Soldiers' Angels Germany: "Most of us will go pro in something other than sports"

Soldiers' Angels Germany: "Most of us will go pro in something other than sports"

Soldiers' Angels Germany: Soldiers' Angels partners with DCoE's Real Warriors Campaign

Soldiers' Angels Germany: Soldiers' Angels partners with DCoE's Real Warriors Campaign

Remember Our Heroes

Military Appreciation Month--- RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS CARDS

Military Appreciation Month and always---
 
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS CARDS are business cards for Angel sneak attacks. Use them when you secretly pay for a service member's dinner, buy a gift card for the service member in line at the grocery store behind you and ask the cashier to hand over the card with the gift card, etc. You can email a copy of this file to a place like staples.com and they will print beautiful business cards for you by the page.
 

 http://soldiersangels.org/uploads/RandomActsCards.pdf
 
 

Kaboom

 
 

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/impact-of-war/2010/05/_matt_gallagher_is_a.html

 

The war belongs to all of us

 
Matt Gallagher is a former U.S. Army cavalry officer who served in Iraq from 2007 to 2009. He is also the author of the war memoir, "Kaboom: Embracing the Suck in a Savage Little War," published on April 1.
 
 
One of the benefits of publishing a war memoir, and then speaking at various events across the country, has been the opportunity to meet a group of Americans who genuinely care about the troops and veterans. Frankly, it's a segment of the population I didn't know existed in any real numbers during my deployment - self-righteousness is a common sin among soldiers and veterans alike - and it's been both humbling and gratifying. As a result, I'm often placed in the unique position of answering the simple question: "How can we help?"
 
I'm usually able to ignore the impulse to grab them by the shirt collar and yell, "Be engaged in what's happening! That's all we ask, that you are aware!" Since they've already asked me the question, it's clear that they do care, and are looking for more specific guidance. Usually, I point them in the direction of two incredible organizations, Soldiers' Angels (http://www.soldiersangels.org) and The Wounded Warrior Project (http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org). But occasionally, if I'm feeling particularly pontifical, I bust out my soapbox (don't leave home without it!) and relay a far more metaphysical message.
 
It's the military's job to serve and protect the greater American population. Concurrently, it's the greater population's duty to serve and protect the military. (Checks and balances and all that jazz, you dig?) But because so little of the society as a whole serves in the Armed Forces - most statistics hover around the 1% mark - the gulf between warrior and citizen has widened with every passing year of the GWOT-era. Consequently, this limits the amount of family and friends directly connected to the wars. I don't believe this is anyone's fault, just an unforeseen consequence of an all-volunteer force.
 
However, none of that changes the truth that we all own Afghanistan and Iraq, whether we've been there or not, whether we know anyone who has been there or not, and whether we like it or not. It's up to the populace as a whole to demand accountability from political leaders, and to ensure that they are using the military responsibly. In theory and in practice, if the political masters ordered the military to invade the Arctic Circle, the military would execute accordingly, and good men and women could die in the process. They can't ask why. That's the job of the citizenry.

I'm not trying to dredge up the past through outlandish analogy. Iraq happened, and is still happening. But we must learn from it. People much smarter than me have forecasted protracted guerilla warfare as a recurring occurrence in the 21st century. Undeniably, be it in the next decade or beyond, the drums of war will bang anew. Only an engaged, educated, and vocal society can ensure that those going to war in our country's name will do so for the right reasons.
 
 
What's your view? Is it essential for people with no connection to the military to be more actively involved in shaping the politics of war? What can be done to bring ordinary Americans closer to the realities and issues that military families are exposed to every day? The comment boards below are open--let's hear your views.

 

Work-at-home scam claims to help troops; Victims “hired” to ship stolen merchandise

Although this stems from Wsiconsin... it is a great reminder to all~!~


Work-at-home scam claims to help troops; Victims "hired" to ship stolen merchandise

Milwaukee, Wis. – The Wisconsin Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns consumers that an alleged Wisconsin-based military support service, Help4Troops, is a work-at-home, shipping scam that claims to help American troops overseas.

Help4Troops, also known as Work4Troops, claims to manage mail and send packages to American troops in 36 countries. The company's website reports that 90 percent of these packages are assembled by "volunteer shippers" who accumulate a number of small packages at their home address to consolidate into a larger box, which is then shipped overseas using Help4Troops-provided postage, tracking numbers and addresses.

Help4Troops promises to each volunteer a salary of $20 per package shipped, and requests personal banking information in order to deliver these payments via check, wire or money transfer using Western Union or PayPal. While boasting "powerful sponsors who help us to provide troops with this service and to pay our volunteers," Help4Troops does not elaborate on important financial information.

A consumer contacted the Wisconsin BBB in mid-April to report her concerns about Help4Troops, which "hired" her as a "Volunteer Shipper" after she posted her resume on the online employment site CareerBuilder.com. After two weeks of receiving and repackaging items, she received a call from a Chicago resident whose bank had contacted him about a suspicious attempt to access his account to purchase gift cards. The gift cards were listed under the consumer's mailing address.

Because of the bank's intervention, the transaction did not take place. Help4Troops stopped returning the consumer's e-mails, however, and she discovered that the telephone number provided to reach Help4Troops' management was instead a fax number.

The BBB has confirmed that Help4Troops is not located at its listed address in Spring Green, Wis.; 121 West Jefferson St. is the location of a local barbershop. Neither Help4Troops nor Work4Troops is registered with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions or the IRS, as required by law to conduct business in Wisconsin. And despite its website's claim that Help4Troops has been commended by "the President of the United States, the governor of Maryland, the mayor of Baltimore, and the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce," the company is not known or recognized by the Department of Defense and is not listed in the National Resource Directory.

Red flags are critical in recognizing a shipping scam. Beware of employment offers in which:
• The company requires receiving and shipping packages, most often overseas, for a commission that is delivered via money transfer. These scams may involve an individual unknowingly shipping stolen goods overseas.
• The company claims to provide a personal account to reimburse shipping costs—it is most likely set up through stolen financial information.
• The company is difficult to contact or its information cannot be verified.
• Employment starts without a face-to-face interview and the primary form of communication is e-mail. Often the company's website is a free, generic domain that has only recently been registered.
• Grammar, spelling and punctuation mistakes abound in e-mail correspondences or on the company's website, and especially if the website's format is distractingly amateur.

To avoid being boxed in by shipping scams like this one, follow these BBB guidelines:
• Don't be fooled by attractive advertising. Especially in instances of charity scams, be cautious of your emotions getting the best of your reason. Scams like Help4Troops often provide powerful testimonials or success stories to lure compassionate, unsuspecting victims.
• Check with the BBB. Help4Troops has an "F" rating with the BBB. A full Reliability Report is available for Help4Troops, and thousands of other businesses and charities, at www.wisconsin.bbb.org.
• Visit www.ourmilitary.mil to find a listing of charities associated with the military, including the BBB Military Line, a partnership with the Department of Defense (DoD) Financial Readiness Campaign that brings BBB services to military personnel, retirees, DoD civilians and their families. 


 
 

Soldiers' Angels Germany May Newsletter

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Greetings from Germany! An ambulatory patient at the Medical Transient Detachment with his Soldiers' Angels blankie! As I'm sure you've seen on the news, air travel was disrupted throughout Europe for several days due to the volcano in Iceland. This also affected medevac flights in and out of Germany. The patients who were already here were "stuck" here, and we could not accept incoming flights from Iraq and Afghanistan. But the Air Force scrambled aircraft and aeromedical crews, and several flights were made to the US via Rota Naval Station in Spain. Now that the backlog of patients has been cleared, we're back to our almost-daily incoming flights from Iraq and Afghanistan. Landstuhl is currently receiving up to 700 patients each month who are medevaced for a wide variety of reasons including battle injuries.   Stories of interest The Golden Hour : Produced by ABC Australia in February of this year, this is an extraordinary documentary about the 8th Forward Surgical Team and the DUSTOFF crews in the Logar Province of Afghanistan. Full screen viewing recommended. SSG Matthey Kinney, DUSTOFF Association Flight Medic of the Year I'd like for you to meet someone I'm proud to call a personal friend, Staff Sergeant Matthew Kinney. Matthew served 3 tours of combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan as a flight medic - the guys who drop down from helicopters to treat and evacuate our wounded, often under fire. He is the recipient of the SIlver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and was just named by the DUSTOFF Association as flight medic of the year. He is currently a flight medic instructor at Fort Rucker in Alabama. You can watch a video of Matthew accepting the award, and read his Silver Star citation here.  The Most Honorable Mission "I always thought that if it was my child over here that had died, I would want somebody like me to take care of him and send him home to me." Those are the words of Chief Warrant Officer Kim T. Adamson, Officer in Charge of the Mortuary Affairs Collection Point Bastion and Dwyer in Afghanistan. Read about the team who bring our Fallen Heroes home.   The True Heart of the American Soldier Grab a tissue and read this portrayal of the courage and heart of our wounded warriors who regain consciousness at Landstuhl. Most-needed items of the Month - Currently completely out of sweat PANTS sizes MEDIUM and XL, completely out of t-shirts size MEDIUM. Thank you for your help with these items! - Sweat pants, especially sizes MEDIUM, EXTRA LARGE, and LARGE (in that order, dark colors) - Undershirts and plain T-shirts, size MEDIUM (crew neck, any color) - Lounge/sleep pants/pj bottoms (M, L, XL - any color or pattern) - Shorts, baggy basketball-type (M, L, XL - any color) - Body lotion, travel size only - Shaving cream, aerosol cans, travel size only Our complete list of requested items can be found at the Soldiers' Angels Germany blog here. Thank you for your support! With warmest regards, Your Soldiers' Angels Team in Germany Soldiers' Angels is a volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization CFC #25131 To visit the main Soldiers' Angels website, click here.   As the official Soldiers' Angels organization in Germany, our mission is to support patients medevaced to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center from Iraq and Afghanistan. To visit the Soldiers' Angels Germany blog, click here. Other Information Information about Soldiers' Angels in Germany.  Click here. Information about medevac evacuations to Germany (with videos). Click here. Join us on Facebook. Click here. Our mailing address is: Soldiers' Angels Germany MTD, Attn: Soldiers' Angels CMR 402 APO, AE 09180 Copyright (C) 2010 Soldiers' Angels Germany All rights reserved.

Never Walk Alone

"Our goal as a family is to appreciate the time we get to spend together. The journey we travel as an Army family often separates us but we never walk alone. We support and love one another and walk each step together." - Nadine Albrecht, wife of SFC Kevin Albrecht
 

Thank you Green Bean Coffee for you Cup Of Joe For A Joe program!

Thank you Green Bean Coffee for you Cup Of Joe For A Joe program! And thanks for your never ending support of Soldiers' Angels! "Green Beans Coffee Company believes in giving back to its customers that serve their country A portion of every sale is donated to one of three excellent organizations that help military families: Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors www.taps.org. Soldiers' Angels www.soldiersangels.org, and Children of the Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund www.cfsrf.org."
 
 
JASON-CLAY-BRIAN-JON we thank you from the tip of our wings.
 
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3927364.htm