New Group To Combat Veterans Unemployment

November 5, 2009 By CJ
Posted in Veteran Benefits

On Tuesday, November 10, at 8:30AM EST, the Call of Duty Endowment (CODE), a non-profit public benefit corporation whose mission is to help soldiers transition to civilian careers, will host a launch breakfast and press conference at the Newseum in Washington, DC. A major grant announcement and new partnership will also be unveiled.

Recent trends show that America’s veterans are facing a new adversary – unemployment. According to figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 500,000 unemployed veterans between the ages of 18 and 64 in the United States.

WHO:Bobby Kotick, Activision Blizzard CEO
CODE Advisory Council Members: MG Matthew P. Caulfield (USMC-Ret.), COL Roger Dimsdale (USA-Ret.), RADM Ronne Froman (USN-Ret.), CPT Gordon H. Mansfield (USA-Ret.), BG James A. “Spider” Marks (USA-Ret.), GEN Montgomery C. Meigs (USA-Ret.), SFC Steve Robinson (USA-Ret.), BG Harry A. Sieben, Jr. (USANG-Ret.), MG Craig Whelden (USA-Ret.), MCPO Maurice Wilson (USN-Ret.)
WHAT:Breakfast & Press Conference (Program to begin at 9:00 AM)
WHEN: Tuesday, November 10th at 8:30 AM EST
WHERE:The Newseum
555 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20001

**Breakfast will be provided

(source)

British soldiers 'Men of courage'

Tributes to five 'men of courage'

The soldiers had been living in a compound at a police checkpoint

Tributes have been paid to five British soldiers killed in an attack by a "rogue" Afghan policeman on Tuesday.

Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said they had been "men of courage" whose memories would live on.

They were Guardsman Jimmy Major, Warrant Officer Darren Chant, Sgt Matthew Telford, Cpl Steven Boote and Cpl Nicholas Webster-Smith.

Meanwhile a soldier from 3rd Battalion, The Rifles, has been killed in an explosion in Helmand, the MoD has said.

'Incomparable courage'

Mr Ainsworth said of the five men killed earlier in the week: "My deepest sympathies and condolences lie with their grieving families, friends, and all those who served alongside them who will feel the pain of loss most intensely. They are in all our thoughts."

WO1 Darren 'Daz' Chant was due to become a father for the fourth time.

The most senior British general in Afghanistan, Lt Gen Jim Dutton, has warned that this kind of atrocity will not be the last.

Gen Dutton told BBC1's Politics Show, to be broadcast on Sunday: "It's not the first time that an Afghan policeman or an Afghan soldier or indeed soldiers of other nations in other theatres have carried out this sort of atrocity.

"And regrettably I think we have to say it probably won't be the last. But it is a very rare event."

WO1 Chant's "devastated" pregnant wife, Nausheen, said: "Our unborn son will never meet his father, but he will know him through his legacy.

'Gentle giant'

"For whether in uniform or out, his incomparable courage and selflessness humbled all those who knew and loved him."...

There is more at the BBC here.

For more, go to Helmand Blog here

The courage of these men WILL live on. Always remembered and honoured.

Valour-IT - GO ARMY

Team ARMY is trailing the Marine Team. This will not do. A reminder of what Valour-IT is:



And Jeff Bader's song, The Ballad of Captain Z (who is now a Major):

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Army!

Your Chance to get your Vet's Story Out There

From David at The Thunder Run:

Countdown to Veterans Day with Library of Congress

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will join with the Library of Congress to host a "Veterans History Countdown" on the VA Web site - www.va.gov - featuring the oral histories of Veterans from every state and U.S. territory.

"VA has partnered with the Library of Congress to honor our Veterans, preserve their histories and ensure that their service, sacrifice and heroism will never be forgotten," said Secretary Shinseki. "We want to encourage Americans to record the oral histories of Veterans for future generations."

Each day, beginning Nov.1, VA's Web feature will introduce new personal histories, culminating on Veterans Day when a Veteran's history from each state and U.S. territory will be available simply by clicking on the U.S. map in the display http://www1.va.gov/opa/vhp/default.cfm

As Veterans Day approaches, the VA Web display will urge Americans to "Honor our Veterans. Record their Histories!" The display will link to the library's Veterans History Project Web site -- www.loc.gov/vets -- which provides background about the program, a guide for volunteers to follow in recording and submitting Veterans' oral histories and to access the project's extensive digital archive.

VA has collaborated with the Veterans History Project since its implementing legislation was signed into law on Oct. 27, 2000. VA Voluntary Service has made oral history recording part of its program. VA offers Veterans the opportunity to record their histories at its facilities and special events. These collections of first-hand accounts are archived in the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

"We hope the Veterans History Countdown will serve as a call to action for volunteers to record the first-hand stories of the Veterans they know-relatives, neighbors, friends," said Bob Patrick, director of the Veterans History Project.

The Veterans History Project collects and preserves the remembrances of American war Veterans and civilian workers who supported them.

The recordings make accessible the first-hand remembrances of American wartime Veterans from World War I through the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and better understand the realities of war. Approximately 65,000 individual stories comprise the collection of the Veterans History Project.
The project relies on volunteers to record Veterans' remembrances using guidelines accessible at www.loc.gov/vets/

Volunteer interviewers may request information at vohp@loc.gov or the toll-free message line at (888) 371-5848.

Sgt Matthew Telford: One of the five British Heroes

One of the soldiers has been named by his family as Sergeant Matthew Telford.

The Grenadier Guard, two fellow guards and two Royal Military Police died. They had been mentoring Afghan police....(more here)

Sgt Telford's family released a statement to the media:

Sgt Matthew Telford joined the Army when he was 16

The family of a Grimsby soldier who was among five shot dead in Afghanistan have spoken of his love for the Army.

Father-of-two Sgt Matthew Telford, of Scartho, was one of three Grenadier Guards who died in a shooting carried out by a rogue Afghan policeman.

His uncle William Ferrand told BBC News: "Matthew's role was training the Afghan forces. It was his job and he absolutely loved it.

"Everybody knows what a wonderful lad he was. It has devastated all of us."

Sons 'devastated'

The five dead soldiers, three from the Grenadier Guards and two from the Royal Military Police, had been mentoring and living with the Afghan police in a compound.

Sgt Telford, who had been in Afghanistan since 20 September, leaves a wife Kerry and two sons aged nine and four.

Mr Ferrand said: "His two sons are going to be devastated and will miss their father. Whatever Kerry wants we will as a family make sure we do as much as we can to help her.

"We're a military family, but he was the first one to join at the age of 16.

"Nobody wants their family to go out there but it was what he wanted to do. That was part of his job and he knew that."

There is also a video clip on that piece here.

Rest in peace, Sgt. Telford.

Britain loses 5 soldiers: "They will not be forgotten"

Five soldiers killed in Afghanistan

A Military Operations news article

4 Nov 09

It is with great sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the deaths of five soldiers in southern Afghanistan. Three of the soldiers were from the Grenadier Guards and two from the Royal Military Police.

Ministry of Defence

The soldiers were all killed as a result of gunshot wounds sustained in an attack in the Nad e-Ali district of Helmand province during the afternoon of 3 November 2009.

The attack is subject to investigation.

Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said:

"It is with the deepest sadness I must inform you that five British soldiers were shot and killed yesterday in Nad e-Ali district. Five British soldiers, five of our own, shot down in the course of their duty. They will not be forgotten."

Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said:

"I was extremely saddened to hear of the deaths of these courageous soldiers. My very deepest condolences go out to their families, friends and colleagues as they come to terms with the loss of these outstanding men.

"It continues to be a difficult year in Afghanistan for our brave people who are operating within the most challenging area of the country. We owe it to them to show the resolve that they exhibit every day in building security and stability in Afghanistan and protecting the UK from the threat of terrorism."

The soldiers' next of kin have been informed and a period of grace will be observed before further details are released. (here)

May they rest in peace. Praying for them all, and their families.

Wednesday Hero

This Week's Post Was Written By Greta

Col. Henry J. Cook


Past National Commander, Military Order of the Purple Heart, after serving over fifteen years with MOPH, gaining invaluable experience while in the positions of National Aide-de-Camp, Chapter Commander, Region Commander, National Junior Vice Commander and National Senior Vice Commander.

He was a career Special Forces (Green Beret) officer for thirty-three of the total forty-two years that he was on combined active and reserve duty. His combat tours began in 1967-68 when he operated behind enemy lines in for extended periods of time conducting operations with native guerrilla troops as the Executive Officer of the 4th Mobile Guerrilla. He saw additional combat in 1969-70 when he led a U.S. Special Forces Mobile Strike Force Battalion (MIKE FORCE), consisting of Green Beret officers and sergeants leading Cambodian mercenaries, again working behind enemy lines as well as reacting to attacks on friendly bases, often requiring that his unit be parachuted into hostile drop zones.


Later, he participated in Desert Shield (Saudi Arabia), Desert Storm (Kuwait) and Iraq, and Operation Provide Comfort (Support to Kurdish refugees in Northern Iraq.

For his valor and military skills, Colonel Cook was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device for Valor and two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal with “V” Device and one Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart with One Oak Leaf Cluster, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Gold and Silver Stars, Joint Services Commendation Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Special Forces Combat Diver Badge, Special Forces Tab, and numerous other U.S. and foreign decorations.

Henry Cook is now twice retired, as a soldier and as a lawyer and resides in Diamondhead, Mississippi. He is a member of the Pro Bono Consortium representing veterans who appeal denial of claims and is a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims. He’s been a member of the Mississippi Bar Association since 1978 and also serves as a Municipal Judge Pro Tem in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Other significant contributions to veterans by Henry Cook include: a major role in the creation of the Mississippi Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Ocean Springs and helping raise over $500,000 to help MOPH members in Louisiana and Mississippi who lost everything during Hurricane Katrina. In addition to MOPH, he also belongs to Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Special Forces Association (SFA), Special Operations Association (SOA), Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW).

You can read more about Col. Henry in this PDF file on pages 31 & 32.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.