Operation Homefront is offering a great free resource. Pass the work on!
Operation Homefront
www.operationhomefront.net
Deployed Parent? Operation Homefront is connecting military families through reading with Ripple Reader at no cost to you. Register today to receive your free code (one per family, please) while supplies last. Open to any deployed service member where internet access is available. Read a book to an important child in your life today!
Posted in Spouse and Family
This has been a record breaking year for soldier suicides. Please take full advantage of the information listed below… keep it on hand and never be afraid to reach out to someone you fear may be feeling suicidal.
From CNN:
(Excerpt) “The statistics show that 32 soldiers killed themselves in June, the highest number in a single month since the Vietnam era. Twenty-one of them were on active duty, while 11 were in the National Guard or Army Reserve in an inactive status.
Seven of those soldiers killed themselves while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the Army numbers.
The spike comes after the monthly suicide numbers had dropped following a January high of 28, and Army officials admit they still haven’t answered the question of why troops are committing suicide at a record rate.”
Veterans Suicide Prevention Hotline
1-800-273-TALK, Veterans Press 1
The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has founded a national suicide prevention hotline to ensure veterans in emotional crisis have free, 24/7 access to trained counselors. To operate the Veterans Hotline, the VA partnered with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Veterans can call the Lifeline number, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), and press “1″ to be routed to the Veterans Suicide Prevention Hotline.
What Are The Warning Signs For Suicide?
Seek help as soon as possible by contacting a mental health professional or by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK if you or someone you know exhibits any of the following signs:
- Threatening to hurt or kill oneself or talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself
- Looking for ways to kill oneself by seeking access to firearms, available pills, or other means
- Talking or writing about death, dying, or suicide when these actions are out of the ordinary for the person
- Feeling hopeless
- Feeling rage or uncontrolled anger or seeking revenge
- Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities – seemingly without thinking
- Feeling trapped – like there’s no way out
- Increasing alcohol or drug use
- Withdrawing from friends, family, and society
- Feeling anxious, agitated, or unable to sleep or sleeping all the time
- Experiencing dramatic mood changes
- Seeing no reason for living or having no sense of purpose in life
LINK TO A DOWNLOADABLE GUIDE ON WHAT TO DO IF YOU SUSPECT SOMEONE IS SUICIDAL
Posted in Spouse and Family
Inspired by the participation and positive response to Blue Star Museums, Blue Star Families is launching an art contest for military children. The contest is open to all military children ages 3 to 17. Children may enter a picture or photos from a museum visit, with a short description of why they are glad they got to visit the museum. All art will include, in some way, the blue star. Email entries to: museums@bluestarfam.org in a PDF or JPG format. A panel of judges from Blue Star Families will select the winners, and winning artwork will be displayed on the Blue Star Families web site and in the Blue Star Museums book. Winners will be announced on October 8, 2010. The contest runs from July 1, 2010 through September 12, 2010. The grand prize is a $500 savings bond, three first place prizewinners each will receive a $250 savings bond, and three second place prizewinners each will receive a $100 savings bond. Military children include any child who has a parent or sibling serving on active duty, in the reserves or in the National Guard. For more details about the contest and entries, see the contest rules and guidelines at Blue Star Families blog at:http://bluestarfam.org/drupal/?q=node/3062.
Posted in Spouse and Family
A bunch of Marines give shouts out to their friends and families. I wanted to make them more easily accessible and available:
LCPL Benjamin Gomes sends a shout out to family and friends in Bangor, Maine.
CPL William Wieleba Sends a shout out to family and friends in Salisbury, Md.
LCPL Clifton Perkins Sends a shout out to family and friends in Glasgow, Ky.
LCPL Annie Lyons Sends a shout out to family and friends in Manchester, N.H.
LCPL David Arango sends a shout out to family and friends in West Haven, Conn.
Save the best and loudest for last!
LCPL Joseph Stinnette sends a shout out to family and friends in Gloucester, Va.
Posted in Life in the Military, Video
Health Net Federal Services has broadened their partnership with text4baby to include access to Servicemembers. Text4Baby is a new, free mobile information service that provides timely health information to pregnant women and new moms from pregnancy through a baby’s first year. Women can sign up by texting BABY to 511411 and they will begin receiving three free SMS text messages each week timed to their due date or baby’s date of birth. The text4baby program is supported by numerous businesses throughout the country. U.S. government partners include the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Department of Health and Human Services. To read this article in full, please go to:http://www.tricare.mil/mediacenter/contractornews.aspx?fid=109
Posted in Spouse and Family
Civilian employers of military retirees once again can offer a TRICARE supplemental plan with their health insurance options, so that workers who elect to use their TRICARE Standard benefit can buy coverage conveniently and with pre-tax dollars. The change took effect June 18, 2010 under a final rule published by the Department of Defense (DoD). To learn more, and to read the article by Tom Philpott go to:http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,216641,00.html?wh=benefits&ESRC=finance.nl
Posted in Veteran Benefits
I found this through a Veteran/Blue Star mother friend on Facebook and wanted to share it here to get the word out. From The Gardening Sail. Please drop us a note and let us know if you are in that area and are able to give blood or if you send a card.
This came into my In Box from the Modesto/Central Valley Blue Star Mothers & Families
Army PFC Matt Maddox , currently serving with the 173 Airborne Brigade Combat Team, came home for leave on May 24, 2010 from Afghanistan so he could attend his older brother Michael’s college graduation on June 5.
Unfortunately he was not able to attend due to an accident that happened on May26.
Matt was running along side a grading tractor that he was helping a friend move when he lost his footing in the rain. Matt fell and was run over by the tractor. He sustained the following major injuries:
Fractured femur
fractured tibia
fractured pelvis
fractured tailbone
orbital blowout fracture to the right eye
torn bladder/urethraMatt was airlifted to Mercy San Juan Trauma center in Carmichael. He has undergone 4 surgeries. Matt received over 9 units of blood initially after the accident, and was given more blood/platelets for the next several days in the trauma ICU.
Matt spent 8 nights in the trauma ICU before being transfered to the trauma floor in the hospital where he spent another 15 nights. Matt was home for 10 days before being readmitted to the hospital again for an infection that occurred in one of the wounds from the accident.
He spent another 4 nights in the hospital before coming home again. In September Matt will go to UCSF where he will undergo another surgery to repair the urethra/bladder tears.
Matt is determined to recover 100% and return to his unit and continue the job he has been trained to do by the United States Army. Matt’s 20th birthday is July 25 and his current goal is to be able to begin walking by then.
Many people have asked what they could do to support Matt. We have two very important things that we would like to encourage people to do.
1. Since Matt received 9 units of blood during his hospital stay, the family would like to give back to the blood bank The family has set up a Blood Source Donor Club for Matt. His donor club number is 7823.
To find a Blood Source Center near you, please go to www.bloodsource.org or call Stephanie Kresse at
916.453.3039 or email her at Stephanie.kresse@bloodsource.org2. Matt’s 20th Birthday is July 25. We would like to appeal to the public to send Matt a birthday card and/or get well card. We need to let this young Hero know that he is supported, in our prayers and that we wish for his speedy recovery!
To send Matt a card:
Matt Maddox
P.O. Box 476
Wallace, CA 95254Matt’s mother, Suzy Maddox is the Recording Secretary for the Modesto/Central Valley Blue Star Mothers & Families.
Posted in Spouse and Family
Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who most recently commanded all U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan, retired today in a ceremony here near his Fort McNair home.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, left, awards the Distinguished Service Medal to U.S. Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal as he stands with is wife, Annie, during a retirement ceremony on Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C., July 23, 2010. DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry D. Morrison
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called McChrystal one of America’s greatest warriors and a treasured friend and colleague.
“We bid farewell to Stan McChrystal today with pride and sadness,” Gates said. “Pride for his unique record as a man and soldier; sadness that our comrade and his prestigious talents are leaving us.
“This consummate ranger possessed one of the sharpest and most inquisitive minds in the Army,” the secretary continued.
McChrystal’s contributions to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were groundbreaking, Gates said, as the general “employed every tool available” to create success on the battlefield.
“Over the past decade, no single American has inflicted more fear and more loss of life on our country’s most vicious and violent enemies than Stan McChrystal,” he said. “Commanding special operation forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, Stan was a pioneer in creating a revolution in warfare that fused intelligence and operations.”
And when violence in Iraq seemed almost unstoppable in 2006 and 2007, McChrystal and his special operators all but “crushed al-Qaida,” Gates said.
“It was a campaign that was well underway before the surge, … when so many had given up hope in our mission there,” Gates said. “Stan McChrystal never lost faith in his troopers, never relented, never gave up on Iraq.
“And his efforts played a decisive part in the dramatic security gains that now allow Iraq to move forward as a democracy and drawdown U.S. forces there.”
Pentagon officials called on McChrystal again last year, after deciding the mission in Afghanistan needed “new thinking, new energy and new leadership,” Gates said. McChrystal was without a doubt the best leader for the job, he added.
“I wanted the very best warrior-general in our armed forces for this fight,” Gates said. “I needed to be able to tell myself, the president and the troops that we had the very best possible person in charge in Afghanistan. I owed that to the troops there and the American people.”
Gates also recognized McChrystal’s wife, Annie, and son, Sam, for their support to the nation.
“Like so many Army families since 9/11 …, they have endured long separations from their husband and dad, and like so many families, they have done so with grace and resilience,” Gates said.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey said McChrystal is a true warrior and professional, calling him one of the most experienced and successful officers in today’s Army.
His career has been unique and amazing, Casey said, noting his various assignments in special warfare units, as well as positions on the Joint Staff and as commander of forces in Afghanistan.
“Stan has had a truly remarkable career in both peace and war,” Casey said. “He has walked the career path of a warrior, scholar and statesman.
“[McChrystal’s] operational experiences span the entire spectrum of conflict,” Casey continued. “The truth is that Stan has done more to carry the fight to al-Qaida since 2001 than any other person in [the Defense Department], and possibly the country.”
McChrystal was always admired by his troops, and always dedicated to them and his country, Casey said. McChrystal leaves a legacy of service that will be emulated for decades, he added.
“I can’t think of no officer who’s had more impact on this country’s battle against extremism,” he said. “For 34 years, Stan McChrystal … his face has been marred by the dust and sweat of combat. He is a warrior … our Army and our nation will deeply miss him.”
McChrystal resigned amid controversy last month after Rolling Stone magazine published a high-profile article in which the general and his aides made disparaging comments about top Obama administration officials.
President Barack Obama nominated Army Gen. David H. Petraeus for the job on June 23. Petraeus was confirmed by the Senate on June 30.
“This has the potential to be an awkward, or even a sad occasion,” McChrystal said. “With my resignation, I left a mission I feel strongly about. I ended a career I loved that began over 38 years ago, and I left unfulfilled commitments I made to many comrades in the fight.
“My service did not end as I would have wished,” he continued. “Still Annie and I aren’t approaching the future with sadness, but with hope.”
McChrystal said his career has amassed some amazing moments and memories, but it’s the people he served with who he will remember most. He noted the many officers and enlisted soldiers he rose through the ranks with, as well as civilians he worked with in Afghanistan.
“It’s always about the people,” he said. “It was about the soldiers who were well trained; the young sergeants who emerged from the ranks with strength, discipline, commitment and courage.
“To have shared so much with, and been so dependent on people of such courage, integrity and selflessness, taught me to believe,” he said.
None had more of an impact on McChrystal throughout his life and career than his wife, he said.
“She’s always been there when it mattered,” he said. The McChrystals are high school sweethearts who’ve been married for 33 years. “As we conclude a career together, it’s important for you to know that she was there.
“She was there when my father commissioned me a second lieutenant of infantry, and she was waiting some months later when I emerged from Ranger School,” he said. “As the years passed and the fight grew every more difficult and deadly, Annie’s quiet courage gave me strength I would never otherwise have found.”
McChrystal’s service spanned four decades. He assumed command in Afghanistan in June 2009, following then-commander Army Gen. David McKiernan’s resignation. Obama’s order for an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan was based on McChrystal’s assessment of the war there.
Before serving in Afghanistan, McChrystal was the director of the Joint Staff at the Pentagon. He also served as the commander of Joint Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., and its forward-deployed command, where he led special operation troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.
During his five-year command with JSOC, he oversaw special operations in successful missions that captured Saddam Hussein, killed al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab Zarqawi, as well as other high-profile capture-kill missions.
McChrystal graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 1976. He was commissioned as an infantry officer, and spent most of his career commanding special operations and airborne infantry units.
As I leave the Army to those with responsibilities to carry on, I’d say service in this business is tough and often dangerous,” McChrystal said. “If I had it to do over again, I’d do some things in my career differently, but not many. I trust in people, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
You can see the C-SPAN video of the retirement ceremony and catch General McChrystal’s speech HERE.
WorldNetDaily has a story up today about the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act of 2009. In making its findings with respect to this law, Congress stated that the “local, State, and Federal Government entities involved with getting ballots to military and overseas voters must work in conjunction to provide voter registration services and balloting materials in a secure and expeditious manner.”
It mandates that states create procedures for absentee military voters to request and states to provide “by mail or electronically voter registration applications and absentee ballot applications with respect to general, special, primary, and runoff elections for Federal office.” The law does not mandate any special provisions for state elections. It mandates that absentee voters and deployed military personnel receive their ballots no later than 45 days prior to an election.
Unfortunately, Obama’s Justice Department doesn’t care. Incumbents – of which, the majority are Democrats – are facing a tough election year in which members of every party are at risk of losing their seats. Knowing that the majority of military personnel are conservatives, it doesn’t strike me as odd that Eric Holder wants to disenfranchise military voters. Had Minnesota’s military vote been counted, the election of Stuart Smalley may not have occurred.
In an opinion piece written for the Washington Times, M. Eric Eversole – director of the Military Voter Protection (MVP) Project and a former litigation attorney in the Voting Section of the U.S. Department of Justice – tells all about how the Department of Justice is screwing troops:
Before the 2008 election, at least 10 states and the District of Columbia provided military voters with just 35 days or fewer to receive and return their ballots. Overall, the Pew Center on the States found that “more than a third of states [did] not provide military voters stationed abroad with enough time to vote or [were] at high risk of not providing enough time.”
Yet the primary entity responsible for protecting military voters, the Voting Section, decided not to pursue those states even though federal law (i.e., the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) gave the section wide latitude to protect military voters. The law merely requires proof that the state did not provide a military member with a reasonable opportunity, including sufficient time, to vote by absentee ballot. Given the overwhelming evidence on mail delivery times, these cases could have and should have been brought.
There is no doubt that the Voting Section’s decision disenfranchised thousands of military members. According to the Election Assistance Commission, more than 17,000 military and overseas voters were disenfranchised in 2008 because their ballots arrived after the deadline and had to be rejected. Thousands more were disenfranchised when their ballots never arrived or were received too close to the election to be returned.
Read the entire piece here. Perhaps, a letter writing campaign to our Congressmen and women is in order as we face one of the most important elections in the history of our lives.
Posted in Life in the Military, Patriotism, Veteran Benefits
America’s 1stSgt is remembering one of his Marines from a previous unit today. Cpl Joe Wrightsman passed away on 18 July.
The Department of Defense announced the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Cpl. Joe L. Wrightsman, 23, of Jonesboro, La., died July 18 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
The good 1stSgt has details on what happened.
On July 18, Cpl Wrightsman was part of a patrol crossing the Helmand river when an ANP (Afghan National Police) was swept away in the river behind him. Without hesitation, Cpl Wrightsman, in full personal protective gear, dove into the water in an effort to rescue the ANP. He was last seen about 50 ft downstream when he surfaced briefly. Four other Marines had dropped their gear and went in after him but were unable to find anything. From what I understand the entire Marine Expeditionary Force threw its efforts into recovering Cpl Wrightsman. Every type of asset, aircraft, equipment, and personnel were employed. Taliban forces were beginning to move in from the north in an effort to capture the Cpl Wrightsman’s body before the Marines. They were thwarted after two days when both bodies were recovered by the Americans.
…
Upon hearing what happened on July 18 nearly every one of us that knew him immediately thought: “But Wrightsman can’t swim!” Fortunately, America still breeds men with a bias for action who don’t dwell on what they can’t do. I imagine Cpl Wrightsman thought to himself: “I can’t let this guy down!” Then he heedlessly went after a man who wasn’t a fellow Marine or even an American.
Please visit Castra Praetoria and read everything 1stSgt has posted. There are pictures and I’ve left out a simply amazing fact about Cpl Wrightsman’s jump into the river.
Semper Fi, Corporal. May you rest in peace.
You Served's Claire talks about the life of a military spouse - the hardships, the joys, and everything in between.
Join the discussion in our new Spouse and Family section!
