Monthly Archives: June 2010

YouServed Photo Op with Retired Gen. Wesley Clark

Posted on June 15, 2010 by You Served Editorial Staff| 3 Comments

 

Retired General Wesley Clark with VAMC.com employees Jay and Chris
Retired General Wesley Clark with VAMC.com employees Jay and Chris

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, a former presidential candidate and NATO Supreme Allied Commander, was in St. Louis on Tuesday for a political fundraiser. Proudly sporting their You Served T-shirts, VA Mortgage Center.com employees Chris Birk, left, and Jay Buerck, right, got a chance to snap a picture with the 65-year-old four-star general.

Gen. Clark spoke on behalf of another former soldier, 11-year Army veteran Tommy Sowers, the Democratic candidate for Missouri’s 8th Congressional District. Sowers, who is running against incumbent U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, deployed to Kosovo on peacekeeping missions and later had two deployments to Iraq, conducting an array of counterinsurgency operations.

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Posted in Military News, News, Patriotism

Still the same old Flag

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Troy| 1 Comment

H/T to Sk for sending me the link to this video.


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Posted in Patriotism, Why We Serve

$870 MILLION NEEDED TO ADDRESS GUARD AND RESERVE EQUIPMENT SHORTFALLS

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Troy| 1 Comment

The co-chairs of the Senate National Guard Caucus are requesting an additional $870 million to help the National Guard and reserve address critical equipment shortfalls.

In a letter to Senate Appropriations Committee leaders, Caucus Co-Chairs Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Kit Bond, R-Mo., outlined some of their more-pressing concerns.

The Army National Guard, for example, faces a $5.2 billion shortfall in its truck inventory and needs at least $200 million for new Blackhawk helicopters for medical evacuation missions. The letter also states that the Army National Guard soldiers need $75 million for Improved Outer Tactical Vests.

Bond and Leahy have asked for added funds for the National Guard and reserve to be included in the Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2011. The increased funding would go toward equipment needed for both domestic and overseas missions. The Senators have a successful track record in securing added funding over the last several years. They obtained more than $1 billion fiscal in 2009 and $950 million in fiscal 2010.

With the National Guard and reserve heavily engaged in responding to natural disasters, domestic emergencies and overseas operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and other foreign locations, both forces have greater equipment needs in order to achieve full readiness. Despite the variety of roles filled by the Guard and reserve, and the increases that Leahy and Bond have achieved in each of the last several years, both forces still face equipment shortfalls.


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Posted in Life in the Military

$100,000 Pritzker Award live webcast June 21

Posted on June 14, 2010 by LL| Leave a comment

If you live in the Chicagoland area, you might have heard of the Pritzker Military Library.

Just minutes away from Navy Pier, Water Tower, and Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, the Pritzker Military Library is free and open to the public, with live events and a collection of books, posters, photographs, and other fascinating artifacts that tell the story of the Citizen Soldier in American military history.

Anyway, a week from today, they will be announcing the recipient of the Pritzker award in a live webcast.

The recipient of the 2010 Pritzker Military Library Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing will be announced via live webcast at www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org on June 21 at 2 p.m. eastern / 1 p.m. central. 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 22, 2010 at Chicago’s Palmer House.

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. A national panel of writers and historians reviewed nominations and definitive works submitted by publishers, agents, booksellers, and other professional literary organizations. Previous recipients of the award are James M. McPherson, Allan R. Millett, and Gerhard Weinberg.

To learn more, please visit http://www.tawanifoundation.org/LTA/

Now, if you wait on that homepage for a minute or two, you might see a young man you recognize….Matt Gallagher, author of Kaboom, will be having his book highlighted on Wednesday, June 23rd.

So next week will be a great one at the military library, if you’re so inclined to visit the area!

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Posted in Uncategorized

Vets4Vets: Impressions

Posted on June 14, 2010 by CJ| 3 Comments

Antiochian Village is a beautiful little resort located in the hills about an hour and a half to the east of Pittsburgh, outside the quaint little towns of Bolivar and Fort Ligonier.

Day 2 began a little too quickly as I didn’t do well sleeping last night. Not only did I forget to pack undershirts for this trip, but I forgot….my medications (let the motherly finger pointing begin). It was a touch and go night full of intermittent sleep and cold sweats for some reason. Perhaps, talking about some of the things I brought up and listening to other stories brought back some subconscious things.

Then, at about 4am, I got a call from the EOC that one of our Soldiers had been arrested for trying to sneak a girl onto post in the trunk of his car. I don’t understand that. He could have just brought her in normally in the passenger or back seat of the car. But, since he wanted to be a bonehead, he got himself arrested for something stupid and ignorant and I got a call at the wee hours of the morning.

I decided to try to sleep and skipped breakfast. Not a good idea since I was the only one that didn’t show up from the group. The rest of the group was worried about me and one of the participants that I’ve connected with stopped by to make sure I was okay. The fact is that I rarely eat breakfast even when I don’t have trouble sleeping.

The weekend was a resounding success in my mind. The retreat took place at a completely neutral location away from the hustle and bustle of normal life and allowed us to focus on each other. The building was located in the hills of a heavily wooded area and miles from the nearest highway. It included a small koi pond with some of the largest fish I’ve seen. There were also four geese that make the most serene noise. I enjoyed just walking down, sitting on the bench or leaning on the fence, and watching the fish slowly swim around while the geese scavenged for food in the well-manicured grass.

Vets4Vets is a way to get vets from all backgrounds together to discuss their experiences and help one another understand and cope with them. Through timed discussions, we were able to have equal time to discuss without worrying about any one person monopolizing the weekend. I was a little leery at first, but ended up liking the timed sessions. For one, it forced us to get to the point of what is bothering us without rambling and it ensured that everyone had equal time to speak (and listen).

At times, we broke into small groups for short and long timed opportunities to listen intently and personally to one another. The V4V staff provided coping strategies and counsel made sense at least to me. I had an opportunity to share some intimate combat experiences with other people who understand. For the first time, I was able to talk about some of the issues that I could never talk about before without just breaking into uncontrollable sobbing. While still difficult, I’m finding that talking about these experiences is truly helping me to cope with them.

The biggest take away from the event was camaraderie and being a set of ears for someone. I made some great friends, some great connections, and got away from it all for a few days. I’m going back to work recharged and ready to take care of troops.

I highly recommend that suffering veterans look into Vets4Vets.us and check out a workshop near you. They are generally held over the weekend, so minimal time away from the office is needed. I would also ask that if you are able, please donate to this organization or ask your business to sponsor a workshop. Each one costs about $30,000 and they are always looking for sponsors to bring veterans together to heal and cope. This is my plea and not an official request. Nor was I asked to make it.

I would also like to take a quick opportunity to thank Air Compassion for flying some of us out for free. We were treated better than we deserve and the opportunity to attend this workshop without having to worry about paying for a flight made the event that much more stress free. American Airlines. The staff and flight crew were top notch and uber-professional. If given the opportunity in the future, I will indeed consider American before any other airline. They even allow active duty military (in uniform or not) to board the plane with 1st Class Passengers.

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Posted in Life in the Military, Veteran Benefits

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“The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing”

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Claire| 3 Comments

“The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing.”

US Code, Title 36, Chapter 10, § 176. ( j )

Today is both the celebration of the Army’s 235th Birthday and Flag Day! The two go hand in hand, don’t they? As a military family member I do see my Flag very much as a living thing, and I know that most military families do… I think we are blessed to have a very rich and deep understanding of just how living that symbol of freedom is.

If you would like to wish the US Army a “Happy Birthday” I found this on the Army’s website:

#USArmy will be hosting an #ArmyBirthday Twitter Party on Mon, June 14 from 1-2:30 EST. Send your birthday wishes & Shout-outs to the Army!

So, hop onto Twitter and wish #ArmyBirthday a Happy Birthday and don’t forget to add the “And many, many more” to your wish! Where would we be if it weren’t for the best Army that has ever been on the face of this planet? I say it and I can back it up with statistics and lots of evidence. Thank you to all of our awesome Soldiers who make the Army what she is!

Are you flying your flag today?

Here’s a great place to familiarize yourself with the Flag Code if you don’t know it already. I am also posting below a little of the history around Flag Day. Have a most blessed and most Patriotic Day today as you contemplate what our Flag stands for and as you wish a Happy Birthday to those brave Americans who defend that Flag everyday!

History of Flag Day

Taken from USFlag.org

The Fourth of July was traditionally celebrated as America’s birthday, but the idea of an annual day specifically celebrating the Flag is believed to have first originated in 1885. BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher, arranged for the pupils in the Fredonia, Wisconsin Public School, District 6, to observe June 14 (the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of The Stars and Stripes) as ‘Flag Birthday’. In numerous magazines and newspaper articles and public addresses over the following years, Cigrand continued to enthusiastically advocate the observance of June 14 as ‘Flag Birthday’, or ‘Flag Day’.

On June 14, 1889, George Balch, a kindergarten teacher in New York City, planned appropriate ceremonies for the children of his school, and his idea of observing Flag Day was later adopted by the State Board of Education of New York. On June 14, 1891, the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia held a Flag Day celebration, and on June 14 of the following year, the New York Society of the Sons of the Revolution, celebrated Flag Day.

Following the suggestion of Colonel J Granville Leach (at the time historian of the Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the Revolution), the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames of America on April 25, 1893 adopted a resolution requesting the mayor of Philadelphia and all others in authority and all private citizens to display the Flag on June 14th. Leach went on to recommend that thereafter the day be known as ‘Flag Day’, and on that day, school children be assembled for appropriate exercises, with each child being given a small Flag.

Two weeks later on May 8th, the Board of Managers of the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution unanimously endorsed the action of the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames. As a result of the resolution, Dr. Edward Brooks, then Superintendent of Public Schools of Philadelphia, directed that Flag Day exercises be held on June 14, 1893 in Independence Square. School children were assembled, each carrying a small Flag, and patriotic songs were sung and addresses delivered.

In 1894, the governor of New York directed that on June 14 the Flag be displayed on all public buildings. With BJ Cigrand and Leroy Van Horn as the moving spirits, the Illinois organization, known as the American Flag Day Association, was organized for the purpose of promoting the holding of Flag Day exercises. On June 14th, 1894, under the auspices of this association, the first general public school children’s celebration of Flag Day in Chicago was held in Douglas, Garfield, Humboldt, Lincoln, and Washington Parks, with more than 300,000 children participating.

Adults, too, participated in patriotic programs. Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior, delivered a 1914 Flag Day address in which he repeated words he said the flag had spoken to him that morning: “I am what you make me; nothing more. I swing before your eyes as a bright gleam of color, a symbol of yourself.”

Inspired by these three decades of state and local celebrations, Flag Day – the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777 – was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916. While Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for years after Wilson’s proclamation, it was not until August 3rd, 1949, that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day. SOURCE LINK

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Posted in Spouse and Family

A Milblog First?

Posted on June 14, 2010 by CJ| 4 Comments

I’m posting this blog post from 32,000 feet in the air on American Airlines. Is this the highest altitude milblog post ever?

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Posted in Uncategorized

Few Aware of Aid and Attendance Benefit

Posted on June 12, 2010 by Troy| 2 Comments

Few veterans are aware of the Aid and Attendance benefit that may be available to them through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. For those who qualify, up to $23,396 in annual funding could be awarded to a veteran or the veteran’s spouse, in cases where the following conditions are met: (1) the veteran must have 90 days of active military service, with one day during wartime; (2) any discharge other than dishonorable; (3) age 65 or older, or disabled; and (4) a need for assistance in activities of daily living. Funding for veterans who qualify for Aid and Attendance has already been set aside by the government, but few veterans have taken advantage of the benefit because of lack of information. For more information, go to:http://www.military.com/veterans-report/few-aware-of-aid-and-attendance-benefit?ESRC=vr.nl


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Posted in Veteran Benefits

Ft. Bragg dealing officially with FRG leader

Posted on June 11, 2010 by Claire| 5 Comments

Man if I had a dollar for every time I heard a similar story I would be a rich woman. My own daughter in law has left her FRG over some of the same kind of crap — not the leader necessarily but the gossip and petty backstabbing. FRGs are great when they work, but they are hell when they don’t. This story is unbelievable!

Colonel’s Wife Accused of Harassing Soldiers

June 11, 2010

Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer

The commander of Fort Bragg has barred the wife of an 82nd Airborne Division colonel from nearly all interaction with her husband’s brigade and the unit’s families after an investigation found her influence “detrimental to the morale and well-being of both.”

Sworn statements from the investigation, ordered in January by Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick, accuse Col. Brian Drinkwine’s wife, Leslie Drinkwine, of using her husband’s position as leverage to repeatedly harass and threaten Soldiers and their families.

The statements say the harassment and threats began almost as soon as Col. Drinkwine took command of the 4th Brigade Combat Team in 2008.

A follow-up to Helmick’s investigation has reached the highest levels of leadership in Afghanistan. That investigation is exploring whether animosity between the Drinkwines and Col. Drinkwine’s battalion commanders and their spouses ever unfairly damaged the officers’ careers.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of all NATO forces in Afghanistan, referred a recommendation from Helmick to Lt. Gen. William Webster, who is in charge of all U.S. Army forces in the Middle East, according to a spokesman for McChrystal.

Webster’s investigation continues, and no information from it will be released before its completion, a spokesman for his office said in an e-mail.

Col. Drinkwine has denied any unfair treatment of his subordinates.

Leslie Drinkwine declined to comment.

In an interview in May, Helmick said his decision to bar Leslie Drinkwine was based on the investigator’s recommendations and Helmick’s own 34 years of experience in the Army.

“It was just a dysfunctional situation,” Helmick said. “That is not a good thing to have when you have Soldiers deployed fighting.

“The last thing we need in an organization that is supposed to take care of families and those people that are left here in the rear detachment is a very unhealthy climate.”

The Observer obtained a copy of Helmick’s investigative file through the Freedom of Information Act. Names are redacted from the nearly inch-thick stack of paperwork, which includes sworn statements and e-mails from at least 25 people. Ranks and job titles are not blacked out, so the Observer was able to independently confirm most names in the report.

The investigator assigned by Helmick, Col. Chris Spillman, concludes in the report that while there is no direct evidence Col. Drinkwine hurt anyone’s career because of retaliation or a vendetta, he recommends a closer look at the matter.  LINK TO STORY

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Posted in Spouse and Family

Military Rideshare — a resource for military members and family.

Posted on June 11, 2010 by Claire| 1 Comment

Military Rideshare is a great resource created by a Marine for all branches to use. Here’s what I found on their site about what they do and follow the links below to go to their site and sign up! Usually with these kinds of services, the more who know about them and use them, the better they are! Please pass the info along.

Welcome to MilitaryRideShare.com!

This is the first of its kind website with the sole purpose of helping military members find other service members heading in the same direction for long weekends/leave/base transfers/etc. This site is my concept, and as a former Marine my only hope is to help give back to an institution that gave so much to me. Please feel free to contact me with any comments/questions/suggestions you may have concerning this site. I will do my very best to get back to you in a timely manner. 

Thanks for serving the BEST country in the world! 

Semper Fi,
Jen McGillis

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!

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Posted in Spouse and Family