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Keeping the “Trucks” Rolling Into, Around and Out of Afghanistan and Iraq – DoD Roundtable
The DoD Bloggers Roundtable met with Maj General Robert McMahon, Director of the Central Command Deployment and Distribution Center (CENTCOM DDOC) to discuss the logistics of surging in Afghanistan and drawing down forces in Iraq. With direct oversight of strategic logistics in both locations the general has quite a job. When queried about the effort he said he has a great team of professionals from the Guard, Reserves and Active forces to run the Center and keep track of the passengers, equipment and supplies moving through the system in and out of both countries. In addition, he thanked the Defense Logistics Agency and Transportation Command at Scott AFB for their…
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Tasty Tuesday: Carrot Cups – A Biscuit w/ Carrots! Simple as ABC
I have a calendar that Pillsbury sent to me. It features a recipe a month. A few months ago, there was an idea of taking Grands or any large baking soda biscuit, flattening it and baking a mini-fruit pie in a muffin cup. (Oh my, they were good!)We are not always ‘allowed’, ‘encouraged’ or looking to have sugary desserts. Diabetes frowns upon that part of meal! Careful preparation of the menu does allow for it from time to time. However, this simple dish just invited me to play. Enter springtime. We love vegetables and their colorful display. When I added Boursin and a sharp New York cheddar to carrots, we…
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Season Passes and Getting to know the community
I love our area zoo. It’s not the biggest zoo I’ve ever been to (I’ve been to a few GREAT ones) but for our area it is nice sized. It is a great place to visit when we need a change of pace and it has an indoor ‘Rainforest’ so even during the winter we find ourselves packing up and spending a few hours with the animals. The boys love watching the otters, the toads, and creeping their momma out with the snakes. But individual tickets are expensive – $5 to $10 a person. Maybe that isn’t terrible if you make a family-day of it but if you just want to…
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Faces Behind the Hero: Heather, Army Wife, Mother of Multiples, Blogging-Expert
Meet this week’s ‘Face Behind the Hero’, Heather. Yet another, wonderful, strong, inspiring military-wife! The wife of a linguist, a mother of *multiple* multiples, she knows what it means to serve. What branch is your husband in? My husband is in the Army. How long has he been in? He has been in more than 6 years now. How long have you been married? We’ve been married for 8 years. Do you have children? We have 6 children, ages 7, 5, 3, 3, 1, and 1. We have 2 sets of identical twins and a total of 4 boys and 2 girls. How do you help them cope with military-life? We…
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Success in Iraq?? Where we are today – DoD Bloggers Roundtable
The DoD Bloggers Roundtable met with Brig. Gen. Ralph Baker this morning to discuss today’s Iraq and the continued transition of the U.S. role in Iraq. General Baker closed with the comment that we won’t know how successful we have been until post 2011 (milestone for withdrawal) and we see the new relationship with the Iraq government – 3,5,10 years from now. I agree with the assessment but have confidence that our efforts and sacrifices have been worthwhile and have/will improve the lives of individual Iraqis. Since June 2009 U.S. forces have left the Iraq cities and now are in an advise and assist role with the Iraqi Security Forces.…
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Fatherhood
I had the pleasure of reading a blog this morning on the DoD “Family Matters Blog“. It left me inspired, thankful, even a little wistful. It reminds me of the fact that parenthood doesn’t involve any sort of manual. Mothers, Fathers, we learned from our parents and we follow our heart. I will be the first to admit I have been blessed with some great men in my life; in particular, my dad and my husband. Dad is now a retired Air Force Colonel. 30-years in the service, he retired just as I announced I was pregnant with my first, *E*. Basically, all I knew as a child was the…
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“Dignity, Respect, Order”: 82nd Airborne Division in Haiti – DoD Roundtable
The DoD Bloggers Roundtable met to receive an update on earthquake relief efforts in devastated Haiti! Col. Tim McAteer commander of the 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne, Ft Bragg, NC met with us to provide lessons learned and “2nd BCT Commander’s perspective”. He assumed command in Haiti on 9 February 2010 and the 82nd continues to provide relief while preparing to redeploy and assume its role as the Global Response Force on call Brigade on 1 April 2010. The colonel highly praised all those responders to the Haitian crisis and said the initial response of American forces to provide security and order in Port-au-Prince was critical to the establishment of good…
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Tasty Tuesday: Lamb Shanks
Spring comes in like a lion… not much one can do there to portray that visual with a meal suggestion… however, Spring goes out like a lamb. I imagine there are a few people who have never tried lamb. And that is such a shame. Lamb dishes are flavorful, simple to prepare and an almost new meat. There are so many ways to prepare a great Easter treat. Traditionally we have leg of lamb when we have company here. However this year, I am thinking about making Lamb Shanks. This dish takes some preparation time, but is worth the wait! And a new meat is an excellent change for the…
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Faces Behind the Hero: Ally, Navy Wife, Mom, Veteran, Blogger Extraordinaire
I am continually amazed at the strength of the military-spouse! This week’s ‘Face Behind the Hero’ is another wonderful example of wit and wisdom; spice and life; juggler of so many hats! What a wonderful opportunity she has given us to see just a glimpse of her thoughts as a navy-wife. Thank you, Ally. Thank you to all of the military-spouses out there holding up the homefront.What branch is your husband in? Navy How long has he been in? 11 years How long have you been married? It will be 6 years in April! What is your favorite wedding-day memory? There are so many to chose from! I guess the…
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Calgon Take Me Away
Today was kindergarten-screening for *C*. I started off the morning with the thought that my ‘baby’ would be entering kindergarten in the Fall just as the newest member of our family, Baby Boy, would be entering the world. *C* is going go to lose his ‘baby-status’ in so many ways… This of course brought tears to my pregnancy-hormone-filled-eyes. Sigh… That is just one of those pregnancy moment … it isn’t where the Calgon comes into play. In typical Leanne-fashion I procrastinated. I knew where all the documentation for *C’s* screening was. SS card and birth certificate locked-up in our firebox, proof of residency in the office-filing cabinets, report from preschool teacher in his…
