“Your friends and family are so proud of you for your service. We love and miss you and look forward to your return.”

His family also shared that Kyle is a huge Kentucky Wildcat fan and he keeps up with the games no matter where he is serving. For those of us here in the Bluegrass, we join Kyle in saying, Go Big Blue!

We are so grateful for Kyle’s service. His willingness to sacrifice time with family to serve on our behalf allows us to continue to live with many freedoms, including the privilege of cheering for our favorite sports teams! The next time you watch a ball game, think about those who are serving so you can do that. Thanks Kyle!

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FOB Salerno, like the other outposts in Afghanistan, is a very long way from home.  Want to lift the  morale and spirits of our troops?  We could use your help!

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One of the first things I’ll point out is simply the fact that they aren’t all guys!  There are many women who have stepped up to serve our nation.  They want and need many of the same items we would send our male soldiers, but let’s not forget that we could throw a few other thing in their box that would be appreciated.

Back when I first started sending boxes to my son, he spent most of his first deployment living outside the wire, where his truck was his home.  Back then, he wanted baby wipes as showers were a rare occurrence, happening only when his platoon returned to base in between missions.  Other requests included batteries, snacks, and hot sauce to cover up the taste of the MRE’s on which they survived.  Paperback books were a popular item, too.  My son actually decided he liked to read during his first deployment.  When you are stuck in the middle of a desert for 7 months, what else is there to do in between missions?

During the second deployment, the Marines in his unit were living in trailers on base.  They were outside the wire all day, but they did report back to base at the end of each shift.  Showering was actually a daily option, so baby wipes weren’t as desired as they had been the first time around.  Now that they had access to electricity, he and his buddies requested dvd’s and watched movies during down time.

A remote area was the place my son called home during the third deployment.  The Marines found themselves eating one kind of meat over and over, day in and day out.   This time they wanted hot sauce, barbecue sauce, and any other kind of sauce I could find. Homemade chocolate chip cookies were also a very big hit, in fact, the favorite item sent during deployment number three. The weirdest thing I ever heard him say was, “Hey, Mom, could you stop sending so much junk food?  We just want healthy stuff.”

Over the past seven years, Military Missions has supported troops in many countries, with Iraq and Afghanistan being the most common areas to receive our packages.  It really depends on where our troops are stationed as to what they need.  There are countless places to be deployed.  Some have access to microwaves.  Others do not.  Some eat surf and turf every Sunday.  Others eat MRE’s during their entire deployment.  Some will cook Ramen noodles on the hood of their truck because they can actually do that in the desert heat.  Others trudge through 2 feet of snow up and down the side of a mountain just to get their deliveries because the roads are impassible.

So what should be sent?  Just ask any soldier or Marine.  There are a few answers that we hear quite often such as socks and powdered drink mix, but the most common answer by far is simply, “We like anything!”  It’s really the thought that counts.

I’m sure it is greatly appreciated when they receive items on their wish list, but unless your box is filled with items completely inappropriate for the soldier’s situation, he is going to be grateful you remembered he was fighting for our freedoms. The items in your box will be used and enjoyed, but the idea that you cared enough to take a few moments to send a package and write a note of encouragement is what will stick in the hearts and minds of our troops.

So what are you waiting for?  Get that box out and fill it up with goodies.  Need some ideas? Click here to see our list of care package suggestions.

Don’t have time to shop? You can help us send the boxes we are currently packing. We can’t send the boxes without the funds to pay for shipping.  Click here to help us today!

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Requests are often accompanied with information about the soldier, and we have the privilege of knowing a little bit about the one who will receive our box.   We send boxes out on a year round basis, so for the year “our soldier” is deployed, we might send him or her several boxes.  Each time we write out the customs form, type up the label, email the family member who referred him to get updates on his status, take a look at his photo on our “Hero Wall”, and pray for his safety, we get more attached to him and his buddies who are fighting for our freedom.

We will never be the biggest nonprofit out there.  If we were, we wouldn’t be able to keep it personal.  We don’t just have a list of names that get slapped on the top of a box every month.  We have a commitment to take care of our soldiers who are deployed in harm’s way, and we have a commitment to support their families who anxiously wait on this side of deployment.  Receiving letters such as this one tell us we must be making a difference.

My son’s unit is doing very well in Afghanistan. He tells me they are all enjoying all the packages they have been getting.  I have been sending many items as well and have adopted a young lady in the group who has not gotten packages (they did not tell me until three weeks ago).

I did get a call a few weeks or so back asking me “Mom what have you done?”  They had gotten several packages and were covered in goodies. He tells me how much they just love the cards and letters. My son has been passing on items their unit does not need to the Chaplain to redistribute so absolutely nothing goes to waste. 

His deployment will end the first week in January, so I am hoping that they will have a supported holiday while they are away.  Due to the job for some reason they are not able to get photos out like many units can.  I don’t know if you are doing your heroes wall but if so I have attached one of his boot camp photos and the only photo to come out of the FOB for my sons field promotion. As a mom they all look so tired and mine looks so skinny!

Everything aside, I want  you to know that your help is so much appreciated and gave me such peace, as a mother. I am disabled and overall my son tends to be what I consider more helpful to me than I am to him. I worried so much that I would not be able to bear the financial strain of the shipments myself, as you well know it can be pricey. Knowing there are groups like yours to take him under your wing set my mind at ease during uncertainty. I knew thanks to your group my child,  my son, my Marine, My Hero would not go without during such a stressful time because of my limitations. I am finding that with his help I am able to keep this up and he has had me add his comrade.  My only concern as a mother of course is for morale during Christmas.

Once he is home I would like to pay back for another soldier to be able to have the benefit of your support, will you please tell me how I can do this? Thank you more than mortal words can say.

Proud Mother of CPL. B

Texas

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There is a good chance you don’t know anyone personally who is homeless, but these homeless Veterans have served our nation on your behalf and mine.  It may be difficult for you to understand why so many of our veterans are returning from military service only to find themselves living on the streets, but I’ve met many who have ended up without homes, and given their circumstances, it is easy to see why the numbers of homeless Veterans is growing every day.

From 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm, in the lobby of the Opera House, you can view the art exhibit, Please Don’t Leave Me Homeless.  The artwork has been created by Homeless Veterans of Lexington.  Come and meet the artists, hear their stories, and honor their service to our great nation.

Beginning at 8:00 pm, the original, acclaimed play, Please Don’t Call me Homeless….I Don’t Call You Homed, will be performed by men and women who have been homeless in Lexington.  Come and learn about the reality of what life is like for our Veterans who call the streets of Lexington home.

Appalachian Home holiday wreaths will be available to order. These gifts will brighten your home for the holiday and give a home to homeless Veterans.

This event is sponsored by the Catholic Action Center, Central KY Council for Peace and Justice, Christian Appalachian Project’s Appalachian Home, Divine Providence, Inc.’s Lexington Homeless Veteran’s Program, and Friends of Ending Homelessness for Veterans in our Community.

This is a rare opportunity we have here in Lexington to get to know these heroes.  It’s by the grace of God that you and I have a roof over our heads.  Let’s give thanks for what we have, and let’s come out and support this event. We can help our homeless Veterans to get back on their feet.  I think it is the least we can do after all they have done for us.

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I’ve found that if I take the time to PLAN a frugal holiday season, I get less caught up in the urge to spend once December is here. It makes sense to start planning early. How many times do you get through Christmas without actually knowing how much you spent, only to look at your bank account or credit card statement and get that sick to your stomach feeling? You can get caught up in the hustle and bustle, the lights, the sounds, the smells – the Christmas atmosphere is everywhere.

Remember when we were kids? We did a variety of create your own decorations, cards, and gifts. EVERYTHING was closed on the holidays. Where did some of that tradition go? Black Friday is starting to get more and more commercial. Some stores are opening at 9 pm on Thanksgiving Day and that is crazy!

Finding the perfect gift for someone special could drive you insane and a few dollars more in the hole. While we are zipping to this store and running to that store, we often forget the simplest tradition of Christmas – being together.

I remember when I was a kid, some of my best memories were of 15 people at the house, with the phone ringing off the hook, the TV volume up to the loudest setting, something in the kitchen burning, the dog barking, and Dad locked out of the house! Just utter chaos! But those are the memories I REMEMBER!

Children especially crave just to be with their family and friends! They go to school longer, they participate in more activities than ever … why not just stay home and do something they can do hands on?

There are more options each day that can make our Christmas holiday less hectic and most of them are free or extremely frugal! Here are some ideas that I am going to use to make this the BEST and most FRUGAL Christmas ever – while keeping my sanity and my money in the bank.

• Have a Christmas Movie Marathon with your kids and stay in this weekend!
• Invite family and friends over for soup night – everyone bringing a different soup in a crock pot, and watch your favorite team’s football game! While you’re at it, throw in a cookie exchange have each family attending make a different variety of cookie and make sure everyone takes home a tasty treat.
• Learn the history of Santa! It is pretty fascinating and will keep your kids busy!
• Track Santa on NORAD – see where Santa and his Reindeer are from your computer.
• Order high quality customized photo greeting cards from Vista Print (offering FREE 4X8 cards), SeeHere (offering free 20 4X8 cards), MyPublisher (offering 10 FREE 5X8 cards with code HAPPY10FREE or 5 cards when you sign up for emails here – all of the printing sites offer FREE cards this time of the year! You just pay a very low shipping & handling (some even offer free shipping), typically $4 or under. If you take advantage of the free card offers you never have to leave your house to run out to find the perfect card, as you create them with the wording, colors, and pictures that you want! Just pay special attention to expiration dates on “offer codes” and “coupon codes” when you checkout. I have ordered cards already from 3 sites offering free Christmas photo cards. It is fun to see the variety of cards that you will get – and you will have the perfect card for everyone on your list!
• USE COUPONS! Each mass retailer has a coupon out for just about everything under the sun! Google for current coupons or drop by your favorite store’s Facebook page as most post them directly on their page.
• Send a magazine subscription! I have purchased 8 subscriptions from Best Deal Magazines! They can take up to 8 weeks to begin showing up in your mailbox but most subscriptions are under $4.69.
• Join a FRUGAL coupon blog or Facebook page – as they get updated several times a day. Take advantage of someone doing all of the searching for you! You will be notified up to the minute on fantastic deals and free offers.
• Use discount sites such as Groupon.com (get $10 credit after you make your first purchase!), Savemore.com (get a $10 credit just for signing up!), 1saleaday.com, Livingsocial.com (get $5 “Deal Bucks” credit for creating a new account to spend on your first deal!), Plumdistrict.com (get $5 credit for signing up!). They offer one day deals for upwards to 60-70% off! You will be emailed with a redemption code or gift certificate number and instructions on how to redeem. You can even “gift” items and send them directly to that special person. That is a FREE $30 right there! Think teacher’s gifts!
• Military families can always get free banners, jumbo cards and discounts on all of the great products at BuildASign.com.
• Many new sites are offering FREEBIES in attempt to get you to spend your cash with them! You have to practice discipline and ONLY purchase your free or discounted items. Inkgarden.com is offering a FREE $13 credit when you use code ForFree at checkout. The code is good for 1-2 FREE items – all you pay is shipping! I think $5.49 is totally worth a completely customized coffee mug for a teacher! I have already ordered my teacher gifts for this year.
• Take FULL advantage of Military Discount Offerings – 200 retailers who offer a Military Discount (check to make sure the discount still valid as discounts and offers can change at any time!)
• Use Walmart’s Holiday Price Match Guarantee to your advantage! Get all of your shopping done in one place. Customers Don’t Have to Wait to Save;
  Walmart will Match Prices Even After Purchases Are Made During the Holiday Season! Walmart’s Christmas Price Guarantee is valid on purchases made Nov. 1 through Dec. 25 on identical items (the same brand, size, color, quantity, grade and model number) that are currently available at competitor’s stores located within the same local market as a particular Walmart store. To apply for the Christmas Price Guarantee, customers need to simply bring in their original Walmart cash register receipt and the local competitor’s current printed ad to Walmart’s Customer Service desk through Dec. 25. Once validated, a gift card for the difference will be issued. Items placed on layaway will also be eligible for the Christmas Price Guarantee. Spend some time to compare your Sunday ads and shop at one place! It will save you time and money – never mind gas and the stress of holiday traffic.

• Sam’s Club announced a new membership offer. When joining or renewing as an Advantage Member ($40) or Advantage Plus Member ($100), Sam’s Club will provide a $15 Sam’s Club gift card per primary membership to military personnel, active or retired, their spouses, and civilian military employees.

There are THOUSANDS of deals and free items that you can use to your full advantage today!!! You just have to tell yourself I AM GOING TO BE FRUGAL this year! It is not cheap. It is SMART! You will thank yourself in January when you are not suffering from a nervous breakdown or credit card blues!

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Please keep Chris, his unit, and his new bride in your prayers.  We know that the work he is doing in Afghanistan is life changing for all those he is training and protecting.  We are thankful for brave men like Chris who are willing to serve in our nation’s Armed Forces.

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For those who have a loved one serving, there will be an empty seat at the table. There will be a missing smile and a void that no one can replace while their loved one is deployed.

For many families, the smile and presence of their hero will be only a memory because their loved one gave their life so that we can continue to live in a free nation and celebrate this annual holiday.

As we pause to give thanks for all of our blessings, let’s set an extra place at our tables this year in honor of those who serve.

Let’s give that place setting the seat of honor at the head of our tables.

Let’s remember that while we are gathered with family and friends, there are many who stand watch over us and our families and ensure that we can continue to celebrate our freedoms and our blessings each year.

We also ask that you consider showing your gratitude by making a donation to ensure that each of the deployed troops on our list can receive a package for Christmas.

Our staff at Military Missions Inc is made up completely of volunteers.  No one gets paid, so every dime of your donation goes to ensure a package gets into the hands of each hero on our list.

You can donate right from our website via Google Checkout or Paypal. You can also mail us a check, or you can stop by our office and make a cash donation.

Here are a few of the faces of those who have received our packages.

Thank you for your continued support of our troops through Military Missions Inc. It is our honor to be able to partner with you in this way.

On behalf of Military Missions Inc., we want to thank each one who is currently serving, and all who have worn the uniform in the past.  We also want to thank the families who serve here on the homefront.

We are forever grateful for your service and your sacrifice.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Click here to listen to our latest VOW Talk Radio show airing tonight at 9:00 pm. Shawn Gourley, author of The War at Home: One Family’s Fight Against PTSD, talks about her book and how Secondary PTSD has affected her family. During the interview, VOW Radio hostess, Beth Pennington, will also be sharing about her own battle with Secondary PTSD.  If you think this is something that can only happen to someone else, you are wrong.

Click here to read more.

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There are plenty of organizations out there which accept donations and provide services, but we’d like to think that we have something to offer that is a bit different from many of the other opportunities out there.  We do our best here at Military Missions Inc. to make the connection between the home front and the front lines as personal as possible.

We know making this connection is important because that is the reason we got our start.  When my son enlisted in the Marine Corps and was getting ready to deploy for the first time, I started looking for a way to get involved in supporting our deployed troops. After meeting the Marines in my son’s unit, I knew I had to find a way to give back to these brave Marines.

I spent a lot of time searching online and making phone calls. I found plenty of organizations that were willing to take my monetary donation, but I couldn’t find an organization out there which would allow me to roll up my sleeves and lend a helping hand. It wasn’t enough for me to simply donate money. I needed to do more to say thank you to those who were willing to lay their lives on the line for my freedom.

Taking matters into my own hands has grown immensely from those early days when my dining room resembled the crowded aisles of a Walmart store, and now there are many helping hands involved in running a small volunteer army of enthusiastic and patriotic people who want to give back to our troops and veterans.

We get calls everyday from people who want to send cards and letters to the troops.  We also get calls from those who want to assemble care packages for those who are deployed.  Some people don’t have military addresses, others don’t have the funds for postage.  There are a million ways to support our troops, and we do our best to help everyone do this in their own personal way.

Since we can’t give out military addresses for obvious security reasons, we accept the donated items, cards, and letters, and we send them off to our deployed troops. We encourage participants to send us photos taken of their group and/or event, and we post them on our website and on our Facebook page. This allows the troops who are visiting our site to see the faces of those who want to thank them for their service and sacrifice.

Many of the troops also submit their photos, or a family member does it for them.  If we have permission to post their photos on our website, we do so to let our volunteers see the faces of those who are on the receiving end of this operation.  We have a hero wall in our office plastered with the faces of these amazing Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, and Marines. If you are in the Central Kentucky area, we hope you will stop by and take a look one day.

We get emails and phone calls every day asking us where our office is located in Texas or Florida or even as far away as California.  We wish we had offices in every state, but since we don’t, we try to make it possible for anyone anywhere to get involved in Military Missions right from their own little corner of the world.

We accept donations on a year round basis. If there is someone deployed, we are going to take care of them. You can collect items and have them shipped to us. If you prefer to save money on shipping, you can make some cards and write some letters and send them to us. We will include them in our packages.  If you have a few extra dollars and are looking for a great place to make a tax deductible donation, we accept donations right from our website, and we are more than happy to accept your check if you prefer to send us a donation in the mail.

We have people from all fifty states working together to make each Military Missions care package a reality. No matter where you live and no matter how much or how little time you have on your hands, there is a way for you to get involved in our efforts and say thank you to those who serve and sacrifice so that we can live in a free nation.

Heartfelt thanks go out to all of you who have made every box a reality.  We could not do it without your cards, letters, care package items, and donated funds for postage.

If you want to be a part of something big that is sure to make a difference in the lives of our American heroes, check out some of the ways you can get involved in OPERATION S.E.N.D. CHRISTMAS by visiting our website today!

Here’s a peek at just a few of the faces of our heroes and their families.

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The event at the armory was just the beginning.  We will be accepting donations through November 30, 2011, to be included in our Christmas care packages being sent to our deployed troops. If you simply can’t get your donations to us by November 30, there’s no need to worry. We send care packages year round and will happily accept your donations after the deadline to be included in the next shipment that will go out in late January, 2012.

There are many ways to get involved and we need all hands on deck!  Our office is open Monday through Thursday from 10 am to 3 pm.  We can use volunteers to stop in for an hour or two on any days we are open, to help us with sorting, assembling, and more. Between now and December 15th, we can really use your help to come in and assist our office staff with a variety of tasks.

We have two opportunities to get involved in another group assembly! You can join us on Wednesday, November 16, 2011, from noon to 2:00 pm. We will also have an assembly on Wednesday, November 30, 2011, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.  Our office space is limited so we need to know you are coming. Please register to attend the assembly. The first 60 registrants will be able to help us out on those dates.  Check our event calendar for details about how to register.

We can’t pack boxes without the stuff to put in them! We need YOUR help to fill the care packages.  Place a collection box at your business, school, church, or organization’s location. You can even recruit neighbors and friends to drop things off right at your home. Just call us when you’ve got a load to deliver and we will open our doors and help you inside with the loot!  To get details on how you can get started, visit our DROP BOX page. You can also contact us for more information at info@military-missions.org or call 859-221-9477.

Drop off items in collection boxes placed throughout the Central Kentucky area. A list of drop off locations can be found by visiting our DROP BOX  page.

We spend thousands of dollars to pay for shipping costs to send the packages overseas. We can fill the boxes, but we can’t send them without YOUR financial help.  Make a tax deductible donation to assure that our deployed troops will receive a care package while they are deployed.  To donate visit our DONATE  page

Help us get the word out! Tell everyone you know about OPERATION S.E.N.D. now! Tell family, friends, teachers, teammates, classmates, coworkers, church members, club members, and more. Do you use online social media networks like Twitter and Facebook?  Click here to join our social networks and help us get the word out about supporting our troops!

Make cards and write personal letters to our troops to be included in our care packages.  We try to include 10-20 cards in each care package so we need YOU to help us reach this goal. Details can be found by visiting the CARDS page on this website.

If you know of someone who will be deployed during the Christmas holiday this year, they can be added to the care package mailing list. Click on ADD A HERO in the navigation bar.

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I spent the first 40 some years of my life enjoying all the sacrifices given on my behalf without ever feeling as if I was affected personally. It wasn’t until my oldest son chose to serve in the United States Marine Corps, during a time of war, that my eyes were opened to the reality of what people were really willing to do so I could continue to live in a free nation.

My life has changed quite drastically in the past eight years since my son stepped out of our house and onto the yellow footprints on the soil of Parris Island, South Carolina. I have now lived through three combat deployments, from the homefront, of course, and I have watched my son struggle after being injured and disabled.  I have watched him slowly, but surely, begin to put his life back together, and I have been overwhelmed and amazed at the number of challenges he always seems to face.  More amazing is that he manages to overcome them, one at a time.

If most of us really gave it some thought, we could all try to imagine how challenging a combat deployment must be for our troops, but I don’t think we ever try to foresee how difficult and challenging life is for our veterans once they return home from combat.  For those of us who are civilians, we think that once our Veterans are home, and out of the service, they can just go back to life as it once was before their days served in the military.

Nothing could be further from the truth.  Life will never be the same for anyone who serves in our Armed Forces.  As the saying goes, you can never go back.  For better and for worse, our Veterans are forever changed.

I have watched my own son go through more obstacles and challenges than anyone should ever have to endure in a lifetime, let alone three short years, and he is just one Veteran walking down one path of this life.  There are many who face much bigger obstacles and many more challenges.  Frankly, I don’t know how they all do it.

I would have never believed anyone if they had told me that being the mother of a veteran would be far more difficult than being the mother of a kid deployed to a combat zone. I’m here to tell you, those days during my son’s deployments were easy compared to way things have been since he has returned.

One thing is for sure, our Veterans are not just strong and courageous on the front lines.  They are brave and resilient right here at home.  Our civilian way of life does not make things easy for them when they return home.  It’s not easy on their family members either.

These brave men and women have served on our behalf. The least we can do is get to know them and get to know what they need. We need to make the transition to life after combat easier for them, rather than more difficult.

If you are fortunate enough to know someone who has served, do yourself a favor and do more than just say thank you.  Ask them to share their story.  They have done something that most of us will never do. They have been willing to sacrifice their lives so that we could live ours.  There’s a great chance that you will be blessed by getting to know the Veterans in your life. Don’t ever miss that opportunity.

I think Veterans Day is one of the most important days of our calendar year, but as we set today aside to honor and thank our veterans, let us be mindful that we should do this every day of the year and not just one.

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In case you haven’t thought about it, Newport News is about 600 miles from our office in Lexington, Kentucky, but that didn’t stop these boys, 1st  through 5th graders, from partnering with our organization to say thank you to our troops!

Many of these scouts are military kids! Newport News has a big military presence and these boys understand what the word deployment means.  If they don’t have a family member deployed, then someone else in their community does.

Members of Cub Scout Pack 242 realize the importance of supporting those who serve on their behalf, so they got together and made some goodie bags and some cards to send overseas for Christmas.

What we found so exciting was that they chose to partner with Military Missions. I’m sure that they could have sent these goodie bags straight to one of their own moms or dads, but they wanted to help our organization reach the troops.  They know what a good thing we are doing because they have honored a hero by adding him to our care package list in the past.

We are so thankful for these great kids and their Cub Scout leaders who are teaching by example.  We know that our troops will absolutely love receiving the cards and goodie bags and we think they will enjoy, even more, getting a chance to see the smiles on the faces of those who put them all together.

Click here to see some great photos of Cub Scout Pack 242.

If your group is partnering with Military Missions to support the troops, be sure to send us some photos taken at your gathering so we can share them with our troops who visit our site.

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For those of us who have been around since the beginning, we have come a long way since the first Christmas gathering when there were about 15 of us making packages. We were so excited to see so many people coming out to show their support for our military!  Seeing so many people come into the armory with arms full of donations for the packages was amazing! We are so grateful for all the donations brought in, as well as for the financial support given to help us ship the packages overseas.

The best part of the event was seeing so many smiling faces and meeting so many awesome and patriotic Americans who appreciate what our troops do for us.  I wish everyone who served could have seen the smiles and the hard work that was going on in the armory last Monday night.

If you missed the event on Monday, or if you had so much fun that you want to do this again and again, we can help you to make that happen.  Military Missions supports the troops on a year round basis.  Our heroes serve 365 days a year so we make sure that they get packages whether or not there is a holiday marked on the calendar.

If you are in the Central Kentucky area, you can stop by our office and we will put you to work.  We are entering our busiest time and there is always something to do. The activity that took place at the armory was just the beginning. We will be sorting, wrapping, and packing for the next 4-5 weeks just get things ready for our Christmas mailing.

If you are not in the Central Kentucky area, you can still get involved. You can get people in your circles of influence to write letters and make cards for our packages and you can help us get these boxes into the hands of our deployed troops with your tax deductible monetary donation.  We can’t send the packages without your help!

We don’t pay to advertise so we need you to tell people about Military Missions in any format that is user friendly for you. One of the best things you can do to help is simply tell someone else! If you like to talk on the phone, call your friends. If you send out a lot of emails, please share our information with your contacts. If you like to hang out on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social network, then LIKE us, FOLLOW us, and help us grow our networks.

Want to stay informed? There are two easy ways to be in the know every time there is something new on the website. You can subscribe to our blog which has new information coming out daily. Subscribing to our newsletter will give you periodic updates as well. Just go to any page on our website and look for the subscription widgets in the right sidebar.

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Jason and his wife are expecting their first child. He is scheduled to be home in time to see his baby born.  Please keep Jason and his family in your thoughts and prayers.  We are so thankful for their sacrifice to serve in our nation’s Armed Forces.

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Take a few minutes to read Sgt McCoy’s letter from war.  You will quickly see that your simple gesture of kindness might mean the difference in whether or not our soldiers successfully accomplish their missions.

Sitting down to write a quick note, or taking an extra moment to add something to your grocery cart which can be sent overseas in a care package, might be the very thing that motivates a soldier to get the job done in the midst of a rough deployment.  He’s doing it for you and for me.  Let’s keep him encouraged and remind him that we appreciate his service and sacrifice.

YOU can make a difference in the life of an American Hero!

This article was originally published by Military Missions Inc. here.

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When he is not deployed, John is stationed in England and that is where you can find his wife, Tabitha, awaiting his return.  She is not able to return back to the states while John is deployed, and though he will be gone for their next wedding anniversary, she is planning to make the best of the situation. It’s always difficult for our military families when their hero is deployed, but it makes things even more challenging when the families are so far away from the place they call home.

Tabitha nominated her husband for Military Missions Hero of the Day as a way to let him know how proud she is of his service and how honored she is to call him husband and hero.  She wants him to know how much she truly loves and misses him.

Please keep John and Tabitha in your thoughts and prayers. We are so thankful to have families like theirs who are willing to sacrifice for all of us here in the USA!

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Luke, Mark, and Anthony are full of positive energy and they are quick to get a job done. They don’t let their youth keep them from helping out with just about any task we have that needs to be completed.  Whether it’s sorting donations, packing boxes, making cards for the troops, helping veterans, or even recruiting people to make a donation at our booths, these boys are all about supporting the troops and our veterans and they are serious about their volunteer job!

If you haven’t been to our office, you may have seen the Porter clan helping us out around town. They’ve been spotted at both Sam’s locations, Walmart, the VA hospital, and most recently at the YMCA.  The boys are some of our best volunteer recruiters, and I think it is safe to say that they are definitely the cutest!

Even when they are busy with lots of other commitments, like school, sports, and church, they still find time to give a few minutes of each day to supporting our troops.  Each of the boys finds some time each day to sit down and spend a few minutes writing a card or letter to be included in our care packages. Last year they were able to add many Christmas cards to those which were sent out in our packages and they are doing so again this year.  They already have quite a few letters and cards ready to go, and they still have the entire month of November in which they will be making a few more cards each day.

It’s easy to see why the troops are so grateful for our packages. When the boxes arrive in Afghanistan and other faraway places, packed with TLC by special volunteers such as Luke, Mark, and Anthony, it’s no wonder the packages put a smile on the faces of those who receive them.

We are so grateful that Patricia and Dave are determined to teach their children the value of serving and volunteerism and we are so thankful that they have chosen to be a part of our Military Missions family.

There are many opportunities available during the year in which you can get involved. We hope you will consider supporting our troops and becoming a part of our Military Missions family, too!

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These patriots are average American citizens who desire to make a difference in the lives of our troops, our veterans, and our military families.  They understand the importance of encouraging those who wear the uniform. They want to make a difference because they know it will help to ensure that our nation will be here for generations to come.

Most of these unsung heroes would never describe themselves as such. They view what they do as minimal, but I’m here to tell you that each one of them is making a big difference and their efforts are anything but small.

With so many incredible people walking through the door to do their part to support our troops and veterans, we have decided that their efforts should no longer be a well kept secret. We will be sharing the stories of our unsung heroes right here on our website beginning later this week. If you don’t see the stories on the main page of our website you can read them by clicking here.

Remember, we can all serve our nation and we don’t have to wear a uniform to get the job done.  We often work with groups and individuals who have innovative ideas that support our troops and veterans.  If you have a project idea, don’t keep it to yourself.  Contact us and we will help you find a way to make your dream come true.  You might just belong in our group of unsung heroes yourself.

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Hidden Wounds: A Soldier’s Burden, is “the story of two soldiers robbed of their happiness, yet both clinging fiercely to the Honor; and the stories of their wives, as strong in heart as any warrior.”

Carl Prine, military veteran and reporter for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, states the following about the book.

“Because their first book sprawls across continents and generations, some readers might assume Captains Nathan Brookshire and Marius Tecoanta have written popular fiction. But their words really speak to men fresh from combat and returning for more. Rather than trying to understand “Hidden Wounds: A Soldier’s Burden” as a timeless study of pain, loss and regret, readers should think of it as a testament to an American military suffering through nearly a decade at war. There’s an abiding decency to this novel, which I suspect was animated by the authors’ shared strength of character and commitment to help others.”

Nate is currently serving as an active duty commissioned officer with the US Army. He has served for over 20 years with multiple deployments to numerous combat zones.  Marius is a commissioned officer with the Oregon National Guard. His has a diverse career in manufacturing and law enforcement, as well as the military.

You can listen live to our interview with Nate Brookshire on Monday, October 31, 2011 at 8:00 pm, or download the interview from our Blog Talk Radio page or directly from iTunes after the show has aired.

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Our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines will often tell us that they feel it is harder on their families than it is on them. While deployed, they have a job to do. They know where they are at all times and they know what needs to be done, meanwhile, their family members are at home, knowing nothing about where their hero is located or what he or she may be doing.

Not knowing what is going on can be extremely stressful, especially when this will be the norm for several months or even a year. Trying to keep the home running smoothly while taking care of children, and working a job can be difficult for anyone, but for the spouse of one who is deployed it is far more challenging.

Even when the deployment is over, a lot of changes take place when the soldier returns home and our military families need support and encouragement during this time of adjustment.

Spouses and children aren’t the only ones who need support.  For each one who serves, there is a parent, a sibling, a cousin, a friend, and a neighbor waiting on the safe return of their hero. Everyone in that soldier’s circle of influence needs a community of people who understand.

Military Missions works to provide support for our military families. We have a community of people who understand what it is like to live on this side of deployment and many of us have learned to live with the new normal that awaits each of us after our hero returns home.  Join one of our support groups or get involved in one of the many activities we have going on year round.

Get support when you need it. Give support when others need you.

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While awaiting the coffee pot to finish its cycle, I realized that I  heard email coming in via my iPhone.  I think to myself, “Wonder who would be sending me an email this early on a holiday?”   Curiosity got the best of me and I decided to check my mail.  As I began to read the words on my screen, I realized that I was receiving a message from a soldier in Afghanistan.

I can’t even begin to tell you how I felt.  I was immediately brought to tears as I pictured the scenario which had just been described in this message from across the globe.  We often get letters from the troops, but this one was different.  He wasn’t just thanking us for the package.  He was sharing how it was received.  He painted a picture to show us what happens on the other side of this great endeavor we take on every month when we make care packages to send overseas.

It was fun to know that the First Sergeant and the Captain did a little something to make the distribution more special.  It was overwhelming to think that a three month endeavor could land a pile of our boxes in the hands of our troops on Christmas Day. Not on December 24, or December 26, but on December 25.  It was indescribable to receive a message in my home, directly from Afghanistan,  as my family sat down to open gifts together.  It was as if we were sharing the moment with the 927th Engineer Co from  Louisiana, and the 201st Engineer Co from Kentucky.

Christmas just doesn’t get any better than this.  I hope you will join us for OPERATION S.E.N.D. CHRISTMAS 2011.  It’s a blessing you will not want to miss!

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Whether you are volunteering at the office, packing boxes at home, dropping off donations, or donating funds for shipping costs, you ARE making a difference.  It takes all of us doing our part and working together to make our efforts at Military Missions a success.  How do we spell success?  With the smile on the face of the soldier who is handed that Military Missions care package with his name on it.

Thank you to all who are working so hard to make our dreams a reality.  Keep checking back as we will be posting letters and thanks from our troops and will be highlighting some of the unsung heroes here at Military Missions who are making a big difference overseas from right here at home.

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Please remember this hero in your thoughts and prayers and be sure to include his family in the same.  We thank you, Justin, and we thank your family, for all that you do each and every day for all of us.

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Please don’t mistake my disinterest in allowing another child to enter the Corps as a lack of support for our military. Our family will continue to serve and support our military, their families, and our veterans by giving our time and our talents to meet the needs here on the homefront.  We will fight this battle for those who can not stand alone and we will not stop until every veteran is back home and receiving the support and care needed to move forward and live a fulfilling life.

A letter to Sergeant Major, Marine Corps Recruiting Command

Michael A. Logan

Sergeant Major, United States Marine Corps

Sergeant Major, Marine Corps Recruiting Command

3280 Russell Road, 2nd Floor

Quantico, VA 22134-5103

Dear Sgt Maj Logan,

Today my youngest son, a 17 year old high school senior, received two more pieces of recruiting material in the mail.  You have been sending him mail since he was a sophomore, but I found receiving this mail even more appalling today because I completed the Military Recruitment Opt-Out Parent Form on August 4, 2011.  I will admit that it was a choice that felt strange and almost foreign to me, but there was no hesitation in my decision the day I signed my name on that form.

I feel that military service is one of the most honorable professions one can choose.  I am grateful for those who are willing to serve and sacrifice on my behalf so that I can continue to live in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.  I know that it is imperative that our nation have a strong military, and with no draft, we need people to step up and serve.

So why, you ask, did I sign the Opt-Out form?  Basically, I want to make a point.  I have already given one child to the Marine Corps.  He served three combat tours for our nation.  He gave his heart and soul to the United States Marine Corps.  He believed that Semper Fidelis meant ALWAYS faithful.  He believed that when the Marines say that they will never leave anyone behind, they keep that promise.

Unfortunately, some who wear the uniform of the United States Marine Corps did not follow through and they were not faithful to the end.  These men let my son down.  These men let our family down, and we all know that my son is not the only one of this path of rejection, despair, and deplorable health care.

First he was denied quality care by the Wounded Warrior Battalion, and now he has all but given up on the local VA Medical Center, as the employees are apparently too overburdened to have an ounce of care left in them to take care of our disabled combat veterans.

Until the military, and specifically those who wear the uniform of the United States Marine Corps, can take care of their own and live up to their promises, you are not welcome to send your recruiting materials to my home.  If you can’t take care of these men and women when they return home from war, broken and unable to serve, then do NOT come knocking at our doors to take our remaining children away.

Instead of promising teenage boys that they can be among the “greatest heroes this country has ever known, forever belonging to an elite brotherhood of specially trained warriors”, perhaps you should be promising our injured Marines that you will take care of them no matter the outcome.  Forever belonging is a term which is obviously used loosely.  Apparently it is only meant for those who dodge the bullets and the IED’s, and come home without living through anything remotely traumatic.

It is my opinion that you should not bring one more person into military service unless you can guarantee that you will take care of them once they return home from the war zone.  I would imagine that you expect every Marine to do his job to the best of his ability.  You, Sir, are a Marine, and you are not doing your job to the best of your ability if you and other Marine Corps leaders can not take care of each one recruited into the Corps assuring them the best possible care when they return home from combat with injuries.

As a member of the Corps leadership, you spent over a quarter of a million dollars training my son to be a part of Marine Corps Special Operations Command.  I would think you would be more careful with your investment and insist on quality health care and rehabilitation programs that have more to offer than drug cocktails and three month waits between appointments.

I would love for my youngest son to have an opportunity to take his place among the elite few who have come before him.  The first one he would stand beside would be his oldest brother, who served honorably for three combat tours. He would stand next to his brother who was chosen, who trained, and who served honorably in MARSOC.

We all bought the recruiter’s promise back in 2003.  I trusted you, a Corps leader, to take care of my boy.  I signed him over at the age of seventeen to the Delayed Entry Program because you said that the “self-discipline, self-confidence, and the respect my oldest son would receive would be more than worth the sacrifice of training and service.”  We caught a glimpse of that for a few short years until his injuries deemed him unfit for service and apparently, unfit for the Semper Fidelis package promised at Parris Island.

We gave you a child full of promise and potential, but what was returned home to our family was a wounded combat veteran for whom there is no system in place to provide quality care.

Thousands of troops come home physically wounded or suffering with the invisible wounds of Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress each year.  This war seems to have no end.  The numbers of injured are increasing and the health care system for our troops and veterans is already overwhelmed.  There are too many who need help and not enough services and providers who can treat them.

When sending out future recruiting materials, for every Marine you show pictured in his Dress Blues, perhaps you should also show a photo of the many homeless Marines living under the bridges across this country.  Give these teenagers an opportunity to look at both sides of the coin before they sign their lives away.

I have already given one son for the cause and I have watched the system, as it currently exists, do nothing but further destroy his life. Our family will Opt-Out of military service until the Department of Defense and the Veteran’s Administration are both willing to uphold their end of the bargain and take care of those who serve.

Please don’t mistake my disinterest in allowing another child to enter the Corps as a lack of support for our military. Our family will continue to serve and support our military, their families, and our veterans by giving our time and our talents to meet the needs here on the homefront.  We will fight this battle for those who can not stand alone and we will not stop until every veteran is back home and receiving the support and care needed to move forward and live a fulfilling life.

Respectfully submitted,

Beth Pennington

cc: Fayette County Public Schools

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The most important thing that I’ve learned in the past year is that I just can’t do this by myself. I tried to do it that way until the day that I reached a crisis too big for anyone to handle. My wounded warrior was 600 miles away, suffering a life-threatening crisis, and I couldn’t do anything about it.  I’ve never been more scared in my life and I have never felt so hopeless.  It was, as always, at that point that I called on the Lord to step in and help.  This time, however, it was different.  I was relying on Him on a deeper level than ever before.  I can’t really explain how this felt. I’ve had plenty of experiences where I thought I was in THE most difficult place and there was NO way out, or at least that is what I thought……. until this day arrived.

I wasn’t just going through the motions of asking God to help me.  I was begging as if my every breath depended on His help.  There was NO WAY OUT, and yet, somehow, God did provide the open door.  It was at that moment that I realized that I had learned the difference between thinking God could help me and believing God would help me.  If you are confused by what I am saying, then you probably just THINK God can help you.  If you are chuckling to yourself and nodding your head in agreement, then you BELIEVE God can help you and you have lived through an experience that has taught you the difference.

The beauty of learning the difference between thinking God will help and KNOWING God will help is that when you figure it out, a burden so big is lifted that you will feel like a totally new person, even if your life still seems to be full of turmoil.  I’ve grown up going to church, and have heard the Bible stories about Paul for a lifetime. Paul tells us to rejoice in all circumstances, even the dark times.  I could never quite wrap my mind around anyone being joyful about living in prison, and to be honest, that would be a stretch for me, but I have learned to trust that God knows best. Paul’s teachings make a lot of sense to me now. God knows what I can handle.  He knows my limits.  I trust that He will never give me more than I can handle and with everything He allows to happen in my life, He will also allow me to learn a valuable lesson, if I am willing.

So each day, in all circumstances, I ask the Lord to show me the blessing in the situation and to show me what He wants me to learn.  It’s a true joy to see a blessing in the midst of a difficult experience.  In the past I had always focused on how badly things were going during a trying time.  Now that I’ve focused on finding the blessing, it is so much easier to get through a difficult situation when I know I’ve received a gift from the experience.

Asking God to teach me a lesson was pretty hard to take, at first, because it involved acknowledging my mistakes.  My natural reaction is always going to be to place blame anywhere but on myself. Once I realized that acknowledging my mistakes lifted a burden and spared me from doing the same stupid things over and over, I began to see the blessings multiply.  Wisdom is indeed a gift, one which I just recently discovered was mine for the taking if I was willing to see it for what it’s worth.

If you take nothing else from reading this today, remember, even if you find yourself living through the very worst situation you can imagine, God is there with you.  He will give you what you need to make it through the trial. He will teach you something valuable and He will bless you in a mighty way.

This article was first published at PACT PTSD. Used with permission.

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Mike was nominated by his mom who rarely gets to see him.  When he isn’t deployed, he is stationed at a base that is 3,663 miles from home.  We don’t often think about the sacrifices made by family members back here in the US. Please keep this brave soldier and his family in your prayers.

Thank you Mike! We are so thankful for all that you do for each of us. We know our freedom is not free!

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Ever wonder what the best part of a care package might be?  It’s not the personal care items, though I’ve heard a soldier can get pumped about receiving some eye drops and a package of baby wipes.  It’s not the socks or the snack bars either.  It’s not even the drink mix, though I’ve been told by more than one soldier that drink mix is like “gold” as one can get pretty tired of just drinking water.

The best part of the package is by far, the cards and letters we write to our deployed troops.  Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be so far away from home for such a long time?  Even if we weren’t in a war zone, we would all get pretty tired of being away from family and friends and the comforts of home.  Long after the food is eaten and the baby wipes are gone, the cards and letters are still there to remind the soldier that he has not been forgotten.

Here at Military Missions Inc, we send packages year round.  Each time we pack the boxes, we include several cards and letters in each package.  The typical care package we send out will have messages from people in several different states.  These messages are written by people from ages 2 to 102.  Young children draw pictures.  Students make their own cards or write letters.  We receive postcards from people across the country, as well as store-bought cards with short notes of encouragements. We even receive elaborate cards made by scrap-book enthusiasts.

Notes of encouragement from grateful Americans, family members, and veterans arrive in our office all the time.  It’s such a blessing to see so many people getting involved with Military Missions to support and encourage our deployed troops.

We hope you will consider writing some notes of encouragement that can be included in our care packages, especially for Christmas.  We will need well over 50,000 cards to ensure that each soldier gets at least 10 cards in his box.  To find out how you can get involved visit our CARDS page on this website.

To make sure your cards are included in our Christmas care packages, please send them to our office BEFORE Thanksgiving!

This article was originally published on our OPSEND Blog.

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Listen to the podcast below to learn more about the upcoming class sponsored by Military Missions, Inc. and NAMI Lexington.  This four week class on understanding and coping with Post Traumatic Stress is something you do not want to miss.

Join us and become educated on PTSD, learn communication skills, problem solving skills, empathy, and self care. Hear testimonies from veterans and family members who are dealing with life after combat.  We will also be viewing the HBO documentary, Wartorn 1861- 2010.

Classes will meet on October 14, 21, 28, and November 4 (Fridays) from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. We will be meeting at Participation Station, 869 Sparta Court, Lexington, KY 40504.

To register, call 859-272-7891 or send an email to beth@military-missions.org. 

Click here to view and print out the event flyer. Please forward this information to anyone who might be interested in participating.

If you are a veteran who has weathered the storm of PTSD and is willing to share your story, your expertise, or your support, please contact Beth at beth@military-missions.org.

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“Aaron is an amazing husband and is very dedicated, not only to the Army, but to everything he does. He is a hero to me and to his family for everything he’s doing to keep us and our country safe. This sacrifice is just one more reason why I love and appreciate him. I couldn’t be any more honored to be his wife and stand by him through all of the sacrifices we have made throughout this year. He will continue to be a hero to me everyday.”

All of us at Military Missions are truly grateful for Aaron’s service, and we are thankful that he has such great support back here at home.  Aaron’s family makes a huge sacrifice every day that they are going on here at home without him.  Please pray for the safety of Aaron and his unit, and remember his family in your prayers as well.

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A Veteran’s Summit on Traumatic Brain Injury was held during the conference and Patti learned several things she will be sharing with us.

We will also be sharing more information about our TAKE THE VOW initiative.  We are trying to educate our local communities about military and veteran suicide and we are asking people to take a stand with us to prevent this tragedy from happening to more families across our nation.

We also have some exciting announcements about upcoming events at VOW.

To listen to our show live click here.  You can check the page out now and click on the “add reminder” button to receive an email reminding you to listen to the show next Monday night.

You can also follow us on Blog Talk Radio by clicking the “follow” button just underneath our logo on the same page.  You will get reminders of all of our upcoming shows. Click here  so you don’t miss a single show, to see what’s coming up, and to listen to the shows in our archives. You can also subscribe to our RSS feed or listen to a free download on iTunes.

VOW Talk Radio will be bringing you down to earth, straight from the heart stories from our military, our veterans, and their family members about the REAL issues they are facing.  We will introduce you to veterans who have triumphed over many obstacles.

Military Missions Inc sponsors VOW Talk Radio and the show is hosted by Military Missions founder, Beth Pennington.

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In July, the Joining Forces Community Challenge was announced and we decided that we were interested in entering Military Missions in the challenge. We think we have some of the best volunteers on the planet and decided this would be a great way to make people aware of our unsung heroes who are so dedicated to helping us with our efforts.  We also thought we might be able to share some great ideas for supporting our troops and veterans which we have found to be very successful.

To be considered for recognition, we were required to submit a narrative explaining what our organization does for our military and veteran community, and it was suggested that we submit a video and some photos, as well. We hope you will take a few minutes to watch our video submittal, read our narrative, and spend some time on our website.  Get to know us and find out how you can can support our troops, our veterans, and their families beyond the yellow ribbon.  YOU can make a difference in the life of an American hero!

You can click here to read our narrative.

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Please keep Chris and his unit in your prayers.  If you would like to support these men, and the hundreds of others like them, who are on our care package list, we are always accepting donations. Without your help, we can’t meet all of these requests.

Thank you, Chris, for your dedication and your sacrifice.  We can all sleep peacefully in our beds at night because of great men like you who are willing to do what it takes to keep this nation safe.

(Chris shared this photo which was taken as he and his unit were heading out of the country to serve in Afghanistan.)

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Adam leaves behind a grieving family who still struggles to move forward without him. For those of us who knew him, there will always be some sadness, but today, we want to remember Adam’s smile, his laugh, and his dedication to protect our nation. We are so grateful for Adam’s willingness to serve on behalf of all of us.

We thank Adam’s family for their support of Adam as he chose to serve, and we thank them for their sacrifice. Please keep the Puckett family, and those brave Marines of Third Battalion, First Marine Regiment, in your thoughts and prayers as they continue to put one foot in front of the other to move forward without their hero.

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We are looking for people from all 50 states to get involved. Visit our website set up specifically for this endeavor.

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Click here to watch the podcast or go to the bottom of this page.

We are now a nation at war ten years, and we’ve come to expect long security lines at airports where bags are searched and nail clippers, now classified as dangerous weapons, are confiscated. Do you remember the Homeland Security Advisory System? Do you remember what all those colors were supposed to tell us? We don’t even use it anymore because it was used too frequently, never really meant anything, and we simply began to ignore it.

As the tenth anniversary of 9/11 comes to pass, and I reflect back on how that moment in time has come to change us all, I realize that it isn’t just those who lost a family member on that fateful day who now live differently, and it isn’t just the mundane rituals we endure at the airport that affect each of us.

As with many other American families, the changes that have taken place in my family member’s lives are significant because I know as sure as I’m standing here, that if that fateful day had never taken place, I would not be spending my days doing what I now do.  I honestly have no idea what I might be doing if September 11, 2001, had been just another ordinary day, because all that I was doing then, is now just a distant memory.

It has occurred to me that perhaps I need to try to remember back to what I was doing on September 10, 2001. I don’t have a clue what the specifics were for that day, but if I had known that September 11, would redefine the lives of each one in my family,  I would have certainly made more of a mental note of the day’s events.

Ten years ago, I was still teaching. I had left the classroom and was home educating my two youngest sons, who were at that time, ages 7 and 9.  My oldest son, age 15, was attending the local public high school. Our family was caught up in fall baseball, Tae Kwon Do tournaments, and learning as much as we could about our Christian American history.

I was fascinated by all that I had never been taught about history in my public school upbringing, and as I taught my children, we found that we were becoming very passionate patriotic people.  We were in awe of the government that had been set up, and the great men who had founded this nation. We were enjoying our freedoms given to us by those who have made sacrifices in the past, and I’m embarrassed to say that we simply took it all for granted.

And then, in an instant, our innocence was gone. For the first time in our lives, we were frightened, confused, grief stricken, and unsure of what was happening to our safe and free nation.

I know my oldest son was always planning to go into the military, but it never really sunk in because we weren’t at war and he was just a kid. My plan for him to go to college was the only thing on my mind, and when he decided to enlist two years after the events of September 11th took place, I was determined to talk him out of it.  I never once pictured myself as the mother of a United States Marine deployed to a war zone. I couldn’t imagine it, but one day I woke up and found that to be my reality.

I never thought that in sending care packages to those in my son’s Marine unit, I would find myself, seven years later, running a nonprofit organization which supports our troops, our veterans, and their families, but that is in fact, what I do every day.

When my husband and I decided to bring three children into the world, we never once imagined even one of our precious boys would live through the horrors of war, watch friends die, and come home as a disabled combat veteran.

I would have never guessed that, though my son was home from war, that the real battle was just beginning for our family.  Though I managed to survive three combat deployments here on the homefront, I feared for my son’s life more now, because he was stuck in a deplorable health care system which continues to produce unemployed, homeless veterans, high suicide rates, and staggering statistics for broken families.

Ten years ago, I could not have ever imagined myself as an advocate for wounded warriors. I would have laughed if you told me I would stand up against the highest ranks in the military, work side by side with congressional leaders, and that a Department of Defense Inspector General’s team would fly to Lexington, Kentucky, just to spend four days interviewing little old me, a mom to three boys.  Who would have thought that all of my note taking and letter writing would have actually come to make a difference in the lives of our wounded warriors.

Always having been more of an introvert, I would have never dreamed, in a million years, that I would start writing blogs that would grab the attention of national news media.  I barely had the nerve to post my opinion on the world wide web, and yet dishing out a piece of my mind began to have an impact.  Even more out of character is the fact that I now get up and speak in front of groups of people, do local television interviews, and host an internet radio show, but God has put the opportunities in front of me whether I want them or not, and He has put the words in my mouth to help Him make a difference in this Post 9/11 World.  He has empowered me to get up and do things that I would have never considered, even in my wildest dreams.

I’ve learned a lot more about that government that I was once so impressed by, and I’ve learned that the world is not a very nice place.  I have found that I am no longer naive. There has been a lot of pain and hurt in our lives over the past ten years. I’ve been to more military funerals than I care to count, including some for those who saw suicide as their only option.  I’ve got too many friends who have buried their children because of this war, and I’ve met too many veterans who are disabled, homeless, hopeless, and unappreciated.

I’ve watched the past decade take my innocent 15 year old boy, drag him through combat three times, and turn him into a hurt and frustrated man who served his country and feels that he is now all but forgotten.

Looking back, I realize that while my life has changed in a dramatic way, and I feel so changed by the past ten years, I also realize that maybe I’m not so different after all.  I was a full time mom back then, and my job called for me to teach my children and be the best team mom and wife in town.  I never really stopped being a mom.  I just ended up adopting a lot more kids along the way who happened to be wearing the uniform of the United States military.

If you haven’t taken some time to think about how this Post 9/11 World has changed your life in a personal way, I suggest you take a few moments to consider its impact. You might be as surprised, as I was, to realize that one moment in time can truly redefine each one of us in a remarkable way.

As for my family and me, we could be bitter and broken by this cruel path we have been forced to walk, but I’m grateful that we haven’t let this Post 9/11 World steal our joy.  We will keep moving forward, one day at a time. We will continue to give thanks that we haven’t had to make the same sacrifices which other families have been forced to make, and we will continue to step out and help those who need our support.  We can’t go back to that innocent world we lived in on September 10, 2001, but we can move forward and make the best out of the world we live in now.

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“Michael is a wonderful father, husband, and soldier.  He fights for his country without thinking twice.  He loves his job and enjoys doing what he has to do to keep our land free.  If he had to do it all over again, he would still serve.  He believes that fighting for our freedom is what he was born to do.  He is willing to sacrifice his life to do just that.  He is and always will be an American soldier.

Thank you, Michael, for serving on the behalf of all of us. We are grateful for what you are doing and we rest easy knowing we are protected.  Please keep this brave soldier and his dear family in your prayers.  Be sure to make a comment and share your appreciation for this awesome family.

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The next time you are out enjoying your day, remember those who sacrifice to make it possible for the rest of us to exercise our freedoms.  If you see us coming with our cameras, be ready to give your shout out for our heroes.

To all of you serving overseas on our behalf, we want to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! We appreciate all you do and you are in our prayers!

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I realize that there are many other activities going on over the weekend, but we are making a plea for volunteers.  With many events commemorating the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and the OEF OIF Welcome Home Celebration prior to UK’s home football game this weekend, our organization has to be in more than one place at one time.

In order to man our donation table at Sam’s Club this weekend, we need YOUR help.  I realize that the forecast is calling for a chance of rain, and there is a lot going on this weekend, but if you have a couple of hours to spare, we hope that you will consider finding a way to come out and help us. We will even supply the poncho so you can stay dry if it rains.

We appreciate any sacrifice that you can make to help us man the table this weekend.  Remember the sacrifice being made for each of us by our deployed troops and their families.

We need volunteers to work the following shifts:

Friday 9/9/11 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Saturday 9/10/11 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm

Saturday 9/10/11 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Sunday 9/11/11 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm

We are also in need of a couple of drivers with a pick up truck, minivan, or SUV to help deliver the booth supplies to Sam’s on Saturday morning and help with set up between 9:30 – 10:00 AM that morning, as well as someone to help us get the donations from Sam’s Club to our office at Millpond center on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 pm.

If you can help, please send Ginny an email to volunteer@military-missions.org or call Barbara at 859-221-9477 as soon as possible.

As always, we are extremely grateful for your support of our troops through Military Missions, Inc.

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Thousands of returning combat veterans are living in our hometowns.  They work in our businesses.  They attend our churches.  They shop in our stores and many inhabit our city’s homeless shelters. They are a part of us, and rightfully so.  Look at what they have given on our behalf.

We can’t simply look the other way, and act as if we don’t see the elephant in the room. The more we look away, the more insignificant our veterans feel.  I know it’s hard to step up and get involved, but do it anyway.  Think of the courage it took for these men and women to go into harm’s way for all of us.  We owe them the same. Rather you know it or not, we were made to be courageous. Each of us can take a stand, lead the way, and do the right thing for our veterans.

Learn to recognize the warning signs for suicide.  If you have a loved one or a friend who has been to war, let them know you are there for them.  Listen to what they are saying, and listen to what they are not saying.  Be there and be willing to advocate for this warrior who risked his life for you.

To find out more, listen to the podcast. Join the communities of Military Missions Inc and Voice of Warriors and help us make a difference.

If each one of us can reach just one struggling veteran, then each one of us can save a life.

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“This is my husband, Jarrod with our 3 month old son the day he deployed. This is his 2nd tour in Iraq. He loves what he does and he would not change it for anything. He is a very hard working and dedicated man. When he puts his heart into something it is never done half fasted. He loves this country and will do anything to protect it. We are stationed at Ft Hood, Texas. He will miss our son’s first words, Christmas, birthday, etc. He is a hero to us and everyone that meets him. He has sacrificed so much to protect all of our freedoms. This and this is an amazing way to show him how much I and so many other people appreciate him. He can always brighten anyone’s day and will always lend a helping hand. He has such a big heart and he is one of the most caring people you would ever meet. I am honored to be his wife and it means so much to me and the rest of his family that he is placed on your wall of heroes.

This is a great program. It shows that there are still people who care about our troops and that they are not forgotten. I thank you so much for this and I appreciate you taking the time out to honor my husband.”

Not only do we want to thank Jarrod, but we also want to thank his family for supporting him and encouraging him as he serves on our behalf.  Please give a shout of thanks to Jarrod and his family and remember to keep this dear family in your prayers.

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Military Martha says, “Be sure to call in or write your questions for me here! Don’t leave me hangin’ with dead air!”

To call in during the show, or to log into our chat room, click here. You can also send your questions in prior to the show by sending us an email at radio@voiceofwarriors.com.

Military Martha shares her patriotic perspective on all things practical in life.  You can check out her her tips via her blog which includes some very interesting video blogs, as well. Check out I have a dream of neatly folded sheets, and you don’t want to miss her video, How to darn a darn sock..

She’s just “doin’ her part, ya’ll to keep Momma’s lessons alive and well!”  Listen as Military Martha shares some of the wisdom she learned from her momma.

Religion - “Ya’ll better pray that comes out of the carpet”
Logic - ”Because I said so, that’s why”
Irony - “Keep cryin’ and I’ll give you somethin’ to cry about”
Wisdom - “If ya’ll live to be my age it will make sense.”
Justice - “One day ya’ll have kids, I hope they turn out just like you!!”

If you are looking for a few good recipes, you will want to check out what Military Martha has to say about her50 States 50 Recipes Tour.  She takes us across the country sharing recipes native to each state, along with interesting facts about the regions.  Did you know that Maine is the largest producer of toothpicks?  Have you ever heard of a Whoopie Pie? Which state can boast their birth?

As well as sharing authentic recipes, Military Martha promises to to teach us a few cooking concepts which is quite helpful for those of us who can’t boil water.

She does, however, have a few rules of the road that must be followed during this 50 state tour. She’s not going to wear a parka while cooking a dish from Alaska or a bikini while cooking a dish from Florida, but she wants us to understand that climate changes in cooking are just as influential as they are in travel.

An expert in all things domestic with a military twist, Military Martha will help you find an answer to anything you want to ask her.  She has been married to SGM Martha since Jesus was in diapers, and they are planning to stay married until the day on of them dies and the other retires to Florida.  She’s got the answers to YOUR questions!

Tune in on the last Monday night of each month at 7:30 pm (Eastern) to ask your questions.  Click here to follow our show page and we will send you a reminder so you don’t miss a single episode with Military Martha,  the HUN Huddle, and your friends from Military Missions on VOW Talk Radio.

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“My son, Victor, serves in the United States Navy.  In October 2009, he was deployed to Iraq as an Individual Augmentee with the Army and returned in November 2010.  Upon reporting to his new Navy assignment the following month, he was told he would be deploying again in just a few months.  He is deployed once again, and by the time he returns home in 2012, he will have spent only four months out of twenty-nine months with his wife and two children who are themselves heroes.  I am extremely proud of my son and his family for the sacrifices they have made and continue to make.”

All of us at Military Missions are truly grateful for Victor’s service. We are also thankful for his family’s willingness to sacrifice so that he can serve on behalf of each of us.  Please keep this dear family and this brave sailor in your thoughts and prayers.

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Requests come in daily from family members of our troops, as well.  More often than not, the spouse simply can’t afford to spend the money to send her husband a box.  She can barely make ends meet, but she desperately wants to make sure that her husband knows his life means something.  She is already doing her part to keep the family going on their limited budget.  We offer her some relief because we are taking up her torch and getting that package into the hands of her hero. If only we could share all the notes of appreciation we receive from our military families. You would be amazed at the significance made in their lives here on the homefront when they know someone else cares about the sacrifice their hero is making.

I can’t imagine having to say no to even one of these requests, and yet, we may be coming to that point. The 315 names just mentioned are just the new names on our list, as of this morning.  We have 833 additional names on our list already.  The total of 1133 names doesn’t even include the 1500 Kentucky National Guard troops who have just deployed and whom we wish to support. For years, we have been sending packages out monthly, but earlier this summer we were forced to cut back, because even though our list is growing, the donations are not coming in to meet the need.

The economy is really bad folks.  It’s taking a toll on all of us.  Despite the fact that many are out of work and gas prices are ridiculously high, our troops are still in harm’s way, standing in the gap to protect our freedoms.

Picture yourself in harm’s way.  How hard would you be able to keep going while wondering if anyone back here at home even cared about what you were doing?

Not only are these brave men and women putting their lives at risk 24/7/365, they are giving up years of time spent with family.  They have put their lives on hold.  Whether they realize it or not, they will come home changed.  Not everyone comes home, but amongst those who do some will be physically injured. All will definitely experience some form of mental wounding.  They will see tragic situations, lose friends, and may even come home to broken relationships and no job prospects.

I think most of us want to feel like what we do every day is worth some value. We want to know that our lives matter to somebody besides ourselves.  Imagine how important this concept would be if we were risking our very existence for the cause of something bigger than ourselves!

Military Missions Inc is a very small nonprofit when compared to most of the others out there.  We often compare what we can accomplish to the Bible story about the fishes and the loaves.  Five loaves of bread and two fish fed 5000 people!  We have been sending care packages to thousands of troops over the past several years on a shoestring budget.  The average donation made to our organization is $25 or a small grocery bag of items we can pack in a box.

All of us at Military Missions are just like all of you.  We are the little people.  We don’t know anyone rich and famous.  We don’t rub elbows with corporate gurus so we don’t get big corporate donations.  We could accept them because we are an IRS approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit.  We just don’t know who to ask, nor do we have the time to go looking for these donors.  We are busy 24/7 supporting our troops and their families in a variety of ways. We are just regular people, living paycheck to paycheck.  We are all volunteers.  No one gets paid at Military Missions Inc.  We are simply giving back to those who are giving for all of us.  We are doing our small part to make this nation a better place to live.

We want everyone to feel like their contribution is valued, whether it be money, time, or a few items for a box.  We want the American people to be able to say thank you to our troops and feel like they are doing something to serve our nation.  We are able to provide a hands on situation, which many of the larger nonprofits don’t do, that allows our supporters to be directly involved with efforts that are making a difference in the lives of our American heroes.

In order to keep doing this, we must ask you to help.  If you appreciate your freedom and the right to live here in the USA, won’t you consider giving a small donation to make sure that Military Missions can continue to send support and encouragement to our deployed troops?  We promise we won’t ask often.  By now you already know we don’t fill your email box with requests for your donations.  We don’t like to ask for help so consider this an urgent request.

If you can’t spare a few dollars to support our troops, can you please forward this message (share the link to this webpage) with those in your circle of friends?  I think it’s safe to say that every American citizen benefits from the sacrifice of those who serve in our military.  You could have been born in a country where freedom is not free.

It’s easy to donate right from our website.  We use Google Checkout, and right now Google is not even charging us a fee to use their system.  Because we are an IRS approved nonprofit, we will not be charged for any donations made through Google Checkout for the rest of the 2011 calendar year. Every dollar you donate will go to support our troops, veterans, and military families. Visit http://www.military-missions.org/donate/.

If you are not comfortable donating online, you can drop your donation by our office if you are in the Central Kentucky area, or send a donation directly to our office through the mail.  Make your check payable to Military Missions Inc. and mail it to us at 3650 Boston Rd., Suite 146, Lexington, KY 40514. Remember your donation is tax deductible.

As you consider making your donation, think about the cost.  How much is your freedom worth to you? You probably can’t translate that number into a dollar amount you can afford to give away, but maybe it will give you some incentive to donate enough to help us send at least one box to at least one hero.

Thanks for your support!

Beth Pennington

Founder

Military Missions Inc.

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“I am proud to nominate my son Patrick as a Hero of the Day. He is currently serving in Afghanistan, his first deployment of his young Army career. Patrick selflessly leads a brave platoon of soldiers whose first and foremost concern is to protect the people of his assigned village from the threats, intimidation, extortion and cruelty of the Taliban.

Patrick willingly leads his men on daily patrols and missions, having endured three near miss IED explosions and countless fire fights to insure the villagers are protected from harm and danger. Patrick selflessly distributes the many “care packages” he receives from family and friends to insure all his men receive some type goody which keeps them emotionally and spiritually tied to home. Whether it is leading a patrol, guiding and directing a battle strategy or doing his daily paperwork, Patrick is a typical example of our best at work…protecting, caring, doing, donating…never an occupier as many cynics would suggest.  Common to all his comrade in arms is his great faith, caring attitude and an obvious longing to be reunited with his family and friends.”

We are so grateful for Patrick’s willingness to dedicate his life to military service.  We are also thankful that he receives such loving support from home. His family is sacrificing as well.  Please keep Patrick and his family in your prayers!

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We’ve all got the same 24 hours to work with, day in and day out. We have the freedom to make choices about how we spend our time, and our choices lead to what we accomplish each day. We choose the attitude with which we carry out these choices and, rather we realize it or not, we have an impact on everyone who comes into contact with us.

Have you ever thought about the impact you have on others?  What is the first thing someone thinks about when they think of you?  On most days we are all so busy trying to survive our schedules that we don’t think about the impact we are having on others.  And then something tragic happens. Somebody dies an unexpected death and our minds are inundated with thoughts of this person.

Right now my mind is reeling as I try to wrap my mind around the fact that my buddy, Doug Poole, drowned in Lake Douglas, in Tennessee, over the weekend. I’m can’t classify myself as having been one of Doug’s good friends, but for some reason I have not been able to stop shedding tears.  The loss of this good man’s life is tragic and it is tearing me apart.

Doug was probably one of the nicest guys anyone could meet.  He worked at the Beaumont Post Office here in Lexington, Kentucky, for ten years.  For the past three years, he has been our “go to guy” at Military Missions.  We mail care packages out almost every month of the year and Doug has been the one that has made sure every box gets out and the job is done right.

At Military Missions, we have been mailing boxes since the beginning of 2005.  To be honest, trying to mail hundreds, sometimes thousands, of boxes can be pretty tedious when you have fill out a customs form by hand for every single box.  Writing out military addresses is even more tedious. Matching labels to forms and making sure that everything is correct, not to mention hauling the sea of boxes up to the Post Office, is a huge endeavor that takes several days, and several people, to coordinate and complete.  We have had our share of frustrations over the years as we have learned how to best get the job done.

When we first started working with Doug, he was just another voice on the other end of the phone and the face that met us at the back door when we dropped off the boxes. It wasn’t long, however, before I realized that Doug wasn’t just any other guy who happened to work at the Post Office.

Doug cared about doing things right.  He was willing to go beyond the call of duty to get the job done.  If I called to say we were going to drop our boxes off, it didn’t matter that he was about to leave for lunch, or that it was time for him to go home.  He would wait for us to arrive. He would stay late, and he was known to skip lunch altogether, to be there when we arrived. He put our schedule ahead of his own month after month.

Trying to call a busy Post Office can be frustrating.  Doug gave me his cell number and said, “Just call me directly.  I’ll take care of you.”  I haven’t dialed the USPS number for a couple of years now.

When I needed to mail a shipment of boxes, I just called Doug and he helped me figure out what needed to be done.  If I needed to drop off 50 boxes or 2,050 boxes, Doug was always ready to help.  He never complained and he never made me feel like I was inconveniencing him.

All I had to do was mention that I needed to pick up some tape or flat rate boxes, and when I arrived, Doug had already gathered what was needed.

Maybe all of this seems mundane to you, but imagine the importance of getting this done right.  For every box we send over, if it does not end up in the hands of the intended soldier, we might as well have thrown $35 out the window. That is out of the question for our little nonprofit.

It wasn’t long before Doug was offering to come by our office and pick up smaller loads for us so we wouldn’t have to bring the boxes up to the Post Office. He said he had to go there anyway.  Instead of making us come back by to pick up receipts and forms, he would bring them by our office on his way home from work.  He even offered to go out of his way to bring things to my house just because he was always willing to make things easier on everyone else. Nowhere was ever out of his way, but rather, right on his way. I could have probably been living across the state line and he would have found a reason that it was “on his way” to stop by and help.

Needless to say, I feel like I’ve lost a friend.  I didn’t hang out with Doug, but I spent plenty of time talking to him on the phone, not to mention while we were unloading hundreds of boxes every month. We talked about all sorts of things that had nothing to do with mail, and he never failed to ask me about my son, a disabled veteran. He never met my son, but he sure did care about how he was doing with his recovery. Doug even felt comfortable enough to ask me for help with something one time.  I guess maybe I did qualify as one of his “friends” after all.

Military Missions is synonymous with care packages, which makes our operation incomplete without the Post Office, and without Doug Poole.  Not only has USPS lost an important member of their team, we feel we have lost an important member of our Military Missions team.

It’s going to be difficult to get our next batch of packages out at the end of the month. We’ve got to figure out how to do this task without our “go to guy”.  I know that anyone can step in and do the job, but it’s going to be difficult for anyone to fill Doug’s shoes and do it with the same smile and the same heart.

I’m going to suggest that they put an extra tissue box in the Beaumont lobby for the next few weeks.  There are a lot of us who are going to have to come to terms with this loss, and it’s going to hurt when we walk in those doors.

Remember to live each day to the fullest because none of us knows when our time here on earth is going to end. We should all want to be remembered as Doug will be remembered. Doug cared about our troops and he cared about people.  He always wore a smile. He was never too busy to help others. He put everyone else first, and he always put himself last.

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For the longest time we have been trudging through the stages of grief, longing for the old guy to walk back in the door, but it just hit me, that what we really need to do is get to know the new guy.

Dealing with the invisible wounds of war is not easy.  We haven’t experienced the physical death of our loved one as thousands of military families have since the war on terror began ten years ago, and we are so grateful for that.  We have, however, experienced a loss.  The boy that left our home to enlist in the Marine Corps never came back home.

Click here to read more.

This article was first featured on voiceofwarriors.com. 

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We can sleep safely in our beds at night knowing that brave men like Sean are willing to leave their homes and their families to ensure our freedoms here in the United States.  We are so thankful for this brave soldier and his family.  Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

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As many of you know, Military Missions has taken on the task of supporting our veterans and their family members who are learning to live with the invisible wounds of war, PTSD and TBI.  With thousands of troops returning from multiple deployments, the number of families affected by these issues is growing phenomenally and the health care system currently in place can’t meet all the needs.

In an effort to make a louder noise for advocacy for our heroes, Military Missions is proud to announce that we are partnering with Voice of Warriors. VOW was created to bring awareness to situations our military men and women face before war, during war, and after war. VOW volunteers consist of military veterans, family members, retirees, proud Americans and some of your friends from Military Missions!

Many of our military men and women coming home from war are in need of someone to help them through red tape when seeking care for physical or mental health care. As a member of Team VOW, I have been able to further my reach to connect veterans and their family members with existing organizations and services to better assist with their quality of life.

Are you interested in hearing down to earth, straight from the heart stories from our military, our veterans, and their family members about the REAL issues they are facing?   Do you want to hear the stories of those who have triumphed over many obstacles?

Are you struggling?  Do you need to learn how to be a voice for your warrior? Then you need to tune into Voice of Warrior Talk Radio (VOWTR).

VOW Talk Radio airs live online on Monday evenings at 7:30 PM (Eastern). We encourage you to join us and call in with your comments and questions.  If you can’t join us during the live show, you can still listen to all the shows which are archived.

VOW offers our online magazine, VOW Talk Radio and VOW TV. I hope you will visit the website and find out more about Voice of Warriors and the incredible partnership we, at Military Missions, are blessed to be enjoying as we continue to support those who have given on behalf of all of us.

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TEARS OF THE FORGOTTEN

by Frederick Davidson, Disabled Army Veteran

We run through life as children playing Army with all of our best buds. As we grow older, that just passes by and just becomes a very distant memory.  We go through our high school days looking toward our future.  Some will go off to college and some will work minimum wage jobs.  Some of us will pick up where we left off as kids and join the military.

We go and take our ASVAB exam and then our physical. Then comes the big day of taking our oath of service to our so called great nation to protect and defend her!   Then we start our tour of duty, whether it be state-side or overseas. We do what our country asks of us without question.

For some of us, after doing our duty to GOD AND COUNTRY, we come back home broken, not just in body, but there are some of us who are broken in mind. When our contract was up, with our great nation, did they say this is what we owe you for your service to our great nation or this is what we will do for you? NO!!! They just say here is your discharge. There’s the door! Don’t let it hit ya where the good lord split ya.

For so many of this nation’s heroes, they don’t even know what they are entitled to. The ones who are oh so broken inside, who just can’t cope with life, they wind up out in the cold, on the hard streets of life, or even worse, the demons inside of them get the better of them.  They wind up taking their own lives.

How many nights do these brave men and women sit and cry out OH LORD, WHY DO THOU FORSAKE ME WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS? All they did was answer the call of our great nation.  So many of us have been just flat out forgotten about for so many years and yet our tears still flow and our despair seems endless at times. Then one day the despair just gets the best of us, and we just give in to the nightmares running through our heads.

Some of my brothers and sisters in arms, they have no one to turn to.  I have gotten lucky. I have found my family to turn to my family of brothers and sisters, but even with that support, I still feel the moments of shame and regrets. Oh yes! And the days of despair!  How many more tears must our forgotten shed before this great nation wakes up?  How many more of our brothers and sisters shall we lose to the streets before this great nation opens it’s eyes and sees our pain and suffering? And the final question:  HOW MANY MORE HAVE TO TAKE THEIR LIVES TO COPE WITH THESE DEMONS IN THEIR HEADS?????????????

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This song has been a great source of encouragement to me on the days that I felt like giving up hope as our family continues to fight the battle on the homefront to survive the invisible wounds of war, PTSD and TBI which have redefined our lives since our son returned from war.

Music: What Faith Can Do by Kutless

Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it’s more than you can take
But you’re stronger, stronger than you know
Don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It’ll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

Overcome the odds
You don’t have a chance
(That’s what faith can do)
When the world says you can’t
It’ll tell you that you can!

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
That’s what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise

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With tears, I wondered, do I know anyone who was in that helicopter?  Numerous names and faces flooded my mind.  Being a former SF mom, I happen to know quite a few people who serve in our nation’s most elite units.  Maybe we’ve lost one of those on our care package list?  What if it is someone who was a close friend of someone else I know?  What if we’ve lost someone who served with my own son? What if I have to go and watch another friend bury their son or their husband?

What if I don’t know a single one of these brave troops who just gave their lives for me?  It honestly doesn’t matter if I have a personal connection because right now, there are 31 American families who are going to find out today that their loved one is not coming home.  There are countless friends and brothers-in-arms who are trying to figure out how to go on because of this loss.  These people will mourn because their loved one made a sacrifice for every one of us and this, in itself, makes it very personal to me.

What makes me even sadder today is that 95% of our nation’s citizens will do nothing more than make a comment on Facebook and move on with their lives marking today as one with a newsworthy mention of the War on Terror. Most people don’t know someone personally who has lost a loved one to this war, but for those of us who do, it’s pretty hard to keep moving forward on days like this.

These men who died today have not only served our nation, but they have gone through some of the most difficult training just to be chosen for a Special Ops team.  Once chosen, their intense training continues.  There is a reason these forces are elite. These men must promise to keep everything they do confidential…..always.  No matter how dangerous their missions are, and no matter how much they accomplish to keep our nation safe, they will not ever get recognition for doing so, and isn’t that part of what sets them apart as true heroes?

As of yesterday, 2011 had brought us a loss of 240 American lives in Afghanistan. Today that number jumps to 271.  The total number of American lives lost since October, 2001, now stands at 1,608.  I won’t even quote the number of lives lost in Iraq or the number of lives who are forever changed because of physical and mental injuries.

I’m not one to remain stuck in a terminal pity party, but I think that today is one in which our nation should be in mourning.  If you are not deeply saddened by today’s news of the loss of 31 special operation troops, and you have not taken a moment to reflect on all that you have, and all who have given over the past 235 years so you could have it, then it is my suggestion that you take some time out of your day to contemplate your blessings and give thanks to those who have made it possible for you to live in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.

For those of us who have experienced some sort of personal sacrifice in this never-ending war, news of each and every  injury and death hits us harder than the one before. Please pray for all of us who have to reopen old wounds every time we hear that someone else has made a sacrifice.

We need to uphold, in prayer, the families and the team members of those who gave their lives in the past 24 hours.  We must also remember to pray for those who continue to serve in harm’s way, and we need to realize that events such as this put fear into the lives of each one here on the homefront who has a loved one serving.

The next time you see someone wearing the uniform, or someone who has already served, please take a minute to tell them, and their family members, you appreciate their service.  I don’t think these brave souls could ever tire of hearing someone thank them for all they have done.

Don’t ever forget your freedom is not free.

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I was ten years old when Desert Storm began, and although I was only ten, I had a basic understanding of why we were there.  I have vivid memories of seeing news footage of bombs flying and I always wondered why they look green.  Now, with a little more understanding, I know that was because of night vision equipment.  The wisdom you gain with age, what an amazing thing!  Another memory ingrained in my mind is overhearing on TV that one of our men had been killed.  I know there were many, but for some reason this incident stood out.  That night when I went to bed I cried myself to sleep.  I was only ten, but I mourned for him.  I thought about him and his family and how he never got to say goodbye because he was defending freedom.

Just over ten years later, as a college senior, I found myself again mourning, but this time it was multiplied by 3,000.  I remember where I was, the intersection I was in and the radio station I was listening to on September 11, 2001.  I’ve never been to New York, I knew no one in the buildings or on the planes, but it hit me hard.  Watching the buildings fall with many still inside, seeing individuals jumping from the buildings, not to end their life, but to possibly save it or to find some relief from the horror was overwhelming.  Just as I had ten years prior I again thought about the lives lost and their families; how they just went to work or got on a plane, but would never get to say goodbye.

Indeed the day was tragic, but for me, there was some good that came out of it.  God used it to allow me to see the useless things I would worry about and how they were so insignificant.  While I’ve always been patriotic, I fell in love with America.  I realized how blessed and fortunate I am to be a citizen of one of the greatest countries in the history of the world.  Why else would the terrorists do what they did?  We have so many amazing rights and privileges that many in the world don’t have the opportunity to enjoy.  I thank God for our founding fathers that had the courage and dedication to form this land; I also thank Him for the men and women that take an oath to defend it.

Though many of our men and women that wear the uniform of the United States military have paid the ultimate sacrifice for freedom and we are forever indebted to them, there are many that have come home, but have still sacrificed.  Whether it is a visible or invisible wound or missing out on life at home, our military and many times their families have paid the price.  They miss milestone events like the birth of a child, or celebrating birthdays.  Although hard to be away, this is something our troops are willing to do to protect us.  It’s also the everyday things that we may never know about that are sacrificed.  Helping kids with homework and reading bedtime stories, having a prolonged engagement due to deployment, the peace of mind of a family member because the phone call or e-mail hasn’t come yet from their deployed loved one, favorite snacks, good coffee, their own bed, family vacations, just being home…only to name a few.  Some of these things may sound trivial, but we have the opportunity to enjoy them everyday because they are willing to stand in the gap.

John 15:13 says “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”  First, I thank Christ for His ultimate sacrifice and for my life in Him.  Second, I thank every Marine, Sailor, Airman, Soldier, and Coast Guardsman.  Thank you for your service, you are never forgotten.

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In some ways, this seems very strange and foreign to me because I feel that military service is one of the most honorable professions one can choose.  I am grateful for those who are willing to serve and sacrifice on my behalf so that I can continue to live in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.  I know that it is imperative that our nation have a strong military, and with no draft, we need people to step up and serve.

If you know me, then you know that I spend my days serving the military through the nonprofit I founded, Military Missions, Inc.  I wouldn’t give my heart and soul to supporting our troops and veterans if I didn’t feel military service was important.

So, why, you ask, did I complete the Opt-Out Parent Form?  Basically, I want to make a point.  I have already given one child to the Marine Corps.  He served three combat tours for our nation, and they sent back to me, a wounded combat veteran for whom they have no system in place to provide quality care.

Thousands of troops come home physically wounded or suffering with the invisible wounds of Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress each year.  This war seems to have no end.  The numbers of injured is increasing and the health care system for our troops and veterans is already overwhelmed.  There are too many who need help and not enough services and providers who can treat them.

Our combat veterans are finding themselves without families, without jobs, without homes, and many are committing suicide because they don’t see a way out of their hopeless situation.

It is my opinion that they should not bring one more person into military service unless they can guarantee that they will take care of them once they return home from the war zone.  Quality health care and rehabilitation programs should not consist of drug cocktails and three month waits between appointments.

I have already given one son for the cause and I have watched the system, as it currently exists, do nothing but further destroy his life.

Our family will Opt-Out of military service until the Department of Defense and the Veteran’s Administration are willing to uphold their end of the bargain and take care of those who serve.

Our family will, however, continue to serve and support our military, their families, and our veterans by giving our time and our talents to meet the needs here on the homefront.

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Bart is currently serving in Afghanistan on his first deployment. He left right after his twin girls’  first birthday.  He will be quite surprised to come back to walking, talking and attitude-filled toddlers but we couldn’t be more excited.  We have been married for almost 3 years and with training and deployments, we have yet to actually spend a full year together as a family. We are very proud of what Bart has done for his country and the selfless acts that go along with that. He is not only our family’s hero but the best husband and father our little family could ask for.

All of us here at Military Missions, are so grateful that Bart and Katie are willing to sacrifice so much time from their married life together so that he can serve in our nation’s Armed Forces.  Life must be challenging for Katie to raise twin toddlers on her own during deployment, and it’s got to be difficult for Bart to miss out on many of the milestones that his daughters are passing while he is deployed.

Please keep this dear family in your prayers and may God bring Bart and his unit back safely!

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We are so grateful for Ashley’s willingness to serve.  Her family is so very proud of her, but that doesn’t make it any easier on them as they wait for her safe return to the US.  When Ashley returns to US soil, she will be based across the country from her family.  We know that their time spent together over the next several years will be limited.  We want to thank Ashley’s family for supporting her decision to serve, by making a sacrifice themselves.

Please keep this American hero, and her family, in your prayers.

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This album was born out of Steven Curtis Chapman’s tragic loss of his five year old daughter, Maria.  “Steven is unflinchingly honest in his exploration of grief and loss.  He asks the questions we all ask when horrible things happen to the innocent, yet throughout the album hope shimmers, faith becomes more real and even more precious, and the peace that surpasses all understanding” is communicated.

My personal favorites on the album are Faithful, Beauty Will Rise, and Spring is Coming.  To find out more about the album, go to www.stevencurtischapman.com/music.htm.

You may wonder why something as simple as listening to a few songs could be any real help to you when you are in a struggle, but before you disregard this strategy, I suggest you give it a try.  When you need a reason to put one foot in front of the other to keep moving forward, this is something that I have found really works for me.

This article was first published at http://fellednot.com

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Listening to contemporary Christian music has been a big part of my survival over the past two or three years.  Songs are often prayers written to music.  Lyrics often teach us scripture or tell a story of struggle and teach us of God’s love and faithfulness.  I am thankful for those that have been gifted with the ability to share their trials and the lessons learned of faith and trust through song.  I’ve got a playlist on my iPod called “Survival”.  I am constantly adding to the list and it takes me about 5 hours to play through the list in its entirety.  I won’t list all the songs here, but I will, from time to time, share a song, the artist, the lyrics, and perhaps why the song speaks to me.

If you aren’t familiar with contemporary Christian artists, I would recommend K-Love or Air 1 Radio.  These stations are broadcast nationwide.  Both have websites which you can visit to find out where you can listen locally to their stations.  These stations are even broadcast overseas, so if you are deployed you can likely find a way to listen, as well.  If there is no station in your area, you can listen online or through a smartphone app.

Before you throw your hands up and walk away from this idea, give it a try for a few days.  You will likely find that your vigil from Fort Living Room is a little easier to face as you live through the days of deployment or the days of recovery you walk with your wounded warrior.

This article was first published at http://www.fellednot.com 

KLove Radio – www.klove.com

Air 1 Radio – www.air1.com

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Patriots are defined as those who love, support, and defend their country and its interests with devotion.

Over the years, as I have worked with Military Missions, I have learned that patriots can be found in the most obscure places.  Many of them wear uniforms, and many of them do not.  I’ve had the privilege of meeting a number of unsung heroes and patriots, and I have a feeling there are many more I may never meet because most of those who love, support and defend their country’s interests with devotion don’t want any attention for themselves.  They just want to make a difference in the lives of others and they want to ensure that our nation will be here for their great great grandchildren’s children.

Most of us are just average American citizens who are busy taking care of our families and working to make ends meet.  We have a small circle of friends and our largest audience might be the number of friends we have on Facebook.  We don’t see ourselves as being in a position to make a difference, but I’m here to tell you each one of us can make a difference.  You might do something that seems very small, but it can have a big impact and make a big difference in the lives of others.

I want to share the story of one whom I consider to be a patriot.  This person doesn’t know I’m going to share her story, but it’s just too good to keep to myself.

Donna joined the National Guard when she was 18 years old.  She served for 6 years.  A few months ago, she heard about our organization, Military Missions Inc., so she decided to go online and check out our website.  Our project, Raising the Flag, caught her interest. This project was created to raise awareness for our troops who defend our flag and what our flag really symbolizes.  She went to several schools in her area to see if she could generate some interest.  She didn’t hear back from any of them, but that did not discourage her.

Feeling it was important for the students to understand the importance of being an American, Donna decided to drop off a book, The Constitution, to some of the schools.  During the time she was making her school visits, she discovered that some of our schools do not even say the Pledge of Allegiance.  She even found that one school has not given their students the privilege of saying the pledge for fourteen years!

Needless to say, it was very concerning to see the schools’ lack of interest in our nation’s flag and Donna decided that it would be a great idea to find a way to bring attention to our flag’s importance.

Donna went to a school where she knew she could find some patriotic folks.  She asked her daughter’s first grade teacher if the class could make some flags with the children’s hand prints. The teacher loved the idea! The other first grade teachers liked the idea and wanted their classes to make a flag as well. Other classes heard about the idea so Donna, one of her daughters, and a friend all got busy on the project.

Next, Donna contacted us at Military Missions and told us what they were doing.  She wanted to see if we could help her to send the flags made by the children to our deployed troops.  We agreed that this was a great idea as we are always looking for unique things to include in our care packages.  We want our boxes to express our gratitude and support for the sacrifice and service of our troops.  We know the soldiers love the candy, snacks, and socks that we send out, but we also know that the most important part of the package is the sentiment in the cards, letters, and artwork. We knew these flags would really make a difference and put a smile on the faces of those who received them.

In June, we sent these flags to our deployed troops.  We have already received two responses which we are shared below. Once you read the letters from our deployed troops you will see why Donna is motivated to continue this project.  She is looking for groups of people to help her to make more flags.  She has already made one for the Veteran’s nursing home in Wilmore, Kentucky, and she plans to make more flags which can be sent over in our care packages.

Don’t be surprised if you find yourself in a group that is suddenly dipping their hands in red, white, and blue paint.  Donna has a list of groups she plans to contact. If you are on her list, you will not be able to say no.

When I first asked Donna which group of people was heading up this project, I expected her to tell me it was a service project for a club or organization, but here is what she said, “ We are not a group. We are just a family that has been blessed by God Almighty and we want to make a difference in this world.”

Donna took her passion for our nation and she found a way to serve. She helped to teach the importance of our flag, our nation, and the sacrifice and service given by our military each and every day.  As it turns out, the teachers and students who made these flags are from Anne Mason Elementary in Scott County.  The teachers thought the project was a great thing to do, and you will be happy to know that in this school, they do say the Pledge of Allegiance.  I wasn’t surprised when I heard the name of the school mentioned because this school has made cards for our care packages on several occasions in the past.

Donna got the idea for this project because she wanted to help us with our Raising the Flag project.  When she couldn’t get any of the local schools on board, she could have given up, but instead, she came up with another idea that could accomplish the same goal and then she worked to make the idea a reality.  We often work with groups and individuals who have innovative ideas that will support our troops and veterans.  If you have a project idea, don’t keep it to yourself.  Contact us and we will help you find a way to make your dream come true.  We can all serve our nation and we don’t have to wear a uniform to get the job done.

Dear Class,

My name is Staff Sergeant Lopez and I speak for all the Medical Specialists in The 4th Sustainment Brigade when I say your wonderful “hand” made flag makes each and every one of us proud to serve and protect the USA.

Thank you for your support and for the picture, it really got the soldiers motivated to see children supporting the troops. I want to let you know that we will take a photo of all the soldiers in front of the flag very soon. The reason it’s taking so long is because we want to make sure we capture everyone that works in the platoon in the photo so you know who your supporting.

Right now we are dealing with 120 degree weather and sand storms every other day here in Iraq. It’s rough working conditions but we’re trained and proficient in our medical skills so the elements have no chance in stopping us from rendering care. All the soldiers in the platoon wish it was like the good old United States of America but we are making sure we keep the peace over here so all the citizens of Iraq can have the same freedoms we enjoy.

Thank you again for all your support and enjoy your summer in the USA.

Very Respectfully,

SSG Lopez

*************************    

Hello!

I received all 4 packages and distributed everything out to the guys and the outposts. They loved the Carmel corn! You should start receiving thank you notes, emails, and Facebook messages from the guys out here when they can.

We are going to take the Flag the kids made out on an Operation and certify that it was carried into Combat and then take a picture with the team and send it back…it was a great morale booster.

Thank you for everything….the guys smiles is all the payment we can give back right now…and they were million dollar smiles.

Very Respectfully,

Chief

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We will be using the group as a central point to mention what we want to post on our social networking pages such as events, news, posts, etc. If you are already spending time on Facebook, and don’t mind posting a few items of interest on our Military Missions Facebook page, as well as on your own personal page, that would keep our page in the newsfeed more often and attract more interest.

We also have a twitter account, so if you are tweeting, we would love to have the extra exposure on that social network as well.

If this sounds like something you are interested in helping with please contact Beth at beth@military-missions.org.

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If you know your loved one is dealing with PTSD or a mild TBI, this group is for you.  If your loved one doesn’t have a diagnosis, but you know life is simply not the same anymore since their return from war, this group is for you.  Statistically, at least 20% of returning troops will have PTSD.  Realistically, everyone who serves will come back changed.

PTSD carries a stigma that we don’t speak of outside our homes. The symptomatic behaviors are often nothing to brag about and we prefer to keep problems to ourselves, hoping and praying that the situation will resolve itself in time. Thousands of veterans return home from war finding themselves unable to fit back into society. These men and women now face a battle on the homefront which can result in broken relationships, substance abuse, mental illness, homelessness, and suicide.

Even if your loved one is seeking treatment, there is much that we, as caregivers, need to learn so that we can help our loved one work towards health and healing.  Often times, our emotional reaction to what is happening will make the situation far worse.  You may even find that you are exhibiting symptoms of Secondary Traumatic Stress and you probably feel overwhelmed and at a loss as to how to get any help for yourself.

We are not experts, but we are survivors.  The purpose of this care group is to provide a safe atmosphere in which participants can share their hearts and their struggles. We have all experienced the spiritual, mental, and emotional battles that come with supporting and loving a combat veteran living with war’s invisible wounds.

We welcome anyone who has already walked this path in supporting a combat veteran.  You can show us some of the lessons and techniques you have learned and teach us to be a better support for our own combat veteran.

If you are a veteran who is willing to share your perspective about living with PTSD, we would welcome your participation and suggestions for helping family members learn to be a better support for their combat veteran.

If you are the parent, spouse, family member, or close friend to one of our nation’s veterans suffering with PTSD and TBI, we hope you will join us on the first and third Thursday nights of each month.  The group will meet twice monthly, on the first and third Thursday evenings of the month from 6:30 – 8:00 pm.  Childcare is provided.  We will be meeting at Southland Christian Church, located at 5001 Harrodsburg Rd., Nicholasville, KY For driving directions, click here.

If you have any questions, please contact Beth at beth@military-missions.org.

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As they continue to serve our nation, we must keep these heroes in our prayers. As hostile enemies continue to threaten Iraq, and these soldiers serve so far away from home, they need our support.

Sam contacted us asking us to adopt his unit. If was not for himself that he made the request, but for those in his unit who were working so hard to protect our interests in the War on Terror.  We are so grateful for Sam and each one who serves alongside him.  Thanks to each one who is willing to serve and sacrifice on our behalf.

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