We Have Not Forgotten

	Ten years. It's often difficult to accurately measure the passage of time. One way we do so is with pictures -- important events last forever in a single image. Take a look at the framed photos displayed around your house. Little snapshots of life gone by: kids with toothless grins who are now in college, the first family camping trip that is now a tradition, or the boy in his prom tuxedo now wearing a uniform in Afghanistan. In the 10 years since the attacks of September 11, the lives of military families have changed. Difficult circumstances or the absence of a loved one might not always make for picture perfect moments, but they are important moments all the same. When looking at photos, we often focus solely on the images and neglect to notice the strong frames that hold them—just as we sometimes overlook the extraordinary sacrifices of military families as part of the strength that frames our Nation. For more than 40 years, the National Military Family Association has stood alongside military families as they continue to support the Nation's efforts to protect all the things we hold close. We are inspired by the pride in service and determination of military families, especially since September 11, 2001. We appreciate all of the sacrifices made in the past 10 years. We pledge to help military families shoulder the responsibilities of the years to come, and are thankful for your steadfast support of our efforts. Sincerely,       Joyce Wessel Raezer Executive Director
	National Military Family Association 2500 North Van Dorn Street., Suite 102, Alexandria, VA 22302-1601 p: 800.260.0218 | f: 703.931.4600

Save the Date-- Brats for the Brave, May 18- pass it on and invite others.

 Hello-
 
Please pass this on to the community leaders, business members and all service members.
 
Brats for the Brave honors our military members in the community and we would love to have as many troops attend as possible. The 2nd Annual luncheon will be hosted at the Bismarck Mandan Chamber of Commerce on May 18, 2011 from 1130-1300. Please feel free to come anytime for a free lunch honoring our troops.
 
RSVP is requested-- http://www.bismarckmandan.com/events/detail.asp?eventID=222

 
Shelle Michaels
Bismarck Mandan Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee Chairperson

 

 
 

Advisory from National Guard Bureau (NGB)

The following is an advisory sent out by the National Guard Bureau (NGB) in reference to a group called "Veterans Affairs Services"

 

An organization called Veterans Affairs Services (VAS) is providing benefit and general information on VA and gathering personal information on veterans. This organization is not affiliated with VA in any way.  Websites with the name "VA services" immediately after the "www" ARE NOT part of the Department of Veterans Affairs; the real VA website ends in.gov. If approached or called, do not offer them any information concerning yourself or data on other veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not randomly call veterans, nor does it ask veterans for information which it does not already have. If you have not dealt with the VA previously and in person, then you receive a call from someone saying they are with the VA or something similar sounding, hang up the phone.  Do not respond to emails which suggest that they are from the VA. The VA never conducts official business nor asks for personal information by email.

 

VAS may be gaining access to military personnel through their close resemblance to the VA name and seal. NGB Legal Counsel has requested that the NGB Provost Marshal Office coordinate with DoD to inform military installations, particularly mobilization sites, of this group and their lack of affiliation or endorsement by VA to provide any services.

 

VA Police Services are urged to disseminate this information in case of inquiries from veterans and to prevent their unwitting release of Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

Awareness Bulletin #2011-01

 

Free E- Cards for Valentine's Day benefits Soldiers' Angels..

If EVERYONE sent TEN E-CARDS................. what an amazing donation that would be for Soldiers' Angels.

 

 

http://www.photocardsdirect.com/soldiersangels

 

Love the Troops with Free E-cards!

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Thanks to PhotoCardsDirect.com, patriotic Americans can send a free Valentine's Day e-card to anyone and make money for Soldiers' Angels care packages at the same time!  Keep reading for more info...
 
America appreciates and remembers our troops on Valentine's Day, and now Americans across the country can send a free e-card making sure those troops hear that message loud and clear.  PhotoCardsDirect.com and Soldiers' Angels are expanding their partnership in support of America's Armed Forces with free Valentine's Day photo e-cards for the troops that also generate donations for care packages.
 
Anyone can thank and support the troops with a free Valentine's Day e-card from PhotoCardsDirect.com.  For every 10 cards created, Soldiers' Angels will receive $1 towards care packages for deployed military personnel.
 
Soldiers' Angels Founder Patti Patton-Bader explains, "There's nothing like being able to put a face to the name of a supportive American back home.  With these photo e-cards, we can ensure our motto 'May No Soldier Go Unloved' becomes a reality this Valentine's Day."
 
Combat veteran and Soldiers' Angels Executive Director Toby Nunn adds, "If half your heart is in Iraq or Afghanistan this Valentine's Day, you can bridge that gap and make it whole for a moment with an e-card.  With just a couple of mouse clicks, every patriotic American can let the troops know how much they are loved and appreciated, that they are not forgotten."
 
The free Valentine's Day e-cards can be sent to any email address.  Americans who do not have the email address of a service member can send their cards to Valentines2011@soldiersangels.org and Soldiers' Angels will pass the Valentine to a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine who needs a boost.

 

 

 

 

 

Shelle M. Michaels / Professional Education Manager
Rasmussen College - Bismarck Campus

Office: 701-221-8810

Mobile: 701-214-8869
Fax: 877-307-4921

Shelle.Michaels@Rasmussen.edu

www.Rasmussen.edu

 

 

 

Support the Red, White and Blue. Give Love, Give Blood.

January was Blood Donor Month. We salute everyone that gave blood during this campaign. Soldiers' Angels encourages everyone to give blood surrounding the weeks of Valentine's Day, as blood is needed every hour of the day. Support the Red, White and Blue. Give Love, Give Blood.

 

Armed Services Blood Program Newsletter February 8, 2011 From the Desk of:  COL Francisco Rentas, Director, ASBPO National Blood Donor Month has come to an end, and what a great start to a new year it was!  Thank you to all those who shared stories, videos and pictures, and to all the loyal donors who continued to give blood to support our service members worldwide. A very good example of this support was our annual West Point blood drive which saw over 2,100 units collected!  With Valentine's Day right around the corner, we highlight blood compatibility, couples that volunteer and donate together and a heart clinic filled with faithful donors. Thanks to everyone who make the ASBP a success.  Let's keep up the good work to ensure that injured and ill service members, veterans and their families will get to spend this and many future Valentine's Days together. Warm regards, COL Francisco Rentas   What Gets Your Heart Pumpin'?   It is all about the heart this month!  Did you  know:   Your heart beats about 100,000 times a day and circulates the body's blood supply about 1,000 times per day.       Joined end-to-end, all the blood vessels in your body would stretch about 60,000 miles. (That's 2 1/2 times around the Earth!)   Each minute, an adult heart (which is about the size  of a clenched fist, or  about 8 ounces for women and 10 ounces for men) pumps about 5 quarts of blood a day, that's almost 2,000 gallons! It takes about 20 seconds to circulate blood through the entire human body.   Find these and more heart and blood facts from Portage Health or Saint John's Health Center. Blood, Sweat and Steel Girders   Donating blood may not rank high on the to-do list after a day of laying concrete, placing steel beams and tacking dry wall.  But for the Balfour Beatty Construction and Clark Construction companies giving blood for the troops is an honor.   So, in the midst of construction and heavy equipment, workers from the two companies made a point to stop by the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., to donate blood and platelets to the Armed Services Blood Program.      At the center, each military blood drive is dedicated to a service member. The first drive honored fallen Sgt. Forest Dane Cauthorn. The turnout was so great, that additional blood drives were held, and by the end of the fourth drive on Jan. 4, 2011, the National Naval Medical Center collected 214 whole blood units, which will be shipped to Iraq and Afghanistan ready to save the lives of those in need.   Read the entire article on the ASBP website.     Photo: Clark Construction employee, Mitch Vowler, makes his second donation to the ASBP at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.  Are You My Type?     Compatibility: Capable of existing together in harmony.       When most of us hear that word this time of year we think of Valentine's Day. A holiday for those in love and those searching for love. But, the ASBP encourages all of its donors to think about compatibility in a new way this year: blood type compatibility.        Blood types are determined by the presence or absence of the Rh antigen in addition to the person's blood group (A, B, AB or O).  In order for a transfusion to be successful, blood types must be matched between the donor and the recipient.  Blood can be needed at any time, and since compatibility is such an important factor in a successful transfusion, it is important to know which blood types are compatible.         Learn more about the perfect match for your blood type here.    Check Out the New ASBP You Tube Channel!   The ASBP debuts its new You Tube channel featuring the latest videos, interviews, public service announcements and more!      Stay tuned with the ASBP by subscribing to our channel.    Picture This! The ASBP Focal Point picture of the month These great couples are donating and working together to save lives!      Gunnery Sgt. Jim Joint and his wife, Staff Sgt. Jhomara Joint, always find a way to volunteer, so it is no surprise that the married couple decided to donate blood at the ASBP blood drive at Camp Pendleton, Calif.  After meeting at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., in 2002, Jim and Jhomara Joint have been married for eight years.  The couple has spent a combined 19 years in the military and both continue to find ways around their busy schedules to volunteer to help others.  Read the entire article on the ASBP website.       Staff Sgt. Brian VanBruggen spent two days of hard-earned vacation in the ASBP's military blood donor center at Fort Hood, Texas, helping to run a blood drive because of his wife.  For three days, the pair assisted with donor registration and recruited more donors to support the military blood drive held in the Robertson Blood Center at Fort Hood, Texas.  Read the entire article on the ASBP website.        Photos: (Top Left) Spouses Staff Sgt. Jhomara Joint (left) and Gunnery Sgt. Jim Joint (right), proudly volunteer to donate blood to the ASBP at the Camp Pendleton Blood Donor Center, Calif. (Bottom Right) Staff Sgt. Brian VanBruggen and his wife, Margaret, host an ASBP blood drive at the Robertson Blood Center at Fort Hood, Texas.   Caring from the Heart Clinic   Many employees of the Dwight David Eisenhower Army Medical Center, take their motto, "Caring from the heart," well... to heart. The team has been known to donate blood to care for their patients and support troops downrange.  Carol Cox, a cardiac sonographer in the cardiology clinic, is no exception.  She has been a faithful blood donor since college, and recently reached a milestone-her 50th blood donation at Fort Gordon, Ga.   Army Maj. Warren Brown, officer-in-charge of the Kendrick Memorial Blood Center at Ft. Gordon, presented Cox with a special ASBP coin to mark the occasion.   Read the entire article on the ASBP website.     Photo: Maj. Warren Brown, officer-in-charge of the Kendrick Memorial Blood Center at Fort Gordon, Ga., presents Carol Cox, a cardiac sonorgrapher in the cardiology clinic of the Dwight David Eisenhower Army Medical Center, with an ASBP coin for accomplishing the milestone of 50 blood donations. Join Our Mailing List!  |  Follow us on Twitter!  |  Become a fan on Facebook!

Armed Services Blood Program | 5109 Leesburg Pike | Rm 698 | Falls Church | VA | 22041-3258

New VA Support Line Provides Important Assistance to Caregivers

 
New VA Support Line Provides Important Assistance to Caregivers 
 
Benefits and Support Information a Phone Call Away
 
WASHINGTON (Feb. 8, 2011)- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is
 increasing its support to caregivers with a new, toll-free telephone
 line for the caregivers of Veterans of all eras.
 
"The families and loved ones who care for severely injured Veterans
 deserve the highest level of support," said Secretary of Veterans
 Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "At VA, we consider them important partners in
 our efforts to care for and rehabilitate our nation's heroes."
 
The National Caregiver Support Line -- 1-855-260-3274 -- will serve as
 the primary resource and referral center to assist caregivers, Veterans
 and others seeking caregiver information. 
 
The line unofficially started Feb. 1, and in its first week logged
 nearly 600 calls, including 134 referrals to local VA caregiver support
 coordinators and 233 calls from caregivers themselves.
 
"VA has been providing support for the caregivers of Veterans for more
 than seven decades," Shinseki added. "We already have more than two
 dozen successful programs, policies and services that support the
 caregivers of Veterans of all ages."
 
The support line will provide information regarding new caregiver
 benefits, referrals to local caregiver support coordinators as well as
 emotional support to those concerned with their ability to provide care
 to loved ones who are Veterans.
 
The National Caregiver Support Line will be open Monday through Friday.
 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., Eastern time; and Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.,
 Eastern time. Licensed VA social workers and health technicians will
 staff the support line. 
 
Local caregiver support coordinators are available to assist Veterans
 and their caregivers to understand and apply for VA's many caregiver
 benefits. VA also features a Web page, www.caregiver.va.gov
 <http://www.caregiver.va.gov/> , with general information on other
 caregiver support programs available through VA and the community.
 
Access to the National Caregiver Support Line was also identified as a
 significant need in a November 2010 study on caregivers of Veterans
 published by the National Alliance for Caregiving.
 
For an opportunity to get to know a few of today's remarkable caregivers
 of Veterans, go to
 http://www.youtube.com/user/veteranshealthadmin#p/u/0/XRmAwZHYRFE.