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Thursday, July 9, 2009
Your American Legion Auxiliary e-News July 2009
Army Releases June Suicide Data
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| Army Releases June Suicide Data The Army released suicide data for the month of June today. Among active-duty soldiers there were no confirmed suicides and nine potential suicides. In May, the Army reported one confirmed suicide and 16 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers. Since that time, seven have been confirmed and nine remain under investigation.
There have been 88 reported active-duty suicides in the Army during calendar year 2009. Of these, 54 have been confirmed, and 34 are pending determination of manner of death. For the same period in 2008, there were 67 confirmed suicides among active-duty soldiers.
During June 2009, among reserve component soldiers not on active duty, there were no confirmed suicides and two potential suicides; to date, among that same group, there have been 16 confirmed suicides and 23 potential suicides currently under investigation to determine the manner of death. For the same period in 2008, there were 29 confirmed suicides among reserve soldiers not on active duty.
"Every soldier suicide is different and tragic in its own way," said Brig. Gen. Colleen McGuire, director, Army Suicide Prevention Task Force. "Our current research and prevention efforts are identifying common denominators that lead soldiers to take their own life. It's often a combination of many factors that overwhelm an individual.
"Although suicide can impact anyone, we're finding that male soldiers, in combat-arms occupational specialties, between ages 18 and 27 are more vulnerable," McGuire said. "That's why we're looking at existing programs and other institutional safety nets to see what works, and what needs to be changed to enhance the support network of trained leaders and behavioral healthcare providers who can identify and treat risk factors before young soldiers get to the point where they feel there's no way out."
The Army will complete the second phase of a three-phased service-wide suicide stand-down and chain teach program, July 15, 2009. Phases one and two included an interactive training program, that features a video, and a small unit leader training effort which began on February 15, 2009. The third phase of the Army program will include sustained annual suicide prevention training for all soldiers, emphasizing common causes of suicidal behavior and the critical role Army leaders, friends, co-workers and families play in maintaining behavioral health.
The Army's Suicide Prevention Task Force will continue implementation of the Army Campaign Plan for Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention to further enhance suicide prevention and behavioral health programs that directly affect our Army community and save soldiers' lives.
Soldiers and families in need of crisis assistance should contact Military OneSource or the Defense Center of Excellence (DCOE) Outreach Center. Trained consultants are available from both organizations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
The Military OneSource toll-free number for those residing in the continental U.S. is 800-342-9647, their Web site address is http://www.militaryonesource.com. Overseas personnel should refer to the Military OneSource Web site for dialing instructions for their specific location.
The DCOE Outreach Center can be contacted at 866-966-1020, via electronic mail at Resources@DCoEOutreach.org and at http://www.dcoe.health.mil/resources.aspx.
The Army's most current suicide prevention information is located at http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide/ . | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Girl with no Future
And so amid torrents scathing criticism, during 2006, I wrote a series of one dozen dispatches saying in the clearest terms that we were losing the war in Afghanistan. I have been warning for a long time that this war shows every sign that it will overshadow anything we saw in Iraq when it comes to danger to our troops.
The warnings are over. Here we are. There is little doubt that the Afghanistan war, at least on a per capita basis, will become far more deadly for our troops than even the darkest days in Iraq. People still scoff when I say these things, but they do not see clearly. This is a "no kidding" war. Don't be fooled by the slow buildup. The dark potential of AfPak is enormous.
Please read today's dispatch, which I published in the Washington Times.
And please support this mission.
Your Writer,
Michael Yon
Please remember that this website accepts no advertisement and is dependent on your support. So long as you've got my back, I'll stay in the action.
Please send any regular mail for Michael to:
Michael Yon
P.O. Box 5553
Winter Haven, Fl 33880
.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Team #2 note from our Ladie
"We work a lot here ... the days are long and the weather hot & humid, other than that things are good. I live ground hogs day over and over, but at least I'm busy so the time is flying."
There’s Still Time to Vote:
There's Still Time to Vote:
One Non-Profit Organization Can Win a $25,000 Social Media Makeover
ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--More than 1,500 charities are vying for a chance to win CommuniCause, a nationwide online contest that awards one winner a social media makeover. Launched earlier this year by Orlando-based interactive agency MindComet, the CommuniCause campaign gives Americans the opportunity to vote online and rally support for their favorite 501c3 non-profit organizations. The winning organization receives $25,000 in consulting services from MindComet to help improve its social media presence and fundraising outreach efforts. The campaign concludes on July 31st.Anyone with an E-mail address can visit CommuniCause.com and nominate a charity or vote for a previously-nominated organization. The site structure consists of a voting engine updated daily and social media tools, including a CommuniCause Facebook Fan Page, Twitter profile, badges and links -- allowing participants to easily share campaign information and rally more voters to their cause. Users can vote only once on the Website using a valid E-mail address, but can cast a second vote on Twitter and encourage more votes through "retweets" of a custom message. Upon conclusion of the campaign, one winner will be selected at random from the top ten qualified 501c3's, based on votes.
"Social media is a powerful communications medium that is underutilized, particularly by non-profit organizations lacking the resources to get up the rapidly evolving learning curve," said Marcelle Turner, CEO of MindComet. "We launched CommuniCause to raise awareness for deserving organizations and get help selecting a pro-bono project, but quickly realized the campaign wasn't just about picking a winner. Every participating organization is benefitting by learning how to use social media tools to increase visibility and rally support." The New York Times mentioned CommuniCause in a recent story on how charities are leveraging the internet for fundraising.
More than 1,500 charities have been nominated to date, from large, established national charities including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), to niche support organizations like Atlanta-based AMPUCAMP.org, to military charities with large networks of support including Soldiers' Angels, Operation Quiet Comfort, For The Troops & eMail Our Military. Organizations are enthusiastic about the campaign. "Social media is revolutionizing the way Americans communicate. We are convinced that it can enable us to do a better job of reaching and mobilizing our diverse constituencies – law enforcement, child welfare workers, educators and parents – to keep children safe," said Ernie Allen, president and CEO of NCMEC. Commented Patti Patton-Bader, founder & CEO of Soldiers' Angels, "Our close contact with the Milblog community (military-focused blogs) has been a great asset -- when popular milblogs posted about it, the votes came rushing in. It's helped us see that we've barely scratched the surface of potential in this arena."
For more information, visit www.mindcomet.com.
Contacts
Arthur Wilbur, 407-756-1377
arthurw@mindcomet.com
or
Bisbee and Company PR
Jennifer Bisbee, APR, 407-857-6443
jennifer@bisbeeandco.com
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090708005533&newsLang=en
Shelle Michaels
"May No Soldier Go Unloved"
Soldiers' Angels National Communication Officer
ShelleMichaels@SoldiersAngels.org
www.SoldiersAngels.org
Ladies of Liberty Team Director
LadiesofLiberty@SoldiersAngels.org
www.SoldiersAngelsLadiesOfLiberty.com
ACT NOW. GIVE MORE. SHOW SUPPORT.
Founder's Notes

| | Dear Soldiers' Angels, Supporting the Troops can mean so many thingsfrom donating to organizations that do so much for our heroes, to spending hours volunteering, to simply taking the time to shake the hand and say "Thanks" to every vet you encounter, and so many other things. This week I want to tell you about three amazing women who are using their skills and passion to support the troops in their own unique and wonderful ways. These women are just incredible, and I am absolutely honored to tell you about them. Patches the Bear Helping Children Heal Kathylee started Patches Kids to help young children cope with emotional challenges. Now she has developed a fantastic new program to bring the Patches Bear to military children facing the deployment, wounding or even loss of their parents. And she has such great ways to get children involved in this terrific project! [more]* Pockets of Peace Words of Encouragement Patsy joined her friend Richard in writing an extraordinary book that is helping our wounded heroes. She also has a foundation that brings therapy dogs to veterans and military hospitals, and is developing a therapy dog program for Soldiers' Angels! Please click through to see how you can help with these exciting projects! [more]*Meet the Angel Leadership--Band of Volunteers Cherry Blackwell, Soldiers' Angels Louisiana Cherry is from New Orleans, where she works closely with one of SA's busiest CTLs, Greta Perry. Family and church are very important to her: she has been married to Ben for 29 years and they have two children. Her son is a music minister, her daughter is a Marine, and she also has a son-in-law currently deployed to Iraq. Ben is a music minister too, and Cherry joins him in making music as well as participating in myriad other church activities.She discovered Soldiers' Angels when her daughter left for Marine Corps boot camp and she decided to send care packages and letters to those already serving abroad. Cherry loves to cook, entertain and decorate, which is perfect for the large events she works on with Soldiers' Angels, such as planning and serving food for 200 people at a deployment ceremony for a LA National Guard unit, and helping at a recent Marine Family Day. "I feel like it is least I can do," she says. All of these great ladies use their personal skills in business, hospitality, writing and more to do fantastic things in support of our troops. Please take a look around you and see how your talents can help, and how others can be inspired to use their own talents for the heroes who need our love and support. Wingtip to Wingtip, Patti Patton-Bader Soldiers' Angels Founder and CEO *If your email blocks the links, you can go to soldiersangels.org and look for "News & Press." Then click on "News Archives" for more information about these stories. |
You are receiving this message because you are currently an approved angel at Soldiers Angels (http://www.soldiersangels.org). If you wish to be removed from our newsletter list click the link below:
http://soldiersangels.org/index.php?page=opt-out&angel_ID=LOL
Thank you!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
LETTER FROM TEAM 1 SOLDIER
For more information: ShelleMichaels@SoldiersAngels.org or LadiesofLiberty@SoldiersAngels.org
Our Ladies Killed in Action
As you became a child, an angel sat on your shoulder.
When you became a teen, an angel held your hand.
As you went to war, an angel walked down the road with you,
And, when you died, another angel got their wings.
- 1st Female AFA graduate
- Air Force Times
- American Jewish Woman
- Angel Poem
- Chairman of the Board
- CNN
- DOD
- Funeral Story
- Half-Staff Flags
- Lacross Championship
- Legacy Guest Book
- LT Commander Howery Navy
- Never the Same
- News cast
- NPR Interview
- Pacific Air Forces Airmen mourn loss of Airman
- Patriot Guard
- R.I.P. Roz
- Remembering the Fallen in A-Stan
- Roz in SA July newsletter
- Salute
- Shulte Funeral News clip
- Thank You 1Lt Nicholas Ringo
- Thank you Nancy Grace
- Tribute from Jennifer Young
- Tribute from Shivan
- Veiled Profit Project Honors
"Follow Me" on Twitter
You're a brave selfless hero fighting freedom for me.
So on this your Birthday the least I can do,
is stand in honor as I salute you.
Thank you for your courage and listen as I say,
there's noone as deserving of a Happy Birthday!
~written by Jodi Rae Ingstad
For all that you do, we all shout "Hurrah!"
We commend and salute and send wishes of love.
May every step be guided by angels above.
~written by Jodi Rae Ingstad
Mrs. M needs a little help
Fast forward nearly four years, and you'll find a happy, well-adjusted family in North Dakota. Since being granted asylum status, Mrs. M has been employed in the community and her children — ranging in age from 4 to 17 — have excelled in school. They eagerly learned English, joined local soccer teams and the oldest has recently earned his drivers license.
The children's mom just received some disturbing medical news. Mrs. M was diagnosed with a severe heart condition. Thankfully, a regular regimen of medication and rest can restore much of her health within three to six months. In the meantime, she cannot work due to the side effects of the medication and the strain on her heart — a scary proposition for a mother with seven mouths to feed and bills to pay.
Due to the support this family, along with their late father, provided to the U.S. and coalition forces, Soldiers' Angels (http://www.soldiersangels.org/) has agreed to serve as the fiscal agent for those raising money to support the family. As a volunteer-based nonprofit, Soldiers' Angels has over 30 different teams supporting all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. Through special projects, dedicated teams and individuals supporting our troops, the organization and the volunteers make a visible difference in the lives of our service members and their families. Donations will go directly to support the family's immediate needs including mortgage, food, gas and electrical expenses along with any unexpected medical care that they may incur during Mrs. M's medical recovery.
To help this family who has given so much to help Americans, click on the PayPal link below and make a credit card donation.
Checks or money orders will be accepted at Soldiers' Angels National Headquarters.
Soldiers' Angels
1792 E. Washington Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91104
Put "MRS. M" in the memo line.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any other services that can assist this family. Thank you for your care and concern! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Shelle Michaels, an advocate for Mrs. M's success.
ShelleMichaels@msn.com
This and That
- Women's News
- Women's Memorial
- Women Marines
- Woman Veterans Advocay
- Tribute to Shelle
- The Woman's Heart- Veterans
- Thanks Rachel...
- Soldiers' Angels
- Sister Soldier
- SA PSA
- SA Forum- Angel Chat
- Order Tastefully Simple for the Ladies
- Orchid Lake Candles
- Navy Nurse Corp
- Mary Kay Consultants read this
- Little Soldier Girl
- History of Women at War
- Grace after Fire
- Go Red for Women
- Follow Shelle on Twitter
- Female Hygiene Packs
- Dunkin' Donuts Coffee Request
- DACOWITS
- Center for Women Veterans
- Birthday Cake
- Army Women's Museum
- About.com ~ Women's Issues
“We are working with the Marines on joint activities bringing educational resources to the local populations. We are rebuilding a school and working on literacy issues. We see the difference the availability of education has on improving lives and bringing stability and understanding to these areas.” HM1 Charlotte Ward
Blog Archive
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- Your American Legion Auxiliary e-News July 2009
- Army Releases June Suicide Data
- Women Veterans find Grace After Fire
- The Girl with no Future
- Team #2 note from our Ladie
- There’s Still Time to Vote:
- Founder's Notes
- LETTER FROM TEAM 1 SOLDIER
- LOL Team 5- Dunkin Donuts winner!
- LOL Tream #2 reply from one of our ladies
- Schulte honored in Veiled Profit Project
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- we were here......Statue of Liberty's
- my little spot at the ceremony at the island toda...
- Team 8: June Monthly News
- Holiday for Heroes
- PRAYERS NEEDED: U.S. Military: American Soldier Ca...
- $138,000 for the Holidays
- New PTSD Program Answers Need for Comprehensive Tr...
- Summer Recipes from Korbel® California Champagne
- LUNA Bar: Give this healthy Cookie a try...on us!
- To All The Soldier Angels from Lady Shawanda
- Happy 4th of July
- Independence Day Savings - Happy Birthday America!...
- FREEDOM FEET 2009
- The Live Your Legacy TV Show TV Show WON! The TELL...
- Oh, my stars is almost the 4th of July.
- Team 5 Weekly Update!
- Hello all--- I added some support in a "comment"
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- Military Spouses Thank Gates for Support
- A letter from Natalie at Camp Liberty !
- Soldiers' Angels asked Americans to vote a dream w...
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- Congress has a Moment of Silence for Michael Jacks...
- This is your Chance to Ride with Lance
- Thanks for your support!!!
- Women of Worth Program
- OUR SOLDIER Eric Oberly and his Fiancee Van Ngo wo...
- Team #2 notes from our Ladies
- A note from Michelle Obama- Serving together
- Lady (MSG) Cossio
- NEW MMA Shirt and Soldiers' Angels Fundraiser
- Team #2 notes from our Ladies
- LOL Team #2 Update
- CONGRATULATIONS TO SUSAN RIGGINS TEAM 1
- About NVCI - Nevada Cancer Institute
- Internet Alert - "Soldier's Angels"
- JOIN the coolest new social networking site.... me...
- Soldier' Angels is sponsoring Operation School Sup...
- Time to roll up your sleeves
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Kathylee started Patches Kids to help young children cope with emotional challenges. Now she has developed a fantastic new program to bring the Patches Bear to military children facing the deployment, wounding or even loss of their parents. And she has such great ways to get children involved in this terrific project! [
Patsy joined her friend Richard in writing an extraordinary book that is helping our wounded heroes. She also has a foundation that brings therapy dogs to veterans and military hospitals, and is developing a therapy dog program for Soldiers' Angels! Please click through to see how you can help with these exciting projects! [
Cherry is from New Orleans, where she works closely with one of SA's busiest CTLs, Greta Perry. Family and church are very important to her: she has been married to Ben for 29 years and they have two children. Her son is a music minister, her daughter is a Marine, and she also has a son-in-law currently deployed to Iraq. Ben is a music minister too, and Cherry joins him in making music as well as participating in myriad other church activities.




