Your American Legion Auxiliary e-News July 2009

 

 

American Legion Auxiliary e-News July 2009 63rd Annual Girls Nation Starts July 18 "The Girls Nation experience is one of both privilege and responsibility," said Mary Davis, American Legion Auxiliary Girls Nation national chairman. "While it offers each girl amazing opportunities for personal growth, there is certainly the expectation that she will be energized to share all she learns with others in her local community." Davis, along with other Auxiliary volunteer leaders, will attend the conference and encourage the young senators to continue their community service by becoming members of the Auxiliary. Girls Nation program is a premier leadership conference designed to provide practical insight into the workings of government, to instill a sense of pride and loyalty in America and to create friendships and memories that last a lifetime. Follow Girls Nation on Facebook and Twitter!   Operation Comfort Warriors The U.S. government does a good job providing for the essential needs of the men and women recovering from war injuries in hospitals, but what about the so-called nonessentials--loose-fitting sweatsuits that can cover a soldier's healing body without adding pressure to the burns he suffered during an RPG attack in Ramadi? Or an iPod to help drown out the tinnitus that has plagued the medic ever since she drove too close to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan? The American Legion Family's Operation Comfort Warriors will provide some of these items. Contributing is effortless. No trips to the post office or packaging of comfort items are needed. The Legion Family will handle everything. You can use your credit card to make an online donation, or you can mail a check to Operation Comfort Warriors, P.O. Box 1055, Indianapolis, IN 46206. Many centers are not equipped to store large quantities of care packages, so monetary donations are best in order to purchase items that are truly needed. Administrative and promotional costs for Operation Comfort Warriors will be paid by The American Legion, so you can be sure that your entire donation will go directly to the troops. Auxiliary Announces Availability of AmeriCorps VISTA Positions The American Legion Auxiliary currently is recruiting 20 full-time AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers to join the American Legion Auxiliary Call to Service Corps. The project will enhance the capacity of the Auxiliary to generate volunteer service targeted toward poverty alleviation by and for military and veteran families. Position duties vary and include responsibilities in the areas of volunteer development, program development, communications, fundraising, partnership development, management information system development, and field mobilization. Positions are available at the Auxiliary's National Headquarters in Indianapolis and in Auxiliary state offices in Denver, CO; Rocky Hill, CT; Orlando, FL; Lansing, MI; Albuquerque, NM; Albany, NY; Zanesville, OH; Wilsonville, OR; Lacey, WA; and Portage, WI. Veterans, relatives of veterans and military service members, and American Legion Auxiliary members are highly encouraged to apply. Position descriptions and information about the AmeriCorps VISTA program may be found here. Film Spotlights Maine Troop Greeters The Way We Get By is a deeply moving film about life and how to live it. Beginning as a seemingly idiosyncratic story about troop greeters--a group of senior citizens who gather daily at a small airport to thank American soldiers departing and returning from Iraq--the film quickly turns into a moving, unsettling and compassionate story about aging, loneliness, war and mortality. Read more about the film and watch the trailer here. National Headquarters Welcomes Your Visit Driving through Indianapolis on your summer vacation? Plan a visit to National Headquarters! Tours may be arranged by emailing us. Pictured is Melodee Hanes, daughter of Past National President Opal Glynn Hanes (1965-66). Melodee was passing through Indianapolis on her way to Washington, D.C., and stopped by National Headquarters to pose for a picture next to her mother's official national president portrait.   War and Musculoskeletal Injury Prompt Artistic Expression Wartime experiences not only affect military personnel and their loved ones but the physicians and medical teams who treat them. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has opened a call for entries to a unique, juried art exhibition titled Wounded in Action: An Art Exhibition of Orthopaedic Advancements as a tribute to injured troops and families, civilians and the orthopaedic surgeons who are caring and have cared for them. Wounded in Action celebrates those heroes (injured troops and civilians) who have had orthopaedic injuries as a result of serving our country in war. The exhibition also recognizes those orthopaedic surgeons who, throughout history, have risked their own safety to care for our troops, to save lives and limbs, to advance medical treatments, and to conduct research and learn from war in order to better serve those who sustain orthopaedic trauma. To learn more about the exhibition and its call for entries, click here. Send Us Your Stories Auxiliary units and members should be proud of the wonderful things they do, yet many of their good deeds go unrecognized. Please consider letting National Headquarters be in-the-know by sharing your stories. In many cases, submissions are published in HomeFront magazine for all members to see. Does your unit have a newsletter? Please add National Headquarters to your mailing list! Email us or send information to Editor, 8945 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN 46260. Please stay in touch with us about what's going on in Auxiliary units, and keep up the great work! We Appreciate Your Copy-and-Paste In its latest Auxiliary newsletter, the Department of Wisconsin published a promo directing members to the Auxiliary's National Headquarters on the Web, Facebook and Twitter. We encourage you to follow the Wisconsin Auxiliary's lead in your department and unit newsletter and Web site. Links on connecting to us may be found at the bottom of this edition of e-News. Patriotism Should Continue Beyond July 4 The Independence Day holiday may have passed, but our patriotism should still show. Please continue flying your American flag in appreciation of those who gave us the freedom we have today. To see FAQs on flag code, click here. Stock up! Flags are available for purchase through The American Legion's Emblem Sales. Your purchase directly supports American Legion programs that help America's children, veterans and military families. Auxiliary Generations to be Highlighted If you're a member of a multi-generational Auxiliary family, now is your chance to be in the spotlight in HomeFront. Send us a high-resolution JPEG photo, names of those pictured, unit(s) that members belong to, and number of years of combined membership along with your email address and daytime phone number. Then check out the photos in HomeFront Volume III that will focus on families. Send information here. The American Legion Auxiliary 2009-2010 Plan of Action (formerly named the Plan of Work) is now available online! The national leadership team has thoughtfully and diligently prepared the Plan of Action for each established Auxiliary program, recognizing the importance of focusing on objectives that will measure accomplishments for success. Let's reconnect with our heritage to strengthen our future! Questions? Email us.   ENERGIZE at the Auxiliary's 89th National Convention! August 21-27, 2009 * Louisville, Kentucky National Convention, held jointly with The American Legion and Sons of the American Legion, is a celebration of the great accomplishments members have achieved as well as a kickoff into the upcoming Auxiliary year. As one American Legion National Commander said in his welcome message, "Caring and commitment are two words that come to mind as hallmarks of service by the American Legion Auxiliary." We look forward to celebrating you in Louisville! Connect with the American Legion Auxiliary... ...on the Web ...by following the ALA on Twitter ...by becoming a friend on Facebook Pass it on: Encourage your friends to sign up for e-News for the latest updates on how the American Legion Auxiliary serves veterans, their families and their communities! The Auxiliary will never sell or share your email address with anyone. Period. So please help us grow our e-News. It's fast, informative and safe!

Army Releases June Suicide Data

 

 

Women Veterans find Grace After Fire

 

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/ .

Grace After Fire An online community designed by and for women veterans is finally here! Grace After Fire is a place where women can safely and anonymously share their stories, find their own community of shared experiences and discover a wealth of resources -- whether for addiction, alcoholism, post traumatic stress, reintegration, military sexual trauma (MST), depression, or help trying to navigate the VA system.     Grace was created to help women veterans find the "new normal" after serving in the Armed Forces. Grace lets women veterans and their families and friends talk about their problems through forums, blogs, chat, and more.     Visit www.graceafterfire.org and read the stories of women veterans from all eras past and present to learn about their strengths and the struggles they face every day. You will find a unique community where women veterans finally  have a private online home of their own to share their stories, thoughts, and issues.     Become a Member! Join the community! Find and give support in the online forums where women are able to find supportive healing for the most complex problems in the simplest ways. RegisterToday!     Contact Us If you are a qualified provider of behavioral and mental health services, If you can offer free or reduced-cost services, coupons or discounts, If you would like to participate in our monthly give-away. Most importantly, you can help spread the word! Forward this email on to a friend, a co-worker, a neighbor, or family member -    tell others about Grace After Fire!     Our women vets have served, and now they deserve. www.GraceAfterFire.org   204 East 2nd Street #508 | Casper, WY 82601 US

The Girl with no Future

MICHAEL YON REPORTS:

When I hit the ground in Afghanistan in 2006, it was flatly obvious that we were losing the war.  The prevailing thoughts in the media and Washington held that we were winning in Afghanistan but Iraq was hopeless.  I was saying nearly the opposite during many dozens of interviews and articles.

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

---

.

---

 

Team #2 note from our Ladie

From Kelly M
"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 31^st.
 
 
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

MindComet Corp.
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

                                                              To reply, click here.  To unsubscribe, scroll down.

Dear Soldiers' Angels, Supporting the Troops can mean so many things—from 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!

LETTER FROM TEAM 1 SOLDIER

     Today, I received a letter from one of our team's ladies, Christina G.

Here's what she said:

  " Thank you so much for your letter.My girls just got back from camping, my husband said they took lots of video. Can't wait til I get to see it !

As you may have heard, we had rockets hit the base , everyone in my unit is ok, unfortunately, we lost a few soldiers.

    Your cats sound adorable, you will have to send me pictures !"  ( I always do ! Max and Mickey are a big hit over there)

   Please keep writing, angels.  After a rocket attack, letters must be a very welcome sight !