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Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Flag Still Stands For Freedom Campaign Update
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Rachel's Girls' School Project (UNCLASSIFIED)
My girls now have their own website! Thank you Soldiers' Angels and Spirit of America!
http://www.spiritofamerica.net/cgi-bin/soa/project.pl?rm=view_project&request_id=191
I am going outside to do cartwheels! :0) Send to your friends, they can donate through the web site too!
Xoxo
Rachel
P.S. Rest assured: NO, I am still NOT going out to deliver the donations.
Monday, October 19, 2009
one week from now....
In one week-- TWO major projects start--- are you on board to fly with us wingtip to wingtip?
It is ONE WEEK UNTIL DAY OF THE DEPLOYED--please print a copy of the proclamation and send it to a deployed service member (in 2009) and honor them and their family.
http://soldiersangels.org/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=416&cntnt01origid=15&cntnt01returnid=15
Also, Project Valour-IT kicks off on October 26 and runs until Noveber 11.
http://soldiersangels.org/index.php?page=project-valour-it
Please join us wingtip-to-wingtip in these initiatives to support our heroes.
Follow us on twitter--
www.twitter.com/soldiersangels
www.twitter.com/valourit
Have a great #MilitaryMon,
Soldiers Angels team
Shelle Michaels
"May No Soldier Go Unloved"
Soldiers' Angels National Communication Officer
ShelleMichaels@SoldiersAngels.org
www.SoldiersAngels.org
Ladies of Liberty Team Director
LadiesofLiberty@SoldiersAngels.org
www.SoldiersAngelsLadiesOfLiberty.com
ACT NOW. GIVE MORE. SHOW SUPPORT.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT: Angel receives “gold tipped wings” in leadership expansion within Soldiers’ Angels
Angel receives "gold tipped wings" in leadership expansion within Soldiers' Angels
Soldiers' Angels Ladies of Liberty is a progressive fast-paced support team that focuses on the needs of deployed female servicemembers. The team understands that females are instrumental in the Global War on Terrorism and makes special efforts to support these women in their missions while showcasing appreciation for their service to America. Team Ladies of Liberty assists with supplies for female troops' unique health and hygiene needs, and help them experience a few pampering moments to rejuvenate and "be good to themselves."
This program originated in a University of North Dakota Women's Studies class taught by Shelle Michaels in the 2006 summer session. The students originally adopted 24 females from the North Dakota Army National Guard (1-188th ADA JLENS and SECFOR). This project was advanced to the national level within Soldiers' Angels in May 2008 and now hosts ten mini-teams with thousands of volunteers supporting thousands of deployed and wounded female servicemembers.
Patti Patton-Bader, founder of Soldiers' Angels says, "One of the best ways to gauge the success of an organization is when leaders can turn projects over to volunteers that have grown along with the team, being an integral part of the success and advancement of the team they have participated on." With that said, Shelle Michaels, Ladies of Liberty team director announces the passing of the Angel leadership to Diane Fairben, the first Angel to volunteer to work with ladies of Liberty.
Fairben, joined Soldiers' Angels in 2005 as a way to "pay it forward" after the death of her son Keith Fairben, an EMT who died on September 11, 2001 when the World Trade Centers fell to terrorists. Diane says, "So many people joined the military after 9/11, and I feel a closeness with them all, I just wanted to do more to support them."
Currently living in Floral Park, NY, she was born and raised on Long Island and has been married to Ken for 36 years. Fairben also serves as an EMT with the local volunteer fire department since 2003. Within Soldiers' Angels, she is also on the Living Legends and Letter Writing teams.
Shelle Michaels, also the national communication officer says "the timing is perfect for Diane to step into leadership. She has given the team guidance and has proven her capability and readiness to step into this role within the organization." This tradeoff of the halo allows Michaels more time to focus on the national communication outreach for Soldiers' Angels but notes she "will stay in a mentoring capacity to Fairben for as long as support is needed."
Soldiers' Angels is a volunteer-led nonprofit with 200,000 volunteers with over 30 different teams supporting all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. Through special projects, dedicated teams and individuals supporting our troops, Soldiers' Angels make a visible difference in the lives of our service members and their families. If you would like more information about Soldiers' Angels please view the details available at www.SoldiersAngels.org. To contact Diane Fairben please email LadiesofLiberty@SoldiersAngels.org and Shelle Michaels is ShelleMichaels@SoldiersAngels.org.
Facebook = $$
Are you on Facebook? You can help Soldiers' Angels win up to $50,000 in America's Giving Challenge!
All you have to do is donate as little as $1 a day—the goal is to get the highest number of unique donations, not necessarily the highest total.
National Communication Officer Shelle Michaels explains:
To win, between now and November 7th we have to get the most donations to our cause (every person can donate once per day and have it count as a unique donation). We can also win daily awards of $1,000 and $500 if we can get the most people to donate in any 24-hour period. The great thing about this Challenge is that it doesn't matter how much you give, but instead how much you do to encourage friends and family to get involved in our cause. We all need to come together and start promoting the cause if we want to win.Each of us has tons of friends on Facebook and we can ask to donate to our cause. But let's think big too—can you put our cause in your email signature, can you throw a party and get people to donate through the cause when they enter, can you organize other people to go out and fundraise from all of their friends? As you reach out to your friends be sure to tell them why this cause matters to you. The possibilities are endless so let's talk about what we can do to win on the Wall of the cause or by replying to this bulletin.
http://soldiersangels.org/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=427&cntnt01origid=15&cntnt01returnid=15
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Non-profit Harnesses Virtual World for Real Troop Support
Soldiers' Angels Brings Its New Media Story to BlogWorld Expo
LAS VEGAS, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Internet-based military support
nonprofit Soldiers' Angels will be exhibiting at BlogWorld & New Media Expo
2009 in the Las Vegas Convention Center this weekend to draw attention to its
vast online network of volunteers and the importance of ensuring "No Soldier
Go Unloved."
Begun as one mom's mission to support her son's unit in 2003, Soldiers' Angels
has used blogging, social media and other interactive online formats to power
its exponential growth. Today its nearly 200,000 international volunteers
offer hands-on assistance to military personnel, veterans and their families
through over 30 different teams and projects.
Winner of the 2009 CommuniCause New Media Makeover contest, Soldiers' Angels
has repeatedly demonstrated a unique ability to engage people in "real world"
troop support through "virtual" connections. Such is the case with its
Project Valour-IT, which in 4 years has provided nearly 4,000 voice-controlled
laptops and other adaptive technology to support the recovery and reconnection
of wounded veterans. The annual Valour-IT Veterans Day Fundraiser draws
bloggers from across the Internet as they compete in teams to inspire the
highest total of donations for the project.
Representing Soldiers' Angels at BlogWorld will be army veteran and Operations
Director Toby Nunn, National Communication Director Shelle Michaels, and
Assistant to the President Beth Schietzelt.
BlogWorld attendees are invited to the Soldiers' Angels booth (#118) on the
left side of the exhibit hall, past the Milblog Lounge and BlogWorld Radio.
The first 300 visitors each day will receive a thank you gift for stopping by
to learn more about the impact of Soldiers' Angels on both military and
civilian lives.
Soldiers' Angels is a volunteer-based 501(c)(3) providing aid and comfort to
the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and
Coast Guard, as well as veterans and military families. For more information,
see www.soldiersangels.org or call 626-676-0239. Tax ID# 20-0583415. CFC#
25131
Shelle Michaels
"May No Soldier Go Unloved"
Soldiers' Angels National Communication Officer
ShelleMichaels@SoldiersAngels.org
www.SoldiersAngels.org
Ladies of Liberty Team Director
LadiesofLiberty@SoldiersAngels.org
www.SoldiersAngelsLadiesOfLiberty.com
ACT NOW. GIVE MORE. SHOW SUPPORT.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Happy Birthday US Navy with love from Soldiers' Angels
http://www.history.navy.mil/birthday.htm
On Friday, October 13, 1775, meeting in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress voted to fit out two sailing vessels, armed with ten carriage guns, as well as swivel guns, and manned by crews of eighty, and to send them out on a cruise of three months to intercept transports carrying munitions and stores to the British army in America. This was the original legislation out of which the Continental Navy grew and as such constitutes the birth certificate of the navy.
To understand the momentous significance of the decision to send two armed vessels to sea under the authority of the Continental Congress, we need to review the strategic situation in which it was made and to consider the political struggle that lay behind it.
Americans first took up arms in the spring of 1775, not to sever their relationship with the king, but to defend their rights within the British Empire. By the autumn of 1775, the British North American colonies from Maine to Georgia were in open rebellion. Royal governments had been thrust out of many colonial capitals and revolutionary governments put in their places. The Continental Congress had assumed some of the responsibilities of a central government for the colonies, created a Continental Army, issued paper money for the support of the troops, and formed a committee to negotiate with foreign countries. Continental forces captured Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain and launched an invasion of Canada.
In October 1775 the British held superiority at sea, from which they threatened to stop up the colonies' trade and to wreak destruction on seaside settlements. In response, a few of the states had commissioned small fleets of their own for defense of local waters. Congress had not yet authorized privateering. Some in Congress worried about pushing the armed struggle too far, hoping that reconciliation with the mother country was still possible.
Yet, a small coterie of men in Congress had been advocating a Continental Navy from the outset of armed hostilities. Foremost among these men was John Adams, of Massachusetts. For months, he and a few others had been agitating in Congress for the establishment of an American fleet. They argued that a fleet would defend the seacoast towns, protect vital trade, retaliate against British raiders, and make it possible to seek out among neutral nations of the world the arms and stores that would make resistance possible.
Still, the establishment of a navy seemed too bold a move for some of the timid men in Congress. Some southerners agreed that a fleet would protect and secure the trade of New England but denied that it would that of the southern colonies. Most of the delegates did not consider the break with England as final and feared that a navy implied sovereignty and independence. Others thought a navy a hasty and foolish challenge to the mightiest fleet the world had seen. The most the pro-navy men could do was to get Congress to urge each colony to fit out armed vessels for the protection of their coasts and harbors.
Then, on 3 October, Rhode Island's delegates laid before Congress a bold resolution for the building and equipping of an American fleet, as soon as possible. When the motion came to the floor for debate, Samuel Chase, of Maryland, attacked it, saying it was "the maddest Idea in the World to think of building an American Fleet." Even pro-navy members found the proposal too vague. It lacked specifics and no one could tell how much it would cost.
If Congress was yet unwilling to embrace the idea of establishing a navy as a permanent measure, it could be tempted by short-term opportunities. Fortuitously, on 5 October, Congress received intelligence of two English brigs, unarmed and without convoy, laden with munitions, leaving England bound for Quebec. Congress immediately appointed a committee to consider how to take advantage of this opportunity. Its members were all New Englanders and all ardent supporters of a navy. They recommended first that the governments of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut be asked to dispatch armed vessels to lay in wait to intercept the munitions ships; next they outlined a plan for the equipping by Congress of two armed vessels to cruise to the eastward to intercept any ships bearing supplies to the British army. Congress let this plan lie on the table until 13 October, when another fortuitous event occurred in favor of the naval movement. A letter from General Washington was read in Congress in which he reported that he had taken under his command, at Continental expense, three schooners to cruise off Massachusetts to intercept enemy supply ships. The commander in chief had preempted members of Congress reluctant to take the first step of fitting out warships under Continental authority. Since they already had armed vessels cruising in their name, it was not such a big step to approve two more. The committee's proposal, now appearing eminently reasonable to the reluctant members, was adopted.
The Continental Navy grew into an important force. Within a few days, Congress established a Naval Committee charged with equipping a fleet. This committee directed the purchasing, outfitting, manning, and operations of the first ships of the new navy, drafted subsequent naval legislation, and prepared rules and regulations to govern the Continental Navy's conduct and internal administration.
Over the course of the War of Independence, the Continental Navy sent to sea more than fifty armed vessels of various types. The navy's squadrons and cruisers seized enemy supplies and carried correspondence and diplomats to Europe, returning with needed munitions. They took nearly 200 British vessels as prizes, some off the British Isles themselves, contributing to the demoralization of the enemy and forcing the British to divert warships to protect convoys and trade routes. In addition, the navy provoked diplomatic crises that helped bring France into the war against Great Britain. The Continental Navy began the proud tradition carried on today by our United States Navy, and whose birthday we celebrate each year in October.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
#MilitaryMon Moment of Silence October 12, 2009
When you were born, an angel smiled,
As you became a child, an angel sat on your shoulder.
When you became a teen, an angel held your hand.
As you went to war, an angel walked down the road with you,
And, when you died, another angel got their wings.
Please take time to reflect upon the names and the lives of these heroes. RIP-- it is time to rest heroes.
Sgt. Aaron M. Smith, 25, of Manhattan, Kan. died Oct. 2 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
Pfc. Brandon A. Owens, 21, of Memphis, Tenn. died Oct. 2 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, He was assigned to the 118th Military Police Company, 503rd Military Police Battalion, 16th Military Police Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C
Sgt. Thomas D. Rabjohn, 39, of Litchfield Park, Ariz., died Oct. 3 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated during an attempt to disarm it. He was assigned to the 363rd Explosive Ordnance Detachment, Coolidge, Ariz.
Spc. Paul E. Andersen, 49, of Dowagiac, Mich., died Oct. 1 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his camp using indirect fire. He was assigned to the 855th Quartermaster Company, South Bend, Ind.
Maj. Tad T. Hervas, 48, of Coon Rapids, Minn., died Oct. 6 at Contingency Operating Base Basra, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 34th Infantry Regiment, Rosemont, Minn.
Staff Sgt. Vernon W. Martin, 25 of Savannah, Ga. died Oct. 3 in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked contingency outpost with small arms, rocket-propelled grenade and indirect fires. Assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Sgt. Justin T. Gallegos, 27, of Tucson, Ariz. died Oct. 3 in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked contingency outpost with small arms, rocket-propelled grenade and indirect fires. Assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Sgt. Joshua M. Hardt, 24, of Applegate, Calif. died Oct. 3 in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked contingency outpost with small arms, rocket-propelled grenade and indirect fires. Assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Sgt. Joshua J. Kirk, 30, of South Portland, Maine. died Oct. 3 in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked contingency outpost with small arms, rocket-propelled grenade and indirect fires. Assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Sgt. Michael P. Scusa, 22, of Villas, N.J. died Oct. 3 in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked contingency outpost with small arms, rocket-propelled grenade and indirect fires. Assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Spc. Christopher T. Griffin, 24, of Kincheloe, Mich. died Oct. 3 in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked contingency outpost with small arms, rocket-propelled grenade and indirect fires. Assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Spc. Stephan L. Mace, 21, of Lovettsville, Va. died Oct. 3 in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked contingency outpost with small arms, rocket-propelled grenade and indirect fires. Assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Pfc. Kevin C. Thomson, 22, of Reno, Nev. died Oct. 3 in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked contingency outpost with small arms, rocket-propelled grenade and indirect fires. Assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Spc. Kevin O. Hill, 23, of Brooklyn, N.Y., died Oct. 4 at Contingency Outpost Dehanna, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms and indirect fires. He was assigned to the 576th Mobility Augmentation Company, Fort Carson, Colo.
Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth W. Westbrook, 41, of Shiprock, N.M., died Oct. 7 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., of wounds suffered Sept. 8 when insurgents attacked his unit in the Ganjigal Valley, Afghanistan, using small arms and indirect fire. He was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
#MILITARYMON MOMENT OF SILENCE TWEETABLE MEMORIAL:
RIP #MOS #militarymon Sgt. Aaron M. Smith, 25, of Manhattan, Kan. died Oct. 2 in Wardak province
RIP #MOS #militarymon Pfc. Brandon A. Owens, 21, of Memphis, Tenn. died Oct. 2 in Wardak province
RIP #MOS #militarymon Sgt. Thomas D. Rabjohn, 39, of Litchfield Park, Ariz., died Oct. 3 in Wardak province
RIP #MOS #militarymon Spc. Paul E. Andersen, 49, of Dowagiac, Mich., died Oct. 1 in Baghdad
RIP #MOS #militarymon Maj. Tad T. Hervas, 48, of Coon Rapids, Minn., died Oct. 6 at COB Basra, Iraq
RIP #MOS #militarymon Staff Sgt. Vernon W. Martin, 25 of Savannah, Ga. died Oct. 3 in Kamdesh
RIP #MOS #militarymon Sgt. Justin T. Gallegos, 27, of Tucson, Ariz. died Oct. 3 in Kamdesh
RIP #MOS #militarymon Sgt. Joshua M. Hardt, 24, of Applegate, Calif. died Oct. 3 in Kamdesh
RIP #MOS #militarymon Sgt. Joshua J. Kirk, 30, of South Portland, Maine. died Oct. 3 in Kamdesh
RIP #MOS #militarymon Sgt. Michael P. Scusa, 22, of Villas, N.J. died Oct. 3 in Kamdesh
RIP #MOS #militarymon Spc. Christopher T. Griffin, 24, of Kincheloe, Mich. died Oct. 3 in Kamdesh
RIP #MOS #militarymon Spc. Stephan L. Mace, 21, of Lovettsville, Va. died Oct. 3 in Kamdesh
RIP #MOS #militarymon Pfc. Kevin C. Thomson, 22, of Reno, Nev. died Oct. 3 in Kamdesh
RIP #MOS #militarymon Spc. Kevin O. Hill, 23, of Brooklyn, N.Y., died Oct. 4 at COP Dehanna
RIP #MOS #militarymon Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth W. Westbrook, 41, of Shiprock, N.M., died Oct. 7 at Walter Reed
PLEASE VOTE for Roy Foster (veteran) for 2009 CNN Hero of the Year.
Following a faint trail through a dense patch of woods in Florida's Palm Beach County, Roy Foster is a man on a mission.
Roy is the ONLY military veteran or service member in the running for CNN Hero of the Year. Lets help him make this happen!!!
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/19/heroes.roy.foster/index.html
Shelle Michaels
"May No Soldier Go Unloved"
Soldiers' Angels National Communication Officer
ShelleMichaels@SoldiersAngels.org
www.SoldiersAngels.org
Ladies of Liberty Team Director
LadiesofLiberty@SoldiersAngels.org
www.SoldiersAngelsLadiesOfLiberty.com
ACT NOW. GIVE MORE. SHOW SUPPORT.
Roy is the ONLY military veteran or service member in the running for CNN Hero of the Year. Lets help him make this happen!!!
- Roy Foster's program helps veterans facing addiction and homelessness
- Foster, an Army vet, struggled with alcoholism and drug abuse
- Since 2000, about 900 vets have found life-changing help at Foster's facility
- Vote now for the CNN Hero of the Year at CNN.com/Heroes
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/19/heroes.roy.foster/index.html
Shelle Michaels
"May No Soldier Go Unloved"
Soldiers' Angels National Communication Officer
ShelleMichaels@SoldiersAngels.org
www.SoldiersAngels.org
Ladies of Liberty Team Director
LadiesofLiberty@SoldiersAngels.org
www.SoldiersAngelsLadiesOfLiberty.com
ACT NOW. GIVE MORE. SHOW SUPPORT.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Soldiers' Angels (OFFICIAL) is in America's Giving Challenge—Let's win $50,000!
Soldiers' Angels (OFFICIAL) is in America's Giving Challenge—Let's win $50,000!
Soldiers' Angels (OFFICIAL) Bulletin
Posted by Shelle Michaels
Hi everyone,Our cause just entered in America's Giving Challenge, which gives us a chance to win $50,000!
Please donate today: http://www.causes.com/donations/select_donation_method?m=eed19519&cause_id=20611
To win, between now and November 7th we have to get the most donations to our cause (every person can donate once per day and have it count as a unique donation). We can also win daily awards of $1,000 and $500 if we can get the most people to donate in any 24-hour period. The great thing about this Challenge is that it doesn't matter how much you give, but instead how much you do to encourage friends and family to get involved in our cause. We all need to come together and start promoting the cause if we want to win.
Each of us has tons of friends on Facebook who we can ask to donate to our cause. But let's think big too—can you put our cause in your email signature, can you throw a party and get people to donate through the cause when they enter, can you organize other people to go out and fundraise from all of their friends? As you reach out to your friends be sure to tell them why this cause matters to you. The possibilities are endless so let's talk about what we can do to win on the Wall of the cause or by replying to this bulletin.
I think we can do it! But it's going to take all of us. Check out the Giving Challenge (www.causes.com?m=eed19519), then visit our cause to see how we're doing so far and get involved.
Donate right now by going to http://www.causes.com/donations/select_donation_method?m=eed19519&cause_id=20611
Let's win $50,000 for our cause!
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Founder's Notes
| | Dear Soldiers' Angels, Once again this week, our hearts have been focused on our deployed heroes even more strongly than usual. Whether it ends up on the front page or not, our fighting men and women are sacrificing in big and small ways every day they are deployed. And whether they are recently-returned, or veterans of a long-ago war, those who have served need to know they are remembered and supported. And sometimes that support can be so very, very simple… Day of the Deployed How Will You Celebrate?  Later this month is a special day in which we focus on what our deployed heroes do for us and how it affects them and their families. Shelle has wonderful ideas for putting those thoughts into action—no-cost ways to listen to their stories, support their spouses, celebrate their gifts to the country, and ensure they know we remember them past and present. Let's celebrate these fantastic people! [more]* Vet Packs For Veterans Who Need an Extra Hand  This is so easy--a great way to let struggling veterans of any era know that we're here for them. Help us fill these terrific packs for homeless veterans! Next time you go past the trial-size section at the store, grab a 99-cent shampoo and send it to SA; when you buy your toothbrush, pick up one for a hero. It's so easy, and from the reports we get from the VA outreach programs, we know it has a powerful impact on hurting veterans. [more]*Vet Packs For Veterans Who Need an Extra Hand  TA registered nurse and teacher, Donna is married to a 25-year Army veteran, with two adult daughters and three grandbabies. Pets are important to her, including a Chihuahua who keeps the three cats in line." She and her husband live in near Huntsville, AL, but spend lots of time away from home, traveling to NASCAR events and Alabama football games, and spending long weekends "fishing and floating down the lake and enjoying our quiet time with each other."Donna was inspired to join SA four years ago, after watching a news report on the life of soldiers. She never looked back. "After joining the LWT, I was hooked." In addition to LWT Team Leader, she now serves as Mentor Team Co-leader, is on the Spec Ops team, and helps maintain the SA database. "I have several soldiers that write me weekly," she happily reports, and she has developed long-term relationships with some of her adoptees. Perhaps it has something to do with her ability to "turn an everyday event into a fun story for my soldiers." It certainly sounds like Donna specializes in the personal touch, and that is exactly what we need this week. Knowing someone cares can sometimes make all the difference when a hero is faced with a tough situation. It's been a hard week for our guys and gals and those who love them. Let's reach out and make sure they know we're here Wingtip to Wingtip, Patti Patton-Bader Soldiers' Angels Founder & CEO Facebook - Soldiers' Angels (official) Twitter - @soldiersangels Monthly Newsletter - http://soldiersangels.org/index.php?page=newsletters *If your email blocks the links, you can go to soldiersangels.org and look for "News & Press" in the sidebar, then click on "Founder's Notes." |
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
October Soldiers' Angels Newsletter
Soldiers' Angels October Newsletter is up--- http://soldiersangelsforum.com/newsletters/1009.pdf
Shelle Michaels
"May No Soldier Go Unloved"
Soldiers' Angels National Communication Officer
ShelleMichaels@SoldiersAngels.org
www.SoldiersAngels.org
Ladies of Liberty Team Director
LadiesofLiberty@SoldiersAngels.org
www.SoldiersAngelsLadiesOfLiberty.com
ACT NOW. GIVE MORE. SHOW SUPPORT.
Monday, October 05, 2009
Bad Weekend From Michael Yon
Greetings,
This weekend we lost eight more soldiers in a firefight. I learned about it while they were still fighting, but did not report the attack until just before the media broke the story the next day. Still unreported, to my knowledge, sources tell me that FOB Keating was destroyed and that troops were under siege for up to 24 hours before Air Force Pararescue got them out. (Subject to confirmation.)
The fighting will only intensify. We can beat these guys, but not under current conditions. We need more troops and more gear now. The enemy has massive home field advantages and we have not offset those advantages.
Please click for a video of the last two firefights that I got into with British forces.
Your Writer,
Michael
PS Please sign up for my Twitter.com updates at "Michael_Yon" (not 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.
This weekend we lost eight more soldiers in a firefight. I learned about it while they were still fighting, but did not report the attack until just before the media broke the story the next day. Still unreported, to my knowledge, sources tell me that FOB Keating was destroyed and that troops were under siege for up to 24 hours before Air Force Pararescue got them out. (Subject to confirmation.)
The fighting will only intensify. We can beat these guys, but not under current conditions. We need more troops and more gear now. The enemy has massive home field advantages and we have not offset those advantages.
Please click for a video of the last two firefights that I got into with British forces.
Your Writer,
Michael
PS Please sign up for my Twitter.com updates at "Michael_Yon" (not 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.
Saturday, October 03, 2009
As President Obama approaches a decision point on Afghanistan strategy and whether to increase troop levels, a 24-minute rough cut of the first act of Obama's War.
As President Obama approaches a decision point on Afghanistan strategy and whether to increase troop levels, a 24-minute rough cut of the first act of Obama's War.
Warning: This video contains graphic language and violent imagery: www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/obamaswar/
Tens of thousands of fresh American troops are now on the move in Afghanistan, led by a new commander and armed with a counterinsurgency plan that builds on the lessons of Iraq. But can U.S. forces succeed in a land long known as the "graveyard of empires"? And can the U.S. stop the Taliban in neighboring Pakistan, where U.S. troops are not allowed and the government is weak?
In FRONTLINE's season premiere, Obama's War, airing Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009, at 9 P.M. ET on PBS (check local listings), veteran correspondent Martin Smith (Beyond Baghdad, Return of the Taliban) travels across Afghanistan and Pakistan to see firsthand how the president's new strategy is taking shape, delivering vivid, on-the-ground reporting from this war's many fronts. Through interviews with top generals, diplomats and government officials, Smith also reports the internal debates over President Obama's grand attempt to combat terrorism at its roots.
"What we found on the ground was a huge exercise in nation building," says Smith. "The concept's become a bit of a dirty word, but that's what this is. We started with the goal of eliminating Al Qaeda, and now we've wound up with the immense task of re-engineering two nations."
The brunt of the work is falling on rank-and-file soldiers, and nowhere is it more difficult than in the dusty, unforgiving landscape of Helmand province, the Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan, where FRONTLINE embedded with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment. Since the Marines' arrival in July, Helmand has become the most lethal battlefield in Afghanistan. But FRONTLINE found the Marines trying to act as armed diplomats, attempting to build the necessary trust for badly needed economic development.
"It's trying to change the culture of the organization," Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan, tells FRONTLINE of the administration's plan. "At the end of the day, our best counterinsurgents are going to be young sergeants who just have an ability to deal with people. We've got to give them the flexibility to make decisions."
Even as American soldiers struggle to make progress in Afghanistan village by village, equally vexing challenges remain across the border in Pakistan. "In Afghanistan we know what to do; we just don't know if we have the resources or the time available to do it," David Kilcullen, a leading counterinsurgency expert, tells FRONTLINE. "The problem in Pakistan is we're not really sure what to do."
When FRONTLINE confronts the Pakistani army about its reluctance to take out key Taliban leaders, the military's chief spokesman, Gen. Athar Abbas, argues that the accusations are misplaced. There is no truth, he claims, that insurgents stage attacks on American forces from the Pakistani side of the border. "They operate from Afghanistan. If somebody claims that everything is happening from this side of the border, I am sorry, this is misplaced, and we refute it."
Barred from sending troops across the border, the United States is left with few good options. No quick fix will solve Pakistan. "If we have a strategy in Pakistan," says George Packer, a staff writer at The New Yorker, "it's to build up the civilian government to the point where it can be a kind of counterbalance to the military and begin to reorient their own sense of their destiny. Is that even thinkable for a foreign power to do? Even as I say it, I think, why do we think we could even begin to accomplish that?"
Obama's War is a FRONTLINE co-production with RAIN Media, Inc., written and produced by Marcela Gaviria and Martin Smith. The correspondent is Martin Smith. FRONTLINE is produced by WGBH Boston and is broadcast nationwide on PBS. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers. Major funding for FRONTLINE is provided by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Park Foundation. FRONTLINE is closed-captioned for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers and described for people who are blind or visually impaired by the Media Access Group at WGBH. FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of the WGBH Educational Foundation. The executive producer of FRONTLINE is David Fanning.
Friday, October 02, 2009
Information on Emergency Payments for Veterans Awaiting VA Educational Benefits
Information on Emergency Payments for Veterans Awaiting VA Educational Benefits
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki has authorized advance payments up to $3,000 for Veterans who applied for VA educational benefits and who have not yet received their monthly education payments.
If you are a Veteran who has applied for one of VA's education programs and have not yet received your monthly benefit payment for the Fall 2009 term, you can request advance payment through this website, www.advancepay.gibill.va.gov.
Advance payments will be issued by the U. S. Treasury within 3 workdays (Monday through Friday) following submission of this request. Payments will be in the form of a check sent through the U.S. mail. You should therefore anticipate an additional 3 days (excluding Sundays) for the U.S. Postal Service to deliver your check.
Visit one of VA's 57 regional offices across the country to immediately receive an advance payment. You will need to bring a government-issued photo ID and your course schedule when you visit the regional office. A list of VA's regional offices is available at www.vba.va.gov/VBA/benefits/offices.asp.
Starting on October 2, regional offices will be open from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm on weekdays for advance payments. Regional offices will also be open on Saturday, October 3, from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon.
The advance payments will be reconciled with future education payments owed to our veterans.
October ThankYouForYourService LIVE and October Talk Shows
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Yard Sales for Troops Unite Nation
Yard Sales for Troops Unite Nation
Yard Sales for Troops Unite Nation
Soldiers' Angels Volunteers Raise Money for Support Projects
PASADENA, Calif., Oct. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Across the country this weekend, Americans are uniting in support of the troops through the First Annual Soldiers' Angels Sale-abration. In metropolitan areas, small towns and on military bases, from Alaska to Florida and Southern California to Vermont, patriots are raising money for troop support activities through community-based yard sales. Angel volunteers organizing each Sale will be donating a percentage of their profits to Soldiers' Angels, helping to support deployed or wounded soldiers.
The grassroots Sales are sponsored by military support nonprofit Soldiers' Angels, whose motto is "May No Soldier Go Unloved." An award-winning organization with nearly 200,000 hands-on volunteers around the world, Soldiers' Angels assists active duty, wounded, veterans, military families through over 30 separate teams and projects.
Angels participating in Sale-abration are working on two missions: raising money for the Soldiers' Angels Holidays for Heroes and Project Valour-IT, and introducing their neighbors to the variety of hands-on ways they can demonstrate their support for America's military men and women. At each Sale, customers will find blankets and 300 holiday cards on which to write greetings for the troops, and Soldiers' Angels bracelets will go to the first 25 customers at each site.
Sale-abration coordinator Greta Perry has been amazed by the response Soldiers' Angels has received to this first-time event. "We figured 10 would be a good goal for the first year. To have 80 is just fantastic. Our volunteers really want to bring attention to Soldiers' Angels in their community, to draw others into actively supporting the troops. So many people are looking for ways to support our heroes, and this is a great opportunity to learn how by connecting with people who are already doing it."
For more information, including a list of Sale-abration locations, see www.soldiersangels.org.
Established in 2003, Soldiers' Angels is a nationwide volunteer-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, as well as veterans and military families. For more information, see www.soldiersangels.org or call 615-676-0239 615-676-0239. Tax ID# 20-0583415, CFC#25131.
SOURCE Soldiers' Angels
Yard Sales for Troops Unite Nation
Soldiers' Angels Volunteers Raise Money for Support Projects
PASADENA, Calif., Oct. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Across the country this weekend, Americans are uniting in support of the troops through the First Annual Soldiers' Angels Sale-abration. In metropolitan areas, small towns and on military bases, from Alaska to Florida and Southern California to Vermont, patriots are raising money for troop support activities through community-based yard sales. Angel volunteers organizing each Sale will be donating a percentage of their profits to Soldiers' Angels, helping to support deployed or wounded soldiers.
The grassroots Sales are sponsored by military support nonprofit Soldiers' Angels, whose motto is "May No Soldier Go Unloved." An award-winning organization with nearly 200,000 hands-on volunteers around the world, Soldiers' Angels assists active duty, wounded, veterans, military families through over 30 separate teams and projects.
Angels participating in Sale-abration are working on two missions: raising money for the Soldiers' Angels Holidays for Heroes and Project Valour-IT, and introducing their neighbors to the variety of hands-on ways they can demonstrate their support for America's military men and women. At each Sale, customers will find blankets and 300 holiday cards on which to write greetings for the troops, and Soldiers' Angels bracelets will go to the first 25 customers at each site.
Sale-abration coordinator Greta Perry has been amazed by the response Soldiers' Angels has received to this first-time event. "We figured 10 would be a good goal for the first year. To have 80 is just fantastic. Our volunteers really want to bring attention to Soldiers' Angels in their community, to draw others into actively supporting the troops. So many people are looking for ways to support our heroes, and this is a great opportunity to learn how by connecting with people who are already doing it."
For more information, including a list of Sale-abration locations, see www.soldiersangels.org.
Established in 2003, Soldiers' Angels is a nationwide volunteer-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, as well as veterans and military families. For more information, see www.soldiersangels.org or call 615-676-0239 615-676-0239. Tax ID# 20-0583415, CFC#25131.
SOURCE Soldiers' Angels
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Silent Angels Help
Vet comes home to the charity of others
'Everyday People'
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By TOM LOEWY
The Register-Mail
Posted Sep 30, 2009 @ 10:32 AM
Last update Sep 30, 2009 @ 10:48 AM
Tom LoewyBrice Ruebush spends most of his days providing security for gun-truck missions in Afghanistan.
His focus must be on the mission at hand because every other soldier’s life depends on the awareness of his fellow soldiers. The stress is incomprehensible. The price — as we often hear in dispatches from the far-away place — is often paid in blood and bone, limb and life.
The toll of that stress could be seen in Brice’s eyes Tuesday morning. He was a long way from Afghanistan — seated with his family inside the America’s Best Value Inn. But Afghanistan didn’t look very far from him.
“You try to concentrate. You try to stay focused. There is so much to worry about over there,” Brice said. “When I’m not thinking about missions, I try to think about my family.
“I worry about my wife. I wonder about my son.”
That personal worry reached a new level after Sept. 20 when the news of a house fire at 997 Accommodation St. destroyed everything Malissa Devore owned. Malissa’s daughter, Magan Ruebush, is married to Brice. She is expecting her second child and their son, Caleb, is 15 months old.
“Magan’s pregnancy has been a big worry,” Brice said. “And then I found out they were practically homeless.”
While Brice waited to be shipped home on leave to help his wife, son and mother-in-law, Malissa, Magan and Caleb took up residence in the limbo of a two-bed room in America’s Best Value Inn.
Galesburg’s branch of the Veteran’s Administration, the Red Cross and SHIELD Motorcycle Club stepped up with donations to help pay for the hotel stay. After the family told their story in last Friday’s edition of The Register-Mail, readers reached out a helping hand.
The kindness of strangers overwhelmed Malissa and Magan.
“After the story ran, you wouldn’t believe the number of people who called,” Malissa said. “I would say we have 50 to 75 calls. I haven’t even had a chance to return all the calls.”
Anonymous people dropped off clothes and supplies at the hotel’s front desk. A woman called and offered to pay the security deposit and first month’s rent on a new, more permanent, place to live. A couple from Galesburg offered a house in Roseville until Malissa finds a more permanent home.
Two women from Soldier’s Angels — who wanted to remain anonymous — offered to collect donations in a garage because the family had no place to store it. The garage is at 1200 Garden Lane and someone is there all day.
So when Brice’s plane touched down Tuesday evening in Peoria, at least his family had some hope.
“I didn’t know what I would find,” said the man who spent 15 months in Iraq before being deployed to Afghanistan earlier this year. “Now we have something.”
The soldier won’t have much time with his family. A 15-day leave was reduced to 12 days because of travel. And this brief stint home will wipe out the R&R he planned to take when Magan was due to deliver their second child.
“Finding out I probably won’t get the time when Magan delivers is hard as hell,” Brice said. “I’m not going to lie — I’m angry and disappointed about it.
“The war is hard as hell, too. Having the worry about Magan’s pregnancy and not being able to be with her can really be distracting.”
For now, Brice and Magan are trying to make the soldier’s brief stay more than just a move to a new house.
“I don’t sleep much with Brice gone,” Magan said. “The fire was scary and there was so much worry.”
Malissa said the close quarters and Caleb’s confinement added to the stress.
“At least we had the room. We are thankful for that,” Malissa said. “We just want a stableevironment for Magan and Caleb. There is no way we can thank everyone for what they have given us.
“You know, almost every call started with the person saying ‘I don’t have a lot of money, but I do have ...’ People just gave what they could. But that was more than we had. And it made a big difference.”
Have a Donation?
• Call Malissa Devore, (309) 351-1866
• A garage is available at 1200 Garden Lane and someone is there all day to collect donations.
• Anyone looking to help with donated items can also call (309) 299-4665.
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