M-TEC Message Forum / Open Forum / U.S. Military Spouses

what to do with kids on first long deployment

mt2b — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 19:50:49 GMT

My husband has been in the Air Force for 7 or 8 years, and his longest deployment has been for a month maybe 2. In November he will be going for 180 days. If it were just me it would be no big deal (kinda), but we have 2 kids, a 9-year-old and a 4-year-old. He will be missing Thanksgiving and Christmas. What can I do for these holidays and to make the time go by for the kids? We are going to have a Christmas party with family at our house since we live very close to his parents and mine.

To whoever got their MyCAA grant...

naudylacy — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:43:26 GMT

Has anyone started out with a CAA grant, then applied for MyCAA and got approved? I'm trying to see how to get my extensions paid for since the original CAA doesn't exist anymore, and there has been some paperwork issues with CAA.

I'll send you my email address through pm if you don't want to discuss any of this over an open forum.

Thanks a bunch!!

Just starting out

Suzy — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:51:41 GMT

Hello! I just ordered the program. I'm excited about getting started, but I'm a little nervous about staying within the timeline given since we are due to move this summer. Any suggestions?

Hello

Blondieac1 — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:27:25 GMT

Hi :)
My name is Amy and I am currently in the process of enrolling to M-TEC. I am just waiting on MyCAA to approve my plan. We are stationed at WPAFB in Ohio. I am happy to see there is a military spouses section on this forum. Looking forward to starting the course and getting to know everyone. Any tips ?

anyone active duty or prior service?

angelmom — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:52:09 GMT

It's great hearing from all the military spouses, but I was wondering who here is prior service or actually active duty, if anyone?? I am a former Army medic, and I think that background was perfect for starting M-Tec. I'm about to finish S12 right now.

Would be nice to meet some others who are also prior service, or maybe even active duty still!

Just Joined

proudarmywife31 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:15:37 GMT

I'm Kimberly and I just joined recently and received my materials today. I am looking forward to getting started even though I have no medical experience or background. I like the idea of being able to work from home and having a portable career since my husband is active duty army and I am sure we will be moving more times before he is out. I am happy the military paid for this through the MyCAA since I probably wouldn't have been able to afford it otherwise. I hope it won't be too difficult to master with no experience but it will keep me busy since I am currently unemployed.

Paternity Testing/ Financial worries

naudylacy — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:39:11 GMT

My husband and I will have been married 2 years coming this April. We've been together for almost 4 years. We just found out he possibly has a 7-year-old daughter and are working on getting a DNA test performed.

If anyone has dealt with paternity testing on this side of it, or dealt with the financial shock of 17% of pay being put towards child support when you're barely sustaining as-is, if you could please IM me because I could really use some support right now. I have just started seeing a professional counselor, and she suggested I reach out for support whwherever can get it.

Thx

Hawaii MTEC students

lmaclaren — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:56:45 GMT

Are there any other MTEC students in Hawaii? I live on the island of Oahu.

Lisa

Is there nowhere safe anymore?

mnpmoseley — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:47:01 GMT

Okay... So after the recent events that happened at Fort Hood, I have to wonder if my man is ever safe? We have already had enough serious threats here to the point where he can not go to work in his uniform or drive the same way to work everyday. Now this happens at one of the least stressful places on base. I know this is an isolated incident. After speaking with my husband about the recent events, it does make one wonder. My husband was very angry, but he did say that on an up note, there will be a lot more down time due to increased awareness and PTSD training. LOL. Just had to vent a little.

Finance office is going to drive me nuts!!

mt2b — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:06:52 GMT

My husband has been on MPA orders forever, he is a guard guy. Because he has been on them for so long they were not able to get him any more. So they did some paper shuffling and put him on Temp Tech status....so he still has a job YEAH!

Here is what is driving me crazy. When he out processed from the MPA he had to "sell back" his leave days. He out processed on September 30 and they still have not paid us for the leave days! At least a week ago he was assured that this would be done by the end of that day...it was not and the person went on leave! She did not let anyone know where she was in the process and will not be back until the 26th!

In the mean time they are holding his pay for 2 weeks for the Tech slot and last paycheck was less than half the norm only because he was able to work a few AT days (I think that is what they are called) and had a week off before the Temp Tech started.

I am not very knowledgable of the military way......can anything be done?

What does MyCAA cover?

AngieH — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:01:06 GMT

Hi my name is Agnieszka (short Angie), and I'm looking into the M-Tech programs. Currently I'm a SAHM to a 14 month old baby girl and wife for over 6 years to my Army hubby.

I would like to enroll though the MyCAA program. I was lurking in the forum, and someone mentioned that if you choose Tier 1 Premier, you will have to pay the remaining balance after $3000. Someone else mentioned that MyCAA covered Tier 1 Premier in its entirety. I would love to enroll in Tier 1 Premier but I'm not sure if MyCAA will cover it or if I will end up having to pay the difference later on. If I understand correctly, we are eligible for only $3000 for one year of training but Tier 1 Premier takes only 9 months to complete. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Or is this something MyCAA is not aware of and approved it unknowingly? Has anyone else been covered for Tier 1 Premier by MyCAA?

____

Angie

Introduction

lmaclaren — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:24:20 GMT

Hi everyone. My name is Lisa MacLaren and I just enrolled in MTEC. We are stationed in Hawaii. My husband is Active Duty, but I am also Retired from the US Army. I am currently a SAHM with two girls - one in PK and the other in 3rd grade. I worked in the HC field when I was active duty, both as a clinician and administrator. I want to continue to be available to my children for school activities so I thought a study/work from home job would be perfect.

I saw a lot of discussion ref the Career Advancement Accounts on the forum. I thought that I would let everyone know my experience with MyCAA. It was very positive!! The online application was very easy and even though the website indicates that it may take some time for approval; I was approved in about a week and a half. I enrolled in the Tier I Premier and also ordered the toolkit. MyCAA funded it all and I received all my books in one shipment. The website to apply is through the Military One Source website. When you access the website it does indicate that there is a problem with the website security certificate, but it is okay to proceed. The URL is below.

https://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa/default.aspx

I am glad to be accepted into the program and look forward to communicating with you all.

Lisa MacLaren

suggestions needed please help

ckmoyer — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:08:50 GMT

A little background first, I am a stay at home mom of 3...only 1 in school at the moment...my husband is in the Marine Corps and we are about 8-9 months away from retiring. Currently we are stationed in Okinawa and that is part of my dilema here...between retirement coming up with moving to not sure where just yet, we know we want to go back to Iowa but depends on where my husband can find a job.

I want to get started so it isn't too long after we get home that I can start working and helping bring in income and staying at home is still a priority for me with the little ones still at home. However, I am not sure about starting it from here and wandering if my school supplies are going to get through the mail to me in a timely manner, had issues with that when I was doing my Bachelors in Business Administration, part of the time my books showed up almost half way through my class. I would also have a move in the middle of it and have to change addresses, moves are stressful enough but adding school in the middle I know doesn't help and have done that, but like I said I want to get started too.

Is there any suggestions on what I could do to get things moving or at least suggestions on some books that I might be able to get to start studying some of the materials I am going to need for the classes. If nothing else, if I could start studying some on things I will need to know for the classes, if I decide to wait till we are home then any way to get ahead a little bit would help.

Please help with any suggestions...I am very interested and want to get started but not sure which way to go with the position I am in currently...suggestions with books and materials to start with or even how hard it is with this school on moving in the middle of the classes...

Thanks,

Chris

Question for other seabee wives...

naudylacy — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:02:19 GMT

How do you handle family/friends/coworkers/etc questions about life choices? Some background on the situation is that my husband volunteered for a 1 year IA in Afghanistan, and I don't have a desire to return home to Wisconsin (currently live in California). He feels this is something he needs to do for numerous reasons, and I fully support his decision. I'm staying in California with my 2 dogs, there are no family members out here. I've been much happier since being distant from my family and have developed healthy long-distance relationships with my parents and 3 siblings (out of 7). I know others feel I should want to be near family, but this is better for me. I'm not close with any inlaws either. My lifestyle choices (not drinking/smoking, avid adventurer) just don't mesh well back "home."

I'm bombarded with questions like:

How [i]could[/i] you let him go over there?
Won't you be [i]miserable[/i] without him?
So you're going home then, right?
Why aren't you coming home for thanksgiving/christmas?

I know about the war going on, I'll always miss him but he isn't my whole life, no wish to ever live in WI again and no, I only want to visit every other year. *sigh* Advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Miss my Husband..

mnpmoseley — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:21:06 GMT

My husband found out on the 19th that he would deploy for the next 2 months and left on the 21st. I am soooo lonely. I guess it is the shortterm notice and the holidays combined that get me this time. He has been gone for Thanksgiving before and he has been gone much longer but.. I don't know. I went to go see the movie Twilight, had my oldest watch the 3 youngest, and the movie just made it worse. All I could do was daydream for the next 2 days. Ugh!!!! I am usually fairly strong. It is probably because of the 4 children that DEMAND my attention, but this time I am so weak aching for him everyday. As in the movie, Edwards tells Bella "I no longer have the strength to stay away from you anymore." I can't go anywhere without seeing holiday stuff and thinking that I wish he were here. As for school work....lol. I can't seem to pick it up much. I try to stay up after the kids go to bed and I am just too tired. Forget getting up earlier. I feel too guilty to put on the headphones and block my youngest out during the day especially since her daddy's gone. What the heck?

Does anyone have beginner loneliness relapses? I am going on 7 years as a military spouse here and 13 years of marriage, 1/3 of it spent with him deployed.

Oh, I'll survive. My youngest doesn't help.. she is 3-years-old and keeps asking where daddy is every morning. I tell her he is on a trip for a lot of days and she tells me " No he isn't, he go to work and go to sleep and be here in the morning" and will stomp out of the room. Oh but how I love to hear those little feet patter out and that little bootie shake.

Pam

CAA Accounts-need info on new program-trying to add M-TEC as my school

mpwife4life05 — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:25:38 GMT

Hi! I'm seriously thinking about doing the plunge w/M-TEC-everything here seems so wonderful and I'm quite certain I'll get a really good education.

My question is about the CAA accounts-I want to add you to my school list so I can begin the process of signing up using the CAA account I'll be eligible for in mid-may(yes spouses, 3k per year for 2 years is now open to ALL active spouses-just have to sign up), but I can't find all the info.

I know you already have the military discount-but will you also be willing particpants of the CAA account initiative?

Thanks!

Troops are coming home! Where is the media?

mnpmoseley — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:53:14 GMT

So my husband is in Iraq in support of the huge pullout of Iraq. There are about 135,000 troops being pulled out. Only a few will stay only to train the Iraq military. I know that this has been quite a week but where is the media coverage. Our troops are coming home!! Where are the parades and the city celebrations? Maybe it is because I don't live near a major base, but I am truly disappointed in America. This is a huge deal. People rallied for months of "anti-war." Now where is everyone? I actually had no idea myself except for my husband going over in support of it. Did anyone notice that we even had a deadline of June 30th? I am sorry if this is a bit much. It angers me so. I hope that I am missing all the celebrations because these soldiers deserve the biggest and the best. Their conditions were horrible, and some went several times. My husband certainly was not there for long, nor in any dangerous situation, but I am proud of him. Please don't forget these soldiers! Let them know we love them, and we are proud of them!

Fellow runners....

mnpmoseley — Mon, 04 May 2009 11:54:34 GMT

I was just wondering who else here is a runner. I just ran my first half marathon, and I am training for my first whole marathon, USAF, in September.

Juggling school, kids, house, husband and then trying to train can make one feel crazy. No, I actually know that I am crazy. So are there any fellow crazy people out there??

Pam

AHDI advocating mandatory RMT certification

Nama-stae — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 10:34:10 GMT

I just received my Advance magazine from AHDI. In it was an article about the debate going on in the MT world about whether or not the industry should move to require RMT certification and how it might be implemented. I think this issue is something that all the military spouses should learn about and consider the possible costs it could mean for you.

I worked as a massage therapist when I met and married my active duty husband. Unfortunately, massage therapy is regulated on a state-by-state basis and each time we moved (so far 3 moves in the last 5 years) I would need to obtain a license in the new state. This could cost anywhere from a few hundred to over $1000.

Of course massage therapy isn't done online as transcription is and it isn't clear how this would be handled concerning the larger national accounts.

Also, my family is currently stationed in Italy and I know there are other students at MTEC who are in Germany and Japan. What would you do if you graduated and were then told that you had to pay out of your pocket to go back stateside to take the RMT exam before you could get a job?

The ADVANCE article stated that any implementation of mandatory certification would likely be 1) on a state-by-state basis and 2) MTs would have to pay for all this themselves.

The whole debate over this issue is still in the early stages and far from being implemented, but if you have ever wondered what good could come from being an AHDI member as a student, this is it. As a student member you find out early about issues that could have a profound impact on your future in the industry, and you can voice your concerns to the people who are pushing to make this happen.

To find out more visit www.advanceweb.com/him

need help with CAA

joy — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:14:26 GMT

Hi everyone! We're stationed at an installation that qualifies for the CAA. I called the family center on base to help me with the application process. But, they told me they can't. The reason being that I am currently in California. I am living with family while my husband's deployed. They can't help me because I have to come to their office to fill out the application and have them sign it off. I don't know when I'll be back on base, but I really want to enroll! I also want to take this opportunity since CAA isn't offered to all base installations....and, did I mention, I'm so eager to enroll!:D What should I do? Any advice, please? Thanks!

Cuba deployment

naudylacy — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:19:06 GMT

I have a belief that everyone should live (not just travel) outside of the country for at least a few months in their lifetime. My 9 months in Africa were lifechanging. Not a week (sometimes day) goes by when I don't think of something that brings me back there. Now that my husband is in the Navy, he will finally have opportunities to leave the states. Even though life on a military base is altogether different, I have been wanting this for my hubby, who is almost 31 and has never been out of the country. He just rode his first airplane last year :w00t: He's been wanting to get deployed too, it looks good on your rep sheet and all. We're so lucky that he is a seabee so his deployment is for 270 days. I commend the couples who have 12+ month deployments. Its still a looong time, but we were already apart for that amount of time. My husband knows it'll be good for me and I can really focus on my studies. I'm already 3 weeks behind and am only just starting S3! We both agree that he should take all the opportunities he can before we start having kids.

So now we have the opportunity to break our lease (fine free!) and we are trying our darndest to get out of this tiny apartment. It's going to be a rush since he is scheduled to leave late June. I'm sure I'll be put further behind in my studies, but I'll have 9 "blissful" months of pure studying time since my hubby okayed it that since we're moving and I have to quit my job (I commute by bike), I'm better off not taking on another one.

Whew! Guess that's all for now...

question for all of you homeschoolling military moms???

mt2b — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 19:10:54 GMT

My husband is currently an Air Guard member. He wanted to go active duty 7 + years ago when he first signed up. Our daughter had/has medical issues (hypoplastic left heart syndrome). At the time she was going to require 1 more open heart surgery and all other procedures that go with it. I was too scared to move away from the cardiologist and surgeon that she had had since her first surgery,I trusted/trust them. We compromised and he went guard. He has been able to stay on orders at the guard base nearby since he signed up, but it is not looking good to get more orders at the end of these ones. Our daughter should not have to have another surgery until she is 20 + years old so I'm not as worried about leaving her doctors. It would also be nice to not live on orders that may not always be renewed...and it might be interesting to see other places in the country/world.

So here is my question.....how do you go about homeschooling moving state to state? Do you go by the state laws that you are from or the state that you are physically in?? There are several reasons that I homeschool my daughter, her health is better, she has some minimal developmental delays due to the surgeries, etc.

Laparoscopy

jashurek05 — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:09:52 GMT

Good morning! So I have to have a laparoscopy about a month and a half before my husband gets back from deployment. I saw the pictures in my studies of the procedure...I'm a little unnerved to say the least about having 3 prodding instruments in my belly at the same time! I know it's a pretty routine, outpatient surgery now, but I haven't had surgery since I had my appendix taken out in the 5th grade.

Has anyone had this procedure? It's actually being done to see if scarring on my tubes is preventing us from getting pregnant. Any stories you might have would be great..I'm a little nervous about doing this while my husband is gone.

Merry Christmas to everyone...especially those whose husband/wife won't be home this holiday season.

Jolene

How to Handle Time Away

Amanda Barnhart — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:03:34 GMT

Hello ladies,

I'm not a military wife/significant other, but I thought this would be the best place to post this kind of question. My boyfriend recently accepted an internship in England and he will be gone for nearly 3 months. I'm very excited for him because this is a GREAT opportunity, but I'm very scared and sad at the prospect of being away from him for so long. In a little over 2 years the longest we have ever been apart was 5 days, and I missed him terribly. I know this probably sounds silly to you ladies who have went through countless deployments and those of you who have many more to go. After this internship the likelihood of us ever having to be apart for that long again is practically zilch. We don't have children yet so that makes things a little easier than those of you who have kids, especially little ones. How do you deal with the lonliness? How do you sleep alone? How do you force yourself to cook, clean, etc. for just you? I lived alone for several years before moving in with my boyfriend, and I was fine. But now that I have him I just don't know about being here alone and missing him. My best friend is a military wife, and I have so much admiration for her. I don't think I could ever do what you ladies have to do on a consistent basis. I have so much respect for all of you. Thank you to your soldiers, and thank you for being there waiting for them when they come home.

Don't you just hate all those last minute things?

naudylacy — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:28:21 GMT

Had plans to go to LA this weekend for my bday. I never set anything in stone because things always seem to change last minute but I was getting so stoked to go run a 5K on Malibu Beach, go check out Universal Studios, the scenery...when yesterday the Navy tells my husband that they are going to have to work this weekend! I took off special from my part-time job so that we could go :crying:

sleep while husband is deployed....

mt2b — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 13:10:07 GMT

My husband doesn't get deployed very often but when he does I can't get into a deep sleep and I wake up every couple of hours. Any suggestions on how to get some better sleep? I slept better this time then any other time in the past. I think this was do to my two dogs sleeping with me. Past deployments I have woken up every hour and had my little brother spend the night on the couch. He is coming home tonight so deeper sleep will not be an issue until next deployment. Any suggestions would be great so I can prepare for next time.

FUNDING THROUGH CAREER ADVANCEMENT ACCOUNTS (CAA)

Susan Francis CMT AHDI-F — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:05:39 GMT

There is now $35 million available in Career Advancement Accounts (CAA) in 8 targeted states. As much as $3000 a year x2 years per student is earmarked to fund military spouses' educations in any of the 14 AHDI-approved medical transcription schools which are distance education and/or on-site/on-ship education. These are the military installations for which we have funding ready to go:
California: NAS San Diego, Camp Pendleton
Colorado: Fort Carson, Peterson AFB
Florida: Eglin AFB, Hurlburt, Jacksonville NAS
Georgia: Fort Benning
Hawaii: Hickam AFB, MCBH Kaneohe Bay, NAS Pearl Harbor, Schofield
Maine: Brunswick NAS
North Carolina: Fort Bragg, Pope AFB
Washington: Fort Lewis, McChord AFB, NAS Kitsap-Bremerton

If you, are interested in these funds, please write to Diana Gish. If you are currently stationed in Hawaii or know someone who is, please let them know I will be there to present personally at these dates and times. Please forward this email to anyone you know who may be interested at these 4 installations.

POC	Email	Installation	Date	Time

Matthew Wilson	matthew.d.wilson@usmc.mil	MCB Kaneohe Marine Base	TBD	TBD
Ernest Poe	ernest.poe@navy.mil	Pearl Harbor	1/31/2008	9:00
Louis Vance	Louis.vance@hickam.af.mil	Hickam Air Force Base	1/31/2008	15:30
Robin Alexander	Robin.l.alexander1@us.army.mil	Schofield Barracks	2/1/2008	9:00

The Military Spouse Initiative can be found on your Military Spouse Career Center, http://www.military.com/spouse/cf/0,,cf_other_pop_health-medicaltranscriptionist3,00.htm..

Ths is not one of those sham/scam promotions that promise an education in 3-6 months for $5000 and leave you hanging. These shools are 12-18 months long and must offer the list below. This is an AHDI-approved initiative that the government is investing in due to the shortage of medical transcriptionists and the proven excellence of the 14 approved schools to graduate students with work-ready skills, capable of sitting successfully for the first credential (RMT), who qualify to enter the government-approved National Apprenticeship Program. (Note: Graduates are in such high demand by employers that hundreds are bypassing apprenticeship and moving straight into "the trenches.")

choose from distance and/or onsite/on-ship education schools
a library of references to keep
proven placement support
proven financially solvent schools
minimum 40 hours of authentic medical dictation
CMT credentialed instructors

It's hard to sit on $35 million and not identify those who need it for these serious careers!

I look forward to hearing from many of you and/or your friends.

Diana

Diana Gish, CMT, FAAMT, Education/Best Practices Coordinator

Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI)

Medical Transcription Industry Association (MTIA)

dgish@ahdionline.org dgish@mtia.org

www.ahdionline.org www.mtia.com

Special assistance with funding

Susan Francis CMT AHDI-F — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 15:08:22 GMT

For those of you seeking funds to enroll in the M-TEC training program, in addition to our military discounts and student loan, we wanted to let you know that we also partner with Operation Life Transformed (OLT), a private sector, who assists with funding. Their mission is to provide training and job placement opportunities to family-member caregivers of our heroic war wounded. Working in concert with the Departments of Defense, Veteran's Affairs, and Labor, the OLT addresses the unique challenges facing spouses and other family members as they cope with the post-injury economic devastation that results from the dislocation and disruption of caring for an ill or injured service member. You can find complete information at their website www.lifetransformed.org.

Please feel free to contact me or Debbie Kean if you have any questions or concerns. We are here to help. :)

Christmas Poem

gloriaj — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:26:50 GMT

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep..
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..

To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times..

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

" So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

PLEASE, would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many
people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our
U.S service men and women for our being able to celebrate these
festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people
stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Constru ction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq

Gloria Smith

Sack Lunches

Diana Gish, CMT, AHDI-F — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:19:13 GMT

The Sack Lunches

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation. 'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me. 'Chicago - to Great Lakes Base. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Iraq '

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached Chicago, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time. As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to Chicago ' His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldier in Iraq; it's almost like you are doing it for him.'

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated.

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, an said, 'I want to shake your hand.' Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand,wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed in Chicago I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.'

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little...

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life wrote a blank check Made payable to 'The United States of America ' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.' That is Honor, and there are way too many people in This country who no longer understand it.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Mail for Military

Susan Francis CMT AHDI-F — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:04:02 GMT

I received this request and wanted to share it with everyone who might be interested in letting our U.S. Military men and women know we are thinking of them during the holidays and appreciate their efforts.

Good morning:

If you or your family members (school projects) would like to send a message of holiday cheer to U.S. service men and women around the world, you might like to participate in a project called "Holiday Mail For Heroes," sponsored by the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes, Inc.

From now to December 10, 2008, the public is invited to send holiday cards with messages of thanks and cheer to:

Holiday Mail For Heroes

P.O. Box 5456

Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

The cards will be screened, sorted and delivered to military bases, military hospitals and veterans' medical centers.

The project was announced yesterday in Washington, DC by officials of the Red Cross, Pitney Bowes, the Marine Corps and Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Red Cross Officials said cards must have regular first-class postage when mailed to the Maryland post office box. The cards must be received by December 10, 2008. They should not contain gifts, money, food or other inserts, and they should not be decorated with glitter. The Red Cross also requests that the cards not be addressed to individuals. There is a web site: www.redcross.org/holidaymail.

Many thanks for supporting our troops, veterans and their families.

Freedom and Jeff

Diana Gish, CMT, AHDI-F — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:30:35 GMT

Not many people get a picture of this proud bird snuggled up next to them

Freedom and Jeff
Freedom and I have been together 10 years this summer. She came in as a baby in 1998 with two broken wings. Her left wing doesn't open all the way even after surgery, it was broken in 4 places . She's my baby.

When Freedom came in she could not stand and both wings were broken. She was emaciated and covered in lice. We made the decision to give her a chance at life, so I took her to the vets office. From then on, I was always around her. We had her in a huge dog carrier with the top off, and it was loaded up with shredded newspaper for her to lay in. I used to sit and talk to her, urging her to live, to fight; and she would lay there looking at me with those big brown eyes. We also had
to tube feed her for weeks.

This went on for 4-6 weeks, and by then she still couldn't stand. It got to the point where the decision was made to e uthanize her if she couldn't stand in a week. You know you don't want to cross that line between torture and rehab, and it looked like death was winning. She was going to be put down that Friday, and I was supposed to come in on that Thursday afternoon. I didn't want to go to the center that Thursday, because I couldn't bear the thought of her being euthanized; but I went anyway, and when I walked in everyone was grinning from ear to ear. I went immediately back to her cage; and there she was, standing on her own, a big beautiful eagle. She was ready to live. I was just about in tears by then. That was a very good day.

We knew she could never fly, so the director asked me to glove train her. I got her used to the glove, and then to jesses, and we started doin g educat ion programs for schools in western Washington . We wound up in the newspapers, radio (believe it or not) and some TV . Miracle Pets even did a show about us.

In the spring of 2000, I was diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma. I had stage 3, which is not good (one major organ plus everywhere), so I wound up doing 8 months of chemo. Lost the hair - the whole bit. I missed a lot of work. When I felt good enough, I would go to Sarvey and take Freedom out for walks. Freedom would also come to me in my dreams and help me fight the cancer. This happened time and time again.

Fast forward to November 2000, the day after Thanksgiving, I went in for my last checku p. I was told that if the cancer was not all gone after 8 rounds of chemo, then my last option was a stem cell transplant. Anyway, they did the tests; and I had to come back Monday for the results. I went in Monday, and I was told that all the cancer was gone.

So the first thing I did was get up to Sarvey and take the big girl out for a walk. It was misty and cold. I went to her flight and jessed her up, and we went out front to the top of the hill. I hadn't said a word to Freedom, but somehow she knew. She looked at me and wrapped both her wings around me to where I could feel them pressing in on my back (I was engulfed in eagle wings), and she touched my nose with her beak and stared into my eyes, and we just stood there like that for I don't know how long. That was a magic moment. We have been soul mates ever since she came in. This is a very special bird.

On a side note: I have had people who were sick come up to us when we are out, and Freedom has some kind of hold on them. I once had a guy who was terminal come up to us and I let him hold her. His knees just about buckled and he swore he could feel her power course through his body. I have so many stories like that.

I never forget the honor I have of being so close to such a magnificent spirit as Freedoms.

Hope you enjoy this.

Jeff

To all military wives

jashurek05 — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 20:56:38 GMT

I found this on a Navy forum tonight and wanted to share it with other military spouses. This was meant for a Navy spouse, but it can easily be transformed to any branch of service. :D

I have never met this lady but I was moved by what she wrote. It can also be turned around for all kinds of Military wives.

While I have never had the pleasure of meeting you or your husband, I felt the need to write you and express a very deep feeling that I have in my heart.

I, as a person, am not brave. I do not tackle things head on, as I hate confrontation. I will travel 100 miles out of my way just to avoid a conflict. I am an American woman that has no idea what is going on in the military other than what I hear on the news.

I have never had to let go of someone so that they could go fight for people that they didn't know, people that sometimes do not appreciate or understand what they are fighting for.

I have never had a sleepless night of worry because of a report that another bomb has exploded and I still haven't heard from my husband.

I have never had to wait for months on end to hold the one that I loved so.

I have never had to tell my children that daddy wasn't coming home tonight because he was so far away fighting for something that they aren't yet old enough to understand.

I have never had to hold my head high and suppress the tears as I hear that it will be at least another six months of separation before my loved one gets to come home.

I have never had to deal with a holiday away from the one that I thought I would share every day of my life with.

And I have never had to feel the panic rising in my heart at the sound of a ringing phone or knock at the door for fear that it is the news that everyone is terrified of getting.

For the reasons listed above, I can not tell you that I understand how you feel. I can not tell you that you must be strong. I can not say that you shouldn't be angry, because you "knew what you were getting into when you married a military man". I can not say these things because I have never had to walk in your shoes.

What I can say for certain is that because of your unselfish acts of bravery and your husband's willingness to stand up for those who see him as "just another sailor" - - I will never have to walk in your shoes.

I do understand that as a military wife you are expected to uphold a certain amount of control, but I never understood how you could do it, until now. I have figured out that you are not like other women. You are of a special breed. You have a strength within you that holds life together in the darkest of hours, a strength of which I will never possess. The faith you have is what makes you stand out in a crowd; it makes you glow with emotion and swell with pride at the mention of The United States of America.

You are a special lady, a wonderful partner and a glorious American.

I have more respect for your husband than I could ever tell you, but until recently I never thought much about those that the soldier leaves at home during deployment.

Until this moment I could never put into words exactly what America meant to me.

Until this moment, I had no real reason to.... Until I heard of you.

Your husband and his military family hold this nation close, safe from those who wish to hurt us...but you and those like you are the backbone of the American family. You keep the wheels in motion and the hearts alive while most would just break completely down. Military families make this nation what it is today.

You give us all hope and you emit a warming light at the end of a long dark tunnel.

Because of you and your family...I am able to be me. I am able to have my family. I am able to walk free in this great land. Because of you and your family, I can look ahead to the future with the knowledge that life is going to be okay. Because of you and your family, I can awake to a new day, everyday.

I realize that you are a stronger person than I will ever be because of these things and I just wanted to take the time today to say thank you to you and your family for allowing me that freedom.

I will never be able to repay this debt to you, as it is unmatchable. However, I hope that you know that no matter where you are...what you are doing...what has happened today...or what will happen tomorrow...Your husband will NEVER be "just another sailor" to me.... And you, dear sweet lady, will never be forgotten.

You are all in my prayer's everyday and I pray that God will bring you back together with your loved one safely.

May God Bless You!

It's official!!

rshill94 — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:11:22 GMT

Hubby passed his over 40 physical so he goes in bright and early Monday morning to swear in!!!

I'm so proud of him!!

Just had to share :D

Prayer request

mt2b — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:16:20 GMT

To those who believe in the the power of prayer:

My husband is passing in his application for a tech slot on base and it would be really nice if he got the job. If he gets the job it means higher pay and no more 120 day MPA tours. Best of all no going back to his poor paying civilian job! I am really hoping he gets this job but he isn't holding his breath. He is fully qualified for the position and has been busting his butt since 2002 to be qualified for when the position opens up....not to mention he has been doing the job on MPA tours for several years! So PLEASE pray that he gets the job! We may not know who gets the job until mid October.

Thanks!

Back in business

jashurek05 — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:31:17 GMT

Hello everyone, after a rough PCS, I finally have everything back in order and am starting back in my studies. I'm feeling just a little overwhelmed right now, but I'm sure after a few days of being back in it, it'll start to make sense again. DH will be deploying downrange next month, so I'm thankful for this course to keep me occupied. This will be our first deployment since we got married. Of course he's used to it & assures me it will go by fast...me, not so sure. But my goal is to have the course completed by the time he gets back or at least almost completed.

We PCS'd to Gulfport, MS if anyone's out there close by! Study buddies are always great. I'm sorry I just missed Diana in Okinawa!

Take care,

Jolene

Wanted to say Hi!

rshill94 — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:17:21 GMT

I just wanted to jump in and say hi to everyone here. It's not official yet but my DH is enlisting in the National Guard this month and I'm hoping to be able to join in on this board soon!

We are both prior service veterans, he was Navy and I was AF....I'm jealous that he gets to go NG but I'm too old! I'm very proud of him for doing this.

I saw the posts on Okinawa and it brought back so many memories...I was stationed there back in the dark ages. To give you a hint Naha AB was still standing and that's where I worked!!! Another hint was I was there when they changed the driving from right lane to left lane!!! Dark ages indeed....LOL.

I'm thinking if I can survive that I can survive M-tec!! :D

Getting MT jobs while overseas?

AFeodWife — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:00:58 GMT

I'm still considering taking the plunge and enrolling in M-TEC's program. My husband and I are stationed in England until around Feb. of 2010 and we're hoping to stay overseas for our next assignment. I'm wondering how difficult it is to find at-home jobs when you're stationed overseas. I've only checked out a few sites, but they all say you need to be residing in the US. Has anyone here actually been able to find companies willing to hire military spouses stationed overseas? I keep hearing all this talk of how this is such a great, portable career for us spouses. I just want to be sure I'll be able to find work over here. Has anyone been successful with finding work outside of the US? Thanks!

Anyone in Okinawa?

jashurek05 — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 06:48:38 GMT

Just checking to see if anyone is currently studying in Okinawa...I'm still waiting on my box...it takes forever for things to get here! We're supposed to be leaving this summer but it would be nice to have someone here to study with!

Jolene

Just got my books

endersgirl — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 08:45:35 GMT

Hey, I'm Shea an Army wife stationed over in Germany, my books just arrived yesterday and I can't wait to get started and get to know everyone!