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The Bonds That Tie
Over at PBS.org I have written a post about the meaningful bonds that are forged during military service… among soldiers… among wives… among parents…
Throughout the course of our lifetimes, we make and break bonds with people. Some bonds are formed in friendship: schoolmates, neighbors, fellow workers. I have close friends from each of those groups. I maintain, however, that the bonds forged in military service are perhaps the strongest of all bonds. Stronger than steel. Stronger than adversity. Stronger than time.
We all know the story of veterans sittin’ around and one says, “No shit!! There I was…” followed by a story of improbability or hilarity, typically punctuated with profanity, irreverent phrases and sordid images. It will end with much backslapping and hearty handshakes. The circle might contain members of a single unit or a single war, or it might contain an assortment of veterans from many of this nation’s conflicts. But they are bonded and tied to each other by the commonality of their service. Some are bonded by the mettle and the blood of battle. You need look no further than the Illiad or the St. Crispen’s Day speech from Shakespeare’s Henry V for evidence of the emotional connection these men share.[snip]
Some of my closest friends today are people I didn’t know before my son deployed. We met via military blogs (including my own) and private online Internet forums established by parents of soldiers — one by a Third Infantry Division parent, another established by military moms for military moms. These were places to share information, to share worry, to celebrate good news and to commiserate when the news was bad. These were places that let us share this bond, hammered and shaped by our worry for our sons and daughters. These relationships are equal parts ethereal and practical; as much emotional as they are physical. It involves both the spiritual and the material worlds — prayers and novena candles as well as care packages and cookie recipes. It is an inclusive sisterhood for which we did not volunteer, but in which we are now forever members.
You can read it all at PBS/POV: Conversations on Coming Home
Thanks for coming back to visit! If you would like to write for Parents Zone - please let LAW or TechMama know!
Stop Loss Payments Update
Dec 17 – Another Update:
A commenter below was asking about an error message he was getting when he got on the website. A PAO for the Department of the Army sent me this response
I understand your frustration. We’ve been having some problems with the Retro Stop Loss Pay website. And once we think we’ve got it fixed, thereis another issue. … So, we are frustrated too.
What it means when the message says your information couldn’t be verified, is that it couldn’t be verified automatically. It doesn’t mean that your claim is in dispute. A case manager will have to look at your
documents. Please allow 90 days for processing and payment. The backlog is quite large at this point, so we really will need the 90 days.
Hope this helps.
*******************************
I couldn’t be on the “Stop Loss” call this time, but wanted to get you the information that I have. It’s the usual – computer glitches, bad program design and understaffing. BUT – hopefully it will now flow smoother. I’ll continue to monitor the situation and get back to you when I have more information.
American Forces Press Service
Program Manager Explains Delay in ‘Stop Loss’ Claims
By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2009 – After an initial delay caused by software and manpower issues, the first retroactive payments will be disbursed next week to soldiers who were retained on active duty involuntarily under the so-called “Stop Loss” program.Army Maj. Roy Whitley, program manager for the Army’s Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay program, acknowledged problems over the program’s first 50 days and said officials are working to reduce the current backlog for the thousands more who are expected to file their claims over the next year.
“We are going to plow through the backlog as quickly as we can,” said Whitley, who spoke with bloggers and online journalists yesterday during an Army bloggers roundtable.
“We lost time [by] improving the claims end early on,” he said. “For every day we spent working the claims, we knew we were losing a day on development and case management.
“We are building it out [and] improving software. [That is] the reason why you are seeing some delay.”
Parts of the initial Web-based claims program, launched Oct. 21, lacked complete functionality, and many of the claims were processed manually, Whitley said. However, he added, the case-management software is expected to be finalized this week, closing at least 1,000 cases. Those cases will then be forwarded to Defense Finance and Accounting Service for payment.
“The latest enhancement gives us the ability to close the cases,” Whitley said, and will allow Army claims managers to advise claimants on the status of their claims.
He added that he is working on adding more claims managers to his staff of 14. “We saw the volume coming forward,” he said, “and we knew we had to make some changes both on software and personnel.”
As soon as the software changes are tested and finalized, he added, his staff will be better able to ease the backlog.
“We are hoping this will knock down on the anxiety caused by our backlog and e-mails,” Whitley said. “We are really working through those and trying to focus exclusively on claims clearing.”
The deadline to submit Stop Loss pay claims is Oct. 21.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg serves in the Defense Media Activity’s emerging media directorate.)
Sears Heroes at Home program
After some requests from readers, I did some checking. Sears announced on their FaceBook Page that due to a very large response, they reached their 20,000 person limit very early, and have closed the registration. I’m sorry, I wish we could have found out better news for you.
LAW
Happy Thanksgiving
From the authors on ParentsZone to you – we wish you a peaceful, happy and wonderful Thanksgiving. We are thankful for you, our readers; we are thankful for the men and women of the Armed Forces who are not home today; who are sitting in messhalls and FOBS and on ships around the world, eating their Thanksgiving dinner and wishing they were home.
LAW
Welcome Back Veterans Video Thanks
http://www.welcomebackveterans.org/thanks
Hope you can take a second to take a look and join the movement.
Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay
What is it?
Soldiers, veterans and survivors of those whose service was involuntarily extended under Stop Loss between September 11, 2001 and September 30, 2008 can apply to receive $500 for every month, or portion of a month, they served under Stop Loss. The 2009 War Supplemental Appropriations Act established and largely funded the payment for all military services, but dictated that each service process and pay their own applicants. The Army estimates that 136,000 of the approximately 174,000 eligible servicemembers served in the Army.
What has the Army done?
The Army has created an application process for active-and-reserve component Soldiers, veterans, and survivors of Soldiers to process claims for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay. By law, the Army can only accept claims between October 21, 2009 and October 21, 2010. Eligible candidates must submit their request within this time frame, or the Army will not be able to process their request. The Army has set up an email address to field questions people have regarding the benefit.
How can people apply?
Candidates for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay must submit a claim at Retroactive Stop Loss Web site . This Web site is the preferred method for submitting applications; however, other means for doing so, such as by mail or fax, will be available to those without access to computers. Additional communications will provide instructions for alternative forms of submission. During the application process, candidates will be asked to show documentation that indicates the time they served under Stop Loss. The necessary documentation, depending on their type of service, includes the following:
What continued efforts does the Army have planned for the future?
The Army will review, process and pay qualified candidates as they submit their applications at Retroactive Stop Loss Web site. Candidates who meet the criteria and show the required documentation will receive their retroactive payment in a one lump sum. The Army will not accept applications submitted after October 21, 2010.
Resources: Retroactive Stop Loss Web site
Heroes at Home Wish Registry
Care Packages – From Blue Star Mamaw
Since beginning a new chapter of Blue Star Moms in February of this year, I have learned a lot. We have, as a group, done quite a bit, accomplished more in the past six months then some people do in a year. The support from local communities has been steadily advancing and I am amazed at the generousity of so many.
We recently had our second shipment of Care Packages go out. This time, we were able to send 55 packages to the deployed. The first time is was 22 to deployed Troops and 2 large boxes to the hospital overseas for our wounded. It may not seem like much in comparison to other groups who have been around longer but we are slowly spreading the word that there are needs that we, here at home, take for granted, that are not available to our Troops who are away from home.
Many are aware of our Troops being “down the road” but are unaware that many are still in the “sandbox” and that amazes me. I even had one woman ask me why we would send care packages to the sandbox when none of our Troops were there? Hello….Does no one watch the news or read the newspapers any more? I explained our mission and our goal so that she finally understood and she has now volunteered her services and that of several friends to help with our next packaging. YEA!!
So let me share what happened with our last packaging. One of our Moms has a son serving down the road and he had emailed her with an emergency listing of his Unit’s needs. Just 9 young men, not a tall order for us at all. Basically they were sharing deoderant, as many had run out, had several who never receive anything from home and their room was smelling a bit gamey (I won’t write what he said it actually smelled like-it was very much a guy comment though). smile….
We ended up putting out a call to those who are affiliated with us and the items began pouring in! Soap, toothpaste, Febreze, snacks, shampoo, body wash, M&M’s (a special request), amongst other items. We had calendars donated from a local Hooter’s, DVDs, CDs, books, games and postcards written by many attendees of different events that we collect as we attend. Those items were sent over the day after the packaging but not soon enough. Two of the men in his Unit were unable to enjoy these small bits of home as they did not make it back from a firefight. Another, the M&M requestor, grabbed the extra large bag of M&M’s, went to a corner, sat back and ate the entire bag by himself. He couldn’t get enough of home and the memories this small candy snack brought to him. This made me laugh and cry at the same time. He is only 18 years old and does not receive much, this was the least we could do. He is younger then my youngest son….
The smiles we were able to help create will be a part of us forever, the tears we shed when we receive the pictures back of them smiling with their packages, for the looks on their faces, fall silently and they will never see them rolling down our cheeks.
I sent my son homemade chocolate chip cookies and promised some to another soldier serving in the sandbox. I sent her those as a special treat, from me, Mamaw. I also sent over Cracker Jacks and sunscreen, she looked a little red in her recent photos. When she sent me the pictures of her and her unit with the cookies and the other items they received (we also sent them some care packages), I laughed out loud. Mind you, I was alone, at home, reading emails and posting updates and when I saw those pictures, I was in awe of how much this meant to our soldiers. It only took me a small portion of my day to bake those cookies and a little bit of my lunch hour to send them over to her. Since they were from me to her there was a bit of extra caring put into those cookies and a little bit more of the white chocolate chips too! The pictures of one young female soldier reading a card that was in a care package made me cry. The look on her face, the writing on the card, is visible and moving. The stillness of her composure impacted me in such a way that I have to hold back the tears thinking of her. It is a childs writing, with little flowers drawn on the border, completed with care, respect in the way that only a child can do, with innocence and love, completed without knowing who would be the recipient.
Another portion of our packages were given to a Chaplain as one young man that we had mailed them to did not really understand that he was to hand them out to those who would need them the most. His buddies were laughing when he kept coming back from the post office on base with more and more packages. He thought about it and came up with the idea to take them to the Chaplain so that those young men and women who were in dire need of a little bit of home, in need of an outpouring of love, and needing comfort, in need of knowing that they are indeed supported and thought of, would receive it.
These pictures and notes are not required for us to know that the packages are appreciated, we know, as Moms, that they are. Just like the items sent for the wounded, we knew what they needed because we asked for a list. These items are stored by the Chaplain at the hospital and for those who are in need (and ALL there are in need) can go to the locker area and “go shopping” for their sweats, t-shirts, shoes, flip flops, phone cards, what ever it is that is sent over and kept there for them. We send only new items for them (in all of our packages), they don’t deserve used, they have volunteered to put their lives on the line and we want them to know that we appreciate them.
It’s not about how much you spend or are able to spend, one trip to the Dollar Store can benefit several soldiers. It’s not about receiving kudos for what is sent, it’s knowing in your heart that you helped send a little bit of home and comfort to a Soldier who misses his family as much as they miss him. It’s what you do to show you are thinking of them and that you care.
Mamaw
And – We’re Back
If you were trying to get into PZ and were getting peculiar messages and denied access – someone decided to hack into PZ and trash it. Tech Mama was able to do some sort of magic – and here we are. I think we might be missing some recent posts from a couple of our authors, but I am so happy the rest is here!
So – onwards and upwards. I’ve been on MidTour leave with my husband for two weeks, but now that I’m back, the site is back – we are ready to be here for the Parents of Serving Military and Veterans. Anything you want us to talk about?
LAW
Coupons! More Coupons!
I love coupons, cutting them out and trying to figure out if I’m going to ever use it before it expires.. or putting them into the envelope for the son/DIL [do they still need the diaper one? is the new puppy eating this food?]… Then there’s the pile of we-don’t-use-this or I-don’t-eat-this…. and for some reason, I HATE throwing them out. Maybe the penny pinching bit of my brain that I inherited from my grandmother is popping up!
Our own TechMama reminded me of what I used to do with those old ones. She posted about sending coupons, including expired ones, overseas to military families. The commissaries overseas will accept expired coupons! So think about it, next Sunday when you are cutting out those few you use, start an envelope for the overseas families. Go through your envelope for the ones that you didn’t use before they expired and put those in. Every penny helps, and for a lot of those families, the spouse hasn’t been able to find a job to supplement the family income (which they may have had here in CONUS).
Here are some articles and sites who will send coupons. There are church groups who collect, military spouse groups, offices and book clubs and online groups.
Overseas Coupon Project
Start Cutting!
LAW
