I've been letting people know that I plan on deploying. I notified my unit that I am giving up my WOC slot in order to do so.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
To Go or Not
Written by Army Girl around 22:35
| Topics: Afghanistan, Pre-deployment, PTSD, To Go or Not To Go
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
"If not now, when?"
I was just checking out my Facebook following and didn't realize I had so many people on there. Wow. So here's a "Shout Out" to all of you! HI! Thanks for adding my blog to your blog network!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Busy Bee
I haven't been on here in quite a while. I just don't know what to write anymore.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Love Yourself First
It takes a bit of nuttiness to post blogs where your nuttiness is demonstrated... but I still fight with the devil and angel about what to post and not.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Disjointed
I'm having one of my moments...
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Wanted: A New Moon
I'm in Texas for training... and it's been a long day. I didn't sleep at all last night as I had too much to get prepared for this trip.
Monday, February 02, 2009
Controlled Chaos
I have been writing posts, and not posting them because they're not finished. I can't write as I did before... in so many ways.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
KIA WIA, Inc Closes its Doors Due to Lack of Support for Smaller Soldier Support Organizations
Below is a Guest Post from the Vice President and Treasurer of KIA WIA, Inc., a group started in the interest of supporting Special Forces Soldiers, but that grew to support as many Troops as they could. Through the dedication, commitment and understanding of one family, they were able to help many wounded Soldiers, family members of our fallen, and Soldiers suffering from readjustment that fell through the cracks of larger, more mainstream organizations.
It is very humbling and incredibly disappointing that they have to close and I wonder what more I could have done. It shouldn't be about competition, it should be about support for troops and the more organizations we have out there, the more troops and families get and receive the assistance they need.
Many people have warned me that this is a harsh reality when the subject of the non-profit I want to start comes up, but knowing all of that doesn't discourage me. If we accomplish anything, even if it's just bringing female soldiers together, we've served our purpose. KIA WIA, Inc. did more than provide monetary support. The whole family gave of themselves and sacrificed a great deal in order to provide support in any way they could. KIA WIA, Inc., is and always will be dear to my heart and I only wish I could have done more for them.
Our Non-Profit has closed. It closed with a steady decline of support, a
slow death. Most of our remaining products were purchased by our dedicated
supporters to help settle our outstanding debt. We had hoped that it would grow
into a larger organization able to help the many soldiers and their families
that had been left behind by other organizations, including the Department of
Defense. During KIA WIA, Inc.’s three years of existence, we were able to help
many soldiers and their families. To do this, we maintained KIA WIA, Inc. by
often depleting our personal finances, savings, and maxing credit cards, as well
as taking out loans, when donations were too low to support the needs of these
people. We did this willingly, in an attempt to keep the organization going and
ultimately in the end we do not have the resources to carry on any
more. We did what we could with what we were given and we feel, here in the end,
we were successful in helping those that needed it.
Our assessment to close
our organization was based on many factors and did not come easy to us; in fact,
it remains quite painful. It included the unfortunate circumstances of our
nation’s economic situation in 2008, which, understandably limited people’s
ability to support nonprofit charitable organizations, as well as, the
Department of Defense implementing recent policies and programs, therefore
increasing the assistance available to the families of KIA and WIA soldiers.
These two aspects, although not the only influence, have played a major role in
our outcome.
Personally, it was never an option for us to be compensated for
our efforts in any way. Neither J nor I could live with the thought of receiving
compensation, while there may have been someone that needed that assistance for
survival. I averaged 40 to 50 hours a week for KIA WIA, doing marketing,
and sales, futures, promotions, managed all of the paperwork and bookkeeping, as
well as vetting people that needed assistance. It disgusted us how many
people are trying to get over and swindle non-profits under the guise of being
wounded veterans or soldiers or widows. J and I with willing support from our
children, ages 16 and 14, did all of the work to keep our organization running.
Finding people willing to commit to this cause was hard, many people delivered
accolades and told us job well done, which was and is appreciated, but does not
carry a business or its finances. As mentioned in the beginning of this blog, we
also had difficulties in raising finances, not only from individuals unable or
unwilling to donate, but also from larger, better known, non-profits competing
for the same contributions.
We chose not to spend thousands of dollars each
month on advertising, but focused on providing aid. Bigger organizations choose
to spend large sums of money on advertising and pay for their product placement,
resulting in larger contributions, as well as corporate donations. Expensive
advertising does create more income, as well as justify larger budgetary demands
inside an organization to support its infrastructure, which ultimately, creates
the illusion of legitimacy. How much of that advertising budget could have
supported a widow who was no longer the media’s focal point, but has a very real
requirement for quality of life?
Despite all of the hard work and sacrifices,
KIA WIA, Inc. was worth it, knowing that the families, soldiers, and Veterans we
helped, appreciated, needed, and put to good use, the support we were able to
provide. We know that we helped prevent two suicides and gave people hope that
they needed to continue on. They reached out and found that someone does care
for them, even though we did not know them.
Through the duration of our
non-profit’s existence, we confirmed that the people, who traditionally give the
most to any charity, are the people that themselves have shared a similar
circumstance. Of course, there are exceptions, and we are not suggesting that
the Galas, Balls, and celebrity events that produce millions of dollars in
fund-raising are not appreciated or well used. However, people who come from a
wealthy background tend not to contribute as freely to smaller organizations, or
less known or uncomfortable causes.
Please remember, “Supporting Our
Soldiers” involves more than putting a fading, yellow magnet on the back of a
car, it necessitates action. There are still many organizations across the
country that require consistent financial support, volunteer help, and donated
supplies to fill a variety of needs. People should give, obviously based on
their individual capacity, and not consider a onetime act or single donation as
a solution to the issue. Philanthropy flows from the heart and our sincerest
hope for the future, is that all Americans will take an active role supporting
the very real needs of Veterans and their families.
“K” - Vice-President and
Treasurer - KIA WIA, Inc.
Written by Army Girl around 04:44
| Topics: American Heroes, Guest Post, Organizations, Public Service Announcement, Soldier Support Organizations, Today's Issues
Thursday, January 08, 2009
www.ComeCleanKBR.com
Below is a press release from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA.org).
Please read, please consider and please, please, please, sign the petition.
Thank You,
AG
"This week reports surfaced that KBR, a military-contracting firm, may have knowingly exposed troops to dangerous toxins in Iraq. Today, I am asking you to take a stand with IAVA, and call for accountability.
In April of 2003, members of the Indiana National Guard were protecting KBR employees at a power plant in Southern Iraq. After their service, some of these troops exhibited signs of cancer, tumors and rashes, and new reports indicate that these injuries may be the result of exposure to toxins present at the site.
Incredibly, CBS News has uncovered evidence that KBR may have known about the risks months before it took any action to inform those soldiers.
So far KBR has denied any wrongdoing, despite the evidence. Sign our petition and tell KBR to come clean.
At least one Indiana Guardsman has died from lung cancer already. Others are sick. In fact, records from the CBS investigation show that 60 percent of the soldiers exposed "exhibit symptoms of exposure."
So please add your name to the petition.
We need your support to ensure that KBR works hand-in-hand with both Congress and the military to find out exactly what needs to be done to protect our veterans.
We'll be working in Washington, D.C. to ensure that Congress addresses this issue head-on with a full investigation, and outreach to the veterans who may have been affected by this and similar cases.
Help us win this fight by signing the petition today.
Thank you for your continued support."
Paul Reickhoff
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Guest Post: Good Soldier on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
In response to Colin Powell's statement over the weekend that the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy needs to be revisited, I have a few things to say.
First, I want to say that I genuinely respect the view that this policy should stay in place. This policy was indeed a compromise in 1993 that enabled gay and lesbian persons to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces without having to lie about their sexual orientation. That was a major step toward allowing a large number of able-bodied, competent, and honorable people the opportunity to serve their country. You may remember back in 1993 the Army’s “Soldier of the Year” during Operation Desert Storm came out as a gay man and as a powerful spokesman for the contributions of gay and lesbian persons in the military.
That being said, my response here is to point out what is *not* working about the policy. First, a few talking points, with data provided by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network at www.sldn.org:
1. Over 11,000 men and women have been discharged under Don't Ask, Don't Tell since 1993. A 2006 Blue Ribbon Commission report found that this cost over $360 million in taxpayer dollars between 1993 and 2004.
2. An estimated 65,000 gay and lesbian persons are currently serving in the U.S. military at the peril of being fired for sexual orientation alone.
3. Women are discharged under the policy at a disproportionate rate; although women are approximately 15% of the military, 30% of homosexual discharges are women.
4. Every report commissioned by the U.S. government has stated that the ban on homosexuals in the military could be lifted without detriment to readiness.
I have also seen personally how individuals are affected by this policy as it stands:
One of my own soldiers on active duty was discharged under this policy. She did nothing wrong, and she was one of my best soldiers. Her discharge was based *solely* on her statement that she was a lesbian. That's it. That's all. And we had to process her discharge. I witnessed all of the UCMJ proceedings and can tell you that this is the absolute truth. Her discharge was a terrible loss for my section, and I resent that I had to participate in those proceedings.
I also personally knew another soldier in this same unit who was discharged under the policy, which took place after his sergeant in Afghanistan went through his personal items and found letters from his boyfriend back home. This soldier, also an excellent worker who got along well with his team, was severely harrassed and sent home from Afghanistan. Once he was home, he fought the discharge, but then he received a death threat by telephone. After that, he was willing to go through the discharge process.
Another personal friend of mine was investigated twice for alleged homosexual conduct while running convoys on a weekly basis in Afghanistan. The investigations found nothing, but stressed her out significantly during a time when she was also being stressed by such things as seeing a suicide bomber's head bounce off her windshield.
These are just three people who I happen to know. I cannot fathom the stories of thousands more who have dealt with the garbage that this policy has meant over the years.
The U.S. military has led the way in enforcing equality and fair treatment for all, with this one exception. The military was desegregated in 1948, well ahead of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling of 1954 or the desegregation of American society in the 1960s. Women were admitted into non-traditional job areas in the military in 1972 and women's strong presence in the military has been a significant contributing factor in maintaining an all-volunteer force since 1973. Has there been conflict amid the ranks because of these policies? You bet. Were they the right policies to enact at the right times? You could definitely argue to the contrary, but I happen to believe these policies were integral to advancing social justice in the United States.
If you are concerned with the safety of “out” gay or lesbian persons in the military, this is a leadership and command climate issue. Were there problems with racial integration in the military? Certainly. Racially integrated fighting men served in Korea and Vietnam as civilians rioted and murdered innocent people across the South during desegregation. Have there been ongoing problems with sexual harassment and the equal treatment of men and women? You bet, and it’s still an issue. But the enforcement of fairness and equality is at the core of who and what our military is. I do not doubt that our very capable leaders could implement a policy different from “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” both efficiently and effectively.
If you are concerned that loosening the current policy would create a problem with potentially allowing sexual misconduct, well, sexual misconduct happens every day amongst heterosexual soldiers, and it should be punished or otherwise dealt with according to the UCMJ. But, as I've mentioned, soldiers do not need to have sex with anyone to be discharged under this policy. As I see it, all sexual misconduct should be treated as sexual misconduct. All fraternization should be treated as fraternization. I do not find justice in having a far heavier penalty for homosexual sexual misconduct or fraternization than exists for heterosexual misconduct. This simply doesn't make sense to me.
The issue that I have seen that makes me believe that this policy change is needed now rather than later is the added stress this policy places on homosexual soldiers—as if being a soldier already isn't stressful enough at times—during a time of war and multiple deployments. Imagine spending an entire year deployed and not being able to talk about your boyfriend or girlfriend or partner back home, why you need to call home, why you're upset about your guy or girl back home, and so on. Or knowing that if anything happened to you, your boyfriend or girlfriend or partner would receive no support from your unit or the military. Or fearing that if you left any photos, letters, or gifts from your guy or girl out in the open, it could be used against you. Or knowing that any statement you made to any of your buddies in confidence could come out in an investigation. You could be fired just like that. Your career could end just like that. No matter how many years in service you have in, no matter how honorable your service or conduct has been.
That is the unfortunate reality of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." And I don't find it fair. I believe we can do better than that as a country and as the world’s most powerful fighting force. We have more to worry about in the military than whether our peers like boys or girls, or both. To me, it simply isn't relevant to the important job we have to do.
A Good Soldier
Written by Army Girl around 18:53
| Topics: American Heroes, Guest Post, Opinions, Public Service Announcement, Today's Issues