Milblogs Silent Today

Army Master Sgt. C. J. Grisham has always led from the front, from combat that earned him the Bronze Star with V device, to doing right by the men he led. His honesty won him readership and respect, from the White House on down. Yet, when he stood up for his children in school, his command did not stand by him. You can read more at Military Times to get the full story. Please donate via PayPal; or you can log into PayPal on your own, go to the send money page, and put in his email: dj_chcknhawk -at- yahoo -dot- com Or, you can send donations directly to: Grisham Legal Fund c/o Redstone Federal Credit Union 220 Wynn Drive Huntsville, AL 35893 Please write "Grisham Legal Fund" in the memo line if you use this option. Milblogs have been a vital link in getting accurate news and information about the military, and military operations, to you. Today, many milblogs are gone and others are under attack from within and without. Today, you have the chance to imagine a world without milblogs, and to do something about it. Make your voice heard by writing your congressional representatives and others, and by making donations as you see fit. The battle for freedom of speech and the marketplace of ideas is fought on many fronts and in many ways. Without your help, the battle may well be lost.

The Ballad of Captain Z

Combine the ballad from Jeff Bader with the memories and thoughts of Code Monkey, and you get this great video at Chuck Z's place. It's all done for Project Valour-IT, and it captures the reasons and emotions perfectly. Well done, Code Monkey! Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Support Project Valour-IT

The milblogs are once again raising funds in support of Soldiers' Angels : Project Valour-IT. Project Valour-IT helps provide voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries. Items supplied include: •Voice-controlled Laptops - Operated by speaking into a microphone or using other adaptive technologies, they allow the wounded to maintain connections with the rest of the world during recovery. •Wii Video Game Systems - Whole-body game systems increase motivation and speed recovery when used under the guidance of physical therapists in therapy sessions (donated only to medical facilities). •Personal GPS - Handheld GPS devices build self-confidence and independence by compensating for short-term memory loss and organizational challenges related to severe TBI and severe PTSD. The project starts Oct. 26th, and continues through Veteran's Day. As in previous years, we are using a little healthy inter-service rivalry to help keep our competitive spirit high. I have joined the Army team, led by Blackfive - which happens to one of the first milblogs I started reading. Jump right in, donate, and help spread the word. Show our wounded troops how much you care, and help them to enjoy things we take for granted each day. Just click on the widget there in the right-hand column - it's easy! Check back daily, as there will be an auction with very special items, and other unique options on occasion!

Patriot Golf Day / Weekend is coming up!

Planning to golf this weekend? If so, then you can add a few extra dollars to those greens fees to help the Folds of Honor foundation provide scholarships for the children and spouses of fallen and wounded service members. Thanks to Veteran Dan Rooney, the Patriot Golf Day program was created to allow golfers to donate easily to the program. Dan's original vision was a single designated day, but the program has been expanded to cover the whole Labor Day weekend. It's simple to take part. Locate a participating golf course using the search tool, then make your tee-time. When you show up to play, add your desired donation to the golfing fees, and the course will take care of forwarding it to the Folds of Honor foundation. By the way - If your favorite course is not listed in the tool, then call the course and check with them directly. Some courses may not have opted to be listed on the search site, or may not have been added to the list. The Hubster and I plan to hit two different courses. I know, it's a tough job ... but somebody has to do it!

I'm good

And that's only a smidge from great, in fact. I figured that when Eric showed up here to check up on me (see comment here), it was time I posted something as proof of life. (Thanks, Eric!) I just haven't had the blogging bug lately, but life is good, and while some things change, others remain. Like family and friends. Good times were had on vacation with the Hubster, little sister, and 5 of her girlfriends. We descended on Whistler to play golf (sometimes in the Pacific Northwest version of liquid sunshine), eat, drink, and enjoy one another's company -- all very good.

Honoring their memories

Today is about remembering our troops who have fallen in battle, men and women like Sgt. Adam Cann, 1st Lt. Laura M. Walker, Sgt. Robert G. Davis, Pfc. Devon Gibbons. Remember their lives and honor their sacrifice. John of Argghhh remembers.

Adopt a Hero

Thanks to Chuck for the reminder that this is National Miliary Appreciation Month. And the best way to show your appreciation for the military is to adopt one of our deployed troops. Go to Soldiers' Angels now to adopt one of the waiting Heroes. There are hundreds of deployed men and women who need, now more than ever, to know their sacrifice and separation from their family and friends is appreciated. To quote Chuck: To Adopt-A-Hero go to the website www.SoldiersAngels.org and click on the ADOPT button. Your commitment each month is simply a letter a week and a small package each month. Join our team. Our nation's heroes need you.

(Up)Grading Afghanistan

As in creating roads, one of the suggestions of this open letter from AfghanistanShrugged, a training team leader with boots on the ground. He makes some very good points about how the lack of infrastructure keeps the power in the tribes. Go read the whole thing. H/T to a tweet from JP.

Pledge allegiance to the Flag, not the man

The Pledge of Allegiance is an 'oath of loyalty to the U.S. flag and the nation it represents.' Over the years, there has been controversy about the inclusion of the words "under God", and I understand that there are schools where it is not recited at the start of the day, as it was every day of my public school experience. But when the pledge is spoken, it is directed to the flag, as our symbol of the country and the Constitution it is built on. Changing the focus from the flag, and the country behind it, to any person, is wrong. I don't care if that person is the President. This isn't an oath of allegiance, but indoctrination – maybe hero worship. If I were a parent whose child attended a school such as this, the principal and school board would be hearing from me.

Double Tagged

Both 1SG Keith and BillT decided to maim meme me. I think they conspired against me, trying to drag me back into my own blog. We'll see about that! So the rulez are thus... 1. Link to the person that tagged you 2. Post the rules on your blog 3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself 4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs 5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website. 6. Let your tagger know when your entry is up. My six things... 1. As discussed at the Castle, I don't have any kind of cuckoo clock, or anything with chimes, bells, etc. in my house. I can't stand noisy clocks or other noise disturbing my sleep! 2. Like Keith, I hang all of my shirts, sweaters, etc. so that they face in the same direction. Being right handed, I want to grab the hanger and see the front of the item, not the back. 3. At meals I like to take a bit of each item on my plate in each bite - something about balance and symmetry. Unless there's something I really want to cherish, then I save it for last :-) 4. When I travel, I always want to pack my suitcase the night before I am to check out and return home. Doesn't matter how late it is. 5. I love mixing cold cereal together, and keep anywhere from 3 to 8 boxes of cereal open between my own choices and the Hubster's. 6. I love Starbucks, and it's definitely for the coffee. I even buy espresso packs so I can make my favorite mochas when we're at home. Which is funny, since I didn't learn to drink the stuff until I was 25. Before that I drank Mountain Dew in the morning for caffeine. And the six random bloggers I am tagging are ... Sarah Jill Army Sean ArmyWifeToddlerMom Aaron Huntress

Celebrating Real Americans

Thanks to Max for the heads-up on this one ... "On call 24 hours a day, for the past five years, a group of senior citizens have made history by greeting almost 700,000 American troops at a tiny airport in Maine. The Way We Get By is a raw and intimate look at three of these troop greeters as they confront their own health problems, depression, financial debt, and the loss of meaning in their lives. Facing issues common to the nation’s ever-growing population of seniors, Bill Knight, Joan Gaudet, and Jerry Mundy find the strength to overcome their personal battles and transform their lives. This inspirational story will shatter the stereotypes of senior citizens today. Growing old will never be the same." *Update* For screening information, check the official web site. Take a look at the trailer ... If you are interested in a local screening, be sure to visit their site and provide your locale to let the film makers know. And follow either the Facebook group or the Blog to catch the news. Kudos to Aron Gaudet, Gita Pullapilly and Dan Ferrigan for creating a story about these real Americans and their devotion to our military men and women!