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

Lap Wraps, Boxers Donated

On Sept. 24, USA Cares Director of Volunteer Outreach, left, presented donated boxers and lap wraps to the Soldier and Family Assistance Center on Fort Knox in support of Operation Brave Boxer and Operation Lap Wrap. MSG Ray Folse, noncommissioned officer in charge of the center, right, accepted the donations on behalf of Soldiers and their families going through transition periods.

USA Cares provides grants to 1,207 Kentucky military families

USA Cares provides grants to 1,207 Kentucky military families
More than $670,000 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 $670,000 over five years to service members living in Kentucky. 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 28 Kentucky military families from losing their home to foreclosure, and overall 1,207 Kentucky military families have received grants. In 2007, 315 requests came in from Kentucky. USA Cares has received 149 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, USA Cares paid $800 in rent to keep three children in their home in Morgantown and granted $7,500 for a mortgage payment in Danville – giving three more children security. The organization also covered a $280 electric bill in Louisville when the service member had been discharged for colorectal cancer and was unable to work.

There are two major military installations in Kentucky. Fort Knox is home to the Army Armor Center and Armor School, Army Recruiting Command, and a Marine Corps Detachment. It is the future headquarters of Human Resources Command. Fort Campbell, which supports the third largest military population in the Army, is the home of the 101st Airborne Division.

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 Kentucky, 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.