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Father’s Day Tribute to Dad and GrandDad
Our grandson is learning parts of speech… Noun, Verb, Adjective and Adverb.An end of year English assignment.Applying this lesson to our marvelous military Dads…Here goes: pilot, mechanic, chemist, scientist, driver, boss, private, ensign, captain, lieutenant, sergeant, officer, NCO, teacher, student, doctor, psychologist, nurse, technician, author, chief, cook, photographer, dancer, golfer, swimmer, runner, walker, jogger, trainer, athlete, musician, astronaut, diver, physicist, professional fly, soar, zoom, fight, protect, challenge, uphold, encourage, trust, teach, learn, study, hold, shoot, read, write, swim, dive, direct, diagnose, decipher, decide, lead, develop, display, speed, endure, sweat, intelligent, talented, dedicated, persistent, able bodied, nuclear, trained, good, better, best, long-suffering, articulate, handsome, brave, light hearted, caring, conquering, boldly, brilliantly,…
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Task Force Kout Men (Helping Hands) in Haiti – DoD Roundtable
With so many things grabbing our attention in this very busy world little notice was made of the recent deployment of forces to continue with the humanitarian assistance programs in Haiti following that country’s devastating earthquake. What is particularly surprising is that the Louisiana National Guard is leading this effort while facing its own disaster at home with the oil spill. Showing our national spirit of supporting those in need once again, the Guard is leading a joint force of responders with components from active, Reserves and Guard forces. Col Michael Borrel, is the Commander of “Task Force Kout Men”, Creole for Helping Hands. Despite an extremely busy schedule he…
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Flag Day Gardens on Wordless Wednesday
byColonel KonWednesday, June 16, 2010Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestMilitary Life:Col K,Flag,Garden,military family
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Customer Service 1,000 miles Away
Dale and I zoomed thought the aisles of the Fort Riley PX. It is a great store, some seems to be better than others… could it be I love the one I am in at the time? No matter. Fort Riley’s PX has racks of clothing, shelves with Vera Bradley bags, eye catching sandals, and summer pizzazzy (my word) crocheted fun purses.I was shopping for a fun outfit to wear to a niece’s wedding in New York. I have a standard wardrobe. I know my colors. I can mix and match items from one outfit to another, ready to be on the road with as little baggage as possible. So,…
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The “Crown Jewel” of Military Education in Afghanistan – from Literacy to Senior Service Schools – DoD Roundtable
The DoD Roundtable discussion focused on the Afghan Defense University this morning with Dr Jack Kem, the deputy to the commander, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, providing an update and answering our questions. The university is about 20% complete and will be the central facility for all of the Afghan Army Professional Military Education courses including their National Military Academy (Afghan’s West Point), NCO Academy, First Sergeant School, Battle Staff NCO Course, Command and Staff College, War College, Legal and COIN (Counter Insurgency) Academy. Dr Kem described the school as the “key enabler” for the long term health of the Afghan military and shows the commitment of the US and NATO to…
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Tasty Tuesday: Shrimp Scampi Improvised
My boys have a favorite meal; Shrimp Scampi! Only trouble is Hubs HATES shrimp. SO we don’t do the shrimp ‘thing’ when he is home. However, he was in the field the past two weeks and so when I was meal planning it was easy enough to add the favorite meal to the menu! The morning of the planned-meal came along and I made sure we had a bag of shrimp in the freezer … However, what I did NOT account for was the fact that we had opened the bag before and there were about 15 shrimp left. (15 divided by 3 … not nearly enough for my boys.)…
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Week in Review: Week of June 6 – 12 (Military News)
Popular Articles for the week of June 6th through June 12th on MilitaryAvenue.com: Effective Communication is the Key to a Successful Deployment: Communication is important in a relationship and is often tested during deployment. Preparing for the mission, from the receipt of orders to understanding the emotions and hardship often associated with separation, can be overwhelming. Effective listening skills, patience and understanding will prove essential during this time. The majority of communication is non-verbal (body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions). … Changes in Iraq! Have Our Sacrifices Helped? Yes They Have! DoD Roundtable: We are withdrawing forces from Iraq and will be down to 50,000 military personnel in September in…
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Lessons of the Season
Well Summer is here! The calendar doesn’t affirm that but the weather, sun and laughter sure do. We upgraded our Intex ‘blow-up’ pool this year after trying to fill last year’s pool and finding /multiple/ holes. (It was two or three years old so quite possibly the holes were inevitable from all the fun ‘n sun of years past!) This year’s pool is 15 x 42 and quite possibly the PERFECT size for my fish… ahem, boys, ages 5 and 7. They can actually swim if they want to and stand up at any point. There is a certain feeling of safety for them that encourages them to swim harder,…
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Changes in Iraq! Have Our Sacrifices Helped? Yes They Have! DoD Roundtable
We are withdrawing forces from Iraq and will be down to 50,000 military personnel in September in accordance with the plan for complete withdrawal by 2011. What are we leaving behind? What type of society and are the people better off? During a recent DoD Roundtable Major General Stephen Lanza, who is the United States spokesperson for Iraq mentioned two areas that I think are critical and reflect the progress of a society following war. First, how are women treated in the society and second, are the police and army apolitical, that is, do they respect the population and its political institutions? The March elections in Iraq were certified on…
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Minute Out of the Norm: Tie Dye!
We have a summer routine here when the boys are home and not in child-care. We relax in the morning, watch a little PBS; get dressed for the day; do a few pages in their age-appropriate workbooks (we like to keep the mind active EVEN during the summer… ) and then it is time for something FUN! This week our fun was TIE-DYE! I bought a kit at WalMart… It was about $15 for a kit to make 7 shirts, plus I bought 4 white t-shirts ($3 each) and one toddler-onsie. The plan is to take the shirts to ‘Camp Grandpa’ this summer; so we made one for each of…
