Today is National Military Appreciation Day. Do you know a soldier’s email address? Send him or her a nice e-card thanking him/her for his/her service and support! American Greetings has a nice selection in their Celebrate the Date section.

Also, don’t forget that the Friday before Mother’s Day (tomorrow!!!) is Military Spouse Appreciation Day!

(x-posted to my blog)

I ran across a post in the Alabama Soldiers’ Angels forums from Lisa regarding the upcoming Armed Forces Day (May 17th). Gathering of Eagles is planning to set aside that day to “visit as many recruiter offices as we can and to pay some type of tribute to them,” calling it Operation Recruiter Appreciation.

An excellent idea! Recruiting is a tough and sometimes thankless job and we want to make sure that these hardworking men and women know that they are appreciated!

If you are interested in helping, contact Lisa at hottie0427 @ hotmail.com (remove the spaces before emailing).

To find(…)

Via Shelle Michaels at Wingtip 2 Wingtip, Recordable Cards with Music from Hallmark are being released in time for Mother’s Day. These cards allow the sender to add a personalized voice message, which is followed by a prerecorded song. You can tell Mom exactly how you feel with the sound of your voice and a song.

Per Jon Gray:

Hallmark has launched for military moms overseas. They’re partnering with the military to help children at four military installations mail their recorded messages of love and support this Mother’s Day through the donation of the new Hallmark Recordable Cards With Music. Many

(…)

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

(…)

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,

(…)

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

(…)

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

(…)

Today’s funny courtesy of ICHC:

Even they notice …