Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers found a large weapons cache consisting of 155 Russian-made 57 mm mortar rounds. This significant find will keep weapons out of the hands of al Qaeda operatives who would have used them in attacks against innocent Iraqi civilians, coalition forces and Iraqi security forces. Our troops have found seven caches within the past month in that same area. Two of those caches were found with the help of local neighborhood watch volunteers who are fed up with sectarian violence and want to keep their community safe for the sake of their families."The leaders of al Qaeda in Iraq should know we are continually targeting them and will not rest until we have captured or killed them," said Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.
(Compiled from various military news releases.)
Click for more info
DoD Announces New OIF Deployments
For advance planning purposes, you should be aware that Defense Department officials recently announced additional major units scheduled to deploy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The announcement involves three brigade or regimental combat teams and a Marine expeditionary force headquarters, consisting of about 20,000 personnel.
These deployments are not associated with the current troop surge. "The units are part of a normal rotation of forces to replace formations currently on the ground," according to a Defense Department announcement.
The deployment window for these units will begin at the end of this year and continue into 2008, officials said.
Affected units include the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters and Regimental Combat Teams 1 and 5, from Camp Pendleton, Calif., and 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
We wish God's blessings on their families, and pray for a safe return for each and every one.
Make the most of the time you have prior to these upcoming deployments. Be sure to spend a little more time together, focusing on each other and your family. Check our links page for resources to help you deal with the pending separation, and our We Support You page for other helpful resources providing special support for military families.
Click for more info
Controlled-by-Foreigners">More Deceit of the Iraqi and American People --
Al Qaeda in Iraq a "Virtual" Fraud
Controlled by Foreigners
This is for those people who think there is no connection between Al Qaeda, bin Laden, or Iran, and the war in Iraq!
Al Qaeda in Iraq, cloaking itself in Iraqi nationalism, has been tricking Iraqis into thinking they were following orders of an Iraqi at the helm of Al Qaeda in Iraq. Seems he was merely a figment of Al Qaeda’s imagination, and the orders have been funneled from Al Qaeda leaders in other countries, through the Egyptian-born Abu Ayub al Masri, the actual head of Al Qaeda in Iraq.
Following the recent capture of Khalid Abdul Fatah Daud Mahmud al-Mashadani, the most senior Iraqi in the al Qaeda in Iraq network, Mashadani is providing "significant insights" into the al Qaeda in Iraq network. (Imagine that!)
Mashadani has acknowledged creating a virtual organization, called the "Islamic State of Iraq," on the Web in 2006. As it turns out, the organization is simply a front for foreign influence into al Qaeda in Iraq. Al Masri and Mashandani went as far as creating a fictitious leader, Umar al Baghdadi, as a symbolic political head of the ISI, whose role is played by an actor!
Despite Mashadani’s own words that the Islamic State of Iraq should be free of foreign influence, that is not the case. Al Masri relies solely on the direction of foreign leaders and doesn’t trust or seek the advice of Iraqis in the network.
The actual purpose of Al Qaeda in Iraq is to subjugate the Iraqi people under a foreign-led terrorist organization that wants to impose a Taliban-like ideology on Iraqis.
In addition to the recent capture of roughly 50 key terrorists in Iraq, coalition forces have killed or captured 21 "special group" terrorists funded, trained, armed and directed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Forces.
Unfortunately, it will likely get tougher before it gets easier for our troops in Iraq, and there’s still much work to do in eradicating the insurgents.
Urge your elected leaders to support the War Against Terror until the job is done, so that our American children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren can have the opportunity to grow up in the America you know, not one that cowers in fear. Let our leaders know you'd rather continue to spend defense dollars now to fight this war overseas, than to spend innocent American lives when the extremists bring the war here because we pulled the troops out before their job was finished.
- President George W. Bush – E-mail the President or Vice President; call or write the White House.
- U.S. Senators – Search for your senators by name, state, or congressional class; and visit their websites.
- U.S. Representatives – Find contact information for your U.S. representative by typing in your zip code.
Links to Presidential candidates' web sites can be found on this page.
Click for more info
Important Protection Against Identity Theft
for Deployed Service Members
Great News! Amendments to the Fair Credit Reporting Act have made it a little easier for deployed service members to protect themselves against possible identity theft while they are out of the country.
If you are on active duty and away from your usual duty station for an extended period, you can add an "active duty alert" to your credit reports with the major credit reporting agencies. This should help minimize the risk of identity theft while you are deployed, because when a business sees the alert on your credit report, it must verify your identity before issuing credit.
To learn how to place an “active duty” alert, or to have one removed, and for the toll-free fraud number of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies, click here.
Permalink -- click for full blog
Free Entrepreneurship Boot Camp
for Disabled Veterans
Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University has announced a new Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV). The program is designed to offer cutting edge, experiential training in entrepreneurship to veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with disabilities. The goal of the EBV is to open the door to entrepreneurial opportunity for disabled veterans, by helping them develop competencies in the many steps and activities associated with creating and sustaining an entrepreneurial venture (and there are many - trust us), and also helping them to understand and coordinate with other programs and services for veterans and others with disabilities. For more information about the program, click on the link below.
Permalink -- click for full blog
Free Legal Help for Veterans
Filing VA Disability Claims
Veterans needing help to file VA claims for disability can get free personalized legal help and review of their claims from attorneys at the law firm of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC, under their program "When Duty Calls." Womble Carlyle (WCSR) developed the program in conjunction with the Young Lawyers Division of the North Carolina Bar Association.
A law enacted shortly after the Civil War (and still in effect) limits the amount a veteran can pay an attorney for assistance in filing a VA disability claim to $10 and thus effectively prevents them from hiring an attorney. Yet the completeness and accuracy of the information contained in a veteran’s initial disability claim are crucial to its success.
The "When Duty Calls" campaign has three goals:
* To provide pro bono assistance to as many veterans as possible through an ongoing series of clinics;
* To work with veterans and the VA to find ways to streamline and expedite the service connected disability application process; and
* To motivate attorneys to provide pro bono assistance to veterans.
The VA has provided strong support for this project. Womble Carlyle attorney Tim McClain, former General Counsel for the VA and now a member of WCSR's Washington, DC, office, led a recent training session.
Womble Carlyle hopes to replicate the program in all the states where it has offices. WCSR currently has offices in: Atlanta, GA; Greenville, SC; Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh, Research Triangle Park, and Winston-Salem, NC; Washington, DC; Tysons Corner, VA; Baltimore, MD; and, Wilmington, DE.
In the "small world" category, Tim McClain is a retired Navy Judge Advocate (JAG), and served as a well-respected military judge before whom we argued many Courts-Martial. We can assure you, if he is associated with the program, it is top notch.
If you live in a state in which WCSR has offices, and you need assistance in filing a claim for VA disability, go to their website to find the phone number of the office nearest you.
And if you live in a state without a WCSR office, call your local bar association and ask if there's a firm in your area with a similar pro bono program. If not, your call just might encourage one.
Click for more info
Do Not Open Bogus E-Mail
Purporting to be from FTC
Attachment Unleashes Malicious Spyware
Consumers, including corporate and banking executives, appear to be targets of a bogus e-mail supposedly sent by the Federal Trade Commission. In actuality, the e-mail was sent by third parties hoping to install spyware on computers.
The bogus e-mail poses as an acknowledgment of a complaint filed by the recipient, and includes an attachment. Consumers who open the attachment to this e-mail unleash malicious spyware onto their computer.
The FTC warns consumers who get this e-mail that appears to be from the agency:
- Don’t open the attachment.
- Delete the e-mail.
- Empty the deleted items folder.
The hoax e-mail is personalized, and contains the name of the recipient and their business. The bogus message explains how the complaint will be used, who will have access to it and states, “Attached you will find a copy of your complaint. Please print a hard copy of the complaint for your records in the upcoming investigation.” Opening the attachment downloads the malicious spyware.
Consumers can learn more about protecting themselves from malicious spyware and bogus e-mails at OnGuardOnline.gov, a Web site created by the FTC in partnership with other federal agencies and the technology industry to help consumers stay safe online. The site also features modules on spyware and phishing.
Click for more info
Support the Military Spouse Memorial
July 21, 2007 -- H. R. 3026 establishes a commemorative work to honor all those who have put their country first as military spouses. Military spouses have long been unsung heroes, and it's time to change that!
Rep. Thelma Drake (VA) is sponsoring “The Military Spouses Memorial Act” H.R. 3026 to authorize the Military Spouse Legacy Association, Inc., to establish a commemorative work on Federal land in Washington, DC to honor all those who have put their country first as military spouses throughout our Nation's history.
This bill gives America the opportunity to say thank you to the millions of military spouses and widows, both male and female, past and present for their unwavering support of their military loved one. The selfless service of the military spouse from 1776 forward has made this group of individuals the unsung heroes in the defense of this great nation. This monument will be a permanent symbol of appreciation for their service.
We urge you to express your support for this legislation. Clicking on the link below will take you to a page at the Fleet Reserve Association web site. If you type your zip code in the box there, and click "go," it will take you to a page showing the name of your representative in Congress. You can then complete the form on that page, and e-mail a letter to your representative asking him or her to support this legislation.
Support the Military Spouses Memorial!!
Click for more info
Warning for Tricare Members
About Possible Identity Compromise
July 20, 2007 -- TriCare officials have announced a possible compromise of data regarding approximately 600,000 TriCare beneficiaries.
Data stored on the affected system included names, addresses, social security numbers, birth dates, and some health information, according to TriCare. Forensic analysis of the server has found no evidence that any beneficiary information was compromised.
The data was housed on a computer system operated by and located in Florida offices of defense contractor Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). The system in question was not behind a firewall and did not have adequate password protection, in violation of both SAIC and DoD computer security requirements. The system was disabled in May and is no longer in use.
Despite indications that no actual compromise occurred, DoD and SAIC are cooperating to mail letters of notification to beneficiaries whose information was stored on the system.
Beneficiaries whose information was placed at risk are being offered a free, one-year subscription to an identity restoration service.
The incident response center can be reached toll free within the United States at 1-888-862-2680, or collect at 1-515-365-3550 from outside the United States.
Click for more info
I Stand Corrected
This photo was originally published here with the heading "This One Needs No Further Comment." (see below). We received it in e-mail from a friend who happens to be a Vietnam vet, and published it exactly as it was received.
After some reader feedback, however, we've discovered it apparently does need some explanation.
We've realized that some of our younger readers, and perhaps even many of those currently serving in OIF and OEF, may not recognize the woman in the photo on the left, and thus, may not . . .
For the "rest of the story," click here.
Permalink -- click for full blog
This One Needs No Further Comment
Permalink -- click for full blog
Happy 4th of July!
Happy Birthday, America!
We Are The Nation
Lord, we are the nation!
We celebrate our birthday on July 4th, 1776, with the Declaration of Independence as our birth certificate. The bloodlines of the world run in our veins, because we offer freedom and liberty to all who are oppressed. We are many things and many people.
We are the nation.
We sprawl from the Atlantic to the Pacific, to Alaska and Hawaii, three million square miles throbbing with industry and with life. We are the forest, field, mountain and desert. We are the wheat fields of Kansas, the granite hills of Vermont, and the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada. We are the Brooklyn Bridge, we are the grain elevators in the farm belt, we are the Golden Gate.
We are the nation.
We are 213 million living souls, and yet we are the ghosts of millions who have lived and died for us. We are Nathan Hale and Paul Revere. We are Washington, Jefferson and Patrick Henry. We are Lee, Grant, Abe Lincoln and George Bush. We are the famous and the unknown. We are presidents, we are paupers.
We are the nation.
We stood at Lexington and fired the shot heard around the world. We remember the Alamo, the Maine, Pearl Harbor, Inchon and the Persian Gulf. When freedom calls, we answer. We left our heroic dead at Belleau Wood, on the rock of Corregidor, on the bleak slopes of Korea, in the steaming jungles of Vietnam and under the rubble of Beirut.
We are the nation.
We are schools and colleges, churches and synagogues. We are a ballot dropped in a box, the harmonious voice of a choir in a cathedral, the crack of a bat and the roar of a crowd in a stadium. We are craftsmen, teachers, businessmen, and judges. We are laborers and nurses. We are parents and we are children. We are soldiers, sailors and airmen. We are peaceful villages, small towns and cities that never sleep.
Yes, we are the nation, and these are the things that we are.
We were conceived in freedom, and dear God, if you are willing, in freedom we will spend the rest of our days.
May we always be thankful for the blessings you have bestowed upon us. May we be humble to the less fortunate and assist those in need.
May we never forget the continuing cost of freedom. May we always remember that if we are to remain the land of the free, we must continue always to be the home of the brave.
May our wishbone never be found where our backbone should be. May we possess always, the integrity, the courage and the strength to keep ourselves unshackled, to remain always a citadel of freedom and a beacon of hope to the world.
We are the nation.
This is our wish...this is our hope...and this is our prayer.
Amen.
Written by the late
CDR John "Bug" Roach, USN
1944-1991
Permalink -- click for full blog
Sponsor a Secure Website to Help a Military Family Stay in Touch
What an awesome idea! If you've been looking for a way to show your support for America's military families, here's a project worth supporting.
Your sponsorship of just $99 will provide a secure website to a military family for an entire year, giving them the ability to share (privately) those precious moments that would otherwise be missed, such as first steps, birthday parties, piano recitals, soccer goals, etc. The sites use multiple layers of security, so the families can safely post photos of children and talk about family activities without fear of the information falling into the wrong hands. This is a wonderful way of helping the families stay connected.
WebsitesForHeroes.com is a nationwide service that helps America's troops stay connected with their families by providing them with free, secure interactive family websites. Launched in 2006, WebsitesForHeroes.com is a joint effort by two California patriots -- Terry Gniffke, a former Marine and Vietnam veteran, and Michael Sawtell, CEO of DigitalPost Interactive, a provider of advanced family website technology -- to help military families maintain strong family bonds and to inspire hope during difficult times.
For further information or to sponsor a website for a military hero, please visit Websites for Heroes.
Click for more info
USNS Comfort Takes Along Surgical Teams from Operation Smile for Humanitarian Mission
Information courtesy of American Forces Press Service:
NORFOLK, Va., June 19, 2007 – USNS Comfort, a US hospital ship operated by the Military Sealift Command, will provide humanitarian missions this summer to a dozen countries in the Caribbean and Latin America during a 120-day deployment. These services will include basic surgeries, nursing educational opportunities, public health interventions, veterinary services, and basic infrastructure support and construction.
Comfort's medical staff will be joined by surgical teams from Operation Smile, a worldwide children’s medical charity that provides free surgery to children in developing countries born with facial deformities.
Operation Smile will be working side by side with the Navy in Nicaragua, Peru and Colombia. The Operation Smile volunteer medical teams are composed of international volunteers in Nicaragua and Peru, while a team of Operation Smile Colombian medical volunteers will conduct a medical mission in a Buenaventura local hospital in that country.
About 125 to 150 children suffering with cleft lips and cleft palates will receive free reconstructive surgery as a result of these three medical missions.
Click here to learn more about Operation Smile, including how you can donate to their cause. Your gift of as little as $250 (just over $20 a month) can give one child each year a new smile and a new life. Your donation can be a one-time gift, or a recurring gift charged automatically to a credit card. In many instances in these developing countries, the facial deformities of cleft lip and/or cleft palate cause the child to live a lonely and miserable life, ostracized by others. Correcting the deformity literally gives the child a new life, where he or she is accepted by the other members of the community. We support Operation Smile, and we can tell you it's a great feeling to know you've helped transform a child's life by providing him or her with truly life-changing surgery.
Click for more info
Beware of New Scam Targeting Military Families
WASHINGTON, Tuesday, May 29, 2007 — The American Red Cross has learned about a new scam targeting military families. This scam takes the form of a telephone caller giving false information to military families in order to obtain social security numbers, as described below:
The caller (young-sounding, American) calls a military spouse and identifies herself as a representative from the Red Cross. The caller states that the spouse's husband (not identified by name) was hurt while on duty in Iraq and was med-evac'd to a hospital in Germany. The caller stated they couldn't start treatment until paperwork was accomplished, and that in order to start the paperwork they needed the spouse to verify her husband's social security number and date of birth. In this case, thankfully, the spouse was quick to catch on and she did not provide any information to the caller.
American Red Cross representatives typically do not contact military members/dependents directly, and almost always go through a commander or first sergeant channels. And as you know, military hospitals do not withhold treatment to verify SSN's. Military family members are urged not to give out any personal information over the phone if contacted by unknown/unverified individuals, to include even confirmation that your spouse is deployed. Use common sense, keep your personal information personal, and don't give away any information unless absolutely necessary.
This is another good reminder to be on the alert and to NOT give out any personal information to unknown callers! These people have sunk to new lows. They know that you would do anything you can to help your deployed spouse, especially if you believe he (or she) is injured and treatment is being withheld pending completion of "paperwork."
Should you receive one of these calls, keep your wits about you, but tell them you're flustered by this news and can't remember the SSN -- you'll have to look it up and call them back. ASK for their number to call them back. That should get rid of them. Or ask them to call you back in 10 minutes. Then get a tape recorder ready to record the call.
If you DO get one of these calls, and a phone number shows up on your caller ID, write it down, along with the date and time of the call and as many details as you can remember about exactly what they said. Then take the information to your base legal office and ask for their help in getting the information to the right sources to catch these low-lifes trying to take advantage of our vulnerable military families. We believe there's a special corner of hell reserved for these folks!
Click for more info
Money Matters for Military Families
Comprehensive guide to money matters for American military families, offering debt solutions, financial education, and money management tips and techniques.
Permalink -- click for full blog
Site best viewed with Firefox
New! Comments
Join our conversation! Leave me a comment about this page in the box below. If your comment is about another page on this site, please leave your comment on that page, because I have no ability to move it to the correct page. Thanks!