Monthly Archives: October 2010

SMA Names Soldier/NCO of the Year

Posted on October 25, 2010 by CJ| 1 Comment

Each year, Soldiers and NCOs across the force battle it out against each other in a test of knowledge, competence, and stamina to earn titles as NCO/Soldier of the Month, Quarter and Year. Competitions usually begin at the Company and work themselves up to the Army level. To make it to the Army level – for the benefit of my non-military readers – a Soldier must win a Company, Battalion, Brigade, Division, Corps, and MACOM board. But, that’s not all. Once they win the Soldier/NCO of the Month board, they compete for the Soldier/NCO of the Quarter against other Soldiers/NCOs of the Month for that period. Once they win the Quarter board, they move along to the Year board. The winners of those boards then compete at the Army level.

At each board, Soldiers/NCOs are quizzed and challenged on Army knowledge, Warrior Tasks (such as first aid, drill and ceremony, Army programs, etc), physical fitness and marksmanship. They each have sponsors that are usually their first line supervisors. These sponsors are crucial to their success as they keep them on task and help them by questioning and challenging them.

This year’s Army NCO of the Year is Staff Sergeant Christopher McDougall. The Army Soldier of the Year is Sergeant Sherri Gallagher.

SSG Christopher McDougall, a military policeman with HHC, US Army Garrison in Stuttgartl, Germany said his first emotion was “disbelief” when he was named NCO of the Year.

“I have to first and foremost thank my wife in Germany,” he said. “Throughout this process there were times when she had to take care of our kids alone” while he studied and traveled to the various boards. McDougall said his wife would sit up late at night after the kids were all in bed and grill him from the Army Study Guide on topics ranging from Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical training to uniform regulations and current events.

McDougall began the process eight months ago and never imagined he would eventually be named NCO of the Year. He credits his family, NCO Support Channel, and sponsor for his success and noted he wouldn’t be there without them.

SGT Sherri Gallagher was not only honored as the Army’s Soldier of the Year, but earned the distinction of being the first ever female to earn that title. However, she remains humble about it.

“We’re all a team, so it doesn’t matter gender or race,” she said. “I just tried to stay upbeat and motivated and do the best I could.”

SGT Gallagher said she has a very optimistic outlook on life and just took each challenge as they came. The competition was very tough and she was excited just to be among so many great Soldiers. She is a member of the Army’s Marksmanship Unit and is training to be an Olympic shooter. She is currently one of the unit’s instructor’s, training Soldiers on proper marksmanship.

Both outstanding troops Soldiers agree that the key to their success lies in remaining motivated and setting small, attainable goals and building on them.

McDougall says he did “a lot of cardio, warrior tasks, and drills.” He also kept his “nose in the books” studying every aspect of Soldiering to prepare.

“Establish the right mentality going into these things,” he counseled Soldiers who may be thinking about competing next year. “You can get ridiculously nervous. I learned to stop stressing and have fun with it. Do your best and don’t worry about each little event.”

SGT Gallagher agrees.

“Stay motivated no matter what. Take one step at a time”, she says. “Set small goals and keep working at them.”

SGT Gallagher serves as an instructor for the Army Marksmanship Unit. SSG McDougall is the Senior Desk Sergeant in Stuttgart, Germany.

Our congratulations go out to both outstanding Soldiers for a job well done!

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Posted in Military Life, Military News, soldier of the week, Top Posts

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Pin-Ups For Vets And Cooking With The Troops Partner For Operation Fight Post Holiday Blues

Posted on October 25, 2010 by Troy| 1 Comment

We here at You Served are so happy to have had just about all of the people listed in the Press Release below as guests this year. Blake from Cooking With The Troops was just on the Radio show a couple of weeks ago. Gina was on the show about a month or so ago for the 3rd or 4th time as a guest. Ellen Adams was on a few months ago as we highlighted her service in the Air Force and her new Cooking show and personal chef business. In fact it was as a result of Ellen’s appearance on our Radio show that allowed us to know about her and put her in contact with Blake.

This is a unique idea and a great event that will be taking place at Landstuhl in Germany. Please take the time to read below and consider making a donation.

Pin-Ups For Vets And Cooking With The Troops Partner For Operation Fight Post Holiday Blues

The post-holiday blues can be bad enough on those who are healthy, and fully engaged in their normal activities. Stop for a moment and consider what it might be like for a member of the U.S. or Allied forces who find themselves evacuated to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. The time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s has been like a fire-hose of attention, visits, and more. Then, suddenly, it’s gone. They are alone in a hospital, in a foreign country, and away from friends, family, and normal support networks. Despite the dedicated efforts of staff and volunteers, the blues can hit hard.

Recognizing that, Gina Elise of the non-profit Pin-Ups for Vets (pinupsforvets.com) and Cooking with the Troops (cwtt.org) have partnered to create Operation Fight Post Holiday Blues. This special event, timed for mid-January to have maximum effect, will combine a special dinner for a planned 150 people cooked by Guest Chef Ellen Adams (redhotdish.com), with hospital and other visits by Gina to help drive the blues away. To aid this effort, the team is being joined by author Michael Z. Williamson (michaelzwilliamson.com), who will also do visits, autographs, and give away books.

Full details on the event can be found at http://cwtt.org/opfphblues.html and all participants are available for interviews. To do this event, Pin-Ups for Vets and Cooking with the Troops are looking to raise $15,000. Donations can be made by mail, or online athttp://cwtt.org/donations.html via PayPal. Donors can note on the donation that it is for Operation Fight Post-Holiday Blues. Any funds raised that are not used will be used to support future operations at Pin-Ups for Vets and Cooking with the Troops.


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Posted in Charities/Contests, Patriotism

A Six Year Old Star

Posted on October 24, 2010 by Troy| 1 Comment


A Six Year Old Star from You Served Radio & Blog on Vimeo.

After watching this video, I am in awe and pretty much speechless. What an awesome little patriot who truly puts her heart and soul into her singing.


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Posted in Patriotism, Video

Latest WikiLeaks Documents Reveal the Discovery of WMD

Posted on October 24, 2010 by CJ| 10 Comments

First and foremost, I’m still adamantly opposed to ANY classified documents begin released without proper authority, even if it vindicates the Bush Administration, me, and other supporters of the Iraq War and the reasons for it.

I have said over and over again on my blog, A Soldier’s Perspective, that we DID find WMDs in Iraq. When I bring it up many liberals and anti-war bungholes, they say “that’s all? That’s not what Bush was talking about.” Really? I have read, reread, and reread again the resolution authorizing war with Iraq and not ONCE is there a mention of the quantity of WMDs that we were going in for. We were going in because, among other reasons, Saddam was not complying with resolutions that forced him to reveal ALL his WMD. He said he did, we said he didn’t.

With the latest WikiLeaks documents – over 400,000 pages of mostly worthless staff notes – we find that we did, in fact, discover all sorts of chemical weapons. To the naysayers out there, a WMD is, by definition, a chemical, biological or nuclear weapon. One of the documents speaks directly about troops locating numerous chemical rounds. Again, the naysayers will say, “well, those have been there for years.” And? Saddam wasn’t supposed to have even ONE of these. And the fact that Saddam himself set up the conditions should he be killed or overthrown for criminal and terrorist elements to run rampant, these rounds could have very easily been used to kill/maim our troops and be shipped to AQ in points around the world to be used against civilians.

The fact is that blister agents, even when downgraded, would cause all sorts of death and destruction in a well-placed attack on American soil. By going into Iraq and destroying the Saddam regime, we avoided possible WMD attacks against America and its interests. I believe an apology is in order and, unfortunately, we have WikiLeaks to “thank” for that.

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Posted in Military News

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Honoring Our Military

Posted on October 22, 2010 by CJ| Leave a comment

“The American Veterans Center” is hosting their annual Veterans Day conference November 4th – 6th in Washington, D.C., honoring America’s most distinguished veterans and active duty service members and providing them a forum to share their experiences and memories of the defining moments in American military history.

Some attendee highlights are:

Baseball Heroes of WWII, including Yogi Berra and Bob Feller (will be filmed for broadcast on MLB Network taping on Veterans Day)
The Doolittle Raiders
The Tuskegee Airmen
The Band of Brothers (including a few of the actors who portrayed the vets in the miniseries)
Recipients of the Medal of Honor
Some of the greatest heroes of Afghanistan and Iraq
A program honoring our Wounded Warriors to be televised on the Pentagon Channel on Veterans Day

For more information or to register for this event, please visit http://www.americanveteranscenter.org/events/conference.

“The mission of the American Veterans Center is to preserve and promote the legacy of America’s servicemen and women from World War II through Operation Iraqi Freedom.”

Here is the schedule of events:

Thursday, November 4
6:00 – “Honoring Our Wounded Warriors”, Featuring young service members who have been wounded in the line of duty, sharing their inspiring stories of recovery and determination. Participants TBA
6:00 – Reception
7:30 – Discussion. Location: United States Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. Bus transportation available from the Renaissance Washington Hotel. Bus departs at 5:45 PM.

Friday, November 5Speaker Sessions at the U.S. Navy Memorial – Sessions begin at 8:30 AM. Buses from Renaissance Washington Hotel depart at 7:45 AM.
Year of Navy Supply: Boots on the Ground, featuring active duty sailors from the Navy Supply Corps who have served in operations around the world. Participants TBA

Behind Enemy Lines, featuring Major General John K. Singlaub, highly decorated veteran of OSS operations during World War II and founding member of the CIA.

All American, All the Way!, featuring Lt. Colonel James Megellas, the most highly decorated officer in the history of the 82nd Airborne Division, receiving the Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star for heroism during World War II.

World War II: The Atlantic Theater – Combat stories from men who fought on the front lines against Hitler’s Third Reich. Featuring: Colonel Ed Shames – Veteran of 3rd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry, 101st Airborne Division in WWII. Became the first enlisted man to receive a battlefield commission in the 506th, subsequently being transferred to 2nd Battalion where he served as leader of 3rd Platoon, E Company – the “Band of Brothers.” H. Newcomb “Newc” Eldredge – Veteran of the 10th Mountain Division in the Italian Campaign, and recipient of two Bronze Stars and the Purple Heart for actions during the battle for Mount Belvedere. Additional participants TBA. Moderated by Jon Guttman, Editor, Military History magazine and Senior Editor, World War II and Aviation History magazines.

The Battle of Iwo Jima: 65 Years Later – Veterans of the Marine Corps’ most legendary battle. Featuring: Jack Cole, Orrie Morgan, Donald Mates, James White.

Lunch
Film (TBA) will be screened in the Navy Memorial Theater

The Medal of Honor: Recipients of the U.S. Military’s Highest Award featuring: SFC Ronald Rosser – U.S. Army soldier awarded the Medal of Honor for leading an assault on a fortified hill near Ponggilli during the Korean War. Captain Thomas J. Hudner, Jr. – U.S. Navy pilot who received the Medal for his effort in trying to save the life of the Navy’s first black pilot, Ensign Jesse Brown, who was shot down during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War. Colonel Harvey C. “Barney” Barnum – Marine Corps officer awarded the Medal of Honor for directing a counterattack against enemy positions in Quang Tin Province during the Vietnam War. Colonel Jack Jacobs – U.S. Army officer awarded the Medal of Honor for personally rescuing more than a dozen allied soldiers pinned down by enemy fire during operations in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Currently a military analyst for MSNBC.

Today’s Heroes – Several of the most highly decorated service members from Afghanistan and Iraq featuring: Staff Sergeant David Bellavia – Recipient of the Silver Star and recommended for the Medal of Honor for valor during the Second Battle of Fallujah. Author of House to House. Sergeant First Class Ed Malone – Recipient of the Bronze Star with Valor for actions in Tal’Afar, Iraq. Sergeant Marco Martinez – Recipient of the Navy Cross for valor during the Battle of Al Tarmiya. Author of the book Hard Corps. Staff Sergeant Jeremiah Workman – Recipient of the Navy Cross for valor during the Second Battle of Fallujah. Author of Shadow of the Sword.

Special Evening Event! – “Baseball Heroes of World War II” featuring Major League Baseball players who put their careers aside to serve in World War II. Conference attendees will make up the studio audience for a television program to be recorded for MLB Network, airing on Veterans Day. Special guests include several dozen Wounded Warriors from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda. Participants include Bob Feller, Cleveland Indians – U.S. Navy, Yogi Berra, New York Yankees – U.S. Navy, Jerry Coleman, New York Yankees – U.S. Marine Corps, Lou Brissie, Philadelphia Athletics – U.S. Army, Ralph Kiner, Pittsburgh Pirates – U.S. Navy. Moderated by Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated and MLB Network. Additional invitees TBA.
Time: Evening (start time TBA)
Location: PNC Diamond Club, Washington Nationals Park
Post-event reception in the Lexus Presidents Club

Saturday, November 6
Speaker Sessions at the U.S. Navy Memorial – Sessions begin at 8:30 AM
Buses from Renaissance Washington Hotel depart at 7:45 AM

Flying Against the Rising Sun featuring Colonel James Morehead, ace pilot and recipient of two Distinguished Service Crosses, who was one of the first American fighter pilots to fly in the Pacific during the dark early days of World War II.

Most Honorable Son – featuring Ben Kuroki, the only Japanese American allowed to take part in combat missions over Japan during World War II.

The Doolittle Raiders – Veterans of Jimmy Doolittle’s legendary attack on Tokyo, April 18,
1942 featuring: Lt. Colonel Richard Cole – Co-pilot, Plane #1 (Jimmy Doolittle’s co-pilot), SSgt. David Thatcher – Engineer Gunner, Plane #7, Major Thomas Griffin – Navigator, Plane #9, Lt. Colonel Robert Hite – Co-pilot, Plane #16. Moderated by Colonel C.V. Glines, Official Historian of the Doolittle Raid.

The Band of Brothers – Veterans of E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry portrayed in the famed HBO television series. Featuring Ed “Babe” Heffron, Ed Pepping, Don Malarkey, plus James Madio, actor who portrayed Frank Perconte in the series. Additional veterans and actors TBA.

The Tuskegee Airmen: Pilots from the legendary first unit of all-African American airmen
during World War II featuring Dr. Roscoe Brown, Calvin Spann, Shelby Westbrook. Additional participants TBA.

The Korean War: 60 Years Later: Participants TBA

The Real A-Team – Featuring veterans of the elite U.S. Army Special Forces, tasked with unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, hostage rescue, and counter-terrorism. Participants TBA.

The Last Ace – Featuring Brigadier General R. Steve Ritchie, the only Air Force “ace” pilot of the Vietnam War and recipient of the Air Force Cross.

SEAL of Honor: The Life of the first Medal of Honor recipient from Afghanistan , Lt. Michael P. Murphy featuring Dan, Maureen, and John Murphy – Lt. Murphy’s family. Gary Williams – Author of the book SEAL of Honor: Operation Red Wings and the Life of Lt. Michael P. Murphy, USN.

They Also Serve: The Contribution of Women to the Military – Featuring Colonel Susan Luz – The highest-ranking woman in the 399th Combat Support Hospital and recipient of the Bronze Star for service in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Lt. Colonel Kate Van Auken and Major Lauralee Flannery – U.S. Army Reserve officers awarded the Bronze Star with Valor for actions during Operation Iraqi Freedom, two of the most highly decorated women of the war. Additional participants TBA.

Signature Event
The American Veterans Center’s 13th Annual Awards Gala Honoring American Heroes from the Greatest Generation to the Latest Generation
Registration and Reception: Begins at 6:00
Awards Gala & Banquet: 7:00With Presentations of:
The Audie Murphy Award for Distinguished Service in the U.S. Military During World War II
The Raymond G. Davis Award for Distinguished Service in the U.S. Military During the Korean War
The Joe Ronnie Hooper Award for Distinguished Service in the U.S. Military During the Vietnam War
The Paul Ray Smith Award for Distinguished Service in the U.S. Military During Operation Iraqi Freedom
The Edward J. Herlihy Citizenship Award
And the inaugural Michael P. Murphy Award for Distinguished Service in the U.S. Military During Operation Enduring Freedom
Presented by Lt. Murphy’s parents, Dan and Marueen

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Posted in Military Life, Military News, Patriotism, Top Posts

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Drill Sergeant Peffer at BWE

Posted on October 22, 2010 by Troy| 1 Comment


Drill Sergeant Peffer at BWE from You Served Radio & Blog on Vimeo.

The US Army had a very popular booth at Blog World Expo again this year and one reason it was popular was because of a pair of Drill Sergeants that were there. Drill Sergeant Peffer was one of those guys who challenged attendees to do pull-ups and push-ups in order to get a Go Army T-shirt or Water Bottle. It was the hardest SWAG to get from a booth on the expo floor but many were lined up take on the challenge for a T-shirt. This interview provides a little background about Army Strong Stories and gives insight as to why the Army comes to BWE.


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Posted in MilBlogger Interviews, Military Life, Video

VA Streamlines Disability Compensation

Posted on October 21, 2010 by Troy| 1 Comment

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has published a final regulation in the Federal Register which makes it easier for Veterans to obtain VA health care and disability compensation for nine diseases. The Veterans affected by this would have to be associated with service in Southwest Asia, including Iraq or Afghanistan, beginning on or after the start of the first Gulf War on Aug. 2, 1990, through the conflict in Iraq and on or after Sept. 19, 2001, in Afghanistan. For information about health problems associated with military service in Southwest Asia and Afghanistan, and related VA programs, visit VA’s Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses webpage athttp://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/gulfwar/ and VA’s OEF/OIF Hazardous Exposures webpage at:http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/oefoif/index.asp For information about how to apply for disability compensation, visit the VA website: http://www.va.gov/ VA Adds Coverage for ‘Presumptive’ Ailments
To read this article in full, please go to: http://www.military.com


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Posted in Veteran Benefits

My own leave and re-deployment to reality

Posted on October 21, 2010 by Claire| 1 Comment

I am learning that I am often much more brutally honest about my pain and burdens in the written word than I am in the spoken. Face to face I prefer a pretentious coolness, as if I have it all together. That too is slowly changing with time. Anyway, I was going through some old writings of mine and came across this one that I had written back during the surge when I was home alone and had two gone at the time. It actually made me weep because I didn’t remember sharing so candidly. Since it’s the same time of year now that it was when I wrote it originally I thought I would share it on here.

Those of us left behind to tend the home front get tired too. For every picture distributed of soldiers fighting in war, there are family members lingering in shadows behind them. We are the other casualties of war, but seldom are we noticed or written about. I learned in a jiffy as an Army wife and mom that my soul came equipped with boot straps. It was essential knowledge for day to day survival.

As I Stood Raking

Also posted on my BLOG

That Saturday in November was crisp, and our back yard was already covered with leaves. The drought in our little Northeast corner of Tennessee had left the trees crunchy and dry instead of supple and bright. They were not their normal fantastic array of cheerful hues. The “fall” of the leaves, which normally takes a month, happened in just a couple of days. I was left standing at the back door looking across the yard and dreading the hard work before me.

My back yard is really not that large, but it is full of trees. Of course there is not one evergreen among them. They are all large, full and breathtaking. Under normal circumstances, I am quite a sap for Fall. It surpasses other seasons in colorful sights, incredible smells and natural wonders. A yard covered in an earth-tone patchwork quilt kindles many a-longing memories for me. That year, however, the yard only looked neglected and the circumstances were anything but normal. The leaves were dead before they even hit the ground.

I heaved a sigh, and before putting on my gloves I checked my pocket to be sure my cell phone was there. Yep, it was right where my neurotic fingers felt it just a minute ago. It was turned on and turned up as loudly as it would go. My phone was more than a luxury to me during that time. Both my husband and son were simultaneously deployed that year. One went to Iraq and one was off to Ft. Benning for training. I lived for the sweet sound of the unidentified caller’s ring tone.

The first rule of home-front order is never allow your cell phone to go dead, and never set it down out of hearing range for even a nanosecond. The deployment gods take it as a challenge if you do. All military families know, either by personal experience or tribal knowledge, that the exact second a phone is unanswerable, a soldier half-way around the world, with whom you have not spoken in a month or more, will get a second to call. It’s a curse, and a consistent one!

Grabbing my trusty rake with gardening gloves securely in place, I headed to the top of the slope in the yard. My thoughts drifted quite a bit as I started raking. It was easy to let them go because I really did not want to be there. I learned the benefit of daydreaming when I picked up cross-country running the year before. I drift between lucid thought and a daydream state when I am at a committed pace. Sometimes I can cover a mile before I realize I am running with my automatic pilot engaged.

Seasoned athletes call the dream state a “zone.” It is a contrived altered state of consciousness that is used to stave off the driving desire to give up. Continue reading →

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Posted in Spouse and Family

Change in law could put more money in spouse’s paycheck

Posted on October 21, 2010 by Claire| 1 Comment

From Randolph Air Force Base Personnel:

Change in law could put more money in spouse’s paycheck

Updated 10/7/2010
by April Rowden
Air Force Personnel

10/6/2010

RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas

Military spouses in states that collect state income taxes should be able to pocket a little more of their paycheck under an amendment that allows spouses to retain their legal residency in their home state.

A November 2009 amendment to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act included a provision that exempts military spouses who are living with their active-duty sponsor under official military orders from paying state income taxes on wages earned in that state, as long as that state is not the spouse’s legal residence.

The requirements for legal residency are determined by each state. Spouses are encouraged to contact the nearest military legal office for more details and how to re-claim home state residency.

Spouses that qualify for the tax exempt status and have already filed their taxes may be eligible to file an amended state tax return for the refund. Taxpayers should speak with a tax professional to determine the requirements of the state in which they are currently living and working.

For more information, visit AFPC’s personnel services website. Airmen may also call the 24-hour Total Force Service Center at (800) 525-0102 or DSN 665-5000.

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Posted in Spouse and Family

BWE Attendees Bill and Chris

Posted on October 21, 2010 by Troy| Leave a comment


BWE Attendees Bill and Chris from You Served Radio & Blog on Vimeo.

This interview is with Bill and Chris. They are brothers who work in the new media/entertainment industry. They are very proud of their father’s military service so they decided to spend a few moments with You Served to talk about that service and what is means to them.


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Posted in Spouse and Family, Video