America Supports You E-Newsletter 010308

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January 3, 2008

E-Newsletter Volume CXLII

San Antonio, Tex.

ASY corporate supporter USAA’s employees gathered to record a holiday salute video to members of the Armed Forces and their families. Photo courtesy of USAA.

Camp Buehring, Kuwait

Servicemembers enjoy some Christmas spirit thanks to a partnership between the local Officers’ Spouses’ Club and Bank of America Military Segment. Bank of America provided support for festivities that included a tree-lighting ceremony, stockings full of gifts and food. Courtesy photo.

Fort Worth, Tex.

Lt. General John F. Regni, superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy, speaking at the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl pre-game press conference. In the fifth annual Bowl event, Air Force Academy played against University of California Berkeley.

ASY from Coast to Coast and Across the Ocean
ASY corporate supporter USAA spread holiday cheer to servicemembers and their families, posting a holiday salute to our servicemembers on their Web site. More than 700 employees shared their personal messages to the troops on the Web site as well. In addition to USAA’s special holiday shout out, the company partnered with the Valero Alamo Bowl and provided 2,000 tickets for military members to attend the sold-out December 29 bowl game featuring Penn State and Texas A&M. USAA distributed tickets to San Antonio’s military installations as a way to thank those who serve our country with the chance to attend the much-anticipated football event. “We can never thank the troops enough for all they do,” said Dick Laporte, a retired Air Force chief master sergeant and a senior military affairs representative for USAA. “The least we can do to show our gratitude is to give them a chance to sit back and enjoy themselves.”

Bank of America Military Segment presents a $10,000 check to Jack Ahart, director of the Charlotte USO. The donation helped support “Operation Exodus” held at the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport for homeward bound troops. Courtesy photo by Bank of America Military Segment.


Bank of America made the holidays brighter this year for many servicemembers and their families. The ASY corporate supporter sent gifts and 1,000 Christmas stockings to troops stationed at Camp Buehring, Kuwait where an early December tree-lighting ceremony took place. The Christmas tree was decorated with ornaments sent by U.S. governors. “The troops were pleasantly surprised to have a break from the high operational tempo and to have the holiday spirit alive,” said Jo Amato, with the Officers’ Spouse Club of Kuwait. “Having been deployed myself on numerous occasions while in the Navy, I know what it means to be away from family during the holidays,” said Pat Rainey, a Bank of America Military Segment executive. “It is our hope that Bank of America’s contribution to the troops in Kuwait will help make their time away from home a little brighter.” Camp Buehring, the Army’s permanent aviation base camp in Kuwait, located 15 miles from the Iraq border, is home to tens of thousands of troops. The corporation further added to holiday cheer by presenting a $10,000 check to Jack Ahart, director of the Charlotte USO on Dec. 19. The donation supported “Operation Exodus” held at the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport where approximately 1,200 Soldiers from Fort Jackson, S.C., flew home for Christmas. Read More

ASY homefront group Give 2 The Troops hosted an on-site display at the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl where comfort items donated by football fans were collected for care packages for servicemembers. Shown are Rick Collins, director Texas branch, Give 2 The Troops and Dawn Blazier, assistant treasurer Texas branch, Give 2 The Troops.

The America Supports You logo is displayed on the field for the fifth annual Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl.

ASY corporate supporter Bell Helicopter joined forces with America Supports You homefront group Give 2 The Troops to support our military members and their families at the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. A pep rally took place on December 30th at the Armed Forces Adventure Zone, which included displays of military vehicles and aircraft. Almost 41,000 fans filled Amon G. Carter Stadium to watch the Air Force Falcons battle the UC-Berkeley Golden Bears. The game was part of two days devoted to honoring servicemembers. Bell Helicopter, sponsor of the Bowl, established a collection point for donation of items for Give 2 The Troops. Bell also donated 1,000 tickets to the first 1,000 people who dropped off donations. Armed Forces Aventure Zone attendees had the chance to fly simulated Navy fighter aircrafts, try on Amy gear, steer a Coast Guard cutter and challenge a Marine to a pull-up competition. As game time approached, fans were treated to a parachute demonstration by the Air Force Academy's parachute team “Wings of Blue,” with one member carrying the America Supports You flag and flyovers by Army and Marine combat helicopters and an Air Force B-1 bomber. Each service branch was honored with military bands playing their official songs during the game. Halftime’s highlight was the presentation of the Great American Patriot Award to Secretary of the Army Preston “Pete” Geren. Immediately after receiving his award, Secretary Geren administered the oath of enlistment to 125 recruits representing all branches of the military. After shaking hands with the recruits, Geren noted that “…it’s always inspiring to see fine young men and women step up and join our military.”

U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Garcia Garcia and his Avionics unit express their excitement over receiving requested thermal underwear from Operation Stocking Stuffer.

Operation Stocking Stuffer made sure that their holiday stockings reached servicemembers in time for Christmas! The family of the homefront group’s founder Julie Ann Ivanov spent Christmas Eve at a VA nursing home, delivering
stockings to the patients.


Featured on the ASY Web Site Last Week:
Wounded EOD Warrior Foundation
"Wounded EOD Warrior Foundation is dedicated to helping our wounded explosive ordnance disposal technicians and their families in their greatest time of need…. We are hoping to relieve some of the financial stress involved when a loved one is injured, (and) we also believe that having family present is an integral part of the healing process.”
- Sherri Beck, President, Wounded EOD Warrior Foundation

Veterans’ Families United Foundation
“This project … operates on the premise that prevention and intervention for servicemembers who present with post-traumatic stress disorder and other related mental health problems after they return from active duty, is more honoring, hope-filled and ultimately more cost effective than a lifetime of disability. We believe that many of the serious mental health problems (servicemembers face) could be prevented through an appropriate, tiered readjustment period.”
- Cynde Collins-Clark, Founder and Executive Director, Veterans’ Families United Foundation

ASY In the News
Vertical Magazine (Canada) ran information on the partnership between ASY corporate Supporter Bell Helicopter and ASY homefront group Give 2 The Troops for the fifth annual Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. Blackanthem.com covered the work ASY homefront group Operation Military Embrace has been doing making weekly visits to servicemembers recovering at Brooke Army Medical Center, on Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and their families since December 2005.
Muncie Free Press (Ind.), reported on the 3,000 volunteers who traveled to Arlington National Cemetery to spread the ASY spirit over the holidays, laying more than 10,000 balsam fir wreaths with blazing red bows on graves.
ASY Homefront Organization of the Week:
Operation Stars and Stripes was founded in memory of Major George Thompson in May, 2001. The organization is dedicated to supporting America’s military families at home and abroad and accomplishes this mission through providing individual servicemembers with requested letters and/or packages. The group also provides support to platoons, companies and units upon request. To date, Operation Stars and Stripes has sent over 20,000 packages to our nation’s heroes. The group supported our servicemembers over the holidays by sending stockings filled with necessary items and holiday cheer. To learn more, check out: http://www.operationstarsandstripes.com/

From the Troops:
“For you ladies and gentlemen of (A Soldier’s Wish List), going about your daily routine, we may not be able to show it by sending a thank you each time a package is received, but please know this: In the midst of battle and strife, dust
storms and long days on watch, not a moment goes by that we do not
appreciate the thoughtful gifts and prayers from the real America - its
people.”
- From a Marine who received holiday care packages from A Soldier’s Wish List

“Greetings from Iraq! I just wanted to thank all of you who are supporting all the troops. It means so much to know there are people who are right beside us…. When we receive your appreciation it makes us feel a little bit more at home. I hope you all realize how much it really does mean. “
- A1C, USAF Amy M. Ransier, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.

Our troops deserve to be applauded, and so do you!

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