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Afghan “Right”, Aghan“First” and Afghan “Like” DoD Bloggers Roundtable
I have to admit to being very impressed. A general officer in the US Army writing a blog about what is happening in Afghanistan! So maybe his public affairs officer is helping? Might be a bit of pessimism in my blood; confirmed by my bride of almost 40 years! Deb blames it on Harry Reasoner and his famous news commentary in 1971 about the Vietnam War including the line, “That’s why being a helicopter pilot is so different from being an airplane pilot, and why in generality airplane pilots are open, clear-eyed, buoyant, extroverts. And helicopter pilots are brooders, introspective anticipators of trouble.” USAF HH-60G in Afghanistan Since I flew…
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Up, Up, and Away: Heading to USAA
Laptop & iPad – Check Itinerary – Printed and packed Babysitter – Lined up and on her way (Grandma is travelling in from Michigan!) Instructions for our day for Grandma – Thought out, typed and on the frig Dinner in the crockpot for tonight – Prepared Brand new shoes – On my feet Hugs and kisses to my guys – Done, Done, Done and Done USAA Bloggers Conference 2011 here I come!I’m so excited to share with you what is up the pipelines for USAA. This ‘invitation only conference’ is going to be a whole lot of fun; jam packed with a whole lot of information; and a great reminder about companies that stand behind us, the military family!…
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Cyberspace – The Bears and Packers? The offense and defense from the LandWarNet conference – DoD Roundtable
The use of computers, smart phones, satellite tv, cable, networks, wifi, email, Facebook, Twitter, immediate communications, long distance communications ++ has become so routine we expect them to be available. When we wake up and find our wifi or other electronics not working it is not a good start to the day. Imagine losing these capabilities when we have a cyber attack? Last week I had the privilege to speak with two electronic engineers who have compared cyber war to a football game. US Cyber Command Logo It was a great conversation but a bit over the head of this non geek. Yes, I remember taking a carburetor apart on…
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Week in Review: July 31 – August 6, 2011 (Military News)
Popular Military Family Articles for the week of July 31 – August 6 on MilitaryAvenue.comMilitary Widow Reaches Out to Survivors After her husband was killed in Iraq in May 2007, Taryn Davis didn’t know where to turn. The 21-year-old didn’t live near a military installation, and while her family and friends were supportive, she yearned for the support of other military widows who could relate to her struggles. So one night on a whim, Davis turned to the Internet and “Googled” the word “widow.” The search engine suggested she try searching for “window” instead. That moment sparked a desire in Davis to offer the type of support to other young military widows…
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PCS from Iraq! Good Stewards of American Taxpayer Dollars – DoD Blogger Roundtable
PCS Fun 1 million pieces of US Government owned equipment still in Iraq! Imagine the most difficult PCS you ever faced? I remember one that was so complex it makes my head hurt! We had most of our household goods going into temporary storage and some into long term storage (3 years) and a small amount being flown to the overseas PCS location. We had to have family travel stuff and I was going to school and had personal items and professional goods being shipped to that location. I am sure my director of logistics (my bride who experienced 18 PCS moves) would have more details but then I took…
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Week in Review: July 24 – 30, 2011 (Military News)
Popular Military Family Articles for the week of July 24 – 30 on MilitaryAvenue.comOne Thousand Posts – Let’s Celebrate It has been an amazing journey at ‘Our Letters to You’, a military family blog. I started writing in 2007 and now just a few short years later our team has written a thousand blog-posts! Blogs full of empowerment, support, education, fun and a bit of ‘been there done that’. One-thousand posts; This calls for a celebration! Which is just what we are going to do. We have some great prizes thanks to some wonderful companies that support our military families. … Debt Ceiling Crisis: How USAA Is Prepared Help Members: Should the federal…
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Week in Review: July 17 – 23, 2011 (Military News) #MilitaryMon
Popular Military Family Articles for the week of July 17 – 23 on MilitaryAvenue.comLittle Known TRICARE Benefits:TRICARE offers comprehensive, affordable health coverage to more than 9.6 million eligible beneficiaries worldwide. It is an enormous military health benefits system and because of its complexity, many beneficiaries may be unsure of all the benefits and programs available to them. TRICARE has decided to highlight several well-know and maybe not-so-well-known benefits … Let’s Celebrate!: Get ready though… we have big plans for our 1,000 post coming soon! Prizes from USAA, Sears, Home Depot, Army Wife Network, Prudential and more. But I can’t stop there because the list is growing daily. (Are you a…
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Week in Review: June 12 – 18, 2011 (Military News) #MilitaryMon
Popular Military Family Articles for the week of June 12 – 18 on MilitaryAvenue.comHow Did I Miss this Great Information Resource?: The USAA Educational Foundation: What do you know about the USAA Educational Foundation? I have been a USAA member for over 40 years and have to admit that I knew little about this non profit resource provider! They are totally separate from USAA since USAA donated a one time gift to establish the foundation and have completely separate missions, leadership and absolutely no ties for products or services, etc. With an opportunity to talk to Barbara Gentry, the President and Steve Finley, the Director of the USAA Educational Foundation,…
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“They Helped Me Up” Staff Sergeant Eddie Peoples – DoD Blogger’s Roundtable
Staff Sergeant Eddie PeoplesHow do I start? This story is about one of our own, a hero for wearing his country’s uniform, a “Defender” in his one words and certainly a model for caring! United States Army Staff Sergeant Eddie Peoples came home on leave from Vicenza, Italy with his family to care for and see his ill father who had had a stroke. Stopping in the branch of the Sarasota, Florida Bank of America, he saw a robbery “go down” and elected to get involved! More defending to do and children to protect (two of his own were with him), he described himself as on call 24 hours a…
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It Takes More Than an Infantry Force to Win in Afghanistan! DoD Roundtable
Deh Afghanan village, Afghanistan, May 27, 2011This is a time of transition in Afghanistan. The winter is over and summer has arrived with a vengeance. But more importantly, the transition from a NATO/US led force to an Afghan led military is in full swing! In the year 2014 the plan is to turn the lead over to the Afghan National Security Forces for defense of their own country! A big step but one that requires infrastructure, support forces, training institutions, logistics, plus …! We can create the best fighting infantry and lose the war in 2014 if we do not leave the Afghans with educators, qualified mechanics, supply experts, civil…