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Keyword: families

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  • Fort Hood Soldiers Reach Out to Families, Each Other

    11/10/2009 2:38:40 PM PST · by SandRat · 1 replies · 139+ views
    KILLEEN, Texas, Nov. 10, 2009 – Waiting at the airport last night for the last families to arrive for today’s ceremony honoring victims of the fatal shooting rampage at nearby Fort Hood, several soldiers were dealing with their own pain and confusion by reaching out to families of the fallen and to each other. Army Staff Sgt. Kevin Hall, Army Sgt. 1st Class Marcus Rodriquez and Army Spc. Laurence Palmer man a table in Killeen-Fort Hood Regional Airport in Texas on Nov. 9, 2009, to welcome families arriving for a ceremony scheduled the next day to honor the 13 people...
  • The Ft Hood November 5th Fund

    11/10/2009 9:50:58 AM PST · by Marie · 29 replies · 246+ views
    Chaplain's Email | 10NOV09 | Marie
    <p>Ft Hood is in the process of creating the "November 5th Fund". The proceeds will go to meet the needs of the families and survivors of the Ft Hood Massacre. If you would like to donate to the November 5th Fund, you may send checks to the address below.</p>
  • Cap-And-Trade For Babies? Holdren, Cal Your Office)

    10/19/2009 8:01:17 PM PDT · by raptor22 · 9 replies · 487+ views
    Investor's Business Daily ^ | October 19, 2009 | IBD Editorial staffl
    Earth: An environmental writer mainstreams an idea floating around the green fringe — save the earth by population control and give carbon credits to one-child families. Are we threatened by the patter of little carbon footprints? New York Times environmental writer Andrew Revkin participated in an Oct. 14 panel discussion on climate change with other media pundits titled "Covering Climate: What's Population Got To Do With It?" People who need people they are not. In a recently rediscovered book, "Ecoscience: Population, Resources, Environment," co-authored with Malthus fans Paul and Anne Ehrlich, Holdren wrote that families "contribute to general social deterioration...
  • Group Honors Wounded Warriors, Families of Fallen

    10/06/2009 6:10:00 PM PDT · by SandRat · 157+ views
    American Forces Press Service ^ | Samantha L. Quigley
    WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2009 – In 2005, David Dominguez of San Diego noticed casualty reports in Iraq and Afghanistan were barely making news. After several years of war, the American public had settled back into its routine. Dominguez set up a nonprofit organization to remind people of the sacrifices being made on their behalf. He called it “Freedom is Not Free.” The name Dominguez chose gave expression to his sentiment that the brave men and women serving in the military, and their families, were shouldering the price for the freedoms that all Americans enjoy. Dominguez brought his long-time friend and...
  • Obama Science Czar holds radical views on families and population control?

    09/08/2009 6:48:26 AM PDT · by usalady · 5 replies · 283+ views
    examiner.com ^ | September 08, 2009 | Martha
    As Americans become more aware of Obama's thirty-four Czars, each one is being looked at more carefully than before the Van Jones background was exposed. Next to come under the radar is John Holdren, Obama's Science Czar. His views on families and population control is raising some eyebrows.
  • Labor Day Weekend Golfers Help Troops, Families

    09/04/2009 4:46:00 PM PDT · by SandRat · 3 replies · 274+ views
    American Forces Press Service ^ | Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith, USAF Nat. Guard
    ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 4, 2009 – Air Force Maj. Dan Rooney knows that just a dollar or more added to your golf greens fees this Labor Day weekend can provide millions of dollars to help servicemembers and their families. Rooney, a professional golfer and an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot with the Oklahoma Air National Guard, is the founder of Patriot Golf Day, a fundraiser that starts today and continues through Sept. 7. Golfers will be asked at 5,000 participating golf courses if they want to add an extra buck to their greens fees to fund scholarships for disabled veterans and...
  • Amusement park hosts Iraqi Police, families

    08/30/2009 1:54:12 PM PDT · by SandRat · 5 replies · 482+ views
    Multi-National Force - Iraq ^ | Pfc. Justin Naylor, USA
    Iraqi Police officers and their families from Kirkuk province, and 1st Cavalry Division Soldiers ride the rollercoaster together at the Iraqi Police Kids Night at the Kirkuk Amusement Park, Aug. 18. Photo by Pfc. Justin Naylor, 1st Cavalry Division. FOB WARRIOR — The high-pitched sound of children laughing and a rollercoaster's rumble were heard at the Kirkuk Amusement Park on the outskirts of Kirkuk City, Aug. 18. Iraqi Police (IP), their children, and U.S. Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, traveled in groups, wandering the park looking for the best rides.Weeks...
  • Troops Read Stories to Children Back Home

    07/21/2009 5:13:24 PM PDT · by SandRat · 1 replies · 150+ views
    Multi-National Force - Iraq ^ | Spc. Richard Frost, USA
    CAMP VICTORY — "I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam I am," read Petty Officer 2nd Class Bobby Joe Holland to his daughter McKenzie back home. Holland's reading was done via the "United Through Reading" program, a service being offered to servicemembers at Camp Victory, as well as many other forward areas all over the world."I'm just fearful of getting home and my little girl not knowing me," said Holland as tears welled in his eyes. "I'm fearful of her not recognizing who I am." The program addresses some of these concerns...
  • Czar 54, Who Are You?

    07/20/2009 5:38:22 PM PDT · by Kaslin · 23 replies · 990+ views
    IBD Editorials ^ | July 20, 2009 | INVESTORS BUSINESS DAILY Staff
    Leadership: Our new science czar, John Holdren, once backed compulsory sterilization and forced abortion as part of a government population-control program. The only thing missing was a Soylent Green recipe.In April, President Obama declared that "the days of science taking a back seat to ideology are over." In everything from stem cell research to climate change and energy policy, reason and science would triumph. The problem is that what the Obama administration considers science, as exemplified by the choice of Holdren, is troubling. In a recently rediscovered 1977 book, "Ecoscience: Population, Resources, Environment," co-authored with doomsters Paul and Anne Ehrlich,...
  • Sesame Workshop Aims to Help Military Children, Keep Families Connected

    07/16/2009 5:01:14 PM PDT · by SandRat · 1 replies · 198+ views
    American Forces Press Service ^ | Samantha L. Quigley
    WASHINGTON, July 16, 2009 – “Sesame Street” usually conjures visions of Muppets teaching young children their letters and numbers, but they also teach life lessons to help military children cope with deployments, injuries, and now, loss. Sesame Rooms provide a child-friendly place for military children to play. Sesame Street will send a “room-in-a-box” to 35 locations across the United States, including military hospitals, libraries, child care centers, and family support centers. Photo courtesy of Sesame Workshop  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The newest phase of Sesame Workshop’s “Talk, Listen, Connect” initiative is aimed at helping children cope with the...
  • Obama's Science Czar: Traditional family is obsolete, punish large families

    07/15/2009 11:57:59 AM PDT · by lifeisacarnival · 71 replies · 2,052+ views
    The Washington Examiner ^ | 07-15-2009 | David Freddoso
    "As United States taxpayers know, income tax laws have long implicitly encouraged marriage and childbearing...Such a pronatalist bias of course is no longer appropriate. In countries that are affluent enough for the majority of citizens to pay taxes, tax laws could be adjusted to favor (instead of penalize) single people, working wives, and small families. Other tax measures might also include high marriage fees, taxes on luxury baby goods and toys, and removal of family allowances where they exist. Other possibilities include the limitation of maternal or educational benefits to two children per family."
  • Yellow Ribbon Fund Keeps Troops’ Families Mobile

    07/01/2009 3:59:34 PM PDT · by SandRat · 110+ views
    American Forces Press Service ^ | Samantha L. Quigley
    WASHINGTON, July 1, 2009 – Servicemembers’ long-term rehabilitation shouldn’t keep them, or their family members, bound to the hospital grounds, and the Yellow Ribbon Fund is working to make sure that doesn’t happen. Roseanna Smith was the 1,000th renter through the Yellow Ribbon Fund’s car rental program. Her son, Army Pfc. Craig Smith, has been recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center after losing a leg while serving in Iraq. Photo courtesy of Yellow Ribbon Fund  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Founded in 2005, the organization was created to assist injured servicemembers and their families while they recuperate at...
  • Jesse Lee Peterson Radio Show Live Thread,

    06/21/2009 10:59:30 PM PDT · by abigail2 · 5 replies · 608+ views
    BOND Action, Inc. ^ | June 23, 2009 | abigail2
    LISTEN TO THE REAL REVEREND JESSE ON THE INTERNET OR A RADIO STATION IN YOUR AREA......BOND Action, Inc...Educating, Motivating and Rallying Americans! The Jesse Lee Peterson Radio Show Streamed live online from 6-9 a.m. PST / 9-12 a.m. EST. Call in the same times usually. For Live Questions or Comments Call 1-888-77-JESSE(5-3773) You can email comments and questions to radio@bondaction.org For more information on getting The Jesse Lee Peterson Show picked up on a station in your local area call Ermias Alemayehu at 1-877-WE ACT77 (932-2877)
  • Peter Hitchens: You can't hear the jackboots, but this is still oppression

    06/13/2009 5:23:06 PM PDT · by 2ndDivisionVet · 42 replies · 1,834+ views
    The Daily Mail ^ | June 13, 2009 | Peter Hitchens
    We used to think that Communism would arrive in this country on the bayonets of Soviet soldiers, if it came at all. We never realised that it would instead materialise amid our freedom and prosperity, step by tiny step, in the form of bureaucratic interference and political correctness. As one of the few British people who has actually lived in a Communist country (Moscow in the early Nineties, since you ask), I know better than most what such societies feel like, and how they work. And in the past two weeks I have seen several developments in Britain which seem...
  • Obama’s Filing Against 9/11 Families: So Bad It’s Good

    06/05/2009 5:58:13 PM PDT · by Starman417 · 5 replies · 803+ views
    Flopping Aces ^ | 06-05-09 | Alec Rawls
    Bizarre amicus brief totally demolishes the Second Circuit's dismissal of the families' suit, then replaces it with the most mendacious stupidity imaginable. Now the Supreme Court will HAVE to hear the case, just to avoid the implication that it accepted this garbage. 9/11 families were stunned this week to learn that President Obama is asking the Supreme Court NOT to review their effort to recover damages from the government of Saudia Arabia and from several Saudi princes for funding al Qaeda’s 9/11 attack on America. That the defendants did funnel vast sums of money to al Qaeda was accepted as...
  • Burden falls on taxpayers when marriages fail [Canada]

    06/05/2009 8:42:12 AM PDT · by fgoodwin · 3 replies · 643+ views
    Vancouver Sun ^ | June 5, 2009 | Barbara Yaffe
    If Ward and June Cleaver had divorced, Beaver and Wally would have faced a bleak future and cost the government a bundle to boot. Such a concept has become more scarce these days. That is, a lot more people are divorcing. A report released this week by the Ottawa-based Institute of Marriage and Family reveals that 92 per cent of Canadian families had two parents in 1961 compared to 69 per cent in 2006. It might be none of our business how individuals handle their own marriages, suggests the report, if it weren't for the financial costs being imposed on...
  • City in Oklahoma Appoints Ambassador to Military Families

    06/03/2009 6:11:17 PM PDT · by SandRat · 1 replies · 157+ views
    WASHINGTON, June 3, 2009 – Having been part of their tightly knit community all her life, Teresa Vance always has had an interest in military families. Her father made a career out of the Army, serving in World War II and Korea. Her husband was a career surface warfare officer in the Navy, and her son spent four years in the Marine Corps. The city commission of Enid, Okla., has appointed Teresa Vance as the city’s official ambassador to military families. Vance was born into an Army family and married a career naval officer. Courtesy photo   (Click photo for...
  • 9/11 Families Angered As U.S. Backs Saudis

    05/31/2009 10:07:22 AM PDT · by george76 · 15 replies · 658+ views
    CBS ^ | May 31, 2009
    Victims' Relatives Say Justice Dept. Bid To Shield Royal Family From Lawsuit Undermines Fight Against Terror. Relatives of Sept. 11 victims say they're angry that the Justice Department is supporting the Saudi royal family's bid to be removed from a 9/11 lawsuit. The families of some victims have accused the royal family of financially backing terror groups that carried out the 2001 attack. Their complaint alleges that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi High Commission for Relief to Bosnia and Herzegovina (SHC), and four Saudi Princes (acting in both official and personal capacities) made donations to charitable organizations with...
  • 9/11 families angered by US support for Saudis

    05/31/2009 10:39:57 AM PDT · by Nachum · 9 replies · 439+ views
    Google ^ | 5/31/2009 | ap
    NEW YORK (AP) — Relatives of Sept. 11 victims say they're angry that the Justice Department is supporting the Saudi royal family's bid to be removed from a 9/11 lawsuit. The families of some victims have accused the royal family of financially backing terrorist groups that carried out the 2001 attacks.
  • Cemetery Opened for Iraqi Families

    05/30/2009 2:17:59 PM PDT · by SandRat · 1 replies · 286+ views
    Multi-National Force - Iraq ^ | Senior Airman Jessica Lockoski, USAF
    KIRKUK — More than 50 local Iraqi family members stepped foot inside the green gates of the Sultan Saqi cemetery to pay respect to mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and beloved ancestors, May 27. For some, it was the first time in decades they have crossed the sacred threshold. After Iraq's old regime barred relatives access to this site for almost 35 years, they were granted official visits to two on-base cemeteries here thanks to a partnership between the U.S. Air Force, Iraqi Air Force, a Defense Department Human Terrain Team, and the Kirkuk Provincial Council's Religious Affairs Committee. The U.S....
  • Survey delves into high birth rate for young Latinas

    05/19/2009 3:44:51 PM PDT · by Oldeconomybuyer · 36 replies · 938+ views
    CNN.com ^ | May 19, 2009 | By Moni Basu
    According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, more than half -- 53 percent -- of Latinas get pregnant by their 20th birthday, nearly twice the national average. "There's a big disconnect between pregnancy rates and what Latina families want and value," said Ruthie Flores, senior manager of the National Campaign's Latino Initiative. Of the 759 Latino teens surveyed, 49 percent said their parents most influenced their decisions about sex, compared with 14 percent who cited friends. Three percent cited religious leaders, 2 percent teachers and 2 percent the media.
  • First Lady Says She and Obama will Transform American Families

    05/09/2009 5:14:54 PM PDT · by John Semmens · 47 replies · 1,673+ views
    Observing that there are many inequities among families in America, First Lady, Michelle Obama promised that “relief is on the way.” “The average American family is oppressed by responsibilities and harried by the need to put food on the table, to tend to children and sundry other burdensome tasks,” Mrs. Obama declared. “Everyone knows it takes a village to raise a family. Well, Barack is the village’s chief. He and I will chart a plan for domestic liberation.” Though the details of this “liberation” are still sketchy, a few elements were outlined by the First Lady. “First, households should have...
  • Sweathogs return home from Iraq

    05/01/2009 4:11:22 PM PDT · by SandRat · 3 replies · 328+ views
    Marine Corps News ^ | Pvt. Spencer M. Hardwick, USMC
    Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C. — Marines and sailors from Marine Wing Support Squadron 273 returned to Fightertown April 23 and 25 from a seven-month deployment to Al Asad Air Base, Iraq. Families waited in eager anticipation as they watched the commercial airliner taxi down the flightline towards the hangar. As the Marines and sailors stepped out of the plane and down the stairs, they were ordered to go see their families. A mass wave of people surged forward, reuniting with loved ones after seven months. “It’s great to be around my family again,” said Lance Cpl. Chris Smiley,...
  • Fort Sill Spouses Go Through ‘Field Exercises’

    04/29/2009 4:29:26 PM PDT · by SandRat · 1 replies · 252+ views
    WASHINGTON, April 29, 2009 – More than 300 military spouses attended one of two "Field Exercises" recently at Fort Sill, Okla., designed to assist them in dealing with life while their deployed spouses are away. Tara Crooks, foreground, and Starlett "Star" Henderson, founders of Army Wife Network, listen to spouses share their personal deployment experiences during a "Field Exercise" event held April 23-24, 2009, at Fort Sill, Okla. More than 300 spouses gathered for the two-day event, created to empower and rejuvenate military spouses whose husbands are deployed. Courtesy photo   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Starlett "Star"...
  • 2/9 leaves no man behind, returns from deployment

    04/27/2009 4:47:27 PM PDT · by SandRat · 200+ views
    Marine Corps News ^ | Lance Cpl. Meghan J. Canlas, USMC
    MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Around 300 Marines and sailors from 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, returned home, April 22, after a seven month deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During the deployment, the Marines worked closely with Iraqi Security Forces towards the goal of a more self-sufficient Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police. “It was extremely successful. We were there during the elections and got to see a new government in Ramadi,” explained Lt. Col. Thad Trapp, battalion commander 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines. “We were able to have a (U.S.-Iraq) Status of Forces Agreement...
  • Cause Examined in Recent Rise of 'Familycides'

    04/26/2009 6:01:23 AM PDT · by anniegetyourgun · 31 replies · 830+ views
    FoxNews ^ | 4/26/09
    Over the past four weeks, five men, including one particularly brutal New York case, have killed their families, then themselves. Though among the rarest of crimes, accounting for 1 to 2 percent of the 15,000 recorded homicides a year, these familycides have alarmed (the very few) experts in the field. "We have never seen anything like this before," says Kristen Rand, legislative director of the Violence Policy Center in D.C. Like her colleagues, Rand believes that the economy is the largest motivating factor for what experts call "family annihilators" - men who unleash their biblical wrath and devastation on their...
  • Face of Defense: Chaplains Comfort Families of Fallen

    04/24/2009 5:49:13 PM PDT · by SandRat · 232+ views
    Face of Defence ^ | Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace, USAF
    DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del., April 24, 2009 – The night sky looked calm and tranquil from a gently soaring aircraft, miles above the Eastern Seaboard towns below. However, there was nothing tranquil or calm in the hearts of one family on board, traveling to Dover Air Force Base to witness the dignified transfer of their son’s remains. Air Force Chaplain (retired Lt. Col.) David Sparks counsels a fellow Port Mortuary team member at Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs at Dover Air Force Base, Del., April 21, 2009. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace...
  • USS Theodore Roosevelt Returns from Deployment

    04/20/2009 6:38:04 PM PDT · by SandRat · 5 replies · 727+ views
    NAVY.mil ^ | Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Bonnie Williams, USN
    NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) returned to its homeport of Norfolk, Va., April 18 after a successful seven-month deployment supporting Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and maritime security and coalition operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR). TR and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 flew 3,105 sorties in support of OEF, with more than 61,000 pounds of ordnance dropped on target in support of coalition forces. "The dedication of the ship's crew and naval aviators enabled TR to successfully complete its mission supporting Sailors, soldiers, airmen and Marines on the ground in Afghanistan,"...
  • Recession's unexpected casualty: divorce?

    04/14/2009 5:56:29 PM PDT · by ellenbrewster · 9 replies · 424+ views
    Newswithviews.com ^ | April 14, 2009 | Ellen Makkai
    Though numbskull congressional spendthrifts are throwing our money at every misfortune these days, divorce is one calamity that’s losing out. “Two can live cheaper than one” seems to be an upbeat offshoot of the present recession. Divorce is just too darn expensive. “In these tough times many people are finding it's cheaper to stay together, even when they can't stand each other,” writes Marty Orgel for MarketWatch. “Circuit courts across the country report downturns in the number of divorce and separation filings.” With a tip of the oven mitt to home-making maven, Martha Stewart, “That is a very good thing.”
  • Guard Families Participate in White House Easter Egg Roll

    04/14/2009 4:48:29 PM PDT · by SandRat · 1 replies · 244+ views
    WASHINGTON, April 14, 2009 – National Guard members from five states and their families participated in yesterday’s 2009 Easter Egg Roll held on the South Lawn of the White House. Children at the 2009 Easter Egg Roll held on the South Lawn of the White House were given a souvenir Easter egg. This year's egg is the greenest egg in history, according to the White House Web site. It is made from hardwood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which means that the wood comes from environmentally sustainable managed forests. Courtesy photo   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available....
  • Circus Salutes Military Children, Families

    04/10/2009 3:53:46 PM PDT · by SandRat · 1 replies · 168+ views
    WASHINGTON, April 10, 2009 – The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus invited more than 300 military families to their show at the Patriot Center here last night for “thrills and chills” under the big top in recognition of the Month of the Military Child. Camden Doerer stands with his mother, Tammy, and younger sister, Casey, outside the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus before the April 9, 2009, show begins. The performance was in celebration of the Month of the Military Child, and more than 300 military families received free tickets. DoD photo by Sharon Foster  (Click...
  • USO, Military Families Show Troops Support with Care Packages

    04/09/2009 4:49:55 PM PDT · by SandRat · 1 replies · 367+ views
    American Forces Press Service ^ | Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, USA
    FORT BELVOIR, Va., April 9, 2009 – While many children are spending their spring break away from the schoolhouse on the couch watching television or playing video games, some spent part of their week off this year volunteering and giving back to their military community. Rebecca Stoffer, right, places a USO care package into a shipping box for deployed troops during a care package party April 9, 2009, at Fort Belvoir, Va. Stoffer and her two children were among 70 volunteers, including more than 50 children ages 3 to 17, who spent the day filling care packages with toiletries...
  • Reading Program Reaches Out to Military Families

    04/09/2009 4:37:22 PM PDT · by SandRat · 124+ views
    WASHINGTON, April 9, 2009 – Anyone from the Saturday morning cartoon generation knows that “reading is fundamental.” Now, young military children will get their own version of that message through Reach Out and Read’s new military pilot program. Air Force Capt. (Dr.) Minh-Thu Le interacts with her patient, 8-month-old Alexander, as he performs the common newborn ritual of “mouthing the book.” Alexander’s parents, Air Force 1st Lt. Alice L. Shepard and her husband, Steven, happily look on at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. U.S. Air Force photo by James Spellman Jr.  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Through the...
  • Gates Signs Policy Change for Dignified Transfer Operations at Dover (Vultures photo caskets)

    04/01/2009 5:21:58 PM PDT · by SandRat · 7 replies · 351+ views
    WASHINGTON, April 1, 2009 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has approved a policy change that, under strictly delineated conditions, allows media filming of dignified transfer operations of fallen servicemembers’ remains at Dover Air Force Base, Del. The new policy is slated to be implemented April 6, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters today. If immediate family members consent to media coverage, Whitman said, reporters would be provided the basic information on the servicemember and the expected time of arrival of the flight bearing the remains. “The core of the policy,” Whitman said, “is built around the desires of...
  • Chairman Lauds Group for Work With Families of Fallen Warriors

    04/01/2009 4:38:41 PM PDT · by SandRat · 106+ views
    American Forces Press Service ^ | Samantha L. Quigley
    WASHINGTON, April 1, 2009 – Those in uniform must always remember their fallen comrades and their families, and those families deserve help in enduring their heartache, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here last night. “All of us know that nobody goes through life alone -- nobody,” Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told those gathered for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors Honor Guard Gala. “[And] nobody should have to go through grief alone. It’s really that that TAPS does so well.” Bonnie Carroll started TAPS after her husband, Army Brig. Gen. Tom Carroll, an Alaska National...
  • ‘Operation Purple’ Offers Summer Fun to Military Kids

    03/26/2009 4:09:42 PM PDT · by SandRat · 162+ views
    WASHINGTON, March 26, 2009 – The National Military Family Association will host more than 9,000 military children at “Operation Purple” youth camps across America this year. These free, weeklong, overnight camps are meant to bring children of deployed servicemembers, ages 7 to 17, together for an exciting and memorable experience. Camps will be held in 62 locations and 37 states and territories across the United States. “We understand these are trying times for our youngest heroes,” Michelle Joyner, NMFA’s director of communications, said. “Operation Purple Camps bring together kids in similar situations and teach them coping skills to better...
  • Army Program Builds ‘Strong Bonds’ Among Couples, Families

    03/24/2009 5:33:45 PM PDT · by SandRat · 155+ views
    American Forces Press Service ^ | Samantha L. Quigley
    WASHINGTON, March 24, 2009 – As one spouse tried to navigate the other across a room and through a minefield of foam toys, the games had begun at the Army’s “Strong Bonds” marriage retreat near Baltimore. Army Staff Sgt. Jennifer Garcia and her husband, Army Cpl. Paul Garzon, both with the 704th Military Intelligence Brigade, share a moment while practicing new communication skills learned during the first day of an Army Strong Bonds love retreat, near Baltimore, Feb. 12, 2009. DoD photo by Samantha L. Quigley  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “What these workshops do is it helps...
  • Troop Support Group Helps Vets, Military Families Find Jobs

    03/19/2009 4:39:39 PM PDT · by SandRat · 186+ views
    WASHINGTON, March 19, 2009 – Military veterans and spouses in the New Jersey area are getting help finding jobs from a troop support group. The G.I. Go Fund will join forces with New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez and the city of Newark to host its first Veterans and Military Family Job Fair on March 21 at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Nearly 40 government and private employers are scheduled to participate in the job fair, including the Secret Service, FBI, U.S. Marshals, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Prudential, Coca Cola, U.S. Department of Housing and...
  • Sesame Workshop Reaches Out to Military Families

    03/18/2009 4:30:11 PM PDT · by SandRat · 1 replies · 140+ views
    American Forces Press Service ^ | Samantha L. Quigley
    WASHINGTON, March 18, 2009 – Sesame Workshop continues to find unique and creative ways to reach out to the very youngest in military families, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said here today during a sneak preview of a new primetime Sesame program. “There are few characters more beloved than the Sesame Street friends, and through Elmo and Rosita, military kids can better grasp how to reconnect with their loved ones after redeployment,” Lynn said. “They will see that they are not alone in feeling confused or anxious, and that they and their families can learn new ways...
  • Reunion Training Helps Soldiers, Families Reconnect

    03/16/2009 4:19:39 PM PDT · by SandRat · 131+ views
    FORT BRAGG, N.C., March 16, 2009 – Spouses of soldiers in the 18th Airborne Corps have a better idea of how to reconnect with their other halves upon redeployment, thanks to the Army’s Battlemind reunion training. “Reunion is not always easy, is it?” Army Chaplain (Col.) Larry McCarty, a Task Force Bragg chaplain, asked at the beginning of the training, which began here March 4. The Army created Battlemind to help soldiers and families adapt to the changes and difficulties that come with redeployment. While the current training here was for spouses, soldiers receive the training immediately before deployments...
  • Documentary Opening Today Depicts Commitment, Sacrifice of Soldiers, Families

    03/13/2009 5:31:07 PM PDT · by SandRat · 1 replies · 227+ views
    WASHINGTON, March 13, 2009 – On location in the Middle of Nowhere, Iraq, filmmaker Jake Rademacher focuses his lens on a unit of young reconnaissance troops with whom he’s embedded. For five days they wait in the desert near Syria, watching idly for smugglers bringing weapons, cash or foreign fighters across the border. Conversation is the only thing that colors the monotony of the blank horizon. One soldier says he joined the ranks to make his father proud. Another is confident his duty will benefit posterity. And a crew-cut junior enlisted troop says through a wad of chewing tobacco he’s...
  • More Troops, Families Likely to Qualify for New GI Bill Benefits

    02/24/2009 3:10:19 PM PST · by SandRat · 2 replies · 258+ views
    WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2009 – Troops nearing retirement eligibility may be able to tap into the transferability benefits provided in the new Post-9/11 GI Bill, even if they’re unable to serve four more years of duty due to service policies, a senior defense official said. The Post-9/11 Veterans Education Bill that takes effect in August and will offer more benefits and the ability to transfer benefits to a spouse or child has proven to be a hit with the troops, Bill Carr, deputy undersecretary of defense for military personnel policy, told the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service....
  • Documentary Depicts Commitment, Sacrifice of Soldiers, Families

    02/23/2009 6:37:23 PM PST · by SandRat · 2 replies · 200+ views
    WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2009 – On location in the Middle of Nowhere, Iraq, filmmaker Jake Rademacher focuses his lens on a unit of young reconnaissance troops with whom he’s embedded. David Scantling, chief executive officer of private equity firm Scantling Technology Ventures; Producer Norman S. Powell; Army Capt. Isaac Rademacher, actor Gary Sinese and filmmaker Jake Rademacher pose for photos after an advance screening of “Brothers at War,” a film that documents Jake Rademacher's experience in Iraq as he sought to understand what motivates his two military brothers. The sneak preview took place Feb. 20, 2009, at the National...
  • Majority of Military Families Do Not Want Dover Media Ban Overturned

    02/19/2009 7:44:45 AM PST · by GILTN1stborn · 17 replies · 619+ views
    On Friday, Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission distributed an e-newsletter asking you to send in your opinion on President Obama’s announcement to review overturning the 18-year ban on publishing photos of flag-draped transfer cases at Dover Air Force base. Hundreds of you wrote in to inform us on your position and we want to thank you for taking the time to share your story. Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission represents over 60,000 military families, including Blue and Gold Star Families and veterans. According to the respondents: • 64% believe that the policy should not...
  • Project Sanctuary Provides Retreat for Military Families

    02/12/2009 3:28:50 PM PST · by SandRat · 133+ views
    WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2009 – Whether it’s sitting around a campfire roasting marshmallows in the winter or standing in the middle of a creek fishing during the summer, a Colorado troop-support group is promising a week-long retreat full of fun and relaxation for 80 deserving military families this year. Project Sanctuary will give the military families a five-night, all-expenses-paid, therapeutic retreat in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The retreats will be co-hosted by the YMCA of the Rockies at the Snow Mountain Ranch near Winter Park, Colo. “The stress on military families is enormous,” Kristi Kinnison, director of development at...
  • Newest Fisher House to Serve Southern California Veterans, Families

    02/10/2009 3:29:53 PM PST · by SandRat · 178+ views
    American Forces Press Service ^ | Samantha L. Quigley
    WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2009 – It was pouring liquid sunshine as the Fisher House Foundation and the Veterans Affairs Department prepared to dedicate the 43rd Fisher House in Brentwood, Calif., on Feb. 6, but the significance of the event wasn’t lost on Mother Nature. The Fisher House located on the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Healthcare System campus is a 16,800 square-foot building in the California-Spanish stucco style. With 21 private suites, the building, shown in this artist rendering, provides military families a “home away from home” while their loved ones recover from injuries or illnesses. The newest Fisher...
  • Improvements Keep Soldiers Connected in Afghanistan

    02/10/2009 3:19:17 PM PST · by SandRat · 3 replies · 196+ views
    American Forces Press Service ^ | Staff Sgt. David Hopkins, USA
    BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Feb. 9, 2009 – Improvements at Forward Operating Base Blessing in northeastern Afghanistan are helping soldiers stay connected with their families and friends back home. Army Sgt. Maj. Lou Holzwarth explains the plans for construction of the new morale, welfare and recreation facility at Forward Operating Base Blessing in northeastern Afghanistan. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. David Hopkins  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Construction of new buildings and the repositioning of departments on the installation have allowed the base’s morale, welfare and recreation facilities to move to a larger space in a newly renovated...
  • Entertainers Join Elmo to Help Military Families Find ‘New Normal’

    01/30/2009 4:21:16 PM PST · by SandRat · 2 replies · 214+ views
    American Forces Press Service ^ | Samantha L. Quigley
    WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2009 – Sesame Workshop will air a PBS special April 1 aimed at helping military families cope with changes. Actor/singer Queen Latifah and singer John Mayer will join Elmo to present, “Coming Home: Military Families Cope with Change.” The special carries a message for children whose parents suffered a physical or psychological wound in combat. “Rosita’s father is in a wheelchair and [she] talks to Elmo about her feelings,” Barbara Thompson, director of the Defense Department’s Office of Family Policy/Children and Youth, said. “Elmo very graciously says, ‘You need to talk to your dad about that.’”...
  • Extra Notice Helps Wyoming Prepare Families for Historic Deployment

    01/21/2009 3:43:45 PM PST · by SandRat · 160+ views
    WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2009 – As Wyoming prepares for the largest National Guard deployment in state history, much of the planning has gone into helping those who will be left behind for a year in communities scattered across the rural state. Nearly 1,000 soldiers will deploy in April to Iraq and Kuwait, leaving behind thousands of families and extended family members in nearly every community in the state. “A lot of people think of the ‘spouse’ when they think of military family programs. Not everybody’s married,” William Breckenridge, the state Family Support Program director, said. “We work in terms...
  • UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Would Threaten the American Family

    01/11/2009 10:19:48 PM PST · by Crush · 19 replies · 1,981+ views
    FamilySecurityMatters ^ | 1-9-09 | Chris Carter
    The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is a treaty that is extremely damaging to parental rights and the family structure, as well as our national sovereignty. The CRC was signed by President Bill Clinton in 1995, but opposition by members of the Senate kept the treaty from being ratified. Legislators found that it was incompatible with the rights of the parents to raise their children. But new Democrat majorities in Congress and a new administration in the White House make ratification of the CRC far more likely. President-elect Barack Obama has already expressed his support...