Founder's Notes

Dear Soldiers' Angels, We've been focusing so much on our heroes in Afghanistan recently, many of whom are facing very challenging conditions. The need continues, but the great news is that the efforts of Angels around the world are having an impact. This week we received lovely notes from our heroes in Afghanistan.  Allow me to share just one with you... Thanks from Afghanistan Smiles All Around "I want to thank you for the care package. I was so happy and smiling that I had to share and get everyone else smiling. And they also want to say thank you, and we all want to say that it's awesome what you are doing. I just want you to know that the love that you are spreading is extending widely and going to the heart of everyone. Thank You." – SSG Steven End-of-the-Month Buzz Lots on the Plate! From a last chance to vote online in three different contests, to big news for October, a new way to welcome home our heroes, and a chance for special "Lifetime Membership," there is more going on in Soldiers' Angels than can be told here! Please check the Soldier! s' Angels homepage and news items on the right side to see all the exciting ways you can support the troops! [more] Meet the Angel Leadership--Band of Volunteers Adele Connor, Audit Committee After growing up on Long Island in a family with nine relatives who ! served in one branch or another, Adele now lives in the Bronx. She has degrees in marketing and urban affairs and has been a fundraiser for nonprofits for 19 years. Currently she works at Sarah Lawrence College as the Director of Major Gifts. She also volunteers at the Yonkers Animal Shelter, for the NY Historical Society, and as a Eucharistic Minister at her church. Adele has been an Angel since December '04, when her mother bought a phone card at the post office and suggested Adele get involved in troop support. After a quick search online, she signed up with SA. She has served as a Letter Writing Team leader and joined the Angel Bakers and Special Ops Support teams. Adele travels to Walter Reed once a year with SA friends and, along with her Angel friends, hosts soldiers visiting NYC. Each year she joins Angels sending 800 holiday cards to go in stockings for the troops. Her motivation? "Without our soldiers, the Constitution would amount to little more than eloquent words on old paper," she writes. Please don't forget to vote for all the contests (see above, or soldiersangels.org).  And don't forget all our wonderful heroes in Afghanistan and Iraq who need to know that they are supported on the homefront.  We still have 550 heroes waiting for adoption—spread the news and bring a friend to Soldiers' Angels! Wingtip to Wingtip,  Patti Patton-Bader Soldiers' Angels Founder and CEO

 

Coffee & Tea

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Run Promotion for Troops

[2009-07-29] The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, a family-owned chain of specialty coffee and tea stores based in Southern California, announced that it will host its third annual "Support from Home" campaign in stores until September 8. The "Support from Home" campaign aims to connect team members and customers with veterans and active duty troops worldwide.

The program works in three ways: from July 1 to September 8, for each bag of "Support from Home Blend" sold, the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf will send a bag of the coffee blend to troops far away from home. Customers are invited to write a note on the bag of coffee the soldier will receive. Also, for each bag of donated coffee, the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf will give $1 to the Fisher House Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports injured veterans and their families. And finally, customers who purchase the "Support from Home Blend" will receive a "support from home" keychain. When customers show their keychain to a Coffee Bean team member, the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf will donate 10 percent of the customer's beverage purchase to the Fisher House.

"The 'Support from Home' initiative started out as a grass roots effort by a store manager in Arizona," says district manager Lynda Baker, who helped spearhead the campaign. "Coffee is not something that is readily available to troops overseas, so we wanted to do what we could to bring some comfort to them. Our customers embraced the promotion and the program grew exponentially, with some buying four or five pounds of coffee at a time."

Now an annual company-wide promotion, the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf hopes to surpass last year's donation of nearly 18,000 bags of coffee and close to $18,000 to The Fisher House Foundation.

"Soldiers' Angels and the Fisher House Foundation step in to provide support for our troops and their families who are often overlooked," says Tim Casey, vice president of marketing and operations for the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. "This promotion always drums up so much excitement from both our team members and customers each year and is 100 percent in synch with our corporate culture of giving back. With the addition of the support tags this year, we are hoping to donate even more."

The "Support from Home Blend" is a pre-ground blend of medium roast coffee with flavor notes of cherry and chocolate. It is available in a one-pound bag for $9.95. Letters of gratitude the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf receives from the troops are posted in stores for customers to read. Coffee donations are tax deductible and deliveries to overseas troops are facilitated through the organization Soldiers' Angels, which coordinates the delivery of donated goods to U.S. Armed Forces deployed around the world.

Gold Star Family part of Soldiers' Angels

The original article can be found here.

WINFIELD (CBS) ―

Ralph and Linda Grieco joined Soldiers' Angels and began writing letters to families of fallen soldiers, after the group reached out to them, when their son was killed in Afghanistan.

If you want to know how the war in Afghanistan is going, all you have to do is sit at the kitchen table of Ralph and Linda Grieco. That's because every time a soldier or marine dies, they write a letter.

CBS 2's Anne State reports that outside the Grieco family home in Winfield hangs an American flag. Next to it in the window is a smaller flag with a gold star, in honor of Staff Stg. Kevin Douglas Grieco. His mom, Linda Grieco, says Kevin was a beautiful man, with an upbeat, "can do" attitude, which he took with him to Afghanistan.

"Even when things were a little tough, the next day he'd say, 'New day mom,'" said Linda.

Kevin was one of 3,000 Illinois National Guard members sent to Afghanistan, in what the guard says was the largest overseas deployment since World War II.

Linda and her husband Ralph Grieco say their son was protecting local police chiefs, when he was killed by a suicide bomber on October 27, 2008. The date is engraved on their bracelets.

"We wear our bracelets and we wear our dog tags," said Ralph.

The Griecos say they got several condolence cards from people they didn't even know. They were volunteers from a group called "Soldiers' Angels." The Grieco's were so touched that they joined the group themselves and started writing letters, too.

"How can we not recognize the sacrifices of these families?" said Ralph Grieco.

Now the Grieco's get an e-mail every time a service member is killed with an address so they know where to send the condolence card. Linda has already written 10 cards this week. They say July has been a bad month for the troops in Afghanistan.

"This, believe it or not, is what America doesn't see. They don't know the impact," said Ralph.

Sometimes, writing the letters is hard.

"It does come to the forefront. When you write a lot, 'cause the pain is still very much there for us, so I know what that pain is," said Linda.

Ralph sometimes wonders if they're just re-living Kevin's death with every letter they write. But he says they have to. They don't want the deaths to go unnoticed.

Ralph is afraid that the average American doesn't know the sacrifices our troops are making in Afghanistan.

Kevin's unit came home to Illinois on June 1, 2009, without him.

But on that same day, Kevin's sister gave birth to a baby girl, Meadow. It was a bright spot on a day that was very tough for the family.

If you would like to volunteer to write letters, click here for more information.

Founder's Notes

                                                              To reply, click here.  To unsubscribe, scroll down.

Dear Soldiers' Angels, We've been focusing so much on our heroes in Afghanistan recently, many of whom are facing very challenging conditions. The need continues, but the great news is that the efforts of Angels around the world are having an impact. This week we received lovely notes from our heroes in Afghanistan.  Allow me to share just one with you... Thanks from Afghanistan Smiles All Around "I want to thank you for the care package. I was so happy and smiling that I had to share and get everyone else smiling. And they also want to say thank you, and we all want to say that it's awesome what you are doing. I just want you to know that the love that you are spreading is extending widely and going to the heart of everyone. Thank You." – SSG Steven End-of-the-Month Buzz Lots on the Plate! From a last chance to vote online in three different contests, to big news for October, a new way to welcome home our heroes, and a chance for special "Lifetime Membership," there is more going on in Soldiers' Angels than can be told here! Please check the Soldiers' Angels homepage and news items on the right side to see all the exciting ways you can support the troops! [more] Meet the Angel Leadership--Band of Volunteers Adele Connor, Audit Committee After growing up on Long Island in a family with nine relatives who served in one branch or another, Adele now lives in the Bronx. She has degrees in marketing and urban affairs and has been a fundraiser for nonprofits for 19 years. Currently she works at Sarah Lawrence College as the Director of Major Gifts. She also volunteers at the Yonkers Animal Shelter, for the NY Historical Society, and as a Eucharistic Minister at her church. Adele has been an Angel since December '04, when her mother bought a phone card at the post office and suggested Adele get involved in troop support. After a quick search online, she signed up with SA. She has served as a Letter Writing Team leader and joined the Angel Bakers and Special Ops Support teams. Adele travels to Walter Reed once a year with SA friends and, along with her Angel friends, hosts soldiers visiting NYC. Each year she joins Angels sending 800 holiday cards to go in stockings for the troops. Her motivation? "Without our soldiers, the Constitution would amount to little more than eloquent words on old paper," she writes. Please don't forget to vote for all the contests (see above, or soldiersangels.org).  And don't forget all our wonderful heroes in Afghanistan and Iraq who need to know that they are supported on the homefront.  We still have 550 heroes waiting for adoption—spread the news and bring a friend to Soldiers' Angels! Wingtip to Wingtip,  Patti Patton-Bader Soldiers' Angels Founder and CEO  *If your email blocks the links, you can go to soldiersangels.org and look for "News & Press."  Then click on "News Archives" for more information about these stories.

    
 

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Thank you!

If a soldier was a starfish.....

If a soldier was a starfish.....

This story is one of my favorite ones....

I awoke early, as I often did, just before sunrise, to walk by the ocean's edge and greet the new day.

As I moved through the morning dawn, I focused on a faint, far away motion.
I saw a youth, bending and reaching and flailing arms, dancing on the beach, no doubt in celebration of the perfect day soon to begin.

As I approached, I realized that the youth was not dancing to the bay, but rather bending to sift through the debris left by the night's tide, stopping now and then to pick up starfish and then standing, to heave it back into the sea.

I asked the youth the purpose of the effort. "The tide has washed the starfish onto the beach and they cannot return to the sea by themselves," the youth replied. "When the sun rises, they will die, unless I throw them back into the sea."

As the youth explained, I surveyed the vast expanse of beach, stretching in both directions beyond eyesight. Starfish littered the shore in numbers beyond calculation. The hopelessness of the youth's plan became clear to me and I countered, "But there are more starfish on this beach than you can ever save before the sun is up. Surely you cannot expect to make a difference."

The youth paused briefly to consider my words, bent to pick up a starfish and threw it as far as possible. Turning to me he simply said,


"I made a difference to that ONE."


It is time... adopt a hero now. It is simple. www.SoldiersAngels.org (click on adopt a soldier) and you are on your way in making a difference to THAT ONE!

 

vote vote vote

OK all--- our Soldier- Captain Michael V is in serious need of votes- he is in a tight RACE for  a Lexus for a year--- with a TV celebrity (I know --- TV? get your own car!)
 
VOTE now to help him win a Lexus (for a year) when he is deployed so he has a reliable car for his family. HELP THIS SOLDIER WIN A CAR!!!! www.drivehs.com/vote/102180

  
 
FROM A PRIOR POST:
HELP A SOLDIER WIN A CAR!!!!!!
 
 
A note from SPC B- "CPT V just moved back to Fort Rucker to attend the Captains Career Course.  Hhe was the most unbelievable platoon leader that I've had.  I may be young in the Army, but this guy was the bomb.  Before he left, he did everything to help out the new soldiers; give them rides, help them find homes, have them over for dinner, etc.  He even gave one of them his hooptie. (Old car)
 
 
Our platoon is trying to help him out.  Before he left, we convinced him to sign up for a contest where he could win a Lexus for a year.  In order to win, we just need to accumulate votes for him.  The contest only goes until July 31st, so we are trying to rally as many service members and supporters we can in order to help him win. 
 
 
I hope you all are able to help and able to pass this on to as many supporters as possible. 
 
 
To vote for him, go to www.drivehs.com/vote/102180

Holiday for Heroes

 
We have 97 days to collect items for our soldiers holiday packages and ship overseas to our soldiers.
We have a lot to do to get ready to meet our holiday goals. Get the word out that you are collecting holiday items for Soldiers' Angels holiday care packages.
 
Contact your local Walmart, grocery store, schools, churches, workplace, service group, ask to put out a donation collection box.
Monetary donations are always accepted as we need postage money to ship our holiday packages. Facebook has a paypal option or click donate on our site or mail a check to us
 
We are sending every deployed service member in a combat zone a care package with holiday greetings, including goodies and a beautiful homemade blanket.
 
How Can You Help?
Challenge your school, PTA group, teachers, parents, senior citizen centers, businesses, church,
college, radio & TV stations, and newspapers. Get the word out tell everyone you know you are
collecting hot cocoa packets to provide comfort and warmth for our military. Every item collected is that much closer to filling a care package with holiday cheer.
We need 180,000 of everything:
Hot Cocoa Packets
Hot Cider Packets
Men's White Socks (sizes 9-15)
Candy Bars (any size)
Hard Candy
Candy Canes
Power Bars
Nuts
Christmas Cards- signed but not sealed
Handmade Blanket of Belief - directions on our website here
 
Please send your donation with your contact information with estimated value to:
Soldiers' Angels
914 Tourmaline Drive
Newbury Park, CA 91320
Soldiers' Angels is a volunteer-led 501 (c)(3) non-profit supporting the troops since 2003
Help us meet our holiday goal of 180,000 by November 1, 2009
Soldiers' Angels

Victoria Kriner- An Angel on the Move

County biker wins make over y STEVE SNYDER
Staff Writer
Lebanon Daily News

Updated: 07/26/2009 10:36:24 PM EDT

A Myerstown woman and her motorcycle hit the jackpot during the Carlisle Bike Fest earlier this month. Victoria Kriner, who has lived in Myerstown about two years, was selected for Garage-Girls' Ultimate Biker Makeover, which gave both her riding wardrobe and her 1998 Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 upgrades.

 

According to the Carlisle Sentinel, Garage-Girls (Web site http://www.garage-girls.com) has been involved with larger charity bike give-aways in the past and wanted a chance to give the same opportunity to one rider. About 25 nominations were received and Kriner received the most votes from almost 200,000 online ballots cast.

 

A glance at her resume makes it easy to understand why she won.

 

Kriner works at the Renova Center, where she works with severely mentally and physically challenged Lebanon countians.

"These kids are my kids," she said. "We do all of their care for them."

 

In her spare time, she volunteers with the Patriot Guard Riders, who attend soldiers' funerals and troop departures; America's 9/11 Foundation, which raises money to fund 15 $2,000 scholarships each year for the children of first responders; and Soldiers' Angels, which supports deployed and wounded U.S. troops as well as veterans.

 

Kriner received a Kevlar coat, ICON helmet, leather gloves, leather boots and riding glasses. Among the features added to Kriner's Sportster were upgraded horsepower, mirrors, a better seat, speakers, forward controls, handlebars and wrist rests. She also received cleaning materials, a magazine subscription and a gift certificate.
 
"We ride in the sun and the rain," Kriner said of her travels with the Patriot Guard. "It's not for us; it's for them. We form flag lines sending off the troops. Generals come down and shake our hands."

 

Kriner has traveled as far as Walter Reed Hospital in Washington with the Patriot Guard.

 

Her participation with Soldiers' Angels involves sending service members one or two  letters a week and a package at least once a month.

 

"I have five I send to," Kriner said. "I pray for God to make me strong enough to answer them."
 
Please read the full story here: http://www.ldnews.com/news/ci_12919873.
 
 
CONGRATULATIONS VICTORIA!! WE ARE PROUD OF YOU!


 

Michael Yon Dispatch: An Artery of Opium

Greetings,

Am in Sangin, Afghanistan, with British forces.  Morale is high.  Yesterday the soldiers killed 4 Taliban while I was doing a radio interview.  The noise was distracting as the fight was just nearby.  (I was on base while the fight was close by but off base.)  Looks like snipers got two, and IDF (mortars and 105mm) got the other two Taliban.

This morning, enemy fired an RPG at one of our helicopters as it lifted off.  Luckily they missed; another was shot down just some hundreds of meters from here earlier in the month.

Please click for latest.

Your support is crucial to continue this reporting from Afghanistan. 

--
Very Respectfully,

Michael Yon





Please remember that this website accepts no advertisement and is dependent on your support.   




Please send any regular mail for Michael to:

Michael Yon
P.O. Box 5553
Winter Haven, Fl 33880

Michael's newsletters are an opt-in only newsletter. If you are receiving a copy of this newsletter it is because you have opted-in. If you are no longer interested in receiving Michael's updates please see below.

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Michael Yon's Dispatches is an Opt-in only Newsletter. If you are receiving this newsletter then you Opted in.



Our mailing address is:

Michael Yon, LLC

P.O. Box 5553

Winter Haven, Fl 33880

Add us to your address book

Copyright (C) 2009 Michael Yon, LLC All rights reserved.

 

 

Soldiers' Angels Lady of Liberty Lauren McKeehan and Angela Jolie

 
 
 

MICHAEL YON: SatComms in Afghanistan

Greetings,

Am in Sangin, Helmand Province with British forces.  British officers say this place has more IEDs than anywhere in Afghanistan.  It's truly littered with bombs.  Nearly all missions are done on foot and we did a good mission yesterday: killed two Taliban (Predator actually took the shot) and managed to avoid getting blown up in the process. 

A short dispatch is up.

--
Very Respectfully,

Michael Yon






Please remember that this website accepts no advertisement and is dependent on your support.   




Please send any regular mail for Michael to:

Michael Yon
P.O. Box 5553
Winter Haven, Fl 33880

---

Michael's newsletters are an opt-in only newsletter. If you are receiving a copy of this newsletter it is because you have opted-in. If you are no longer interested in receiving Michael's updates please see below.

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Government Support Jobs - connecting employers and jobseekers

Job Seekers, right now is the time to post your profile. Each year, over 1 million people either take a new job with a company that supports the Federal Government or change jobs within the industry. How does it work? 1) Create an account. 2) Create job connections based on your education, experience, skills, certifications and clearances. 3) Browse jobs and apply on the website. ------------------------------------------------------ Here are a few of the jobs you'll find on Government Support Jobs: Oracle Analyst - $71,000 - $91,000 Software Engineer - $91,000 - $110,000 Program Analyst - $71,000 - $91,000 Project Manager - $71,000 - $91,000 Imagery Specialist - $110,000 - $150,000 Sr. Policy Analyst - $110,000 - $150,000 Maintenance Foreman - $51,000 - $70,000 Entry Level Software Engineer - $51,000 - $70,000 Electronics Technical Maintenance III - $51,000 - $70,000 Sr. Unix Administrator - $110,000 - $150,000 Sr. Budget Analyst - $91,000 - $110,000 Business Analyst - $51,000 - $70,000 Broadcase Engineer - $71,000 - $91,000 BROWSE JOBS     Employers, looking for qualified candidates to staff your open positions? Government Support Jobs has thousands of qualified job seekers ready to hear from you! How does it work? 1) Create an account. 2) Post jobs and search our job seeker database for FREE! Pay ONLY when you're ready to contact that job seeker. -------------------------------------------------- Here are some of the candidates you'll find on Government Support Jobs: JS7537 - Deputy Director, Information Assurance Manger/Project Officer - Active Top Secret Clearance JS7348 - Budget Analyst - Active Secret Clearance JS7333 - Geospatial Metadata Analyst, Digital Network Intelligence Analyst - Active Top Secret with CI Poly Clearance JS7328 - Safety Manager - Secret Clearance JS7312 - Senior Security Specialist, Staff Officer, Directorate of Security - Active DoE - Q JS7303 - Information Management Specialist - Active Top Secret SCI JS7302 - Commander - Active Top Secret JS4993 - Supply NCOIC, S4 NCOIC - Active Secret JS7286 - Special Ops Team Chief/Network Infrastructure Tech, Aircrew Egress Systems Craftsman JS7281 - Division Administrative Assistant - Active Top Secret with Life Style Poly BROWSE JOB SEEKERS   This is an advertisement. Help put America back to work! Please forward this email to your friends. Click here to unsubscribe

July 23: CNN article on how precious letter are to troops!

July 23, 2009 -CNN reports on "Letters precious to U.S. troops in Afghan outposts." At Soldiers' Angels we know this and have been expressing this since 2003. Not just for Afghanistan, but for all of our deployed and wounded heroes.
 
Please take the time to adopt a hero today by going to www.SoldiersAngels.org. At the top of your screen, you will see the button ADOPT-A-SOLDIER. It is a simple process that will take a minute or two of your time. Once you hit send, expect your life to change. Supporting a hero has so many rewards. It allows us all to take a stand with our heroes for Freedom.
 
 
Take a moment to read this article by CNN.
 

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As more U.S. troops head to Afghanistan, more families back home long to hear from their loved ones in uniform

 

But the nature of the battle in Afghanistan makes that much harder now than it has been for troops serving in Iraq. Instead of near instant contact through e-mail, texts or even video conference calls, families back home often have to rely on something that once was rare: hand-written letters.

 

"Can you imagine we're going back to paper and pen. It's so weird to write an actual letter but that's what we have to do," Gia Ellis told CNN Pentagon Correspondent Chris Lawrence during a visit to Camp Lejeune Marine Base in North Carolina last week.

The problem is two-fold: tactics and infrastructure, according to Marine spokesman Capt. Bill Pelletier, who is currently serving in Southern Afghanistan.

 

The new commander of NATO troops in Afghanistan is sending units out into remote villages to defend the locals from Taliban attacks. Rarely do those villages have modern communications systems. Some units have a satellite phones but the demand on the phones makes it hard for troops to use them to call home.

 

 

"Personally I was spoiled last year," said Ellis, whose husband Jason served last year in Iraq and is currently in Afghanistan. "We could talk and see each other on webcam and e-mail almost every day. And this year with the initial push into Afghanistan it's completely different."

 

Some wives become news junkies, combing through news reports from the field hoping to learn more about their husbands or at least his unit.

 

"Because we're not getting the e-mails, it means a lot just to even try to find a picture, get a glimpse of them," said Melissa Pullen, the wife of a deployed Marine.

 

For older soldiers, previous deployments put the convenience of modern communication in perspective. Capt. David Luber remembers waiting to talk to his wife during a nine-month tour during Operation Desert Storm. With limited phone access and no e-mail, Luber recalls the angst he felt during his deployment.

 

"It was worse than I imagine prison in some respects. Men in prison know that they deserve to lose their freedom. They have telephones, television and green grass outside that they can be with for a time each day," Luber said.

 

Unable to reveal when or where his trips would end, Luber would go weeks without hearing his wife's voice. To make matters worse, Marines only received mail once their ship arrived at port. Sleepless nights and the torment of reckless seas were forgotten when he'd receive a bundle of letters, one for each consecutive day his wife, Belinda, wrote.

 

One by one Luber would put the letters in chronological order and read each one until he read the last.

 

"There are things that we say on paper that we are not so quick to speak, if at all," he says. "There's the handwriting and the perfume that you can't get through the phone or e-mail, so the letters were precious."

 

For younger troops and their families, the technological comforts of Iraq can make the new mission in Afghanistan difficult to adapt to.

 

"Our Marines have been told from day one that Afghanistan is not Iraq," Pelletier wrote in an e-mail to CNN. Troops are provided first and foremost with the "must haves" to help complete the mission, he wrote. This includes water, food, ammunition and an age old treasure for military personnel, mail.

 

There's already help on the way for those who prefer 21st century communications. Pelletier says an Internet café has been established at Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan's Helmand Province, the remote area along Afghanistan's southern border with Pakistan where the Marines are involved in a long-term offensive.

 

Pelletier said that the Marine Corps plan to extend Internet service as the mission evolves. Until then, Ellis and Pullen will have to rely on hand-written letters to communicate with their husbands. And that might not be all bad.

Luber is now a deputy program manager at the Office of Naval Research. It's been 18 years since his Desert Storm deployment, but the comfort and fragrance of his wife's letters linger.

 

"I still have them all and she has all mine," he said

 

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/07/23/love.letters.us.troops/index.html

MilSpouse Supports SA

 Army Wife and advocate for military families Andi Hurley has designed a beautiful shell-pendant necklace in honor of what she calls, "the thousands of Angels worldwide who give so much of themselves to our troops and their families."

 
The Soldiers' Angels necklace is now available on her new online store, Military Matters, which caters to military spouses, moms, girlfriends and female service members, offering fashionable military-themed jewelry, planners and novelty items. Three dollars from each Soldiers' Angels necklace sold on Military Matters between July 14 and August 31 will go directly to Soldiers' Angels.  Andi will also be donating $2 to SA from any other Military Matters purchases made during that time.
 
Andi has been a supporter of America's military families for years, and was a major figure in the miliblog community within which Soldiers' Angels first found its wings. Today she runs SpouseBUZZ, a great site full of camaraderie, humor and good advice for and by military spouses.
 
Military Matters developed out of a need Andi discovered about three years ago when she was looking for a unique, military-themed gift for a friend's daughter and noticed that everything she came across was red, white and blue. She's as patriotic as any American out there, but she believed military families didn't have to be limited to those colors--they could show pride in their association with the military in brown, green, turquoise, purple and yes, even pink! After discussing the concept with other military spouses, and with the input of her many friends, Military Matters was born this summer.  To celebrate the debut of its new product line, Military Matters is offering a Grand Opening special: from July 9 - August 31, 2009, customers receive 20% off of their order by entering MMGO in the promo code field at check-out.

 
Soldiers' Angels salutes Andi for all she does for military families, and for her great style and generous heart!


 

Will you adopt a hero? We need you- this LTC expresses how much it means....

Dear Soldiers' Angels

On behalf of myself and the other members of the 438 Air Expeditionary Advisory Group, let me extend my heartfelt thanks for the package you sent. It is nice to know there are folks back home, besides our families, that support us. Your willingness to give of your time and money to provide us a little touch of home is greatly appreciated by all.

I have to say that the contents were much appreciated, if you judge by the speed at which word spread and contents disappeared! The sand scarves were, of course, the first to disappear, although the instant oatmeal, granola bars, and drink mixes were not far behind. As of this time, some hour after I opened them in our common area, there are only a handful of each cereal and some boxes of sunscreen left.

It is hard to describe the excitement, however shortlived, that comes when the mail is distributed and group care packages arrive. The word spreads, near childish joyful sounds come from folks that are usually quite mature. Thanks again for putting a smile on many faces today.


//Signed 23 Jul 2009//

Bryan K. Hasty, Lt Col, USAF
ANAAC Communications Advisor



_________________________________________



The war has been particularly fierce in Afghanistan recently and as they take the fight to the enemy, living conditions for America's fighting men and women are a lot like they were at the beginning of the Iraq war. Life is very, very hard--many sleep in tents or even on the ground with no showers, eating MREs or the occasional goat, no PX for supplies, etc. The needs are basic: baby wipes, portable snacks, sand/cool scarves, hygiene items, hiking socks to line their combat boots, and more. There is also a higher ratio of females deployed to Afghanistan than Iraq, with their own unique supply concerns.

It's so important right now to ensure these men and women know they are loved and supported. Please spread the word and help in any way you can--by joining the Ladies of Liberty team, donating items for care packages, adopting a hero, or helping cover postage for the 5,000 packages Soldiers' Angels is sending to these heroes each week. Please help make sure our beloved warriors know we've got their backs as they face this challenge.


WWW.SOLDIERSANGELS.ORG 



 

Founder's Notes

 

Dear Soldiers' Angels, Our hearts are with our deployed heroes in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it has once again been a tough week for our warriors and their allies.  Here at home we're working on big and small ways to show them our love and support. YOU Are Needed in Afghanistan! Hard Fighting & Tough Living The heaviest fighting right now is in Afghanistan, with conditions like the very beginning in Iraq—tents or even sleeping on the ground, monthly mail, no showers, no PX for basic needs, etc.  There is also a higher ratio of females.  Please help by joining the Ladies of Liberty team, donating items, adopting a hero, or helping with postage for the 5,000 packages sent out each week.  Help make sure our heroes know they're in our hearts as they face these trying conditions!  They need us! [more]   Fingertip Support 3 Ways to Help Heroes! We're in the final push for the Communicause contest to win a "Social Media Makeover" for SA.  We also have a great young patriot who is competing for $5,000 to help her support military families, and it's the final days for a deployed hero and wonderful leader to win a new car.  All it takes is a few key strokes to make a BIG difference.  Click to find out how! [more] Meet the Angel Leadership--Band of Volunteers Elaine Hodges, CTL, Menlo Park VA Elaine lives in San Jose, CA and has three adult children with her husband of 28 years.  She started supporting the troops after 9-11 through Operation AC, but when she heard about Soldiers' Angels on a talk show, it "grabbed" her heart and she began adopting heroes.  In 2007, deeply mourning her eldest brother's death, Elaine heard about VA Team CTLs; she jumped into the role and found healing.  When you are grieving, she says, "Reach out and help others who hurt and grieve.  Giving of yourself in love, comp the Menlo Park Team focuses on the Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) unit, holding bi-monthly activities for patients: a movie night with refreshments, and a home-cooked dinner with bingo or gift exchange.  Each visit, the grateful veterans in the unit welcome them with happy shouts of, "There's our Angels!"  Elaine speaks for her team when she says, "It's a lot of work, but it is truly a labor of love because we are dealing with those most precious men and women who have seen the worst of war." If you're very busy, the Angel Store (www.angelsstore.org) is a great way to support the troops.  There you'll find pre-made care packages and other gifts that deployed troops appreciate, and all funds raised go right back into Soldiers' Angels projects!  This week, in honor of Blankets of Belief, premade blanket kits are 50% off (use discount code ANGELS50). Please join us as we support our deployed heroes.  As I said above, they need us so much right now.  Please visit soldiersangels.org, spread the word, and see how you can help! Wingtip to Wingtip,  Patti Patton-Bader Soldiers' Angels Founder and CEO

     
 

Founder's Notes

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Dear Soldiers' Angels, Our hearts are with our deployed heroes in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it has once again been a tough week for our warriors and their allies.  Here at home we're working on big and small ways to show them our love and support. YOU Are Needed in Afghanistan! Hard Fighting & Tough Living The heaviest fighting right now is in Afghanistan, with conditions like the very beginning in Iraq—tents or even sleeping on the ground, monthly mail, no showers, no PX for basic needs, etc.  There is also a higher ratio of females.  Please help by joining the Ladies of Liberty team, donating items, adopting a hero, or helping with postage for the 5,000 packages sent out each week.  Help make sure our heroes know they're in our hearts as they face these trying conditions!  They need us! [more]   Fingertip Support 3 Ways to Help Heroes! We're in the final push for the Communicause contest to win a "Social Media Makeover" for SA.  We also have a great young patriot who is competing for $5,000 to help her support military families, and it's the final days for a deployed hero and wonderful leader to win a new car.  All it takes is a few key strokes to make a BIG difference.  Click to find out how! [more] Meet the Angel Leadership--Band of Volunteers Elaine Hodges, CTL, Menlo Park VA Elaine lives in San Jose, CA and has three adult children with her husband of 28 years.  She started supporting the troops after 9-11 through Operation AC, but when she heard about Soldiers' Angels on a talk show, it "grabbed" her heart and she began adopting heroes.  In 2007, deeply mourning her eldest brother's death, Elaine heard about VA Team CTLs; she jumped into the role and found healing.  When you are grieving, she says, "Reach out and help others who hurt and grieve.  Giving of yourself in love, compassion and active participation is one of the real joys in life."  Now she's such an ambassador for veterans that her church is deeply involved, too! Under Elaine's guidance, the Menlo Park Team focuses on the Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) unit, holding bi-monthly activities for patients: a movie night with refreshments, and a home-cooked dinner with bingo or gift exchange.  Each visit, the grateful veterans in the unit welcome them with happy shouts of, "There's our Angels!"  Elaine speaks for her team when she says, "It's a lot of work, but it is truly a labor of love because we are dealing with those most precious men and women who have seen the worst of war." If you're very busy, the Angel Store (www.angelsstore.org) is a great way to support the troops.  There you'll find pre-made care packages and other gifts that deployed troops appreciate, and all funds raised go right back into Soldiers' Angels projects!  This week, in honor of Blankets of Belief, premade blanket kits are 50% off (use discount code ANGELS50). Please join us as we support our deployed heroes.  As I said above, they need us so much right now.  Please visit soldiersangels.org, spread the word, and see how you can help! Wingtip to Wingtip,  Patti Patton-Bader Soldiers' Angels Founder and CEO  *If your email blocks the links, you can go to soldiersangels.org and look for "News & Press."  Then click on "News Archives" for more information about these stories.

    
 
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Wounded Heroes helped by Soldiers' Angels

Times-Herald
Injured soldier at Walter Reed; helped by Soldiers' Angels

By Sarah Fay Campbell

The Times-Herald

The California soldier injured in the firefight with two Newnan-based National Guard soldiers in Afghanistan is now at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Corporal Jonathan Morita was transferred to the United States on the same plane with SFC Mark Allen and Specialist/Medic Charles Benson, members of the 48th Brigade Bravo company unit stationed at Newnan's Jackson-Pless Armory.

Morita, who previously served in Iraq, has a serious injury to his right hand from a rocket-propelled grenade, said a source close to the unit who had spoken to Morita.

Allen remains in critical but stable condition at Bethesda Naval Hospital. Benson had a surgery recently and is expected to be transferred to the Augusta V.A. hospital soon.

During their journey from Afghanistan to Landstuhl, Germany, to the United States, the men were helped along the way by Soldiers' Angels.

When soldiers arrive at combat support hospitals, they receive Soldiers' Angels backpacks, said Patti Patton-Bader, founder of the organization. The backpacks have toiletries, fresh clothing, an international phone card, and a "blanket of hope" handmade by a Soldiers' Angels volunteer.

"We're trying right away to reach out to that hero to let them know they are cared for and loved, and to help with that healing," Patton-Bader said. "It helps not only that hero, but the doctors, nurses, medics and their families."

The motto of the organization is "May No Soldier Go Unloved."

At Landstuhl, where all soldiers go before they fly to the United States, Soldiers' Angel Mary Ann Phillips helps out as a liaison between soldiers and their families, and helps distribute backpacks and care packages. There are also angels at Bethesda and Walter Reed, and at smaller military hospitals all over the U.S., "so the family can know they are carried with angels the whole time," Patton-Bader said.

The angels also help the families. "Some people find out their hero is wounded, and they jump in the car and jump on the plane, and they don't even take extra underwear," Bader said. "We try to be sure that they have what they need."

The organization also sends care packages and letters to soldiers and has an "adopt a soldier" program.

Operation Top Knot assists pregnant mothers whose husbands are serving overseas. "Every day, for a while, here come gifts. Homemade blankets, baby sets, all kinds of things," Bader said. "We just throw a little nationwide baby shower. We do that for between 10 and 20 expectant moms each month."

The organization also works with soldiers when they get home. "Everybody who comes home is going to have a little PTS," that is, post-traumatic stress, said Bader. "They don't have a disorder, they're just going through a situation. By being proactive with them, it really helps when they get back home."

Soldiers' Angels is always looking for volunteers and donations. "With the economic downtown, I have had to cut some of the services at the hospitals," Bader said.

The organization sends out about 5,000 packages per week, Bader said. Postage alone is tremendously expensive.

When it comes to volunteer opportunities, "go to the Web site and see what you like," Bader said. "There is letter writing, adopting a soldier, making blankets, sending cards to the wounded, there is pretty much everything.

"If there is something you like to do, there is a team you can fit in with," Bader said.

Right now, "we really need people adopting a Soldier," she said. That means a commitment to write once or twice a week and to send a couple of care packages a month.

You can find out more about the organization, and all of its many programs, by visiting www.soldiersangels.org .

MEDIA TWELEASE: Tweeps merge Twalent for #MilitaryMon tune

Rick Elliot (@madbaldscotsman) and Shelle Michaels (@publicrelations ) are merging Twalent in the artist development of the first ever #MilitaryMon song while enlisting the help of other Tweeps-

 

 

JULY 19, 2009- According to the world famous website Milblogging.com, #MilitaryMon (Military Monday) was the brainchild of Greta Perry (@kissmygumbo).  She came up with the idea as a way to show organized support for the military on Twitter. Perry teamed up with celebrities like Carson Daly (@carsondaly) to help organize the Military Monday trend.  JP from milblogging.com (@milblogging) continues to state that the purpose of using a universal hashtag like #MilitaryMon is so everyone can remember it and when searching for conversations on Military Monday they can bring up all the results.  So instead of having to type in milmonday or militarymonday or milmon separately, they can just type in #MilitaryMon to see what everyone is discussing.   Or in this case, what they are singing.  Enter into the twittersphere Rick Elliot(@madbaldscotsman) who is a social networker with many interests. He loves to interact with everyone… all walks of life, all over the world. He is a loving father and husband. In the military arena he has 25+ years invested and is a WO1 in charge of a transportation unit maintenance section in the Los Angels area and will promote to CW2 in December of 2009. He writes and records music and has an album out under the name of Rick Elliott on Napster, iTunes, etc.   Shelle Michaels ( @publicrelations ), a long time military advocate with organizations Soldiers' Angels and Vet Tix and scholared social networker utilitzing the system to advance public relations campaigns, was scrolling through #militarymon hashtag threads and came upon @madbaldscotsman and reviewed his blog. One of his enteries was a lengthy discussion about MANIC MONDAY. @publicrelations, a music fanatic herself then contacted @madbaldscotsman to discuss using his energy towards creating a song in support of #MilitaryMon.   This is where we are enlisting the help of all #MilitaryMon supporting Tweeps; we need your poems, phrases, tweets or notes of what inspires you to #MilitaryMon tweet. @madbaldscotsman will compose a ballad that has been inspired by one and all to continue in our mission of support for those that serve and those that have served. Please send your released material along with your permission to utilize it in this composition to ShelleMichaels@msn.com or madbaldscotsman@yahoo.com. Our deadline is July 31, 2009 for all submissions, as we want to unveil this song by October 26th, 2009 which is also known across America as Day of the Deployed.

Brand New Soldiers' Angels Watches

"May No Soldier Go Unloved" Be the First to get These brand new Beautiful Soldiers' Angels Watches! Available for both men and women. Show support for the servicemen and women by wearing one of these nice Soldiers' Angels watches. Great gift for the man or woman in your life! Each is individually boxed in black alligator board box. Angels, Receive 10% discount by entering discount code: angels10 Soldiers' Angels is a volunteer based, nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting our brave men and women in uniform who are valiantly serving our nation in support of the War on Terror in Iraq, Afghanistan and wherever we proudly raise the flag of the United States of America. We are proud to support our heroes in every way possible. Soldiers' Angels Blue Dial Men's Watch Diver style, Japan movement, water resistant, metal case and band, blue watch dial. Soldiers' Angels White Dial Men's Watch Diver style, Japan movement, water resistant, metal case and band, white/blue/black watch dial New! Soldiers' Angels Ladies Watch Ladies' Sport Metal Silver Band Blue face with gold Soldiers' Angels logo Water resistant Soldiers' Angels Antique Gold Pocket Watch Antique Gold Clip On Watch with gold Soldiers' Angels logo Green nylon strap, metal case Water Resistant

Brand New Soldiers' Angels Watches

"May No Soldier Go Unloved" Be the First to get These brand new Beautiful Soldiers' Angels Watches! Available for both men and women. Show support for the servicemen and women by wearing one of these nice Soldiers' Angels watches. Great gift for the man or woman in your life! Each is individually boxed in black alligator board box. Angels, Receive 10% discount by entering discount code: angels10 Soldiers' Angels is a volunteer based, nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting our brave men and women in uniform who are valiantly serving our nation in support of the War on Terror in Iraq, Afghanistan and wherever we proudly raise the flag of the United States of America. We are proud to support our heroes in every way possible. Soldiers' Angels Blue Dial Men's Watch Diver style, Japan movement, water resistant, metal case and band, blue watch dial. Soldiers' Angels White Dial Men's Watch Diver style, Japan movement, water resistant, metal case and band, white/blue/black watch dial New! Soldiers' Angels Ladies Watch Ladies' Sport Metal Silver Band Blue face with gold Soldiers' Angels logo Water resistant Soldiers' Angels Antique Gold Pocket Watch Antique Gold Clip On Watch with gold Soldiers' Angels logo Green nylon strap, metal case Water Resistant This email was generate by CauseKeepers, Inc. on behalf of Soldiers' Angels Toll Free: 1-877-735-2974 Email: sales@causekeepers.com Copyright CauseKeepers, Inc. 2009 All Rights Reserved

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Blankets of Belief 50% off!!

For a limited time only!! Now through August 1st get the Blanket of Belief kit for 50% off!!   Send your hero a warm and fuzzy for the winter season coming up. These are one of our favorite items! Our soldiers keep their blankets for life, this is a great keepsake that really touches their hearts!     This kit includes everything you'll need to make your blanket personal and heartfelt:    colored fabric markers, beads, baubles, and a Soldiers' Angels pin to attach your own note to the soldier.  The blanket has been sewn together, all that is left to do is decorate it as you see fit, complete the note to the soldier and send it to the address provided.   Click here to purchase now!   Don't forget to use your discount code angels50!!