Monthly Archives: September 2011

Pinups for Vets needs your help

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Troy| Leave a comment

Our good friend Gina Elise over at www.pinupsforvets.com is very close to making her dream come true of being able to visit a VA or military hospital in every state. She is participating in the Crest “Life Opens Up Project”. If she wins this contest Crest will help fund this dream of visiting a hospital in all the remaining states she hasn’t been to. It also gives her a chance to be on the Rachel Ray show so she can help spread the word about the work she does visiting troops (old and new) and donating funds to VA hospitals.

She is #2 and she needs about 400 votes to be #1 and win. There are only 9 days left to vote, and you can vote every day. Please take a quick moment and check out http://lifeopensupproject.com/player.php?q=89 and vote. Then come back and vote every day for the next 9 days and if you can help spread the word to friends, family, Facebook friends and twitter followers I know Gina and all of us at You Served Blog would really appreciate it.

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Posted in Charities/Contests, Patriotism

Photo of the Day – Afghan SWAT

Posted on September 6, 2011 by CJ| Leave a comment

Even Afghanistan needs a SWAT. In this photo by SFC Stephanie Carl, a member of the 2nd Afghan National Civil Order Police SWAT team clears a row of grape vines during a patrol Sept. 4. The presence patrols give units an opportunity to interact with the local population and build a rapport with the people, while it also gives the ANCOP an opportunity to practice some of their basic operational techniques. The SWAT team, which is partnered with Task Force Thunder’s Kandahar Pathfinder detachment, is considered to be one of the most elite of the Afghan Security Forces. Its members receive special weapons and tactics training that allows them to plan and participate in more complex or specialized missions.

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Remembering 9/11- CNN’s coverage when flight 93 goes down

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Troy| Leave a comment

This is another in the “Remembering 9/11″ series I am running. In this footage, CNN has several “on the street” interviews of people in NYC between when the towers were hit and when they fell. Also there is better footage and a clearer understanding of the attach on the Pentagon. Last but not least, while this footage is happening the first reports of Flight 93 crashing in Pennsylvania is learned.

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Posted in Patriotism, Video

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Millions of Coupons: Military Shoppers Score Savings on Base

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Troy| Leave a comment

I was raised in a very fiscally responsible household. What that means to some is that my parents were cheap. To others it means that they spent wisely. To me it meant that living on a NCO income in the 70s-80s and whatever job Mom had meant we had to stretch what we had. It was a lot of work but I remember Mom saving a lot at the commissary when we went there. She had a whole filing and category system from what I remember. We still do that in my house today.

I don’t understand people that don’t take a few minutes out of their day to clip and use coupons. It is essentially free money.

 Military shoppers are scanning in savings more than ever, redeeming more than 131 million coupons at their local commissaries last year. This is a 32 percent jump from two years earlier and provided military families withf $114 million in savings. The Defense Commissary Agency now ranks as the U.S.’s eighth largest retailer in coupon redemption volume, just ahead of supermarket giants Safeway and Meijer. Overall savings have increased even more, with the total value of all those coupons up 46 percent. Meanwhile, Exchange shoppers are adding up even more coupon savings. Army and Air Force Exchange Service shoppers alone redeemed 4.8 million coupons worth $7 million in 2010. To read this article in full please go to: http://www.armytimes.com/money/financial_advice/offduty-couponing-main-shoppers-score-savings-on-base-082211w/

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Posted in Military Life

Photo of the Day – Priceless Interaction

Posted on September 5, 2011 by CJ| Leave a comment

Yesterday I wrote about how we purchase priceless moments by putting ourselves in harm’s way. It’s moments like this that will live forever in the minds of young Afghan children.

Afghanistan still does not have a compulsory education program (not that I’m a fan of compulsory education). Afghan children are frequently used to work the farms and hawk goods for sale in shops and on the streets. Even when the bazaar comes to Kandahar on a regular basis, the children are a regular site. They try to sell the smaller stuff that doesn’t require haggling ($1 for a polished stone bracelet) as Soldiers and civilians walk around window shopping the wares. Sometimes they are used to guilt the customer into spending more money and sometimes they simply try not to let you leave if you’re leaving empty handed. Kids can be very persuasive. But, all this work also wears them out. It would be nice to see them in school, but I’m not opposed to learning about real life the old-fashioned way – through life experiences.


U.S. Army Spc. Charles Griswold, rifleman, attempts to ‘fist bump’ an Afghan boy during a visit to the Juvenile Detention Center in Qalat City, Afghanistan, Sept. 3. Griswold is a member of Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul’s security force and is deployed from the Massachusetts National Guard. Photo by Senior Airman Grovert Fuentes-Contreras

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Remembering 9/11- CBS News 9 in DC covering Pentagon Attack

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Troy| Leave a comment

This news clip is from local Washington DC CBS station, Channel 9 as they have extensive coverage to the aftermath of the attack on the Pentagon on the morning of 9/11/01. The second WTC tower also collapses in this footage.

 

 

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Posted in News, Video, Why We Serve

Photo of the Day – Boots on the Ground

Posted on September 4, 2011 by CJ| 1 Comment

Technology is great, but no matter how much technology is available to troops the end result of every successful military operation requires boots on the ground. Nothing can beat the social and personal connection of seeing, talking to, and interacting with troops on patrol. The downside is that foot patrols make us more vulnerable, but a more focused training approach both pre-deployment and while in theater has made our troops more aware of their surroundings.

The local populace is trusting us more and more each day. As such, we are more likely to learn about dangers and impending ambushes before they happen than ever before. You can’t get this kind of information tucked safely away inside a well-armored MRAP or MATV. To the average citizen, troops traveling in vehicles are just large hunks of metal. But, when you get a troop on the ground, it breaks down so many barriers.

Our troops are well-trained and professional. They’re sympathetic to the plight of the host nation Afghan citizens. As you’ll see in tomorrow’s photo, there are some moments that are priceless but can only be purchased on foot. Yet, we put ourselves in potential danger because we want to instill a sense of confidence, security, and friendship among them. We are no longer the enemy of Afghanistan and the guys in this photo by Senior Airman Grovert Fuentes-Contreras are on the front lines of the battle to break down those barriers.


U.S. Army Pfc. Johnny Nguyen, rifleman, and other members of Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul patrol Qalat City, Afghanistan, Sept. 2. Nguyen is a member of Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul’s security force and is deployed from the Massachusetts National Guard.

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Remembering 9/11- CNN reports when first tower collapses

Posted on September 4, 2011 by Troy| Leave a comment

In the ongoing series of “Remembering 9/11″ here footage from CNN’s broadcast the morning of 9/11/01 when the first tower collapsed”. I watch each one of these before I post them and let me tell you it gives me goosebumps and draws emotion to watch this all over again. I am posting these because I think America needs reminded of the feelings we all shared together that terrible morning.

 

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Posted in News, Video, Why We Serve

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Remembering 9/11- The shutdown of Air Traffic

Posted on September 3, 2011 by Troy| Leave a comment

The video below shows the animation of air traffic over the USA on the morning of Sept 11th, 2001. As the events happened that morning, you can see the air traffic go from over 3000+ flights in the air at one time to near nothing.

 

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Posted in Military News, Video

Awesome New Ranger Up T-Shirt

Posted on September 2, 2011 by CJ| 1 Comment

Ranger Up has a new shirt out that is just awesome. I know, I know, all their shirts are awesome. That’s because awesome people make them! Elected officials used to just service. Now, all they do is take. They create bubbles around themselves, vote themselves special privileges that the people they represent aren’t entitled to and enjoy exceptions to laws they pass that cost you and me! So what happened to “serving” in Congress?

Ranger Up asks that same question with their new Congress Service t-shirt. You can pre-order this shirt now for less than $20 and wear it to your Tea Parties, block parties, and key parties. No wait, don’t attend key parties! Bad!! But, election season is upon us and candidates will be flooding your hometowns to buy ask for your vote. It’s time we reminded them who they are!

Wear it to your Congressman’s office and remind him/her why they are there. Congress was supposed to be a service, not a profession and Ranger Up has a reminder for them.

Please use this link if you order anything from Ranger Up since I’ve signed up to be an affiliate. I’ve been buying their shirts for so long I might as well help them sell some too, eh?! ;)

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Posted in Patriotism

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