Giving

Even though we should think about giving to others in need all year long, it is at the forefront of our minds during the holiday season. We are all going through hard times right now, but if you have any thing to spare whether it is money, food or your time you will make someones holiday season a little brighter. How can you accomplish this? There are many different ways. Donate to your local food shelter http://feedingamerica.org/ or to Toys for Tots http://toysfortots.org. Write a letter/send a package to our service men and women overseas or go to Soldier's Angels http://www.soldiersangels.org/ to adopt a soldier.

Army beating Navy

Army is beating the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard in the Project Valour-IT fundraiser. This Veterans Day fundraiser is sponsored by Soldiers' Angels and provides laptops and other technology for severely wounded service members. As of November 2008, Valour-IT has distributed over 2700 laptops to severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines across the country.

To donate and join the competition go to http://soldiersangels.org/index.php?page=fundraiser.

Stars and Stripes

The general public needs to know what our service men and women think politically. If they don't, people will not see them as individuals but as a group who shares all the same beliefs and ideologies which is, of course, untrue. Let us know what you think of the editorial from the New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/opinion/07fri4.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Keep Your Euphoria to Yourself, Soldier
Published: November 7, 2008

In a stroke of self-satire, Pentagon officials tried to block Stars and Stripes — the military’s respected independent newspaper — from covering the troops’ plain and honest reactions to the election night news about their new commander in chief. The Department of Defense once again made news by smothering news.

The boneheaded muzzling of the newspaper, which is protected by First Amendment guarantees against editorial interference, barred reporters assigned to do simple color stories from the public areas of military bases in order to “avoid engaging in activities that could associate the Department with any partisan election.”

Partisan? By that rationale, the civilian news media’s coverage of the spontaneous celebrations across the land on Tuesday night was an act of journalistic bias. It’s ludicrous that Pentagon brass feared men and women in uniform might be caught smiling, frowning or variously exclaiming “Whoopee!” or “Rats!” at voting results from the democracy they defend with their lives.

The good news is that Stars and Stripes found commanders in the Middle East and Europe that ignored the foolish directive, as if it were a premise for a “M*A*S*H” episode. When other commanders clamped down in Japan and South Korea, the paper properly took the ban as illegal under longstanding Congressional and military policies. Its reporters did their jobs until forced to stop.

By law, troops are allowed to express their political opinions in a nonofficial capacity. These days, they do so nonstop by name in blogs and newspaper letters. Even so, a Pentagon spokesman told the newspaper there’s no obligation to “assist with a story that chips away at the fundamental apolitical nature of the military.”

Inane is more apt than apolitical. The Pentagon should retreat from its head-in-the-sand posturing.

A Salute To Veterans Day

Today we salute all of those who have served in the United States Military. There are many celebrations that will be going on around our country honoring their service. If you will not have a chance to attend one, please take a moment today to think about all of the men and women that have made this sacrifice. To them, I say thank you for serving our country.

Happy Birthday

Happy 233rd Birthday to the United States Marine Corps!

URGENT TRICARE NEWS!

Please pass this information to anyone you know who is affected.

TRICARE Changes Retail Pharmacy Network
TRICARE announced that Walgreens drug store chain and TRICARE have been unable to reach a contractual agreement, and therefore, as of 1 January 2009, will no longer be in the network used by the TRICARE Pharmacy plan. Those beneficiaries filling a prescription at Walgreens after 31 December 2008 will pay 100 percent of the cost up-front and then file a claim for non-network benefit reimbursement. Beneficiaries should have received a letter from Express Script Inc. (ESI), explaining the change in retail pharmacy network. Beneficiaries with questions about the change should not contact ESI until they have received their letter, which will provide instructions for obtaining additional information. Approximately 756,000 TRICARE beneficiaries will be affected by this change.

First 100 days of Obama Administration

What is the most important issue the new administration should tackle in the first 100 days? We all agree that the economy is foremost in our minds but what else is bothering you today? Many issues are out there that trouble the citizens of our nation. What do you want to see? Is it ending the war? A focus on global warming? There is an uproar over same sex marriage right now in California.

Vote and let us know.

President Obama

In NERA's poll, John McCain won but Barack Obama made history last night as our new President-Elect. Everyone, whether or not you voted for Obama, is relieved the election is over. So I thought I would provide you with the following article from the Navy Times for your enjoyment.

PETA looking for sexy military vegetarians

By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Nov 2, 2008 9:30:36 EST

Wanted: A lean, mean fighting machine who defends animal rights as vigorously as U.S. national security.

The prize: You could be named the Sexiest Vegetarian Soldier.

Sponsored by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the contest — which is actually open to service members in all branches, as well as veterans — is the latest in the group’s long line of publicity stunts, all aimed at promoting a meatless diet and the rights of animals it says are treated cruelly while being raised and processed.

“David James Elliott might have played debonair vegetarian Navy Commander Harmon Rabb on the popular TV series JAG,” a PETA press release announces, “But now, PETA’s looking for the real deal.”

PETA argues that vegetarians are “on average, fitter and trimmer than their meat-eating counterparts, so if soldiers want to be lean, mean fighting machines, the best thing that they can do is keep meat off their plates.”

It adds that the consumption of meat and other animal products “has been conclusively linked to America’s leading killer diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and several types of cancer. And while even the strongest fighting force on Earth can’t solve all the world’s problems overnight, going vegetarian is the best way to help stop the violence and bloodshed inherent in the meat industry.”

“Vegetarian soldiers, sailors, Air Force personnel, and Marines earn their stripes for defending the abused every time they sit down to eat,” said PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “After all, what could be sexier than someone with the passion to carry out the rigors of the military and the compassion to protect animals?”

The contest is open to all current and former service members. PETA says those interested should fill out the form and upload a few recent photos. The entry round will end Nov. 26, and the winner will be notified and announced Dec. 8.

In addition to being named the sexiest vegetarian in the U.S. military, the winner will be named on The PETA Files and will receive a vegan goodie basket loaded with cookies, chocolate, “faux jerky” and a PETA T-shirt