I’ve alluded to the BIG announcement on Facebook and Twitter so if you follow me over there you know what I’m about to say.

Several months ago, SGT Daddy decided to NOT re-enlist to continue his career in the Army. Today, he officially started with ACAP (Army Career and Alumni Program) as part of our transition out of the army. Yes by the end of the year, we will no longer be an Army family.

The BIG Announcement is that as of today I will not be continuing with my ArmyHousehold6 blog. (boy this  was hard to write ) It is with a heavy heart that I no longer will be blogging here at ArmyHousehold6.com. This blog has been a MAJOR part of my life for the last 5.5 years. It has been my saving grace through basic training, issues with Tricare for our kids, promotions, TDY’s,  3 PCS moves and of course the year long deployment.

I have made so many wonderful and close friends because of my little blog here. I love you all. I’ve been given so many wonderful opportunities and have been honored to be part of something amazing.   I truly never expected when I started “this blogging thing. ” back in November 2004.

Now I’m not giving up on blogging,  (did you really think I would ?) I’ll continue to blog about everyday life over at tammymunson.com. I hope that you follow me over there.  I will continue to leave ArmyHousehold6.com up as an archive for other army wives, girlfriends and family members looking for information, resources,etc.

I’ll still be involved with the military community through my volunteer work with Soldiers Angels and continue to support our troops, military families and of course  the milblogging community. As always, I’ll still be available to anyone of my military family member who needs help. I will always here for you.

I’m sure many people want to know where we are going. We will be moving to North Carolina (near Camp LeJeune area ) so I can work in the corporate offices of Jane Wayne, LLC. SGT Daddy (his real name is Dan ) will be getting a position in that area as well.

xoxo-
Tammy aka ArmyHousehold6

Mike Rowe (from Dirty Jobs on Discovery Channel ) , along with top notch Ford experts, will inform you about simple, helpful steps to maintain your vehicle through a series of videos. I’ll post a new video every week. (and who doesn’t like to look and/or listen to Mike!)

Make sure to visit FordOwner.com ( this also links you to Lincoln and Mercury sites as well) for additional services and savings. Tell your friends and family to check-out this exciting new campaign and remember to follow Ford and Lincoln Mercury Service on Twitter at @FordCustService . and Facebook at Facebook.com/Ford .

Traumatic Brain Injury in the Military

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is becoming a common wound of modern warfare.

While TBI is becoming more prevalent in wartime activity, many service men and women continue to go undiagnosed. Institutions, like the US Department of Veterans Affairs, are working to make quick and accurate diagnoses in order to prescribe appropriate and effective treatment.

TBI is caused by forced trauma to the head, either by being shaken or hit. The severity of a TBI varies from case to case, but symptoms range from mild concussions to a debilitating state. The majority of TBI’s acquired by military personnel are classified as mild traumatic brain injuries (MTBI). Initial symptoms of MTBI consist of loss of consciousness, disorientation, loss of memory, headache, and temporary loss of hearing and vision. They are often partnered with anxiety, irritability, difficulties processing information, limited concentration amongst other problems experienced down the road.

While MTBI is most common amongst the men and women of the armed forces, more severe cases of TBI are happening much more frequently and often require the victim to attended specialty rehabilitative nursing centers, like CareMeridian.

The most common cause of a TBI in the military is due to blasts. There are three degrees of blast injuries where a TBI is common; Primary (due to blast itself), Secondary (due to objects being propelled by a blast) and Tertiary (due to a collision with a third party object).

According to the Veterans Health Initiative, active male members of the military from the ages 18-24 are hospitalized with a TBI at a rate of 231 per 100,000 and females 150 per 100,000. Based on military force projections this would mean that 4,141 military personnel are hospitalized on average each year with a TBI, and these numbers often rise during wartimes.

The best prevention for veterans to avert the long-term effects of a brain injury is to recognize the symptoms of a TBI. Once the symptoms are identified an individual should take basic precautionary measures in order to begin the healing and recovery process until a more specific diagnosis can be made.

Service men and women give so much to protect this country and they deserve to come home to a happy and healthy life. Creating awareness about TBI will help ensure their long term health. By helping our veterans, their friends and their families recognize the early warning signs of a TBI, treatment can be sought as early as possible.

This post was submitted and sponsored by Care Meridian

Day 11 - My new Flip Video Camera

I guess you could say that I’m a “Sears brat “! You see , my dad worked for Sears for 30+ years and I spent lots of time in a Sears Store as a kid!  : ) Heck I even worked there myself  in the 90’s and have shopped there a lot over the years as an adult.

A couple of months ago, I signed our family up for the Sears’ Heroes at Home program. It is a program created to give back to military families.

Over the course of 3 months , we received gift cards worth a total of $322.00

It was a much appreciated and welcomed gift.

Since this was all extra $$ that we certainly weren’t expecting to receive, we bought stuff for the house, a Wii Spongebob game for the girls and a Flip video camera (which I’ve wanted for a REALLY long time)

I have to say this camera is the coolest handheld camera I’ve used in a long time. It’s so easy to use Beck can use it with ease. It’s completely plug in pay… there is a USB connector built into the camera.(yes video is coming very soon )

So a BIG heartfelt thank you to Sears (and all those that donated to the program) !! You guys do so much for our military and their families!

Keep up the great work.

UPDATE – 12/21/09 @10pm EST

The party was so much fun… and we managed to raise $550 in ONE HOUR for the Wounded Warrior Project!! Much thanks to all those that participated and Whitefence.com for sponsoring as well as donating!!

Yes you read that right … I’m excited for a Monday. You see… This Monday I’ll be co-hosting a Twitter Party with WhiteFence.com , starting at 9pm EST.

If you aren’t familiar with WhiteFence, I highly recommend you check them out. WhiteFence is a free service that helps people who are moving or looking to find the best deals on phone, Internet, television, electricity, natural gas and other home services.

Now this is no normal Twitter Party, there will be no gifts to give away. However there it is opportunity to have some awesome conversation, share our tips/tricks and help our wounded warriors …
you see every tweet that includes the party hashtage (#wfparty) a $1 donation will go to the Wounded Warrior Foundation. (up to $2000)

So how can you help get involved and raise money?
Well @whitefence and I will be talking about how how to make the holidays special when you’re loved one is overseas.  All you have to do is join in the conversation on Twitter (make sure to include the hashtag )

Make sure you follow me (@tammymunson) and Whitefence (@whitefence) so you don’t miss this fun event!!!

So spread the word to not only raise  money but awareness as well. If  you would like to make your own donation to the Wounded Warrior Project , you do do so at the WWP site as well!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at tammy @ armyhousehold6.com

Hope to see you there !

Tammy

…. all of our Wounded Warriors and Project VALOUR-IT!!

The Project Valour-IT fundraiser (and friendly bloggers’ competition) has come to a close. It was a fun time and some friendly ribbing among all the teams! (even though Team Army didn’t win this year )

All the teams managed to raise a grand total of  $103,246.00

Basically that means that over 170 wounded warrior will get to participate in the program!

image courtesy of FoxNews.com

My thoughts and prayers are with all of our military family at Fort Hood as well as those affected directly by this horrific act. If any of my readers at Hood need ANYTHING, please let me know and I’ll make sure to get you what you need!!!!

I just want to update real quick about what’s happening at Fort Hood.. these are the facts. I’m not going to speculate on ANYTHING (unlike certain members of the MSM)

• LTG Cone said all suspects were SOLDIERS!
• No kids were harmed .. they believe the situation is now under control. (at 3pm MT)
• The initial shooter (an Army major) died and the other 2 are now in custody.

Please remember – let’s not jump to conclusions on the speculations or rumors that we are hearing about. Let  CID, MP’s and FBI do their job and research the backgrounds of these guys before we start jumping to conclusions about the who and the why!

Now – as far as Obama’s press conference about Ft Hood. I think it was severely mishandled but what can you expect with someone who doesn’t have much leadership experience.

UPDATE
LTG Cone stated that MAJ Hasan was the ONLY shooter and that he is in fact ALIVE. Also – 13 people (including 1 civilian) have died and 31 wounded.

According to Fox News –

Survivors of the rampage that killed 13 and wounded 30 said the suspect, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, shouted “Allahu Akbar!” — “God is great!” in Arabic — before opening fire, base commander Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said.

Yes that is ME , your Household6,  doing an interview WHILE receiving a facial! What I won’t do for some tv time huh??

Also – if you are in the local Colorado Springs area – make sure you visit The Russian Day Spa for a special offer on a facial

Me, Kiersten and James Jarman at the KOAA (NBC) Studio

As usual in Casa de Munson… nothing EVER goes as planned. I had the day planned for homeschooling Kiersten, getting some client work done and working on a volunteer project at Beck’s school.

I spoke with SGT Daddy this morning and he is doing well. Although, he scared me a little today while we were talking when he said “Be quiet .. I think I hear a disturbance” I immediately thought WHAT?!?! He then told me it was nothing . (jeez, talk about trying to give me a heart attack)

After I got done talking to him, the local news station called and requested an interview with me TODAY! I looked at Kiersten and said guess what — we are taking a field trip to the news station! Yep I was interviewed by Channel 5 again.. even Kiersten was in the video this time!  : )

You can see the video HERE

If you are are interested in supporting a service member, I would HIGHLY suggest Soldiers Angels.com. They have over 1400 service-members waiting to be adopted.

If you need more information or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me

AMEDD - to conserve fighting strength

This is a REALLY LONG POST — this came directly from my husband, SGT Daddy (with some minor edits from me for OPSEC reasons). This account describes what my husband went through over a 9 hour period.

The morning began with the siren signaling incoming. I ignored it. I hate putting on my gear and besides the big boy voice had dutifully reminded me that I should remain in hard shelter. I didn’t argue by deed or word. In the meantime the 155’s began to blaze away in support of some action that did not affect me. Later I was called out of my room to help in the aid station. Two of the COB (combat operations base )  were in the midst of a full on assault by the Taliban.

Rumor had it they had made it inside the wire signaled by claymores just outside the gate exploding in response to encroachment. Later some treated would say that some of the Afghan Army had turned their weapons on them.

I quickly changed and found the Aid Station in the midst of preparations. The toll was 12 casualties coming in with 5 KIA. This would later be amended to 15 counting Afghan forces. I was in the way and ill prepared to offer much assistance but did whatever I was instructed to.

I was asked if I could be a recorder, that is to record the ongoing medical treatment of a casualty at a specific bed, I dutifully answered yes. I had reservations. The only MasCal I’d ever experienced was in JRTC, did this make me ready? I would find out but not for hours.

The fighting was ongoing and in answer of support the 155’s ceased only to be replaced by jet after jet as well as rotary support. I knew it must be bad just seeing the amount of firepower flying in to make defense of our troops. The area had to be secured in order to enable evacuation of the wounded by Blackhawk.

Later SGT S would relay to me that he had word of a billion dollars worth of munitions being dropped to that end. Familiar faces showed up in support of the effort as well. Tom, an Army Doc with some other providers arrived in support.

When word finally came that the first to be evacuated were on the way over 9 hours had passed. The number of wounded remained the same meaning that these guys had held on all day, some with horrible injuries. All day soldiers had been waiting dutifully outside to help the ambulatory patients while the litter of patients would brought directly to the aid station. The big boy voiced beckoned those that were a specific blood type report to the aid station.

Later those that were CLS (combat life support)  certified were called in support of those we would soon be treating. Finally word came that the first medevac had come in. I was asked to tag the casualties as they came in order to track them.

The first litter patient came in and there was no time to affix the wrist band so I followed him back. My heart was racing. I put the bracelet on quickly and got the hell out of the way as the FST began quickly in a measured fashion working on the patient. I think he was American. I hurried back to the door as the next patient was coming in. It was an Afghan Army Soldier. I again followed the casualty to affix his bracelet. I again met the next patient at the door. It was another Afghan soldier. He could walk but he had to be guided in as his was face bandaged up. With shaking hands I put on the bracelet. The medics got him on a stretcher and began assessing his wounds.

PFC H would later recount how a soldier had taken shrapnel to the face and eyes, his nose and some of his lip. The next casualties coming in were to be all ambulatory. Some of us had 5 minutes to collect ourselves. For most it meant cleaning up and resetting for the due in casualties. For the FST,  it continued to be a fight to save a soldiers life.

The next casualties arrived and I was tasked to record. SGT A would treat and I would try to relay in shorthand what he was doing and what the soldier had suffered.

Throughout the night it shocked me how calm these patients were. Had I sustained these injuries I would have been beside myself. I reminded myself that they had had hours to reconcile to some degree what had happened to them. Our patient had been peppered by shrapnel on his left side, from is face down to his thigh. His left arm had been fractured as well. His response to all of this was calm and information. He told us that he’d been shot in the forearm a previous deployment. Once he was appropriately cared for I remember the call coming for people to perform CPR.

SGT M told me later the First American brought in went into cardiac arrest. He’d gone back to perform CPR to no avail. The docs cracked his chest and began massaging his heart. He didn’t make it. The next patient to come through that I saw was another Afghan Army. He had major damage to his right arm. They removed his bandages and they immediately wept blood. He had chunks missing from his arm. The closest I can approximate the injury to is the effect a melon baller has on a cantaloupe. That is was his arm looked like.

I was then called by name to my surprise to assist with a new situation. Wow I was needed specifically. To my dread, Capt P was having issues with the X-Ray plate reader. I secretly hoped was a simple problem with a simple solution. At first it appeared that way. The CPT explained that that the plate was not being brought into the machine for exposure. When I went to grab the plate it fell into the machine and naturally the x-ray was spoiled due to it’s high velocity delivery. The plate had not been fed in correctly and my hands had dislodged it allowing gravity to deliver the plate unceremoniously onto the carriage. A grinding noise ensued and what might’ve been a simple problem was exacerbated. A grinding motor came in response to the melee that had just ensued.

I grabbed my tools and began disassembling the unit while fielding questions of the unit’s operability. It was out of commission until I could resolve the issue. This scared the hell out of me. Up to this point I knew all I had to do was my best but that ultimately the lives of the injured rested squarely on the shoulders of the medics and doctors. I was flustered and had no idea if I could remedy the situation; after all I had worked on such a machine only once previously. I stopped and thought, long enough to realize I was taking apart the backside. The motor is to front left, this is where I needed to be!

I took my queue from the medics and began working at a measured pace. Once I opened the unit up seeing what I needed to see I quickly diagnosed the problem and fixed the unit. While still reassembling the unit the reader was again back in use. One patient had to be sent back out to another facility with the x-ray down. The Afghan Army soldier with the injured arm needed immediate attention.

I was relieved at my success and also that all eyes were no longer on me. I had never been in such a situation and came out no worse for wear.

In the end, it had become more of a group effort than I had anticipated. I had counted on the medical folks to handle everything. While I know I by no means saved the day -  it was gratifying to see a real need for my skills. In the end I don’t think I’d have managed so well if I had not witnessed the controlled chaos. Throughout everything, I witnessed a synergy between all those present. All of the things every one of us learned came in to play and the theoretical use during training came to fruition via an actual event wonderfully successful.

It was an altogether exhausting day, both gratifying and heart wrenching. For my part I will never forget it. For others present it will be perhaps yet another tragedy marked by heartfelt effort.

- written by SGT Daddy (6 Oct 2009 @ 1310 hours)