Help USO Support Our Troops this Season
November 25, 2006 on 6:15 pm | In Support Our Troops | No CommentsThe holiday season is upon us and while many Americans will be enjoying the company of friends and family, more than 160,000 service men and women serving overseas will not. Instead of sharing in the laughter and smiles the holidays bring — especially for the children in their lives — they will be defending us at lonely outposts around the world.
Operation: Dancin’ Dogg Taggs Launched!
November 25, 2006 on 5:58 pm | In Support Our Troops | No CommentsThis holiday season U.S. Military personnel who can’t be home for the holidays will be able to work on their slice, draw, course management and ball striking skills. From Kabul they’ll be playing Bethpage Black. In Baghdad they’ll be playing Sawgrass and in Afghanistan, Pebble Beach. Also, golfers back home will be able to play with them and help support families of those who’ve fallen in service to their country.
Dancin’ Dogg Golf out of Traverse City, Michigan has donated and shipped Dancin’ Dogg Shot Making Simulators to U.S. Military Bases around the world as a part of OPERATION: DANCIN’ DOGG TAGGS.
Every Dancin’ Dogg Golf Shot Making Simulator sold between now and December 21, 2006 will include a Dancin’ Dogg Tagg. Virtual Dancin’ Dogg Taggs are also available at http://www.dancindogg.com/taggs with no purchase required. Each ‘tagg’ has a number that provides users with access to the Dancin’ Dogg Taggs Online Communications Center where they can communicate with U.S. Service personnel serving overseas. Additionally, Dancin’ Dogg Tagg numbers can be used to get a $50 rebate from the purchase of a Shot Making Simulator. For every rebate redeemed, Dancin’ Dogg will donate $25 to America Supports You team member, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides college educations to the children of special operations personnel killed in combat or during a training mission. Visitors to the website can also make direct contributions to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation on that page, without having to purchase the product.
Dancin’ Dogg President Russell Edens said, “Men and women serving overseas have precious little time for recreation. A deck of cards, dart board and if they’re lucky, video games. Now those serving who also love golf have something they’ll really enjoy during those moments when they can relax.”
The Dancin’ Dogg Simulator is the world’s first golf simulator created to focus on the art of shot making. Users ’set up’ any kind of shot they want on a PC screen. Then, they select a real iron and hit an indoor-safe ball off of a durable high-tech mat. The shape and flight path of the shot appears on the screen along with information on the distance the ball traveled and how close it came to the intended target. The system also provides a pinpoint accurate report on swing speed, club face angle at impact and more. Using this analysis, golfers make adjustments and keep working on the shot until they’ve nailed it.
Dancin’ Dogg Shot Making Simulator now supports EA Sports(TM) Tiger Woods PGA Tour© ‘07 and ships with ‘06, along with a one year membership to GolfSpan.com, the Internet’s leading golf instructional website. “The inclusion of the Tiger Woods game makes it possible for stateside golfers to play golf in real-time, online, on many of the world’s finest courses with fellow golfers serving overseas,” explains Edens. “The GolfSpan affiliation gives our customers access to video lessons from the finest teaching pros in the world.”
PGA Professional Gary Parker of City Golf Boston, Boston’s Premier Indoor Golf Practice and Training Center, is a believer in the Dancin’ Dogg Shot Making Simulator. “We’ve used a Dancin’ Dogg unit in here that’s been beat on for weeks, almost 60 hours a week and the product holds up and helps my clients become better shot makers. What Dancin’ Dogg is doing for military overseas is admirable — the simulators will definitely hold up to their usage.”
“Ours is the first simulator to combine the pro-level pinpoint accurate technology and durability of simulators costing tens of thousands of dollars, lessons from some of the world’s finest instructors, and the most exciting virtual golf game into one affordable package,” Edens concludes.
For information please visit www.dancindogg.com
Salute Miltary Families this Christmas
November 25, 2006 on 3:36 pm | In Support Our Troops | No Comments
SANTA ANA, Calif., Nov. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ – Operation Homefront, will today launch “Operation Christmas” with a generous donation by Wal-Mart . Operation Christmas, a campaign to spread Christmas cheer to military families with loved ones deployed overseas, will commence with six major events in military communities across the nation so military families may delight in Christmas activities as a break from their worries. Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing emergency assistance to members of the military and their families, is a member of America Supports You, an outreach program launched by the Department of Defense to recognize and showcase citizens’ support for military men and women and to communicate that support to members of the Armed Forces and their families. “Operation Christmas” festivities will include satellite and web links between military families and their deployed spouse or parent, visits and story-readings by Santa, tree-trimming, food, music and fun. Finally, every participating military family will leave the event with toys for their children and Wal-Mart gift cards as part of Wal-Mart’s nearly $500,000 total donation of gift cards, toys, and cash to Operation Homefront. “Christmas is a wonderful time — but it can also be a difficult time for the families of those who courageously serve our country overseas,” said Pat Curran, executive vice president, Store Operations of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. “Operation Christmas gives us a chance to give a little back to those who sacrifice so much to preserve our safety and freedom.” “Our mission is to spread holiday cheer to military families who need it, and it’s wonderful that Wal-Mart stepped up to the plate when we were looking for support,” said Meredith Leyva, Founder of Operation Homefront. For the past eight years, Wal-Mart’s long-standing commitment to the U.S. military has included programs to help children deal with the stress of military life, pre-paid phone cards to deployed troops and morale-boosting message boards in-store. “Wal-Mart has done a phenomenal job supporting organizations like Operation Homefront by stepping up to the plate with a generous donation and really embracing the Christmas spirit of giving,” said Allison Barber, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and architect of the America Supports You program. “Wal-Mart’s continued support for the America Supports You program and its many grassroots organizations like Operation Homefront makes it easier for Americans to come together to serve those who are serving us at home and abroad. The men and women of the armed forces have sacrificed greatly for our freedom and now we have amazing opportunities to thank them for their service.” Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization that provides assistance to military families that have a family member deployed. According to Operation Homefront, there are more than 1.8 million spouses and five million children who are military dependents. For every 100 persons deployed, there are 65 spouses left at home, of which the vast majority (93 percent) are women. At any given time, upwards of 190,000 spouses (and their 467,000 children) are left to manage the household while a loved one serves on active duty. Operation Christmas: A Celebration to Remember For the families of those serving in six military communities, Operation Homefront with the generous support of Wal-Mart will host an exciting holiday celebration unlike any other — complete with Santa Claus, family tree trimming, arts and crafts, video games and more. Each child will receive a special toy from Santa, listen to Christmas classics and have the opportunity to take a photo with Mr. Claus himself. Celebrations will be held near the following six military bases to accommodate as many military families as possible. * Scott Air Force Base in Belleville, IL (November 22) * Norfolk Naval Base in Norfolk, VA (November 27) * Naval Air Station Base in Pensacola, FL (December 2) * Gulfport & Kessler Air Force Base in Gulfport, MS (December 7) * Randolph Air Force Base in Converse, TX (December 13) * Fort Stewart in Savannah, GA (December 20) Spreading Christmas Cheer In an effort to raise awareness of the unmet needs of military families, ABC’s “Good Morning America” will broadcast live from the final three military celebrations. The top-rated national morning show will shine the spotlight on Operation Homefront and honor the troops who are serving overseas and their families who sacrifice so much, particularly during the holidays. About Operation Homefront: Operation Homefront provides assistance to military families while service members are deployed. Operation Homefront supports our nation’s troops by allowing them to focus on the dangerous mission at hand instead of the crises back home. Over the past five years, Operation Homefront has raised and distributed over $6 million in aid to more than 35,000 military families in all branches of the armed forces. The organization operates with a small national staff of ten that coordinates the efforts of 2,500 volunteers across the country. About Wal-Mart: Every week, more than 176 million customers visit Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, Sam’s Clubs or a subsidiary location in 13 countries around the world. In each of the countries where Wal-Mart operates, the company and its Foundation are committed to a philosophy of operating globally and giving back locally. Wal-Mart is proud to support the causes that are important to customers and associates right in their own neighborhoods, and last year gave more than $270 million to local communities in the U.S. To learn more, visit http://www.walmartfacts.com/ , http://www.walmart.com/ or http://www.walmartfoundation.org/ . About America Supports You: America Supports You is an ongoing nationwide program that helps showcase American’s support for the men and women of the Armed Forces. Since its launch in November of 2004 by the Department of Defense, America Supports You has welcomed 225 member organizations and more than 20 corporate sponsors to its team. Many America Supports You team members support the troops by writing letters, sending care packages, helping the wounded when they return home, assisting military families, sending e-mails or simply extending kind gestures to the troops. To learn more about how you can support military personnel please visit http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/ . |
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I’ll be home for Christmas if only in my dreams…..
November 25, 2006 on 12:04 pm | In Support Our Troops | No CommentsWe will be PCSing from Kirtland AFB to Moody AFB during the Christmas holidays. I’m still looking forward to this Christmas. Starting off in a new place with a new future in DH’s job. There will be plenty of boxes to open even though they weren’t filled by Santa’s elves but from TMO’s shippers. It will still be a wonderful Christmas because we will be together as a family.
Unfortunantely, there are others who won’t have that blessing of being with those they love. There are many soldiers that are forgotten during this time of year. Soldier’s Angels is announcing “Holidays for Heroes-Christmas 2006″. Send the gift of love to a solider that is in a combat area this year. Thank you and many blessing to you and those you love.
~ Denise
Cookie Monster wants “Coookies”
November 24, 2006 on 1:33 pm | In Support Our Troops | No Commentswww.greatamericancookieswap.com
The Great American Cookie
Swap
On December 9th, DuPont™ Teflon® is bringing together families, friends
and neighbors across the country for the Great American Cookie Swap—a
day dedicated to baking and exchanging homemade cookies and
supporting the men and women of the Armed Forces stationed overseas.
Soldier’s Angel’s Project
November 14, 2006 on 7:20 pm | In Support Our Troops | No CommentsNovember 14, 2006
Blogging competition raises $186,000 for military charity
By Karen Jowers
Staff writer
More laptops than expected will be going to wounded troops, thanks to the efforts of Internet bloggers who raised more than $186,000 in a friendly but fierce Veterans Day competition that began Oct. 30.
Each of four teams of military and civilian bloggers had a goal of raising $45,000. The “Marine” team racked up more than $51,000, while the “Navy” and “Army” teams each raised more than $47,000. The “Air Force” team pulled in $40,000.
Combined, these totals topped the overall goal of $180,000 for the charity Soldiers’ Angels Valour-IT project, which buys laptops for wounded troops.
The total far surpassed a similar effort last year, which raised $100,000.
Valour-IT’s mission is to provide laptops to severely wounded troops to help them correspond with family and friends, furthering their ability to function as independent and effective members of society.
The Department of Veterans Affairs provides voice-activated software to veterans; groups such as Valour-IT have been donating laptops to troops to run the software.
3 more days please GIVE …. Give BIG!!!!
November 9, 2006 on 11:56 am | In Support Our Troops | No CommentsIn memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss
Teams
We have raised $ 122,307 towards our goal of $180,000 so far!
|
Valour-IT: Air Force |
|
We’ve collected |
| Valour-IT: Navy |
| We’ve collected $40,956.00 of our goal of $45000! |
| Valour-IT: Army |
| We’ve collected $29,682.67 of our goal of $45000! |
Please take the time to donate to this great cause!
There are only 3 more days….
Support Valor-IT by donating to the
Air Force Team!
Every cent raised for Project Valour-IT goes directly to the purchase and shipment of voice-activated laptops for wounded servicemembers. As of October 2006, Valour-IT has distributed nearly 600 laptops to severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines across the country.
Valour-IT is continuing to accept donations of any amount to supply the “libraries” of laptops at major medical centers and gifts to individuals, but has also added the option of an individual or organization directly sponsoring a wounded soldier by completely funding the cost of a laptop and continuing to provide him or her with personal support and encouragement throughout recovery. This has proved to be an excellent project for churches, groups of coworkers or friends, and members of community organizations such Boy Scouts.
Most recently thanks to the efforts of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Valour-IT is now able to reach personnel in VA hospitals who would benefit from a Valour-IT laptop.
Wounded military personnel can request a laptop through the sign-up form if they are recovering at home or in military hospitals, or through the Valour-IT/Soldiers’ Angels representatives if they are patients at the following medical centers:
Balboa Naval Hospital
Brooke Army Medical Center
Madigan Regional Medical Center
National Naval Medical Center (Bethesda Naval Hospital)
Naval Hospital, Camp Pendleton
Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital (29 Palms)
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Article from Air Force Times- Valor-IT
November 4, 2006 on 11:01 am | In Articles, Support Our Troops | No CommentsNovember 02, 2006
Bloggers compete to raise cash for computer charity
By Karen Jowers
Staff writer
A competition is raging among Internet bloggers to see who can raise the most money for voice-activated laptops that will be given to severely disabled service members.
The Veterans Day competition, which is organized by Valour-IT, began Monday. It’s goal is to raise $180,000 in 10 days; as of Thursday morning, the total was up to $51,068.
Each blogging team — military and civilian bloggers with thousands of readers — aims to raise $45,000. So far, it’s pretty much a dead heat. The “Army” team had raised $14,415; the “Marines Corps” team, $12,867.60; the “Air Force” team, $12,739; and the “Navy” team, $11,047.
Valour-IT is a 15-month-old project, part of the charitable group Soldiers’ Angels. You can find information about donating and connect to the blogs involved online.
“This is psychological first aid,” said blogger Beth Schietzelt, the founder of Valour-IT. “Our goal is to get the laptops to them when they’re lying in the hospital, when they wake up and think, ‘Oh my God, my life is over,’ ” she said.
Voice-activated laptops enable severely wounded troops to correspond with family and friends and connect with the world, allowing them to function as independent and effective members of society, she said.
Valour-IT was born after Schietzelt ran across a blog by Army Capt. Chuck Ziegenfuss, who was struggling to type his blog after receiving severe hand injuries in Iraq.
The voice-activated software he needed cost $300, Schietzelt said. Seeing the need, and recognizing that there are plenty of people who want to support the troops in some tangible way, she started Valour-IT and hooked up with Soldiers’ Angels.
“At that time, I had no use of either hand. I know how humbling it is, how humiliating it feels,” says Ziegenfuss, in a quotation posted on the Valour-IT Web site. “And I know how much better I felt, how amazingly more functional I felt, after Soldiers’ Angels provided me with a laptop and a loyal reader provided me with the software. I can’t wait to do the same, to give that feeling to another soldier.”
The Department of Veterans Affairs now provides the software to veterans; Valour-IT is one of several groups helping to provide the laptops to run the software. As of early October, Valour-IT had given 650 laptops to injured troops.
Last year, during a similar Veterans Day challenge, bloggers raised $100,000 in 10 days. Well-known bloggers who took part last year included Michelle Malkin, Glenn Reynolds, Hugh Hewitt and NZ Bear, Schietzelt said.
This year’s teams are led by the military-oriented blogs Blackfive, Villainous Company, Chaotic Synaptic Activity and Op-For.
Hello ALL,
Here is the update on Valor-IT Please give by linking to any of the teams or clicking on Valor-IT.
Thank you ~ Denise
Air Force collected $17,505.00 of our goal of $45,000!
Here is the Air force Blogging team:
Leader:
Team:
If Laura Petrie Marrie
d General Patton
James Hudnall - Hud’s
Blog-O-Rama
Article from Air Force Times
November 4, 2006 on 10:43 am | In Articles, Support Our Troops | No CommentsNovember 03, 2006Operation Gratitude preps for another holiday giveout
Operation Gratitude is gearing up for its fourth annual drive to send holiday packages to deployed troops.The group expects to mail more than 50,000 care packages, with the first of four “assembly weekends” scheduled for Nov. 11-12 at the California National Guard Armory in Van Nuys, Calif. The remaining three weekends, also in Van Nuys, are Nov. 24-25, Dec. 16-17 and Dec. 30-31.
Volunteers will stuff the care packages with computer flash drives, sports calling cards, DVDs and CDs, candy, gum, cough drops, cookies, hand warmers, skin care products, coffee and flavorings, greeting cards, batteries, energy drinks, t-shirts, socks and snacks, according to Operation Gratitude founder Carolyn Blashek.
The items are donated by individuals, organizations, schools, community groups, businesses and corporate sponsors. But the overall cost of mailing, $10 to $15 per package, is covered by donations from citizens across the country.
The nonprofit organization gets names of troops from their family members, or from other troops who have received packages. But most of the names are provided by commanders and leaders in the field or on ships at sea, who have seen the impact the packages have on the morale of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, Blashek said.
Article from Military.com~ Help Our Troops Call Home
November 3, 2006 on 10:37 am | In Support Our Troops | No CommentsDALLAS - Since President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation to change “Armistice Day” to Veterans Day in 1954, Nov. 11 has been a day to honor those who served in all American wars.
As the nation plans to honor veterans with parades and speeches, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service is partnering with the American public to bolster the morale of tomorrow’s veterans this Veteran’s Day.
“While we salute the contributions of those who went before us, we should also acknowledge those serving on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan today,” said AAFES’ Senior Enlisted Advisor Chief Master Sgt. Bryan Eaton. “It’s important every American knows that phone cards once only available to those in uniform can be ordered by anyone and sent to Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who find themselves far from home.”
With rates as low as 19 cents per minute, AAFES’ 550-Unit Military Exchange Global Prepaid phone card, available at www.aafes.org or toll free 800-527-2345, can provide more than three hours of talk time from Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom to the United States.
Started in April 2004, the “Help Our Troops Call Home” phone card campaign allows anyone to leverage military-exclusive calling cards on behalf of deployed troops. To date, this effort has provided more than $4 million in free calls.
“There’s never a shortage of eager troops waiting to sit down and connect with home through one of AAFES’ 70 phone centers in the contingency theater,” said Eaton. “In fact, just last month, troops on the frontlines of the war on terrorism spent more than 10 million minutes on the phone with loved ones minding the home-front.”
As of Oct. 1, the American public has sent 108,711 Military Exchange Global Prepaid phone cards since the inception of “Help Our Troops Call Home.” More than 21,000 of these have been distributed to “any servicemember” via the American Red Cross, Air Force Aid Society, Fisher House Foundation, Navy-Marine Corps Relief, Soldier & Family Assistance Center and USO.
“Even if you don’t know a particular servicemember, we can work with charitable partners to get the phone cards into the hands of someone who really needs them,” said Eaton. “It might be the Red Cross providing a phone card to a deployed Marine who has received an emergency notification from home, Air Force Aid Society helping a child talk to a deployed parent or an injured Soldier reassuring mom and dad that they’re okay while recovering at Fisher House. Regardless, this military command has negotiated the best rates and coordinated the facilities to make the calls. Now all we need is to show these warriors we are thinking of them and sending the means to connect with loved ones back home.”
Organizations, businesses and individuals can log on to www.aafes.org and click the “Help Our Troops Call Home” link, or call (800) 527-2345, for more information on Military Exchange Global Prepaid phone cards.
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Blogroll
- 365 and a Wakeup - A soldiers eye view of life in Baghdad.. good, bad and ugly.
- A Soldier's Perspective - Such is the life of a soldier. CJ attempts to uncover the often misunderstood and complicated life of soldiers. His goal is to publicize the realities of military ops around the world that the media doesn't want you to know about...the successes.
- Air Force Family
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- Blackfive - The Paratrooper of Love - News, rants, and blather from a smart-ass, regular guy who also happens to be a patriot
- Dude, Where's the Beach? - Two words-therapy
- Fix 4 RSO
- Michael Yon: Online Magazine - Michael Yon, author of "Danger Close," is an independent informed observer chronicling the monumentally important events in the efforts to stabilize Iraq.
- Milblogging.com - A daily snapshot of the top milblogs, milblogs by country, and other cool stuff in the military blogoshere
- My life as a military spouse - I am the 'spouse' half of a military marriage. Here I share resources and my thoughts and opinions on military and various other news. From time to time I also share my personal view of our military life. I do lean to the right, but if you lean a differen
- One Marine's View - If you've never met a Marine, sit down. We can be overwhelming and a bit extreme - deal with it. When I'm fired up be careful. When things are crazy I'm going to take care of the things that might kill me first.
- Soldier's Angels - Soldiers' Angels is a 5013c Non Profit.The Soldiers' Angels mission is to provide aide and comfort to any of the armed forces and their families.
- Special Operations
- Special Tactics
- The Midnight Hour-A Marine's Blog - This blog is a hobby. It was established in February 2006 as a way to communicate with my friends and family.
- The Mudville Gazette - The Mudville Gazette is the on-line voice of an American warrior and his wife who stands by him. They prefer to see peaceful change render force of arms unnecessary. Until that day they stand fast with those who struggle for freedom...
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