Where you can donate to help Ft. Hood families

November 13, 2009 By Claire
Posted in Spouse and Family

I know we all felt so helpless as the events of November 5th unfolded before our eyes and ears through various news channels. Maybe you live on Ft. Hood and they unfolded for you in real time. Maybe you are like me and have several friends who live there and the events unfolded for you over the phone with very frightened friends.

There are many ways to help out during this time, and the need is great. Please see what you are able to do. This time of year is usually very focused on shopping and doing — maybe you can cut one thing out and give a donation to the Ft. Hood families this year. Do what your conscience directs you to do.

Some of the events below have already occurred, but the fundraisers will be ongoing for a while.

How You Can Help the Fort Hood Family

[11/9/2009]

Source: Army Well-Being and combined sources

The Central Texas community is rallying in support of those who died in the mass shooting at Fort Hood Thursday. Some events going on around town in memorial of the victims are:

• President Obama has ordered that all flags be flown at half-staff until Veteran’s Day in honor of the victims of the Fort Hood tragedy on November 5.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9

• A local grassroots organization is asking everyone to drive with their headlights on to honor those directly or indirectly affected.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10

• Fort Hood will host a memorial service for those lost on November 5. More details to follow.

FUNDRAISERS

• Barton Creek Square and Killeen Mall will support the recent tragedies at Fort Hood by hosting a fundraiser at Kay’s Hallmark. Both Hallmark locations will sell wooden roses for $1. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Families of the victims at Fort Hood.

DONATIONS ACCEPTED

If you would like to help by donating funds, consider these worthy organizations helping the Fort Hood Family:

AUSA The Central Texas-Fort Hood Chapter of Association of the United States Army has set up a Community Response to 11/5 Fund for anyone wishing to make monetary donations to help support the Families of the victims involved in Thursday’s shooting at Fort Hood.

Checks should be made payable to:

The Central Texas-Fort Hood Chapter
Association of the US Army
ATTN: Community Response to 11/5
P.O. Box 10700
Killeen, Texas 76547

Donations are tax deductible. The tax identification number is 530193361.

 

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The Fisher House at Fort Hood In this time of national sorrow and grief, many Families may need the services of The Fisher House. Please make donations to:

Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center
36000 Darnall Loop
Fort Hood TX 76544
254.286.7927

The Fisher House on Facebook

 

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Operation Homefront Operation Homefront has established an “Emergency Tragedy Fund” for the Families of the injured and deceased Soldiers at Fort Hood. We are saddened by this tragedy and will provide emergency financial assistance to the Families.

If you are a Family directly affected, please contact Operation Homefront Texas at 1-800-779-5921.

If you would like to donate to this Fund, please use the Donate Now feature. Be sure to indicate “FORT HOOD” on the donor form.

You can also send donations to:

Operation Homefront Texas
10157 IH 35 North, Suite A
San Antonio, Texas 78233.

100% of the funds collected will be designated for the Families at Fort Hood. Thank you for your generosity and support.

 

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Friends of TAPS, Fort Hood Friends of TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) provides immediate and long-term grief support for anyone who has lost a military loved one, regardless of the circumstance or location of the death. These Fort Hood Families will need a safe haven to process their grief and suffering for the weeks, months and years to come – and with your help we will be able to care for all of the Families affected by this terrible event.

 

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Soldiers’ Angels, Fort Hood Project Soldiers’ Angels is assessing the needs and is standing by to offer physical and emotional support to our heroes and their families at Fort Hood.

RIGHT NOW: Collecting encouraging notes and NEW stuffed animals for the Families and children of the injured or killed. Please send cards/letters and stuffed animals (and anything NEW that may brighten the life of a child) to:

Soldiers’ Angels
4408 PanAm Expressway
San Antonio, TX 78218

Plans are still developing, but the goal is to give these Families and injured heroes something big to smile about when Christmas rolls around. It starts with the $2,000 gift certificate for Christmas for an experience on Christmas Day that will make them forget about it all for at least a little while. To contribute to the effort, click the donation button in the upper left and add type “For Fort Hood” in the comment box that pops up (donations marked this way will be used only for Fort Hood survivors).

 

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The American Legion Those touched by the Fort Hood event seeking assistance from The American Legion are invited to call 1-800-504-4098 or emailfamilysupport@legion.org .

 

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Chapel’s Tithes and Offerings Fund Checks can be mailed to:

Chaplain’s Fund Office
Bldg. 44, 761st Tank Battalion Ave.
Fort Hood, TX 76544-5000

Checks should be made payable to “CTOF” (Chapel’s Tithes and Offerings Fund) with a note on the memo line stating “Nov. 5 Tragedy.”

 

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Killeen Red Cross Killeen Red Cross
208 W. Avenue A
Killeen, Texas 76541

 

You can contact the Killeen Red Cross by phone at 254-200-4400.

 

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USO Fort Hood USO Fort Hood
Building #1871, 50th St.
Fort Hood, Texas 76544

 

You can also contact the USO by phone at 254-768-2771.

 

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Combat Warrior Crisis Network The Combat Warrior Crisis Network is accepting donation to support the Families in the aftermath to help them pick up the pieces and help them move forward. When making a donation please annotate “FORT HOOD” on the donation.

For PayPal or Credit Card please visit: Donate to The Combat Warrior Crisis Network

Checks may be mailed to:

Combat Warrior Crisis Network
3450 FM 1829
Gatesville, TX 76528

 

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USA Cares

USA Cares has set up an Emergency Fund for the victims of the Fort Hood shootings. Call USA Cares at 800-773-0387 and ask for Frank or Forrest. Let them know that you are wanting to donate to Fort Hood. USA Cares exists to provide military Families with financial support and other critical resources in their time of need.

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Defense Department Aims to Improve Families’ Lives

By Claire
Posted in Spouse and Family

After spending time last week locating my friends on Ft. Hood, and making sure they were all OK this article seems to fall a little flat. The last things on their minds this week is whether or not they are recognized for the love they give their families. Recognition is good, but considering that some of my friends were separated from their children during the heat of the crisis there last week — mom in one location, child in another and a frantic panic to find out if any victims were children… or friends, or friends’ spouses… it’s just not such an issue for them right now.

Although I am not a huge fan of Abraham Maslow and his hierarchy of needs (at least not all of the aspects of his theories) I have to agree that if a person feels relatively unsafe in their home and where they reside, they are not going to be able to live as full a life as their potential would allow.

I hope the number one aim of the DoD to improve the lives of families is to guarantee them that no political correctness will ever interfere in their dedication to keeping them and their soldiers safe.

Defense Department Aims to Improve Families’ Lives

By Elaine Wilson
FOUND AT: American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2009 – Military families make tremendous sacrifices in support of the nation and deserve recognition as well as the best programs and policies the Defense Department can deliver, a defense official said yesterday.

 

Tommy T. Thomas, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, underscored the importance of Military Family Month, gave a broad overview of family programs and offered a glimpse at future initiatives in a wide-ranging interview here with the Pentagon Channel.

“We take the time to do this to recognize the sacrifices that our military families have made in defense of this nation,” said Thomas, referring to Military Family Month, celebrated every November. “We have many deployed family members — whether it be mother, son, spouse or daughter. [The] bottom line is we look at that entire entity as a family. And we look at and honor those successes that those families are making for this nation.”

Military families face many unique stressors, including maintaining stability at home in the face of deployments and frequent moves, he said. An average civilian may stay in a hometown for 15 to 20 years, he noted, while a military member may move 12 to 14 times in a 27-year period.

“One of the biggest challenges I see is trying to maintain that way of life, just as our civilian counterparts do, and keeping some stability in the family structure,” Thomas said. “We have a number of programs that we offer to make that happen.”

Thomas pointed out the department’s child care and education programs and various programs to offset family child care costs. He added that the military family life consultant program has been a “tremendous benefit to our military families.” The consultants provide anonymous, nonmedical counseling support to troops and their family members. “We sit down and listen to the needs and wants of military families,” he said.

Additionally, the department’s Military OneSource site offers military families 24/7 access on the Internet to counseling services, he said, and commissaries and military exchange stores around the world give servicemembers and their families a “taste of life back home,” as well as economic savings.

Thomas also highlighted a pilot program, the Restoration and Resilience Center at Fort Bliss, Texas, aimed at helping servicemembers and their families deal with post-traumatic stress. The program is “serving as a tremendous tool,” he said.

Thomas said he received firsthand proof of the program’s effectiveness during a visit to Fort Bliss about two weeks ago. He was conducting a focus group when a soldier walked up to him unexpectedly.

“What he said to me is, ‘I want you to know, sir, that the resilience and restoration program saved my life,’” Thomas recalled. “It’s a true testament to some of the programs we have out there and the effectiveness of those programs.”

Defense Department officials always look for ways to tweak programs as they aims to improve them, Thomas said. “You should never rest on your laurels,” he said, noting that it’s vital to hear from the people who are executing the programs as well as from the end users, the military families.

“I’ve logged about 32,000 miles going out talking to focus groups on about 16 installations,” Thomas said. He takes time to speak with military families around the world and uses that information to assess and improve the department’s programs, he added.

It’s not always about program quantity, he noted, but effectiveness, which is why tracking usage and soliciting feedback is so important. He said feedback led to a recent addition of family support services. During visits to Fort Campbell, Ky., and Fort Drum, N.Y. — both “very high-ops tempo Army installations,” he said — he received requests for more military family life consultants, a sentiment that was echoed in Europe.

As a result, the department added 118 military family life consultants, all due to feedback at the program-execution level.

Thomas said his No. 1 goal is to make a long-term difference for military families. He pledged to work toward getting “the proper funding and resources we need in our baseline” to create adequate and lasting family programs that also can evolve to meet growing needs.

Above all, military families deserve the best possible programs the department can provide, Thomas said.

“We owe that to our military families — to make sure we’re doing whatever we can for them, to make sure they’re part of the Defense Department team, that we’re working together collectively,” he said.

In honor of Military Family Month, the department’s Military Community and Family Policy office has several events aimed at improving quality of life for military families, Thomas said, including a Leadership Summit on Military Families on Nov. 9 and 10, a Defense Department/joint services conference called “Improving the Quality of Life for Military Families” from Nov. 16 to 18, and a child development conference, also from Nov. 16 to 18.

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Veteran’s Day Special You Served Live Blog

November 12, 2009 By Troy
Posted in MilBlogger Interviews

8:00:23 PM: New blog entry: Veteran’s Day Special You Served Live Blog http://bit.ly/2KvGRr

8:01:53 PM: CJ is back tonight after being gone for two weeks

8:07:42 PM: Listening to Mark Wills say the pledge of allegiance

8:18:12 PM: Talking with Ben Steele who is a WWII survivor and a survivor of the Bataan death march

8:19:07 PM: Learn more about Ben Steele at http://bit.ly/4F1G8D

8:20:29 PM: Ben was in the Army Air Corps

8:21:07 PM: On April 9, 1942, after ninety-nine days of battle, he was captured by the Japanese

8:21:53 PM: Ben was captured by the Japanese and spent one thousand two hundred and forty-four days as a prisoner of war.

8:24:37 PM: Ben said they were starving on Bataan. They ate their horses and all the domestic live stock

8:26:04 PM: pics from Bataan death march, http://bit.ly/23xZb0 http://bit.ly/12iF0k http://bit.ly/12iF0k

8:34:10 PM: Ben is talking about the march itself and how the Japanese would drive down the road and just run people over

8:38:01 PM: Ben said to get through life you have to have a sense of humor and learn to forgive. He said he has forgiven the Japanese

8:38:27 PM: He was a professor and he had Japanese students that helped him get over his past

8:39:12 PM: Ben has become good friends with several Japanese students that have all helped him get over his anger

8:45:12 PM: Ben is one of the last remaining Bataan death march surivors

8:49:40 PM: Listening to Because a Hero Fell from the In Rememberance Tribute CD

8:50:26 PM: You can learn more about the CD and purchase it at http://bit.ly/1h6XPD

8:54:08 PM: The song Becuase a hero fell was written by Thad in 2006

8:57:37 PM: USA Cares gave out $18,000 of their own money last week

9:01:55 PM: Amanda’s grandfather was in WWII and was bit by a shark when his ship sank

9:05:52 PM: U can listen to You served radio at http://bit.ly/youserved

9:09:24 PM: The CD will be available in all Walmarts soon

9:21:19 PM: Thad is in talks with the USO to tour around the world for troops

9:22:21 PM: We are now talking with Kurt from Survival Straps http://bit.ly/3L2eT0

9:24:41 PM: If a person uses their survival strap for something, then can send in the story and Kurt will send the person a new one

9:27:01 PM: Survival Straps has a soldier appreciation drawing that people can put a soldier’s name in a drawing to get free products

9:27:01 PM: Survival Straps has a soldier appreciation drawing that people can put a soldier’s name in a drawing to get free products

9:29:44 PM: Survival Straps donates $3 from every soldier gift box purchase to the Wounded Warrior Project @Wounded_Warrior

9:41:53 PM: Talking to James F. Christ who is writing 10 books about famous Afghanistan ETT battles

9:42:07 PM: He has two books completed so far

9:54:01 PM: James has never been to Afghanistan but writes like he has

9:59:24 PM: James relies on trust and word of mouth to get interviews

10:06:55 PM: You Served Radio is now off the air

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DOD Announces Recruiting and Retention Numbers for October 2009

By CJ
Posted in Uncategorized

The Department of Defense announced today its recruiting and retention statistics for active and reserve components for October 2009.

Active Duty Recruiting for October 2009. All four services met or exceeded their recruiting goals.

-The Army had 6,914 accessions, making 101 percent of its 6,858 goal.
-The Navy had 2,926 accessions, making 100 percent of its 2,926 goal.
-The Marine Corps had 2,851 accessions, making 100 percent of its 2,843 goal.
-The Air Force had 2,198 accessions, making 100 percent of its 2,198 goal.

Active Duty Retention. All four services met or exceed their retention goals for October 2009.

Reserve Forces Recruiting for October 2009. All six Reserve components met or exceeded their goals.

-The Army National Guard had 4,425 accessions, making 112 percent of its 3,947 goal and the Army Reserve had 3,348 accessions, making 125 percent of its 2,675 goal.

-The Navy Reserve had 671 accessions, making 100 percent of its 671 goal.

-The Marine Corps Reserve had 1,132 accessions, making 144 percent of its 787goal.

-The Air National Guard had 698 accessions, making 124 percent of its 562 goal, and the Air Force Reserve had 1,083 accessions, making 100 percent of its 1,083 goal.

Reserve Attrition. Losses for the Reserve components are not available pending corrections and resubmissions from services.

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President Obama Veterans Day Remarks

November 11, 2009 By CJ
Posted in Military News

President Obama made the following Veterans Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery, most likely confusing Memorial Day with Veterans Day:

Thank you so much. Thank you. Please, be seated.

Thank you, Secretary Shinseki, for the generous introduction — more importantly, the extraordinary bravery in service to our country, both on and off the battlefield. I want to thank our outstanding Vice President, Joe Biden, and his wonderful wife, Dr. Jill Biden, for being here today. We want to thank the Bidens for their son, Beau’s, service as well; we’re glad he just got back from Iraq.

We want to say a special word of thanks to Brigadier General Karl Horst, who’s the Commander of the Military District of Washington, for being here, and for your lifetime of distinguished service to our nation. To Gene Crayton, president of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, thank you for being here. And to all the veterans’ service organizations for the extraordinary work, day in, day out on behalf of our nation’s heroes.

To the members of our armed forces and the veterans who are here today: I am deeply honored and humbled to spend Veterans Day with you in this sacred place where generations of heroes have come to rest — and generations of Americans have come to show their gratitude.

There are many honors and responsibilities that come with this job. But none is more profound than serving as Commander-in-Chief. Yesterday, I visited the troops at Fort Hood. We gathered in remembrance of those we recently lost. We paid tribute to the lives they led. And there was something that I saw in them; something that I see in the eyes of every soldier and sailor, airman, Marine and Coast Guardsman that I have had the privilege to meet in this country and around the world — and that thing is determination.

In this time of war, we gather here mindful that the generation serving today already deserves a place alongside previous generations for the courage they have shown and the sacrifices that they have made. In an era where so many acted only in pursuit of narrow self-interest, they’ve chosen the opposite. They chose to serve the cause that is greater than self; many even after they knew they’d be sent into harm’s way. And for the better part of a decade, they have endured tour after tour in distant and difficult places; they have protected us from danger; and they have given others the opportunity for a better life.

So to all of them — to our veterans, to the fallen, and to their families — there is no tribute, no commemoration, no praise that can truly match the magnitude of your service and your sacrifice.

This is a place where it is impossible not to be moved by that sacrifice. But even as we gather here this morning, people are gathering all across America, not only to express thanks of a grateful nation, but to tell stories that demand to be told. They’re stories of wars whose names have come to define eras; battles that echo throughout history. They’re stories of patriots who sacrificed in pursuit of a more perfect union: of a grandfather who marched across Europe; of a friend who fought in Vietnam; of a sister who served in Iraq. They’re the stories of generations of Americans who left home barely more than boys and girls, became men and women, and returned home heroes.

And when these Americans who had dedicated their lives to defending this country came home, many settled on a life of service, choosing to make their entire lives a tour of duty. Many chose to live a quiet life, trading one uniform and set of responsibilities for another — doctor, engineer, teacher, mom, dad. They bought homes, raised families, built businesses. They built the greatest middle class that the world has ever known. Some put away their medals, stayed humble about their service, and moved on. Some, carrying shrapnel and scars, found that they couldn’t.

We call this a holiday. But for many veterans, it’s another day of memories that drive them to live their lives each day as best as they possibly can. For our troops, it is another day in harm’s way. For their families, it is another day to feel the absence of a loved one, and the concern for their safety. For our wounded warriors, it is another day of slow and arduous recovery. And in this national cemetery, it is another day when grief remains fresh. So while it is important and proper that we mark this day, it is far more important we spend all our days determined to keep the promises that we’ve made to all who answer this country’s call.

Carved into the marble behind me are the words of our first Commander-in-Chief: “When we assumed the soldier, we did not lay aside the citizen.” Just as the contributions that our servicemen and women make to this nation don’t end when they take off their uniform, neither do our obligations to them. And when we fulfill those obligations, we aren’t just keeping faith with our veterans; we are keeping faith with the ideals of service and sacrifice upon which this republic was founded.

If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that there have been times where we as a nation have betrayed that sacred trust. Our Vietnam veterans served with great honor. They often came home greeted not with gratitude or support, but with condemnation and neglect. That’s something that will never happen again. To them and to all who have served, in every battle, in every war, we say that it’s never too late to say thank you. We honor your service. We are forever grateful. And just as you have not forgotten your missing comrades, neither, ever, will we. Our servicemen and women have been doing right by America for generations. And as long as I am Commander-in-Chief, America’s going to do right by them.

That is my message to all veterans today. That is my message to all who serve in harm’s way. To the husbands and wives back home doing the parenting of two. To the parents who watch their sons and daughters go off to war, and the children who wonder when mom and dad is coming home. To all our wounded warriors, and to the families who laid a loved one to rest. America will not let you down. We will take care of our own.

And to those who are serving in far-flung places today, when your tour ends, when you see our flag, when you touch our soil, you will be home in an America that is forever here for you just as you’ve been there for us. That is my promise — our nation’s promise — to you.

Ninety-one years ago today, the battlefields of Europe fell quiet as World War I came to a close. But we don’t mark this day each year as a celebration of victory, as proud of that victory as we are. We mark this day as a celebration of those who made victory possible. It’s a day we keep in our minds the brave men and women of this young nation — generations of them — who above all else believed in and fought for a set of ideals. Because they did, our country still stands; our founding principles still shine; nations around the world that once knew nothing but fear now know the blessings of freedom.

That is why we fight — in hopes of a day when we no longer need to. And that is why we gather at these solemn remembrances and reminders of war — to recommit ourselves to the hard work of peace.

There will be a day before long when this generation of servicemen and women step out of uniform. They will build families and lives of their own. God willing, they will grow old. And someday, their children, and their children’s children, will gather here to honor them.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

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President Signs Military Spouses Residency Relief Act

By CJ
Posted in Military News

President Obama today signed into law the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act. This Act amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to guarantee the equity of spouses of military personnel with regard to matters of residency, and for other purposes. Among other things, the Act provides that when a service member leaves his or her home state relative to military orders, the service member’s spouse may retain residency in his or her home state for voting and tax purposes, after relocating from that state to accompany the service member.

When the military orders service members to move, spouses who move with them often have to pay taxes in a new State or locality and lose the right to vote in the place considered to be home. This legislation will alleviate these and other burdens on our military families. This legislation is an important means of maintaining the morale and readiness of our Armed Forces and significantly enhances the ability of our military to effectively recruit and retain these highly valued service personnel.

It’s about time those who serve alongside us without a uniform are recognized.

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Harley-Davidson and the Military

By LL
Posted in Uncategorized

Harley-Davidson has a long history with the military. And the company continues to salute our military members!! I received the following email:

Hi Wendy,

My name is Laura Vecchio and I’m with Harley-Davidson. I’m reaching out to you because I wanted to make you aware of a few things Harley-Davidson is doing to honor the services of active and retired U.S. military personnel.

Ever since the first American troops rode Harley-Davidson motorcycles during the Mexican Expedition in 1916, the Motor Company has enjoyed a bond with the men and women who have served our nation. In honor of this history and the service provided today, we’ve declared November “Military Appreciation Month” and put together a number of different ways to show our appreciation.

- A special section of the Harley-Davidson web site – http://www.harley-davidson.com/thankyou – allows visitors to salute active and retired military members on electronic postcards featuring H-D motorcycles and fellow rider and U.S. military supporter Marisa Miller. The behind the scenes video from the recent photo shoot can be seen at: http://bit.ly/hdmmyt

- Participating H-D dealerships have free military-themed posters, postcards, and calendars featuring Marisa Miller (calendars available only to those with a military I.D.). While you’re there, don’t forget to sign the H-D flag that will be sent to troops overseas.

- The “Harley Salutes the Military Contest,” created in partnership with Maxim magazine, gives active or retired personnel the chance to win a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle of their choice – delivered personally by Marisa. The winner will also receive Rider’s Edge training and four tickets to attend the Jan. 2, 2010, Ultimate Fighting Championship event in Las Vegas. Visit http://www.maxim.com/salutes to enter and get exclusive downloads.

- Our YouTube channel has been revamped and now includes a bunch of historic videos of H-D & the military: http://youtube.com/harleydavidson. And, today, in honor of Veteran’s Day, we have a special tribute on the home page of YouTube: http://www.youtube.com. Hope you have a chance to check it out!

Those of you who want a hog, pay attention to the 3rd bullet point and enter yourself!! If you win, you SO have to take me to Vegas for the UFC event!! I’m gonna make you pinkie swear.

Check out the video with Marisa Miller. Killer costumes for the pictures.

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Sears Celebrates Military Heroes This Christmas With Programs That Give Back

By CJ
Posted in Uncategorized

With many active-duty military fathers and mothers not home while fighting for our country, Sears is again calling on America to step up and say “thanks” to the families of our troops this holiday season. As part of its long-standing commitment to the military, and their families, Sears is kicking off the second year of its Sears Heroes at Home Wish RegistryTM. Adding to that, the retailer is also introducing its new Jobs for Vets program, which will provide job mentoring and placement to returning military veterans and their families.

Last year, the Heroes at Home Wish Registry helped thousands of military families. For many, the wishes were simple and practical including everything from warm clothes to new toys for their children to a Christmas tree and other holiday decorations for their homes. In fact, many veteran families that were helped by last year’s efforts have shared their stories to encourage customers to donate to the program this year. One family shared:

“Heroes at Home last year made Christmas much nicer for my kids. I was able to buy them all some really nice gifts. We have never been able to spend money on new decorations due to finances, so we let the kids all choose new things and hung them when we got home. Having been a part of this program last year made our Christmas very nice. I hope that this program gives another family the joy that it brought us last year.”

This fall more than 20,000 active members of the military registered to participate in the Heroes at Home Wish Registry. Now through Dec. 31, customers can visit www.Sears.com/heroesathome and read stories, like the one above, as well as donate to the Heroes at Home Wish Registry. Upon making a donation, customers can include a note to the families and wish them happy holidays. Donations made to the Wish Registry are not tax deductible and will be used to purchase Sears gift cards that will be equally distributed to all registered families.

“The Heroes at Home Wish Registry is just one of Sears Holdings’ multiple programs designed to support the military and their families,” said Don Hamblen, Sears’ chief marketing officer. “The Wish Registry enables all Americans to recognize and celebrate the commitment our military makes on behalf of our country everyday. I can’t think of a better time than the holiday season to give back to those who have given so much.”

What’s more, this year Sears is expanding its military support by working with the non-profit organizations MyVetwork Foundation, Inc. and The American Legion, to create the new Jobs for Vets program. As a part of this initiative, the Heroes at Home program will also help provide job placement and mentorship assistance to military veterans.

MyVetwork is an online social networking community custom designed to be the most valuable and sustainable community of individuals in the U.S. military — whether active duty, retired or veteran — and their spouses, families and friends.

The American Legion is the nation’s largest veterans organization. It was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.

Job mentorship and placement are provided through MyVetwork and The American Legion at no cost to veterans and their families.

“This is our chance to both provide our brave and dedicated veterans with employment opportunities, and attract and hire more qualified veterans to our ranks,” said Hamblen.

Sears Holdings’ ongoing commitment to assisting troops and their families includes several recruiting and employment programs, as well as a military pay differential to Sears associates employed (full time) who are reservists serving on active duty. Reservists who are employed full time are allowed to continue participating in life insurance, medical and dental programs. For more information, visit www.sears.com.

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Vice President Biden Honors 7 Fallen Heroes at Ft. Lewis

November 10, 2009 By CJ
Posted in Uncategorized

Vice President Biden, himself the father of a Soldier, spoke today at a Fort Lewis memorial service honoring seven troops from the post that were killed in an IED explosion. Here is the text of that speech.

My name is Joe Biden. And on behalf of the President of the United States, I’m here to express my condolences to all those we honor today, and others who are here — Gold Star families, who I had the opportunity to meet; and to this base, which has suffered an extraordinary loss.

“Of courage undaunted, possessing a firmness and a perseverance of purpose which nothing but impossibilities could divert from its direction.”

Thus spoke Thomas Jefferson, describing Meriwether Lewis — the namesake of this fort. Lewis’s undaunted courage, his firmness and perseverance of purpose — it lives in every corner of this base, and I suspect in the character and heart of all of you who serve in this base. And now it will be eternally embodied by the service and sacrifice of Sergeant First Class Gonzalez, Sergeant Fernando Delarosa, Sergeant Dale Griffin, Sergeant Issac Jackson, Sergeant Patrick Williamson, and Specialist Jared Stanker, and Private First Class Christopher Walz.

Just before walking into this chapel, I had the honor to meet, as I said, some Gold Star families, in addition to the families represented here of those we honor today. And they’re all — they’re all incredible people. It amazes me, getting the chance to talk to each of them, their courage in being able to deal with what is the most tragic of losses. They all suffer from the loss of someone who meant the world to them: Captain John Hallett; Captain Cory Jenkins; Sergeant Andrew McConnell; Specialist Aaron Aamat; Specialist Kevin Graham; Specialist Joseph White.

Like every Blue Star family member, as my wife and I are, you realize that but for the grace of God we could be a member of that organization — Gold Star parents. In a sense, those of us who’ve had children, husbands and wives who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, I guess we all share a sense of relief and a sense of guilt that we’re here, having our loved ones back.

I’ve unfortunately had the occasion to be at more than one memorial service as both Vice President and as a grieving father and husband. As Vice President, I’m here to praise and honor your sons, your husbands, your fathers, your brothers, and let you know that the President and all the United States of America honors the sacrifice they’ve made and that you made.

But as a father and a husband, I’m here to share with you the pain and to grieve with you, for I know there is nothing that any of us can say, clearly nothing I can say, that is likely to heal you today — no solace I can offer to numb the grief consuming the wives and children and parents of those who are left behind — that void you feel in your chest, that deep black hole that feels like it’s sucking you in.

I wish I could. I wish I knew the words to say. But from my experience, no one could say them to me, and I doubt whether I can say them to you.

The poet William Cowper said — and I quote — “Grief is itself a medicine.” It’s a bitter medicine, but perhaps the only medicine for a time like this, the only method of the human heart to heal itself from wounds of such incredible depth.

Not today but someday, God willing, there will be some consolation you’ll find in the knowledge that your son, your husband, your brother, your father gave his life in the pursuit of the noblest of all earthly goals: defending his family, defending his country, defending and fighting for what he believed in. That pursuit defined each of the warriors we honor today; each of the fallen angels that we brought home. And it will define them, and has defined them, until the very end.

Although I had not had the occasion to meet these fallen heroes on my trips to Afghanistan, I know them. I know them because I’ve read about them, I’ve seen where they fight and fought and died, and I’ve had a chance to meet some of their family members. And I’m struck by the fact that, to a man, being a soldier wasn’t just something each of them did — it was who they were. They were heroes. They were warriors. They knew the risk, yet day after day they’d saddle up and go out into no man’s land and do the job.

I always marvel back to the days when I was with you, General Chiarelli, in Iraq — to watch true heroism as a man or a woman gets up every morning, goes out and does the same thing they did the day before, knowing the risk that they’re taking. I marvel at all of you. I marvel at, the 17 times I’ve been into those two theaters, how we trained — you have trained. It seems like it’s in the DNA of the women and men of this country to go out, day after day, and do that job.

William Shakespeare said, “Cowards die many times before their death. The valiant never taste death but once.” There is no greater valiance than to serve your country, to sacrifice your precious time here on Earth for the ideals that will, because of your heroism, eventually light the darkest corners of the globe. And I might add, for all of you who stayed behind, the famous quote, “Those also serve who stand and wait.” So many of you, so many of you have given so much, so much to this country, at a time when there are so few people making the sacrifice.

The country honors what has been done and what continues to be done, and honors your husbands and your wives and your daughters and your sons. But their life goes on after they honor. But you, every single day, continue. You understand the loneliness of being separated, the danger that your spouse or son or daughter is undertaking, and you go on every day, like every day is normal. You’re an amazing, an amazing group of people.

General Shalikashvili, you told me a long, long time ago about the spirit of these kids — they’re not kids, they’re grown men and women — but it’s amazing to me, it’s amazing how so few do so much for so many. It’s that valiance that animates our memories of the 833 men and women who have sacrificed their lives in Afghanistan, and of the 4,360 who we’ve lost in Iraq.

It’s that valiance that we remember here today at Fort Lewis. It’s that valiance that we honor today at Fort Hood. And it’s that valiance that we’ll celebrate tomorrow, our nation’s 91st Veterans Day.

Today, these seven men take their place on the rolls of the greatest American heroes. And the rest of us — all the rest of America — should once again be reminded and rededicate ourselves to a simple proposition: The only sacred responsibility we have as a nation — the only sacred responsibility we have as a nation — is to give all those we send all they need, and care for them and their families when they come home. That’s the only truly sacred obligation our government has.

Meriwether Lewis — soldier, explorer, a leader of men — when speaking of his historic expedition, said of those under his command, “With such men I have everything to hope, but little to fear.”

Well, I say to all Americans today: Knowing these seven men are watching over us now, and that our military is filled with thousands upon thousands of women and men like them — I think we can believe that, even as we struggle with tragedy, even as we grapple with the profound loss and devastating grief, we can look up at the heavens, think of those heroes, and know with certainty that we have everything to hope, but little to fear, thanks to them.

And I say again to the families that I’ve had the chance to meet and those that I will not have a chance to meet: I know these men were a great deal more than soldiers and warriors to you. They were the father who tucked you in at night; they’re the husband who knew your fears before you expressed them; they’re the brother who lifted you up; they’re the son that made you laugh, and made you proud.

They loved their classic cars, their snowboarding, their country music, rap, video games, motorcycles. They played spades, dominoes. They were decent, ordinary — but yet extraordinary — young men. They were so much more to their country as well: They are our warriors; they are our heroes. They are all of our sons; and they are all of our brothers.

And, as a nation, as hollow as it sounds to say, we grieve with you. We don’t have the sense of the profound grief you’re experiencing today, but we grieve with you. And we owe you — we owe you more than you can ever be repaid.

Let me close on a personal note, if I may, to the family members I met today. Although there’s no way to fathom this now — I promise you, from my own experience, that the day will come that the memory of your son, your brother, your husband will immediately bring a smile to your lips, and not a tear to your eye. That day will come, I promise you. But my prayer for all of you is it comes sooner than later.

May God bless you all, and may God protect our troops.

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Eyewitness Reports From Ft. Hood

By CJ
Posted in Military News

I wanted to share with you some eyewitness accounts of those personally affected by the Ft. Hood shootings. This first one is a unedited email I got from an Army Captain (I’ll protect his position and job as it would be too easy to identify him).

Since I don’t know when I’ll sleep (it’s 4 am now) I’ll write what happened (the abbreviated version…..the long one is already part of the investigation with more to come). I’ll not write about any part of the investigation that I’ve learned about since (as a witness I know more than I should since inevitably my JAG brothers and sisters are deeply involved in the investigation). Don’t assume that most of the current media accounts are very accurate. They’re not. They’ll improve with time. Only those of us who were there really know what went down. But as they collate our statements they’ll get it right.

I did my SRP last week (Soldier Readiness Processing) but you’re supposed to come back a week later to have them look at the smallpox vaccination site (it’s this big itchy growth on your shoulder). I am probably alive because I pulled a ———- and entered the wrong building first (the main SRP building). The Medical SRP building is off to the side. Realizing my mistake I left the main building and walked down the sidewalk to the medical SRP building. As I’m walking up to it the gunshots start. Slow and methodical, but continuous. Two ambulatory wounded came out; then two soldiers dragging a third who was covered in blood. Hearing the shots but not seeing the shooter, along with a couple other soldiers I stood in the street and yelled at everyone who came running that it was clear but to “RUN!”. I kept motioning people fast. About 6-10 minutes later (the shooting was continuous), two cops ran up, one male, one female. We pointed
in the direction of the shots. they headed that way (the medical SRP building was about 50 meters away). Then a lot more gunfire. A couple minutes later a balding man in ACU’s came around the building carrying a pistol and holding it tactically. He started shooting at us and we all dived back to the cars behind us. I don’t think he hit the couple other guys who were there. I did see the bullet holes later in the cars. First I went behind a tire and then looked under the body of the car. I’ve been trained how to respond to gunfire…but with my own weapon. To have no weapon, I don’t know how to explain what that felt like. I hadn’t run away but stayed because I had thought about the consequences or anything like that. I wasn’t thinking anything through. Please understand, there was no intention. I was just staying there because I didn’t think about running. It never occurred to me that he might shoot me. Until he started shooting in my direction and I realized I was unarmed. Then the female cop comes around the corner. He shoots her (according to the news account she got a round into him. I believe it, I just didn’t see it, he didn’t go down.) She goes down. He starts reloading. He’s fiddling with his mags. Weirdly he hasn’t dropped the one that was in his weapon. He’s holding the fresh one and the old one (you do that on the range when time is not of the essence but in combat you would just let the old mag go). I see the male cop around the left corner of the building. (I’m about 15-20 meters from the shooter.) I yell at the cop, “He’s reloading, he’s reloading. Shoot him! Shoot him!) You have to understand, everything was quiet at this point. The cop appears to hear me and comes around the corner and shoots the shooter. He goes down. The cop kicks his weapon further away. I sprint up to the downed female cop. Another captain (I think he was with me behind the cars) comes up as well. She’s bleeding profusely out of her thigh. We take our belts off and tourniquet her just like we’ve been trained (I hope we did it right…we didn’t have any CLS (combat lifesaver) bags with their awesome tourniquets on us, so we worked with what we had).

Meanwhile, in the most bizarre moment of the day, a photographer was standing over us taking pictures. I suppose I’ll be seeing those tomorrow. Then a soldier came up and identified himself as a medic. I then realized her weapon was lying there unsecured (and on “fire”). I stood over it and when I saw a cop yelled for him to come over and secure her weapon (I would have done so but I was worried someone would mistake me for a bad guy). I then went over to the shooter. He was unconscious. A Lt Colonel was there and had secured his primary weapon for the time being.

He also had a revolver. I couldn’t believe he was one of ours. I didn’t want to believe it. Then I saw his name and rank and realized this wasn’t just some specialist with mental issues. At this point there was a guy there from CID and I asked him if he knew he was the shooter and had him secured. He said he did. I then went over the slaughter house that was the medical SRP building. No human should ever have to see what that looked like. And I won’t tell you. Just believe me. Please. There was nothing to be done there.

Someone then said there was someone critically wounded around the corner. I ran around (while seeing this floor to ceiling window that someone had jumped through, movie style) and saw a large African-American soldier lying on his back with two or three soldiers attending. I ran up and identified two entrance wounds on the right side of his stomach, one exit wound on the left side and one head wound. He was not bleeding externally from the stomach wounds (though almost certainly internally) but was bleeding from the head wound.

A soldier was using a shirt to try and stop the head bleeding. He was conscious so I began talking to him to keep him so. He was 42, from North Carolina , he was named something Jr., his son was named something III and he had a daughter as well. His children lived with him. He was divorced. I told him the blubber on his stomach saved his life. He smiled. A young soldier in civvies showed up and identified himself as a combat medic. We debated whether to put him on the back of a pickup truck. A doctor (well, an audiologist) showed up and said you can’t move him, he has a head wound. We finally sat tight. I went back to the slaughterhouse. They weren’t letting anyone in there. Not even medics. Finally, after about 45 minutes had elapsed some cops showed up in tactical vests. Someone said the TBI building was unsecured. They headed into there. All of a sudden a couple more shots were fired. People shouted there was a second shooter. A half hour later the SWAT showed up. There was no second shooter. That had been an impetuous cop apparently. But that confused things for awhile. Meanwhile I went back to the shooter.

The female cop had been taken away. A medic was pumping plasma into the shooter. I’m not proud of this but I went up to her and said “this is the shooter, is there anyone else who needs attention…do them first”. She indicated everyone else living was attended to. I still hadn’t seen any EMTs or ambulances. I had so much blood on me that people kept asking me if I was ok. But that was all other people’s blood. Eventually (an hour and a half to two hours after the shootings) they started landing choppers. They took out the big African American guy and the shooter. I guess the ambulatory wounded were all at the SRP building. Everyone else in my area was dead.

I suppose the emergency responders were told there were multiple shooters. I heard that was the delay with the choppers (they were all civilian helicopters). They needed a secure LZ. But other than the initial cops who did everything right, I didn’t see a lot of them for a while. I did see many a soldier rush out to help their fellows/sisters. There was one female soldier, I don’t know her name or rank but I would recognize her anywhere who was everywhere helping people. A couple people, mainly civilians, were hysterical, but only a couple. One civilian freaked out when I tried to comfort her when she saw my uniform. I guess she had seen the shooter up close. A lot of soldiers were rushing out to help even when we thought there was another gunman out there. This Army is not broken no matter what the pundits say. Not the Army I saw. And then they kept me for a long time to come. Oh, and perhaps the most surreal thing, at 1500 (the end of the workday on Thursdays) when the bugle sounded we all came to attention and saluted the flag, in the middle of it all.

This is what I saw. It can’t have been real. But this is my small corner of what happened.

This second account comes from retired Soldier and Copperas Cove city councilman, Bill Herridge, W.M.

I was at Fort Hood yesterday afternoon and got caught up in the events surrounding the shooting. I was in the Howze Theater to play my bagpipes as a processional to bring in the soldiers who were receiving their college diplomas from area colleges and universities.

They have one big ceremony each November for all the soldiers who have completed their degree requirements. I play for them every year.
At about 1:30, I was sitting on the front row of the theater on the far left side. A side entrance to the theater was located directly to my left about three feet away. I heard three or four muffled popsˇ and thought it sounded a little odd. Suddenly, the door near me flew open and a man fell into the theater with a gunshot wound in his back. I started for the man to see what was wrong but two NCOs jumped up and grabbed the man and laid him on the edge of the stage. One of them shouted Are there any medical personnel in the building?ˇ Two of the graduates ran to the stage, threw off their caps and gowns and began treating the man as best they could. They announced that his wound was not life threatening. As the man was being loaded onto a stretcher, five or six heavily armed civilian security personnel entered the back of the auditorium with their rifles and pistols pointing upwards. One of them shouted that everyone should take a seat immediately, and believe me, that happened very quickly.

They asked that all senior NCOs in the building proceed to one of the eight entry doors in the building, and again, that was done immediately. One the security guys ascertained that the wounded man being removed from the stage would survive, they walked across the front of the stage and slowly opened a door on the opposite side of the auditorium˜one which opened out onto a parking lot that separated the Howze Theater from the Soldiers Dome where the rest of the shooting occurred. We could hear rapid gunfire coming across the parking lot. One of the security guys again shouted a request for any doctors and nurses in attendance, and about 15 people immediately moved to the door where the security guys were standing. I heard one of the security folks tell the assembled medical personnel that there were many wounded people in the adjacent building, and that they were needed to help out. The medical people were told to follow the security guys, keep low, and move quickly without stopping. There was no hesitation on their part, they just moved out to do their jobs.
There were three officers in the building, and to their credit they just got out of the way and let the NCOs handle the situation. I was extremely proud of the professionalism that everyone displayed. The only people complaining were the civilians who were there for the graduation ceremony, and soldiers continually moved among them to calm them down.

One interesting thing about all this˜about an hour after the shooting died down, the loud speakers all over the base started playing the old Cavalry bugle call called Recall.ˇ I have never heard that on an active duty base before, but apparently the soldiers knew what it meant, that they were to drop what they were doing and return to their units.
At about 7 p.m. they brought several cases of MREs (combat meals) and starting handing them out. I figured we would be there all night when that happened. However, about 30 minutes later, we were allowed to depart in small numbers. I had to pass through four check points before I reached FM116, and even after driving off the post, I had to negotiate two Texas DPS road blocks before being allowed to drive at highway speed to return home.

I hope you will all keep the families of the slain soldiers in your prayers. I know that the Good Lord was looking after me˜that shooter could just as easily have followed the wounded man into the theater, where he would have ˛enjoyed many more victims. Anyway, that is a brief eyewitness report of what happened at Fort Hood yesterday afternoon.

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