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A backbone to her soldier, her family
Fort Campbell spouse receives Military Motherhood Award
By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Renee Garcia knew she was representing thousands of other military moms as she accepted Operation Homefront’s inaugural Military Motherhood Award.
“Military wives are amazing ... inspiring,” she said, tears starting to roll down her cheeks.
She ...
Fort Campbell spouse receives Military Motherhood Award
By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Renee Garcia knew she was representing thousands of other military moms as she accepted Operation Homefront’s inaugural Military Motherhood Award.
“Military wives are amazing ... inspiring,” she said, tears starting to roll down her cheeks.
She described the family readiness group at Fort Campbell, Ky., as being “such a backbone” for her — calling just to see how she was doing while her husband, Army Sgt. Frank Garcia, is deployed to Afghanistan. She, in turn, volunteers as a key caller, checking on other military spouses.
The Military Motherhood Award, sponsored in part by the Military Times newspapers, was one of several events honoring military spouses in the week leading up to May 9, designated by President Bush as Military Spouse Day.
Carolyn Maupin was one of five Military Motherhood Award finalists. She is the mother of Army Staff Sgt. Matt Maupin, whose remains recently were found near Baghdad, four years after he was kidnapped from his convoy. She and her husband, Keith, founded the Yellow Ribbon Support Center, which has shipped about 10,000 care packages to troops.
Garcia was honored at a Capitol Hill reception May 8. Her 4-year-old daughter, Kennedy, whispered “Mommy” from her stroller, her eyes lighting up as her mother began to speak.
Garcia was nominated for the award by a civilian chaplain at Vanderbilt University Medical Center who saw Garcia in action when Kennedy was being treated for acute myelogenous leukemia.
“Renee showed me what it’s like to be a mother to four children, a friend to many others, and a wife to one remarkable man who currently serves in Afghanistan,” wrote Chaplain Khette Cox.
Kennedy was born with Down syndrome and was diagnosed with leukemia last year, when Garcia was 8½ months pregnant.
Cox told how Garcia spent months in the hospital room with Kennedy while caring for baby Keeghan, now 1 — and staying in close touch with her other two kids, Kassidy, 8, and Kameron, 6, at home with Garcia’s mother, who came to stay with them.
Garcia said she plans to spend her $5,000 award money when her husband returns for his midtour R&R trip. He and the family will go to Philadelphia in July for Kennedy’s spinal fusion surgery.
Military spouses gathered on the White House lawn for another event May 6 to honor six military spouses for their volunteer work:
* Air Force husband Bob Davison has made a difference in every military community he’s lived in over the past 12 years, from raising $10,000 for the local Fisher House at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, to starting the Airman’s Food Pantry at RAF Lakenheath, England, and raising nearly $120,000 in donations for short-term food aid for military families.
* Because of the challenges she faced after her husband, Terry, was injured in Iraq in 2004, Army wife Colleen Saffron helped found Operation Life Transformed, a nonprofit group that helps families of wounded troops get the training they need to work from home while caring for loved ones.
* Navy wife Ellen Patton has made and sent more than 80 quilts to veterans and wounded troops through her volunteer work with Quilts of Valor Foundation.
* Coast Guard wife Ramona Vazquez started “Nate’s Open Door Baby Pantry,” giving diapers, formula, clothing, toys and furniture to service members and civilians. She was inspired after the birth of a daughter to Nate Bruckenthal, an enlisted Coast Guardsman she had known, who was killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq in 2004.
* Army Reserve wife Dawnle Scheetz started Operation School House, collecting school supplies, clothing and toys for children in Iraq and Afghanistan. In eight months, she collected five tons of supplies.
* Marine wife Kaprece James, a volunteer with the American Red Cross at Twentynine Palms, Calif., developed a program to help young people learn professional leadership and interviewing skills.
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America Supports You: CinCHouse.com Wins Webby Award
Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 7, 2008
A troop-support organization’s Web site earned top honors in the annual Webby Awards competition as the top lifestyle site of 2008.
The CinCHouse.com Web site -- which derives its name from military shorthand for “commander in chief of the ...
Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 7, 2008
A troop-support organization’s Web site earned top honors in the annual Webby Awards competition as the top lifestyle site of 2008.
The CinCHouse.com Web site -- which derives its name from military shorthand for “commander in chief of the house” -- beat out such corporate giants as Epicurious and Reebok to take top honors in the 12th annual awards.
CinCHouse.com is Operation Homefront’s online community for military wives and women in uniform.
“We are completely thrilled,” said Regina Galvin, the site’s editor in chief. “This really validates all the hard work we put in last year to create a better product for our readers. I can’t thank our staff enough for the excellent work they did and continue to do every day.”
Shortly after Galvin joined the organization, a creative overhaul of the previous site produced a sleeker, more innovative version. Chad Myers, director of Web development, said the prestigious award will bring much-needed attention to the plight of military families struggling as deployments continue.
“I'm excited to win, but the real benefit will be the exposure to the organization and the ability to help more people because of it,” Myers said.
In 1999, Navy wife and author Meredith Leyva created the site as a virtual gathering place for military families frequently on the move. Part of Operation Homefront, CinCHouse includes forums as well as an online magazine that covers such issues as post-traumatic stress disorder and parenting.
“We are extremely honored,” she said. “This award really speaks volumes about how important our services are to our members and how important our members are to the larger Internet community.”
Operation Homefront is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
Hailed as the “the Internet’s highest honor” by the New York Times, the Webby Awards are the leading international awards honoring excellence on the Internet, including Web sites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile Web sites. They are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 550-person judging academy whose members include Internet co-inventor Vinton Cerf, R/GA’s chief Bob Greenberg, "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening, Arianna Huffington and Harvey Weinstein.
"The Webby Awards honors the very best of the Internet," said David-Michel Davies, executive director of the Webby Awards. "CinCHouse’s win is a testament to the skill, ingenuity and vision of its creators."
Founded in 1996, the Webby Awards program is known worldwide for its famous five-word speech limit. Past headline-grabbing speechmakers include Al Gore (“Please don’t recount this vote.”), Beastie Boys (“Can anyone fix my computer?”) and Prince (“Everything you think is true.”)
This year, the Webby Awards received a record 10,000 entries from more than 60 countries and all 50 states. The winners will be honored at two star-studded ceremonies in New York City. The Webby Film and Video Awards ceremony takes place June 9, and the 12th Annual Webby Awards Gala will be held June 10.
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AFPC Airmen help wounded warrior improve quality of life
by Master Sgt. Kat Bailey
Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs
5/8/2008 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- Tech. Sgt. Israel Del Toro's injuries from Afghanistan wouldn't allow him to build the gate he needed at his home in Cibolo, Texas. Instead, he turned to Operation Homefront, which asked ...
by Master Sgt. Kat Bailey
Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs
5/8/2008 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- Tech. Sgt. Israel Del Toro's injuries from Afghanistan wouldn't allow him to build the gate he needed at his home in Cibolo, Texas. Instead, he turned to Operation Homefront, which asked volunteers from the Air Force Personnel Center here to make the needed changes to his home April 30.
Operation Homefront provides emergency assistance and morale to troops, to the families left behind and to wounded warriors when they return home.
Sergeant Del Toro's fence had only one gate and it was situated such that he was forced to drag three garden hoses three-quarters of the way around his house to water the front lawn. A second gate, placed near the hose bib on the other side of the house, would be more efficient.
Building the new gate himself was impossible.
Sergeant Del Toro's injuries make it difficult to hold a saw, use a drill or stay more than a few minutes in direct sunlight.
A joint tactical air controller, Sergeant Del Toro was injured in December of 2005 when an improvised explosive device exploded near him while he was on patrol in a village in Afghanistan.
A few surgeries later and the scars of his ordeal are still evident -- burns cover almost 80 percent of his body, the tips of his fingers on his right hand are fused together, burned off up to the first knuckles, his left hand was amputated and he lost some vision in both his eyes.
This didn't stop him from helping build that gate, though. Throughout the afternoon, despite the blazing sun, high humidity and 90-degree temperatures, Sergeant Del Toro lent support as volunteer Airmen drilled screws into fence boards -- he was armed with jokes, power tools and a how-to book about fences.
"I think it's awesome for AFPC to support us (the volunteers) so we can support our war fighters," said Master Sgt. Tracy Deason, one of the Operation Homefront volunteers. "I can't think of anything I'd rather volunteer for than the opportunity to help an injured veteran."
Members of AFPC's Junior Enlisted Council and Top 3 Association volunteer with Operation Homefront once a month.
"I give my time because it's all I have to give and it feels good to help where it's truly needed," said Tech. Sgt. Becca Dahl, an AFPC volunteer.
Sometimes the volunteers help inventory donations or create care packages, while other times they get the chance to do something a little more personal -- like helping a fellow Airman build a gate.
"I feel pretty good about still being part of the team," Sergeant Del Toro said. "When I'm with a group of fellow Airmen like this, I know I'm with family. I feel like I'm not forgotten."
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Mom wants attention on troops, not T-shirts
May. 5, 2008
Margy Bons had some "issues" with me and with a guy I wrote about who sells T-shirts reading "Bush Lied, They Died" set into a block of print listing the names of each member of the military killed in Iraq.
The thing is, Margy didn't want the guy to ...
May. 5, 2008
Margy Bons had some "issues" with me and with a guy I wrote about who sells T-shirts reading "Bush Lied, They Died" set into a block of print listing the names of each member of the military killed in Iraq.
The thing is, Margy didn't want the guy to get any more free publicity, which would preclude me from mentioning his name or business address in this column.
Journalistically, going along with such an arrangement would be completely inappropriate. I agreed immediately.
In part because Margy is president of Arizona's Operation Homefront chapter and spends much of her time raising awareness, money and donations for the families of military personnel.
And also because she is the mother of Marine Sgt. Michael Marzano, who was killed in Iraq in May 2005. His name is on the shirt.
"I worked pretty hard to get the law passed in Arizona that said you couldn't put a name on a T-shirt unless it was authorized by the family," Margy said. "That was the important word: Authorized. We weren't trying to prevent free speech, but only to prevent someone from using names without a family's permission."
A federal judge has kept that law from going into effect, saying that it would prohibit the T-shirt guy's protected political speech.
I told Margy that I didn't particularly agree with the T-shirt guy. What he's doing isn't nice. But I agree with the judge. The thing that sets the United States apart from everyplace else is our willingness to protect an individual's right to say stuff that we find offensive. In other words, we're better than censorship.
Of course, that attitude is all well and good for a newspaper writer. But Margy knows her son. She knows what he believed in. And she knows that he wouldn't want to be associated with a T-shirt like that.
"I have to fight for my son's beliefs," she said.
At the same time, the T-shirt guy has admitted that media attention drives up sales. He told me that he has twice considered closing out the "Bush Lied, They Died" line, only to have it revived by publicity. Not long ago, a new class-action lawsuit was filed against him, giving the T-shirt guy even more free advertising and no doubt generating more sales.
"That's why I haven't pushed this thing," Margy said. "Besides, I have more important battles to fight. Like making sure that the families of our troops have what they need."
That isn't an easy job during these days of an all-volunteer army, which allows those without a loved-one in the service to avoid thinking about the war or those who fight it. Or about the families left behind by our soldiers.
"I'm not going to let that happen," Margy said. "People have told me that when Michael (her son) walked out of his uniform, I walked into it. I may not be able to carry a gun, but can wield a pen and a telephone and whatever else I have to use in order to help the families of soldiers."
She can't do it alone, however. The phone number for Operation Homefront's Arizona chapter is 623-465-4618 . It might be something to keep in mind as we approach what is a very tough weekend for women like Margy.
"When my son volunteered I somehow knew it would be a one-way deployment," she said. "I would stand at the mirror and rehearse what I would say when the Marines came knocking on my door. Then they knocked and I tried to convince them that they were wrong, that Michael had promised me that he would come back. But he wasn't coming back, and I had to figure out a reason to get up every morning. And I have. Still, I will never forget that day."
It was the second Sunday in May 2005, Mother's Day.
Reach Montini at 602-444-8978 or ed.montini@arizonarepublic .com.
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL ( 5/2/2008 )
Military Appreciation Month will be recognized at the University of Minnesota this month, when the university's Veterans Transition Center accepts a $40,000 grant from AT&T/Operation Homefront. A check for the grant will be presented during a ceremony at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 6 at the center, Room 302 of Wesbrook Hall, 77 Pleasant St. S.E., Minneapolis. Leaders of the university and local military and government community are expected to attend.
The funds for the student-run Veterans Transition Center will go towards new furniture, carpeting, computers and other technology for the '08-'09 academic year. Currently, the center offers Internet access, TV and refreshments to veterans of the United States Armed Forces and non-veteran students, staff and faculty wishing to extend their support. It aims to be a place where students veterans can meet each other and share their stories, in addition to making their transition from military to civilian life as smooth as possible.
To watch a video on the U's commitment to helping veterans transition to campus life, visit: http://www1.umn.edu/urelate/newsservice/Multimedia_Videos/vets.htm
"As a student veteran at the University of Minnesota, the Veterans Transition Center has enabled me to make a near-seamless transition from the military life into student life, provided me with resources that have helped me get my Veterans Education benefits up and running and has shown me where to find people to talk to when I want someone who understands how I feel," said Alex Dowds, vice president of the Veterans Transition Center. "Most importantly, it has provided me with a way of giving back to other service men and women who have performed amazing feats, both at home and abroad in service of our great nation."
News of the grant has enabled the two-year old center to make plans for the future.
"The Veterans Transition Center has been overwhelmed by the generosity and contribution from AT&T/Operation Homefront," said Justin Riechers, co-president of the Veterans Transition Center. "This donation will be vital in the funding of various campus events and VTC events alike -- strengthening the ideal of providing a welcoming place for veterans to earn their degree and again become part of their community."
The grant comes from Operation Homefront, a grassroots, volunteer-based community that matches troops and military families with the charitable outreach of local volunteers and businesses, and AT&T Foundation, which has provided more than $6 million in grants and contributions since 2000 to organizations that serve active military members and veterans, including the United Service Organizations (USO), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the American G.I. Forum.
"AT&T is proud to support Operation Homefront and the University of Minnesota in further establishing this much-needed Veterans Transition Center," said Beth Canuteson, the director of external affairs at AT&T and presenter of Tuesday's grant. "We are honored to give back to veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country. This grant cannot adequately repay these veterans for their service but, in a small way, it expresses our gratitude for their patriotism and service."
Limited space is available at Tuesday's event, so members of the public wishing to attend are encouraged to arrive early. The event is free and light refreshments will be served.
Several resources in addition to the Veterans Transition Center are currently in place for the more than 600 student veterans at University of Minnesota campuses. One Stop Student Services provides information for students in the newly created Veterans Services office and through the Veterans Services website, veterans orientations, newsletter and emails. The Veterans Certification office assists students with veteran and military educational benefits. One Stop also sponsors the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs' higher education veterans programs by providing a resource center that offers a wide range of information on other benefit programs for military members, veterans and their families.
Contacts: Luisa Badaracco, University News Service, (612) 624-1690 or luisab@umn.edu
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Soldier endures long path to healing
By Lisa McLean
Special to the Star-Bulletin
Army Spc. Isaac Stevens, 28, was at the end of his rope one night back in April 2006 when he decided to die.
His dream of becoming a career soldier was over. His marriage was in tatters. His once athletic body, wracked with pain, was ...
By Lisa McLean
Special to the Star-Bulletin
Army Spc. Isaac Stevens, 28, was at the end of his rope one night back in April 2006 when he decided to die.
His dream of becoming a career soldier was over. His marriage was in tatters. His once athletic body, wracked with pain, was confined to a wheelchair.
Depression had become his constant companion. So one night at Fort Knox, Ky., the Hawaii-born soldier swallowed all his pain medication and waited for the end.
His supervisor saved his life.
"He came by my house to check on me and found me passed out on the ground," he said. "He told me he knew something wasn't right with me that day."
A 1998 Castle High School graduate, Stevens was on his way to Iraq when he was badly injured in an obstacle course training exercise at Fort Benning, Ga.
The accident was only the beginning of an enduring nightmare that included misdiagnoses by Army doctors, unsuccessful surgeries, a miasma of red tape, preposterous charges of desertion and homelessness as a civilian. Only recently has a ray of hope shined into his thicket of despair, thanks to caring social workers and a service organization called Operation Homefront.
His story offers a chilling glimpse into the challenges that face many veterans with physical or psychological disabilities.
BORN AND RAISED in Kahaluu, Stevens worked in the construction industry after high school but naturally gravitated to military service. Both his divorced parents and uncles had served in uniform.
While in basic training at Fort Benning, Stevens was at the top of a scaling wall when another soldier below, amid gunfire and confusion, pulled on a rope that sent him plummeting to the ground.
Injuries to his head and spine required several surgeries, but the repeated trauma left the infantryman partially paralyzed on his left side.
At one point, Stevens took leave to visit his mother in Northern California and ended up in the hospital due to nerve damage in his arm. Although Stevens and his mother kept in touch with his command, the Army inexplicably declared him absent without leave and cut off his medical benefits.
His mother, Michelle Silletto, had to shell out $400 for his pain medication.
"I didn't care. I just wanted him better," she said.
Accused of unauthorized absence, the Army had Stevens arrested and shipped to Fort Knox, where he spent two weeks in confinement. Pressured to confess to desertion, Stevens refused.
"I was frustrated and humiliated," he said. "I had pretty much given up."
Thanks to Silletto's phone and hospital record-keeping, they were able to prove his whereabouts, and he was finally released from confinement.
With an honorable discharge, Stevens returned to Hawaii, where he found himself adrift in a sea of mounting debts exacerbated by a pay glitch that left him with rising penalty fees imposed by his bank. By the time he realized what had happened, he had accrued $1,100 in bank charges.
"I had to take out a loan for $1,000," Stevens said, "and the bank would only take off $200 of their fees."
A helping hand at last
Unable to afford the high rent in Honolulu, Stevens ended up living in the veterans homeless shelter in Kalaeloa.
But then he caught a break.
Stevens was referred to Jan Takata, an outpatient medical social worker at the Tripler Army Medical Center who became his advocate.
"I felt really bad for him," Takata said.
Takata found him a space at the YMCA homeless shelter in Honolulu, stopping by occasionally to give him money to buy food.
"She really bent over backward for me," Stevens said.
Stevens still was not receiving his VA benefits when Takata referred him to Hawaii Cares, a state-funded organization that provides free crisis support to those in need. Tim Stillman, a social worker, contacted the office of U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye for help.
"Sen. Inouye's office has a reputation for being advocates for veterans," Stillman said.
Jennifer Sabas, Inouye's chief of staff, said the office played a "facilitating role."
While Stevens was moving from shelter to shelter, the Hawaii chapter of Operation Homefront, an organization that helps military members and their families, had been working with Takata to get Stevens a more permanent place to live.
After Stevens was accosted early one morning in the elevator at the shelter, they decided on a new facility in San Antonio near Brooke Army Medical Center, where Stevens now receives treatment for his physical and psychological problems. The 18 units, named Operation Homefront Village, are fully furnished apartments provided free of charge by the nonprofit organization.
"God bless their souls," Stevens said.
The doctors at Brooke are hopeful that additional surgeries will enable Stevens to walk again.
Stevens' mother, meanwhile, has noticed an improvement in his attitude.
"He's getting some of his old spunk back," she said.
"The staff here has gone above and beyond for me," Stevens said.
Although Stevens misses his own family, ohana can be found in the most unlikely of places. Another Hawaii resident, Simon Heine, 31, lives across the hall from Stevens with his wife and four children.
After three tours in Iraq, Heine was diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder and deemed unfit for duty.
The Heines also know firsthand the pain of losing financial support when a service member is wounded. Heine's wife, Paula, had to quit college and find a job to help support the family. Her plans for getting a degree in human resources are on hold until her husband recovers.
Operation Homefront again made a huge difference.
"I was desperate when I called them," said Paula Heine, 30. "They asked me how they could help."
Stevens and Heine have grown close, and the two families help each other out. Stevens refers to the Heine children as his nieces and nephews.
"They've been taking care of each other," Paula Heine said.
And as for Stevens, he said he would love to move back home someday. "I love Hawaii," said Stevens. "It's where I'm from."
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OPERATION HOMEFRONT Launches DC Metro Chapter
DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Operation Homefront announced it has launched a new chapter to provide emergency assistance and morale to Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland, to active duty, guard and reserve troops and their families, as well as the wounded when they return home. Thanks to the zealous efforts from Chapter President, Vivian ...
DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Operation Homefront announced it has launched a new chapter to provide emergency assistance and morale to Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland, to active duty, guard and reserve troops and their families, as well as the wounded when they return home. Thanks to the zealous efforts from Chapter President, Vivian Dietrich, the DC Metro chapter has already taken on several serious and much needed cases.
Operation Homefront (OH) is a grassroots, volunteer-based community solution where the needs of troops and military families with deployed service members are matched with the charitable outreach of local volunteers and businesses. Beginning in San Diego shortly after September 11, 2001, the organization now has 31 chapters that have sprouted up throughout the US in response to urgent requests from military families. The model is strong and effective, with support from Operation Homefront’s Advisory Board which includes Congressman Duncan Hunter, former Senator Jim Talent and many other supporters. In acknowledgement of its effectiveness and to enhance collaboration, the Defense Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Operation Homefront, a rare honor held only by a few charities including the USO and YMCA.
In general, services fill a just-in-time urgent need, and are designed to help with the “Murphy’s Law” of deployments, meaning that crises typically occur after a service member has deployed and the spouse and children are left alone and financially strapped to cope. While Operation Homefront can flexibly address nearly any need, typical cases include:
Auto repair or donation of a used vehicle
home and appliance repair
distribution of refurbished computers for families to stay in touch with their deployed loved one
moving and transportation assistance
baby items to help welcome a new member of the family
Vivian Dietrich’s relationship with Operation Homefront commenced in the fall of 2007 when Dietrich, a military wife, assisted the chapter, which serves Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland, with providing local families much needed relief and reached out to area medical centers such as Walter Reed Army Medical Center to broaden the Chapters support for our Wounded Warriors. By applying her leadership abilities, Dietrich demonstrated the first-rate qualities of an OH Chapter President. After learning about the opportunity to serve as Chapter President, Dietrich stepped up to the role. "After witnessing, first-hand, how Operation Homefront came to the rescue for so many military families, I pledged to support them in any way I could.” says Dietrich. With the assistance of OH National staff Dietrich has already taken on several serious and much needed cases. “I am elated with the success of the DC Metro Chapter. I am especially proud to be the “conduit” for a grateful nation to say thank you to our military forces and their families. I look forward to assisting as many families as possible,” says Dietrich.
Operation Homefront understands the needs of today’s military community, which generally consists of younger families of deployed service members, in lower pay grades, in all services of the armed forces, including Reserves and National Guard. These families come from the cross section of American society and enter service with varying degrees of preparation. The organization has been sensitive to integrate programs alongside those being offered by other agencies, striving to achieve the largest impact with the least amount of expended resources.
Operation Homefront provides a toll-free telephone hotline 1-800-849-6408 for military families in need. For more information or for personal donations and volunteer opportunities in Northern Virginia, DC, Maryland, please contact Vivian Dietrich, DC Metro Chapter President, at 1-800-779-5903, or by email; dc@operationhomefront.net. For corporate donations or more information on Operation Homefront –DC Metro, see www.operationhomefront.net/dcmetro For more general information nationally, please view the national web site at www.operationhomefront.net.
About Operation Homefront & CinCHouse.com
What is today Operation Homefront began in 2001 as a military spouse-generated idea. In support for the families of deployed service members, CinCHouse.com members (military wives and women in uniform) created the project that has evolved into a major nonprofit charity serving 31 military communities. Today CinCHouse.com operates as a program as part of the nonprofit Operation Homefront family. From a good idea, to a great organization, Operation Homefront understands and takes care of the needs of the military community.
Contacts
Operation Homefront
Vivian Dietrich, 703-507-1003 or 703-421-9033
dc@operationhomefront.net
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Area all-stars to face military baseball team
By JOEL BADZINSKI
La Crosse Tribune
Rick Boyer smiled at the thought of being able to manage a lineup including former big leaguers Damian Miller, George Williams and Greg Vaughn.
“That could be pretty formidable,” Boyer said. “What I would hope is that we wouldn’t have six DHs.”
The La Crosse ...
By JOEL BADZINSKI
La Crosse Tribune
Rick Boyer smiled at the thought of being able to manage a lineup including former big leaguers Damian Miller, George Williams and Greg Vaughn.
“That could be pretty formidable,” Boyer said. “What I would hope is that we wouldn’t have six DHs.”
The La Crosse Loggers, Logistics Health, Inc., and Operation Homefront announced Tuesday that the United States Military All-Star baseball team will visit Copeland Park at 7:05 p.m. July 15 for an exhibition game against a team of area all-stars.
Williams, a La Crosse native and former major league catcher, and Boyer, longtime
La Crescent High School coach and former Loggers manager, are in. West Salem, Wis., native Miller, an 11-year big league catcher, and former Brewers slugger Greg Vaughn, whose son Cory has signed with the Loggers, also could join the La Crosse club.
“I’ll be lucky if I can just coach first base or something,” joked Williams, who played in 172 Major League games, mostly with Oakland. “If I get on the field, it’ll be a miracle. Rick has invited me to come practice with them, so I might have to get some swings in.”
They will have their hands full against the U.S. Military team, which is comprised mostly of active-duty soldiers and sailors. Last season, the military team went 47-6 on its tour of the country, including games facing teams of all levels from the high minor leagues to local amateurs.
The “Red, White and Blue Tour of America” attracted more than 25 million spectators over 350 appearances last season.
“There’s going to be great baseball played and we’re going to have some fabulous players on the La Crosse team,” Loggers general manager Chris Goodell said. “Certainly the main cause is to salute the troops and say ‘Thank you.’”
Tickets for the event will go on sale beginning May 29. Veterans and military personnel will be admitted free.
Joel Badzinski can be reached at (608) 791-8402 or joel.badzinski@lee.net
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A letter from Iraq
Published - Wednesday, April 09, 2008
by SSG Nick Skildum, letter to the editor
I would like to thank all of you back in Westby and vicinity for everything that you have done to help me on my current mission in Iraq which involves working closely with local citizens of all ...
Published - Wednesday, April 09, 2008
by SSG Nick Skildum, letter to the editor
I would like to thank all of you back in Westby and vicinity for everything that you have done to help me on my current mission in Iraq which involves working closely with local citizens of all ages. I know that many of you have donated many items out of the goodness of your heart. Believe me when I say you have done more than just make an unfortunate child happy. You have assisted in bringing the Eastern civilization and the Western civilization together to live in peace. Some people will not change, that's a hard fact of life. But the kids are always watching, always learning and they can see the truth as long as someone gives them the opportunity to. The toys, food and school supplies that you have sent have a strong influence on the children here. One day they will put their knowledge and experience to use when they are in charge of this country. Although I cannot go into detail about many of the aspects of our mission, I can summarize by saying that we are trying to build for the future - hopefully a safer, healthier, more just and economically sound future that will lead to stability and peace.
Operation Homefront in the La Crosse and the Westby Youth Supporting Our Troops are two of the greatest programs I have ever heard of. Americans showing support is what keeps soldiers going during rough times. Whether you or I or any American agrees on why we are fighting this war, we in the military still have a job to do. Showing that you back us no matter what is what is going to help us succeed and come home safely, hopefully leaving behind a better place in this troubled part of the world. Being taken away from the world we know and love, it is very easy to feel forgotten—especially when we are not front page news anymore and the American public has lost interest. You guys are doing great things for soldiers—more so then we can ever tell you.
On behalf of the Special Operations community and the United States Army, I thank you for not only brightening my day and my team’s day, but also assisting with a much greater mission. Thank you and God bless.
SSG Nick Skildum
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Birdies for the Brave player profile - Corey Pavin
Mar. 18, 2008
Oxnard, Calif. native Corey Pavin attended UCLA and turned pro in 1982. He quickly established himself, with three international victories in 1983 and his first PGA TOUR victory at the 1984 Shell Houston Open.
Pavin won at least one event on either the PGA TOUR or the international ...
Mar. 18, 2008
Oxnard, Calif. native Corey Pavin attended UCLA and turned pro in 1982. He quickly established himself, with three international victories in 1983 and his first PGA TOUR victory at the 1984 Shell Houston Open.
Pavin won at least one event on either the PGA TOUR or the international tour nearly every year for the next decade, and topped the PGA TOUR's money list in 1991, when he was the last man to achieve this without winning at least one million dollars in prize money. Pavin's success culminated in his only major victory, the 1995 U.S. Open. Pavin won his 15th career title in 2006 at the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee. He has played on three Ryder Cup teams.
Pavin's support of Operation Homefront:
Pavin is proud to support the brave men and women of our Armed Forces and their families through his support of Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization that provides emergency assistance and morale to our troops, to the families they leave behind, and to wounded warriors when they return home. In addition to participating in fundraising events and visiting patients bedside at military hospitals, Corey spent Thanksgiving 2006 in the Persian Gulf as part of a USO/Armed Forces entertainment tour alongside fellow PGA TOUR players Frank Lickliter II, Donny Hammond, Jerry Kelly and Howard Twitty.
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Wounded Warriors and their Families Move into Operation Homefront Village
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2008
CONTACT: Meredith Leyva
(757) 410-4926 or meredith@operationhomefront.net
Wounded Warriors and their Families Move into Operation Homefront Village
Wounded Warriors and their Families Move into Operation Homefront Village
Two-building complex is first of four to house transitioning wounded warriors while they recover
SAN ANTONIO, TX –Operation Homefront Village officially opened its doors ...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2008
CONTACT: Meredith Leyva
(757) 410-4926 or meredith@operationhomefront.net
Wounded Warriors and their Families Move into Operation Homefront Village
Wounded Warriors and their Families Move into Operation Homefront Village
Two-building complex is first of four to house transitioning wounded warriors while they recover
SAN ANTONIO, TX –Operation Homefront Village officially opened its doors to military families in need. The new facility is Operation Homefront’s first of four planned transitional housing facilities across the United States for wounded warriors and their families as service members recuperate at nearby military medical facilities.
Due to special circumstances, a few families moved into their respective apartments earlier in the month in advance of the official opening. All 20 units in the complex are spoken for, and there is a waiting list for additional families.
Congressional Medal of Honor recipients Jack Jacobs and Mike Thornton, for whom the two buildings are named, were among the VIPs at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Jody Brothers from the PGA TOUR and representatives from local Wal-Mart stores and Sam's Clubs were on hand to cut the ribbons on the apartments the Wal-Mart Foundation so generously sponsored.
“Thanks to these and other sponsors, wounded warriors and their families can live at Operation Homefront Village rent-free so they can rebuild their financial foundation as they rebuild their health,” said Operation Homefront founder Amy Palmer in her opening remarks.
All of the 20 two- and three-bedroom units are fully furnished, including computers and Internet access courtesy of CDW-G and Lockheed Martin. The facility has a central recreation and community center housing a food pantry, baby furniture, extra beds and a video library. The community center hosts various Operation Homefront programs. Among them: Wounded Warrior Wives support group and presentations and meetings with career counselors, college education specialists, and other experts whom Operation Homefront has partnered with to help wounded warriors move on with their lives.
Most active duty wounded warriors receiving treatment at Brooke Army Medical Center are housed in the barracks, base housing and the Fisher House offered to them by the installation. However, in its daily collaboration with the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2) and other Army case workers, Operation Homefront quickly realized that there is almost no temporary housing in America for wounded warriors who have retired or separated from the military.
“The Army is not responsible and cannot offer housing, and yet many of these families have nowhere to live and no money until they receive their disability benefits from the Veterans Administration,” continued Palmer. “Thanks to some unique programs being tested jointly by the Army and the VA, we believe we are seeing the waiting period for VA benefits decrease. In the meantime, however, many wounded warriors need a place to live right now. Operation Homefront is here to help.”
The four planned additional Operation Homefront Villages will accommodate needs at Walter Reed Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center (Bethesda) near Washington, D.C.; Balboa Naval Medical Center in San Diego; and Madigan Army Medical Center in Seattle/Tacoma. Contact Meredith Leyva at 757-410-4926 or meredith@oeprationhomefront.net or visit www.operationhomefront.net for more information.
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About Operation Homefront & CinCHouse.com
What is today Operation Homefront began in 2001 as a military spouse-generated idea. In response to the need for support for the families of deployed service members, CinCHouse.com members (military wives and women in uniform) created the project that has evolved into a major nonprofit serving 34 military communities. Today CinCHouse.com operates as a program of the nonprofit Operation Homefront family. From a good idea to a great organization, Operation Homefront understands and takes care of the needs of the military community.
About CDW-G
A wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation, ranked No. 39 on Forbes’ list of America’s Largest Private Companies, CDW Government (CDW-G) is a trusted technology advisor to federal, state and local government agencies, as well as to educational institutions at all levels. CDW-G offers best-in-class technology products and services from top-name brands such as APC, Acer, Adobe, Apple, Cisco, EMC, Fujitsu, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Microsoft, Panasonic, Quantum, Samsung, Sony, Symantec, ViewSonic and Xerox.
For more information about CDW-G product offerings, procurement options, service and solutions, call 1.800.863.4239, or visit the CDW-G Web site at CDWG.com.
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Operation Homefront endorses House Resolution 992
March 14, 2008
The Honorable Steve Israel
U.S. House of Representatives
432 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Rep. Israel,
Operation Homefront enthusiastically supports House Resolution 992, which honors the sacrifice of all mothers in the Armed Forces who have deployed to theaters of combat on behalf of the United States.
Operation Homefront not only provides emergency assistance ...
March 14, 2008
The Honorable Steve Israel
U.S. House of Representatives
432 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Rep. Israel,
Operation Homefront enthusiastically supports House Resolution 992, which honors the sacrifice of all mothers in the Armed Forces who have deployed to theaters of combat on behalf of the United States.
Operation Homefront not only provides emergency assistance to these mothers, but we also receive more than 400,000 visits from them and other military wives each month on our community Web site at www.cinchouse.com. Our military mothers are tremendously proud of the recognition that you have bestowed on them with this Resolution. They appreciate your acknowledgement of their sacrifices, courage and commitment to their children and our nation.
Equally important, thank you for raising the nation’s awareness about the plight and personal strength of our mothers in the Armed Forces. Operation Homefront will support you and your colleagues wholeheartedly until this Resolution is passed.
Best regards,
Meredith Leyva
Founder
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Tribune readers can create own page for troops overseas
By JOHN SMALLEY | La Crosse Tribune
Today’s La Crosse Tribune includes an unusual opportunity: A chance for readers to create their own newspaper page.
As part of a joint effort between the Tribune’s Newspaper In Education program and Operation Homefront, today’s paper includes a blank page intended as a chance to ...
By JOHN SMALLEY | La Crosse Tribune
Today’s La Crosse Tribune includes an unusual opportunity: A chance for readers to create their own newspaper page.
As part of a joint effort between the Tribune’s Newspaper In Education program and Operation Homefront, today’s paper includes a blank page intended as a chance to “Salute the Troops.”
Students in classes throughout the region will create, through words and pictures, messages to send to soldiers using a partially formatted page on B-2.
Once completed, Operation Homefront will mail the pages to troops overseas.
And while the project initiated with NIE and will involve thousands of students, the Salute to the Troops page is available for all readers who want to participate.
“This is a way for people of all ages to show their appreciation and support for our troops and their families,” said Patti Lokken of Operation Homefront.
Lokken said the mission of Operation Homefront is to provide emergency assistance and support to troops overseas and their families here at home.
Those who wish to create a page to send to the troops can find instructions and other information on B-2.
“This page is a way for all of us, the citizens, to make sure our troops know they are not forgotten and a way to say ‘thank you’ to our troops and their families,” Lokken said.
Tribune editor John Smalley can be reached at (608) 791-8223 or jsmalley@lacrossetribune.com.
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Saving American Heroes From Bankruptcy
Some families trying to transition out of military life are running into financial problems, especially those with spouses who have been injured in combat. But one organization is helping those families stay out of bankruptcy by providing temporary homes.
Operation Homefront is helping out people like Paula Heine and her family. ...
Some families trying to transition out of military life are running into financial problems, especially those with spouses who have been injured in combat. But one organization is helping those families stay out of bankruptcy by providing temporary homes.
Operation Homefront is helping out people like Paula Heine and her family.
"We were to the point where we were really desperate," said Heine.
Heine was desperate because her husband has Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome from fighting in Iraq. He now has no income to support his wife or their four kids.
"There's no other choice, we would have to move back in with family," said Heine.
Operation Homefront saved the Heines. They were handed keys to a rent free, utilities paid apartment. Heine said Operation Homefront is like a program sent from heaven.
The program helps wounded soldiers and their families avoid bankruptcy while they wait for Veterans Benefits or Social Security Disability. That process can take up to a year to be completed.
"Us living together, it enables us to get ready as we process out, transition out and get used to how it is living in a civilian world," said Heine.
Operation Homefront's apartments are corporate sponsored or paid for through donations.
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Cresent Home Furnishings Applauded for Donations
After the Fort Campbell home of Staff Sergeant Russell Lassiter burned while he was deployed in Iraq, Nashville, Tenn.-based Cresent Home Furnishings teamed with Operation Homefront to help his family with a large donation of new furniture.
The fire struck on Dec. 28, destroying the home on the base of the ...
After the Fort Campbell home of Staff Sergeant Russell Lassiter burned while he was deployed in Iraq, Nashville, Tenn.-based Cresent Home Furnishings teamed with Operation Homefront to help his family with a large donation of new furniture.
The fire struck on Dec. 28, destroying the home on the base of the 101st Airborne while Yvette Lassiter was home with her four sons. The family was able to escape without injury, but the blaze destroyed all of their belongings, including Christmas presents. Lassiter, who was on his second tour of duty in Iraq, was able to return home temporarily. Operation Homefront contacted Cresent, and the operator of two furniture stores in the Nashville area responded with a donation of a dining room table, eight chairs, two leather sofas, a side table, coffee table and two mahogany dressers for the family’s new home on the base.
“It’s because of businesses like Cresent that Operation Homefront is able to meet the needs of deserving military families,” said Megan George, chapter president. “We encourage more Tennessee corporations and business leaders to follow the lead of Cresent Home Furnishings and join us in supporting those who sacrifice so much for our country.”
Information about Operation Homefront is available at www.operationhomefront.net, the non-profit organization’s Web site.
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Housing center for soldiers gets early start
03/05/2008 12:06 AM CST
Express-News
A national organization has opened a local transitional housing complex for wounded warriors that could be a model for the nation.
Operation Homefront hadn't planned on moving anyone into the complex until a scheduled March 18 grand opening. But the group already has taken in two ...
03/05/2008 12:06 AM CST
Express-News
A national organization has opened a local transitional housing complex for wounded warriors that could be a model for the nation.
Operation Homefront hadn't planned on moving anyone into the complex until a scheduled March 18 grand opening. But the group already has taken in two struggling families.
"They had nowhere to go," said Amy Palmer, co-founder of Operation Homefront.
Families of the wounded often run into debt while waiting for combat pay to be replaced by veterans or Social Security disability benefits. The process can take more than a year, Palmer said. Some families declare bankruptcy after a military wife has to quit her job to move to Fort Sam Houston.
Most residents of the complex will likely be former patients of Brooke Army Medical Center and their families, Palmer said. The complex is about 4 miles northeast of BAMC, a major center for treatment and therapy for burns, amputations and other combat injuries.
Transitional sites also are planned for San Diego, Calif., Phoenix and Silver Spring, Md., but the one here will be a template for the others, Palmer said.
Operation Homefront, formed in 2002 to help deployed and wounded troops, has called on builders and lenders to help the wounded get mortgage financing, especially for homes in overdeveloped neighborhoods.
Any efforts to speed up the military medical board process and approval of disability claims would also help, Palmer said.
For now, the organization is asking businesses and individuals to sponsor transitional housing.
The Wal-Mart Foundation, PGA TOUR and two
anonymous individuals have agreed to sponsor two- and three-bedroom units at the complex, called Operation Homefront Village. But there already are 12 families on a waiting list.
Families will stay in the wheelchair-accessible units rent-free, typically for six months to a year, while saving for an apartment or mortgage down payment. Sponsorships are $35,000 for the first year, including furniture, and $25,000 for each additional year, for a three-bedroom unit; $30,000 and $20,000 for a two-bedroom unit.
Operation Homefront also is looking for churches, veterans organizations and civic groups to sponsor barbecues and special events, as well as donations of food, diapers, DVDs and other items.
"We'd like to do as much as we can to get these families engaged in the community," Palmer said. "It lets them know San Antonio supports them."
The two-building site is part of a new 15-building complex, The Republic of Woodlake, managed by The Lynd Co. Palmer said it was more feasible to lease part of the property, which has a fitness center, swimming pool and night manager, than build its own complex.
The site includes a community center with computers where vets and spouses can get tutoring and help with claims, college enrollment and scholarship applications. Each family will meet monthly with a counselor to "make sure they progress in their transition process," Palmer said.
Meredith Leyva, an Operation Homefront co-founder based in Norfolk, Va., said the complex fills the gap between post housing and a permanent home. San Antonio has the greatest need for transitional housing because many of the wounded come to BAMC, which is less cramped than other facilities, she said.
"It's telling that we haven't officially opened this complex, and there's already a waiting list," she said. "We have many families that deliberately try to get to BAMC because of the quality and pace of care there.
"We want this to be the model for what works and what doesn't work."
Palmer can be reached by e-mailing amy@operationhomefront.net or calling (210) 659-7756.
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Nonprofit seeks help with Easter donations
By Linda McIntosh
TODAY'S LOCAL NEWS
It seems the Easter bunny needs a little help.
With Easter several weeks off, Operation Homefront is looking for donations of baskets, candy and small toys to give to military families from Camp Pendleton and area bases.
So far, 30 baskets have been collected; the ...
By Linda McIntosh
TODAY'S LOCAL NEWS
It seems the Easter bunny needs a little help.
With Easter several weeks off, Operation Homefront is looking for donations of baskets, candy and small toys to give to military families from Camp Pendleton and area bases.
So far, 30 baskets have been collected; the local chapter of the nonprofit is set on collecting 500.
The baskets will be given to military children on March 15 at Murphy Canyon Community Center in Tierrasanta and March 16 at Saturn of West 78 in Oceanside.
“Things might not be the same for the kids with a deployed family member, and this doesn't make them forget, but it gives a happy moment,” said Jae Marciano, president of the Southern California chapter of Operation Homefront, based in San Diego.
Last year, the nonprofit distributed 450 baskets, most of which volunteers assembled.
The chapter is one of 31 across the country. It has assisted 12,000 military families since 2002.
The nonprofit provides emergency aid, such as food, baby items, financial assistance, vehicle repair, and donations and support.
“We try to make sure that families with deployed service members can have a traditional holiday even with a significant other deployed,” Marciano said.
Easter basket donations
What: Donations of baskets, eggs, wrapped candy, small toys and stuffed animals for area military families will be collected until March 8. A donation of $15 pays for a complete basket. Checks can be mailed to Operation Homefront, P.O. Box 26747, San Diego, CA 92196.
Where: Saturn of West 78, 2205 Vista Way, off of state Route 78 in Oceanside, and other Saturn dealerships throughout San Diego County.
Information: (866) 424-5210; operationhomefront.net/socal
Easter baskets given to military families
When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 15 at Murphy Canyon Community Center, 3493 Santo Road in Tierrasanta, and 1 to 4 p.m. March 16 at Saturn of West 78 in Oceanside. Sign-up required to receive a basket. To sign up, visit operationhomefront.net/socal.
Information: (866) 424-5210
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Spouse Calls: PTSD support for spouses
By Terri Barns, Special to Stars and Stripes
Scene, Sunday, March 2, 2008
In Spouse Calls blogger comments, one issue comes up more often than any other: Post traumatic stress disorder. Last week’s column included some of those comments from spouses with first- hand experience on the subject.
These messages are significant, ...
By Terri Barns, Special to Stars and Stripes
Scene, Sunday, March 2, 2008
In Spouse Calls blogger comments, one issue comes up more often than any other: Post traumatic stress disorder. Last week’s column included some of those comments from spouses with first- hand experience on the subject.
These messages are significant, both for their individuality and their similarities. Each spouse who watches a loved one suffer through the after- effects of combat has a unique experience, but there are also common feelings and frustrations:
• “This is not the person I married.”
• “He says he doesn’t want to be married any more.”
• “There is so much anger.”
• “Why is he kind to everyone but me?”
• “Am I the only one?”
I point out these similarities not to minimize the individuality of each experience, but to offer an answer to the last question: You are not alone.
There are so many questions I cannot answer, but I can point out resources for help and encouragement.
Operation Homefront is an organization created to meet needs within the military community. Meredith Leyva, a military spouse who founded the organization in 2001, recently announced an Operation Homefront program for spouses of wounded veterans.
The program, Wounded Warrior Wives, is intended to create a community for spouses of servicemembers with various combat injuries, including PTSD.
Dr. Julie Storey, a clinical psychologist, serves as director of clinical education and counseling services for the new program.
“It’s apparent to everyone connected … to active duty military members and veterans that the loved ones who are caring for the injured and disabled are in desperate need of support and resources,” Julie said. “But figuring out how to get those resources and support to them in a manner in which they can and will receive is the challenge we are facing.”
Julie said the most successful component of the program so far is the online discussion at www.cinchouse.com, an Operation Homefront Web site.
“The forum is a great way for spouses to share experiences and information at their own convenience,” she |
