I have set up two people as guest authors here:

• Rich Lowry, an author who’s books include “Marines in the Garden of Eden”, and a Navy Veteran, an FTB with operational experience in the ballistic submarine force.
• AW1 Tim, a former air crewman from the light anti-submarine and maritime patrol communities, and a prolific commenter on a number of the MilBlogs. I shared a room with him at the MilBlogs Conference and his is a well read student of history and military things (and a veritable repostiory of many more “sea stories” to add to the internet record). He thinks he’ll get his feet wet as a blogger here this weekend.

Fair warning (to check back more frequently) to you.

ValOUR-IT. We just love those acronyms, and this one is a standout for me.

V(oice) A(ctivated) L(aptops) for OUR – I(njured) T(roops). Born of a disaster, raised up as a success. As of 5/5/2007, in 20 months, 1000 laptops have been handed to our wounded soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.

The “quality” of the product has gone from a used, purchased on eBay unit, with money from Soldier’s Angels, with a blog reader chipping in the funds for a copy of Dragon Naturally Speaking, to brand new Dell laptops, complete with wireless capability and a copy of Naturally Speaking funded by DoD funds from a program to aid disbaled service members. Along the way, it’s been the leanest and meanest charity I have know. 100% of the donations are “put to work.” Alongside that path of progress are some incredible people, with big hearts and small and large checking accounts.

While the main fund drives for this program happen in the two weeks leading up to November 11th, there is a need to keep the fund flowing year round. If you have a few spare $$$, there is someone who could use it to change the outlook and real opportunities of their future. Donations easily accepted here.

Found the link to a post at Strategy Page @ Captain B’s One Marine’s View blog.

I suspect it was done by CPT Allison Crane, RN, MS, a mental health nurse observer-trainer from the 7302nd Medical Training Support Battalion, and is titled “When a Soldier Comes Home From War”.

Fine work, expresses much, and the best 2-3 minutes (but you can spend many more) looking at the 21 slides that comprise this excellent reminder of a combat soldier’s return to “the World,” but about life in general, too.

Here’s a few of the slides:

They all are worth looking at. Do yourself a favor, go and check it out and see small pictorial of how our service members live in the current combat zone.

Holly emailed me this request for the organization she started when she was still in high school and a DEPer. She had taken on the morale support, via care packages to a Marine RECON platoon deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Sort of like our FbL, but younger. Anyhow, if you can lend a hand with CARE packages, here’s some really targeted gouge!

Hello Everyone:

I realize that it has been an extremely long time since I updated any of you. Yesterday, I updated the Help 4th Recon website and today I have addresses.

In April, I had the privilege of meeting four Marines of the 4th Recon. One of these young Marines had lost both legs to the IED that killed Jerimiah. Meeting these Marines put things back in perspective for me. It has been two years last month and it seems that even now, I can get lost in the activities of school, work, and my personal life and forget the importance of this.

My request is that each of you help me to support the Marines and Soldiers listed below. Care packages would be fantastic, but if you can’t do that, something as simple as a letter or a card would mean the world to them. I am so excited about getting the efforts of Help 4th Recon back in action, as I know how much it means to them. Your continued support is the only way we can do this.

Thank you, in advance, for your help. You will find a list of names and addresses below, along with a brief explanation of who these people are and when I know them I’ve included likes and dislikes.

Semper Fi,
Holly

PS If you wouldn’t mind, please let me know who you are sending what to so that I can try to cover the rest, so that no one gets left out. Thanks!

Marines in Iraq
——————————————————————————-
Members of the 4th Recon who are currently deployed include:

SSGT Richard Smith
Sgt Robert Harlan (“Bobby”)
Sgt Ryan Matjeka
Sgt Andrew Roig
Sgt Matthew Brake
Sgt Daniel Peters

They can all be contacted through this address, but make sure you put one name at the top:
4th Recon 1st PLT
Unit 43666
FPO AP 96426-3666
——————————————————————————-
This Marine is the husband of my friend Emily, who has strong ties to the 4th Recon. Emily has him taken care of through carepackages (though they would still be welcomed, I’m sure) but Scott could really use moral support.

Cpl. Powell, James Scott
CLB-2 HSS Co
Unit 73960
FPO AE 09509-3960
——————————————————————————-
Soldiers in Iraq
——————————————————————————-
I met Hal two years ago at MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station). Hal was joining the Missouri National Guard. Since that time, he has spent a total of 15 days NOT on Active Duty. He, too, could use encouragement of any form. He particularly likes the Easy Mac macaroni and cheese and the alfredo ones. Any kind of cheese that is non-perishable to send such as Velveeta, he would also love. Pringles are another favorite of Hal.

SPC Williams, Hal
OSACOM
LSA Anaconda
APO, AE 09391
——————————————————————————-
Soldiers in Afghanistan
——————————————————————————-
Ryan aka “Scooter” is my distant cousin. He was recently extended and I’m sure could use any support you can offer. (He hates peanut butter and grape flavored anything.) Oatmeal and Honey Bun snack cakes. He likes horse, hunting, and fishing magazines. Canned pasta like ravioli and spaghetti is always a favorite.

Wheat, Christopher R.
TF Catamount B Co. 2-87 IN
APO AE 09354

On any packages to Ryan, rather than listing your return address, you should put this address as the return address (security reasons):

TF Catamount
10520 Riva Ridge Loop
Fort Drum, NY 13602
——————————————————————————-
I have known David since I was about 12. David is from a small town in Missouri and could use carepackages or letters of encouragement. David likes peanut butter cheese crackers, does NOT like candy except for Jolly Ranchers. However, if you send him candy that would still be great so he can give it to the Iraqi children. He does like salty snacks like chips and sunflower seeds. Again, canned pasta like ravioli and spaghetti is always a favorite. Likes beef jerky, but not spicy or hot (just regular). NO Crystal Lite of Koolaid, but individual packages of tea and lemonade. David really appreciates small devotionals that he can pack with him. (My mom sends him the Daily Bread and his mom sends him another that we can’t remember what at this point. 🙂 David likes hunting and car magazines. I think we have him hooked up on the hunting magazines for awhile, but he still hasn’t gotten any car magazines.

SPC Bradley, David
C Co. 2-35 INF 2nd Plt
25th Infantry Div
3rd IDCT 2-35 INL
FOB Warrior
APO AE 09338
David’s friend Bunce could use anything. The only packages he has received since his deployment has been from my mom and David’s mom. He could really use encouragement. We do not have a first name or anything, so please send it to David with a note telling him it is for Bunce. Again, ANYTHING you can offer to Bunce would be outstanding!
—
Support Our Troops!
www.help4threcon.zoomshare.com

Looks like a pretty through OPORDER to me…get to it!

Open trackbacks…how could you possibly resist?

Anyhow…today is just a visual “report:”

This is the ValOUR-IT Trophy for the November 2006 fund raising drive:

---

Here’s the team blogroll that made it happen:

Project VALOUR-IT Navy Team

A Gangers Home
A Lady’s Ruminations
American Geek
Bobo Blogger
Boudicca’s Voice
Bow Ramp
Captain’s Quarters
CDR Salamander
Chapomatic
Christ matters
Crossing the Rubicon
Deus Et Patria
Diggers Realm
Eaglespeak
Enrevanche
Fewl Net
Gazing at the Flag
Geezerville
Grouchy Old Cripple in Atlanta
Hillary Needs A Vacation
IMAO
Last Refuge of a Scoundrel
Lord of Kobol
Memory Leak
Morning Coffee
Mountain Philosopher
Mr Completely
Mudville Gazette
Navy Wife
Neptunus Lex
Power Line
Random Thoughts of Another Military Member
Rants and Raves
Rhymes With Right
RRock Beast
Search Light Crusade
Seawitch
Slightly Rough
Smandanek
SMASH
Solomonia
Steele Jaw Scribe
Stix Blog
Super Hero Historians
The Stupid Shall Be Punished
TPMuckraker
World of Marvin

I was rather amazed that even Tony Snow tapped danced around the arrest of the 6 Muslims today to say there hadn’t been any noticeable links to terrorist groups in the story that hit the wires today.

I find it ironic, to say the least, that within moments of any significant violence in schools, a virtual choir of media and talking heads all trot out the connection to “violent video games, like Dungeons and Dragons and Doom.”

I’d bet the shooters at Columbine and VT never met with John Carmack, but “we” are happy to link them together.

Sorry about the lack of posting, but spent time with family and driving back from the DC area.

I was presented with the newly designated trophy for the annual ValOUR-IT Fund Drive, in recognition of the Navy’s sprint to the “finish line.” Not enough words can be said to express my thanks to all who made it happen, for it was certainly not done by me.

I will take a few photos tomorrow (CPT Chuck Ziegenfuss signed it) and post them here, along with the list of bloggers we had take part in the effort. Look for it n the next day or two.

To keep amused, here’s what I found out people do for fun with duct tape from listening to the radio all day today:

And the winners (competition is still on going) get a $6000 cash scholarship….

Not good news, and a reminder why GTMO should stay open….

Two US Service Members Killed Outside Kabul Prison.

I picked this up on Caos’ Blog and pulled the above link from CENTCOM’s site.

It sounds as though a COL and SGT were killed by Afghan National Army troops, during a prisoner transfer, where Taliban detainees from GTMO were being brought to the prison at Pulacharke.

The shooters apparently ran off after the killings, so I suspect they were moles, as the report says there were other Afghan soldiers ran to the aid of the killed and wounded (2) US soldiers.

A Google search didn’t find this news. It is clearly listed by CENTCOM.

Tracked back @: Cao’s Blog

This is how the conference began. Is this cool, or what?

Back from lunch and presentations. The best part was CPT Chuck Zeigenfuss (ValOUR-IT “patient zero”) tell the story of waking up in the hospital in Germany and then the road to the first laptop used to help someone get back into life. It was a wonderful testimony to the work of Soldier’s Angels and the people who made ValOUR-IT go.

History worth remembering. Too bad lunch wasn’t videoed…:(