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Cullman-based Army Guard unit home next weekend

Courtesy of The Birmingham News:

An Alabama Army National Guard unit that has spent the past eight or so months on convoy protection missions in Iraq is due back in the United States next weekend.

More than 150 members of Cullman-based Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 167th Infantry Regiment, are slated to arrive May 18 at Camp Shelby, Miss., then head to Cullman a few days later, said Gina Fulmer, wife of a battalion member, Sgt. Joseph Fuller of Argo.

Charlie Company has been based at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, since September, and its soldiers have traveled thousands of miles throughout Iraq — which they often call “Indian Country” — guarding 18-wheel supply trucks heading to and from U.S. military installations.

Fulmer said that as they wait to fly out of Kuwait, her husband and other unit members are spending their mornings at a swimming pool and the afternoons working out in a gym.

“He said the water is cold,” Fulmer said.

Go Patti, GO!

Courtesy of the Soldiers’ Angels newsletter:

LOS ANGELES, April 30 /PRNewswire/ — Teleflora, the world’s leading floral wire service, and NBC today revealed the 15 semi-finalists in the nationwide search for America’s Favorite Mom. The inspirational stories of the three top moms in each of the five categories — military moms, working moms, single moms, “Non-mom” moms and “Chairman of Everything” moms — will be featured on NBC’s “Today” show May 5 through May 9 during the 9 o’clock hour. Each day, America will vote on who will continue into the final round. The winning mom will be crowned during the primetime television special, “Teleflora presents America’s Favorite Mom,” airing on Mother’s Day Sunday, May 11 at 7 p.m. EDT.

Teleflora’s 15 “America’s Favorite Mom” semi-finalists include:

Patti Patton-Bader (Pasadena, CA): Patton-Bader is a mother who founded Soldiers Angels Network, an organization that sends care packages to over 200,000 troops overseas

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Viewers can tune-in to the “Today” show, the week of May 5 to learn more about these semi-finalists and vote for their favorite mom each day on http://www.nbc.com/. A different category will be highlighted every day: military moms, Monday, May 5 9 AM. You may only vote for one mother from one catagory on the day they are featured.

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The 15 semi-finalists were selected from more than 15,000 online nominations collected at AmericasFavoriteMom.com. A panel of experts that included Stacy Morrison, editor-in-chief of Redbook Magazine, Sally Lee, editor-in-chief of Parents Magazine, and Sabrina Weill, Editor-in-Chief of Momlogic.com, helped to narrow the pool. Semi-finalists were notified when a local Teleflora florist personally delivered the specially-designed America’s Favorite Mom bouquet, the true centerpiece of Teleflora’s America’s Favorite Mom search, to each of their homes.

“We were just in awe of the thousands of amazing moms nominated on AmericasFavoriteMom.com — there were so many inspirational and heartfelt submissions,” said Lynda Resnick, chairman, Teleflora. “Now it’s time for America to decide who among these incredible mothers should be crowned ‘America’s Favorite Mom’.”

“At REDBOOK we know there is no one way to be a mom, since being a mom is just an expression of who you are as a woman,” said Stacy Morrison, editor-in-chief, Redbook Magazine. “The amazing array of nominees for America’s Favorite Mom demonstrates this in the most inspiring way. From fitness mom to working mom to military mom, these women remind us that the best way to have a life you love is to be exactly who you are.”

“This is one inspiring group of moms,” said Sally Lee, editor-in-chief, Parents Magazine. “They have such different life experiences, but they are all truly selfless in their commitment to raising happy, healthy children. They have made sacrifices and weathered challenges, but each one of these moms has an amazing attitude. They all deserve the title of ‘America’s Favorite Mom’!”

Momlogic.com editor-in-chief Sabrina Weill says, “What strikes me most about these amazing moms is not just one particular shining moment, but the everyday acts of motherhood, big and small, that impact their families and the children around them in such a powerful way. It’s a bit of ‘momlogic’ actually: You don’t have to be ‘SuperMom’ to be a truly heroic mother.”

Viewers can tune-in to the “Today” show, the week of May 5 to learn more about these semi-finalists and vote for their favorite mom each day on http://www.nbc.com/. A different category will be highlighted every day: military moms, Monday, May 5; working moms, Tuesday, May 6; single moms, Wednesday, May 7; “non-mom” moms, Thursday, May 8; and “chairman of everything” moms, Friday, May 9. Donny and Marie Osmond will appear on the May 5 show to kick-off the competition.

The five mothers with the greatest percentage of votes will take part in “Teleflora presents America’s Favorite Mom,” an NBC prime-time television event hosted by Donny and Marie Osmond. The one-hour show will feature an exclusive duet by the celebrity siblings and a special performance by Sony/Epic artists The D.E.Y. performing their new single “She Said,” a heartfelt ode to mothers. Editor-in-Chief of Redbook Magazine Stacy Morrison, who was a print sponsor of the nationwide search, will also make a guest appearance in the show.

The program will include a special tribute to 100 year old Opal Trundle, who was born on the first Mother’s Day, May 11, 1908. Opal raised six children during the great depression and has 96 grandchildren. In addition, there will be special cameo appearances by Christina Aguilera, Tony Hawk, Alicia Keys, Hulk Hogan, Naomi Judd, Amy Poehler and more throughout the broadcast. At the end of the special, the Osmonds will crown one lucky winner, “America’s Favorite Mom.”

Teleflora will present the grand prize winner with $250,000, an America’s Favorite Mom diamond encrusted pendant and a year’s worth of Teleflora flower arrangements. The winning mom will also receive a REDBOOK “Love Your Life” all-expense paid trip to New York City, including a beauty makeover and spa treatment, courtesy of Redbook Magazine, a family vacation package to St. Lucia, courtesy of Coconut Bay and all-new General Electric kitchen and laundry appliances. Teleflora will present the four runners-up with $25,000, a gold pendant, a year’s worth of Teleflora flower arrangements and a General Electric washer and dryer.

“Moms all over can relate to the hard work and sacrifices that go into raising a family, and we want to tell their stories through this television tribute to moms,” said Doug Vaughan, senior vice president, special programs and alternative development, NBC Entertainment. “Through uplifting stories and great performances, this special is bound to tug at your heart strings.”

Birmingham VA to host 2009 National Veterans Golden Age Games

Courtesy of the Birmingham VA site:

The Birmingham VA Medical Center has been selected as the host site for the 2009 National Veterans Golden Age Games. The games will be held from May 31- June 5, 2009.

Courtesy of The Birmingham News:

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Military veterans age 55 or older who receive health care at any VA medical facility are eligible to compete.”

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The featured sports in the games will consist of swimming, bicycling, golf, shot put, discus, 10-meter air rifle, table tennis, dominoes, shuffleboard, horseshoes, nine-ball, bowling, checkers, and croquet. Each event has seven age categories for participation, and the visually impaired and wheelchair bound can compete in separate divisions.

They need volunteers to help the games go smoothly. If you are interested, please call Patricia Fetzer at 205-933-4396.

Bessemer reserve Marines to come home

Breaking news from The Birmingham News:

About 140 members of the Anti-Terrorism Battalion, a Bessemer-based Marine Reserve unit, are expected back in the U.S. next week after completing a tour in Iraq.

The reservists, with the battalion’s Charlie Company, hail from battalion sites in Jackson, Miss., Tallahassee, Fla., and Chicopee, Mass. The unit’s ranks also include about 33 Alabamians.

Charlie Company has been in Anbar province since September, attached to the 1st Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment. Its mission has included protecting convoys carrying supplies and prisoners, searching houses, patrolling streets and manning checkpoints.

Master Gunnery Sgt. David Holladay, a battalion spokesman, said Charlie Company is expected at Camp Lejeune, N.C., “at some point next week” and should be back in Bessemer before month’s end.

Great news! Hooaah!

New bill proposes tax credits for supporting troops

Courtesy of Shelle Michaels and the SA Blog, there is a bill being introduced into legislation that would give Americans up to a $500 tax credit for their role in providing support to US troops and their families. Credit for the idea goes to Catherine Dalton, a Soldiers’ Angel member and Indiana University Kelley School of Business professor.

Great idea, Catherine!

Read more on the bill at the SA blog.

Bama Guard unit to deploy to Afghanistan

A large Alabama Army National Guard unit will be deploying to Afghanistan next year. The 877th Engineer Battalion spent nearly a year in Iraq from 2003-2004, and with several hundred members, was one of the largest state National Guard units to deploy to Iraq. It will be the largest Alabama Guard unit to serve in Afghanistan, and will be the second Army Guard unit from Alabama to have a second tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Courtesy of The Birmingham News:

While in Iraq, the 877th was based in the northern city of Mosul, and its mission included building military facilities, repairing schools and improving roads in Mosul and outlying areas.

Lt. Col. David Ward, the battalion commander, said the 877th should have similar tasks in Afghanistan.

“We’ve got a challenging mission,” said Ward, who added that soldiers from other state Guard units will be working with his battalion.

In contrast to Iraq, where thousands of Alabama Army Guard soldiers have served in more than 40 units, far fewer Alabama Guard soldiers in a handful of units have served in Afghanistan since 9/11.

New clinic to treat Alabama vets with stress disorder and traumatic brain injury

There’s been a lot in the news lately about veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild to moderate cases of traumatic brain injury (TBI). There have been no treatment centers in Alabama for our vets, until now:

Tuscaloosa vets clinic to treat Alabama veterans with stress disorder and traumatic brain injury

Starting in May, Alabama’s Iraq war veterans suffering post traumatic stress disorder and mild to moderate cases of traumatic brain injury will be able to get treatment at the state’s first-of-its-kind clinic at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center.

“Blast injuries are the signature wound of this war,” said medical center director Alan Tyler, who spoke about the clinic at a meeting of the state Board of Veterans Affairs today. “And so we really want to reach out to those veterans who have problems with coping because of mild to moderate brain damage and also the PTSD.”

The clinic will only be able to handle a few patients at first, but it will gradually accommodate more, he said. Besides treating the soldiers, the clinic also will seek to familiarize their loved ones with brain injury and PTSD.

“We want to make sure that we reach out to the family and .¤.¤. help work with them so they can help the veteran cope with the issues,” Tyler said.

Tyler said he could not yet project how many veterans might ultimately seek treatment at the clinic.

“We’re going to try and start slow as we develop our team and continue to build it, I guess, based on the need,” he said.

Link: Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center

Two AL Guard units training for Iraq deployments

Per The Birmingham News:

An Alabama Army National Guard quartermaster unit is now training for an upcoming tour in Iraq. Army Guard spokesman Norman Arnold said about 15 members of the 1207th Quartermaster Detachment (Water Distribution) from Goodwater have been training at a military post for several weeks and should deploy by late spring or early summer.

“They can literally push water 10 to 15 miles out from a central point,” Arnold said.

Meanwhile, members of the 158th Maintenance Company, with headquarters in Tallassee and a detachment in Dadeville, also are preparing for an Iraq deployment and should begin intensive training at an out-of-state military post in the near future, Arnold said.

About 650 Alabama Army Guard members are currently on duty in and around Iraq and are slated to return home in the next two to three months.