Archive for November 7th, 2006

Valour-IT: Navy Goes Vertical, SINGES COMPETITON!

November 7th, 2006 by xformed

VALOUR-IT NEWS FLASH!

SR-71

Whoda thunk it? From “Tail End Charlie” (man, the view was UGLY back there!) to “Leader of the Pack” (how’s it looking now?) in a few hours….

Oh, and that’s Capt Lex in the chase F/A-18…

This stunt was brought to you by the cold, calculating, strategic thinking idea people of Team NAVY (lay back and let them wear themselves out, then smoke by them like you hair’s on fire!) …$5500+ in the lead and accelerating towards the finish line!

Grab an auction to bid on and see if you ground pounding, movie watching, golf and bowling “experts” can catch us!

Trackbacked to: Mudville Gazette

Category: Charities, Leadership, Military, Navy, Supporting the Troops, Valour-IT | 4 Comments »

Operation Santa: Another Worthy Endeavor

November 7th, 2006 by xformed

A young women, who raised her right hand, went to Parris Island, but found out she had a conditon that precluded her from becoming a Marine, is staying in the game. Now volunteering at the USO, and working to fill boxes for the Marines for the holiday season. Here’s her request:

Most of you know how I support the military, particularly the Marine Corps. This year I was asked if I would adopt some deployed Marines for Christmas. I was like “Sure!” expecting two or three… Well, I have a platoon of 25 Marines in my care. At first I was overwhelmed and said “I can’t do this!” but then it hit me that I CAN and WILL. Everything has to be shipped by Thanksgiving is the part that is going to be the most difficult.

For the platoon, we provide Christmas decorations–a small Christmas tree, Santa hat and beard, Christmas CD, etc. Things to make their little area festive. I know that may sound dumb, but I can also see how it would help to boost their morale.

Also for the platoon, we provide group gifts–things they can enjoy together. Suggested ideas were DVD’s (no war movies) and games… I am not the most imaginative of people so if you have any ideas, don’t hesitate to let me know!

Individually, we have a handmade stocking (my grandmother is making those) filled with small wrapped gifts for each person in the platoon. I’m having trouble with ideas for those, as well.

The Operation Santa USMC website is: http://www.marinecorpsfamilyfoundation.org/santa.html

And I’ve blogged about it here: http://politicsofapatriot.blogspot.com/2006/10/not-so-trivial-pursuits.html

If you are willing to help in any way, please drop me an e-mail ASAP at [email protected] or give me a call. Thank you!

Sounds like an easy thing to pitch in for. Please vist Holly’s site and see if you can help out cheering up the men on the front lines in the fight.

Category: Charities, Marines, Military, Supporting the Troops | 1 Comment »

Valour-IT: Meet the Navy Team

November 7th, 2006 by xformed

And we’re not done yet. I’ve tried to get to everyone’s blog who signed up for the Navy Team. There are some interesting reads out there. How about show these bloggers a little love with a click on their link, then spend a few moments scanning the material they post!

The first team member: Seawitch. From what I can tell, suffered through Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi. She does have a sense of humor, so you Marines, soldiers and airmen should head over there to see how she can snark.

Chapomatic. A great thinker and man of ecclectic taste in music and online videos. Great, thought provoking posts over at Chap’s place. A used to be submariner, who has changed “designators” and will, after having served in a “Joint” billet in the midwest at a major USAF based command, will have a more hands on role in the GWoT.

Ken from Smadanek has become the resident “data geek” for the Valour-IT program drive and he has been gracious enough to track all the teams, coz they need someone who can do math and Chap, the nuke, was buried with real world 0730-2300 work days. Ken’s a “Trade School” grad and prod “Black Shoe” who has the honor of being a Battleship Sailor during his time in uniform. He usually comments on Navy technology issues, and also some local NJ state stuff.

Jason is new at the blogging stuff, but has a site to present history for kids: Superhero Historians. “Protect the Past For the Future” appears to be the motto of the site. Boy, do we need more like him, so the next generations know what has happened before them.

So, spread the love, and click a team member’s link – there might be something there you needed!

Category: Blogging, Charities, Military, Supporting the Troops, Valour-IT | Comments Off on Valour-IT: Meet the Navy Team

Valour-IT: Don’t Forget the eBay Auctions!

November 7th, 2006 by xformed

John of OpFor requested this post:

Richard S. Lowry, author of Marines in the Garden of Eden and the Gulf War Chronicles was generous enough to donate two personalized copies of each book to Valour-IT. Please include these two links in your next Valour-IT update:

Marines in the Garden of Eden

Gulf War Chronicles

Auction Proceeds will go to Valour-IT, but no specific team. One team, one fight and all that. Zoom!

Don’t forget to check this link for the auction up at Truth Laid Bear, where Team Navy is putting all sorts of goodies of historical value up for bids!

Trackbacked to: Outside the Beltway.

Category: Air Force, Charities, Military, Supporting the Troops, Valour-IT | 1 Comment »

Valour-IT: Decision Day

November 7th, 2006 by xformed

Revillie, REVILLE! All hands heave out and trice up!

Election Poster

Today is a decision day. Yes, local and national seats are up for election, but the inertia imparted in that mess rolling downhill has been imparted and with minor exception, the die is cast. We will jst have to wait out today to see the results.

My directive of the day: Do something constructive and forget about chewing your fingernails down to the quick, trying to figure out which party will control the House and the Senate, or the 30+ governorships.

What to do? Get back on task, because, Sgt Hook told us a few days ago, there is a more important mission. Nothing like a crusty old senior enlisted, tempered in the fires of the school of hard knocks to get he “Os” back on focus.

Valour-IT. Huge success last year. Beth said “Goal of $22K.” The Type As among us took that to read “$22K per service team.” Wisely she kept her mouth shut and kept us in the dark until the end, then told us what she really meant, about $108K later. we didn’t have a lot of press coverage, we had bloggers contacting everyone they knew and posting about it. My point? This year, we’re not on the flight path for a smooth landing.

Smadanek’s blog has been tracking our progress, as a whole and as teams. Capt Lex, with all his years of staring at “ROGER, BALL!” on the blunt end of a big gray thing (called “Mother” and kept afloat by those unnamed heroes wearing black shoes), would, metaphorically see himself looking at a red lower half of a circle and be hearing a frantic Landing Signal Officer on the radio yelling “Power! POWER!” if his plane is where we are now.

It comes down to this: We need to consider the warrior pledge, where soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines know no one gets left behind. We can’t afford, after the sacrifices these wounded men and women have made, to psychologically leave them on that battlefield where their wounds reshaped their lives forever. we have the means to help them see they can be productive in the job market, and they are no less important than Steven Hawking. We can give them a voice to express their ideas, to write reports, to carry on conversations, to tell their stories, to rech out to others, to provide hope where there seems to be none.

Enough for now. get to the polls, cast your vote and get back on task. If you’re signed on as part of the Navy Team and you don’t have a lengthy email titled “A few days left” from me, get me your address, and I’ll forward it.

One idea has come in overnight worth sharing: Enrevanche says try matching funds. For those who can afford it, it may pull a few more dollars through the door.

The last thought: Make contacts, today and throught the end of this drive, like some service member”s future depends on you.

Update: 8/11/2006: More thoughts here.

Trackbacked to: Outside the Beltway, Sgt Hook.

Category: Air Force, Army, Charities, Coast Guard, History, Leadership, Marines, Military, Military History, Navy, Supporting the Troops, Technology, Valour-IT | 2 Comments »

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