Alameda Blue Star Mom – Mamaw!

January 29, 2009 · Filed Under Military Parents, National Guard Parents, One of our own, Parents News · 1 Comment 

Our very own Mamaw has busted some butt here folks – Here is her new site.  This took work, dedication, love and passion.  (to get the link, please click on the title to open this post, it will then show the link)

For those of you in her area – you have a treasure.  For all of us in the rest of the country, I’m hoping this will motivate you to join Blue Star Moms (Dads are welcome too! and so is the rest of the family)

Congratulations, Mamaw!

LAW

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Great Idea for carepackage mailing parents

January 29, 2009 · Filed Under This & That · Comment 

Oh, this is such a great idea - [Click on Read More, then click on the link for the story] Here’s a little bit of it

Bills would let more troops get mail for free

By Rick Maze – Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jan 28, 2009 12:34:25 EST

Just as talk gets serious about cutting U.S. troop levels in Iraq, Congress also appears to be getting serious about providing limited free mailing privileges so that letters and small packages can be sent by friends and family to deployed service members.

Two free military mail bills were introduced in the House on Tuesday. One, HR 704, is the reintroduction of a bill sponsored by Reps. Peter King of New York and Gus Bilirakis of Florida, both Republicans, that previously won support in the House as an amendment to the annual defense authorization bill but was rejected in negotiations with the Senate.

That bill likely will be pushed aside in favor of a second, broader bill, HR 707, introduced by Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., a member of the House Armed Services Committee who has a collection of 103 bipartisan co-sponsors — including Bilirakis — for her legislation.

Castor is calling her bill the Home Front to Heroes Postal Benefits Act.

In a letter to other members of the House seeking co-sponsors, Castor said the government already provides free mail from combat zones, so service members don’t need postage to write home, but there is no corresponding benefit for mail sent from the home front to the troops.

“Military families, many of them in financial distress, are forced to bear the expense of shipping packages and letters on their own,” she said.

Castor’s bill would provide one voucher each month good for mailing a package of up to 15 pounds from the U.S. to a deployed service member. A voucher would be issued each month to the member, who could give it to anyone they choose.

I’m hoping this passes! maybe some calls from military families to our elected officials are in order, huh? Getting help with the mailing expenses would be a great help to all of us right now, wouldn’t it?

LAW

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Is it harder, when it’s your kid, or your husband?

January 28, 2009 · Filed Under Military Parents, National Guard Parents · 1 Comment 

A friend asked me that this evening.  I was trying to explain it, how it’s not a matter of harder – it’s a matter of being different.  

She said to me “loving my husband is a choice,  loving my kids is ….  i dunno….”  I told her ” It just IS”  And that is the difference.  I had a military blogger tell a group at Milblog Conference that his wife would mourn his passing but could get another husband; but their son – he was impossible to replace.  Bouhammer – you were so right.

Now that my husband is back in the Sand, and our son is safe at home in Denver, I remember how different it was when he was in Iraq.  The calls he’d make just to talk, the emails, the call when they got the little Christmas tree I sent and everyone said thank you, the call when he told me the lemon drop got there – a 2lb fused lemon drop!  My husband is my best friend, the man I’ve been married to for more than half my life; but my son is part of me.  That little blond boy with the big smile and the missing front teeth, little Mr. Chickenpops (chicken pox) tucking his bear in (well, bear had it too…), and bravely setting off for school with his new backpack and lunch box… To think of him there, in any kind of danger, was almost impossible.  I always thought no one else could understand, no one else could know.  But I was wrong.

You know – those of you here.   And we are part of a very special group, proud of our children – scared, proud and hoping every day that they are safe.  I’m so proud to be one of you.

LAW

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A Military Family needs help

January 23, 2009 · Filed Under Military Parents, One of our own, Parents News · Comment 

For those of you who don’t listen to or read National Public Radio – this you NEED to read.  One of us, the mother of a soldier, needed help and got it because of the good work on USA Together .  Help us spread the word.   This will also be on HASMO, and I’m hoping we can get this sent through our community.

USA Together is a website that puts veterans in need together with those that can help. I wish, and I think we all wish, that it wasn’t necessary.  But it is… and for now, this is the best way we can help.

LAW

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