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Our Flag and Memories of 9/11
It was a simple act this morning: lowering the flag to half staff to remember 9/11/2001. It was a cool and wet morning and at first, I hesitated. Why should I head out within a week of chemotherapy, etc. I could find all kinds of reasons to sit in my comfortable chair and sip coffee… I was still on active duty; in fact, my crew had landed from an overseas mission in the middle of the night and headed home for some well deserved rest that was not to be. Half asleep and time zoned from a trip half way around the world, I was surprised to see and hear…
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Stomping Out Sarcoma 5K Fun Run/Walk > Wordless Wednesday
#FASTSOS #CureSarcoma #SarcomaAwarenessMonth Join Us Dale Kissinger, ie. “Col K” is a co-founder of MilitaryAvenue.com and retired Air Force pilot who served with the best of the military community from the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Air Force. He flew combat rescue and special operations helicopters, fixed wing trainers, special operations airlift and retired while flying the C-17 as the Vice Wing Commander of the 62nd Airlift Wing at McChord AFB. He served his country during conflicts in Bosnia, Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan.byColonel KonWednesday, July 16, 2014Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestMilitary Life:5K Fun Run Walk,Cancer,Col K,Sarcoma Awareness Month,Sarcoma Cancer
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“… Upholding the Traditions We Have in America”
“The appreciation and kind thoughts will last much longer than the vegetables and my health will continue to be refreshed by all three!” Row Markers Americans are famous worldwide for helping our neighbors out. Find a tsunami, earthquake or a camp for the victims of war and you will usually find American personnel, supplies or donated equipment; sometimes all three. We give through our churches, the Red Cross and many other non profits and our military forces are usually at the forefront of overseas efforts. At home, neighbors and families can be seen doing the weekend projects that often end in refreshments or even a barbecue at this time of…
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My Inspiration, the Veteran in my life
Veterans Day, a day to honor and thank veterans, has come and gone. However, the opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate a veteran should never be passed. As an Army National Guard wife I swell with pride whenever my husband wears his uniform to serve our country. When I remember deployment and months that I have been without him I shed a tear but then think to myself we did it! When I think about how his very basic need to serve has driven him to do just that, and to do that with honor, I remember the many qualities that attracted me to him so many years ago. But my pride in my husband stems much further back…
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The Sad Truth about the Recent Effort to Raise Tricare Fees
“In fact, the medical budget saved $500M in 2011 and $708M in 2012 from what was budgeted!” Saying Goodbye! See Below for Photo CreditWe are a military family blog team! We care about the team – the military team! Yes, we write about their family needs, job search ideas, issues for veterans and post numerous articles about the military lifestyle and its unique challenges on MilitaryAvenue.com. Today I write as a member of that team with a bit of anger toward the military leadership that we normally so appreciate (I did let this sit for a while so I did not use any inappropriate language, etc). The Department of Defense…
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Three Veterans in the Same Room
US Marines DoD PhotoOur country has a problem with military service. Less than 1% of our population is physically and mentally capable of serving in the armed forces! An interesting statistic but it does not hit home to most Americans. Then we find after serving so many can not find employment. Finding those who have successfully transitioned is always a great story. Last night during a medical test at the University of Michigan Cancer Center, it was surprising to find three veterans in the same room and two of them were employed there as technicians! One an Army retiree, served 26 years; the second, a former Marine (well always…
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Sarcoma Smarts
Some people know how to put exactly the right words down in writing so that your mind is able to take the jangle out of thoughts, desires, whim and fog. I walk in those feelings often. Dale was diagnosed with a rare cancer which is under the umbrella of Sarcoma. This sounded like some troll out of our long forgotten heritage: a member of our family hidden on our family tree that we didn’t know existed from an odd country. Sarcoma has come to visit and taken up residency in our thoughts and plans and tries to flick it’s ugliness into our faces a bit too often. Sarcoma scares occur: an odd bump, an increasing constant pain, a…
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Heroes at Home – Helping Veterans One at a Time
It was an easy conversation, two veterans talking about what they both enjoy doing – helping other veterans, particularly those in need. None to be left behind… Tom AielloTom Aiello and I had met in New York during another great veteran event last year but now we were talking about the Sears Heroes at Home program. Heroes at Home had just finished the rebuild of their 1,000th veteran home in conjunction with Rebuilding Together. I could hear the pride in Tom’s voice as we talked about the program that has given back so much to veterans. Sgt Johnny Agbi was an Army medic, disabled, in a wheel chair, living alone…
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Back to the Big Metal Tube – Part 2 Cancer Redux
Yep, “call in two days” if you have not heard from us is truly an eternity for the patient and loved ones. Our journey with cancer is always an interesting one! We were visiting a doctor two weeks ago to help with some post surgery issues on my skin. When we mentioned that some of the skin near the surgery location in my heel was similar to what we had seen prior to discovering cancer in that location, he almost ran from the room. Deb and I almost laughed at his patient care style but understood as it is such a unique cancer (1% of 1%, da da da) and…
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Have You Had a Great Shopping Experience Lately?
Good shopping experience? Great shopping experience? Never happen! Hey! I am a guy after all! But recently I had the opportunity to enjoy a shopping experience that was quick, helpful and I walked out with the right products to help me be comfortable! Yep, it was a sports store but it was nevertheless a shopping experience I was not looking forward too. Have you had a great experience lately? Tell us about it in the comments section and share it with others! Read about mine below as I tell our MilitaryAvenue partners how to reach out to you: Sifting through my mail I was shocked to find a post card…
