19 posts tagged “support the troops”
My dear friend and great troop supporter, Donna, was a volunteer for Operation Comfort's annual surf outing over the Labor Day weekend. She sent me the link to this video:
Donna has volunteered at these surfing outings before and always reports that they are incredibly well received and successful. Thanks, Donna, for giving of you time again. You're a great American - as are all of those around the nation who volunteer on behalf of our Wounded Warriors each day.
Operation Comfort has many outreach programs for the Wounded and their families at BAMC. Surfing, automotivation, hand cycling and bike riding, rafting, snow skiing, sled hockey, softball and their Soldier Family Assistance Program. I hope you will check out there site and give them some support.
HOOAH Operation Comfort. And THANK YOU to my friend Donna for being there over Labor Day and EVERY day.
Thanks to my great friends at Delta Air Lines I was able to hop over to Atlanta for the day on Friday to spend a few hours with kev before he headed back to Iraq after R & R. Although it was a 21 hour day and I'm beginning to feel old I'd do it over again without a second thought.
Up at 0400 for an 0720 flight. When I got to the airport the flight scheduled to leave at 0600 was delayed until 0730. kev and I don't have a good track record for flights working out when I'm flying on these space available flights. But...GOOD NEWS! Seats available on the 0600 delayed flight and one had my name on it. Boo Yah
Made it to ATL about 4 hours before kev so I started Concourse Cruising. Something I've done for years since I'm through the ATL airport so frequently. Concourse Cruising? Walking up and down the concourses saying "thank you" to all of the men and women in uniform who are passing through for R&R. One of my favorite things to do aside from getting to say "thank you" is to offer my cell phone for them to make a call home. Whether they are just landing for R&R or on their way back to theater, most don't have a phone to make that "I'm here" or one last "I love you" call. So I hand over the phone and take a few steps away but always seem to hear the "Mom, I'm in Atlanta" followed by (in a much higher pitch) "you and dad coming to pick me up? OK. I'll see you soon!" And then there is the SMILE when they come to hand the phone back. Ahhhhhhhhhh I am so very fortunate.
kev's plane landed on time but I think he must have been in the very last row. Golly it was good to see him walk off of that plane. Those of you who know me well will be disappointed to read (as kev was just as surprised) that I did not give him my "normal" kev hug. Too many people around. I know, what's up with that? - me being shy? But I just couldn't. Sorry GN. He was, however, looking smokin' hot!
I know I'm probably boring the heck out of all of you by now but there's a reason for it. GN's waiting to see photos and I'm attempting to stall her from that (although she's probably scrolling down by now).
Since kev couldn't drink (Damn General Order #1) we hit our second best option - Starbucks
How's that shot GN? Oh yeah!
Then kev indulged me with this pose. Thanks kev.
Well anyway we just hung out all afternoon. We didn't do anything exciting but getting to spend time with my dear friend kev is enough any day. We considered filming a freefly to post on Blackfive but kev wasn't really "feeling it." Sorry JihadGene - we did talk about you though. Oh, and JG - there were no sheep present in Atlanta. SWEAR.
When they called boarding for his rank I just hated it. Then I realized about a billion people got in line to board and for a few minutes I held out hope that they wouldn't have enough seats. (Hey, a girl can dream - the line went forever).
And a limo can only hold so many people. Right?
It was inevitable. kev had to board. One. Ok, two. Well, maybe three last hugs and off he went.
But he'll be home soon and we'll have that car bomb or several because....it's tradition!
Love you kev. Be safe!
I took the train over to B Concourse and hopped a ride back to Memphis. Home around midnight. Yeah, long day but so worth it.
I'm long overdue in posting this. I promised more photos a couple of weeks ago. Well, I'm taking the easy way out. Time seems to be my enemy right now. Not sure I know too many people who don't feel the same way.
So wander on over to the USO Girls blog to read their version of the weekend and see the pics.
If the economy was in the tank I just might consider selling my house and moving down to Texas so I could hang with the USO Girls and our troops EVERY WEEKEND. Definitely an experience I'll never forget, highly recommend and plan on repeating.
OK, OK....here are a couple of photos from their site just to peak your interest.
The first photo was on Friday night when Jamie, Caroline and I were out "prepping" for the weekend. I know, I know, at age 50 what was I thinking? I did it for kev. Nothing I wouldn't do for kev. AND...I stayed on for the 8 second time limit. HOOAH!
Caroline was a BEAST when it came to my cleaning detail at the DFW USO. Geez Caroline - a toothbrush? Give me a break will ya?
As Paul Harvey (may he rest in peace) would say...for the rest of the story head on over the The USO Girls blog
From defenselink
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| Biographies: Army Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Loree K. Sutton Related Sites: Related Articles: |
Tens of thousands have TBI, officials say
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Mar 4, 2009 19:09:56 EST
As Army officials announced the beginning of Brain Injury Awareness Month, they offered up a figure that makes it hard to believe anyone in the military could be unaware of the problem:
Between 45,000 and 90,000 troops have been treated for traumatic brain injury symptoms ranging from headaches to vision problems to an inability to function beyond a coma state.
Brig. Gen. Loree Sutton, director of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, said between 10 percent and 20 percent of soldiers and Marines — about 180,000 people — have screened positive for TBI.
Yet military doctors still fight a culture in which some troops believe they can head right back into the fight after being exposed to a blast — even though high school football players know better than to play again for a few days — and commanders may decide to risk sending someone outside the wire after an injury because there aren’t enough people to make up a patrol team.
Experts at the U.S. Military Academy have said it’s important for someone who has suffered even mild TBI to avoid the risk of re-injuring the brain — especially the not-yet-fully-grown brain of someone younger than 24 — because a second injury can lead to permanent damage or even death.
Declaring March as Brain Injury Awareness Month serves as a reminder to troops to watch out for themselves and each other. A brain injury results from a blow to the head or from the waves of a blast from an explosive device. Any altered state — passing out for a few seconds or minutes, dizziness or a foggy memory — constitutes an injury, and they range from mild, or a concussion, to severe.
Symptoms that can last hours, days or years include loss of balance, short-term memory loss, vision problems, tinnitus or ringing in the ears, headaches, seizures, irritability, sleep problems, or an inability to concentrate.
Sutton said the symptoms usually go away on their own, especially if troops “allow themselves to get the rest that they need.”
If the problems don’t go away, doctors can treat the symptoms with medications and therapy.
Sutton stressed that 80 percent to 85 percent of TBIs are categorized as “mild,” but even mild TBI can cause headaches, vision problems and short-term memory loss.
However, she said people are much more likely to quickly recover from a mild injury. More than half of such injuries come from explosions.
About half the service members who screen positively for TBI recover on their own, while one-fourth recover with the help of treatment and one-fourth need specialty care.
Over the past year, Sutton said the military has begun doing a better job of screening service members in the field so exposures to blasts or blows can be recorded and treated.
The Defense and Veteran’s Brain Injury Center also has increased its network of civilian and military doctors and therapists to come up with better treatments and screening methods. Troops also have begun taking the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metric, which gives doctors baseline information on a person’s cognitive skills before an injury occurs.
The new National Intrepid Center of Excellence, which is expected to open next year in Bethesda, Md., will specialize in TBI and psychological health issues.
Last year, the Army spent $242 million on care for TBI, according to Lt. Col. Lynn Lowe, chief of the operations branch proponency office for rehabilitation and reintegration in the office of the Army Surgeon General.
Those with questions about TBI or any psychological health issue can call the Army’s outreach center at (866) 966-1020.
As you watch this video PLEASE think about the fact that these men are about to go through winter over there. They will be hiking and living in the same conditions but with below freezing temperatures and snow. Please join us in supporting them by sending over thermal underwear and other winter gear. Contact me at tankerbabelc@gmail.com if you can help in ANY way.
