Gulf Shores area recruit completes basic training

Courtesy of Fleet Hometown News:

Navy Seaman Recruit Charles H. Brockett, son of Kathy M. and Holmes H. Brockett of Elberta, recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill.

During the eight-week program, Brockett completed a variety of training, which included classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival and shipboard and aircraft safety.

An emphasis was also placed on physical fitness. The capstone event of boot camp is “Battle Stations”. This exercise gives recruits the skills and confidence they need to succeed in the fleet. “Battle Stations” is designed to galvanize the basic warrior attributes of sacrifice, dedication, teamwork and endurance in each recruit through the practical application of basic Navy skills and the core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment. Its distinctly ‘Navy’ flavor was designed to take into account what it means to be a sailor.

Congratulations, Charles!

Happy Thanksgiving from Soldiers’ Angels!

Dear Service members near and far, and families so dear to all of our hearts: a thought and pray for all of you this Thanksgiving Day and every day.

You’ve Made A Difference

As Thanksgiving Day approaches,
Our blessings we recall;
The things we are most thankful for,
We recollect them all.

You are really special,
In all you say and do.
You’ve made a difference in our lives;
We’re thankful now for you.

By Joanna Fuchs

With love and support,

Soldiers’ Angels

May No Soldier Go Unloved,
May No Soldier Walk Alone,
May No Soldiers Be Forgotten,
Until They All Come Home.

Clanton Soldier Top in His Post

Another feature in this weekend’s Clanton Advertiser, a Clanton soldier who’s been named top soldier in his post:

Local soldier tops in his Army post

You could say the Army is in his genes, but you’ve got to give credit where credit is due. Sgt. Ocie Williams Jr. of Clanton was named NCO of the Quarter at Fort Lewis in Washington state.

Williams, 23, a medic at Madigan Army Medical Center, received the award based on his performance in many areas including land navigation, Army Warrior Tasks, an oral exam, physical fitness and weapons qualification. He also penned an essay about the Army’s values.

The designation stands for Non-Commissioned Officer of the Quarter and basically means Williams is the top soldier in his post. He received a well-earned plaque and a ribbon for his accomplishment.

Read the whole article here.

Congratulations, Sgt. Williams!

SA member featured in the news this weekend

I was combing my news feeds and this article in The Clanton Advertiser caught my eye. It features a Bama Angel who also happens to be Alabama’s newest CTL:

Local mother joins group to help take care of soldiers

A mother’s love for her child is a bond that cannot be easily broken. No matter how many miles apart she is from her son or daughter she still cares for them and loves them. That is all fine and well for soldiers who still have loved ones at home to support them.

The truth is many soldiers feel alone. When a mail truck or plane comes in and they don’t have anything to show how much they are loved back home, some start to lose interest in what they are actually fighting for.

One local mother has taken steps to help soldiers who don’t have anyone back home to write or send him or her care packages.

Lisa Simpson recently joined a group called Soldiers’ Angels, and she hopes to encourage more people in Chilton County to become a member. The Soldiers’ Angels is a group of people who started taking care of soldiers by sending them letters and small tokens of appreciation such as blankets.

Read the full article here.

Way to go, Lisa!

Alabama loses a hero

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Chief Warrant Officer Clark’s loved ones:

A Newton soldier killed in Iraq last week will be laid to rest Monday at Sunset Memorial Park in Dothan.

CW3 Donald Clark, 37, was killed in action when his OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopter went down on Nov. 15 in the eastern part of Mosul, Iraq.

Final arrangements were still being worked out Friday, but family members say preliminary plans have Clark’s body being flown to the cemetery via a Huey helicopter, with a horsedrawn caisson carrying the casket to the graveside. Organizers were also hoping to arrange for a Kiowa flyover.

Clark was born in Boardman, Ohio, but has lived in Newton for several years with his wife, Jamie.

The funeral is set for 3 p.m. The family requests that donations be made to the Donald V. Clark Memorial Fund at Army Aviation Federal Credit Union in lieu of flowers.

Also killed in the accident was Army Chief Warrant Officer Christian P. Humphreys, 28, of Fallon, Nev.

A full obituary can be found inside today’s Dothan Eagle.

Ozark brothers reunited in Iraq

Recently, Army Sgt. Donnell Macklin of Ozark had decided to re-enlist in the Army. The commemorate ceremony celebrating the sergeant’s commitment took place earlier this month at Camp Taji in Iraq. Who better to swear him in than his brother, Capt. Lionel Macklin?! Both are stationed in Iraq with their separate units, and they hadn’t seen each other in four years.

Read the whole story at the DefenseLink American Forces Press Service site.

Congratulations, Sergeant Macklin!

Stress booklet available for AL vets

Courtesy of Channel 19 in Huntsville:

Alabama troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will now get a booklet to help them deal with post-war stress and readjusting to family life. Gov. Bob Riley unveiled the 63-age Reintegration Action Plan on Thursday. The booklet will be given to all returning troops from Alabama. It includes information to help service members make a successful transition.

A Pentagon task force last year reported that nearly half of all Army National Guard soldiers who served in Iraq or Afghanistan reported psychological problems when they came home. Riley said the new booklet will help troops better understand the readjustment process, and it recommends places to get help.

Link: www.alabamareturningveterans.org

Double tragedy

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Staff Sgt. Richardson’s loved ones:

An Alabama soldier home on emergency leave from Afghanistan for his father’s funeral was killed in a wreck Monday night near Evergreen. Army Staff Sgt. Derrick Eugene Richardson died when his vehicle overturned multiple times about two miles south of Evergreen just before 9 p.m. on Conecuh County Road 29.

Richardson was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas.

His sister, Shirley Dukes, said Tuesday that her brother had come home from Afghanistan to attend the funeral of his father, Willie Earl Travis.

“I loved him,” Dukes said of her brother during a telephone interview from a relative’s home, where many family members had gathered. “He was the most wonderful man. He loved his mother, his wife and his four children.”

Dukes said the family was already reeling from Travis’ death, and to lose Richardson was almost too much to bear.

According to the Mobile Press-Register, Travis, a resident of the Nymph community, was buried Monday.

Officers said Richardson was alone in his 2007 Chevrolet.

New web resource for wounded troops

Published yesterday in the Tuscaloosa News:

The Department of Defense launched on Tuesday the National Resource Directory, a collaborative effort between the departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs. The directory is a Web-based network of care coordinators, providers and support partners with resources for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, their families, families of the fallen and those who support them.

The directory offers more than 10,000 medical and non-medical services and resources to help service members and veterans achieve personal and professional goals along their journey from recovery through rehabilitation to community reintegration.

The directory is expected to be a valuable tool for wounded, ill, and injured service members and their families as they wind their way through the maze of benefits and services available to them in their transition to civilian life. It is organized into six major categories: Benefits and Compensation; Education, Training and Employment; Family and Caregiver Support; Health; Housing and Transportation; and Services and Resources. It also provides helpful checklists, Frequently Asked Questions, and connections to peer support groups.

This looks like a great tool! The link is: www.nationalresourcedirectory.org

Pentagon To Broadcast Iron Bowl To Troops

Courtesy of The Birmingham News:

U.S. troops deployed around the globe will be able to watch this year’s Iron Bowl live on the Armed Forces Network, Alabama U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions said today.

Responding to requests from Alabama service members, including some with the Alabama Air National Guard’s 117th Air Refueling Wing deployed in Kyrgyzstan, Sessions’ office asked the Pentagon to set up a live broadcast of this year’s game, and the request has been granted.

“I’ve had the opportunity to visit with our troops in the Middle East on numerous occasions, and I frequently see an Alabama or Auburn flag flying below the Stars and Stripes,” said Sessions, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “This is a huge game and it has huge national interest. I’m sure that all our military personnel who can will be glued to the television.”

The Iron Bowl, pitting top-ranked Alabama against archrival Auburn, is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. local time on Nov. 29 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Auburn has won the last six contests.

Thank you, Senator Sessions!