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A word to regulars of the blog: We’re moving over to nicer digs over at the official Wounded Warriors Family Support blog. Check out our daily content over there from now on, and tell all your friends!
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Thanking Our Troops On Memorial Day
There is no time like Memorial Day to step back and take stock of exactly how much we appreciate the efforts of our troops, as well as the families that support them. The holiday offers an opportunity for reflection on current soldiers’ efforts and solemn tributes of fallen heroes.
From the Suffolk News-Herald:
Very few of the things I cover for the paper have the ability to move me to tears.
I don’t get emotional very easily, so the times I’ve done so when covering work events are pretty few and far between. Obviously, it’s best to avoid it at all costs. Interviews with cancer survivors and the survivors of murder victims have come close, but I usually keep it together without too much trouble.
However, Memorial Day and Veterans Day events always take the cake. While covering these events, I’m always reminded of how many have sacrificed so much for those of us back home who too often take their service for granted.
In the Revolutionary War, thousands of men died fighting for the colonies’ independence from England because they believed in the things that still make this country great.
In every war and conflict since then, thousands have died to protect America, to protect its allies and to protect its ideals around the world. Every day, Americans benefit from the freedoms that so many in this world can only dream of, freedoms that are protected vigorously by so many millions of soldiers every day.
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National Guardswoman Looks Back On Career
Most everyone involved with a military career has a fascinating tale of heroism and sacrifice to tell, and a woman in Tennessee who worked as a civilian in the National Guard is no exception.
From The Tennesseean:
Many-Bears Grinder’s mother was rescued out of the Philippines during World War II by the U.S. military. Her father was a veteran of that war. Her two brothers served in the military. She worked as a civilian clerk for the National Guard.
But early on, when people asked her to join the military, she’d always respond with the same sassy declaration: “I’m not ready for the National Guard, and the National Guard isn’t ready for me.”
After all, it was the ’70s, and Grinder was a free spirit. She wasn’t going to join the cookie-cutter rank-and-file of the military. She cherished her waist-length black hair too much. She thought maybe she’d see the world as a flight attendant.
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Goodwill To Honor Troops On Memorial Day
Goodwill, a nonprofit known for helping those in need, is making an effort to hail troops on Memorial Day, presenting sundry efforts to help struggling soldiers and their families make ends meet.
From a PRNewswire press release:
On Memorial Day, America will honor veterans and active military service members — something Goodwill® does every day. Since World War I, Goodwill Industries® has helped veterans transition into civilian employment. In April 2011, Goodwill Industries International committed to assist military families as well by joining the White House initiative Joining Forces. The Goodwill for America’s Heroes and Their Families program will expand the organization’s job training, placement and employment programs to thousands of American service members, veterans and their families.
“Goodwill has answered the call from First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden to further support American military families,” said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. “We’re there to help veterans and the families of active military members alike to find jobs and thrive in their communities.”
Goodwill expects to count veterans, military spouses and military family members as more than 20 percent of it 5,000 hires this year. Goodwill agencies across the country also aim to provide face-to-face career and family strengthening services to more than 15,000 military families and are teaming up with the military to add Goodwill career links to military websites.
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Golfer Receives Award For Support Of Military
Golfer Corey Pavin received the Corporal Brock Bucklin Patriot Award for his tireless support of troops and their families through public speaking and civic endeavors. The award is well-deserved for the reputable athlete.
From Fox Sports:
2010 Ryder Cup Captain, 1995 U.S. Open Champion and world-class golfer, Corey Pavin, will be awarded the Corporal Brock Bucklin Patriot Award by the Folds of Honor Foundation on Memorial Day, May 30, 2011. This is the second year the foundation has presented this meaningful award; the 2010 recipient was President George H.W. Bush.
The award will be presented to Pavin at the second annual Patriot Cup Gala in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Pavin is being recognized for his passionate and ongoing support of the U.S. military; he is a vocal advocate for organizations affiliated with helping injured and fallen soldiers. Pavin’s dedication extends beyond financial contributions through his altruistic endeavors, including visits with soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and multiple trips to Walter Reed Medical Center.
“Corey Pavin is a not only a champion golfer, he is a champion patriot. He has always given back to the military and we are honored to have him as part of the foundation,” stated Dan Rooney, founder of Folds of Honor, former F-16 pilot, golf course owner, PGA Professional and USGA member.
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Meet The Army Child Of The Year
An Arizona teen was selected as the Army Child of the Year for his volunteer efforts, which included seting up care packages for deployed troops. He collaborated with families to fill them with the right stuff and send them off.
From the Fort Hood Sentinel:
Kyle Hoeye, the 16-year-old middle child of Arizona National Guard Sgt. 1st Class James and Michaelena Hoeye, was selected as this year’s Army Child of the Year.
More than 1,400 children competed in the military Child of the Year program run by Operation Homefront. A deciding factor in Kyle’s selection was his development of a “deployment kit” – treats, photos and items of personal interest sent to deployed Soldiers with the help of their families – a project Kyle spearheaded through Marana High School’s Key Club.
The Hoeyes live in Marana, Ariz., a town on the outskirts of Tucson. Both James and Michaelena work at the Western Area Aviation Training Site, one of the National Guard’s primary aviation facilities. James is an aviation mechanic, while Michaelena is a civilian working with family programs. Kyle is a junior at Marana High School.
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Military Families Taking Real Estate Hits
The plunging real estate market is hurting all property owners, but arguably none more so than those involved in the military. Reports indicate military member-owned homes are dropping in price faster than the national average.
From RealtyBizNews:
Many military families are forced to accept losing money on their real estate investments. Courtesy of Googleblog
However, the Department of Defense and Congress says it is trying to assist military families caught in this situation. As of 2009, military personnel who are ordered to move can receive help from a mortgage assistance program. But the only problem with this is that the program has been overwhelmed with requests for help, and is expected to post a budget deficit of $400 million at the end of 2011.
Even worse, not all military members are eligible. Currently, the program is only available to those who bought their homes pre-June 2006 and were ordered to relocate during the period between 2006 and 2010, meaning many servicemen are literally forced to accept a huge financial loss.
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Striving To Help Military Families
It’s gratifying to see First Lady Michelle Obama has made helping military families one of her top priorities. In a recent interview she expounds on previous commitments and outlines her plans to aid the underserved group.
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
Military families like Tracy Crawford’s are becoming more and more common, though the challenges they face remain. That’s being acknowledged by many people in our nation’s capitol, including First Lady Michelle Obama. In fact, it was the subject of her speech to the U.S. Military Academy’s Class of 2011 just a few days ago:
FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA: I want to talk about what family can and will mean for you as leaders of our Army and of our nation … Because our force is a force of families. And that’s become more clear even in just a generation. During Vietnam, most of our troops were young, single men, and most of those were married had spouses who stayed at home. But today more than half of our service members are married. Forty percent have two or more kids, and most military spouses are employed outside of the home. That’s what today’s military families look like.
Obama’s Westpoint graduation speech follows last month’s announcement of the “Joining Forces” initiative, which calls on all Americans “to mobilize, take action and make a real commitment to supporting our military families.” That initiative is being spearheaded by the First Lady as well as the Vice President’s wife, Jill Biden. But help is also coming from the Department of Defense. To learn more about what the military is doing to support its families, KALW’s Holly Kernan called the DOD’s Office of Family Policy/Children & Youth and spoke with Director Barbara Thompson.
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Museum Initiative Allows Free Entry For Military Families
Military families are in for some free culture and entertainment in the coming months, with the NEA and Blue Star Families sponsoring free access to participating museums.
From the Washington Post:
The National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, the organization focused on the well-being of American military families, have partnered together to launch the second annual Blue Star Museums partnership. The joint venture will offer free admission to over 1,300 museums across the country beginning Memorial Day, May 30 and extending through Labor Day, September 5, 2011. According to Blue Star Families Chair Kathy Roth-Douquet, last year’s initiative brought out 300,000 military family members. Admission extends to active-duty military in all five branches, and includes National Guard and Reserve members, and their immediate family.
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FILED UNDER: news
Cookout Helps Military Families Prepare
A cookout is a nice way to gather with friends and chat about good times, but one organization is using such an event to help military families prepare for difficulties, including life during deployment.
From York Daily Record:
Victor DuBois of Shrewsbury ran laps Saturday around the second floor of the York Armory during a Family Readiness Group cookout for troops.
The 4-year-old’s loops fenced in his dad, Michael DuBois, a wiry 39-year-old sergeant with Company C of 628th Aviation Support Battalion. As he watched, Michael smiled and rubbed his high-and-tight crew cut. He and his wife had barely been married a year when Victor was born. “Maybe we could have taken things a little more slow,” he said, laughing. “But he’s just so — great.” A slew of financial problems had threatened to derail the family only a few years before. They’d moved from Florida to Shrewsbury for a less-expensive life. Then, Michael’s wife had lost her job, and his gig as a UPS driver wasn’t cutting it. He took full-time work with the National Guard in 2009 after retiring in 2001 from the active-duty military after a decade. He’d loved his work in the military, so he was happy to be back. But by then, the bills had piled up.
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