Monthly Archives: March 2010

10 Tips from School Nurses: Helping Children Through Transitions

Posted on March 3, 2010 by Claire| 1 Comment

Transitions are tough on everyone, but for children especially. In April we will celebrate the military child!

The following information is taken from “Time To Talk” and is a downloadable PDF.

10 Things School Nurses Want You to Know

School nurses recommend that you follow these tips in order to make transition times easier and healthier for your family

  1. KEEP HEALTH RECORDS ON HAND: Store copies of recent physicals and immunizations with your important papers. If that is not possible, have a list of phone and fax numbers of the previous medical offices on hand if you need to contact medical offices for additional information.
  2. REACH OUT YOUR CHILD’S NEW SCHOOL: Before the move, contact the new school by phone or via their website to become familiar with the required forms. Share these forms with your current primary-care provider to see if your child needs updated immunizations, a TB skin test, and/or a physical.
  3. SHARE EDUCATION RECORDS: Some children have formal health and education plans specific to their needs such as Individualized Health Plans, Individualized Education Plans and 504 accommodations. Sharing this information helps ensure that your child’s learning needs are met.
  4. DON’T FORGET THE SPORTS PHYSICAL: Many states require separate physical exam forms to be completed for sports. If can be difficult to find a new primary-care provider and get an appointment in a timely manner in order for your student to participate in a sport. Being prepared before hand will help expedite the rush to get a sports physical.
  5. COMPLETE AN EMERGENCY HEALTH CARD: Make sure you answer questions honestly and share pertinent information: allergies, chronic illness, medication, past significant history, concerns due to transition, etc. This is a great opportunity to request a meeting with the school nurse to discuss concerns.
  6. GET SUPPORT: Ask about support groups for you and your child that might be offered in the school to assist in the transition. The school may have a variety of after school clubs or programs to help your child feel connected.
  7. VOLUNTEER AND JOIN: A great way for the parent to get to know the school community is by joining the PTA or PTO or volunteer in the school. This will also give you a chance to meet new people. If your child sees you reaching out to the new community, they might be apt to open up and join new clubs and groups.
  8. LOOK TO THE COMMUNITY: Take advantage of community organizations to help in transition. The YMCA, Scouting clubs, Boys & Girl Clubs, and faith-based programs provide positive and safe places to meet new kids.
  9. ALLOW YOUR CHILD TIME TO ADJUST: Transitions provide new opportunities, but also losses for your child. Allow your child time to say goodbye and time to grieve for the home and friends they may be leaving behind. Help your child collect mailing addresses. Be sure to get to know new friends your child makes as he or she adjusts to the new community.
  10. TALK TO YOUR SCHOOL NURSE: The school nurse is an excellent resource you can utilize for direction and guidance. Communication will help your child have healthy and successful school year. If you have a question, just ask it! nasn.org

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Spouse and Family

Find the Time

Posted on March 3, 2010 by LL| 2 Comments

I’ll be cross posting this on A Soldiers Perspective, but I wanted to give everyone a head’s up that the Youserved Podcast will be verrrrrry interesting tomorrow night (Thursday, March 4th) and maybe you should block out 2 hours, from 6pm-8pm central to listen. The guys will have Adam Kokesh as their guest. If you are familiar with this controversial figure, you will know he is a former (or not so former) IVAW member who is running for office in the state of New Mexico. Milblogs take offense at some of his IVAW shenanigans and the fact that he leaves out some pertinent details of his military service when campaigning or talking to the press, for example, stating he was a sergeant in the Marines when he was actually finally discharged as a corporal. You know, somewhere in there, he got his heinie in a sling and neglects to share that info. But anyway, the interview should be interesting and lively, so go to the BlogTalkRadio site and give it a listen tomorrow evening.

You can find BTR Youserved here.

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Project Prayer Flag

Posted on March 2, 2010 by CJ| Leave a comment

I recently came across a pretty cool site I wanted to share with you. It’s called Project Prayer Flag.

president bush prayer flag

On January 12th, 2009, President Bush accepts a plaque with the
500,000 “Patriot Pack” presented by Project Prayer Flag

So what is the Project Prayer Flag?

Project Prayer Flag first realized its beginning shortly after the events of September 11th, 2001. During this time of Military deployments and sacrifices, millions of prayers of support went out to our Military men and women. They continue today with those on the front lines, defending Freedom and instilling the hope of Liberty.

Project Prayer Flag began slowly as a way of giving comfort and a piece of America, to the troops who so gallantly defend the ideals that we hold dear to our hearts. We began the Project; by sending a handwritten card, a small American “cloth” Pocket Flag” and a humble gift to a U.S. Marine reservist who was deploying overseas.

Shortly after sending the reservist the card and Flag, we received a card of thanks. We were asked if we could send more of these cards, and Flags to the Troops overseas. And thus began Project Prayer Flag. As the soldiers carry the small flag and hope in their pocket, they are reminded of the prayers of millions and the hope of Freedom that they inspire.

Today, over four hundred volunteers and families; meet in community centers, churches and homes to package “Patriot packs™”. They consist of American pocket Flags, Inspirational bookmarks, gifts and letters from ordinary Americans who care. Those who receive the flags and gifts are encouraged by the prayers of millions of Americans, and the hope of Freedom that they inspire.

Our newest outreach programs-Operation Christmas care™ and Adopt a Vet™, respond to the needs of single servicemen and women. Volunteers Adopt a Military Veteran and send them care packages, and offer spiritual and emotional support throughout their time in Military service. The project continues to grow and has been blessed with volunteers who have responded with their hearts and hope.

Project Prayer Flag continues to respond to personal and spiritual needs by organizing various outreaches, and events which encourage the hope of a better life lived through Faith and Freedom.

By working together through Faith, we point to Liberty’s light as she shines upon the path of those who yearn for Freedom, and for those who reach for her. We thank you and all of the volunteers for your help and support.

Any US Soldier or Military Unit can request their own Project Prayer Flag (Personal American Pocket Flag or related Unit support). They just need to contact the organization at www.ProjectPrayerFlag.Org. They will send to Individual and complete Units (Company-Battalions) completely free of charge. Their mission is to support us troops!

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Charities/Contests

Tagged

You Served’s Marcus is Featured on MSNBC

Posted on March 2, 2010 by You Served Editorial Staff| Leave a comment

You Served featured on MSNBC

You Served podcast producer Marcus Penn sent almost 2,000 emails to his wife while he was deployed to Iraq in 2007.

The South Carolina Marine relied on technology to remain close to home during his stretch in Al Anbar province. His story is recounted in a story on MSNBC’s Technology & Science page entitled “Staying in touch with loved ones during war.”

You can read the story in full here.

Congratulations to Marcus from all of us at VAMortgageCenter.com, and thanks to writer Diane Mapes.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Military News, News

Just the facts – family and friends, helping someone with depression

Posted on March 2, 2010 by Claire| 1 Comment

afterdeployment.com has some great cheat sheets on various topics. The topics are focused enough that they are not overwhelming and are very specific. Here’s a paste of one as a sample, and below that is a link to take you to the rest. I recommend going through the list and printing off any you need or think you will need in the foreseeable future.

 

©2008 afterdeployment.org – 1 -
JUST THE FACTS:

Helping Family and Friends

How to Help Someone Who’s Depressed

EXCERPT

The most important thing to do for someone who may be depressed is to assist him/her in getting help. Here are
some suggestions:

• Ask the person if they have had thoughts about hurting themselves. Asking communicates that it’s okay
to talk about it.

• Offer understanding, patience, and encouragement.

• Listen carefully. It is best not to judge or mock what the person is going through; it is better to point out
the positive, but realistic, aspects of their situation and offer hope that things will improve.

• Let the person know that even though he/she may have a strong urge to be alone, confiding in someone
or being with other people is better than being alone and secretive.

• Let the person know that his/her mood will improve with help, that getting better takes time and
patience, and he/she can feel better day-by-day.

• Help the person to stay with treatment until he/she gets better. If improvement is not evident, encourage
the person to seek treatment from other sources.

• Help the person follow a treatment plan, such as going to appointments and taking medication, if
prescribed. Offer to go with the person to his or her appointments.

• Help the person stop drinking alcohol or using drugs that aren’t prescribed. Substances may interact
with prescribed medication and/or make depression worse.

• Encourage the person to go out for walks and pleasant outings (going to the movies or lunch), and other
healthy activities (exercise). If he/she refuses, gently insist.

• Encourage the person to do some things that he/she once found fun, like hobbies or sports, or religious
or cultural activities. Don’t push him/her to take on too much too soon. The person needs company, but
too many demands can increase stress and thoughts of failure.

• DON’T ignore talk about suicide. Call 911 or any of the national suicide prevention hotlines: 1-800-
273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) or 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433).

What To Do If Someone Says They are Thinking about Suicide

READ MORE HERE

FIND LIST OF VARIOUS TOPICS HERE

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Spouse and Family

A Feel Good Story

Posted on March 1, 2010 by LL| 1 Comment

This site is called You Served and the military serves in many ways. This is a feel good story about Soldiers at Ft. Campbell helping Habitat for Humanity for 2 days.

Nearly 40 soldiers from Fort Campbell spent Sunday in northwest Davidson County building new homes in Habitat for Humanity’s Timberwood neighborhood.

“I’m here with two of the platoons from one of the batteries,” said Fort Campbell soldier Shannon Clark.

Clark spent the day painting the siding that’s going up on the new homes.

The volunteers hope to build five homes from the ground up in just eight days. By day two, the homes are fully framed.

“I’ve been roofing, laying some boards down, nailing them down,” said soldier Clayton Gadson. “I’ve never done this before, this is a great experience.”

Chip Wilson, the construction site manager, told News 2 that the group from Ft. Campbell was highly organized and ready to work.

“They’ve been great,” Wilson said. “I actually come from a military family, my brother’s over in Afghanistan, so it’s nice to work with some of the military folks. They’ve done a great job.”

You can be proud of your Soldiers giving back to their community!!

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Army Imposter Tries to Infiltrate US

Posted on March 1, 2010 by CJ| 4 Comments

Don’t think that our borders and systems aren’t vulnerable? Check out these photos.

Looks like any other Soldier you’ve seen right? “LTC Rivera” is wearing his Combat Infantry Badge (2nd award, by the way), Master Parachutist, and Air Assault Badge in the right places.

Rivera was wearing a full U.S. Army ACU uniform displaying the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He was selected for exam by the CBP Narcotics Unit who was conducting a 100% passport inspection on Avianca Airlines flight 08 from Pereira, Colombia. He stated he works as a security guard and that he was in Colombia to propose to his girlfriend.

When asked about the Army uniform he stated that he went to Colombia to play paintball. However, during the questioning, he had trembling hands, sweat forming on his forehead, he was unable/unwilling to maintain eye contact, and had a pulsating carotid artery along with a continued display of nervous behavior. These are what we call “kinesic indicators of deception.”

So, the agents did a more thorough search of his possessions. During the exam, a set of orders were found which appeared to be authentic. The orders had Rivera’s name, home address, DOB, SSN on them. They appeared to be on authentic U.S. Army letterhead and directed him to report to MacDill AFB in Tampa, FL.

Rivera’s uniform also displayed patches for two different units.
The combat patch was for the 101st Airborne and was supposedly assigned to the 1st Calvary here at Fort Hood.

Thankfully, some highly trained customs agents did their due diligence and acted on their hunches. “LTC Rivera” won’t be coming to the United States and will instead find himself in a pound me in the butt prison somewhere. Unfortunately, I don’t think that the Stolen Valour Act applies to foreigners.

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , ,

Charlie Wilson Drops the Bomb

Posted on March 1, 2010 by CJ| 2 Comments


Charlie Wilson of the Charlie Wilson Band performs for service members Feb. 24 at the Sustainer Theater at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Wilson, a Tulsa, Okla., native, who now lives in Los Angeles, performed in Iraq for the second consecutive year, wrapping up this tour Feb. 25.

Charlie Wilson of the Charlie Wilson Band performed for more than 300 service members and civilians at the Sustainer Theater Feb. 24 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.

Wilson, a Tulsa, Okla., native, who now lives in Los Angeles, said this was his second tour in Iraq, which ran Feb. 17 to Feb. 25 with a final stop in Kuwait.

Wilson recently overcame prostate cancer and put out a new album, and then came to JBB and performed his hit single “There Goes My Baby.” He also performed some of his classic Gap Band songs, including “You Dropped a Bomb on Me.”

“It’s great to see their smiles, even if it is for only a few moments … It’s good knowing they’re having a good time,” he said.

Wilson said he knows Soldiers have tough jobs.

“I know it’s kind of crazy out there and anything can happen,” he said.
Jenna Lankford, an assistant for Wilson and a Los Angeles native, said the group was more prepared than it was last year and knew what to expect.

“We come here for the troops,” said Lankford. “It’s not about getting paid; it’s about the people risking their lives for us and us being able to give one good night of entertainment.”

Spc. Tyler E. Klinger, a food service specialist with the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and a Kent City, Mich., native, said he was relatively unfamiliar with Charlie Wilson but he wanted to see a good concert.

“I think these shows are great for morale,” said Klinger.

Spc. Vashion R. Lee, also a food service specialist with the 13th ESC and Tallahassee, Fla., native, said he had heard of the Gap Band and knew Wilson’s other music.

“I heard his music when I was growing up all the time,” said Lee. “I know he has been working with R. Kelly as well.”

Wilson said he has made some memories in Iraq.

“I love coming here,” he said. “I come here to make (service members) have some fun and that’s the bottom line. I’ve been asked to come back next year and I’m delighted to.”

Wilson said he appreciates service members’ work and will continue to bring his love to them.

“From the bottom of my heart, anything I can do for you just ask and I’m on my way,” he said. “I don’t care what it is or what’s going on; if you can get me here, I’m there.”

Photos and story by Sgt. John Stimac

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Military Life, Uncategorized

Tagged ,

She Serves, Free Tribute to all Female Vets, Past and Present

Posted on March 1, 2010 by Claire| 1 Comment

“As a tribute to all female veterans, past and present, VFW magazine is offering this commemorative publication to you at no charge. To request your free copy now, simply complete this form and click submit. U.S. addresses only, please.”

The information below was taken from their website:


You’re invited to receive a free copy of this special publication, Women at war, from the VFW. In this unique, single issue magazine, the VFW salutes you and the role of women veterans from the Revolutionary War to today.

It details the role of women in war throughout the ages, as well as profiling some of the more courageous acts displayed by female warriors. A section on helping women like us readjust to civilian life following military service is included.

As a tribute to all female veterans, past and present, VFW magazine is offering this commemorative publication to you at no charge. To request your free copy now, simply complete this form and click submit. U.S. addresses only, please.

Yours truly,
Debra AndersonVFW National Staff
Member since 2006
Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm

 

Request Your FREE Copy

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Charities/Contests, Spouse and Family