International Military Ball

The 21st Annual International Military Ball has been scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 28, in the Minot Holiday Inn-Riverside. A social will begin at 6 p.m.
Those attending will have a seven-course meal and an evening of dancing.
Sponsored by the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce's Military Affairs Committee, the ball is held to encourage interaction between the Minot community, Minot Air Force Base and Canadian friends. Dignitaries from both the United States and Canada attend the event.
For more information, call the Chamber at 852-6000 or email chamber@minotchamber.org. The deadline for tickets is Feb. 25.

International Military Ball

The 21st Annual International Military Ball has been scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 28, in the Minot Holiday Inn-Riverside. A social will begin at 6 p.m.
Those attending will have a seven-course meal and an evening of dancing.
Sponsored by the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce's Military Affairs Committee, the ball is held to encourage interaction between the Minot community, Minot Air Force Base and Canadian friends. Dignitaries from both the United States and Canada attend the event.
For more information, call the Chamber at 852-6000 or email chamber@minotchamber.org. The deadline for tickets is Feb. 25.

GFAFB airman wins Marketplace Talent Search

Grand Forks Herald
Published Wednesday, January 14, 2009

An airman from Grand Forks Air Force Base took home the top honor at the Marketplace Talent Search on Tuesday night in the Bismarck Civic Center, according to a press release.Robert Carter competed against seven other vocalists from across North Dakota in the third annual event. Carter sang an original composition titled "Can You Hear My Tears."
As the 2009 Marketplace Talent Search winner, Carter will receive $10,000 in cash and prizes, including a recording session with Makoche Recording Company, a Grammy-nominated studio in Bismarck.
Carter originally is from Indianapolis and moved to Grand Forks from Las Vegas about a year ago.
The Talent Search helped kick off economic development conference Marketplace for Entrepreneurs.

Welcome 191

Warm welcome on a cold day

Kevin Bonham Grand Forks Herald
Published Wednesday, January 14, 2009

FARGO — Spc. Eric Sansburn clutched his son, Zakary, handed him a camouflage-outfitted Teddy Bear and then gave him a big bear hug at Hector International Airport. "It's been a long time, and he's grown so much," the soldier said of Zakary, who will turn 3 on Jan. 31.
Sansburn, who lives in Grand Forks, was one of about 90 soldiers of the North Dakota National Guard's 191st Military Police Company who flew Wednesday into Fargo, ending a year-long deployment in Iraq.

hey were greeted by the National Guard brass, the Patriot Guard and hundreds of flag-waving, sign-carrying friends and family members, a crowd so thick it was difficult for some soldiers to slice their way through."The trip was long, as expected, but it's so good to be back here," Sansburn said. "Thirty below? That's nice. Not that I like the cold. Just getting home is great, so the weather's fine."
The 191st MP Company, based in Fargo, with detachments in Mayville and Bismarck, mobilized in October 2007 and was sent to Iraq in January 2008. Its members come from 40 different cities around the state.
The roster includes soldiers from Grand Forks, Devils Lake, Brocket, Crary, Emerado, Fort Totten, Hope, Langdon, Leeds, Minnewaukan, Page, Pembina, Portland and Thompson, as well as East Grand Forks and Warren, Minn.
During its yearlong deployment in Iraq to perform military police, security and maneuver support operations, the company completed almost 1,300 missions and traveled more than 120,000 miles.
Among the company's accomplishments were assisting in 74 detainee releases and training 346 Iraqi police in rigorous, 15-day training programs that incorporated weapons training, Iraqi law, police tactics and physical training.
The MPs also ensured they left everything better than they found it, including relations with the local communities, living quarters, communications, Iraqi police stations, vehicles and other equipment, said the company's leadership, Capt. Ben Cleghorn, commander, and 1st Sgt. Kevin Keefe, Devils Lake, the unit's senior enlisted soldier.
Almost 10 percent of the 187 soldiers who deployed with the 191 MP Company last January did not return home with the rest of the company, however. Sixteen decided to extend their tour from anywhere between four and 13 months.
During the mobilization, the soldiers earned 21 Bronze Star Medals and 153 Army Commendation Medals. Two of the Commendation Medals were for specific acts of heroism with "V" device for valor, and 72 soldiers earned Combat Action Badges to recognize their direct participation in combat operations.
Four Purple Heart Medals were awarded to MPs who were wounded in action.
This was Sansburn's first deployment to Iraq. The 2002 Grand Forks Red River High School graduate was attending UND when his unit was called for duty.
"I've always wanted to do something in that line or work, so that's why I chose this," he said of the military police.
He's got three years and a few months left in the Guard.
"I did what I had to do," he said of the Iraq deployment. "Now, I'll try to pursue a career in federal law enforcement, like U.S. Customs and Border Enforcement or Border Patrol."
But not next week or perhaps even next month.
"I just want to unwind for a little bit," he said, "and spend some time with my son and my family."
Reach Bonham at (701) 780-1110; (800) 477-6572, ext. 110; or send e-mail to kbonham@gfherald.

Wounded Warrior Handbook

 

 

www.HomelandDefenseJournal.net

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 
First Homeland Security Magazine

Announces Availability of Wounded Warrior Handbook
 
Comprehensive Resource Guide for Returning Veterans Now in Print

 

Library Review included below

 
CONTACT:    Brian Adams, Communications Director
Homeland Defense Journal Training & Media (TM)
 
Email:    brian.adams@homelanddefensejournal.net
Web: www.HomelandDefenseJournal.net 
Additional Information on Wounded Warrior Handbook: www.HomelandDefenseJournal.net  
 
Press Release
 
Arlington, Virginia
13 January 2009
 
A comprehensive, resource guide for returning, wounded veterans is now in print (December 2008), announced Don Dickson, owner and publisher of Homeland Defense Journal. The handbook is the result of a year's research by the dedicated staff of Homeland Defense Journal and includes sources for medical treatment, rehabilitation, counseling, support and transitioning back into "everyday" life. The Handbook has been reviewed by the Department of Defense, Veterans Administration and several wounded warrior associations and includes the most current set of VA benefits for returning veterans.

"Several of our very dedicated staff spent months researching to pull together the only guide of this breadth available for returning veterans", stated Don Dickson, President and owner of the Homeland Defense Journal Training & Media Company.
 
The Handbook has been reviewed by Library Journal where they found the authors "offer straightforward answers to questions commonly asked by wounded U.S. military veterans and their family members as they struggle with the complexities of receiving their needed care. As the authors reveal, over 25,000 service members have sustained injury in the war in Iraq, and approximately half of these injuries have been serious enough to require medical evacuation back to the United States. Well organized, comprehensive, and relatively easy to follow, the material covers, e.g., obtaining medical treatment and post-treatment rehabilitation, setting up mental-health counseling, family support, and the difficult transition from wounded soldier to citizen veteran." (http://www.libraryjournal.com/eNewsletter/CA6621259/2671.html)

Homeland Defense Journal co-published Wounded Warrior with Government Institutes, Inc., a major distributor of information and books on important government topics. "Government Institutes has strong distribution channels into national libraries and medical facilities. We wanted to get this handbook into these channels soonest in order to make it available to our veterans"; explained Don Dickson.
 
The typical wounded soldier must complete and file 22 forms following an active-duty injury. To many soldiers and their families coping with the shock and reality of the injuries, figuring out what to do next—even completing tasks as seemingly easy as submitting paperwork—can be overwhelming and confusing.

Written with these men and women in mind, The Wounded Warrior Handbook provides our wounded heroes and their families with quick, straightforward answers to the questions they suddenly face and guides them through the deluge of processes, procedures, and policies they must adhere to in order to receive the care they deserve and need.

Comprehensive and easy-to-use, the Handbook compiles information regarding medical treatment, rehabilitation, counseling, support, and transition, including:

• Symptoms, treatment options, and information resources of common injuries
   

• Programs to help families reach and care for their injured soldiers
   

• Definitions of the seven classifications of "casualty" and the notification process for next of kin
   

• Documents family members should carry when traveling to see their loved ones
   

• Challenges of reintegrating into everyday life, and tips and resources for succeeding
   

• Guidance for finding a job that matches an injured soldier's physical abilities and skills
   

• Organizations offering advocacy and legal assistance
   

• Locations of Veterans Affairs hospitals, medical centers, and clinics

Whether you work with members of the military or support a community that does, you can help our embattled men and women make the transition from active duty to post-war domestic life with this time-saving and life-restoring book.

For details and to purchase through our secure web based system, go to www.HomelandDefenseJournal.net
 
Wounded Warrior,  ISBN: 1605902713, ISBN-13: 9781605902715, $30 quantity one (List price - Special Discount for Homeland Defense Journal readers)

· Format: Paperback, 304pp
· Pub. Date: December 2008
 
About Homeland Defense Journal Training & Media – Homeland Defense Journal Training & Media provides information, book and magazine publishing, training and conference services to the homeland security community at federal, DoD, state, local and private corporations. The company is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia and includes modern training facilities for its security training courses.
 
For information about Homeland Defense Journal and its training, magazine, newsletter and books, go to www.HomelandDefenseJournal.net

Family of Warren man gets his Purple Heart 90 years after war

Chuck Haga Grand Forks Herald
Published Monday, January 12, 2009

http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=101277&section=homepage

 

Gust Bodell was 23, farming with his Swedish immigrant father just east of Warren, Minn., when the U.S. Army called in 1917 and shipped him over to Europe and World War I. Near the end of the war, in fierce fighting at Verdun, France, on Oct. 23, 1918, Bodell heard the shriek of an approaching German artillery shell.
"Jump!" he hollered, and he jumped himself, but the shell exploded and Gust took shrapnel in his left arm.

The three men who had been in the foxhole with him didn't jump, and they were killed. "He was always slim and quick as lightning," said Gladys Bodell, who was married to one of Gust's sons, the late Marvin Bodell. "That's how I think he survived, jumping out of that foxhole."
Gust never received the Purple Heart he was due for his wound. He wore a heavy leather brace on his arm, wrist to elbow, for the rest of his life. Members of the family remember seeing him strap it onto the withered arm each morning as he prepared for chores.
"He could move his thumb, and the four fingers moved together," Gladys Bodell said, but there was little to the arm beyond bone and brace.
Until he died in 1965 at age of 71, Gust made no attempt to obtain the medal.
"I think it was because he lost his buddies," Gladys Bodell said. "He didn't talk a lot about it. When I asked him, 'Where's your Purple Heart?' he'd just say, 'Oh, they forgot about us World War I veterans.' "
But Gladys didn't forget.
She lost her husband in 2002, and the last of Gust's seven children died a little more than a year ago. But Gladys kept thinking about the slight to her soldier father-in-law, and earlier this year — with help from Duane Nielsen, former Veterans Service Officer for western Marshall County — she finally did something about it.
At her request, military authorities checked records from the war. It was a chancy search; many Army records from World War I were lost or damaged in a 1973 fire. But records confirming Gust Bodell's wartime service survived.
Now, 90 years after Gust was hurt, more than 40 years after he died, there's a Purple Heart bearing his name safe in the trust of his family.
The Army also sent a World War I Victory Medal, with a clasp signifying Gust's presence at St. Mihiel, one of the key World War I engagements involving American troops.
Why make the effort now?
It's so someone will always remember, Gladys Bodell said.
"I'll frame the medals and keep them in my house," she said, "and then I'll decide which of my six children will get them. I think maybe it will be my oldest daughter. She remembers him quite well."

The troops will get to drink beer overseas during the superbowl this year...

 
The troops will get to drink beer overseas during the superbowl this year...one of my angels sent me this cheer after I shared the news with her...
 
 

"While watching them run with the football in hand
Realize what YOU do is far more grand.
As the cheers go up let the beer go down.
We'll celebrate together when you're back in town!
Safe and sound with wisdom to boot
You're the US Troops BABY! Party and Hoot!"

~ Cheers by  Jodi Rae Ingstad, A North Dakota Angel
 
 
 
 
 

AP: BAGHDAD – American troops in Iraq will be allowed to drink beer without fear of court-martial for this year's Super Bowl — an exception to a strict military ban on drinking alcohol in combat zones.

In what is sure to be a major morale boost, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. Raymond Odierno, issued a waiver Wednesday paving the way for troops to participate in the popular American football tradition.

Super Bowl XLIII will be played Feb. 1 in Tampa, Fla., but it will be 2 a.m. in Baghdad when the live broadcast starts in Iraq. Troops will gather in dining halls on military bases nationwide to watch the game.

A copy of the waiver said the consumption of alcoholic beverages will be allowed only Feb. 1-2 and service members will be limited to two 12-ounce beers each.

Odierno, who is from northern New Jersey and played tight end at the U.S. Military Academy, will be rooting for the New York Giants, said his spokesman, Col. James Hutton. The Giants play the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday a second-round playoff match.

Odierno appeared to acknowledge the sensitivity of drinking alcohol in an Islamic country, particularly considering the Super Bowl falls during a holy period for Iraq's majority Shiite Muslims.

The waiver orders commanders to "keep in mind all host nation laws and customs regarding alcohol consumption" and "to exercise discretion and good judgment in enforcing these guidelines and restrictions."

U.S. troops in Iraq have been banned from drinking, possessing or selling alcoholic beverages under a general order that also bans them from possessing pornography and other activities. They can face a reduction in pay or rank or even a court-martial if they violate the rule.

The Washington Post reported that several service members said the only other time the ban was lifted was in 2005, for troops operating under the Baghdad command.

Drinking alcohol isn't illegal in Iraq but is banned under Islam, and Muslim extremists have frequently targeted liquor stores.

The exemption comes as the U.S. military faces stricter Iraqi oversight under a new security agreement that took effect Jan. 1.

Violence has declined dramatically over the past year, and the Americans are involved in less combat, focusing more on their training and advisory roles.