BlogWorldExpo 2009 is now a memory, but a great one. Troy and I had a GREAT time and learned a LOT about how to get the You Served name out there. We placed the blog on countless new sites that specialize in promoting blogs. We made many new contacts whom we’ll be bringing on to the show in the near future.
Before I begin, I have to thank the VA Mortgage Center for their hospitality and support. They paid to send Troy and I to the Expo and sponsored the food for the Milblog Track. It was enjoyed by many and we even did some interviews in front of the promotional sign.
During the conference, Troy and I had the pleasure of hosting TWO live shows – our regular Thursday evening show and an impromptu show from the exhibition floor. Rick Calvert, founder of BlogWorldExpo, donated equipment that allowed us to broadcast our panel live for our show! At a savings of nearly $600, it was definitely appreciated! It was a resounding success and the FIRST TIME EVER that we did a show in the same room with each other. I can’t ask for a better man to be associated with and You Served can do no better!
I had the opportunity to meet many other milbloggers and supporters for the first time! I was able to sit in on numerous other tracks and get some pointers from various bloggers. I met some education bloggers, financial bloggers, and sports bloggers. I even made contact with a faculty member of the University of Texas where I plan to finish my degree one day. Through these contacts, I was able to open some eyes to the world of milblogging and specifically the You Served and ASP blogs. Best of all, for VAMC at least, I think I steered a VA loan customer there way, though that was not my mission at the Expo!
All in all, it was a great time. We lined up some great guests for future shows and we’re really excited about that. As for me, things are getting busy and I’ll be hit and miss for a few weeks, but I’ll try to keep things updated as often as possible. If you have the opportunity next year, we hope to see you at BlogWorldExpo 2010!!
The 545 Project has released a powerfully blunt video aimed at the administration and others in our government whose indecisiveness is putting our troops at risk. This is absolutely amazing!
If you’d like to check out more information about the group, click HERE.
Maybe we need a new military occupational specialty that calls for having Soldiers accompany all equipment being shipped across the sea to ensure things like this don’t happen again!
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Soldiers of the newly arrived 575th Aerial Support Medical Company discovered at Kandahar Airfield Oct. 1 that roughly $2 million worth of their company’s medical equipment had been stolen in transit.
The six overseas shipping containers left Fort Lewis, Wash., in June and were delivered Oct. 1 to the 575th ASMC here where they discovered the contents of four containers were missing. When opened, one or two of the containers held pallets of radio antennas not belonging to the unit, and the other containers were empty. One of the empty containers had once held troops’ personal items, such as mementos, electronics and military-issued gear.
“Even though all my Soldiers took a huge hit, you can’t see it when they do their jobs,” said Capt. Constantine Voyevidka, the 575th ASMC company commander.
Scheduled to open their clinic Oct. 15, the approximately 80 Soldiers of the 575th ASMC deployed with two missions. Primarily they plan to use their clinic to support American troops from units that do not have medical assets, currently about 50 percent of troops on KAF. A secondary undertaking is to send teams forward to provide medical support to forward operating bases and military locations throughout Regional Command-South.
“For now we can still support Kandahar Airfield like we need to,” said Voyevidka.
Besides medical equipment they still have, the company hopes to use supplies from a medical equipment warehouse next door, as well as acquire medical materiel being transferred from Iraq due to the troop drawdown. The command surgeon from the Joint Sustainment Command-Afghanistan has already pledged support to help the 575th ASMC replace supplies they need to accomplish their mission.
Thanks to Specialist Elisebet Freeburg for the story!
I found these great videos of our Navy SEALs in action from Great Americans. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
Whether on deployment or participating in ultra marathons, Navy SEAL David Goggins defines hard work and dedication. David Goggins races to raise money for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which pays the college tuition for children of special-operations personnel killed in the line of duty. Learn more about the inspiring life of Goggins, as well as other Navy Athletes who competed in the 2008 Ford Ironman at navyathletes.com. Submitted by: SquidShark Three Keywords: US Navy Seal David Goggins athlete inspiring ironman marathon Special Operations Warrior Foundation.
The most intense week of BUD/s Training is detailed in this, the third of four videos providing a look inside the life and preparation to become a Navy SEAL. http://www.navy.com/seals
Navy Seals in Afghanistan 8:53 Shows that war in Afghanistan goes on…It doesn’t have a deadline for ending. They talk about Iraq a lot , but they’ve (the press) forgotten about Afghanistan.
Chronic pain is something that a lot of returning Veterans and their families know a lot about. Those who have combat related injuries often have chronic pain, and sometimes just the daily grind in a war zone can cause injuries that can also have a lasting, negative impact on a Veteran’s quality of life. This, of course, also deeply impacts the family members in that Veteran’s family.
Chronic and acute pain is a family matter. It affects the patient first and foremost, but the suffering extends to those who love him/her. They feel it through an empathy response and they often stand by feeling helpless.
The McGinnis family knows what pain is, and they have fought to come to a better place in the lifelong struggles of being a combat amputee family. Derek McGinnis has written a book called “Exit Wounds” where he recalls his struggle for life after being wounded in Fallujah and his struggle for peace when he came back home.
Derek writes on the Exit Wounds site:
Invisible Injuries
“Pain ripples through all parts of your life and the lives of those around you….Although these wounds cannot be seen, like a scar or a lost limb, they can be as painful and disabling as any mortar wound or shrapnel injury.” — Derek McGinnis, Exit Wounds
The site has resources for both Veterans and those who love them! Please take time to visit the site today and share the information with those around you.
A good friend and wife of a Veteran with a TBI told me about the following:
AVBI is providing a medical alert dog tag and a tri-fold credit-card sized identity card in a small carrying case, to American Veterans who have suffered brain injuries. For veterans who may be r endered helpless due to seizure or other medical condition(s); the dog tag will alert medical personal to the identity card for further information. The identity card not only contains medical conditions and pertinent information; it lists common impairments and can be used to help a brain injured veteran better communicate their difficulties, particularly in times of stress.
Veteran’s who have suffered a brain injury (or a family member) are encouraged to APPLY NOW for an AVBI ID. Please fill out the on-line application and then submit.* Once we receive the application we will mail to the veteran, FREE of charge; 1 medical alert dog tag w/chain and a tri-fold card in a clear plastic pouch (pictured below).*If you have any questions or difficulty filling out the application email AVBI.
Tonight on You Served Radio, we are very lucky to have my old Company Commander and current Commander of the National Training Center in Ft. Irwin CA, BG Robert “Abe” Abrams as our first guest. Rather than me trying to explain what a warrior he is, I have included his official BIO below. Be sure to join us on You Served Radio tonight at www.blogtalkradio.com/youserved at 7:00 PM EST to listen in.
Brigadier General Robert B. “Abe” Abrams is the Commanding General of the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California. He is an Army Brat who received his commission from the United States Military Academy in 1982. His initial duty assignment was with the 3d Armored Division’s Cavalry Squadron, the 3d Squadron 12th Cavalry Regiment headquartered in Budingen, Germany. He served in successive assignments as an Armored Cavalry Platoon Leader, Troop Executive officer and as the Squadron Adjutant.
Following attendance at the Armor Officer Advanced Course, he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. He served as the Battalion Maintenance Officer; Commander, Delta Company; and Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, where he deployed the company in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
Following redeployment from Operation Desert Storm, he was reassigned to the Armor School at Fort Knox, Kentucky where he served in successive assignments as a Platoon tactics instructor for the Armor Officer Basis Course, doctrine writer and Armor School subject matter expert for the M1A2 Tank Program, and Chief of Training Development.
Following attendance at the US Army Command and General Staff College, he was assigned as the Squadron Operations Officer, 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Bliss, Texas. He was later selected as the Regimental Operations Officer, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, and moved the Regiment to Fort Carson, Colorado. He was than selected to serve as a CJCS Strategic Planner in the Conventional War Plans Division, J7, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
Brigadier General Abrams commanded the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, “MUSTANGS,” of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. He subsequently served as the G3 of the First Cavalry Division. Following attendance at the US Army War College, he commanded the 1st Brigade Combat Team, “IRONHORSE”, 1st Cavalry Division, at Fort Hood, Texas, and deployed the BCT to East Baghdad, Iraq, from March 2004 to March 2005. Following command of 1st BCT, Brigadier General Abrams served as the Chief of Staff, 1st Cavalry Division.
He was subsequently reassigned as the Executive Officer to the Commanding General US Army Europe and 7th Army. Prior to his current assignment, he served as the Deputy Commanding General, Combined Arms Center-Training, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Brigadier General Abrams holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York; a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan; and a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. His military schooling includes the Armor Basic and Advanced Courses, Airborne School, Ranger School, the Combined Arms and Services Staff School, the US Army Command and General Staff College, and the US Army War College.
His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Valorous Unit Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Combat Action Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Ranger Tab, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge.
Brigadier General Abrams is married to the former Connie Clevenger, and has a son Robert II and a daughter Carolyn.
I’m completely against giving special pays to people who signed a contract. Everyone that enlists into the military signs a contract that makes it crystal clear that regardless of how long you enlist for, you are undertaking an 8-year commitment. But, the entitlement society that we live in doesn’t want to just hold people to legal contracts they signed. Instead, we have to baby people because they were “extended” with stop-loss orders.
Now, I’m not completely against this pay. For example, I think that if a service member has already served their 8-year active duty and IRR commitment but were still stop-lossed, then they DO deserve that money. Absolutely! Because they were kept beyond their obligation. We’re not doing that. We’re giving extra money to ANYONE that was stop-lossed beyond their active duty commitment, regardless of how much time they still owed in IRR. Just insane.
Anyway, here’s the information you stop-loss troops are looking for.
The Defense Department announced today the services’ implementation plans to provide retroactive stop loss special pay. Active, reserve and former service members who had their enlistment extended or retirement suspended due to stop loss are eligible for this special pay, if they served on active duty between Sept. 11, 2001 and Sept. 30, 2009.
Service members may begin submitting their claim for retroactive stop loss special pay on Oct. 21, 2009. In accordance with the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act, all applications must be submitted to the respective services no later than Oct. 21, 2010. Eligible personnel will receive a payment of $500 per month for each month (or any portion of a month) that a member was retained on active duty due to stop loss. Applicants for retroactive pay who are no longer in the military had to be honorably discharged, and for those who were stop lossed in fiscal 2009, may only receive payment from one stop loss authority – either the money appropriated for stop loss special pay in the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, or the money allocated for retroactive stop loss special pay in the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act, but not both.
Service members must provide documented proof they were stop lossed with their claim. Family members of deceased service members should contact the appropriate military service for assistance in filing their claim.
Information on how to contact each of the services is listed below:
Stop loss provides a valuable and critical tool to quickly retain and generate forces to surge in a major conflict. However, as deployment schedules stabilize, the department must then adapt and minimize its use of stop loss. The secretary of defense announced in March a comprehensive plan to eliminate the current use of stop loss, while retaining the authority for future use under extraordinary circumstances.
Thanks to those that donated to my effort in supporting the Semper Fi Community Task Force. I will be meeting with officials in a couple of days and passing off the money I have collected so far. Due to recent events, I am no longer able to attend the event in person as I will be on the road taking my children to live with their grandparents. I apologize for not being able to meet my goal or even take part in the event. But, at least we did SOMETHING!!
In recognition of your service to our country, all veterans and active duty military personnel are invited to eat free at Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar Restaurants this Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov.11, 2009.
As you may recall, Applebee’s launched a pilot program last year on Veterans Day offering free entrees to military service personnel and veterans. Because the response was so overwhelmingly positive, Applebee’s is extending the invitation throughout the country this year. We would appreciate your help in spreading the word.
Please help us share details across your various communication channels. All U.S. veterans and active duty military with proof of current or former military service will eat free at all Applebee’s nationwide on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009. Proof of service includes: U.S. Uniform Services Identification Card, U.S. Uniform Services Retired Identification Card, Current Leave and Earnings Statement, Veterans Organization Card, photograph in uniform or wearing uniform. For additional details, visit: www.applebees.com/vetsday.
The free dinner meal is a special “thank you tribute” to any person who has ever served in the United States Military. If you are a veteran, retired, currently serving, in the National Guard or Reserves, you are invited to join us for Golden Corral’s Military Appreciation Monday dinner.
To date, Golden Corral restaurants have provided over 2.2 million free meals and contributed over $3.3 million to the Disabled American Veterans organization.
To locate a Golden Corral near you, visit www.goldencorral.com/locator. For more information or to see if you qualify click HERE.
