General William Wallace has always been my favorite General. Partly because I’m a huge fan of Braveheart and partly because when we were sitting on the border of Kuwait prior to the US invasion, Gen. Wallace visited our Troop and gave an uber-motivating speech. I wish I had a voice recorder, because that thing would have gone down as one of the most famous battle speeches in history! Landing and taking off in his helicopter topped the whole experience.

And six years later, Gen Wallace is still talking straight. He recently wrote an op-ed that I wanted to make sure you got to read:
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After some very publicized neglect when it comes to Veterans issues, such as the omission of Veterans Loans from the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, Congress is taking steps to improve the lives of Veterans. One such effort, the Helping Veterans Keep Their Homes Act of 2008 (HR 4884), is being led by Representative Bob Filner (D-CA). Filner is the chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

Although the rate of VA Loans going into foreclosure remains lower than the national average, many Veterans are still in danger of losing their homes. The bill aims to alter the guidelines for refinancing a VA Loan by removing the requirement that a Veteran must have 10% equity in his or her home to refinance. Another proposed change would lower the amount of the funding fee for VA Home Loans. With the exception of fee exemptions related to disabled and deceased Veterans, the fee currently ranges from 0.5% to 3.3% of the total loan amount. If the bill passes, the funding fee would be changed to a flat 1% of the total loan amount for all borrowers. VA Loan Limits would also be raised from $417,000 to $730,000.

Another bill seeking to aid Veterans is the Heroes Earning Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008. The bill passed in the House and Senate and was sent to President Bush on June 6. The bill aims to financially aid Military personnel called to duty by allowing for penalty-free distributions from their 401(k)s. It also allows individuals who have flexible spending healthcare plans to cash in on their unused balances. Analysts expect the president to sign the bill into law.

Congress is also taking action to update the Montgomery GI Bill for the 21st century. The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2007, sponsored by Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA), would provide more money for Veterans to attend college and extend the time Veterans have to use their educational benefits from ten to fifteen years.

Dunkin Donuts is doing a campaign for our troops. You submit a military person’s name and each month they draw 50 names and send them a case of DD coffee! Here is the link to the site where you can submit the names:

https://www.dunkindonuts.com/aboutus/contact/Feedback.aspx?type=4

In 2006, the Republicans lost control of Congress under promises by the Democratic congressional candidates to end the war in Iraq. Moveon.org and other groups lobbied hard and spent a lot of money to get anti-war candidates into office. Those candidates informed us of how rotten and terrible the war was going and that they would fix things. Interestingly, I fought every step of the way in trying to inform you, my esteemed audience, of the successes we were having. Patriot and Marcus did so as well. Now we find out that not only were they misleading us - they were downright lying to us just to get elected.

Iraq Veterans Against the War are trying again. Only this time, they better really bring it. Winter Soldier is going for Round 3 in trying to influence the public about the supposed “travesties” taking place in Iraq. Only this time, we’ll be paying even more attention to what they say UNDER OATH about the “failure of troop surge”, according to their press release.

WHAT: Winter Soldier on the Hill
WHO: Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) & The Congressional Progressive Caucus
WHEN: May 15, 2008, 9:30am-12:30pm
WHERE: 2261 Rayburn House Office Building
WHY: To present eyewitness accounts of the Iraq occupation to Congress.

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Much like the temporary increase that was granted for the FHA loan program last month, some amended legislation is on the fast track in Congress currently that would raise the VA Loan limit in some areas to $730,000 temporarily. This comes in response to an admitted ‘oversight’ of Veterans and service members with the FHA expansion.

Additionally, the bill — which passed the Senate on Thursday by an 84-12 vote — expands two veterans’ home programs and would allow the cap on veterans’ home loans, now set at $417,000, to temporarily rise as high as $730,000 by matching the caps of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. Loans at the higher limit would be available through the end of the calendar year.

Track HR 3221 as it moves to the House, and read the full story at NavyTimes.com.

Jami from AmericanBabble.com took the time to provide some great answers this week for our ongoing features on female MilBloggers. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us here on VAMC’s You Served Jami!

You Served: What led you to be a Mil Blogger?
Jami: I had been in the National Guard for 5 years before I was deployed to Iraq in 2005. I never thought about blogging until my deployment to the Middle East. I think I started maintaining a blog mostly to keep in touch with everyone back home. I knew they would be worrying
about how I was or what I was doing. Even though I wasn’t able to update my blog during that deployment as much as I do today, I think it still helped people understand what was going on with me and with the war in Iraq.

Part of me also maintained the blog to help document the experience. Today I’m so glad that I did! Memories tend to fade and distort with time. It’s my own personal time capsule.

YS: Do you feel that being a female Mil Blogger adds a unique perspective to your blog? If yes, how so?
J: I think that the vast majority of my blogging could have easily have been written by a male soldier. But I think the simple fact that I am a female soldier writer, regardless of what I write, makes it unique. I don’t believe that my writing speaks in any particular female voice. It’s simply another soldier’s perspective.

YS: In what ways did your time in Iraq change your perspectives?
J: When I arrived in the Middle East, I instantly recognized how sheltered I was as an American. This alone opened my eyes beyond anything else that had previously happened to me in my life. I also realized that being gone from home for so long taught me the importance of self reliance. I could also see what it really meant to be poor and it left me with disdain towards America’s culture of materialism. Most importantly, my time in Iraq changed my perspective on life and it helped me understand the importance of living it with fervor.

YS: What is the main message you seek to share with visitors to your blog?
J: I write mostly observational posts. With that being said, I suppose my main message would be for people to take a moment to let these observations roll around in their heads so that they can see that the world isn’t so black and white.

YS: What have you learned from your experience as a Mil Blogger?
J: I’ve learned that writing publicly is both fulfilling and intrusive. Sometimes I forget that it’s more than just myself who can read the posts. The first time a stranger approached me to talk about my blog in person, (specifically about a few emotional posts) I didn’t quite know how to react. It’s an unusual feeling knowing that the stranger in front of you knows you far better than you know them.

YS: What advice would you give to a woman who wants to start her own MilBlog?
J: Try to write as honestly as possible but be mindful of the eyes who will be reading it. Also, for every negative comment you may get, you’ll received 10 more positive ones. Be sure you allow those 10 positive comments to out weight the one measly negative one.

This week, our ongoing spotlight on female milbloggers finds us talking with Brenda from Hello Iraq. Thanks for taking the time to talk Brenda, and we hope our readers enjoy.

You Served: What led you to be a Military Blogger?

Hello Iraq: When my nephew was killed in Kuwait March 5, 2004, I used to go to the DOHA website for support. One day I found my first milblog while looking over the site. I was entranced. That blog led me to others. I started visiting different milblogs of deployed soldiers and offering my support on their blogs. Shortly thereafter, I started my own blog, Hello Iraq, to support the troops and the War effort.

YS: Do you feel that being a female Military Bloggers adds a unique perspective to your blog? If yes, how so?

HI: Yes. Most people think don’t think of women when they think about the military, especially with regards to combat. Even though women are not officially assigned to combat, they are facing death every day side by side with our male troops and doing as well as the men. I read today that a women in Afghanistan was awarded the Silver Star.

But aside from combat, many of those who consider women in the military have a jaded view of us as muscular or gay jock types. That simply isn’t true.

The milblogs show Americans that we are just every day women who, like the men, have a strong sense of service to our country. But, otherwise, we are really no different than they are. Many of us are spouses and or mothers. As far as our everyday wants and needs, we are really no different. We’re just women!

YS: What impact has your blog had on you and those who are part of your blogging community?

HI: My blog has helped me grieve my nephew’s death and feel like I am helping our troops in some small way. My nephew died before we even had a chance to write him.

I know what type things the soldiers want to hear from home and what those of left behind need to hear. I use this to guide me on my blog.

I am not a great blogger like CJ at A Soldiers’ Perspective or some of the other well known bloggers. So I am not really sure that I have made any impact personally. But, I do try to make a difference any way I can in support of our troops and in the battle here at home.

YS: What is the best part about being a MilBlogger?

HI: I get a feeling of belonging to something larger than myself that I have not had since my days in the Corps in the late 60’s. I have also had the satisfaction of knowing that I helped two suicidal soldiers get help. I picked up something on their blogs that was not recognized by them or their fellow buddies. That alone has made my blogging satisfying and worthwhile.

At times, because I have PTSD, I have been able to help others in the military family, be it friend, spouse, or soldier with PTSD related issues in some small way. After all, besides educating and informing the public, isn’t that what blogging is all about, helping ourselves cope, helping the troops cope, and providing the public with the news they so desperately want and can’t find any where else?

YS: What advice would you give to a woman who wants to start her own MilBlog?

I would tell her to go for it. To first find out what regs she needs to know so she doesn’t accidentally violate security protocols. Next I would suggest she find her own style, not try to write like someone else. If she is a family member of a service member, blogging is a good way to stay in touch with other women in like situations for support and friendship. As a soldier, blogs are a great way to ease the loneliness of deployment on any front, especially combat, and get support. It is also a great way to help cope with the stress of deployments. They have an excellent therapeutic value!

The Winter Soldier II fiasco is almost upon us. IVAW has set 13-16 March as their the day thy sell their soul to the devil and make a pact with the reaper. During Winter Soldier, IVAW veterans “who served in Iraq and Afghanistan will testify to what is really happening day in and day out.” So, what is really happening “day in and day out” in Iraq? And how does a group that boasts a whopping 800 MEMBERS get off being representative of anything?
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Guess what radical liberalism gets you. This:

Updated, 7:41 a.m. | The New York City police just issued a statement describing the source of the explosion as an “improvised explosive device” and putting the time of the blast at 3:43 a.m.

7:39 a.m. | New York City police officers and firefighters cordoned off much of Times Square for more than two hours after a small explosion — apparently set off by a manmade device — damaged the front of the Armed Forces Career Center on the traffic island bounded by 43rd and 44th Streets, Seventh Avenue and Broadway around 4 a.m., officials said.

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