Answer here.
Happy Mothers Day to all military moms!
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WHOOHOO!
Update: Golf ran late, so NBC bumped the show in our area (if they ran it at all) but...
SOLDIERS' ANGELS FOUNDER WINS!Patti Patton-Bader Named "America's Favorite Mom"
May 11, 2008, PASADENA, CA -Soldiers' Angels founder Patti Patton-Bader was named "America's Favorite Mom" in a primetime television show Sunday night on NBC. Sponsored by Teleflora and hosted by Donnie and Marie Osmond, the show highlighted fifteen outstanding mothers who had distinguished themselves in categories ranging from Working Moms to Military Moms and "Non-Mom" Moms.
Humbled by the honor, Patton-Bader is thrilled to be able to use it to continue the Soldiers' Angels mission of "May No Soldier Go Unloved." As the grand prize winner, she will receive $250,000, a set of household appliances, and other valuable items. Patton-Bader hopes to apply the winnings to her plans for a small ranch that will allow newly returned soldiers to relax with their families after deployments.
"I really am lucky to know so many heroes in my life," said Patton-Bader, who herself has two sons in the Army, one currently deployed to Iraq. "Whether they are the troops who serve our country or the amazing mothers here on this America's Favorite Mom program, I am honored to be in the presence of such inspirational people and also am humbled to know that America thinks the same of me."
Patton-Bader is also excited about the opportunities this platform gives her to help people learn more about America's military heroes and options for supporting them and their families. The attention she has received through the America's Favorite Mom events has already drawn a number of new volunteers who want to use their talents and connections to help support the troops.
In a nationwide online poll last March, Patton-Bader was voted "America's Most Inspirational Mom" after having been nominated by her eldest son for founding and leading Soldiers' Angels. On May 5, 2008 she appeared on the Today show as one of three selected finalists in the "Favorite Military Mom" category. A nationwide online poll was again conducted, and the results were announced on May 11, 2008 with Patton-Bader being named winner in both the "Favorite Military Mom" and "America's Favorite Mom" categories. More information is available at www.americasfavoritemom.com.
Soldiers' Angels is a grassroots 501(c)(3) non-profit comprised of around 200,000 volunteers in over twenty different teams and programs with unique and effective ways to support members of the U.S. military. Soldiers' Angels operates internationally to provide letters, care packages, and comfort items to the deployed, and support for their families at home. They also provide assistance to the wounded, continuing support for veterans, remembrances and comfort for families of the fallen, and immediate response to unique difficulties. For more information, see www.soldiersangels.org or call (615) 676-0239.
America's Favorite Mom was presented by NBC Television and Teleflora, America's leading source of hand-arranged floral bouquets, plants, and gift baskets. For more information, see www.americasfavoritemom.com.
"May no soldier go unloved, may no soldier walk alone, may no soldier be forgotten, until they all come home." ~ Patti Patton-Bader.
In addition to the many reasons they give for Webb's bill being the more desirable for the troops (and veterans) I'd add one they neglected - the last minute Republican alternative doesn't stand a snowball's chance in Baghdad.
I've been following this story...
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Answer here.
Happy Mothers Day to all military moms!
]]>However, they do have one remaining hope - Barack Obama can heal them (yes, even the dead ones) simply by the laying on of hands.
More here (including a test to see if you are brain damaged.)
]]>The U.S. military has, since 2001, cremated some of the remains of American service members killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere at a Delaware facility that also cremates pets, a practice that ended yesterday when the Pentagon banned the arrangement."Lowest bidder".]]>The facility, located in an industrial park near Dover Air Force Base, has cremated about 200 service members, manager David A. Bose estimated last night. It uses separate crematories a few feet apart to cremate humans and animals, he added, insisting that there had "not been any people gone through the pet crematory."
Pentagon officials said they do not think that human remains and animal remains were ever commingled at the facility. "We have absolutely no evidence whatsoever at this point that any human remains were at all ever mistreated," Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said at a news conference hastily convened last night.
Regardless, the Pentagon will no longer permit crematories not located with funeral homes to handle the remains of U.S. troops, defense officials said.
Officials said they do not know the number of service members cremated at the Kent County facility, which is identified on a billboard as Friends Forever Pet Cremation Service.
If not, blogger Bill Ardolino is first.
]]>I never tripped over a rucksack or knew the words to the Army song.
I didn't worry whether or not my child could shoot or had "zeroed up".
I never imagined saying, "Good job!" when my child told me he had jumped out of a perfectly good airplane... or when he qualified with a grenade launcher.
I could not have told you the difference between division, brigade, regiment, battalion, company, platoon or squad.
I cheered for Navy.
Before I was a Soldier's Mom
I never looked into a soldier's eyes and cried.
I didn't understand "HOOAH".
I never imagined I could be so gloriously happy over a simple "Hey, Ma."
Before I was a Soldier's Mom
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.
I never sat up late staring at a computer screen or woke in the middle of the night just to check if the computer and cell phone were working.
Before I was a Soldier's Mom
I never knew that so few words could affect my life so deeply: Deployment. Bradley. Wounded. and I never knew the alphabet could rob me of breath: OIF. IED. RPG. WIA. KIA.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop my child's hurt.
I didn't weep at the sound of "Taps", the National Anthem or "American Soldier".
I never held back a scream or had my knees go weak at an unexpected knock at the door.
Before I was a Soldier's Mom
I never had so many sisters! (and brothers) nor so many sons and daughters!
I never felt fear so completely.... and
I never felt such pride.
x-posted at Some Soldier's Mom
]]>Read this, too:
Yesterday someone called to say goodbye to my husband before he left, not knowing that he'd been bumped forward. And in the conversation, this person asked if my husband thinks that being in Iraq is worth it, if his job means anything, and if he thinks we should've gone there in the first place. How do you answer that question 1) politely and 2) succinctly? And then what do you do when that person says, "Well, I don't think it was the right idea in the first place"?Sarah was one of the first spouse milbloggers - she's been there and done that before. ]]>
There are two sets of paperwork sitting on my desk just now. One is a packet of documents formalizing an offer of post-naval employment. The other is a packet of documents that will end my active service. I can’t seem to make a start on either of them.I know the feeling.
The job of "highest ranking active duty milblogger" - with all the associated perks, will pass on. (Except for the reserved parking space near the front at all official functions.)
]]>"It is not the government who pressured the Sadrists into entering this agreement," said Ali al Adeeb, a leading member of the Dawa party. "It is the pressure from the people inside Sadr City and from their own people that will make them act more responsibly."The competition was tough, that was hard to nail down, so read the whole thing.
Previous 'money quote' post here.
Update: You really have to read that whole link - it's amazing good news, especially coming from McClatchy, the most virulent "anti-war" news group in America. But because it is McClatchy, there's at least a feeble attempt to downplay the significance of this story, which means that in addition to a "money quote" its got some "funny quotes":
It also would be a startling turnaround in fortunes for Maliki, who'd been widely criticized for picking a fight with Sadr's forces, first in the southern port city of Basra and then in Sadr City.An odd description, since the Iraqi Army actually won a hard fought battle in Basra. But according to McClatchy, they didn't - the Sadrists simply "ceded their areas":
But after initially resisting Maliki's offensive, the Sadrists ceded their areas, and the change in atmosphere has been palpable.Much in the same way the Japanese "ceded" Iwo Jima.
Inexplicably, this factual paragraph comes from the same story:
The Mahdi Army, and the Sadr movement in general, has been losing support in the past two months in the face of a government offensive intended to force the militia from its controlling positions in Basra and Sadr City.So maybe the "startling turnaround in fortunes for Maliki" bit is a fabrication inserted for journalistic "balance."]]>
What are ya'll still doing here?, Get over there and buy that man a drink.
WELCOME HOME SIR, AND THANK YOU FOR A JOB WELL DONE.
]]>Since the Army was kind enough to send me an invitation to go back to Operation Iraqi Freedom, I decided to R.S.V.P. to it by writing a little Op-Ed piece about it for the San Francisco Chronicle.I guess meeting recruiting and retention goals isn't enough.]]>
Or not.
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