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WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2008 – Operation Life Transformed honored six scholarship recipients, including the recipient of the 100th “Caregivers of War Wounded Training Scholarship,” during its “Celebrate 100” reception held here recently. Operation Life Transformed provides education and resources to wounded-warrior caregivers and military spouses through private and corporate entities. Its focus is to enable caregivers and military spouses to create a portable lifestyle. “Forty-three percent of our applicants are moms and dads that move across several states [and] give up their jobs so that they can sit bedside with the loved one,” said Tania Mercurio, chief executive officer...

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq, Oct. 9, 2008 – They stand everywhere the eye can see -- brave warriors, tall and proud. Never flinching, never surrendering, these protectors never take time off – the thought never even crosses their minds. T-walls protect servicemembers and civilians outside the Multinational Division Center headquarters at Camp Liberty, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Josh LeCappelain  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Of course, not a lot crosses your mind when you are made of concrete. They are called T-walls, named after their unique, upside-down “T” shape. All over Iraq, wherever you see coalition forces...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8, 2008 – Dozens of injured troops set out on a seven-day, 420-mile trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles on Sept. 28 to raise funds to support outdoor cycling programs and to let other wounded servicemembers know they can be active. Wounded troops and Road2Recovery volunteers get a little morale from Shell Beach Elementary students and teachers as they arrive in Pismo Beach, Calif., on one leg of their seven-day, 420-mile ride between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Oct. 1, 2008. The Road2Recovery California Challenge supports military and veterans outdoor cycling programs. Courtesy photo by Road2Recovery...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2008 – Wounded servicemembers and their families in San Diego will have a second “home away from home” during the recovery process when Naval Medical Center San Diego celebrates the grand opening of Fisher House II on Oct. 3. Fisher House II, the second Fisher House facility serving Naval Medical Center San Diego, stands ready for its Oct. 3, 2008, grand opening. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The Fisher Houses provide respite and accommodations for families of active and retired military patients who have been admitted for medical care. “This facility represents the...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2008 – Since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have begun, thousands of American soldiers have been welcomed home with elaborate parades, gymnasiums packed with tearful spouses and children, and commanders proclaiming from podiums great deeds done in battle. Navy Rear Adm. Donna L. Crisp, who commands the JPAC, talks about emerging technologies that are boosting efforts to recover and identify missing servicemembers. Defense Dept. photo by Fred W. Baker III  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Still others have had more tragic homecomings, instead returning in flag-draped coffins to grieving spouses and families; their ceremonies...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2008 – President Bush visited Walter Reed Army Medical Center here today to pay respects to wounded soldiers and their families, and to the medical personnel who care for the injured. After his visit, Bush commented on the paradoxical human conditions produced by combat wounds. “On the one hand, you see the horrors of war; on the other hand, you see the courage of the people that have volunteered to serve,” he said. “I marvel when I come to Walter Reed. I marvel at the fact that people say to me, ‘Mr. President, I'd do it...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3, 2008 – Based on the idea that with their grace, elegance and unconditional acceptance, horses may be just what many servicemembers and veterans need, a former Marine has formed an organization to introduce them to what he calls “the power of partnership with horses.” “Horses have an incredible way of teaching and healing humans,” said Brad Myers, president of Operation Silver Spurs. A third-generation veteran, Myers started the endeavor after consulting with a master therapeutic riding instructor. Operation Silver Spurs is open not only to all veterans, but also to active-duty personnel, reservists, Guardsmen and their...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2008 – More than 100 runners are expected to participate in a 99-mile run Aug. 23-24 hosted by a Greenville, N.C.-based care package group in honor of the 117 North Carolinians who have lost their lives serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Barbara Whitehead, director of the North Carolina branch of Give2theTroops, said the group’s run is scheduled to coincide with the last two days of the national “Run for the Fallen.” The national event will cover more than 4,000 miles, one mile for each servicemember killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, by the time it ends at...

Radarsite is fortunate to have made a lot of good friends in this small part of the blogosphere. Many of these friends and fellow bloggers are veterans. Some from the deadly jungles of Vietnam. And some from unheralded battles and wars that must still remain classified. These people are special. They all seem to share some common fundamental traits: a certain toughness of mind, coupled with a deep hard-won humility. And one common trait which I particularly value -- an absolute and uncompromising self-honesty, and a correspondingly low threshold for bulls**t. It's almost as though they've developed a sixth sense...

OMAHA, Neb., July 29, 2008 – Recently wounded combat troops are here getting advice and encouragement from those who understand best what they’re up against: other disabled veterans who have learned to live with their disabilities. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Anthony Felder, who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident after returning from a Middle East deployment, said he finds inspiration among disabled veterans participating in the 28th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Omaha, Neb. Defense Dept. photo by Donna Miles  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Veterans of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, including five current patients at...

OMAHA, Neb., July 29, 2008 – About 500 disabled veterans, including recently wounded warriors from Iraq and Afghanistan, are entering their final day of competition here today at the 28th National Veterans Wheelchair Games. William Kafka, a disabled veteran from El Paso, Texas, prepares to take a shot during nine-ball pool at the 28th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Omaha, Neb. Department of Veterans Affairs photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The event is the world’s largest annual wheelchair sports competition. It brings together veterans with spinal cord injuries, amputations or other mobility or neurological conditions to compete...

WASHINGTON, July 17, 2008 – Servicemembers being treated at military medical facilities in the national capital region now can recuperate with their families thanks to one group’s ingenuity and the generosity of corporate donors. Christopher Payne Jr. enjoys his new home in the Operation Homefront Village serving Washington’s Water Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md., July 15, 2008. The village offers transitioning wounded warriors rent-free housing while they recuperate at one of the medical facilities. Photo courtesy of Operation Homefront   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Operation Homefront welcomed wounded warriors...

WASHINGTON, July 16, 2008 – Wounded veterans and their families looking for help reentering civilian life can turn to an organization in Huntsville, Ala., that takes a holistic approach to that task. “Still Serving Veterans” enables and empowers wounded veterans and their families by helping them reintegrate into the work force and community via counseling, coaching, guiding, job transition, and assistance in obtaining all Veterans Affairs benefits to which they are entitled, Werner W. Baker, the organization’s executive director, said. This holistic approach begins with a case manager, who documents individual needs, desires, abilities and limitations of the veteran...

WASHINGTON, July 11, 2008 – More than 400 guests attended a dedication ceremony for the 39th Fisher House recently built on the grounds of Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center, in Richmond, Va., one of the VA’s four Level 1 polytrauma centers. This artist’s rendering depicts the 16,000 square-foot, 21-suite Fisher House built on the grounds of Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, in Richmond, Va. The 39th Fisher House was dedicated in a ceremony July 10, 2008, at the house. Courtesy of Fisher House Foundation  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “It was an opportunity to be...

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2008 – An organization that focuses on helping severely injured veterans channels its efforts toward providing the kinds of assistance they don’t otherwise get. The Independence Fund provides “the tools, therapies and guidance that they are otherwise not receiving,” said Steve Danyluk, the organization’s president. The Independence Fund, he explained, is built upon three pillars of support. These pillars, according to the Independence Fund Web site, include providing specialized tools and therapies to troops and veterans, promoting the overall well-being of severely injured veterans through physical and leisure activity, and providing advocacy and guidance through veterans...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq, June 30, 2008 – Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers and Iraqi National Police officers share the stresses and successes of providing security and stability in Iraq as they work side by side every day to protect the people of Baghdad. Army Sgt. Brent Mann (far left), of Austin, Texas, and Army Spc. Octavio Torres, of New York, share water with a policeman from 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st National Police Division, near a checkpoint at a major intersection in eastern Baghdad. Mann and Torres are assigned to Multinational Division Baghdad in Company D, 2nd Battalion,...

WASHINGTON, June 17, 2008 – Mental Health practitioners nationwide are donating their time and services to provide free, confidential counseling to military people and their families. “Combat affects everyone in one way or another,” explained Dr. Barbara Romberg in an “ASY Live” interview on BlogTalkRadio. “Most people react when exposed to a situation where there are extreme or horrific events; it is a human reaction to abnormal situations.” ASY Live is part of the Defense Department’s America Supports You program, which connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad. Romberg, founder and president...

WASHINGTON, June 16, 2008 – The relationship between servicemembers and their coffee is so storied that the hot black liquid has a role in nearly every war movie ever made. With a desire to support the troops and an understanding of that relationship, the mother and daughter team of Tamra Gravitt and Crystal Espiritu started GI Java. The coffee shop serves its brew to each customer with honor, integrity and excellence above the call of duty, according to a news release from the coffee shop. The company, with five locations in Washington state, offers coffee in military-themed sizes: the...

WASHINGTON, June 12, 2008 – An offshoot of a nonprofit educational program founded in England during World War II to prepare young sailors to endure adversity at sea during wartime is helping U.S. war veterans today. Kyle Stozek climbs Turtle Rock near Buena Vista, Colo. He was one of several veterans participating in an Outward Bound veteran expedition. Courtesy photo by Michael Brands for Outward Bound  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “‘Outward Bound’ expeditions specifically designed for veterans and supported by the Sierra Club are an extension of this effort,” said Meg Ryan, project manager for the Colorado-based...

With this documentary, photo exhibit and book our aim is to raise funding for and awareness of the men and women warriors that have given so much to protect our freedoms. Freedom is not free. www.freedomisnotfree.com