I know I know it s a bit early to be thinking of Christmas. (Although if you’ve seen the Belvoir PX lately its looks like its Christmas Shopping Season already)
When making out your Christmas Cards, send one to a Recovering Solider at Walter Reed.
A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20307-5001
I saw this on Spouse Buzz and I just had to share. This video is done by Lizzy Palmer and she is only 15 years. old.
Make sure to pass it on!
Way to go Belvoir! Also congrats to newly-promoted SGT Persina and his wife Robyn… they are my neighbors! Yesterday, Tony’s SGT stripes when pinned on by none other than Secretary Geren. How cool is that?!
BY Melina Rodriguez/Ft. Belvoir Eagle
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Oct. 4, 2007) - Secretary of the Army Pete Geren visited Fort Belvoir yesterday to tour homes and talked with Army Families about the privatized housing initiative.
Sec. Geren asked George Washington Village residents how they felt about their new homes as he toured bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens.
“In order to have a healthy Army, we’ve got to have healthy Soldiers and we have to have a healthy Army Family, as well,” said Sec. Geren. “If you ask a Soldier, ask anyone, about what goes into their thinking about what makes a good quality of life … it would be housing, the home they live in, the neighborhood they live in. It’s no different if you’re a Soldier, a spouse or if you’re a private citizen.”
In December 2003, the Residential Communities Initiative’s initial development period began at Fort Belvoir as existing homes on post were turned over to a private housing-development company.
That company, Clark Pinnacle Family Communities LLC, which is a partnership between Clark Realty and Pinnacle, will eventually demolish and replace 1,630 homes and renovate 170 homes. When construction is complete, Clark Pinnacle will manage 2,070 Fort Belvoir homes.
So far, 36 military installations have transferred to privatized housing, with 78,000 homes under private management. RCI projects have built 11,000 new homes and renovated 10,000 homes with a goal of eventually managing nearly 90,000 homes, said Sec. Geren.
The Army has spent more than $1 billion on the initiative.
“Through this RCI initiative, we’ve been helping to leverage government assets, $1 billion worth of government assets, and invest $10 billion in quality of life for our Soldiers and our Families,” he said.
Sgt. 1st Class Mark and Coretta Wiggins attended the event and discussed their home in Lewis Village, where they’ve lived for more than a year.
They have a detached three-bedroom home with a two-car garage.
“This is more of a community, not Army housing,” said Coretta, who also grew up as an Army child. “You can see the difference.”
“As long as my Family is happy, it makes it easier for me to go to work,” said Sgt. 1st Class Mark, a chaplain’s assistant for the Military Intelligence Readiness Command Army Reserve.
Sgt. Tony and Robyn Persina came to Belvoir on a compassionate reassignment for one of their two children. They have lived in Herryford Village for two years in an Americans with Disabilities Act home. The single-level home has three bedrooms, with oversized doors and hallways.
“Your house isn’t just a house, it’s a home,” said Sgt. Persina. “It’s a lot more comfortable; our Families visit all the time.”
Five percent of the new homes built at Belvoir are ADA approved.
The secretary went on to discuss upcoming initiatives and the recently approved $100 million in funding for more than 50 existing Morale Welfare and Recreation programs and services affected by the Army’s current deployment cycles.
“RCI, and more importantly the privatized housing initiative, where you’re standing now, and the houses around you are what right looks like and a very important aspect of our military to continue to improve the quality of life for Soldiers and Families,” said Installation Commander Col. Brian Lauritzen. “But, it is one of many initiatives.”
Fort Belvoir MWR will receive $135,000 of the recently approved funding for two new full-time positions at Army Community Service.
Over the next five years, more funds will be designated for Family and Soldier support programs and services. RCI will soon complete it’s 1,000th home on Fort Belvoir.
By CPT Thurman J. Saunders
As an Army nurse, my job is taking care of patients. Throughout my career I have done that in a variety of settings, from inpatient medical-surgical nursing to emergency room nursing, even in outpatient clinics.
While I always wondered, I never knew what happened to patients after they left my emergency room. I assume some returned to duty after their recovery, some decided to leave the Army after their commitments and some were medically retired.
I never took care of Maj. David Rozelle, and frankly, never knew he existed until recently. Spending six hours with a true American hero, listening to his story, made me realize how important my job is as an Army nurse and a health-care recruiter.
I met Maj. Rozelle at Boston Logan Airport. He was easy to pick out amongst the group of weary travelers that were coming out of the terminal - he had a missing right foot and lower leg.
Combat casualty
Maj. Rozelle was injured in Iraq in June 2003. He returned to combat duty in Iraq as an amputee in 2005.
We had quite a walk back to where I parked the vehicle. I almost felt bad about him having to walk that far, but I remembered that Maj. Rozelle had completed the Ironman Triathlon 70.3 at Walt Disney World. I haven’t done that and I have both legs, so I figured he would be fine.
On the drive to his hotel, I didn’t ask about his leg because I read his bio and knew what happened to it and I figured that he gets that question all the time.
The next morning, I met him in the lobby and we walked across the street to Tufts-New England Medical Center. He wasn’t there to receive care. He was there to talk during grand rounds about the amputee care center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. There were approximately 30 surgeons and medical students there just to listen to him speak.
I learned that about 650 amputees from the war theater have been treated in Army medical facilities. Maj. Rozelle spoke about the intensive physical therapy that begins right after surgery, the physiological and psychological aspects of care, and the developments made in prosthetic care as a result.
I also learned that the goal is not to medically retire a Soldier who still wants to serve and is able to serve. Great strides are being made in helping Soldiers with amputations return to full functional ability. Not just eating a meal or brushing their teeth, but to do the jobs they could do before - such as a medic starting an IV with his prosthesis or a mechanic repairing a vehicle.
I also learned that Soldiers with amputations are getting the best medical and prosthetic care, even prostheses that regular insurance can’t buy. Our nation’s dedication to our wounded warriors is costly, including building the Center For The Intrepid at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and the new amputee care center at Walter Reed. Both facilities have state-of-the-art technology-the future of prosthetic care today. Our wounded warriors not only deserve that, they earned it.
Helping Soldiers
Maj. Rozelle’s job at Walter Reed is to help design the new amputee care center. His goal is to help Soldiers return to “normal,” then help them go beyond that.
After his presentation, he spent 30 minutes with surgeons and students approaching him with questions and offers of praise and thanks. We left the medical center and headed toward WGBH, a national public radio station.
We arrived early and met with Lisa and Chris at the station. I listened to the interview in the technician’s booth and heard Rozelle tell his Army Story.
His vehicle ran over a land mine in June 2003 and he was the most severely injured of those in his vehicle. Doctors at a military hospital in Baghdad had told him two things that day. The first thing he was told was he was losing his foot. He signed a consent that allowed the doctors to remove what was left of his right foot.
The next thing they told him was worse. He would have to leave Iraq. I listened to Maj. Rozelle tell how leaving was worse than losing his foot. He had Soldiers that depended on him and families he had promised he would take care of their Soldiers. Now they would finish the tour without him.
He talked about the care he received and how military hospitals weren’t prepared for the number of amputees as a result of this war. He made up his mind then to do what he needed to do to stay in the Army on full duty, even returning to Iraq as an amputee. During his second tour in 2005, he had 10 different prostheses that he was testing in the field to further advance amputee care. He did everything his Soldiers did and without assistance. He led by example.
I learned much about Maj. David Rozelle in just six short hours. He is an example of the Army Medical Department’s motto, “To Conserve Fighting Strength.”
My job as an Army nurse and a health-care recruiter has always been important, but after meeting a real American hero, it has added value.
(From the September 2007 Mercury, an Army Medical Department publication.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Army News Service, Sept. 24, 2007) - For the last few months, 37 wives from Georgia’s Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield have been training to run the 23rd annual Army Ten-Miler next month.
The women will run in honor of their husbands, who are assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division and deployed to Iraq - some of them for their third tour.
Camaraderie and the chance to positively represent Army wives have attracted most of the spouses to the Ten-Miler, according to group member Gabrielle Winton. Others want to prove to their husbands that they can run the distance.
“I believe we represent the Families of deployed Soldiers and the spirit of Army Families everywhere in that our running is one of the many ways we carry on and don’t quit while our loved ones are gone,” Mrs. Winton said. “Running the Army Ten-Miler as a group shows solidarity and a desire to keep physically healthy.”
The women appreciate the physical benefits of running, but especially enjoy the emotional benefits.
“When we’re running with friends, laughing and talking through problems, things just seem better. We have a saying that ‘the longer I run, the smaller my problems become.’ It is so true!” said Mrs. Winton, whose husband, Lt. Col. Doug Winton, is deployed in Iraq for the second time.
“I think it’s important to have groups like ours out there so that people don’t forget that for every Soldier serving, there is a Family he or she left behind. Those Families are making a huge sacrifice, too, and we’re just as proud to do it.”
This year’s Ten-Miler will take place Oct. 7 in Washington, D.C., with the start and finish at the Pentagon. The route passes such national landmarks as the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol. Sponsored by the Association of the United States Army and Kellogg, Brown and Root, the event attracts more than 26,000 runners.
For more information on the race, go to www.armytenmiler.com.
(Roxana Hoveyda works for U.S. Northern Command’s Joint Force Headquarters, National Capital Region.)
The following is a commentary by Chelsea Iliff of the Fort Huachuca “Scout.”
FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. (Army News Service, Sept. 27, 2007) - I’ve been an Army Wife for five years now. While I’m intrigued by the idea of the new Lifetime television show called Army Wives, here are a few true, albeit less dramatized, things they might forget to cover.
My garage is full of boxes that won’t be unpacked. What’s the point? We’re moving again in five months. Paint the walls? Maybe in the next house. My parents are starting to think we’re members of a nomadic tribe.
The Army song is stuck in my head. My laundry is filled with black shorts and grey t-shirts. I gasp at the price of cereal at stores other than the commissary. I spent more than three years watching Armed Forces Network television and can recite many of their “commercials.” My husband needs more “civilian” clothes.
Not Hollywood enough?
My husband has been deployed to Iraq twice for a total of twenty-four months. We were stationed on a small post in Germany with the First Armor Division throughout both deployments. I learned quickly that “deployment friends” are unlike any other friends. These are the people who not only listen to you complain about missing your spouse, but also empathize because they’re right there experiencing it with you.
These friends perform duties unlike any other. They take you out to celebrate your birthday and anniversary. They not only understand when you’re speaking in military tongues (i.e. “Did Joe have to leave the FOB today?), but they speak it too. They’re there when Soldiers leave, and there when Soldiers come home. Perhaps most importantly, deployment friends see you through every day of what can be a very long and lonely separation.
My husband and I left Germany in May, and other families left shortly thereafter. It’s difficult now to have my confidantes spread all over the world. These ladies are my battle buddies, through and through. This is one area where Hollywood better get it right.
It’s difficult for those who move regularly to maintain steady employment. This has been a consistent frustration of mine. As soon as I get settled in a job, we move somewhere else. In five years, I’ve worked in the fields of public affairs and education, and that’s only by being extremely persistent. My degrees are in political science and journalism; however, I’m learning to adapt and be flexible. I learn something with each new place. My skill base continues to grow.
My husband and I wrestle with the issue of children and timing. We don’t have children now, but desperately want to get started. But, is now the right time? The military is full of super-Moms/Dads who impress me beyond explanation. I hope Hollywood can adequately portray how special and unique it is to be a military Family.
I’m thankful for the new Army Wives show. Surely it will show our country what an amazing and unique strata we are. However, only those of us on the inside know what it’s really like to live this life. From constant moves and friendships to jobs and children, I’m pretty sure the new “Army Strong” slogan extends to wives, as well.
(Chelsea Iliff writes for the Fort Huachuca “Scout.”)
In the last few years, the military spouse community has changed. Spouses have taken charge of their community and created the much-needed resources to meet the shifting requirements of military spouses worldwide.
The 2007 Who’s Who of Military Spouses list recognizes military spouses who have made significant contribution in the military community for all military spouses. The leaders of the military spouse community were chosen based on their service-wide appeal, commitment to military spouses and professional development. Military Spouse magazine, a Victory Media, Inc. publication, is proud to be the resource to bring you this comprehensive list of deserving spouses in the world of the military. The listed spouses will be profiled in the next three issues of Military Spouse magazine as noted below.
September/October 2007:
Sue Hoppin, Military Officer Association of America (MOAA), Assistant Director for Spouse Outreach, Air Force Spouse
Sarah Smiley, syndicated columnist, author of Going Overboard: The Misadventures of a Military Wife, Navy Spouse
Deb Kloeppel, Military Spouse Corporate Career Network (MSCCN), Founder and President, Navy Spouse
Meredith Leyva, Operation Homefront, Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Navy Spouse
Andi Hurley, Spouse BUZZ, Founder, Army Spouse
November/December 2007:
Joyce Raezer, NMFA, Chief Operating Officer, Army Spouse
Jacey Eckhart, syndicated columnist, radio personality and author of The Homefront Club, Navy Spouse
Roxanne Reed, Jane Wayne Gear, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Marine Corps Spouse
Tanya Biank, Author of Army Wives: The Unwritten Code of Military Marriage, Army Spouse
Kathie Hightower and Holly Scherer, motivational speakers and co-authors of Help! I’m a Military Spouse and I Want a Life, too!
Victoria Parham, Military Spouse Talk Radio, President and Founder, Army Spouse
January 2008, first monthly issue:
Who’s Who Spouses to watch in 2008
Kristin Henderson, Author
Janet Farley, Author
Karen Pavlicin, Author
Nicole Alcorn and Karie Darga, Military Spouse Monument, Founders
Krista Wells, Ph.D, The Military Spouse Coach TM
Shannon Maxwell and Robin Kelleher, Hope for the Warriors non-profit, Founders
Since Army was “born” on 14 June 1775—over a year before th Declaration of Independence—the United States Army has played a vital role in the growth and development of our Nation. Soldiers have fought more than 10 wars, from th American Revolution through the Cold War, the Gulf War to the current War on Terrorism. This 232nd Birthday is recognition of The Army’s history, traditions, and service to the Nation, a Call To Duty, 232 Years of Service to Our Nation.
Happy Birthday… You’ve come a long way! : )
Lifetime Television is premiering its new Lifetime Original Dramatic Series
“Army Wives” on Sunday, June 3 at 10 PM (ET/PT).
“Army Wives,” is an ensemble drama series about the struggles,
dreams and friendships of a diverse group of women — and one man –
living with their spouses and families on an active army post and the
pressures and traditions of the military on those who are left behind
while their partners serve their country. Filmed on location in
Charleston, South Carolina, the series is from “Grey’s Anatomy”
Executive Producer Mark Gordon and is based on the book Under the
Sabers: The Unwritten Code of Army Wives by Tanya Biank, who serves
as a consultant.
Let’s hear your comments about it too!!
While at the GI Film Festival I came across an awesome oppurtunity for future and potential filmmakers. The name of the Program is called ForgetMeNot: Wounded Warrior Foundation. It is a first of its kind career trianing and job placement program for wounded Marines. They just received verbal approval for the US Marine Corps and are hoping to expand to include wounded warriors of all branches.
Film industry professionals, including writers, editors, cameramen, graphic designers, and photographers will serve as instructors and mentors, sharing their video and photojournalism expertise thru a 10-weeks certification training program aimed at preparing Marines for careers in the media industry.
Each participating Marine will be issued a full filmmaking package which will include a Panasonic AG-HVX200 HD Camera, A Nikon SLR Digitial Stills Camera, an Apple MacBook Pro Laptop, and Final Cut Pro (video editing software)
For more information, here is their contact info:
Wounded Warrior Foundation
7920 Norfolk Ave
Ste 605
Bethesda, MD 20814
Phone 877-664-9002 or 203-253-5116
If you are chosen to be a part of this program, let us know so we can profile your story here on Household6.
