A young women, who raised her right hand, went to Parris Island, but found out she had a conditon that precluded her from becoming a Marine, is staying in the game. Now volunteering at the USO, and working to fill boxes for the Marines for the holiday season. Here’s her request:

Most of you know how I support the military, particularly the Marine Corps. This year I was asked if I would adopt some deployed Marines for Christmas. I was like “Sure!” expecting two or three… Well, I have a platoon of 25 Marines in my care. At first I was overwhelmed and said “I can’t do this!” but then it hit me that I CAN and WILL. Everything has to be shipped by Thanksgiving is the part that is going to be the most difficult.

For the platoon, we provide Christmas decorations–a small Christmas tree, Santa hat and beard, Christmas CD, etc. Things to make their little area festive. I know that may sound dumb, but I can also see how it would help to boost their morale.

Also for the platoon, we provide group gifts–things they can enjoy together. Suggested ideas were DVD’s (no war movies) and games… I am not the most imaginative of people so if you have any ideas, don’t hesitate to let me know!

Individually, we have a handmade stocking (my grandmother is making those) filled with small wrapped gifts for each person in the platoon. I’m having trouble with ideas for those, as well.

The Operation Santa USMC website is: http://www.marinecorpsfamilyfoundation.org/santa.html

And I’ve blogged about it here: http://politicsofapatriot.blogspot.com/2006/10/not-so-trivial-pursuits.html

If you are willing to help in any way, please drop me an e-mail ASAP at [email protected] or give me a call. Thank you!

Sounds like an easy thing to pitch in for. Please vist Holly’s site and see if you can help out cheering up the men on the front lines in the fight.

And we’re not done yet. I’ve tried to get to everyone’s blog who signed up for the Navy Team. There are some interesting reads out there. How about show these bloggers a little love with a click on their link, then spend a few moments scanning the material they post!

The first team member: Seawitch. From what I can tell, suffered through Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi. She does have a sense of humor, so you Marines, soldiers and airmen should head over there to see how she can snark.

Chapomatic. A great thinker and man of ecclectic taste in music and online videos. Great, thought provoking posts over at Chap’s place. A used to be submariner, who has changed “designators” and will, after having served in a “Joint” billet in the midwest at a major USAF based command, will have a more hands on role in the GWoT.

Ken from Smadanek has become the resident “data geek” for the Valour-IT program drive and he has been gracious enough to track all the teams, coz they need someone who can do math and Chap, the nuke, was buried with real world 0730-2300 work days. Ken’s a “Trade School” grad and prod “Black Shoe” who has the honor of being a Battleship Sailor during his time in uniform. He usually comments on Navy technology issues, and also some local NJ state stuff.

Jason is new at the blogging stuff, but has a site to present history for kids: Superhero Historians. “Protect the Past For the Future” appears to be the motto of the site. Boy, do we need more like him, so the next generations know what has happened before them.

So, spread the love, and click a team member’s link – there might be something there you needed!

John of OpFor requested this post:

Richard S. Lowry, author of Marines in the Garden of Eden and the Gulf War Chronicles was generous enough to donate two personalized copies of each book to Valour-IT. Please include these two links in your next Valour-IT update:

Marines in the Garden of Eden

Gulf War Chronicles

Auction Proceeds will go to Valour-IT, but no specific team. One team, one fight and all that. Zoom!

Don’t forget to check this link for the auction up at Truth Laid Bear, where Team Navy is putting all sorts of goodies of historical value up for bids!

Trackbacked to: Outside the Beltway.

Revillie, REVILLE! All hands heave out and trice up!

Today is a decision day. Yes, local and national seats are up for election, but the inertia imparted in that mess rolling downhill has been imparted and with minor exception, the die is cast. We will jst have to wait out today to see the results.

My directive of the day: Do something constructive and forget about chewing your fingernails down to the quick, trying to figure out which party will control the House and the Senate, or the 30+ governorships.

What to do? Get back on task, because, Sgt Hook told us a few days ago, there is a more important mission. Nothing like a crusty old senior enlisted, tempered in the fires of the school of hard knocks to get he “Os” back on focus.

Valour-IT. Huge success last year. Beth said “Goal of $22K.” The Type As among us took that to read “$22K per service team.” Wisely she kept her mouth shut and kept us in the dark until the end, then told us what she really meant, about $108K later. we didn’t have a lot of press coverage, we had bloggers contacting everyone they knew and posting about it. My point? This year, we’re not on the flight path for a smooth landing.

Smadanek’s blog has been tracking our progress, as a whole and as teams. Capt Lex, with all his years of staring at “ROGER, BALL!” on the blunt end of a big gray thing (called “Mother” and kept afloat by those unnamed heroes wearing black shoes), would, metaphorically see himself looking at a red lower half of a circle and be hearing a frantic Landing Signal Officer on the radio yelling “Power! POWER!” if his plane is where we are now.

It comes down to this: We need to consider the warrior pledge, where soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines know no one gets left behind. We can’t afford, after the sacrifices these wounded men and women have made, to psychologically leave them on that battlefield where their wounds reshaped their lives forever. we have the means to help them see they can be productive in the job market, and they are no less important than Steven Hawking. We can give them a voice to express their ideas, to write reports, to carry on conversations, to tell their stories, to rech out to others, to provide hope where there seems to be none.

Enough for now. get to the polls, cast your vote and get back on task. If you’re signed on as part of the Navy Team and you don’t have a lengthy email titled “A few days left” from me, get me your address, and I’ll forward it.

One idea has come in overnight worth sharing: Enrevanche says try matching funds. For those who can afford it, it may pull a few more dollars through the door.

The last thought: Make contacts, today and throught the end of this drive, like some service member”s future depends on you.

Update: 8/11/2006: More thoughts here.

Trackbacked to: Outside the Beltway, Sgt Hook.

Comms are down!

My domain hosting service is on again/off again for email at the moment.

Sending in the blind: Keep chasing everyone you know down and flaunt the auction (it may be our saving grace for crossing the finish line)

Operate independently: No captain who lays his ship alongside that of the enemy will be wrong (or something like that!)!

On PRWeb, the official Valour-IT press release exists.

How about spread it about liberally. Send it to any and all radio/TV station managers web address, or, if you can’t find any one in particular, try sending it to the postmaster or info or webmaster address, asking that it be relayed to the appropriate office. The larger and/or more active sites will most likely see it in time to get the word around the coffee pot (or Coke machine n this era) before Saturday.

Get over to Ken’s Blog,a href=”http://smadanek.blogspot.com/”>Smadanek (when this is over, I’ll ask him where that moniker came from…) to see how we are trending towards the goal. The Official Valour-IT bean counters site! WOOOHOOO!

Get on it…and…get people pointed at the auctions, and shameless promote Lex’s hard copy of “Rhythms!”

OK, the kind owner of Truth Laid Bear, NZ Bear, has set up an auction page for us. No as formal as ebay, but, there are some incredible items to be had.

Here’s the deal: Those of us focused on the Valour-IT fiund raiser at close rnage will know about this. Those wandering about in the rest of the universe will not. Your assignment, kind readers, is to spread the word far and wide and close by, to get the juices flowing.

The Auction page location is here. Clikc on the the link, I dare you…and, get youe wallet ready!

At this very moment, it appears that the only takers are the Navy, with 13 items up for bid. at least we’re ahead somewhere! GO TEAM NAVY!

Chapomatic has graced us with a set of four wine goblets from COMSUBGRU SEVEN, posters of USS TEXAS, a SAC and a USN Challenge Coin.

Bubblehead of “The Stupid Shall Be Punished” blog has coins and a key chain from the pre-comm unit for USS SEAWOLF (SSN-21). This is a “class ship” (names the class of units that follow) of the subs built after the LOS ANGELES (SSN-688) Class.. Little pieces of history here. Great for military collectors.

Jason of has listed two copies of the book “No HIgher Honor,” the story of the USS SAMUEL B ROBERTS (FFG-58) when she hit the mine in the Persian Gulf. Exceptionally well written, balancing detail with readability. Reviews on his site from the crewmen compliment him for telling the story well. Brad Peniston (the author), with personalize each copy for the purchaser when he signs them before shipment. Brad was responsible for connecting Valour-IT to the Army Times reporter who got the story on the web and I understand it will be in print this week.

Neptunus Lex has offered up many items. Two flight suits, actually worn on combat missions (but he’s washed them), a pilot’s helmet (cracked, but still a great conversation piece, and ball caps from the George HW BUSH or RONALD REAGAN carriers. Oh, and then there is a printed out and signed copy of his onlone novel or blogvel, “Rhythms.”

Here’s my advertisement for Le’xs book (feel free to cut and paste this into an email you’ll send to everyone you know, and add to it if you’re read his work!):

What if you had the chance to own a draft copy of “The Hunt for Red October” or “Team Yankee,” before anyone in the publishing world had heard of guys named Clancy or Coyle? What would that be worth, not only in bragging rights, but in terms of real historical value? A soon to retire Navy Captain, and F/A-18 aviator for his entire career, with shipboard, command, and TOPGUN instructor jobs in his wake has typed out a read that certainly equals, if not exceeds the fine works of those action novel authors we have come to see being wildly successful. “Rhythms” is such a work. In the auction to support Valour-IT, you have the truly rare opportunity to cheat history and get you own original, signed hard copy of this novel, that not only puts you in the cockpit, but make the adrenaline flow as if you were there. Gripping, edge of your seat, begging for more emotions will overwhelm you as you take a journey from the deck of a carrier launching combat missions, into the minds of the pilots as they focus on putting ordnance where it counts, and also below decks, where the many thousands make it possible. Expensive propopsition? Sure, but how much would you pay for that draft of “Red October” if you had it all to do again? And, oh, NOT AVAILABLE IN ANY STORE NEAR YOU (or not near you)!

OK..GET THE WORD OUT!!!!!

Update: I misspoke: From My Position and Home Front Six are not related….but…have complimentary stories that link together.

A two milblogs, “From My Position” and “Home Front Six”, chronicle the beginnings of the Valour-IT program, not directly, but by telling the story of a wounded man, who has had to work his way back. He’s one of the fortunate ones, most of what he had before the IED hit his HMMVEE will be restored through the miracle of modern medical advances. Some of our service members will not ever be this lucky and may be user of the Valour-IT advances and adoption for the rest of their lives.

To bring the point home of how important and effective a program we have been pushing for 5 days now, Valour-IT, is so important, take a few moments and read a post by an Army wife, here.

The “teaser:”

Here is the bulk of the post that I made for the Project Valour-IT fundraiser last year. It still holds true today.

One of the things that MacGyver and I have talked about it how we would handle things should he be injured in the line of duty. It’s not a pretty conversation – things like that never are. But I am not a fan of surprises so I’d rather discuss this now, before he deploys.

Those of you who know MacGyver know what type of person he is. He is a very “hands on” type of person. He works a LOT with his hands.
[…]

In that post’s comments, Chuck, with a year plus of time since his wounding, comments in more detail about what it was like:

Let Macgyver (and your friend) know that it really isn’t the end of the world, it’s a setback. I love working with my hands, and do lot of projecs too… everything from brewing beer to refinishing furniture. It takes longer, and I have to take my time and actually watch what I am doing, instead of working by feel, and I think my playstation days ended a long time ago, but the hard thing to get through my head was that it wasn’t the end of the world. You have tyo adapt, and the fixes are neither immediate or easy.
Things that used to be easy, or even so simple I didn’t consider them, are now often insurmountable (like buttoning a cuff or collar.) I was once completely unable to bathe myself, my hands were so sensitive I couldn’t hold the poofy soap things.
[…]

Go and read that, too.

Fuzzilicious Thinking, the other person behind Valour-IT posted comments on Chuck’s comments, to add more depth to the discussion here. It’s also worth your time to click and to understand the issues better.
Read the rest, which is graphic, but it tell of the reality of those who suffer.

I’m getting behind in comms with the team. For you Navy team members who aren’t be ing spammed by me, ship me in an email. I’m trying to pass around ideas to keep the funds on the upward trend.

For anyone who reads this: Keep contacting anyone you can. Sometimes those people you think aren’t interested, will know someone who is very interested.

Ask blogger you read to post for us. Some of the Navy Team has done that with positive responses.

Ok, here we go! I plan to showcase the Navy Team blogs here, because there’s some great stuff, some from new bloggers, to be seen.

Steeljaw Scribe. A retired Navy Captain, who spent the bulk of his career in E-2C Hawkeye Air Early Warning flying. Weekly Posts of “Flight Deck Friday,” discussing Naval Aviation History, usually covering an particular aircraft. He was in the Pentagon on 9/11/2001. He blogged that the few days before and up to 9/11/2006.

We made it! Wide area coverage (kinda like and E-2C on station – only a lot bigger!)

From Army Times:

“Bloggers compete to raise cash for computer charity” by Karen Jowers, Staff writer

A competition is raging among Internet bloggers to see who can raise the most money for voice-activated laptops that will be given to severely disabled service members.

The Veterans Day competition, which is organized by Valour-IT, began Monday. It’s goal is to raise $180,000 in 10 days; as of Thursday morning, the total was up to $51,068.
[…]

Thanks, Karen, for taking an interest!