Survey Request

 

 

The North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) is conducting a comprehensive, statewide needs assessment for the federal Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant. The MCH Block Grant requires that a needs assessment be conducted every 5 years. The needs assessment will focus on identifying priority needs for three target population groups:

1) Pregnant women, mothers and infants;

2) Children and adolescents; and

3) Children and youth with special health care needs.

The success of the needs assessment process will depend on the input from multiple partners and stakeholders. To gather the broadest input possible, we are asking you to participate in a voluntary, online survey. The information you provide will be used by the NDDoH to narrow down the broad range of potential needs, leading to a set of priority issues to be addressed through Title V (MCH) Block Grant activities during 2011-2015.

The survey will be available until Friday, September 11 and will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. To learn more about the needs assessment process and to access the survey, go to:

Take the MCH Needs Assessment Survey

 

Please accept our apology if you receive this survey more than once, as your name may appear on more than one of our email lists.  The survey will only allow you to respond once. 

 

Please forward this e-mail on to others you feel may be interested in participating in the survey and needs assessment.

Questions? Send an e-mail to dohcshsadm@nd.gov

 

 

Diana

Diana Read

North Dakota Department of Health

Division of Injury Prevention and Control

600 East Boulevard Avenue, Dept. 301

Bismarck, ND 58505-0200

701-328-4537

Website: www.ndhealth.gov

Email: dread@nd.gov

 

 

 

New GI Bill Will Heighten Professional Work Force

New GI Bill Will Heighten Professional Work Force
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:58:00 -0500
 
 

New GI Bill Will Heighten Professional Work Force By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2009 - More college-educated professionals will enter the next generation's professional work force as a result of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said this week at the American Legion's 91st National Convention in Louisville, Ky. Shinseki lauded the organization's efforts in advocating the new legislation, just as it fought for the original GI Bill more than 65 years ago. "Just as you were responsible for the passage of the original GI Bill in 1944, your commitment here was instrumental, yet again, in getting this 9/11 GI Bill through the Congress," Shinseki said. The Post-9/11 GI Bill took effect Aug. 1, and with its expanded benefits and the option of transferring benefits to family members, it's likely to affect the country the way the original GI Bill did in 1944, he said. Between 1944 and 1956, millions of veterans took advantage of educational benefits provided by the original bill and helped to fill the nation's work force with qualified and trained professionals. Although they no longer wore the military uniform, the veterans' contributions to the country weren't any less significant, he said. "Returning World War II veterans leveraged the educational opportunities they had under the original GI Bill into sustained economic growth for the nation, catapulting the nation into the world's largest economy [and into a position of] leadership in the free world," he said. "Our country became richer by 450,000 trained engineers, 240,000 accountants, 238,000 teachers, 91,000 scientists, 66,000 doctors, 22,000 dentists and [by] millions of other college-educated veterans who went on to lead our great country in the second half of the 20th century. "This new Post-9/11 GI Bill has the potential to impact the country in the same way, thanks to your leadership and the leadership in country," he added. "You've been our eyes and ears for identifying needs for veterans." The education opportunities also will help VA in its struggle to end homelessness among veterans, which, Shinseki said, also will have an indirect but positive effect on a host of other issues. Veterans lead the nation in homelessness, he said, and also are ranked among the highest groups in the country for depression and substance abuse. In 2003, more than 195,000 veterans were without homes. Shinseki pointed to a lack of education and employment opportunities, as well as mental-health and substance-abuse issues, as the main reasons for the over-representation of homeless veterans. Today, VA estimates that 131,000 veterans are homeless, and Shinseki said he's determined to get them off the streets within the next five years. His department and President Barack Obama's administration are moving in the right direction to tackle the issue, he said, but he noted it won't be easy. "We're moving in the right direction to remove this block from all of our consciences, and are committed to ending homelessness," he said. "No one that has served the nation as we have should live without care and without hope. I know there are no absolutes in life, ... but I also know that if we don't put a big target out there, we won't get our best efforts." Homelessness is the last stop in an unfortunate road for many veterans, the secretary said. "To do this well, we'll have to attack the entire downward spiral that ends in homelessness," he said. "We must offer education, we must offer jobs, we must treat depression and we must treat substance abuse, [and] we must offer safe housing [for homeless veterans]. We must do it all." The Post-9/11 GI Bill may not deliver an immediate impact on the homeless issue and others that veterans may face, but education is a long-term investment that will ensure many of their futures, he said. "This investment in America's future will go on for decades to come," he said. "I told you what happened the first time we did this: thousands of trained engineers, scientists, doctors, dentists, accountants [and] teachers. Lightning is about to strike twice. And those who've answered our nation's call are going to be benefited into being leaders for our country in the 21st century through this program."

Biographies: Eric K. Shinseki Related Sites: Special Report: GI Transferability Has Arrived Veterans Affairs GI Bill Web Site Department of Veterans Affairs

ISFAC - SA September Newsletter

Soldiers' Angels national newsletter is up- SSgt. Jessica Clark was the winner of WHO IS THIS SOLDIER and she is getting a package drop shipped to ISFAC team member Janet M.
http://soldiersangelsforum.com/newsletters/909.pdf

Children's Book (deployment) "Butterfly in the Sky Daddy's Little Girl,"

ISFAC: Children's Book (deployment) "Butterfly in the Sky Daddy's Little Girl,"

 
The book is making it's way around the media--- even BlackAnthem news picked it up-

http://www.blackanthem.com/News/Video_24/Book-for-Military-Kids-25-August-200920747.shtml
 
 
And Minot Daily News reports in:
 

Children's book helps kids cope with deployed parents

By DAN FELDNER, Staff Writer
 
If parents want a book to help potty train their child, the selection is virtually limitless. If, however, they look for a book to help their child cope with the temporary absence of a military parent who has been deployed overseas, the selection slims down considerably.
Sugin Musgrave, a Michigan native and military spouse who previously lived for six years at Grand Forks Air Force Base and currently resides at Ramstein Air Base in Germany with her husband and three children, saw a need to reassure military children their deployed parents were coming back that wasn't being met. This is a need Musgrave knows all too well. Her own husband returned home in July after a 10-month deployment in Afghanistan.
 
To help fill this need, she wrote "Butterfly in the Sky Daddy's Little Girl," a story she had been telling for numerous years and finally committed to paper about six years ago. The story follows Emma, who is whisked around the globe by an angel in search of her father, who is deployed somewhere overseas. Along the way Emma finds out that many different fathers from every branch of the military miss their children, before she finally finds her own father and learns why he must be away from his family for such a long time.
 
Musgrave said she wanted to show children in the military they aren't alone in dealing with this, because it was exactly what her oldest son went through when he was 4 years old.
"My oldest son, he thought Daddy wanted to leave. It didn't matter that our friend next door, who's in the same place, same unit, that they had to leave, too," Musgrave said. "His daddy has to go, my daddy wants to go. And he was only 4, he didn't understand what was going on, he wasn't sure of the whole picture."
 
The book, which was released this past October, is self-published because the wait to go through a traditional publisher was four years. It is available at (www.amazon.com) and (www.authorhouse.com). Musgrave plans to write three more, each featuring a son or daughter searching for a mother or father, so every child who has a deployed parent will have a book to read that is specific to his or her situation.
 
"With the military, the children go through so much, they each need their own book. And again this story covers all five branches, it's not just Air Force, it's not just for the Army. It pertains to all of them, and talks about different jobs they do," she said. "The children, they need so much support, they are overlooked so often with everything that goes on."
Musgrave chose to never show the face of Emma or her parents in the illustrations, and used a number of techniques to hide their identities from view, including giving Emma a large yellow bow in her hair, which emulates the yellow ribbons that show support for members of the military. She didn't show their faces so every child who reads the book can imagine themselves and their parents in the story.
 
Similarly, she didn't give specific locations when Emma and her angel stopped to visit members of the military in the search for her father, but rather gives vague descriptions that could apply to just about anywhere a child's parent might be deployed.
"I describe areas in the world because we have people all over the world protecting people," Musgrave said.
 
One thing she is particularly proud of is the fact that the Coast Guard - a branch of the military often forgotten about - is included in the story.
 
"The Coast Guard were really happy they were included in the book, because they always get ignored when it comes to the military, but they're right here for us," Musgrave said. "With (Hurricane) Katrina they were outstanding, and they're still helping in Iraq and Afghanistan. There's Coast Guard members that are called all over (the world), and a lot of people don't realize that."
 
Musgrave feels the art in the book is just as important as the story. It took her around 1 1/2 years to find the right artist, 14-year-old Richard Warner, who lives just outside Ramstein. Rather than hire a professional artist, Musgrave wanted a military child to do the illustrations.
"I was really picky because I wanted this book to represent any little girl of any ethnicity, because we have everyone in the American military," she said. "We have people from Africa that have joined, we have people Ukraine that have joined the military, (and) they're not even (U.S.) citizens. ... There's so many noble, outstanding people in our military, there's no way that I could just make a child look one way."
 
Another theme Musgrave took time to explore in the book is the kinds of jobs military parents have. Many children, and more than a few adults, think being in the military means carrying a gun and shooting the enemy, which couldn't be any farther from the truth.
In the book, Emma and her angel drop in on a Coast Guardsman who helps other ships at sea, an airman who missed his daughter's birth because he was helping other planes refuel in mid-air, a group of Marines who are laying water pipes for a school they recently built, a Navy medic, and finally her father, who is a radioman at an Army checkpoint.
 
Emma's father is helping to guard several towns from terrorists, who are explained in the book in plain and simple terms as "very bad people that don't like it when people think for themselves and want freedom."
 
"The only thing that makes the news ... is the negative. All the great things they've done, we are doing so much work in Africa, tons of outstanding work in Afghanistan and Iraq. But all you hear about a majority of the time is who blew up what building, and how many people died," she said. "They're not talking about how many schools got built, how many people are returning to college, how many women are able to work.
 
 
For more information on the book, Musgrave can e-mailed at Herokidscope@gmail.com.
 
 
 
 
http://www.minotdailynews.com/page/content.detail/id/531443.html

N.D. Soldier Bound for Kosovo Promoted to Colonel (UNCLASSIFIED)

 N.D. Soldier Bound for Kosovo Promoted to Colonel
 
CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. - David L. Thiele was promoted to colonel today while on
 duty at Camp Atterbury, Ind., where he is training with other North Dakota
 Soldiers preparing to deploy to Kosovo. The North Dakota Soldiers arrived
 last week at this Indiana National Guard training facility and will deploy to
 Kosovo later this year. Official notification of Thiele's promotion didn't
 arrive until after his departure from North Dakota last week.
 
Brig. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, commanding general for Task Force Falcon, Kosovo
 Force 12, presided over the promotion ceremony in Indiana, while Maj. Gen.
 David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota National Guard adjutant general,
 administered the military oath of office to Thiele via video teleconference
 from Bismarck.
 
Traditionally, the oath of office is administered to all commissioned
 officers in the North Dakota National Guard each time they are promoted. This
 oath reaffirms the officer's commitment to the Constitution of the United
 States and the State of North Dakota.
 
"Dave Thiele has worked hard to earn this promotion, serving as both our
 senior legal officer and later as our military personnel officer,"
 Sprynczynatyk said. "His outstanding leadership and technical legal expertise
 will serve his commander and fellow Soldiers well during his upcoming
 deployment to Kosovo."
 
Thiele's wife, Kelly; his father, Jim Thiele, and one of his two daughters,
 Kyle, also attended the video teleconference in Bismarck to witness the
 promotion. His other daughter, Paige, was not able to attend.
 
Thiele began his military career as an active-duty Army officer in the Judge
 Advocate General Corps from 1986-1994 before joining the North Dakota
 National Guard as a traditional Guardsman. He began his full time National
 Guard career in 2004 serving as the Staff Judge Advocate for the North Dakota
 National Guard headquarters in Bismarck. From 2008 to 2009, he was assigned
 as the J-1 military personnel officer responsible for all administrative
 duties in support of the 4,400 Soldiers and Airmen in the North Dakota
 National Guard. 
 
"It's an honor to be recognized by the leadership who entrusted me with this
 promotion; I look forward to carrying on the excellent tradition of North
 Dakota Guardsmen and to contributing to the success of our organization,"
 Thiele said to the group of Soldiers attending the ceremony.
 
Thiele now serves as the senior legal advisor to the commanding general for
 Kosovo Force 12, a mission that is expected to continue through August 2010.
 
Thiele earned both his undergraduate and juris doctorate degrees from the
 University of North Dakota and is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College. 
---
 Since the terrorist attacks on America, the North Dakota National Guard has
 mobilized more than 2,800 Soldiers and more than 1,600 Airmen in support of
 the Global War on Terrorism. In recent months, nearly 2,000 North Dakota
 National Guardsmen were mobilized for flood fighting missions all across
 North Dakota. With a total force of about 4,400 Soldiers and Airmen, we have
 sufficient forces available to provide emergency response and homeland
 defense.
 -30-
 
Photo Cutlines (Released)
 
Thiele Promotion 1.jpg
 David Thiele is congratulated by Brig.Gen. Alan Dohrmann, commanding general
 for Task Force Falcon, Kosovo Force 12, after his promotion to colonel at
 Camp Atterbury, Ind. on August 25, 2009. Photo by Spc. Jordan Huwe, 116th
 Public Affairs Detachment, N.D. Army National Guard
 
Thiele Promotion 2.jpg
 David Thiele addresses the Soldiers attending his promotion to colonel
 ceremony at Camp Atterbury, Ind. on August 25, 2009. Photo by Spc. Jordan
 Huwe, 116th Public Affairs Detachment, N.D. Army National Guard
 

ISFAC: Dakota Conference Rural Health

 

view online: http://ruralhealth.und.edu/listserv/newsflash/082009.html
Save the Date Exhibitors and Sponsors
1.	Save the Date!  2010 Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health Health Care in Transition:  Creative Strategies April 13–15, 2010 Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND Lodging Reservations at the Canad Inns Grand Forks: 1-888-33CANAD (22623), http://www.canadinns.com/grandforks/ Please request the Dakota Conference room block, group reservation number 163664. Conference registration opens in November .
2.	Exhibitors and Sponsors Exhibitors and sponsors are invited to register for Dakota Conference. An exhibitor brochure and registration are available online at http://ruralhealth.und.edu/dakotaconference/sponsor_registration.php . Display space is limited—please sign up early! Deadline: Noon, January 27, 2010
For more information on the 2010 Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health, visit http://ruralhealth.und.edu/dakotaconference/ The 2010 Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health is
	Facilitated by The Center for Rural Health, University of North Dakota, School of Medicine and Health Sciences Supported by Center for Rural Health (UNDSMHS) UND College of Nursing Department of Family and Community Medicine (UNDSMHS) Altru Health System North Dakota Public Health Association North Dakota Rural Health Association
For more information about the 2010 Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health, contact Kylie at (701) 777-5380 or knissen@medicine.nodak.edu .

Save 15% on our Delicious Gourmet Cakes!

FINALLY - A CURE FOR THE SUMMERTIME BLUES... Delicious gourmet cakes! Don't forget that each of our gifts includes a chocolate plaque and a greeting card that you can personalize. We take extra special care of our gourmet cakes during the summer heat including refrigerated packs and dry ice.

 

The new Grand Forks clinic, which officially will open Sept. 9

GF VA clinic set to open

The new Grand Forks clinic, which officially will open Sept. 9 in a spacious 9,000-square-foot office at 3221 32nd Ave. S., across the parking lot from Kohl's Department Store. It will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
 
By: Kevin Bonham, Grand Forks Herald
 

 
Robert Lofthus and Eugene Kramer toured the new Grand Forks Veterans Administration Community-Based Outpatient Clinic on Tuesday.
 
"It sure is nice, and there's a lot of room," said Lofthus, a World War II veteran who grew up in McVille, N.D., and now lives in Grand Forks.
 
"One nice thing is there's no stairs," said Kramer, a native of Linton, N.D., who fought in the Korean War. "But there's no cafeteria, like Fargo."
 
Still, Kramer, who also lives in Grand Forks, gladly will sacrifice a cafeteria to save the 150-mile round trip to the VA Medical Center in Fargo.
 
Lofthus has been receiving his medical care at the closest VA clinic, located 40 miles away in Grafton, N.D.
 
Both say they will transfer to the new Grand Forks clinic, which officially will open Sept. 9 in a spacious 9,000-square-foot office at 3221 32nd Ave. S., across the parking lot from Kohl's Department Store. It will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
"This clinic will provide a crucial link in the care system for veterans," Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., told a crowd of about 250 people at a dedication ceremony Tuesday outside the facility.
 
VA officials are encouraging veterans to register to receive services in Grand Forks but to continue to see doctors and other health care providers where they now are receiving care. Appointments probably will not be booked in Grand Forks until about November.
 
The clinic will have two physicians, Patrick Moore and Fredric Black, who had been with Altru Health System in Grand Forks, and a nurse practitioner, Kate Schweitzer, who is transferring from the Grafton VA Clinic. It also will have a registered nurse, two licensed practical nurses and a clerk. A veterans outreach specialist also will serve the clinic.
 
By last month, more than 500 veterans had signed up to transfer their care to Grand Forks.
It's the ninth VA Outpatient Clinic to open in North Dakota. The 10th is expected to open in Devils Lake in 2010.
 
Other Fargo VA clinics are in Jamestown, Bismarck, Dickinson, Williston, Minot and Grafton, as well as in Bemidji and Fergus Falls, Minn.
 
The Grand Forks clinic will offer primary care services, including physicals and routine procedures, plus mental health screenings and counseling for illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
 
It also has a tele-medicine room, where patients can remain in Grand Forks and talk with their VA doctors in other facilities.
 
VA officials expect the clinic to have as many as 1,400 patients in the first year and grow to about 2,000 with more than 5,500 patient visits annually within two years, said Peggy Wheelden, Fargo VA Medical Center public affairs officer.
 
 
Full Story: http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/130512/

Morning Yon---

 

Words from today's Michael Yon's Dispatch:
 
"The right people were only an email away: Soldiers Angels. And so within about two minutes, these fingers typed an email with this subject heading: CALLING ALL ANGELS.
Soldiers' Angels Shelle Michaels and MaryAnn Phillips moved into action." 
  
- http://www.michaelyon-online.com/do-americans-care-about-british-soldiers.htm
 

 

Obama Pledges Support for Troops, Veterans

Obama Pledges Support for Troops, Veterans
Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:59:00 -0500

Obama Pledges Support for Troops, Veterans By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2009 - America's men and women in uniform have done their duty and fulfilled every responsibility that's been asked of them, President Barack Obama said today. "And now," he said, "a grateful nation must fulfill ours." Obama offered high praise for the troops, calling them the heart and soul of the world's best military during a speech at the Veterans of Foreign Wars' annual convention in Phoenix. "It's not the powerful weapons that make our military the strongest in the world. It's not the sophisticated systems that make us the most advanced," he told the veterans. "No, the true strength of our military lies in the spirit and skill of our men and women in uniform." Obama said he recognizes his responsibility to "America's most precious resource" and vowed to be deliberate in how he commits them. "I will only send you into harm's way when it is absolutely necessary," he said. "When I do, it will be based on good intelligence and guided by a sound strategy. And I will give you a clear mission, defined goals, and the equipment and support you need to get the job done." Obama promised to ensure troops have the resources, equipment and strategies they need to succeed in the current conflicts as well as future ones. "We need to keep our military the best-trained, best-led, best-equipped fighting force in the world," he said. The president outlined some of the initiatives under way to support this goal: -- Growing the Army and Marine Corps, and halting reductions in the Navy and Air Force to increase time between deployments, reduce stress on the force and bring an end to the Army's stop-loss, an involuntary extension program; -- Providing more assets to support current operations: helicopters and crews; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities; special operations forces; and armored vehicles and protective gear; -- Conducting a top-to-bottom review of military priorities and posture to develop a new blueprint for the 21st century military the United States will need; -- Balancing military capabilities to face unconventional as well as conventional threats; -- Modernizing the force by investing in new skills and specialties as well as new technologies; and -- Reforming the way the Pentagon does business to reduce waste and get the most capability out of every defense dollar. Obama also recognized the country's responsibility to take care of its men and women in uniform, as well as veterans. He noted that his fiscal 2010 budget funds "increasing military pay, building better family housing and funding more childcare and counseling to help families cope with the stresses of war." In addition, big increases will be devoted to providing wounded warriors treatment centers, case managers and better medical care, he said. These resources, he told the veterans, will ensure wounded warriors get the care they need so they "can recover and return to where they want to be: with their units." Obama also noted the billions of dollars in the new budget that will go toward treating post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries that have become the defining wounds of today's wars. Increased funding will provide more treatment and mental-health screening to reach troops on the front lines, and more mobile and rural clinics to reach veterans who have returned home, he said. "We are not going to abandon these American heroes," Obama said. "We will do right by them." America's commitment to its troops will continue when they become veterans, he said, noting significant funding increases for Department of Veterans Affairs programs. "Whether you left the service in 2009 or 1949, we will fulfill our responsibility to deliver the benefits and care that you earned," the president promised the veterans. Even during tough economic times, Obama said the country can't shirk from its responsibilities to servicemembers and veterans. "Let me be clear," he said. "America's commitments to its veterans are not just lines in a budget. "They are bonds that are sacred – a sacred trust that we are honor-bound to uphold."

Related Sites: Veterans of Foreign Wars Related Articles: Afghan War 'Fundamental' to U.S. Defense, Obama Tells VFW

The Memorial of The Fallen in the Global War on Terrorism

The Memorial of The Fallen in the Global War on Terrorism


Who:
Major General Sprynczynatyk, ND National Guard Adjutant General
and the Honorable John Warford, Mayor of Bismarck

What: Invite you to the dedication of The Memorial of The Fallen in the Global War on Terrorism
When: 11 Sep 09, 9:37 a.m.
Where: Entrance of Fraine Barracks, Fraine Barracks Road, Bismarck, ND

"Grieving Luncheon Series"

Save the Date: Who: Janalea Hoffman, Music therapist
What: "Musical Solutions for Everyday Challenges"
When: October 17
9:00am-3:30pm with an optional program from 3:30-4:30pm
Where: HeartSprings
Located at: Messiah Lutheran Church
2010 N Elm St
Fargo, ND
CEU's will be available

HeartSprings is starting a "Grieving Luncheon Series" utilizing complementary healthcare techniques to speak to the grieving soul the fourth Tuesday of every month. Come and enjoy a free lunch and hear Jan Nelson, grief specialist and laughter yoga facilitator lead a session on the healing benefits of humor and lead you through some humor exercises to get those corners of your mouth turned up called "I need a break from my grieving! Is it OK to laugh?" . Meet us at HeartSprings, located at Messiah Lutheran Church, 2010 N Elm St., Fgo. across from the VA, September 22nd from 12:15-1pm. Your luncheon costs are free. If you are in need of a ride call Jan at #261-3142.

HeartSprings is starting a "Caregiving Luncheon Series" utilizing local community resources and HeartSprings complementary healthcare techniques to speak to caregivers; not only giving information, but feeding your soul, teaching ways to help you energize yourself, develop habits of resiliency, and others. Come and join us the third Tuesday of the month. Bring your loved one, or ask a neighbor to stay with your loved one. Our first gathering will be September 15th from 12:15-1pm with Gail Agnes, community liaison from Comfort Keepers, speaking on " Home Safety". She will give you ideas on keeping your home safe. Meet us at HeartSprings, located at Messiah Lutheran Church, 2010 N Elm St., Fgo. across from the VA, September 22nd from 12:15-1pm. Luncheon costs are $5. If you are in need of a ride call Jan at #261-3142.

Questions:
contact
Jan Nelson 261-3142
HeartSprings
jnelson1409@yahoo.com

UND ARMY ROTC: Run for a Reason 2009

Host: North Dakota National Guard
Type: Sports - Sporting Event
Network: Global
Date: Saturday, August 29, 2009
Time: 8:00am - 2:00pm
Location: UND Army ROTC Armory
City/Town: Grand Forks, ND
Phone: 2187910442
Email: runforreasonund@gmail.com


8:00-8:45am Registration
9:00-11:00am Race/Warrior Challenge
10:00-2:00pm Food and Fun Activities.

The race and events will be based out of the UND Army ROTC Armory. Registration tables will be outside in front of the Armory.

Warrior Challenge Event
The warrior challenge event will consist of a 5k pack(provided) run, timed pushups, timed sit-ups, and different challenges. Competitors are encouraged to sign up in teams of four. If competitors don’t have a set team, they are still welcome to sign up and be placed on a team.

COST
The cost of sending one flight of World War II Veterans and providing hotel and food is over $168,000 or about $750 per veteran. The Northern Valley Honor Flight needs to raise an additional $65,000 before the end of September to send another flight on schedule.
Honor Flight needs more fundraisers to be run in the coming weeks. If any school, business, or organization would like to get involved, lease call Lance at
701-238-9298

Run For A Reason 2009
5K Run and Warrior Challenge
August 29, 2009

They answered the call, Now its time to say thanks.

WHAT IS HONOR FLIGHT?
Honor Flight was initially conceived in 2004 by Earl Morse, a physician assistant and retired Air Force Captain, as a way to honor veterans he has taken care of for the past 27 years. Its sole purpose was to fly veterans to Washington D.C. to visit the memorial dedicated to honor their sacrifices.

Northern Valley Honor Flight was started in April 2008 and is a proud affiliate of Honor Flight NetworkTM. Their mission is to provide a complimentary flight to the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. for our area World War II Veterans. The inaugural trip for Northern Valley Honor Flight took place this past April, and we are hoping for another this September.

Northern Valley Honor Flight is a volunteer organization, supported entirely by the donations of time and talents of members of our community. These are people like you, who want to help in whatever way they can to make this dream a reality.

EVENT INFO
On August 29, 2009, The UND ROTC, UND Wellness Center, and NDARNG will be hosting the first annual Run For A Reason to benefit the Northern Valley Honor Flight. The event is open to all, even if you are not a runner, come and cheer on the others and enjoy the festivities!
Join us for a fun filled day starting with a 5k run and warrior challenge (run, push-ups, and sit-ups). The run and warrior challenge event will start at 9am. Upon completion there will be an awards ceremony and fun events for people of all ages.

The North Dakota Army National Guard and UND Army ROTC will be in attendance cooking food and providing fun activities for all to participate in following the completion of the run and warrior challenge. There will be games as well as other activities and events throughout the morning and afternoon.

For more information please contact:
John Hoffarth at 218-791-0442 or runforreasonund@gmail.com

Sponsored by UND Army ROTC, North Dakota National Guard, Soldiers Angels, UND Wellness Center and UND.

ISFAC - ANNOUNCEMENT FROM MEMBER HEARTSPRINGS- Grieving Series

 

Save the Date:  Who:  Janalea Hoffman, Music therapist

                       What:  "Musical Solutions for Everyday Challenges"

                      When:   October 17 

                                   9:00am-3:30pm with an optional program from 3:30-4:30pm

                     Where:   HeartSprings

                                  Located at:  Messiah Lutheran Church

                                  2010 N Elm St

                                  Fargo, ND

                     CEU's will be available

 

HeartSprings is starting a "Grieving Luncheon Series" utilizing complementary healthcare techniques to speak to the grieving soul the fourth Tuesday of every month.  Come and enjoy a free lunch and hear Jan Nelson, grief specialist and laughter yoga facilitator  lead a session on the healing benefits of humor and lead you through some humor exercises to get those corners of your mouth turned up called  "I need a break from my grieving!  Is it OK to laugh?" .  Meet us at HeartSprings, located at Messiah Lutheran Church, 2010 N Elm St., Fgo. across from the VA, September 22nd from 12:15-1pm.  Your luncheon costs are free.  If you are in need of a ride call Jan at #261-3142.

 

HeartSprings is starting a "Caregiving Luncheon Series" utilizing local community resources and HeartSprings complementary healthcare techniques to speak to caregivers; not only giving information, but feeding your soul, teaching ways to help you energize yourself, develop habits of resiliency, and others.  Come and join us the third Tuesday of the month.  Bring your loved one, or ask a neighbor to stay with your loved one.  Our first gathering will be September 15th from 12:15-1pm with Gail Agnes, community liaison from Comfort Keepers, speaking on " Home Safety".  She will give you ideas on keeping your home safe.  Meet us at HeartSprings, located at Messiah Lutheran Church, 2010 N Elm St., Fgo. across from the VA, September 22nd from 12:15-1pm.  Luncheon costs are $5.  If you are in need of a ride call Jan at #261-3142.

 

Questions:

contact

Jan Nelson 261-3142

HeartSprings

jnelson1409@yahoo.com

 
 

Portraits of Love

Volunteering to Help Send a Piece of Home to Soldiers Abroad
 
The PhotoImaging Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMDA) along with Soldiers' Angels, a grassroots volunteer organization, revealed  the Portraits of Love Project, a volunteer effort aimed at sending family portraits to soldiers around the globe this holiday season.
 
Designed to help bring a piece of home to soldiers around the world, the project is utilizing the talents of over 150 volunteer photographers across the country who are opening their studios this September, to offer free family portraits to military family members who have a soldier deployed overseas. The portraits will be uploaded to a website, www.pmdaportraitsoflove.com, and a print will be sent, free of charge, directly to the soldier in Iraq, Afghanistan, or wherever they are deployed around the world. The goal of the project is to send 10,000 free family portraits during the month of September.
 
"This project is the photo industry's way of giving back to our soldiers, and thanking them for the sacrifices they have made for our country," said Jerry Grossman, the president of the PMDA who has spearheaded the effort. "Our industry is uniquely qualified to bring an important piece of home to our soldiers, and we're pleased to be able to organize this effort."
 
"It's incredible how motivating a simple family photograph can be to a soldier who is far from home," said Sergeant First Class Toby Nunn, who has served two tours in Iraq and has worked with Soldiers Angels on a number of projects. "This volunteer effort is one more way that we can help our soldiers cope with their situation," he said.
 
As part of this project, Ken Hubbard of Tamron USA, Inc. joins more pro photographers to take professional family portraits of soldier's families at Fort Hood this September. Military family members on or near Fort Hood can contact the base directly for scheduling information.
 
About PMDA
Founded in 1939, the PhotoImaging Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMDA) has promoted the photo industry for over 70 years with an emphasis on photo imaging manufacturers and distributors. PMDA provides an open forum for its members to exchange ideas and learn new technologies and business trends, in addition to administering programs that promote photography to the general public. The member companies of PMDA have a box seat on the changing product and business developments of the photo industry and a unique opportunity to network with other industry principals and managers in the receptions preceding each meeting and special event. PMDA has also teamed up with the Photo Marketing Association to create the Photographic Information Council (PIC) to promote photography to the general public. PIC's website (www.takegreatpictures.com) provides great photo tips and techniques, celebrity photographers, contests, new product releases and projects. See PMDA's site, www.pmda.com, for more information.


 

NDNationalGuard: Early Kosovo

Family, friends pack Fargo Civic to say goodbye to troops bound for Kosovo

 
 
FARGO – Family and friends gathered this morning to nearly fill the Fargo Civic Center and show support for about 300 North Dakota National Guard troops heading to Kosovo for a yearlong peacekeeping mission.
 
Numerous speakers – including state and federal representatives – spoke to the crowd as the soldiers prepare to leave this weekend.
 
The troops are among 700 statewide who will represent North Dakota, which is heading up the multinational force.
"If there is an outfit in the country I'd recommend for this assignment, it'd be the North Dakota National Guard," said Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D.
 
Many speakers, including the mayors of Fargo and Valley City, thanked soldiers for their help during the flood fight.
Chris Jennewen of Grand Forks is getting ready to say goodbye to his wife, Stacy, and sons Tyler, 19, and Cody, 15.
It's Jennewen's second deployment. He served in Iraq for 1½ years in 2004-05.
 
This deployment is a little easier, Jennewen said, because he has a better idea what to expect and his family knows it's a safer mission.
 
But saying goodbye at the armory Saturday before soldiers get on the bus for the airport still will be difficult.
"It hasn't hit until they actually leave," Stacy Jennewen said.

Read more Saturday in The Forum.
 

 
 R @ NDNationalGuard: Early Kosovo send-off coverage/www.inforum.com/event/article/id/249820/

Community Says Goodbye at Kosovo Force 12 Send-off (UNCLASSIFIED)

 
                                                                           August 14, 2009

 

Contacts:  

Rick Smith at 701-333-2007 (office) or 701-426-0190 (cell)

Amy Willson at 701-451-6130 (office) or 701-412-6895 (cell)

 

Community Says Goodbye at Kosovo Force 12 Send-off

 

FARGO, N.D. — Parting words, well wishes and hugs filled the Fargo Civic Center today, where the community turned out by the hundreds to wish North Dakota Army National Guard Soldiers off. About 300 Soldiers from the 231st Maneuver Task Force leave tomorrow for a yearlong mobilization that will take them first to Camp Atterbury, Ind., then Germany, and finally Kosovo.

 

"Whether it is at home or abroad, our National Guard are always prepared to answer the call to duty," said Gov. John Hoeven. "Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families as they begin this new and important mission."

 

Soldiers in the 231st, which is based in Valley City and Fargo, are part of a larger contingent of North Dakota Soldiers. About 700 from the state will leave in the coming week. They will join about 700 additional Soldiers from across the nation, and eventually serve with 700 more troops from 35 countries as part of Kosovo Force 12, or KFOR12. North Dakota will lead the multinational force.

 

"Once again, without hesitation, the men and women of North Dakota's National Guard are answering the nation's call," said Sen. Kent Conrad.

 

Kosovo is divided into five NATO areas of responsibility. The United States is responsible for the Multi-National Task Force East (MNTF-E) region, also known as Task Force Falcon, which serves as the American-led component of NATO's Kosovo Force.

 

"Their selection to help command a large multinational NATO force to provide stability in a sensitive region of eastern Europe is a great tribute to the men and women of the North Dakota National Guard," said Sen. Byron Dorgan.

 

In addition to North Dakota's senators, Congressman Earl Pomeroy spoke at today's event, as did Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker and Valley City Mayor Mary Lee Nielson.

 

"I continue to be awe inspired by North Dakota's fighting men and women who humbly, proudly and consistently answer the call of service to our nation," Pomeroy said. "The National Guard mission in Kosovo is essential to preserving the dreams of peace for the people who live there."

 

North Dakota's mobilization is the largest since the Korean conflict for its National Guard. While many units have deployed simultaneously for separate Global War on Terrorism missions in recent years, the KFOR mobilization encompasses the largest single element to mobilize in more than five decades.

 

"We were given this mission based on the fact that we have well-trained, experienced, knowledgeable Guardsmen in North Dakota. I'm proud of each of you," said Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota National Guard adjutant general.

 

Task Force Falcon will be led by North Dakota Soldiers: Brig. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, of Bismarck, N.D., will be the commanding general and Command Sgt. Maj. Jack Cripe, of Dickinson, N.D., will be the senior enlisted Soldier.

 

"To our Soldiers, I want to say: Do what you do best. North Dakota has some of the best Soldiers anywhere, and it's my privilege to lead you in this historic mission. To your Families: Please know that you're appreciated and valued. We couldn't successfully do what we do without you," Dohrmann said.

 

The 231st will begin its yearlong mobilization tomorrow, when it leaves the Fargo Armed Forces Reserve Center in two groups — one at 3:45 p.m. and one at 5 p.m. — for Hector International Airport. The public is encouraged to line the route to the airport to show their support for the deploying Soldiers.

 

Two additional groups of Soldiers will depart from Bismarck. The 957th Liaison Monitoring Teams will leave Raymond J. Bohn Armory at 9:45 a.m. Monday and the Headquarters element will depart from the same location at 6:45 a.m. Friday, Aug. 21. The public is encouraged to line the route to the Bismarck Municipal Airport, as well.

 

The following is a TENTATIVE schedule of when Soldiers will be departing local armories to fly to Indiana and begin the mobilization. The public is encouraged to line the routes from the armories to the airports.

 

Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009: About 120 Soldiers from the 231st Maneuver Task Force will depart the Fargo Armed Forces Reserve Center at 3:45 p.m. and about 160 more from the unit will depart at 5 p.m.

Fargo Route: From the Reserve Center, 3920 31st St. N.W., the bus will turn west onto County Road 20 and travel to I-29, and then follow it south to the 19th Avenue North exit, and then east to Hector International Airport. PLEASE NOTE THIS ROUTE HAS CHANGED.

 

 

Monday, Aug. 17, 2009: About 85 Soldiers from the 957th Liaison Monitoring Team will depart Raymond J. Bohn Armory, Bismarck, at 9:45 a.m.

 

Friday, Aug. 21, 2009: About 180 Soldiers from the Task Force Falcon Headquarters element will depart Raymond J. Bohn Armory at 7:15 a.m.

 

Bismarck Route: From Raymond J. Bohn Armory, 4200 East Divide Ave. in Bismarck, the bus will travel west and turn south at the stoplight on Bismarck Expressway. The Soldiers will then travel south to Airport Road, and then southeast to Bismarck Municipal Airport.

 

 

                                    

 

 

Since the terrorist attacks on America, the North Dakota National Guard has mobilized more than 2,800 Soldiers and more than 1,600 Airmen in support of the Global War on Terrorism. In recent months, nearly 2,000 North Dakota National Guardsmen were mobilized for flood fighting missions all across North Dakota. With a total force of about 4,400 Soldiers and Airmen, we have sufficient forces available to provide emergency response and homeland defense.

-30-

 

Cutlines

Additional photos will be ready to download later today at www.flickr.com/photos/ndguard.

High-resolution photos available on our FTP site:

FTP Server: ftp://ftp.state.nd.us

ID: ndngftp

Password: PIO2493 (case-sensitive)

 

09081-F-0681L-048.jpg: 2nd Lt. Chris Olson sits close to his wife, Meagan, and daughters Gabby and Jocelynn during today's send-off ceremony at the Fargo Civic Center. Hundreds of people gathered to show their support for the Soldiers of the North Dakota Army National Guard's 231st Maneuver Task Force as they prepare to leave for a yearlong deployment to Kosovo. (Photo by Senior Master Sgt. David Lipp, North Dakota Air National Guard)

 

09081-F-0681L-103.jpg: Spc. Tyler F. Villarreal gets a hug outside of the Fargo Civic Center, where a send-off ceremony took place today for North Dakota Army National Guard Soldiers about to leave for a yearlong deployment to Kosovo.  (Photo by Senior Master Sgt. David Lipp, North Dakota Air National Guard)

 

09081-F-0681L-109.jpg: Gov. John Hoeven, right, presents a North Dakota flag to the 231st Maneuver Task Force's leadership during today's send-off ceremony at the Fargo Civic Center.  At left is Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota National Guard adjutant general. The 231st leadership stands in the middle of their leaders, with Command Sgt. Maj. Joel Walsvik, second from left, serving as the senior enlisted Soldier for the 231st, and Lt. Col. Lee Nordin, the 231st commander. (Photo by Senior Master Sgt. David Lipp, North Dakota Air National Guard)

 

09081-F-0681L-129.jpg: Brig. Gen. Alan Dohrmann addresses the large crowd gathered at the Fargo Civic Center today for the send-off ceremony for the 231st Maneuver Task Force. Dohrmann serves as commanding general of Task Force Falcon, the American-led component of NATO's Kosovo Force. (Photo by Senior Master Sgt. David Lipp, North Dakota Air National Guard)

 

09081-F-0681L-307.jpg: Sgt. Erik Lindborg, center, walks hand-in-hand with his wife, Kelli, and daughter, Taylor, after today's send-off ceremony at the Fargo Civic Center for members of the 231st Maneuver Task Force. About 300 Soldiers with the Task Force will round out the contingent of nearly 700 North Dakota Army National Guard Soldiers who are leaving for a yearlong peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. (Photo by Senior Master Sgt. David Lipp, North Dakota Air National Guard)

 

For more information:

Kosovo Forces 12 PowerPoint Briefing

www.ndguard.com/uploads/resources/1014/kfor-bg-dohrmann-brief.pdf

 

N.D. National Guard News Release 09-137 (7/12/2009)

Send-off Ceremony Held in Bismarck for Soldiers Heading to Kosovo

www.ndguard.com/news/detail.asp?newsID=409

 

Photos, Videos & Other Updates:

• www.youtube.com/ndnationalguard
• www.flickr.com/photos/ndguard
• www.twitter.com/ndnationalguard
• Facebook page: North Dakota National Guard

 

 

Amy Wieser Willson

Deputy Public Information Officer

Joint Force Headquarters

North Dakota National Guard

Office: (701) 451-6130

Cellular: (701) 412-6895

Fax: (701) 451-6017

DSN: 373-6130

amy.wieserwillson@us.army.mil

http://www.ndguard.com/

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ndnationalguard

NDNG videos at: www.youtube.com/ndnationalguard

NDNG photos at: www.flickr.com/photos/ndguard

Fan "North Dakota National Guard" on Facebook

 

"Ready, Relevant & Respected"

 Official Use Only - This message/communication may contain personal information which must be protected IAW DOD 5400.11R from unauthorized access/disclosure.  Public Affairs (PA) is strongly committed to maintaining the privacy of personal information. With respect to the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, PA makes every effort to ensure compliance with applicable federal laws including, but not limited to, the Privacy Act of 1974, as codified at 5 U.S.C. 552a, and the Freedom of Information Act.

 

 

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

Thank You!!!!!!

From Dave Pagel- state ride captain-- who I had the pleasure of having lunch with today....
 


 Thanks to all who came out in force today to particpate in the sendoff 
ceremony for the 231 MTF, KFOR troops. We were graced with the presense 
of members from MN, ND, RC's from all over the state, as well as the 
former Montana State Captain, Brad Volk, and our former State Captain, 
Randy Lindborg. It was really impressive to see the NDPG turnout for a 
work day. Gov. John Hoeven, Senators Conrad, Dorgan and Congressman 
Pomeroy, Valley City's mayor, Fargo's mayor and a very large military 
contingent lead by Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk sent the deploying 
troops off in grand style. Lets keep these soldiers and their families 
in our thoughts and prayers until they are home safe.
 
Respectfully,
 David K. Pagel
 State Captain
 North Dakota Patriot Guard
 dpagel@ndpatriotguard.org
 www.ndpatriotguard.org http://www.ndpatriotguard.org
 
 

ISFAC: Aberle to Lead N.D. Army National Guard’s 68th Troop Command

 
 
 
After reading the press release below, if you would like to send Col. Aberle a note of congrats, please do so. In his new role he also is a member of the ISFAC.
 
 
Col. Michael Aberle
North Dakota Army National Guard
PO BOX 5511
Bismarck, ND 58506-5511
 
 
 


 

For Immediate Release                                                                                              

Contacts:  

Rick Smith at 701-333-2007 (office) or 701-426-0190 (cell)

Amy Willson at 701-451-6130 (office) or 701-412-6895 (cell)

 

Aberle to Lead N.D. Army National Guard's 68th Troop Command

 

BISMARCK — Col. Michael R. Aberle will assume command of the North Dakota Army National Guard's 68^th Troop Command during a Change of Command Ceremony Sunday, August 16, 2009. 

 

Aberle will accept the position from Col. James T. Hrdlicka, who will be deploying with N.D. Army National Guard's upcoming Kosovo (KFOR) mission.

 

The Change of Command Ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Raymond J. Bohn Armory drill floor, 4200 E. Divide Ave., Bismarck. 

 

In his new position, Aberle will oversee more than 1,200 Soldiers in the 136^th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 164^th Engineer Battalion, 1-112^th Aviation Battalion and the separate units of the 68^th Troop Command, including the 814^th Medical Detachment, 116^th Public Affairs Detachment, and 188th Army Band.

 

Colonel Aberle is from Edgeley, N.D. and graduated from the North Dakota State University, Fargo, N.D.

 

Colonel Hrdlicka is from Colome, S.D. and graduated from The University of Mary, Bismarck, N.D.

 

Media and the public are welcome to attend Sunday's ceremony, and no pre-coordination is required.

Høstfest 2009

Dear Member, Norsk Høstfest is coming up at the end of September, so make plans to join Sons of Norway at North America's largest Scandinavian festival! Once again we are the presenting sponsor of Oslo Hall and we've got a lot planned for this year's event so you won't want to miss out. For starters, Sons of Norway members are entitled to a 15% discount at En To Tre Norwegian buffet (to get your discount, scroll down to where you see the Sons of Norway logo). Taste the finest flavors of Norway, put together by Norwegian chef and culinary genius, Willy Hanson. En To Tre uses only the freshest of ingredients and has been wowing the taste buds of festival-goers for the last three years. <   If you haven't been part of this dining experience yet, now is the time to do it—especially when you can get your discount!   Next, there's the newly renamed Sons of Norway stage in Oslo Hall, where festival attendees can enjoy the sights and sounds of some of Norsk Høstfest's most popular performers, like Bjøro Haaland, Williams & Ree and the Kentucky Riders. The best part is that all performances on the Sons of Norway stage are totally free! Seating is limited on a first-come-basis, so make sure to get there early. There's going to be a lot going on at this year's festival, so come to Minot and be part of the total experience! If you can't make it to this year's event, be sure to follow along as we blog and tweet throughout the week! You can read all about this year's Norsk Høstfest by going to the Sons of Norway blog at sonsofnorwayblog.blogspot.com, or by following us on twitter at www.twitter.com/sonsofnorway.

Gates Notes Security Progress Prior to Afghan Election

Gates Notes Security Progress Prior to Afghan Election
Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:09:00 -0500

Gates Notes Security Progress Prior to Afghan Election By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service     WASHINGTON, Aug. 13, 2009 - The sacrifices of coalition servicemembers in southern Afghanistan will allow more Afghans to vote in the national elections next week, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.   Gates and Marine Gen. James Cartwright, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Afghan and international military forces are working to provide a secure environment so the Aug. 20 election can proceed. "Due to some of the military operations that have taken place in the Helmand province and other places in the south, it looks like more Afghans will be able to vote than had been the case before the recent deployment of additional U.S. forces, and obviously that's an encouraging development," Gates said. Still, the situation in the country is a mixed bag with areas in the north and west more secure than those in the east and south, he said. "In some parts of Afghanistan, the Taliban have clearly established a presence," Gates said. "The operations under way now and those being considered for the coming months are designed to roll back the Taliban and establish a lasting security and government presence, a presence that can give the Afghan people confidence that they will be protected from intimidation and retribution." Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. and NATO commander in the Afghanistan, will present his assessment of the situation sometime between the elections and mid-September, Gates said. The general already is making a real difference by putting in place a counterinsurgency strategy to minimize civilian casualties, he said. McChrystal's assessment will not include specific recommendations or requests for more forces, Gates said. "However, we've made clear to General McChrystal that he is free to ask for what he needs, to complete the important mission that he has been given," the secretary said. Any request for more personnel or resources "will be considered separately and subsequent to his assessment of the security situation," he said. These military operations are but one component of a multi-faceted strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan announced by President Barack Obama four-and-a-half months ago. Gates characterized a question on how long U.S. forces will be involved in military operations in Afghanistan as a mystery. "In the intelligence business, we always used to categorize information in two ways: secrets and mysteries," he said. "The secrets were things that were ultimately knowable. Mysteries were those where there were too many variables to predict. And I think that how long U.S. forces will be in Afghanistan is in that area." Gates said he hopes to see progress in a year, with one benchmark would be the ability to transfer more of security responsibility to the Afghans. How fast the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police train is part of the calculus. Another marker of progress, Cartwright said, is when security is in the equal interests of the coalition and Afghan people. The Afghans must buy into the idea of security and actively help the coalition and local forces maintain peace. "When you start to see that attitude change, then you start to have a sense that things are going to move in a direction that would be towards the end of the violence," he said. When that happens, operations will change to stabilizing areas and holding them clear of Taliban, which will allow for development, the general said. Gates differentiated between the timeline for military operations and the overall commitment to Afghanistan. "I think you have to differentiate between institution-building and economic development, on the one hand, and defeating the Taliban and al-Qaida on the other," he said. Military operations against the Taliban and al-Qaida may take a couple of years, the secretary said. "Economic development and institution-building, probably is a decades-long enterprise in a country has been through 30 years of war and has as high an illiteracy rate as Afghanistan does and low level of economic development," he said.

Biographies: Robert M. Gates Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright Related Sites: U.S. Forces Afghanistan U.S. Forces Afghanistan on Facebook U.S. Forces Afghanistan on Twitter U.S. Forces Afghanistan on YouTube NATO International Security Assistance Force Related Articles: Effort Aims to Secure Southern Afghanistan for Elections

ISFAC: The Warrior Gateway Project

ISFAC: The Warrior Gateway Project- I thought you all may be interested in peeking into this and inputting while this is in the inception process.

 

___________________________________________

 

 

Let me introduce myself, my name is Devin Holmes and I work for a non-profit in Washington, DC called Business Executives for National Security (BENS – www.bens.org).  As you explore other options to ASY, I wanted to make you aware of a project that I have been tasked with leading, The Warrior Gateway Project.   

 

By way of background, former VA Secretary Peake and JCS Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen asked the Veterans Innovation Center and BENS to help identify how transitioning service members and veterans can best find and access resources that are available to them at all levels - federal, state, county and local.  We then developed a growing coalition of interested organizations to accomplish this who are all providing pro bono assistance with the project.  These organizations include the USO, Gallup, Booz Allen Hamilton, Deloitte, Google and other entities that are significantly committed to helping this project come together.

 

The Warrior Gateway Project is designed to help veterans and their families by providing an extremely user-friendly means to identify, explore and access resources (like yours), as well as assess the usefulness of those resources as it relates to their need.  This will take the form of a universally accessible web-based portal with characteristics that we are currently developing. Our intent is for it to become a national capability that can serve as a network of networks.  This project, and the resulting portal, is designed to operate as a non-profit and to be free of charge for the military community to use and for the service providers (like you) to be listed on it.

 

Our desire is for it to be a 100% inclusive portal and to aggregate the plethora of information already contained in various directories around the web.  As such, we plan to work directly with service providers, like yourself, to provide a platform for reaching and engaging with your target audiences and potential donors.  To accomplish our aggregation strategy, we are also working to create partnerships with large directories and organizations tasked with reaching veterans such as the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs (NASDVA - www.nasdva.net) and the National Resource Directory (www.nationalresourcedirectory.org), with whom we have already begun a dialog.  

 

 

Scheduled for an initial launch in late 2009, the Warrior Gateway Project will:

 

*         Improve access by the military community to services and by the service providers to feedback from the people they serve. The Warrior Gateway Project will organize thousands of programs and services under portal, www.warriorgateway.org, providing the military community with a one-stop, searchable resource for locating, contacting and reviewing private and not-for-profit programs.

 

*         Improve effectiveness by enabling the military community to rate services. This critical feedback helps users find the most effective programs while providing the information necessary for providers to improve quality while identifying service gaps, going beyond the multitude of existing service directories.

 

*         Facilitate communication by fostering online communities.  Through the Warrior Gateway, users can engage with each other or link to other social networks-expanding their support network regardless of geography.  Service providers can connect directly with individuals who need or have used their services, as well as other providers. This creates a dialogue essential to identifying needs not currently being met, improving existing services and developing best practices. Service providers will also be able to connect with donors who provide the funding to start and sustain programs.

 

*         Enhance and expand services critical to helping veterans and their families reintegrate back into their communities.  Warriorgateway.org will also serve as a portal to access veteran-focused job seeking and education services essential to making the transition to a post military career.

 

 

 

We have launched our project blog this week and soliciting more feedback about the project there but I do have just a few questions that I would like your feedback on this week:

 

1)       What are you initial reactions to this project?

 

2)      What would you want to get out of this portal that could be helpful to your organization?

 

3)      If veterans were able to provide feedback, both qualitatively and quantitatively on the services they are receiving, how could your organization benefit from that information?

 

As mentioned, our newly launched blog can be found at http://www.warriorgateway.org/blog/ where I will be writing about the project vision, our progress to date and where we will be soliciting beta testers once our prototype is up and running.  Please follow us there to keep up to date on the project and don't hesitate to contact me directly if you have any other questions or comments.  I look forward to chatting with you soon.

 

Thank you,

Devin

 

 

Devin B. Holmes

The Warrior Gateway Project

Business Executives for National Security

www.bens.org

T: 202-481-1145

E: dholmes@bens.org