Monthly Archives: October 2010

Congress Approves Stop-Loss Pay Extension

Posted on October 13, 2010 by Troy| Leave a comment

I know CJ is not going to blog about this, so I guess I will. A few weeks back we had Mr. Lernes J. Hebert from the Office of the Secretary of Defense on You Served Radio talking about this stop-loss pay (Episode #102 http://www.blogtalkradio.com/youserved/2010/08/18/episode-102). Mr. Hebert was on to help spread the word to our listeners about this stop-loss back pay and the deadline to apply. I think at that time they still had around 100,000 that had not applied. Well it seems that Congress has acted to extend the deadline. Like CJ, I feel that if a service-member signs a contract that states a member could get extended or even called back if they have less than 8 years that they should not be separately compensated for something they knew was a possibility, even a slight one. I view this whole thing as a Democratically controlled Congress trying to come across as super-friendly to the military when the reality is that Democrats have been known not to be very sympathetic to the military. However it is what it is and these guys and gals are eligible for this money, so they might at well get it. Why should they be deprived if they eligible, especially if they didn’t know about this program because they had already gotten out?

So below is the latest on this program and it being extended.

Congress is giving Servicemembers and veterans a little more time — until Dec. 3 — to apply for the extra pay that is owed them if their active service was involuntarily extended between Sept. 11, 2001 and Sept. 30, 2008. The extension is included in the temporary appropriations bill, HR 3081, approved by Congress on Sept. 29. The stop-loss allowance is a $500 payment for every month in which a person was under orders to remain on active duty beyond their separation or retirement date. Retroactive payments covering the period of Sept. 11, 2001, through Sept. 30, 2008, were authorized by Congress last year, with a one-year eligibility period that was set to expire on Oct. 21. But only about 59,000 of the 145,000 people the Department of Defese (DoD) believes are due money have had their payments approved. Click here, to read more:http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/09/military-stop-loss-deadline-extension-093010w/


→ Leave a comment

Posted in News, Veteran Benefits, You Served Radio

Soldier of the Week – SGT Jason Collins

Posted on October 12, 2010 by CJ| Leave a comment

sgt jason collins

Sgt. Jason Collins deployed with the Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division in 2009 to the Logar Province in eastern Afghanistan, where he served as a police mentor team (PMT) leader. Each PMT is assigned to a regional district and is responsible for training, advising and mentoring the Afghan National Police (AFN). Working with his team, Collins provided instruction on handling firearms, handcuffing suspects, making vehicle stops and carrying out searches. This training was crucial in allowing the Afghan police force to manage their own security and move toward a self-sustaining government.

“Our job was to help the Afghans build their infrastructure, take control of their own security and form an established government that follows rules and regulations, like we have in the United States,” he said.

As part of their mission, the PMT frequently accompanied Afghan police forces on area patrols. While their role was strictly advisory, it provided the ANP with the hands-on training they needed.

“When we started, they had no idea what a police officer does. They didn’t know how to enforce the procedures and protocol, how to carry a weapon or how to keep track of equipment,” he said. “By the end of their training, they understood how to be effective police officers, and they were prepared for any situation.”

Collins and his team are currently preparing for a second deployment to Afghanistan this spring. Although his unit will be stationed in southern Afghanistan this time, the mission remains the same.

“If we go over there with the same mindset, I’m sure we’ll see results. Hopefully we can start training them right away, because the work we do will lead to a more stable Afghanistan,” he said.

In the future, Collins hopes to become a police officer, confident that his Army training has prepared him well.

“During my military police training, I was taught by civilian officers at Fort Drum, so I’ll definitely be ready for whatever that job sends my way,” he said.

Currently, Collins lives in the Watertown, N.Y. area with his wife Ashley and their three children: Caden (5), Kaley (3) and Cate (8 months).

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Life in the Military, Patriotism, soldier of the week

Tagged , , , , , ,

Yoga Parenting on You Served Spouse and Family Radio

Posted on October 11, 2010 by Claire| 1 Comment

Join me on Wednesday night for a fun, informative and interesting interview with Ria and Suzanne, co-creators of Yoga Parenting. Ria and Suzanne will talk about the principles of Yoga Parenting, how and why they started the online course and how it can benefit you. Even though the title is “Yoga Parenting” I encourage everyone to check out what they offer. These principles are so practical they can be used in parenting, marriage, the workplace, social life, and just life in general. There is also a lot of wonderful concepts for caregivers to wounded warriors.

So join us Wednesday, October 13th at 8:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time). Our show page is HERE.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Spouse and Family

East Coast Assistance Dogs

Posted on October 9, 2010 by Troy| 1 Comment

The organization East Coast Assistance Dogs trains and places assistance dogs with disabled people to aid in gaining their independence and mobility.  Through its Project Heal, the not-for-profit organization provides Service dogs free-of-charge to wounded warriors.  Each veteran is provided with 13 days of Team Training instruction at the organization’s Dobbs Ferry, NY facility.  For more information, visit the Project Heal website at;http://ecad1.org/ProjectHeal/Home.htm and the East Coast Assistance Dogs website at: http://ecad1.org/

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Veteran Benefits

Soldier of the Week – 1LT Maria Mengrone

Posted on October 8, 2010 by CJ| Leave a comment

From the American Revolutionary War to present engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hispanic Americans have a distinguished legacy of courage, leadership and selfless service in the military. A former Marine and now an Army officer, 1st Lt. Maria Mengrone is no exception – her leadership in theater facilitated the successful turnover of two detainee facilities to the Iraqi government.

Mengrone deployed to Baghdad, Iraq with the Texas National Guard’s 72nd Infantry Brigade last year. She served as the officer in charge at the Camp Taji Theater Internment Facility Reconciliation Center and at the Camp Cropper Theater Internment Facility.

“We were the troops on the ground that took care of the needs of detainees in U.S. custody. We were there to make sure they were treated with dignity and respect,” she said.

The facility at Camp Taji housed approximately 350 detainees, making its oversight and daily operations a critical component to maintaining a secure environment in Iraq. The long-term goal of each the facility is to help Iraqi detainees to return to civilian life and no longer be a threat to the country’s stability.

With the upcoming transition of leadership at the facility, Mengrone and her unit were instrumental in preparing local Iraqi corrections officers to manage the facility on their own. Due to her successful leadership, Camp Taji was the first detainee facility officially turned over to the Iraq government.

Mengrone credits much of the success to the Soldiers in her unit, recognizing that she needed the cooperation of her Soldiers in order to earn the respect of the detainees.

“Being a female engineer officer is something that is not common. I knew I was competent, but I was realistic about Soldiers who might have hesitations about working under me. After we went through pre-deployment training, they saw that I could carry my own weight and still lead them on a mission,” she said. “Once the detainees saw that my Soldiers respected me, they knew that they should also show respect, even though their culture frowns on females in authoritative positions.”

Prior to her redeployment in July, Mengrone also led her team in the successful turnover of the Camp Cropper detainee facility to the Iraqi government.

“Throughout my deployment, the most rewarding experience was to be a witness and an accessory to the historical strides Iraq is making to become a sovereign nation,” she said.

That progress was evident to Mengrone, who had previously deployed to Iraq.

“When I first went to Iraq in 2005, I didn’t see much structure in the Iraqi army and they were not disciplined. But when I went back, I was impressed with how organized they seemed,” she said.

Mengrone currently lives in San Antonio, Texas with her three children. In her civilian life, she is a high school calculus teacher and is working toward her master’s degree in mathematics at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

“My mission in Iraq was to take our sons and daughters to war and care for them, train them and do what I could to bring them all back safely. Similarly, as a teacher, the students’ futures are in my hands now. I am able to share some of my stories and inspire them and be a role model for them,” said Mengrone.

With 15 years of combined experience in the Marine Corps and the Army, she hopes to continue to serve in the military for five years and eventually become a commanding officer.

“Both the Marine Corps and the Army have given me good opportunities. The Marines gave me a foundation that I’ve been able to build upon in the Army,” she said.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Life in the Military, Patriotism, soldier of the week

America’s Wounded Warriors Lose Great Friend and Advocate

Posted on October 8, 2010 by Claire| 1 Comment

Until I read about Jimi Heselden’s death on Foxnew.com I did not know that he had been so generous to our wounded warriors. I then backtracked some and found DRAFT and Segs4Vets. Below is some program information for any Vets who come across this and qualify for the program. What a wonderfully empowering organization and what a generous philanthropist we have lost! I am sure Mr. Heselden’s family is overcome with grief at this moment, but I do hope they find comfort in hearing the resounding “thank you!” coming from the many people he so generously aided.

About DRAFT from their website (SOURCE LINK)

Disability Rights Advocates for Technology, DRAFT, represents people with disabilities who refuse to be defined by their disability and whose passionate enthusiasm for participating in life’s activities is supported by Universal Design and new and emerging technologies.

And about Segs4Vets:

Segs4Vets is an unprecedented grass-roots effort sustained and administered by volunteers representing grateful Americans who passionately believe that when those serving our nation are sent into harm’s way and suffer serious injury and permanent disability they must have every resource and tool available to them which will allow them to fulfill their dreams and live the highest quality of life possible.

The program which made the first presentation in September 2005 to three recipients who sustained injuries in Operation Iraqi Freedom was conceived and implemented with the assistance of Gen. Ralph “Ed” Eberhart, USAF (Ret), President of the Armed Forces Benefits Association. LINK TO SOURCE

Story of donations and the death of Jimi.

Owner of Segway Donates 1,000 Segways for Wounded Warriors Before His Death
FoxNews.com
Excerpt
America’s wounded warriors lost an advocate last week when the British philanthropist and Segway tycoon Jimi Heselden died in a freak accident while riding one of his vehicles. Before his death, Heselden donated 1,000 Segways, a gift valued at more than $5 million, to the Segs4Vets program that provides the mobility devices to American service members who are disabled by injuries during combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The president and founder of Disability Rights Advocates For Technology, Jerry Kerr, released a statement praising Heselden: “Jimi’s personal gift means that Disability Rights Advocates for Technology (www.DRAFT.org), the sponsor of the Segs4Vets program, will triple the number of recipients over the next few years and be able to provide a device to every disabled veteran who needs one.”

The program has presented more than 500 Segways to wounded warriors since 2005.

The founding members of DRAFT discovered that the Segway, a mobility device for people who have trouble walking, was easier to use and more adaptable to more environments than a wheelchair for some disabled people with limited movement. Kerr experienced this firsthand when he broke his neck 12 years ago.

“I then discovered that everything that I had, all the benefits that allowed me to get around, were the result of the disabled veterans from World War II and Korea and Vietnam,” said Kerr.
The device has found a loyal following among the disabled, even though it is not considered a medical device under federal law.

“It allows them to stand tall, look people in the eye and realize their dreams despite their disabilities,” Kerr said.
… snip …

Heselden’s contribution was scheduled to be announced next week at the Segs4Vets presentation ceremony at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Washington, D.C. “We were looking forward to thanking Jimi in person and are pained that we will not be able to do so,” Kerr said.

SOURCE LINK

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Charities/Contests, Spouse and Family

Christmas holiday mail schedule for deployed

Posted on October 8, 2010 by Claire| 5 Comments

Here’s the Christmas holiday mail schedule to send mail/packages to our deployed military personnel

From hqdainet.army.mil (h/t operationwearehere.org)
EMMS: Express Mail Military Service is available to selected military post offices. Check with your local Post Office to determine if this service is available to your APO/FPO of address.

Destination Express 1st Class Priority PAL SAM Parcel Post
APO/FPO AE 090-092 18 Dec 10 Dec 10 Dec 03 Dec 26 Nov 12 Nov
APO/FPO AE 093 N/A 04 Dec 04 Dec 01 Dec 20 Nov 12 Nov
APO/FPO AE 094-098 18 Dec 10 Dec 10 Dec 03 Dec 26 Nov 12 Nov
APO/FPO AA 340 18 Dec 10 Dec 10 Dec 03 Dec 26 Nov 12 Nov
APO/FPO AP 962-966 18 Dec 10 Dec 10 Dec 03 Dec 26 Nov 12 Nov

EMMS: Express Mail Military Service is available to selected military post offices. Check with your local Post Office to determine if this service is available to your APO/FPO of address.

PAL: PAL is a service that provides air transportation for parcels on a space-available basis. It is available for Parcel Post items not exceeding 30 pounds in weight or 60 inches in length and girth combined. The applicable PAL fee must be paid in addition to the regular surface rate of postage for each addressed piece sent by PAL service.

SAM: SAM parcels are paid at Parcel Post postage rate of postage with maximum weight and size limits of 15 pounds and 60 inches in length and girth combined. SAM parcels are first transported domestically by surface and then to overseas destinations by air on a space-available basis.

→ 5 Comments

Posted in Spouse and Family

Study Finds Dementia Link

Posted on October 8, 2010 by Troy| Leave a comment

A new study has linked post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to dementia later in life.  While the analysis does not prove that PTSD causes dementia, it did show that combat PTSD is linked to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.  The study was conducted by the VA Medical Center in Houston and is published in the September edition of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.  An abstract of the study is available online at:

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Life in the Military

Veterans Bills Clear House Veterans Affairs Committee

Posted on October 7, 2010 by Troy| Leave a comment

In the compressed pre-election legislative session, it remains to be seen whether six veterans’ bills that cleared the House Veterans Affairs Committee this week can get enacted into law this year. The following are among the measures approved by the Committee: 
• H.R. 3787 (Rep. Walz, D-MN) authorizes veteran status for Guard and Reserve retirees who were never called up for federal active duty. Currently, these retirees don’t qualify, despite having been called up extensively for Title 32 (state) duties guarding airports after 9/11, guarding America’s borders or for national disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf oil spill. The legislation wouldn’t authorize any new veterans’ benefits. MOAA strongly supports the legislation. 
• H.R. 5593 (Rep. Halvorson, D-IL) responds to the recent controversy over management of Servicemembers’ and Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI and VGLI) payments to survivors. The bill requires the insurer to provide financial counseling and full disclosure of beneficiary options for those receiving payouts. 
• H.R. 6131 (Rep. Filner, D-CA, HVAC chairman) an omnibus bill that creates a new veterans’ job training program excludes certain insurance or damage claim settlements from counting as income for the purpose of determining or stopping a VA pension, raises the monthly Medal of Honor stipend from $1194 to $2000 per month; and prohibits naming a veteran with a service-connected mental disorder from being included in government databases used for gun screening unless the veteran is under judicial review.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Veteran Benefits

Soldier of the Week – CW2 Theodore Mozeleski

Posted on October 7, 2010 by CJ| 1 Comment

While Chief Warrant Officer 2 Theodore Mozeleski was deployed, he led a team of several Soldiers responsible for analyzing and disseminating intelligence information gathered throughout central Iraq. Military intelligence operations ensure that Soldiers on the front lines have accurate and current information regarding enemy activity. Military intelligence analysts, such as Mozeleski, play a crucial role in providing that information.

“We had a 24-hour operation in place, and it was our mission to keep American and Iraqi commanders informed on enemy plans and activities as well as potential threats, both present and future,” he said.

From 2009 to 2010, Mozeleski and his team provided Army personnel in theater with details about enemy forces and potential battle areas. That information was used to determine security priorities and plan missions. As a team leader for six Soldiers and two civilians, Mozeleski was responsible for reviewing all intelligence reports for the Baghdad and Anbar provinces in the central and western regions of Iraq.

While military intelligence is always critical, Mozeleski’s role was especially important during the June 2009 drawdown of U.S. military forces in Iraq.

“It was exciting because it was a historic time, as the Iraqis began to take over more control. And it was rewarding because I worked with very capable subordinates. Due to the talent of our team, we accomplished good things, and I know Iraq was a safer place because of our efforts,” said the Bronze Star Medal recipient, who received his medal for meritorious service and leadership.

As a young child, Mozeleski recalls seeing photos of his father overseas, and he knew from an early age that he, too, wanted to serve his country in the military.

“One of the reasons I enlisted in the Army was because I wanted to be a part of history. My father was part of history when he served in World War II, and I believe I also participated in history as I was deployed during an integral year of America helping Iraq,” he said.

With more than two decades of service in the Army, Mozeleski has always worked in military intelligence. Five years ago, he graduated from Warrant Officer Candidate School to further advance his military intelligence training and capabilities.

In the future, Mozeleski hopes to have the opportunity to deploy to Afghanistan and looks forward to the opportunity to mentor and serve alongside the next generation of Soldiers.

“As one of the older deployed Soldiers, I respect the motivation, analytical aptitude and technical savvy of the Generation X and Y Soldiers,” he said. “Solders across generational lines worked well together and respected the strengths and contributions of each other.”

A graduate of North High School and California State University at Dominguez Hills, Mozeleski resides in Torrance, Calif., with his wife and son.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Life in the Military, soldier of the week