Monday, April 18, 2011

Ladies of Liberty Team Angels, take a bow! Here are the Team's support numbers for the last 3 months: January -- 724 letters/cards sent and 122 packages sent February -- 1097 letters/cards sent and 159 packages sent March -- 1445 letters/cards sent and 226 packages sent WOW! Fantastic job, Angels! You brought literally THOUSANDS of smiles to our ladies' faces in the last few months -- THANK YOU!

Friday, April 15, 2011

National Women's Health Week kicks off on Mother's Day


National Women's Health Week kicks off on Mother's Day, May 8th, a day when we are already focusing on the important women in our lives. This year, help empower women nationwide to make their health a priority by celebrating National Women's Health Week and holding events in your local community. Don't forget to register your activities on the National Women's Health Week website and order free educational materials to distribute — including posters, bookmarks, prevention guides, brochures, and more! It's easy — just go to http://www.womenshealth.gov/whw/my-account/register.cfm and follow the steps.
 
 
Angels-- lets get busy helping our Ladies of Liberty get as healthy as possible.

DOD Launches New Helpline to Support Victims of Sexual Assault



 



 

 

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Ladies of Liberty Team is proud to be supporting female sailors aboard the USS Enterprise, often called our first and finest aircraft carrier. One of these ladies was assigned to an angel team leader, Angel Michele R., who opened up communication with the lady and very quickly discovered a much greater need. The carrier had not made a port call in some time, and support was needed. "How many ladies with you?" we asked. The reply came: "500!" With that, the call for support went out to all the teams within Ladies of Liberty for support, and so far, we have had over 30 Angels step up to assist! Our Angel wings are strong, and stronger still when we fly wingtip-to-wingtip, landing on an aircraft carrier with our support!

Monday, April 11, 2011

A note from a special LoL Angel -- Sheri W.

Below is a note I received from Ladies of Liberty Angel, Sheri W. -- In March, I coordinated a morning of writing letters and coloring designs for 40 Ladies of Liberty (female deployed soldiers). Eight women from my church participated and made a pot-luck lunch for the residents and staff of Rainbow Children's Home in Dahlonega, GA. The home is small and holds 7 girls. The home exists to provide hope, security, and opportunity to girls, ages 12-17, who have suffered abuse and/or neglect. The residents stay a few weeks or months until it is safe to return to their family; in some cases Mom is going through drug rehab. Or they go live with a relative, foster home, or adoptive family. Our church provides financial support as the home is one of our missions and some of the women volunteer to be a one-to-one mentor. You treat the teen like your daughter and do fun things with her, and mainly listen to her. I'm also working with a Sunday School class of 13-year-old girls who wanted to write to female soldiers. Last summer I was the Vacation Bible School craft coordinator for our church, so during free time, I had the 30 kids color pictures each of the five days and we mailed them to Ladies of Liberty! The ladies love hearing from the kids and the kids love it when they get a letter back. My grandkids, ages 8 and 5, are corresponding with a Lady of Liberty, Myranda, deployed to Afghanistan. They think it is so cool to hear from her. A couple of years ago we celebrated Flag Day and wrote letters. I want the kids to appreciate their flag, their country, and the soldiers who serve it. The Ladies of Liberty tell me how special it is to get mail from a stranger. But when they write back to me, I am the one who feels really special that THEY would take the time to write back. Thanks to Angel Sheri for her wonderful work with children, teen girls AND Ladies of Liberty!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011


DOD Launches New Helpline to Support Victims of Sexual Assault

            The Department of Defense today launched its newest initiative to support victims of sexual assault.  Using DoD Safe Helpline, service members can "click, call or text" for victim support services for themselves or others.  The free, anonymous and confidential resource can be accessed worldwide, 24-hours a day, every day, to connect with live sexual assault support professionals.
 
            In addition to improving victim care, secure and confidential access to Safe Helpline was developed to encourage victims to come forward when they might not otherwise. 
 
            "The underreporting of sexual assault poses a serious challenge to military readiness," said Clifford L. Stanley, under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness.  "We believe the Safe Helpline will provide DoD sexual assault victims with a variety of support outlets, which will lead victims to report sexual assault, seek needed information, and receive care."
 
            Safe Helpline offers three access options designed for service members.  Users can log on to http://www.SafeHelpline.org to receive live, one-on-one confidential help with a trained professional through a secure instant-messaging format.  The website also provides vital information about recovering from and reporting sexual assault.  A second option is to call the telephone hotline at 877-995-5247 to speak with Safe Helpline staff for personalized advice and support. 
 
Safe Helpline staff can also transfer callers to installation-based sexual assault response coordinators (SARC), on-call victim advocates, civilian rape crisis centers, or to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline.  The third option is for users to text their location to 55247 inside the United States or 202-470-5546 outside of the United States to receive automated contact information for the SARC at their installation or base. 
 
            Further information on Safe Helpline can be found on http://www.SafeHelpline.org or at http://www.sapr.mil
 
 .



We thank our women in uniform for their service and sacrifice. 
 
Female soldiers in Iraq

 

Photo Collection: Women in Uniform, WWII – Present

 

In honor of Women's History Month, VA is celebrating the accomplishments of female service members. In doing so, we used Facebook, Twitter,

and the VA blog to collect 170 photos of women in uniform. View the photos

 


Friday, March 18, 2011

Caring for Women Vets: A Response to “My VA Care”


Veterans Health Administration Update
VAntage Point Blog

Chief Consultant for Women Veterans Health: I worried that a woman might come to a VA facility, have a negative experience, and be instantly turned off and go away; that she would never receive the excellent health care she deserves. The story that Staff Sergeant Jennifer Hunt shared in her guest post is what my colleagues and I are working every day to change.
 

To read this blog entry as well as previous blog posts visit VAntage Point:

Sunday, March 13, 2011

OPERATION TENSHI (operation angel)


SUPPORT OUR TROOPS/families and friends in Japan:
 
OPERATION TENSHI (operation angel)
 
Soldiers' Angels is collecting the following products for our troops, families and friends in Japan:

  • BLANKETS
  • Small NEW (not used) toys for the children
  • International calling cards 
 
All types of hygeine, easy to ship care products- NEW UNOPENED ONLY

  • Shampoo/conditioner
  • Soap
  • Deordorant
  • Chapstick
  • Lotions
  • Female Personal Hygeine
  • Facial cleansing pads
  • Wet Wipes
  • Eye drops
  • Toothpaste/Toothbrushes
 

Ship these items to the Soldiers' Angels Warehouse:
Soldiers' Angels
4408 N PanAm Exprwy
San Antonio, TX 78218
 
 
Giftcards:
Walmart,  Visa or Mastercard (etc) giftcards so we can use them to fulfill requests. 
 
Ship Giftcards to our Soldiers' Angels Warehouse
Soldiers' Angels
4408 N PanAm Exprwy
San Antonio, TX 78218
We also need financial donations again to fulfill requests coming in.
 
 
All our donation options are listed here:
http://soldiersangels.org/donate.html
 
 
 
Military members in Japan: Roughly 35,000 U.S. military personnel stationed in Japan, and another 5,500 American civilians employed there by the Department of Defense. ALONG WITH THEIR FAMILIES. The United States Seventh Fleet is based in Yokosuka. The 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) is based in Okinawa. 130 USAF fighters are stationed in the Misawa Air Base and Kadena Air Base.
 
 
The USFJ headquarters is at Yokota Air Base, about 30 km west of central Tokyo.
 
 
The U.S. military installations in Japan and their managing branches are:
 
Air Force:

  • Camp Chitose, Chitose, Hokkaido
  • Kadena Air Base, Okinawa Prefecture
  • Kadena Ammunition Storage Area, Okinawa Prefecture
  • Okuma Recreational Facility, Okinawa Prefecture
  • Yaedake Communication Site, Okinawa Prefecture
  • Misawa Air Base, Aomori Prefecture
  • Yokota Air Base, Fussa, Tokyo
  • Fuchu Communications Station, Fuchu, Tokyo
  • Tama Service Annex, Inagi, Tokyo
  • Yugi Communication Site, Hachioji, Tokyo
  • Camp Asaka AFN Transmitter Site, Saitama Prefecture
  • Tokorozawa Transmitter Site, Saitama Prefecture
  • Owada Communication Site, Saitama Prefecture
 
Army:
  • Fort Buckner, Okinawa Prefecture
  • Army POL Depots, Okinawa Prefecture
  • White Beach Area, Okinawa Prefecture
  • Naha Port Facility, Okinawa Prefecture (return after relocation to the Urasoe Pier area)
  • Torii Station, Okinawa Prefecture
  • Tengan Pier, Okinawa Prefecture
  • Camp Zama, Zama, Kanagawa
  • Yokohama North Dock, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
  • Sagami General Depot, Sagamihara, Kanagawa
  • Sagamihara Housing Area, Sagamihara, Kanagawa
  • Akizuki Ammunition Depot, Hiroshima Prefecture
  • Hiro Ammunition Depot, Hiroshima Prefecture
  • Kawakami Ammunition Depot, Hiroshima Prefecture
  • Hardy Barracks, Minato, Tokyo
 
Marine Corps:
  • Camp Smedley D. Butler, Okinawa Prefecture, Yamaguchi Prefectures. (Although these camps are dispersed throughout Okinawa and the rest of Japan they are all under the heading of Camp Smedley D. Butler):
    • Camp McTureous, Okinawa Prefecture
    • Camp Courtney, Okinawa Prefecture
    • Camp Foster, Okinawa Prefecture
    • Camp Kinser, Okinawa Prefecture
    • Camp Hansen, Okinawa Prefecture
    • Camp Schwab, Okinawa Prefecture
    • Camp Gonsalves (Jungle Warfare Training Center), Okinawa Prefecture
    • Kin Blue Beach Training Area, Okinawa Prefecture
    • Kin Red Beach Training Area, Okinawa Prefecture
    • NSGA Hanza
    • Higashionna Ammunition Storage Point II
    • Henoko Ordnance Ammunition Depot
  • Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa Prefecture (return after the MCAS Futenma relocates to Camp Schwab)
  • Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni
  • Camp Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture
  • Numazu Training Area, Shizuoka Prefecture
  • Ie Jima Auxiliary Airfield, Okinawa Prefecture
  • Tsuken Jima Training Area, Okinawa Prefecture
 
Navy:
  • Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Ayase, Kanagawa
  • United States Fleet Activities Sasebo, Sasebo, Nagasaki
  • United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Yokosuka, Kanagawa
  • Urago Ammunition Depot, Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture
  • Tsurumi POL Depot, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
  • Naval Housing Annex Negishi, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
  • Naval Transmitter Station Totsuka, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
  • Naval Support Facility Kamiseya, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
  • Tomioka Storage Area, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
  • Naval Housing Annex Ikego, Zushi, Kanagawa
  • White Beach Area, Okinawa Prefecture
  • Camp Shields, Okinawa Prefecture
  • Camp Lester, Okinawa Prefecture (return after the Naval Hospital relocates to Camp Foster)
  • Awase Communication Station, Okinawa Prefecture
  • New Sanno Hotel, Tokyo
 
JSDF–USFJ Areas:
  • Tori Shima Range, Okinawa Prefecture
  • Kume Jima Range, Okinawa Prefecture
  • Kisarazu Auxiliary Landing Field, Kisarazu, Chiba Prefecture
  • Camp Hansen (small portion in central area of Camp Hansen), Okinawa Prefecture
  • Ukibaru Jima Range, Okinawa Prefecture
  • Kadena Air Base (small areas outside of the base that are supported by Kadena—these areas are located on the southern portion of Okinawa), Okinawa Prefecture
  • Jungle Warfare Training Center (formerly known as Northern Training Area—four thin elongated areas embedded and distributed evenly within JWTC), Okinawa Prefecture
 
In Okinawa, U.S. military installations occupy about 10.4 percent of the total land usage. Approximately 74.7 percent of all the U.S. military facilities in Japan are located on the island of Okinawa.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Free E- Cards for Valentine's Day benefits Soldiers' Angels..

If EVERYONE sent TEN E-CARDS................. what an amazing donation that would be for Soldiers' Angels.

 

 

http://www.photocardsdirect.com/soldiersangels

 

Love the Troops with Free E-cards!


http://soldiersangels.org/uploads/images/NewsItems/camoheart.jpgThanks to PhotoCardsDirect.com, patriotic Americans can send a free Valentine's Day e-card to anyone and make money for Soldiers' Angels care packages at the same time!  Keep reading for more info...
 
America appreciates and remembers our troops on Valentine's Day, and now Americans across the country can send a free e-card making sure those troops hear that message loud and clear.  PhotoCardsDirect.com and Soldiers' Angels are expanding their partnership in support of America's Armed Forces with free Valentine's Day photo e-cards for the troops that also generate donations for care packages.
 
Anyone can thank and support the troops with a free Valentine's Day e-card from PhotoCardsDirect.com.  For every 10 cards created, Soldiers' Angels will receive $1 towards care packages for deployed military personnel.
 
Soldiers' Angels Founder Patti Patton-Bader explains, "There's nothing like being able to put a face to the name of a supportive American back home.  With these photo e-cards, we can ensure our motto 'May No Soldier Go Unloved' becomes a reality this Valentine's Day."
 
Combat veteran and Soldiers' Angels Executive Director Toby Nunn adds, "If half your heart is in Iraq or Afghanistan this Valentine's Day, you can bridge that gap and make it whole for a moment with an e-card.  With just a couple of mouse clicks, every patriotic American can let the troops know how much they are loved and appreciated, that they are not forgotten."
 
The free Valentine's Day e-cards can be sent to any email address.  Americans who do not have the email address of a service member can send their cards to Valentines2011@soldiersangels.org and Soldiers' Angels will pass the Valentine to a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine who needs a boost.

 

 

 

 

 

Shelle M. Michaels / Professional Education Manager
Rasmussen College - Bismarck Campus

Office: 701-221-8810

Mobile: 701-214-8869
Fax:
877-307-4921

Shelle.Michaels@Rasmussen.edu

www.Rasmussen.edu

 

 

 

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Support the Red, White and Blue. Give Love, Give Blood.

January was Blood Donor Month. We salute everyone that gave blood during this campaign. Soldiers' Angels encourages everyone to give blood surrounding the weeks of Valentine's Day, as blood is needed every hour of the day. Support the Red, White and Blue. Give Love, Give Blood.
 
 Armed Services Blood Program Newsletter
February 8, 2011

ASBP Banner

From the Desk of:  COL Francisco Rentas, Director, ASBPO

National Blood Donor Month has come to an end, and what a great start to a new year it was!  Thank you to all those who shared stories, videos and pictures, and to all the loyal donors who continued to give blood to support our service members worldwide. A very good example of this support was our annual West Point blood drive which saw over 2,100 units collected! 

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, we highlight blood compatibility, couples that volunteer and donate together and a heart clinic filled with faithful donors.

Thanks to everyone who make the ASBP a success.  Let's keep up the good work to ensure that injured and ill service members, veterans and their families will get to spend this and many future Valentine's Days together.

Warm regards,
COL Francisco Rentas  

What Gets Your Heart Pumpin'?

 What Get's Your Heart Pumpin'?

It is all about the heart this month!  Did you  know:

 

Your heart beats about 100,000 times a day and circulates the body's blood supply about 1,000 times per day.    

 

Joined end-to-end, all the blood vessels in your body would stretch about 60,000 miles. (That's 2 1/2 times around the Earth!)

 

Each minute, an adult heart (which is about the size  of a clenched fist, or  about 8 ounces for women and 10 ounces for men) pumps about 5 quarts of blood a day, that's almost 2,000 gallons!


It takes about 20 seconds to circulate blood through the entire human body.

 

Find these and more heart and blood facts from Portage Health or Saint John's Health Center.

Blood, Sweat and Steel Girders
 

Donating blood may not rank high on the to-do list after a day of laying concrete, placing steel beams and tacking dry wall.  But for the Balfour Beatty Construction and Clark Construction companies giving blood for the troops is an honor.

 

Mitch Vowler donates blood

So, in the midst of construction and heavy equipment, workers from the two companies made a point to stop by the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., to donate blood and platelets to the Armed Services Blood Program.   

 

At the center, each military blood drive is dedicated to a service member. The first drive honored fallen Sgt. Forest Dane Cauthorn. The turnout was so great, that additional blood drives were held, and by the end of the fourth drive on Jan. 4, 2011, the National Naval Medical Center collected 214 whole blood units, which will be shipped to Iraq and Afghanistan ready to save the lives of those in need.

 

Read the entire article on the ASBP website.  

 

Photo: Clark Construction employee, Mitch Vowler, makes his second donation to the ASBP at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. 

Are You My Type?

   

Compatibility: Capable of existing together in harmony.    

 

When most of us hear that word this time of year we think of Valentine's Day. A holiday for those in love and those searching for love. But, the ASBP encourages all of its donors to think about compatibility in a new way this year: blood type compatibility.     

 

Blood types are determined by the presence or absence of the Rh antigen in addition to the person's blood group (A, B, AB or O).  In order for a transfusion to be successful, blood types must be matched between the donor and the recipient.  Blood can be needed at any time, and since compatibility is such an important factor in a successful transfusion, it is important to know which blood types are compatible.      

 

Learn more about the perfect match for your blood type here.   

Check out our new ASBP You Tube channelCheck Out the New ASBP You Tube Channel!

 

The ASBP debuts its new You Tube channel featuring the latest videos, interviews, public service announcements and more!   

 

Stay tuned with the ASBP by subscribing to our channel.   

Picture This!

The ASBP Focal Point picture of the month

These great couples are donating and working together to save lives!   

  Spouses donate blood together

Gunnery Sgt. Jim Joint and his wife, Staff Sgt. Jhomara Joint, always find a way to volunteer, so it is no surprise that the married couple decided to donate blood at the ASBP blood drive at Camp Pendleton, Calif.  After meeting at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., in 2002, Jim and Jhomara Joint have been married for eight years.  The couple has spent a combined 19 years in the military and both continue to find ways around their busy schedules to volunteer to help others.  Read the entire article on the ASBP website.    

 

Staff Sgt. Brian VanBruggen spent two days of hard-earned vacation in the ASBP's military blood donor center at Fort Hood, Texas, helping to run a blood drive because of his wife.  For three days, the pair assisted with donor registration and recruited more donors to support the military blood drive held in the Robertson Blood Center at Fort Hood, Texas.  Read the entire article on the ASBP website.  

Husband and wife partner at ASBP blood drive

  

 


Photos: (Top Left)
Spouses Staff Sgt. Jhomara Joint (left) and Gunnery Sgt. Jim Joint (right), proudly volunteer to donate blood to the ASBP at the Camp Pendleton Blood Donor Center, Calif.

(Bottom Right)
Staff Sgt. Brian VanBruggen and his wife, Margaret, host an ASBP blood drive at the Robertson Blood Center at Fort Hood, Texas.  
Caring from the Heart Clinic
 Carol Cox donates blood

Many employees of the Dwight David Eisenhower Army Medical Center, take their motto, "Caring from the heart," well... to heart. The team has been known to donate blood to care for their patients and support troops downrange.  Carol Cox, a cardiac sonographer in the cardiology clinic, is no exception.  She has been a faithful blood donor since college, and recently reached a milestone-her 50th blood donation at Fort Gordon, Ga.

 

Army Maj. Warren Brown, officer-in-charge of the Kendrick Memorial Blood Center at Ft. Gordon, presented Cox with a special ASBP coin to mark the occasion.

 

Read the entire article on the ASBP website.  

 

Photo: Maj. Warren Brown, officer-in-charge of the Kendrick Memorial Blood Center at Fort Gordon, Ga., presents Carol Cox, a cardiac sonorgrapher in the cardiology clinic of the Dwight David Eisenhower Army Medical Center, with an ASBP coin for accomplishing the milestone of 50 blood donations.

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