ate well, lifted weights attended pilates regularly. I managed my stress and anxiety by finding activities that fulfilled me and relying on my faith to get me through. I have 8s and 9s in all those pizza slices of my life.
But I went from a pre-deployment 9 in the professional slice (10 seems a little pompous… but suffice it to say I had nothing to complain about on the career front) to a post-deployment 4. I love my work with military families – it is rewarding and meaningful, but I constantly wish I could reach more people. I haven’t been able to focus on growing the business over the past year, because – as any spouse who has survived a combat deployment can tell you – it’s hard to focus on anything other than getting through the days and trying to not think about what will happen if your soldier doesn’t come home. And the post-deployment 1 in the financial slice? I guess I didn’t realize how important it was to me to be an equal financial contributor in our partnership.
So… I’ve got some work to do. I’m going to focus on growing the business, and hope that the money will follow. But I’m also going to spend some time realizing that I still make some pretty valuable contributions around here (anyone for clean BDUs or homemade veggie lasagna?) Just because the deployment is over, doesn’t mean my service doesn’t matter anymore, or that my sense of purpose should disappear. As I struggle to re-define my role in the family for the second time in the past year, I will try to remember that it was my strength and support that got us both through it.
And, really, you can’t put a price on that.
Read more from Katie Dyer at Heroes At Home
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May 18, 2009 By myheroesathome
Posted in Guest Blogger, Life in the Military, Patriotism, Spouse and Family
I spent the weekend at a winery with my girlfriends. The sun was shining, we had a table on the patio, and I was on my third glass of pinot gris when I came face to face with my biggest pet peeve as an army wife: urban camo. You know what I’m talking about… civilian clothes that come in “cute” camouflage patterns. Sometimes you’ll see them in pink or blue…. mostly in dog collars and infant clothes…. I can get over that. My dogs all wear military “dog tags” after all. But what I can’t seem to accept is full-on, olive green, why-would-you-wear-it-if-you’re-not-in-uniform camo. Women in their 20s and 30s are the biggest offenders. Usually it’s Capri pants with cargo pockets and little drawstrings at the ankles. Or too-tight, ribbed GI Jane-style tank tops. Civilian men are not immune to the camo craze – but they prefer “authentic” surplus-store-style duds…. the knee length shorts made out of an old pair of BDUs, and my absolute favorite: the digital camo backpack/ruck sack. I’m sure they are very useful on missions…. but in the frozen foods aisle at Safeway? Not so much.
“Urban Commando!” Paul shouts whenever we’re out and see someone in their camo gear.
“Where?” I ask. “I don’t see anyone.”
He nods knowingly.
“That’s because they’re camouflaged.”
It never ceases to be funny, even though in the small town where we live, there is usually an entire urban battalion down at the Dari-Mart on any given day.
Camo is not a very flattering look on most people, but when I see someone out in their olive green duds, I feel like calling the MPs more than the Fashion Police. Camouflage, to me, signals military. It’s what my husband wears to work. I’m just not sure how it became so popular in civilian attire. Could you imagine the uniform trend catching on? People would be out at bars on Friday nights in their medical scrubs…. Or maybe just the scrub pants, paired with a cute lace camisole or babydoll T? I don’t think so. Will Nordstrom soon carry navy polyester button-ups with faux police badges on the chest? Or evening-wear versions of the bright orange, mesh construction worker vest?
I blame the camo craze on the fascination civilians have with all things military. Witness: boot camp workouts, combat boots and Hummers. Trust me, as someone living the life – it ain’t all that magical.
In the interest of full disclosure: I do have a pair of camo patterned converse tennis shoes. But they were a gift. And really, they do go with everything.
Read more from Katie Dyer at Heroes At Home
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By Claire
Posted in Military News, Spouse and Family
The Arlington National Cemetery Commemorative Project, Inc. released their first book project in 2007, titled “Where Valor Rests” in honor of fallen service members buried in Arlington since 9/11/01. On the heels of that is a new book aimed specifically at the young children who have lost a parent.
Children of Valor: Arlington National Cemetaryis to assist children affected by loss of a close loved one to understand and process their grief. The book will also be a resource guide for parents. Dr. Stephen Cozza, psychiatrist and expert in child trauma with the Uniformed Service University of Health Sciences is advising and helping author portions of the book. Renowned Children’s author Linda Tyler is writing the main text, and the book is being illustrated by the talented artist Deborah Withey. Source
An announcement was made today by the Army that the book has been released. Below is the write up of that event:
Excerpt:
ARLINGTON, Va., May 17, 2009 – Generals, congressmen and, in many cases, presidents of the United States have attended military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery here and given their condolences to children who have lost loved ones to war.
But for many of those unfortunate children, it may still be difficult to understand the honor of their loved ones’ sacrifices and what it means for a servicemember to be buried here.
A new book titled “For Children of Valor: Arlington National Cemetery” is dedicated to helping children and families of the fallen buried here to cope with their loss. Five such families, representing the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps were presented with first-edition copies of the book during a May 15 ceremony at the cemetery’s information center.
“This small gift conveys our admiration and our respect by acknowledging the pain and the loss these sacrifices must bring,” said retired Army Maj. Gen. Carl H. McNair, Jr., president and chairman of the Arlington National Cemetery Commemorative Project. “We wanted to provide a gift that captures the honor of Arlington National Cemetery.
“May this gift bring the spirit and fond memories of your family a little closer to home, and may you gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the hallowed grounds on which we stand,” McNair said.
The Arlington National Cemetery Commemorative Project produced the book in conjunction with illustration and photography support from the Washington Post. Dr. Stephen J. Cozza, a retired Army colonel, advised and helped author portions of the book.
Cozza is a psychiatrist and expert in child trauma currently serving as a professor with the Uniformed Service University of Health Sciences, Children’s author Linda Tyler wrote the main text, and artist Deborah Withey illustrated the book.
The 52-page book is filled with somber images of children and families visiting the cemetery, as well as colorful patriotic graphics typical of an elementary school arts-and-craft project. Educational messages and information about Arlington cemetery history appear on the pages. There is also a section of artwork toward the back of the book for children to color in themselves.
During the ceremony, Army Secretary Pete Geren spoke of the sacrifices made by the more than 340,000 American military members buried here since the Revolutionary War as well as the millions of others buried elsewhere throughout the world. He credited the families of the fallen for supporting their military loved ones despite the frightening realities of war. The families are heroes, too, he said.
“Military families are the strength behind our servicemembers,” he said. “The families don’t get medals, but they’re heroes, and these heroes come in all ages and sizes.”
LINK to rest of article
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