DATES: |
AGES: |
LOCATION: |
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9-13 July 2007 |
8-12 years old | White Plains Beach |
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16-20 July 2007 |
13-17 years old |
Kauai |
Registration Deadline Approaching
Operation Purple camps offer a free week of summer fun for military kids with parents who have been, are currently, or will be deployed. This year more than 40 weeks of camps will be held at 34 locations in 26 states. Campers from all service branches will gather together to experience a memorable week of fun and adventure with a focus on learning coping skills to better deal with a parent's deployment. Registration began March 15th and ends May 1st. The NMFA online application, state specific forms, and details about each camp location are available on our site. Find out where the 2007 camps will be hosted and register today.
This special overnight camp is geared specifically for children and teens of all military branches whose Active Duty parents have been or will be deployed between May 2005 & September 2007. At camp, participants will be able to form lifelong friendships while embarking on a great adventure together. They will go on planned trips and activities, learn team-building skills, complete a service project and see what it is like to be away from home. Food and transportation is provided. The younger camp will be located at White Plains Beach Campground, and the Teen Camp will be located on the island of Kauai.
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CONTACTS: |
Jason Cerkan Kristina Robinson |
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MAILING ADDRESS FOR REGISTRATION FORMS: |
Navy Region Hawaii Youth Programs |
Hawaii Registration Forms
The following forms must be downloaded, completed in full, and mailed to the camp to which you are applying. The 'NMFA Online Camp Application' is required to be considered for any Operation Purple camp and does not need to be mailed with the other required forms.
ALL other forms with the exception of the SAC Parent Agreement on page #4, need to be filled out and mailed or dropped off to the Navy Region Hawaii Youth Programs between the hours of 6am-6pm.
NMFA Online Camp Application
Operation Purple Photo, Video and Audio Consent and Release Form
Operation Purple Camper Waiver Form
Registration Forms
Honolulu Advertiser, April 12, 2007
A crescendo of complaints at Schofield Barracks greeted the Pentagon's announcement yesterday that all active-duty soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan will serve 15-month tours instead of a year overseas.
The decision affects more than 7,000 Schofield soldiers who were at the eight- to nine-month mark on a deployment to northern Iraq.
Admitting that U.S. forces are "stretched, there's no question about that," Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced the decision to the Washington press corps at the same time that senior Army officers were notifying commanders.
The way that families found out — from news reports, quite probably before the soldiers themselves got word — seemed to anger Hawai'i families as much as the extension itself.
"We've got three (military) wives in the car right now and we're all kind of livid about this," said Danielle Obergon on a cell- phone call. Her husband, Pvt. Joseph Obergon, 20, is in Schofield's aviation brigade at Contingency Operating Base Speicher. The couple have a 17-month-old son.
Tanya Perez, who married her husband, Spc. Raymond Perez, 21, at a courthouse, had a "big white-dress wedding" planned for September in Colorado with family expected to fly in. It will now have to be rescheduled.
Shannon Matthews and her husband, Staff Sgt. Kristian Matthews, had bought a house in Colorado for an expected duty station change.
There had been rumors of an extension of as long as 120 days, but there are always lots of rumors. The news deflated parties, plans and the expectation that soldiers and their families would be told first.
"It's just sad that we're having to hear it from the news (media) first," Danielle Obergon said. "We are all confused over here. I mean, my (family readiness group) didn't even know what was going on."
'UNFAIR TO THE FAMILY'
Staff Sgt. Edgardo Delgado arrived home for two weeks of leave from his tour in Iraq on Tuesday night. Yesterday morning, he and his family found out that his tour, set to end in September, had been extended until the end of the year.
Delgado, 29, stood shaking his head in disbelief. "You're kidding, you're kidding," he said again and again upon learning the news.
His wife, Stephany, who has been raising the couple's four children alone while also pursuing a master's degree, was more vocal about her frustration.
"It's unfair to the family, to the kids," she said, looking at her 3-year-old daughter who was born during Delgado's earlier deployment to Iraq.
Gates said yesterday he realized the decision "will ask a lot of our Army troops and their families." But he said it will allow the Army to "better support the war effort while providing a more predictable and dependable deployment schedule for our soldiers and their families."
Schofield officials said they were trying to get families notified. News last week of just a 46-day extension overjoyed families of about 1,000 Schofield soldiers with the 25th Special Troops Battalion, including the division headquarters and Tropic Lightning band, because of all the longer extension rumors that had been flying.
But Gates, in his announcement yesterday, said effective immediately, all soldiers in the Central Command area of responsibility, including Iraq and Afghanistan, and those soldiers headed there, will serve 15-month tours.
Without the extension, five brigades would have had to deploy again without spending at least 12 months at home, Gates said, adding the extension is an "interim step" that will be kept in place until "we can shift with confidence to the 12-month deployments and 12 months at home."
The measure does not affect Marines, who typically serve seven months in Iraq, or the National Guard.
Seth Kirchbaum's wife, Sgt. Cynthia Archibald, is back in Hawai'i on emergency leave because he broke his neck in a motorcycle accident. She'll have to return to Kirkuk in northern Iraq.
"The soldiers on the ground, I guarantee, some of my friends over there don't know yet," said Kirchbaum, who used to be in the Army. The extension pretty much has made up their minds that Archibald will not re-enlist, he said.
"So we're basically just going to ride out the last year and a half after she gets back and wipe our hands of this whole Army thing because they are just not treating their people right," he said.
His wife, who has to be more circumspect because she's still in the military, said, "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pretty disappointed by (the extension)."
WORRIES BECOME REAL
The extension announcement now has made real all the worries that were uncertain with the rumors, and given specificity to a longer time away from home.
"It's just not fair. My husband came home in September for (rest and recuperation)," said Matthews, whose 26-year-old husband is at Qayyarah Airfield West near Mosul. "When he comes home, it'll be 13 months since we've seen each other."
The news has some military families rethinking the trust and relationship they have with the Army.
"It makes the question of, 'Do I want to continue this?' because this means I'm going to be away from my family more and more," Matthews said.
Kirchbaum said this "is only going to drive more good troops out of the Army."
"It's a shame it has to come to that because my wife is a fantastic soldier, and she works with fantastic soldiers," he said. "(But) they are the ones smart enough to realize, 'I've got to get out of this because who knows what's next.' "
The Chicago Tribune contributed to this report.
Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com
this article and many others like it can be found here:
Veterns Against The Iraq War
Aloha
Bree
by Army Sgt. Crista Yazzie
Pacific Command Public Affairs
3/29/2007 - CAMP SMITH, Hawaii (AFNEWS) -- Military spouses living overseas and interested in a professional and portable teaching career now have additional assistance with the Spouses to Teachers program.
Effective throughout the U.S. Pacific Command since Feb. 1, Spouses to Teachers offers resources and counseling to military spouses searching for employment in Alaska, Hawaii, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Guam and Okinawa.
"This is a career that you can take with you around the world," said Tylee Roller, STT program manager and education counselor.
Currently operational in the continental United States since October 2004 and following a successful launch in Europe last October, more than 9,100 spouses have contacted STT for information.
"Within the Department of Defense Schools, teachers can take their certifications to their next duty stations (where there are DOD schools), avoiding the complicated process of starting over every two or three years," said Mae Ooka, quality-of-life program analyst and catalyst to STT's Pacific establishment.
This DOD program provides counseling and guidance on state-specific certification requirements, certification options, scholarships available and state-employment resources. Up to $600 is also available via a voucher process to reimburse costs of testing fees associated with teacher certification/licensure.
Spouses overseas can now arrive back to the continental United States already certified and ready to teach upon arriving at new locations, Ms. Roller said.
"Military spouses can easily identify with children of deployed parent(s), and the working hours are really conducive to family life," she said.
"As a military parent, I wanted to be home when my child got home from school and work at something I love, and you can take this with you wherever you are stationed," said Jean Grice, a military spouse and former teacher and current Department of Defense Dependents Schools Pacific and DOD Elementary and Secondary School Guam Liaison for the Pacific Command.
"When my family was moving to each new duty station, we did not have resources like this, but now Spouses to Teachers gives so much guidance and access, and that's one less stressor when moving your family," Ms. Grice said. "This program really eases the transition."
"Having a portable and professional career with immense job satisfaction couldn't be more of a perfect fit for the military spouse traveling the world in support of her military spouse and country," Ms. Roller said. "Having the spouse's career established prior to the sponsor's retirement or separation also makes the transition much easier on the family."
Making sure a spouse's energy is channeled in the right direction for the spouse's desired outcome is very important to Ms. Roller.
"Military spouses want a career that is professional, marketable and makes them feel alive, and teaching does that," she said.
More than 70 percent of the military spouses registered with the program have a bachelor's degree or higher.
Eligible participants include spouses of active duty members, selected Reserve and National Guard, and Individual Ready Reserve members recalled to active duty.
Spouses to Teachers is managed by the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support.
For more information, call Brian Miller at 808-586-5054, Spouses to Teachers at 800-231-6282 or DSN 922-6282, or e-mail the program at stt@voled.doded.mil.
Bush hires idiots so that when he walks into the room he is the smartest guy in there!
I just about died laughing. How true is this statement. It seems that every week we get to hear about someone in the Bush administration being fired or asked to resign or being replaced due to their lack of job experience or for their cover-ups to protect the administration. I love to watch Bill Maher on Friday nights on HBO and it fuels my frustrations about the war in Iraq and also fuels my frustrations on why the hell we aren't impeaching Bush and Cheney. We let them get away with so many things that are impeachable far worse then when we impeached Clinton getting a blow a job. Yet nobody has stood up to this administration and started the impeachment process. Makes me so angry.
I did however come across some Democrats in Washington State starting an impeachment process-
The Dems Call For Impeachment Article
and after a series of delays, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), a candidate for president in 2008, announced a series of charges against Vice President Dick Cheney in Washington, DC, late in the day. Kucinich alleged that the Vice President had committed a series of impeachable offenses, and he was therefore introducing Articles of Impeachment against Cheney in the Congress today.
go check it out here-
Congressman Dennis Kucinich Calls For Impeachment of Cheney
When will Bush get his well deserved time out. Put in the corner with a dunce hat on and his thumb in his mouth? When will he have to be accountable for his actions? For his lies? For his ignorance in thinking that he can do what he wants and keep getting away with it? Will this happen before he leaves office? God one can hope. Will the Dems finally step up and say enough now they have the power to? Curious to see what happens over the next 6 months. Will Nancy put her foot down and stop the funding for the war bill? All eyes are on the Dems. Hope they do what they have been preaching and don't back down.
You sound off and let me know how you feel about this!
Aloha
Bree
 | Bush vows not to accept troop pullout timetable Bush vows not to accept troop pullout timetable...  |
 | Democrats set for showdown with Bush on Iraq Democrats set for showdown with Bush on Iraq... Bush Democrats Iraq Photos War |
 | Car Bomb Kills 9 U.S. Soldiers in Iraq Car Bomb Kills 9 U.S. Soldiers in Iraq... Insurgents Iraq Military Photos US |
I am posting this entry today because this is something you should all go and read/watch. It will give you a better understanding of what our American Soldiers are facing on a daily basis being deployed to Iraq to fight for a country that doesn't want us there and are killing our troops on a daily basis.
Below is a detailed description of what the show consists of and information about each show aired.
America at a Crossroads is a major public television event premiering on PBS in April 2007 that explores the challenges confronting the post-9/11 world — including the war on terrorism; the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan; the experience of American troops serving abroad; the struggle for balance within the Muslim world; and global perspectives on America's role overseas.
Aimed at creating a national dialogue surrounding the crucial issues explored in the series, an extensive media and outreach campaign in more than 25 communities accompanies the series. The campaign features screening events with the filmmakers and their subjects in discussions with United States military personnel, leading policy experts, leaders of the Islamic community, scholars from across the country as well as members of the public. Integrated Web and educational initiatives further extend the campaign.
From freedom fighters in Afghanistan to cold-blooded terrorists
Providing an in-depth look at modern, radical Islamic groups, JIHAD: THE MEN AND IDEAS BEHIND AL QAEDA explores the ideas and beliefs that inspire them, along with the challenges they pose for governments in the Middle East and the West.
With previously unseen footage and first-hand testimony from those who fought, planned, argued, met or lived with them, this is the inside story of Al Qaeda's three leaders: Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and the recently killed leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab Al Zarqawi.
Osama bin Laden
Abu Musab Al Zarqawi
This film examines how the blood-soaked careers of these three men were driven by an evolving ideology of violence and hatred towards the West.
From the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1940s to Islamic organizations today, the film offers insightful perspectives of Islam from Western and Middle Eastern journalists, U.S. intelligence experts on the frontlines of the fight against Al Qaeda, and friends and contemporaries of Osama bin Laden and his lieutenant Ayman al-Zawahiri.
It is also the story of how the peaceful and noble religion of Islam was distorted by Islamist terrorists in the name of jihad.
Two years in the making, JIHAD: THE MEN AND IDEAS BEHIND AL QAEDA was filmed on location in the Middle East, Sudan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, America and Britain.
Based on extensive original research, the film presents the story of the birth and evolution of Al Qaeda, not through the second-hand reporting of Western journalists, but through powerful testimony from first-hand witnesses.
What is it really like to be a soldier in Iraq?
Filmed in 2005 in some of the most dangerous areas in and around Baghdad, WARRIORS profiles a handful of Army soldiers: five men and one woman.
They range from a squadron leader just weeks into his first combat command to a seasoned sergeant on a night raid in an insurgent hotspot.
WARRIORS opens a compelling, harrowing, and at times humorous, window on some less familiar sides of a soldier's life: a look at who they are, what they do and why.
In this fight against an enemy hidden among the people, a soldier's street level diplomacy is often called on more than the use of his weapon. Contrary to stereotypes, this generation of Army volunteers is better educated on average than the U.S. population at large. And, for many of the American men and women in Iraq, the strongest motivation is a need to serve and feel part of something bigger than themselves.
U.S. soldier on patrol in Sadr City, Iraq
Above all, WARRIORS reminds us that these soldiers, often merely glimpsed in the news, are our neighbors, with lives they have left behind, many including children and spouses. But their daily work is not in an office. Their jobs require them to face down the daily threat of roadside bombs, sectarian violence and ambush.
During the course of this filming, the soldiers accompanied by the filmmakers were hit by an IED explosion, and then by a rocket-propelled grenade and machine-gun attack. After bringing back their casualties, this same platoon went right back out on patrol. That is part of their reality, part of what it takes to do their job.
Stories and reflections written by American troops
A clip from Mike Strobl's Taking Chance
An animated sequence of Colby Buzzell's story, Men in Black
A clip from Army soldier Sanjoon Han's, Aftermath
Brian Turner
OPERATION HOMECOMING is a unique documentary that explores the firsthand accounts of American servicemen and women through their own words. The film is built upon a project created by the National Endowment for the Arts
to gather the writing of servicemen and women and their families who have participated in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Through interviews and dramatic readings, the film transforms selections from this collection of writing into a deep examination of the experiences of the men and women who are serving in America's armed forces. At the same time it provides depth and context to these experiences through a broader look at the universal themes of war literature.
Still from Road Work, a short story by Jack Lewis.
The writing in OPERATION HOMECOMING covers the full spectrum — poetry, fiction, memoir, letters, journals and essays. The stories recounted here are sad, funny, violent and uplifting. Yet each one displays an honesty and intensity that is rarely seen in explorations of the war. Through an extraordinary group of men and women it presents a profound window into the human side of America's current conflicts.
At the core of the writing in OPERATION HOMECOMING is a deep desire by all those who have served in war to come to terms with their experiences. Throughout the film the servicemen and women, young and old, express a profound hope that people will listen to their stories and try to understand what they have seen.
The anatomy of civil war
Day after day, month after month, scores of bodies litter the streets of Baghdad, many of them tortured and mutilated before they were killed. To staunch the violence, the U.S. has spent billions of dollars to "stand up" Iraq's new army and police forces and make them capable of bringing security to the country.
More on this unique joint production at www.pbs.org/frontline
GANGS OF IRAQ takes a hard look at how the four-year training effort has failed and how these coalition-trained forces have themselves been infiltrated by various sectarian militias. While President Bush's new "surge" strategy is sending thousands of new troops to Iraq to help control the violence convulsing the country, the effort to stand up Iraqi forces and go after the militias remains a centerpiece of America's strategy. But can it work?
FRONTLINE spent two months in Iraq in the fall of 2006 and was embedded with 11-man U.S. advisory teams working with Iraqi forces. GANGS OF IRAQ tracks the history and events that led to the current sectarian crisis, why the Iraqi elections didn't curb escalating Shia-Sunni sectarianism, and how top Iraqi officials have downplayed or denied the growing sectarian militia forces. By the summer of 2006, the coalition had identified at least 23 militias operating in Baghdad. Some were small splinter groups or criminal gangs. But others were large sectarian militias, and the two largest, the Badr Corps and the Mehdi Army, remained enetrenched within Iraq's police and army.
This report includes candid interviews with key U.S military involved in training Iraqis, including Gen. David Petraeus who took charge of the training effort in 2004 and then in 2007 took command of all U.S. forces in Iraq, and top Iraqis, including Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the powerful Shia political party, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, and Bayan Jabr, who headed Iraq's controversial Ministry of the Interior in 2005-2006.
Richard Perle advocates and defends neoconservative policies
With debate over the war in Iraq still dominating policy discussions, this film follows one of the advocates for the war against Saddam Hussein.
Former Assistant Secretary of Defense Richard Perle travels the globe articulating, defending and debating the neoconservative case for an assertive American foreign policy. Perle finds no shortage of candidates willing to challenge him on these issues.
Perle talks with Abdel Brai Atwan in London.
In London Perle talks to one of the few journalists who has interviewed Osama Bin Laden, Abdel Bari Atwan, editor of Arabic newspaper Al Quds. Atwan complains that US foreign policy has brought destruction to Iraq, and US invasion is the cause of current bloodshed and chaos in Iraq. Perle replies that chaos is caused by Jihadists and Iraqi insurgents, and if they ceased their attacks, Iraq could be successfully reconstructed.
Through the course of the film, Richard Perle travels to:
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Kabul, Afghanistan
London, England
Moscow, Soviet Republic
Sarajevo, Bosnia
Washington, DC
In Afghanistan, Richard Perle visits Rabia Balkhi Girls' School which was named after one of Afghanistan's most famous female poets. This school in Kabul had a rich tradition of educating women who went on to leadership roles in Afghan institutions.
It was closed by the Taliban and then nearly destroyed. It is now open and once again educating young women. Perle explains that fundamentalist Islamic regimes deny basic rights to half their population – women.
Also in the film, Richard Perle talks with Stacy Bannerman (Military Families Speak Out) at a demonstration against the war in Iraq in Washington DC. Bannerman's husband served in Iraq and she explains to Perle why she thinks the war was based on lies and why US forces should withdraw. Perle replies that to leave the job unfinished is not fair on those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Just quickly blogging on my way out the door. Have to run to the high school and drop off my daughters i.d cards so can eat lunch. Then I am stopping off at the kids school to eat lunch with them. Not helping their today but want to eat lunch with the little ones.
I hope you all have a wonderful day today. Get something done that you have been putting off or start something new.
Many Aloha's
God Bless
Bree
So what is happening with all of us today. Let's see. My son had his friend over for a sleepover so they are upstairs playing the ps2, nothing new as they are always up their doing that. My daughter(teen) is on her computer which means we won't see her all day unless she needs to eat or drink something-lol. Our little one is trying to bug the boys and play with them but they aren't having that so I think I will take her shopping with me which is what I am going to do today since my hubby is going to play his 360'. I did however get to sleep in and woke to hubby putting away the dishes and loading the dishwasher. He even made waffles and attempted making my coffee-lmao which was sooooo gross....That was nice though.((thanks babe, it is the little things that mean the most to me))
Yesterday my teen and I went and had Starbucks over by Scrap Heaven so of course we stopped in and spent an hour looking at everything. I picked up some new elements-huge cute paperclips with some gorgeous flowers that will be perfect to scrap about my teen. I let her pick out some papers to go with them and we picked up some Aloha stuff to scrap about our adventures here. I also picked up a couple mini albums one pick and one blue. Then I got to thinking about opening my own store front again. I thought if my soldier decides to re-up and they give him a nice bonus I may ask him to invest 5-6 thousand in my own scrap store if we decide to move back home. I mean really, this would be a wonderful thing to do with a nice chunk of the money and it would give me something to do that I absolutley love. Scrapbooking and drinking coffee.
So last night after my hubby's and I date night I stayed up late on the internet researching wholesalers and contacting companies to recieve catty's so I can start mapping out my store costs. I also need to contact my father and ask him if I can use his expertise in carpentery to help me build a couple counters and tables and shelves and maybe knock out some walls and whatnot for my store. I also have to find a place to rent/lease in the area we are looking to move, which I know is a little town on the outskirts of Ft.Leiws. So I have a lot planning/budgeting to do but this is something I would love to try. Both my mother and grandmother opened their own stores and did okay, now I think I want to try. Just follow me along here I am always changing my mind and going back and forth back and forth. But lifes an adventure and I am here for the ride.
Well lunch is about to arrive so I will get off here.
Thanks for stopping by today and visiting me.
Enjoy your day whatever you do today.
Many Aloha's
God Bless
Bree
see I don't AWLAYS blog about how much I hate BUSH and the war in Iraq ;-)
We were sitting at dinner the other, just my husband and I eating dinner when he mentioned to me that someone higher up asked him if he was considering going green to gold. I said really wow, I too have been wondering that. Since he is already in the process of dropping his warrant packet I thought why isn't he going green to gold. Their is so much room for advancement. So when he got finished telling me what he thought I just left that conversation with whatever he feels he wants to do I will support him. If he wants to remain in and be a lifer then go green to gold. If he wants to get out after this deployment and start teaching then do that. I back him 100% in whatever he wants to do. It was just odd hearing him say that to me when I was thinking it. Must means he is doing something right for his bosses to take notice on his abilities and want him to become a WO or LT.
I will blog the progress of that once he deploys and calls me with the news about what he is going to decide to do.
Meanwhile I will wait and continue to rack my brain on if we should remain here or go home. I already did the pro and con list, that did not help. So I guess the decision will just come to me one day. And I will know the right thing to do.
If it is not one thing then it is another. Just the life of being a military wife.
Many alohas
God Bless
Bree
The longer tours will affect about 100,000 soldiers currently in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus untold thousands more who deploy later. It does not affect the Marine Corps or the National Guard or Reserve. "Our forces are stretched, there's no question about that," Gates said. Interesting that they know our troops are depleted and stretched thin yet they enforce this new 15 month deployment on them. What is the soldier ready to break think about this. Or the couple that has spent their entire marriage apart due to training and deployments back to back, how does that soldier go on. And we thought a lot of marriages were failing now I can hardly wait to see what this new stress adds to our military marriages and lives. It is already hard enough maintaining a 12 month seperation and keep the flames alive now add another three-six more months to that. To top it off the stress of not knowing if your soldier will make it home to you. I expect a lot of wives will become deeply depressed and fustrated and that will most likely lead to alot of children being caught in the middle. One huge change like this 15 month deployment spirals into bigger things for the military families.
Some of you out their are saying well look at the good part of this your soldier gets an extra 1,000 a month for every month he stays past 12 months. Well whoop de fucking do. Hey soldier risk your life beyond 12 months and we are going to reward you with 1,000 a month. What soldier wouldn't want that right? Average out what our soldiers make per day and what they have to endure to make this misseley extra pay and then tell me if paying our men and women an extra 1,000 a month is a good thing. How can anyone even mumble words like this anymore?
Well I am not going to go on and go about this. It gets me highly upset. But just know that if your loved one was being played like a pawn in chess game you too would be upset. I will be blogging more about this sublect in a later entry.
Please go get informed about Iraq and what is happening. It really effects us all and all our communties.
And remember when you see a soldier in uniform tell him Thank-You and and shake his hand.
Many Alohas
God Bless
Bree
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