Army Household6

We just recently found out that we were nominated as an exceptional military family for Headquarters Company, Walter Reed Medical Center Brigade.  Thanks so much to SSG Z, SSG E and CPT L for the nomination.

The award dinner (as part of the Hospital’s Military Family Appreciation Week)  will be held on Thursday November 13 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The hospital newsletter, Stripes, is doing an article on all the winners.

I’m not usually one to toot my own horn, but I’m really excited about this. Of course , SGT Daddy told me that I would be the one giving the speech.

I’ll post an update about it next week as well as some pictures. (maybe even video)  : )

(Hat tip : @familyofavet)

DId you know that AUSA has a Free holiday book for military kids??

The name of the book is It’s a Family Thanksgiving! A Celebration of an American Tradition for Children and Their Families. The distrubution of the book is being sponsored by Raytheon. The book is being sponsored by Raytheon in partnership with AUSA’s Family Programs and Harmony Hearth.

If you’d like to get one, all you have to do is send an email  to familyprograms@ausa.org with your mailing address. First come, first served. Only 2 copies per request.

You can find more information at AUSA’s Family Programs website

(Hat Tip : SpouseBuzz) I saw this on SpouseBuzz and thought it was a really cool idea! 

MILITARY WIVES FIND SUPPORT FROM EACH OTHER MILITARY WIVES CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN NASHVILLE NOV. 7-8

Nashville, Tenn. – No matter whom Americans elect to the White House this November, military wives will still be coping with the ups and downs of military life, including deployments.

While many families throughout the United States will be welcoming their loved ones home soon, there also be those saying goodbye for year-long deployments. But they don’t have to be on their own.

Wives of Faith is a faith-based military wives support organization that was started by a Navy reservist wife and an active Army wife in 2006 to connect, encourage and support military wives who do not live near a military installation or lack the resources or knowledge they need to succeed as a military wife in their marriages, families and deployments when they apply. 

The group will hold its first weekend conference in Nashville, Tenn., Friday and Saturday, Nov. 7-8. The theme, “This is the Day,” encourages military wives – active, reserve or Guard – to embrace the day God has for them now, instead of always looking to tomorrow for happiness.

“So often, we look at the next week, the next month, the end of this deployment, the beginning of the next one, and we never quite know what to do with today,” said Sara Horn, a co-founder and the executive director for the organization, whose own husband was deployed for most of 2007. She said several wives from as far away as Washington state and Pennsylvania have already registered. “Military wives are often on an emotional roller coaster, and if you live far away from a family readiness group or your husband’s installation, you can feel very alone and civilian friends don’t always know what to say or how to help. Our goal is to bring wives together and connect them to help each other.”

Whether military wives are going through deployment or not, the conference is open to all active, reserve or guard wives. Conference speakers include Babette Maxwell, founder of Military Spouse Magazine; Marshelle Carter Waddell, author of Hope for the Home Front; Carol McGlothlin, author of Medals Above My Heart; Judith Fuller, a Ft. Campbell Army wife; and Sara Horn, author of Weekend Warrior No More.  Sponsors include Military Spouse Magazine, Financial Peace University and the Milton Hershey School.

Registration is $55 for the Friday night and Saturday event, or attend Saturday only for $35. Both rates include a one-year subscription to Military Spouse Magazine and lunch on Saturday. A childcare option is also available. More information and registration is available at www.wivesoffaith.org, or contact the Wives of Faith office at  (615) 302-1932  

I got to the event a bit early and was wowed at the site of the all the people that are here at the Washington Convention Center… soldiers, family members,etc. I haven’t made it down to the exhibitor floor yet as I stopped to watch the opening ceremony of conference. I have to say that was pretty cool.

Secretary of the Army Pete Geren was the keynote speaker. Sec. Geren spoke a lot about soldiers and their familes. He talked the strength of the Army were soldiers and families taking care of soldiers and families.

During the Press conference, GEN Casey talked about what they were going to do as an entity. THere was some brief discussion about what lies ahead. It seems that Gen Casey and the rest of the Army is going to focus on the Army families, among other things.

The thing i was most impressed with are the number of initiatives that they have proposed that will help all Army families, not just the Army spouse and the Army brats under 18. For we all now that the “Army family” extends beyond just that. It includes soldier’s parents, brothers and sisters

After the big press conference with Secretary Geren and GEN Casey, I ventured down to the Expo floor. I was completely wowed at the amount and caliber of the  vendors that were there not to mention the amount of “brass” that was there . Everytime I turned around I was bumping into some member of Senior Army Leadership.  : )

The highlight of the day was definitely meeting Mrs. Casey. I tried to ask a question during their presenation and didn’t get a chance. I approached her Aide about asking a couple of questions to her. We talked for a few minutes about being an Army wife, and some of things that she and GEN Casey talked about. I talked to her about the website that LAW and I have been working on and she was very interested in providing more support for parents of our single soldiers.

The day ended with a Bloggers’ Roundtable with several members of Army leadership, including MG MacDonald (Commanding General of MWR Command)  .  We talked about several key topics from casualty assistance to more support for parents of our single soldiers. We talked a great deal about doing more for our single soldiers and the Army is going to be creating some publications and information specifically for those parents of our single soldiers. Make sure to check out Parents Zone for more information.

Overall the theme of the day was that if the family isn’t ready, the unit isn’t ready. I wholeheartedly agree with this. We need to make sure that all soldiers and their families are truly ready for the mission, whatever the mission is.

I’ll be posting some of the pictures tomorrow along with a recap of day two, so stay tuned…

On Monday afternoon, AUSA held its first of 3 Family Forums during this week. This one featured GEN Casey and Mrs. Casey.

The room was completely packed with  Army spouses. It was pretty amazing to see as it was standing room only of FRG Leaders, Army spouses, soldiers and Army Spouse Employment partners. The vibe in the room was absolutely amazing!

Mrs. Casey talked a great deal of the stresses that we endure a great deal but we also get a lot too.  She suggested that ” we live in an attitude of gratitude.”  She also talked about about how our life is a balance of being mom, Army wife, Household manager, etc. She even admitted that after 38 years of Army life that she sometimes isn’t able to “juggle all the balls in the air.”

GEN Casey talked a great deal about soldiers and families as well as  his commitment to Army Families. He said ” we need to sustain soldiers and families , for its all about the people. ” He spoke of how he is working on implementing a 6 month reset from deployment (basically dry dock, no training, nothing).

He also mentioned that we are not going back to the ways of pre-9/11 and our need to transfer all our support programs to support soldiers and families as well as working to have 1 year deployments with 2 years at home.

GEN Casey also described FY 2009 as the year of deliverance! He stated that we have to do a better job of getting the word out. The Army is also going to focus on demystifying the healthcare system and making things standard no matter what location you are at. He did ask from a commitment from us ( Army families) that the Army needs our help to make this happen.. it’s a partnership after all!

GEN Casey also talked about our single soldiers too . He said that many of our programs focus on the married soldiers and their families but we need to remember our single soldiers as well. The Army is going to invest more time and opportunities into meeting their needs as well as the needs of those soldiers’ families. (parents, sisters, girlfriends, etc)

There is more information coming on this point in a later post . LAW (of ParentsZone) got to participate in a Bloggers Roundtable and we talked a bit about supporting parents.

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

President Bush understands that military families throughout our country are making great sacrifices as their loved ones serve at home and abroad. Throughout his Administration, he has been committed to ensuring that our service members and their families receive the highest level of support from our grateful Nation. After many of America’s service members requested the ability to transfer unused GI education benefits to their family members, President Bush called on Congress in his 2008 State of the Union to fulfill their important request.

Throughout the past five months, President Bush and members of his Administration have worked hard to ensure that an expansion of GI benefits includes transferability. Yesterday, House leaders reached a bipartisan agreement on a supplemental war funding bill that would deliver critical support to our men and women in uniform.

The President is pleased that Congress answered his call to ensure that military families will soon be able to transfer their unused education benefits to their spouse or children. This legislation will build upon the GI Bill’s historic legacy of ensuring brighter futures for service members and their families. We urge both the House and Senate to immediately pass this bipartisan agreement.

President Bush also continues to call upon Congress to support his other initiatives which would strengthen support for our military families, including expanding access to childcare, creating new authorities to appoint qualified spouses into civil service jobs, and providing education opportunities and job training for military spouses. President Bush strongly believes that these additional measures will help further demonstrate America’s strong appreciation for the sacrifices of America’s service members and their families.

So come on Ladies (and Gentlemen too) let’s all encourage our representatives in Congress to start doing their job and get the work done! If you don’t know who represents your area or their contact info, then you can find out by going to http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt

Let’s make them hear our voice!

I know you’re probably saying “Tammy you live in the Metro Wash DC area!! Whats the big deal?” Well this time I’m went to the WHITE HOUSE! Yes on Tuesday May 6, your resident Household6 (ME) headed up to the White House to attend a Military Spouse event with the President and have breakfast with Phil Vassar.

I went with a bunch of other spouses from the Walter Reed AMC area so it should be a lot of fun! Most of them were spouses of Wounded Warriors so it was really cool to talk with them. I even bought something new for the occasion. (Don’t worry Danny Boy I didn’t spend a ton)

I was supposed to go to this event last year but couldn’t get on the final list. Well, this year I was bound and determined!! I actually went there in a dual role - representing Walter Reed Medical Center Brigade as well as my gig for Military.com (DC Installation Ambassador) We had a fantastic time. I was so excited I was even sending text messaging from the White House South Lawn! Of course in true “Tammy style” I left my nice digital camera on my kitchen table, so I had to use my camera on my cell phone. I’ll try to get pictures as many pictures as I can and post them here on the blog in the next day or two.

It was an amazing time and I got to meet a lot of amazing spouses. The best was that I got to meet Secretary Geren, GEN Cody, Secretary Gates, Phil Vassar AND President George W Bush. (Yes my life is now complete! LOL )

There were also a lot of spouses there I knew but I was really excited to see many of the bloggers over at SpouseBuzz! (Hey Toad/AWTM - don’t forget to send me a copy of my picture of GEN Cody)

It really was a great day and I think it was definitely the highlight of my Army Wife adventure thus far. I was hoping to get a coin of some sort but came up short on that one. It’s my goal for next time!!

Stay Tuned! Don’t forget Military Spouse Appreciation Day is Friday, May 9th. We’ll have a BIG announcement about a project I’ve been working on.

MCB QUANTICO, Va. — The USO and Jack Daniels Distillery are hosting a free “Toast to the Troops” concert by country music star and ten-year Army veteran Craig Morgan Saturday, April 19 at Little Hall’s theater. The concert begins at 5 p.m and is open to all individuals who have authorized access to the base. Seating capacity is 1,500. Entry will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors open at 4:30 p.m.

Craig has performed at every USO / Jack Daniel’s “Toast to the Troops” event and has entertained service members in Iraq on the USO’s holiday tour. Some of Morgan’s best known hits are “That’s What I Love About Sunday,” “Redneck Yacht Club,” “Tough,” and his current single, “International Harvester.”

The south end of the parking lot in front of Daly Hall will be closed from 2000 hrs, 17 April through 0800 hrs, 20 April. Personnel who normally use this lot will need to use an alternative parking lot during this time-frame.

For more information, contact Brenda Dunlap at (703) 784-2860

The U.S. Postal Service will begin offering a discount Priority Mail rate March 3 and a larger box for care packages sent to military members overseas.

The new flat-rate box is 50 percent larger than the current Priority Mail package and it will be delivered for $10.95 to an APO/FPO address – $2 less than for domestic destinations.

“This is the first time the Postal Service has offered a special price for our armed forces serving overseas,” said Postmaster General John Potter. “We’re proud that family and friends will be able to use this new larger-sized box to send much appreciated packages from home to our dedicated troops overseas.”

The new Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate Box (12″ x 12″ x 5 inches or 800 cubic inches) will be available in Post Offices nationwide beginning March 3, but customers can begin ordering them Feb. 20 at usps.com/supplies or by calling 800-610-8734. Some of the new boxes are co-branded with the logo of America Supports You, which is a Department of Defense program that connects citizens offering support to the military and their families.

The following message is from Neal Denton, Senior Vice President,Service to the Armed Forces:

This holiday season, we have a great opportunity to bring a touch of home to wounded warriors recovering in
military hospitals across the country. As you may know, the American public has a strong desire to send holiday
cards to soldiers staying at Walter Reed and other military medical centers. However, for security reasons, the former military program was discontinued. One of our colleagues at Walter Reed suggested, “If anyone can find a solution to this - it’s the Red Cross.”

We’re proud that this season, communities across America are invited to mail holiday greeting cards along with personal messages of support to wounded soldiers at military hospitals around the country, through a
unique partnership of the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes Mailing Solutions.

Now we have a solution that will not only benefit soldiers at WalterReed, but also recovering soldiers at military hospitals around the nation. With the help of the Department of Defense, Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Pitney Bowes, between now and December 27, members of the public will be invited to mail their holiday cards to:

We Support You During Your Recovery!
c/o American Red Cross
PO Box 419
Savage, MD 20763-0419

Red Cross volunteers will sort the cards for appropriate content and repackage them for shipping. Our steadfast partners, Pitney Bowes, will ship the cards to Red Cross stations at the military hospitals.

This project provides a great opportunity for chapters and station offices to coordinate resources and volunteers. Staff members at national headquarters will call each station office before packages are mailed to that military hospital. Those station managers will be looking for chapter volunteer support to help in accepting, storing and
delivering the cards.

A national news release will be issued shortly after announcing the program. Once you know that your field unit will be receiving holiday cards to distribute, I encourage you to contact your local media with the attached localizable news release, to take photos and write stories for your Web sites and to send us your stories at
SAFstories@usa.redcross.org.