FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Marci Hodge ~ February 4, 2013

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | StarCMC

[Kathy in Alaska]

 

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday...
Thank the Veterans who served
in The United States Armed Forces.

Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States
Armed Forces Today!

---

~ Hall of Heroes ~

Marci Hodge

Info from here.

           

"In this job, you find out what you're made of; if you can hack it or not."

Recently promoted to Major, Marci Hodge knows a thing or two about what she's made of. She's spent ten years in the Army; 5 years on Active duty and another 5 so far in the Reserve. She returned from Camp Victory in Iraq, her second deployment, a couple of years ago.

"I'm not interested in reliving traumatic events. The job is to create stability and win hearts and minds," expressed Hodge, who spent 8 months in theater this last time.

MAJ Hodge, who served as Division Humanitarian Assistance Officer as well as the Battalion Sustainment Chief for the 401st Civil Affairs Battalion, is a logistician and civil affairs officer; simply put, "I can move anything," she said, like thousands of fourth and fifth grade level books for school children that the Department of State had been previously trying to move from Jordan to Iraq for the last few years with no luck.

Or such as in Iskandiayh, one of the 14 different locations her battalion covered in Iraq, where she worked on a project with local government to get a completely staffed plant that had survived the war back to fully functioning capacity. Working with one of the facility's managers- one of the few who spoke English at the plant- MAJ Hodge's team on the ground even helped establish organizational practices and human resources, bringing in corporate mentors from the United States.

Her team worked to ensure that the plant would be in a position to operate without the U. S.'s assistance in the future. They brought in older generators to their Forward Operating Base that the Army no longer needed but had the potential to refurbished, and presented the plant with and its employees with their first large project post-war. Local Iraqi truck drivers were also employed to transport the refurbished generators.

"It put folks back to work," said MAJ Hodge, citing at least a thousand workers associated with the local Iraqi plant's operations.

And it's the "folks" she's interacted with that have made the most significant impression on MAJ Hodge, including the Iraqi locals.

"People matter regardless of where they are," she said slowly, emphasizing that people are the same despite miles of ocean and geographic boundaries.

MAJ Hodge, awarded the Bronze Star for her meritorious service in Iraq, identified it as a "human connection" one that allows people to relate and help one another.

And according to MAJ Hodge, one would be hard-pressed to find "more amazing people" to work with than the American troops she's served alongside while in the Army, able to overcome the inevitable obstacles and disappointments that occur while deployed with camaraderie and hard work.

"It's your duty to give back," said Hodge. "You give it everything you've got."

Awarded: The Bronze Star

Right click to download this hero's story.

Interview:

September 15, 2010 - Crawford Broadcasting Comany (4.4MB)

 

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission! 

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, ML...((HUGS))...did you and Linda have a fun day?

A ride? Garage sale?

[left that other site]

Still fighting the cold...Linda is being very patient, poor girl.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Luv...heroes and role models for sure.

Hope you had a good day...a nap maybe?

[Kathy in Alaska]

[luvie]

It was a good day, and, yes, I did get a nice nap. Sunday naps are always the best! :)

Hope you had a nice restful day, too! Are your parents doing well?

[Kathy in Alaska]

No new problems, but my Mom is getting slower and slower. She doesn’t trust her knees much, so every little bump sends me checking.

One day at a time....we are managing.

[MoochPooch]

Evening, Kathy. Nice to see a woman honored, although I still feel they should avoid combat.

Getting ready for bed, so I bid you nighty-night.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good night and rest well, Mooch.

I agree with you. And if this stands, they should have to pass the same standards as the men do NOW! No NEW lowered standards.

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good morning to everyone at the Canteen and to all our military at home and abroad. Thanks for your service to our country.

((HUGS))Good morning, Ladies. Thanks for this morning's thread, Star. How's it going?

[beachn4fun]

Good morning, Canteen.

Good morning to our

Military, our Allies, and their families.

Thank you, Star, for preparing the Canteen for today’s activities.
KUDOS and thank you go out to
MAJ Marci Hodge
for her service.

DC Metroland weather report

~ Today... Partly to mostly cloudy. High 39F.
Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.

~ Tonight... Snow showers this evening
becoming more scattered later. Low 31F.
Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 60%.
A slushy accumulation of less than one inch.

Yuck! More snow? I'm ready for summer.
We have been lucky. It snowed quite a bit on Saturday
but no accumulation.
Had some flurries yesterday morn but no accumulation, either.

{{Yoo Hoo Pro}} WOO HOO RAVENS!

That was a good Superbowl. Didn't care for the half-time show.
Favorite commercial this year for me was Doritos.
(and I didn't see them listed in the "so-called" news clips, even FOXNews)
Of course the M&M's are usually good as well as the Clydesdale.
The worse...GoDaddy.com...
close up, lingering kiss...supermodel Bar Refaeli and guy wearing glasses.
BIG DOUBLE YUCK!
Many others were kind of lame, IMO.

Guess I'd better make my rounds while it's still quiet.
But please stay right where you are.
Chat up the military or a family member.
No need to fret...you know I'll be back!

The FR Canteen is

Come in and sit for a while.
There's always plenty of coffee, tea,
pancakes, conversation, silliness,
and plain old BS

REMEMBER THEM ~ DEFENDERS OF FREEDOM

BANKOWSKI, ALFONS ALOYZE
3/23/1961
LAOS
KIA - Body not recovered.

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT

Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allied military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before.

[left that other site]

Thanks for the supplies!

I am going to attempt to go back to work today...but I still don’t feel 100%.

[E.G.C.]

((HUGS))Good morning, Beach. How’s it going?

[Arrowhead1952]

Good morning to everyone at the Canteen. 55º with some light drizzle in the area.

[Arrowhead1952]

Good morning beachy and (((HUGS))).

[beachn4fun]

Good morning EG ((HUGS))

UGH! It’s Monday what more can I say?

Howz it out your way? Have a good weekend?

[beachn4fun]

Good morning dear ((HUGS))

How was your weekend?

[PROCON]

Hiya Beachie!!

It was a good game and congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens, Woo-Hoo!

We had a pleasent weather weekend but rain is expected.

I'm heading up to Washington Friday to help my BIL with a project and to visit my sister.

This coffee just isn't strong enough to get my eyes open...

Have a grandocious day!

[PROCON]

Hiya Beachie!!

It was a good game and congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens, Woo-Hoo!

We had a pleasent weather weekend but rain is expected.

I'm heading up to Washington Friday to help my BIL with a project and to visit my sister.

This coffee just isn't strong enough to get my eyes open...

Have a grandocious day!

[E.G.C.]

It's going OK. Not much went on last weekend. I went out to the lake with Bo. We had a great time.

I'm going to go to the Ford place to get a new rear view mirror put in. The one I had came out as a result of an accident I had with a fence post a couple of weeks ago.

It's a common deal from what I've heard. I'm doing things a little different. Rather than back out straight from the garage to the gate I just back out of the garage to the right and then turn left towards the gate.

Last year, I was stuck in the mud at the lake and we had to replace the automatic transmission. This job should be a little more easier.

This is a 2006 Ford Ranger BTW.

[luvie]

Heeeey...just a doggone minute!
Who let it be Monday so quickly!
Oh, well....all of you Early Birds have a GREAT day!
....and don't let it get ya down!
Hope the weather is good where you are!
We're supposed to be in the 70s! Crazy!
I guess I know a few of you
who were happy with the Big Game? :)
((((hugs))))