Quite A Week In November

I’m often asked how this all happened, this thing called USA Cares, but last week was one of those weeks where I almost have to pinch myself and I still don't have a good answer.

Sunday, I saw somewhere over 22 square miles of beautiful homes, shops and golf courses, in a little place in central Florida called The Villages. I’ve see the commercials a hundred times, we flew into Leesburg and met some wonderful people were so encouraging about wanting to do something for USA Cares and listening to their story of running a small business and raising a handful of kids and now grandkids and want to thank those other “kids” who are standing tall in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The next evening, in Amway Coliseum, prior to a basketball game with the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Bobcats, I was nearly 40 young Americans standing tall in formation in center court. Both Marine and Army recruits stood in the full light and admirations of a growing crowd and watched them take the oath of enlistment from an Army Captain.

These young men and women joined the military of a nation at war. They volunteered to serve for anywhere from four to six years and undoubtedly will spend part of their tours in harm’s way. Words here cannot convey the emotions that Jim and I felt at that moment, and why for the past nearly seven years, USA Cares has been at the center of our lives. These “kids”, these young men and women deserve the very best that our nation can provide, both from the government and from citizens.

Monday was also another first for me personally, besides seeing my first NBA game (The Magic won the game) Jim and I also found ourselves at 2:28 p.m. looking to the east and seeing the streak of flame and white plumes as the space shuttle Atlantis hurtled toward the heavens. We both experienced the sense of pride that those Americans around us did and my only wish was that more of our citizens would have an opportunity to see the enormous power that our nation had on display.

Back to that evening at the game, we were fortunate to talk to hundreds of military members and their families, introducing USA Cares and hopefully setting the stage to provide assistance if they need it.

We flew back to Louisville the next morning and Wednesday evening I had the privilege for attending the monthly Fort Knox Chapter of MOAA. I learned that one of their long time chapter members, LTC (Retired) Bob Harman had passed away and that the family had designated USA Cares as one of two charities to be considered in lieu of flowers. This is perhaps the 15^th family over the past seven years to designate USA Cares in this fashion, and it is both humbling and moving to be honored in this fashion. On Friday, I attended his service at the Central Kentucky Veterans Cemetery and learned that LTC Harman was a Veteran of both World War II and Korea. I watched a young Major and a Staff Sergeant fold the flag and present it to his widow. What nobody in the audience missed was that both Soldiers had the combat service bars and accompanying personal medals that told us that they had both already served multiple tours.

While I was standing there after the services another retired Veteran who has been a wonderful supporter of USA Cares handed me an envelope and told me that I would save him 44 cents. I later learned that he had handed me an envelope with a $500 donation.

Along the way this week, a volunteer came in and catalogued over 50 new handmade Lapwraps that will be sent out the coming week. Some of them are going to Fort Hood and perhaps some of those wounded by the attack last week. Meanwhile the special fund set up for the Fort Hood Families continued to provide support to families within hours of receiving requests, one within an hour.

These Lapwraps keep coming in, almost daily from all over America, and there are always cards from the donor thanking our servicemen for their service and their sacrifice.

Very humbling, to say the least.

Thank you to the some 4,000 Lapwrap contributors, you are both amazing and inspiring.

We also received over 150 new requests for assistance and issued over $12,000 in support for the week.

Quite a week.

Roger

A Few Good Men

10 January 2009

I had the privilege of watching a scene played out in probably hundreds of locations across America this Saturday. The B Company, 6/52 Aviation Regiment conducted a welcome home ceremony for ten of its soldiers who had returned from duty in Iraq. Some had been home for months, but this seemed to me to be another well meaning effort to let soldiers and their families know that their sacrifice is noted and respected.

The ten aviators who were recognized along with their families all said the same thing, that it wasn’t necessary, but they appreciated it.

Among the ten were two pilots who had each put in over 41 years of service in our nation’s military, both flying not only in Iraq on several tours, but each had Vietnam tours as well as some of the brush wars and the First Gulf War under their belts. Both were equally humble that they were doing what they loved and that they were only sorry that they had reached mandatory retirement age and couldn’t continue to serve. Each had a family wrapped around them, and there was a clear measure of pride in not only the spouses, but of the young men, or not so young, who from a distance you tell they were proud of their dad or granddad.

So on a rainy cold day at Fort Knox in Hanger #1, a small group of soldiers and their families watched as ten more warriors were welcomed home, they received a very nice triangle folded incased flag with a personal message from the Commanding General of the Army Reserve along with his coin. It was clear we all remembered what those who returned from Vietnam received and that seems to be a common theme among my generation that we won’t let it happen again. BG Matia, 11^th Aviation Commander, had it right when he said that honor and dedication is the watchword of those who serve our nation.

I was sorry that there weren’t thousands in attendance but at the same time, this reminded me why USA Cares remains vigilant for those military families who are isolated from the traditional military infrastructure associated with bases like Fort Hood and Fort Bragg. Their war was just as real as those who march home in formations of hundreds if not thousands.

So to Warrant Officers Clark, Crooke, Haberlin, James, Kelly R, Thomas, Schmidt, Stephens, Swanson and Kelly S, welcome home from one old sergeant major and a grateful free citizen.

To CSM Robert Casher, the ceremony was top notch and well done. You have much to be proud of in these warriors.

Roger

USA Cares provides grants to 1,412 Texas military families

USA Cares provides grants to 1,412 Texas military families
More than $500,000 donated to assist those in financial need

RADCLIFF, KY – USA Cares Inc., a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping military families, has donated more than $500,000 over five years to service members living in Texas. The grants were used for getting treatment for wounded soldiers, saving homes from foreclosure, and assisting with basic needs during times of serious financial crisis.

Since 2003, these donations saved 56 Texas military families from losing their home to foreclosure, and overall 1,412 Texas military families have received grants. In 2007, 516 requests came in from Texas. USA Cares has received 438 requests for help in the first seven months of 2008.

“Today’s military families are facing a perfect storm: multiple deployments, rising gas and food prices, the sub-prime mortgage mess, and a struggling economy. Coupled with visible and invisible wounds of war, many families can’t win this battle without our assistance,” Roger Stradley, founder of USA Cares, said. Members of any branch of the military serving post 9/11 and their families can apply for help.

USA Cares has worked with military families since it was founded in 2003. Since then, the organization has responded to over 11,000 requests for help with more than $5 million in direct assistance grants. On the housing front, USA Cares is a recognized leader in mortgage loss prevention assistance for the military. In the future, USA Cares hopes to work with other partners to field a program for post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury victims who lack the financial resources to attend the treatment they need and deserve, ensuring that the service member doesn’t have to choose between groceries or treatment.

Nationally, USA Cares receives more than 100 new requests for assistance a week. Dedicated staff and volunteers work through each one with the determination and commitment to assist these families as quickly as possible. “USA Cares is out there actually providing financial assistance to solve these problems – we’re not just talking about them,” USA Cares Executive Director Bill Nelson said.

For example, in Round Rock, USA Cares paid $500 in rent to keep a family with two children in the home. In Post, the organization negotiated with a mortgage company and paid $7,078.92 to save the family home. And in San Antonio, USA Cares helped with a $500 vehicle payment because the service member had transitioned to active duty from the National Guard and wasn’t paid correctly.

There are eighteen military installations in Texas, including Fort Hood, home of III Corps; Fort Sam Houston, location of the Army Medical Command; Lackland Air Force Base, the only entry processing station for Air Force enlisted basic military training; and Fort Bliss, which is undergoing a $5 billion upgrade to accommodate about 23,000 new troops by 2012 that will include the U.S. 1st Armored Division from Germany.

USA Cares embarked on a national fundraising campaign on July 4. Share A Minute will raise funds by asking Americans to donate $25 to represent one minute of a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine’s full 525,000-minute annual tour of duty. Those minutes quickly add up to create hardships for soldiers and their families during deployment or when they return, and it costs USA Cares $25 a minute to help these families.

This level of support will ensure that USA Cares can meet all the needs of military personnel and their families not only through the present twin crises of PTSD/TBI and housing, but also the economic challenges yet to come.

Stradley said there is no doubt that Americans will help by donating. “Our nation, including the residents of Texas, has a level of compassion that is unmatched in the world. This nation’s defenders need help, and it’s now our duty to come to their aid.”

To share a minute, go to http://www.usacares.org/ and click on the Share A Minute logo or call 1-800-773-0387 for more information.

About USA Cares and Share A Minute

USA Cares is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that helps military families bear the burdens of service with financial and advocacy support. Its mission: to assist wounded warriors and their families, to prevent home foreclosures and evictions and to help with basic needs during financial crisis. Share A Minute asks Americans to donate $25 to represent one minute of a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine’s full 525,000 minute tour of duty. In its five and one-half years of operation, USA Cares has responded to over 11,000 requests for assistance, saved more than 465 military family homes from foreclosure or eviction thus sparing over 1,000 children from uncertainty. Families anywhere in America can apply for assistance through the USA Cares web site, http://www.usacares.org/, or by calling 1-800-773-0387. For more information on USA Cares contact jrevell@usacares.org.

The Combat Cash Myth and Military Families

Often when I am talking about USA Cares and how we help deployed service members, there is a comment about just how much money extra a guy or gal makes when they are in a combat theater. Sounds like they make a ton of money. If they work for a defense contractor they might, but when they are wearing our uniform, not so much.

What I do know is that even in a combat environment the deployed troop sets up "second household" that has a cost not normally associated with a family budget. In the cases we received from military members, we will often hear that their cell phone bill was over $1,500 because of some family issue that was resolved or discussed over the phone. This generation has become very use to immediate connection and being in Iraq makes it no difference, in fact makes it even more needed sometimes.

When the soldier is not out on a mission (and I use the word "soldier" for all the guys and gals there), they are back in their area, where there are now in most places facilities like the PX and places to spend money. Money they might not spend if they were still at Fort Hood, but none the less, it is still getting spent.

Spouses back home are reluctant to say "no" because of the situation and that too is understandable. In fact, many times there is a tendency to over compensate with gifts and expenditures because.... well you just never know.

In the middle of all that mix is that fact that when the military member walks out the door on Tuesday and won't be home for a year, the family essentially just went to a single parent status, complete with not enough time for all the things that were normally done by the other spouse. Care provider for the kids, taxi driver, assistant team "mom" and the thousand competing priorities associated with raising children. And never mind that the stay-behind spouse may have to change his or her job, if the hours don't match up with affordable daycare or even the availability of daycare, and Grandma, well she is 1,000 miles away.

I think that we are facing a time never seen in America. An almost perfect storm of challenges that are washing at the foundation of our military families. Our wounded, both the visible and invisible (PTSD and TBI), the subprime mortgage meltdown, rising prices and a challenging economy mixed with multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, never mind the other 200 locations that our service members serve. The old saying that the sun never sets on the American Soldier (Marine, Sailor, Airman or Coastie) is true more than ever.

What can we do? Continue to recognize and support them, even when they are off the front pages of the news. Remember that they are there, still serving. It is the least we can do.

Roger