New Angel PSA!

Soldiers’ Angels announces production of a beautiful new Public Service Announcement (PSA), a gift from Georgia businessman Jerry Hall.

Professionally produced by Terry Tucker of Freestyle Productions in Tallahassee, FL, the 30-second spot features the story of Brian Hall (not related to Jerry), a medic who served in the Iraq war and suffered Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) from an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). The PSA highlights Angel projects for the wounded, as well as the personal attention and individual care that Angel volunteers provide to each wounded hero they encounter. “They treat you like a person,” Hall says.

Jerry Hall, owner of Assured Comfort Heating & Air in Winston, GA has been a longtime supporter of Angel Diane Moore’s annual Christmas project, which sends up to 20,000 Christmas stockings to deployed troops. This spring, Hall decided to donate a portion of his company’s annual TV advertising budget by having a new Soldiers’ Angels PSA produced.

Background music for the PSA is Darkest Hour, a song written and performed by Georgia musician Brian Collins as a tribute to fallen American military heroes. He provided it at no cost, and has produced a music video of the song on YouTube that directs viewers to Soldiers’ Angels. Collins has also coordinated with Moore to have Soldiers’ Angels volunteers at his concerts collect signed cards for deployed troops.

Distribution is in the early stages, but thanks to the efforts of Tucker, Comcast is already including it in their PSA feeds and it is airing in Florida.

Our National Guard at Work

On April 17th, after we had taken the Soldiers' Angels booth down (high winds and no crowds), I was able to walk around to the static displays of the National Guard helicopters. In talking to one of the crew for the UH-60 Black Hawk belonging to the Texas Army National Guard, I learned it was currently configured for fighting fires. It was equipped with a hoist and a very large, soft-sided "bucket" that would hold either 600 or 6000 (don't recall which he said) gallon of water. He also said you'd be surprised at where they can find the water: rivers, lakes, stock ponds...

Then, I saw this story at the defense.gov website:

National Guard Responds to Texas Wildfires

National Guard Bureau

ARLINGTON, Va., April 18, 2011 – National Guard members from four states today are supporting civil authorities in Texas as they battle more than 30 wildfires threatening lives and property.

Drought conditions have caused a reported 32 wildfires in Texas, National Guard officials reported.

Under the direction of the Joint Forces Air Component Commander for Air Forces Northern based at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., four C-130 Hercules aircraft equipped with firefighting capabilities are responding to the Texas wildfires.

Texas National Guard members are supporting civilian authorities with personnel and four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters using buckets to drop water in multiple counties, officials reported.

The C-130s are basing operations at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas.

Two of the four aircraft are from the California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing, a third is from the Wyoming National Guard’s 153rd AW and a fourth is from North Carolina’s 145th AW.

California and North Carolina are providing additional support aircraft, officials reported.

All are expected to arrive today to begin firefighting operations.

The Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, or MAFFS, is a self-contained, reusable aerial firefighting system loaded into the cargo bay of a C-130 aircraft, which effectively turns the airplanes into aerial firefighting tankers.

Officials said the system can discharge 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in less than five seconds, covering an area one-quarter of a mile long by 60 feet wide. Once the load is discharged, it can be refilled in less than 12 minutes.

Typically, the aircraft will spray along the leading edge of a fire in order to check its advance. The fire retardant has fertilizer mixed in to promote re-growth in a burned area.

If needed, MAFFS aircraft can spray water directly onto a fire.

Four Air National Guard and U.S. Air Force Reserve units operate MAFFS.

To help prevent the spread of fires, two additional MAFFS currently flying missions from Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas, to Coahuila, Mexico, also are releasing fire retardant in Texas until the four relief C-130s arrive.

The MAFFS is owned by the U.S. Forest Service, one of several federal and state government agencies and organizations with roles and responsibilities in fire-suppression operations that comprise the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.

The Defense Department is flying at the request of the fire center, officials said. The center requests MAFFS assistance only after committing all other aerial firefighting resources to a fire emergency.

Texas has been under a state emergency declaration since Dec. 21, 2010, because of extremely dry weather and wildfires, officials reported. The declaration makes all state resources available to the Texas Emergency Management Agency.

The Texas wildfire support is one of numerous current National Guard domestic and overseas operations, officials reported. Currently, Guard members are providing flood support in Minnesota and North Dakota, protecting critical infrastructure in New York, supporting the Deepwater Horizon oil spill recovery in Louisiana and fulfilling other domestic missions.

In addition to local responses, the Guard is involved in counterdrug operations and ongoing Southwest border operations in support of the U.S. Border Patrol.

Meanwhile, more than 45,000 Guard members are currently serving in Afghanistan, the Balkans, Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, the Sinai Desert and elsewhere.

Save Money - Support Angels

Thanks to TexasGivesBack.com, patriotic, savvy shoppers in the San Antonio area and across the country can get huge deals for local and national products/services while supporting Soldiers' Angels at the same time.

Texas Gives Back sells Groupon-style deals and donates 7% of sales to the San Antonio charity of the customer's choice. Since San Antonio is the home of the Soldiers' Angels Support Center and warehouse, it's the perfect opportunity to Support Soldiers' Angels while saving money!

Though focused on San Antonio, Texas Gives Back often includes regional and national chains in their Daily Deals. For more information, see TexasGivesBack.com and be sure to select Soldiers' Angels as your designated charity to support with TGB's donation!

Clay Hunt, USMC, RIP

I know this is short notice, but if anyone in the Houston area would like to attend a memorial service for Marine veteran Clay Hunt, member of Team Rubicon, the service is at 11am today, Aprili 4th,at the United Methodist Church, 12955 Memorial Drive, Houston. If you are unfamiliar with Clay, you can read more at the links below: Blackfive: Godspeed Clay Hunt Team Rubicon: Clay Hunt Remembered From Ballet to Bullets and Back: His death will not be in vain Team Rubicon has aet up the Clay Hunt Memorial Fund. They family has asked that in lieu of traditional remembrances, donations be made in Clay's name to either Team Rubicon or Ride2Recovery. If you are able to attend and you would like to share your experience, please let us know.

Update 4/8/11 Matt Burden (Soldiers' Angels trustee) over at Blackfive linked to a guest post he did over at the U.S. Naval Institute blog that included the following video tribute to Clay:

Save a Military Family with a Book?

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This unit is facing an unusually-challenging reintegration period at the end of their current deployment, but their chaplain has a plan... and he needs some help (click pic to enlarge).

Did you know that you can have a direct role in supporting the marriages and family life of returning heroes under great strain? You can, with a simple book…

“Chaplain H” explains via email to the Chaplain Support Team (CST),

“I am starting to work on some family reintegration programming and need some help acquiring a significant amount of books in order to facilitate a quality program that would provide the greatest opportunity for families to reconnect in a healthy manner. I know this is a large request below, but I am not expecting all of it. I am though merely setting my long range goal in this department.

Our unit is in a tough spot on this issue, with the stressors of redeployment and instant reassignment. The story will go something like this. The unit gets home mid-summer at Fort _________ and is expected to PCS to Fort _________ by September 1, 2011. Moreover, the School District will start classes around 15 August, which will increase the rush to get to the new duty assignment.

The list of stressors on our families are redeployment, family reintegration, immediate moving and getting settled. The level of stress that our families will have to endure has the potential to scar and even bring about the destruction of families if the situation is not readily addressed. My solution is as follows:

An extremely large marriage retreat (which is paid for with grant money already procured), family social events, reading materials and books, and some follow up.

Chaplain Harris went on to list eight different books, with copies of 25 to 150 needed for each title. Under the guidance of the CST, over 150 books have been procured so far—including the entire set of 25 for two particular titles—but more help is needed.

CST Leader Dina explains, “If you can buy just one book on this list, it will make a gigantic difference. If you can contact your communities, churches, therapy offices, send email to bookstores requesting even a single book, we can do this to help him. It matters, Angels—every single copy matters. Scour your used bookstores, Goodwill, Salvation Army…blog the need, Facebook the need. ANYTHING will help.”

Anger: Handling a Powerful Emotion in a Healthy Way by Dr. Gary Chapman - 49 Copies still needed

Insiders' Guide to El Paso (Insiders' Guide Series) by Megan Eaves - 113 Copies still needed

Why Marriages Succeed or Fail: And How You Can Make Yours Last by John Gottman - 18 Copies still needed

The Military Marriage Manual: Tactics for Successful Relationships by Janelle Hill - 23 Copies still needed

The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country's Foremost Relationship Expert by John Gottman - 122 Copies still needed

The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts by Gary Chapman - 45 Copies still needed

Please help spread the word—just one single book can have a profound effect on a family and all who know them as they face an unusually challenging post-deployment adjustment period. Wingtip-to-wingtip, Angels can make it happen!

For more info (including shipping instructions and updates on how many copies are needed), email Dina at cst@soldiersangels.org. Project ends in May 2011.

Operation Tenshi Report

From a Soldiers' Angel in Japan...

I just wanted to let you know I received all the boxes for Operation Tenshi. I got the phone call to come pick them up NOW, so off I went.

Our post office is also ran by local Japanese postal workers. When they took me in the back to get the boxes, seven of them escorted me and waited for my response when I saw them. I just smiled, then they asked me, "What are you doing with so many boxes?" I told them that Soldiers' Angels sent these to me to help the victims of the earthquake and tsunami on mainland. They just could not believe it and one of the ladies started to cry. She went to the back and workers told me she just couldn't believe the kindness of Soldiers' Angels and all the Americans that support us. She came back out and hugged me and told me to tell you that she thanks you from the bottom of her heart and will forever be grateful. It was a moment I will never forget. Thank you and the warehouse who worked long and hard. I miss you all and I am singing your praises over here!

Can you hear me....

I just wanted you to know.

Marisa

And here are some of the supplies in action!

"Here are two pics I took as we began to create pallets to load up a flight headed out to Yokota Japan. We received 20 boxes of supplies from Soldiers' Angels. I was able to ship some out directly from the base post office to the MPO in mainland. The other half went to another location where our military are camped."

And from another area that Operation Tenshi is helping...

"I just wanted to send you a few pictures of the Stork's Nest Pantry. This is the island's version of a Fisher House but for the high risk pregnant military mothers and their familes. There are about 5 or so cottages that support these families and we also have moved more that came in into our temporary housing lodging. As you can see, the pantry is small and bare. We are working to get them the supplies, but buying here in bulk is difficult due to stock availability and transportation [because of the earthquake and tsunami]."

Thank yous from the troops

As many of you know, Soldiers' Angels receives various notes, cards and letters from the troops, saying "Thank You" for the things Soldiers' Angels has been able to do for them. Some of those offers of thanks are shared on the Soldiers' Angels website. That page has recently been updated. Here are a few samples:

I work in the operations center and the coffee pot, 15 travel mugs and 30 bags of coffee are a wonderful complement to our 24-hour operation. You should have seen the attention the coffee pot got!...Thanks again for the wonderful, selfless support from the Soldiers' Angels organization! - MAJ Mahoney in Afghanistan, March 2011

...I am actually a Navy member who is deployed for the 4th time out here in the "Sand Box" and find comfort in knowing that people still care--not just for the mission but for us as people--and my thank go out to you. - HM2 Cook, March 2011

Thanks so much for the package and cards from across the U.S. Your support of the troops means so much. - CPT Lindsay, Mortuary Affairs Office, Khandahar, March 2011

Take the time to read them all.