America Supports You E-Newsletter Wednesday, January 23, 2008

[admin]

Newsletter Archive

Newsletter HTML Version

January 22, 2008

E-Newsletter Volume CXLV

Afghanistan

Utah Army National Guard Sgt. Jill Stevens, Miss Utah in the Miss America pageant, plays with children while serving as a medic in Afghanistan in 2004. Photo courtesy of Sgt. Jill Stevens.

Camp Arifjan, Kuwait

Military personnel line the path to the stage as President Bush addresses them. Photo courtesy of the White House.

Paramus, New Jersey

Carl Banks, New York Giants player # 58, with 20 Steps to a Freedom Walk, written by Joey Rizzolo of America Supports You homefront group Operation Goody Bag. Photo courtesy of Rosa Rizzolo.

IN THIS EDITION:
New York Giants player Carl Banks signs 20 Steps to a Freedom Walk.
America Supports You homefront groups Operation: Care and Comfort and
Operation Gratitude team up to make sure servicemembers are remembered on
Memorial Day.
President Bush thanks troops in Kuwait.
NEW ON THE ASY TEAM:
America Supports You is proud to welcome 3 new homefront organizations to the team this week!
Dive Pirate's Foundation, in The Woodlands, Tex., trains, equips and takes wounded veterans on Caribbean scuba diving trips with certified divers.
Adopt a Unit US, Inc., located in Freeport, N.Y., sends care packages of requested items to servicemembers.
Beanies for Baghdad, Evansville, Ind., distributes toys, school supplies, warm clothing and other needed supplies to servicemembers overseas for distribution to the Iraqi and Afghanistan children whom they encounter.
ASY FROM COAST TO COAST AND ACROSS THE OCEAN:
Army National Guard Sgt. Jill Stevens is a renaissance woman -- combat medic with the Utah Guard; graduate, summa cum laude, Southern Utah University; veteran, Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan; and Miss Utah. On January 26th, the 24-year-old Stevens will add another accomplishment to her name as a contestant in the televised Miss America Pageant in Las Vegas. In her duties as Miss Utah, Stevens has traveled all over the country. In Utah, she shares her America Supports You spirit, talking about her military experiences with students from preschool through college and challenging them to push-up contests. Stevens draws on her Guard experiences when talking to kids, “we have our personal combat zone.... We all have them in life, whether it be with school, family, peer pressure or finding a career. It’s our own minefield and we have to learn to dodge the mines by keeping focus on the target, not doubting ourselves, and believing what our potential is.” “The motto for the American Legion is ‘for God and Country,’ and that’s exactly what Stevens is doing,” says Joe March, the Legion’s public relations director. “She stands as a great example of a proud American who is dedicated not only to her country, but to her community and her comrades.” As she prepares for the contest, Stevens says, “my target is Miss America. The military has taught me if I practice, work hard at it and keep focus on the target, I’ll be ready.” With the help of the American Legion, at least 50 of her fellow soldiers will attend the final night of the pageant at Planet Hollywood on January 26. Read More.
President Bush spread the ASY message during his recent week-long Mideast trip, thanking U.S. troops posted in Kuwait for their service. “I want you to know the American people are mighty proud of you, and so am I,” Bush told servicemembers gathered at Camp Arifjan. “We can’t thank you enough, and we can’t thank your families enough,” the President said to the troops. Soldiers in the Camp Arifjan audience belong to a forward-deployed component of 3rd U.S. Army, based at Fort McPherson, Ga., that supports U.S. Central Command missions in the Mideast region, including anti-terrorism operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bush noted the 3rd Army has a rich history, having been commanded by Army Gen. George S. Patton during his drive through France into Germany during World War II. Just prior to meeting with the troops at Camp Arifjan, Bush met with U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker and Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commanding general of the Multinational Force Iraq. Read More.
New York Giants player #58 Carl Banks recently made Joey Rizzolo, organizer of Paramus, New Jersey’s first America Supports You Freedom Walk, one happy 7th grader. Banks signed Joey's new book 20 Steps to a Freedom Walk with a very nice message, after Joey's mother, Mrs. Rizzolo ran into him unexpectedly at a store. Banks was “very sweet,” said Mrs. Rizzolo, noting he really took time to look at the book. When Joey got home from school and discovered his newly autographed book he exclaimed, “Oh my gosh, a Giants player signed my book!”
America Supports You homefront organizations Operation: Care and Comfort and Operation Gratitude are collaborating to ship 210,000 special “Bear Hug” gifts to servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan in time for Memorial Day. This online campaign, dubbed “Bear Hug a U.S. Soldier” kicked off January 21st. An additional 90,000 “Bear Hugs” will be distributed to patients in Veterans hospitals throughout the United States. David Hamblett, a retired east coast businessman, developed and financed the campaign. Dave’s goal is two-fold: to get a “Bear Hug” into the hands of every servicemember in Iraq and Afghanistan and to raise money for Operation: Care and Comfort and Operation Gratitude.

FEATURED ON THE ASY WEB SITE LAST WEEK:
Lost and Found Inc.
“Many military troops and their families are stationed far away from their families of origin. At Lost and Found Inc., these individuals will find a family spirit.... By networking directly with Homefront Heroes, another military outreach nonprofit (organization), Lost and Found Inc. will make sure each troop and his (or) her family receives all the services they need.”
-- Linda Olson, Development Manager, Lost and Found Inc.

Gold Star Siblings
“There has never been an organization just for siblings (of servicemembers who have died).... Our goal is to become one voice, to reach out and help the ones trying to deal with such a traumatic loss.”
-- Karen A. Hickman, Founder, Gold Star Siblings, Inc.

ASY IN THE NEWS:
The Guard Experience reported on the efforts of America Supports You homefront groups across the nation in sending Valentines to the troops. The article mentions the year-long ASY calendar as a resource for thinking of ways to support U.S. servicemembers and their families. Edwardsville.com mentioned the America Supports You Web site as resource for finding ways to support U.S. military members.
eMilitary.org covered the work ASY homefront group Gold Star Siblings Inc. does supporting the siblings of deceased servicemembers.
ASY HOMEFRONT ORGANIZATION OF THE WEEK:
North Carolina Heroes Fund was established to support servicemembers from North Carolina or stationed at one of North Carolina’s many military bases. The organization provides direct payments to these individuals to assist them with financial burdens. Support may also come in the form of coordination of volunteer efforts. The Fund also helps military family members and dependents providing them with cash payments or scholarships. Academic scholarships will be available, as resources allow, to dependents of North Carolina’s fighting men and women, particularly children whose parents were killed in action defending our nation in hostile locations. To learn more, go to: http://www.ncheroes.org/

FROM THE TROOPS:
“I just wanted to offer a big 'thank you' for all your kind words and encouragement. It meant a lot to our sailors when we were deployed to Kuwait and to all of here in Japan. God Bless you all!”
-- LT, Navy, Troy Baumann, Walnut Grove, Minn.

“Thanks for the support. People never realize how much it means.”
-- SSgt, USAF, David Blaufuss, Prophetstown, Ill.
ASY REMINDER:
With January coming to an end, don’t forget to resolve to download the ASY New Year’s Resolution Calendar. The calendar will automatically remind you how you can support our troops every day. Download the calendar here.

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

Join the Team!
Click Here for America Supports You E-Newsletter HTML Version
Subscribe to the America Supports You E-Newsletter
Unsubscribe