Courtesy of the Tuscaloosa News:

Airman JaMarvin A. Wells has graduated from basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. He is the son of Barbara and Wyman Spencer and the late Marvin E. Sealey of Ralph. He is a 2007 graduate of Central High School.

Congratulations, Airman Wells!

Mitchell E. Baygents has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. He is the son of Randy and Sharon Baygents of Tuscaloosa. He is a 2005 graduate of Northridge High School.

Congratulations, Mr. Baygents!

TrackBack URI | Posted by Nicki Faulk | No Comments »

Courtesy of The Anniston Star:

Army Reserve Col. Roy A. Hall recently graduated from the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks in Carlisle, Pa. He is the son of Thomas D. Hall of Weaver. He graduated in 1980 from Anniston High School and received an associate degree in 1982 from Marion Military Institute. He received a bachelor’s degree in 1984 from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa.

Congratulations, Col. Hall!

Air Force Staff Sgt. Shane Law was recently decorated with the Air Force Commendation Medal. He is the son of Larry and Connie Downey of Piedmont. He graduated in 1993 from Piedmont High School and received an associate degree in 2006 from the Community College of the Air Force in Montgomery.

Congratulations, Sgt. Law!

Air Force Airman 1st Class Nicholas W. Byars recently arrived for duty at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, N.M. He is the son of Christopher W. and Sherry D. Byars of Jacksonville. He graduated in 2007 from Jacksonville High School.

Congratulations, Airman 1st Class Byars!

Army Pvt. Jesse D. Harper recently graduated from the Land Combat Electrician Advanced Individual Training course at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. He is the son of Timothy L. and Karen D. Harper of Anniston.

Congratulations, Pvt. Harper!

Army Pfc. Corbett L. Futral was one of more than 300 Army soldiers who participated in the “Spirit of America 2008″ performance for the residents of Rochester, N.Y., and Worcester, Mass., on Sept. 12 and 13, respectively. Futral, an infantryman with two years of military service, is assigned to the 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. He is the son of Harry Futral of Oxford and Shannon Moreira of Gulf Shores. The private is a 2004 graduate of Gulf Shores High School.

Congratulations, PFC Futral!

TrackBack URI | Posted by Nicki Faulk | No Comments »

Featured this weekend in the Tuscaloosa News:

Col. Charles H. Gailes Jr. will take command of the 31st Chemical Brigade from Northport during a ceremony Sunday at Fort McClellan Army National Guard Training Center.

Gailes, a Tuscaloosa native living in Huntsville, will receive the unit colors from Brig. Gen. Wendell B. McLain of Auburn. The Alabama National Guard brigade includes chemical and military police units across the state.

Read the entire article here.

Congratulations, Colonel Gailes!

TrackBack URI | Posted by Nicki Faulk | No Comments »

Featured today in the Tuscaloosa News:

U.S. military personnel are being welcomed to Disney’s U.S. theme parks. Complimentary, multi-day admission tickets are available for troops and additional offers for family members and friends.

Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, said “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute” will allow our troops to create wonderful, magical memories with their family and friends. And Shades of Green, a resort hotel on Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., is open exclusively to servicemembers, retirees, defense civilians, and their families. It is a safe haven for military families whether they’re reintegrating after an overseas deployment, having one last “family fling” before mom or dad deploys, or simply getting away for a weekend.

Shades of Green is an Armed Forces Recreation Center hotel run by the Army’s Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command based in Alexandria, Va. The command’s mission is to provide soldiers and their families with the same quality of life they are sworn to protect. Rates are set on a sliding scale, based on rank, and with no shareholders to answer to or profits to be made, the rates are kept remarkably low. Its manager, Brian Japak, is a retired soldier, and his son has survived two roadside-bomb attacks while serving in Iraq.

Read the full article here.

A personal note:

I have always loved Disney’s theme parks and services. My husband and I honeymooned there last year with our daughter and it was truly magical. In fact, we had such a wonderful time that we went back again this year for our anniversary.

This is just one more reason for me to love Disney!

TrackBack URI | Posted by Nicki Faulk | No Comments »

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

TrackBack URI | Posted by Nicki Faulk | No Comments »

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!

TrackBack URI | Posted by Nicki Faulk | No Comments »

Courtesy of the Tuscaloosa News:

Army National Guard Pfc. Teri L. Willis has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C. Willis is the daughter of Linda Bender of Northport. She graduated in 1997 from Hillcrest High School and received an associate degree in 1999 from Faulkner State Community College in Bay Minette.

Congratulations, Teri!

The Birmingham News featured a piece this morning about an Alabama Guard unit that left yesterday to go back to Afghanistan:

The training team is the fifth that the state Army Guard has sent to Afghanistan since 9/11. It recently completed two months of pre-deployment training at Fort Riley.

Lt. Col. Jeff Thrower of Alabaster, a member of the team, said recently that the mission had not been fully defined.

“Right now, I know that one of our biggest pushes over there has been to get the Afghanistan police up to where they can do their jobs,” he said. “The Afghan army is in a lot better situation than they were three or four years ago, but the police have still got some issues out there. So we’re doing our best to help out across the board in both areas.”

Read the full article here.

TrackBack URI | Posted by Nicki Faulk | 1 Comment »

The Huntsville Times reports that a Scottsboro businessman established an account at Regions bank to help the family of Nick Bradley, a Scottsboro soldier seriously wounded in Afghanistan.

Bradley, 25, a staff sergeant in the Air Force’s 96th Wing (security forces), was injured by a roadside bomb last Sunday. He was flown Tuesday to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where his father-in-law, Scottsboro Police Chief Ralph Dawe, said he’s in stable condition.

Donations to the Nick Bradley Fund may be made at Regions Bank, located at 510 E. Laurel St. in Scottsboro. For more information, call the bank at 256-259-1516.

Tuscaloosa News reports:

Michael J. Parham, son of Doretha Parham and Michael J. Johnson, both of Tuscaloosa, completed Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. Parham is a 2008 graduate of Central High School.

Congratulations, Michael!

The Birmingham News reports an Alabama Guard initiative that is helping troops who return from war duty via the state’s Army Guard’s Yellow Ribbon reintegration program.

The Yellow Ribbon help included information about job opportunities and insurance and veterans benefits, plus activities and baby sitters for soldiers’ children. It also sought to give the soldiers and their loved ones a chance to discuss with chaplains and counselors what they face as they seek to resume the way of life they knew before deployment.

For more information, call 2nd Lt. Matthew Spivey at 334-558-4132.

TrackBack URI | Posted by Nicki Faulk | No Comments »

Published in the Tuscaloosa News this morning:

Brandon C. Matthews, a 2006 graduate of Linden High School, completed 12 weeks of basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C.

Congratulations, Brandon!

Also, this story was featured in Friday’s edition of The Enterprise Ledger:

Local woman baking homemade cakes to send to soldiers in Iraq

It’s in Nancy Helms’ nature to be giving and the soldiers in Iraq are benefiting from her generosity.

Helms has been baking homemade pound cakes at Country Best Farm in Enterprise for several months and because of an idea and “the Lord telling me to do this,” she is now sending the homemade cakes to soldiers from Coffee County who are stationed in Iraq…

Read the entire article here.

Thank you, Nancy!

TrackBack URI | Posted by Nicki Faulk | No Comments »

Per the Tuscaloosa News:

Air National Guard Airman Andre A. Callaway has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio. He is the son of Carrie Callaway of Tuscaloosa. Callaway received an associate degree in 2006 from Trenholm State Technical College in Montgomery.

Congratulations, Andre!

TrackBack URI | Posted by Nicki Faulk | 1 Comment »