Support Our Troops Blog Day| 5K by 25 May| Show Your Support

Well, 

I have been out of the loop for awhile. A week ago Friday, the 13Th, I had to take my 2 year old daughter to the ER for a suspicious swollen lymph node under her right jaw. She is OK. They gave her a penicillin shot since she tested for strep. Since the shot, she is doing great. She was actually fine right after the shot!

Then, Monday, my wife went into labor. She gave birth to our second son, Zacharias. He and momma are doing awesome. Although our 2 year old is still adjusting to having a new baby.

Then the final drama was having to take my older son into the ER for a possible concussion after he fell off the monkey bars at school yesterday.

All in all a busy/hectic/trying week! ;) Glad to say, all are fine!

Anyways, I wanted to post a blog in honor of our troops that my friend Mimi organized for today. The "Support Our Troops Blog Day (see a few posts down). So in honor of that, I have written the following:

A post for the "Support Our Troops Blog Day".  

Dear Troops,  

We can never repay or thank you enough for what you have done and will continue to do. You have chosen of your own free will to serve this great country and uphold all the great ideals of it.  

You face evil head on and will not sit idly by while it works it's course. You uphold freedom. You uphold human rights. You uphold the good in all of us.  

You do it for unselfish reasons. You do it because it is right. You do it because that is who you are.  

Thank you for your service and for your and your family's sacrifice.  

Thank you for stepping up and doing what is right. 

Thank you for being a hero!  

I am proud of you all and thank you for your service!  

I have piggy backed off of Mimi's doing and have a goal of "5k by 25 May" (5,000 posts of support) at  

http://www.baladmix.com/?tbg  

I am calling on ALL true Americans and supporters of American heroes to join us there.  

Cheers,  

Maj Scott Bowen, USAF 

C-130 Aircraft Commander

http://tinyurl.com/themanifest

As I Sit Here....

Hey Pals,

I was just enjoying my last day of leave after my recent return from Iraq. Although it has not been the greatest leave, since I have been sick (and still am) during my time off. So most of my time has been in bed.

So anyways, I was thinking about what I and my Squadron friends and their families would like to have during their time of separation to make things "better". And I had to fall back onto a site I recently came across. A Support Site made to support for troops.

The site I came across was http://www.baladmix.com/?tss . This site was made by a fellow supporter and veteran to give veterans, supporters, friends and family a "stage" to share their experiences, their thoughts, worries, triumphs, and stories. To be able to share it, and just not in conversation, but to share it with others who can give advice and support. Others who feel the same way they do.

I have always been taught that the best way to learn how to do something or succeed at something is to go to someone who has been there. Your neighbor who knows no one in the military is probably not the best place to go to. So where do you go to find a Support our Troops site which will give you what you need? Camaraderie, friendship, understanding, comfort?

Well http://www.baladmix.com/?tss2 Is an avenue for you. Sometimes we need more than neighbors, friends, etc. New people to bounce our worries and concerns off of.

Feeling alone is the worst. But when you can find others who feel or have felt the same way, you build a bond with them and give/get support.

Do you want to meet fellow folks who support troops, have veterans in the fight, and just want to help each other get through the separation?

well, then visit the site. Here is where your friends are. Here is where others who have a similar bond reside.

You have found a place that cares. One pulling similar folks together. A place offering assistance to all through community.

Please visit http:http://www.baladmix.com/?tss

You will find enetertainment, and if you join for free, you can post videos, pictures Blogs, and comments

Join and you can get answers or support through others.

The Troop support site is http://www.baladmix.com/?tss

Desidero, Does he Support Troops?

A response to Desidero's post at:

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/desidero/2008/12/support-the-support-troops-all.php

Desidero,

Good points and concerns. I am a military man and am a Veteran of OEF and OIF. I just recently returned from Iraq. I have always believed that a "pull out" does not do any good, especially when there is a date to achieve it by.

One, to pull out to me means that all the lives sacrificed and service members going to war is all for not. Maybe pessimistic, but we are still w/in enough generations to remember Vietnam. Second, to set a date....ludicrous! If the bad guys are smart, they just lay low and then take over the country when we leave.

I do agree with your point that troops leaving Iraq does not mean a return home. It is pretty obvious that with the recent uprisings (against coalition troops) The Taliban is gaining a foothold again in Afghanistan. It's sad, because we have lost so many lives over there also.

This to me would only serve the new administration in saying "we got out of Iraq". But in essence went back to Afghan. A "slight of hand".

I do believe we need to focus our fight on Afghan AFTER Iraq is complete, but we don't have the manpower to do it before Iraq is complete without detrimental repercussions in Iraq. So, I can see troops being diverted to Afghan. It's a shame. Because I think if we would have focused on Afghan for another year or two around 9/11, we could have won there and then rolled into Iraq (if needed) in '03 and just kicked ass!

We have been spread WAY too thin! Thank the congressional leaders for that. We knew that the middle east was the next hot spot. But the "leaders" said the cold war was over and we did not need such a large standing military or overseas presence, hence BRAC.

We allowed our military to become seriously limited (as far as manpower) by letting our elected officials draw down the military. Where was the support for troops or concern of their ability to fight and win then?

Non existent. We were sitting high on the hog. Thought nothing could touch us, then 9/11.

Don't get me wrong. I uphold my oath to support and defend the constitution, against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic. To obey the orders of the President of the United States and the officers appointed over me. But, that does not mean I don't have an opinion.

I and my fellow service members have sacrificed a lot, none more so than those who gave their lives. Let's not hastily pull out to only see the democracy dream we see for Iraq fail. Granted, the war could have been handled differently, but that is the past. Now we need to focus on the win. Do what is needed now. Make the "push" if necessary. Then when the new Iraqi Government is ready, we shift to Afghan.

I have to have faith in my leaders and hope they have our best interest and a winning game plan at heart. We've given so much.

I also wish the media would show troop support

and quite focusing only on the negativity (see this link:

http://thetroopsupportsite.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-military-does-is-not-news-worthy.html ).

My point? Allow us to win. Don't make a repeat of Vietnam for political reasons. Remember that every life lost and service member coming back handicapped is a HUGE sacrifice. Don't let their sacrifices be in vain.

Sincerely,

A Proud Vet

Support our troops Blog event 21 Mar 2009

The event is being hosted by Mimi at:

http://mimisrosechenilleboutique.blogspot.com/

Please visit for more details.

A Website to Support Troops!

One of the best ways for service members and their families to deal with separation and the hardships of war are to share their experiences, feelings, and to find support from others who share the common bond. 

There are plenty of blogs out there who support troops and military families.  Some are better than others, but all are great in the sense that the people who made them took the time to show their support of troops and military families.  There are also content rich sites which provide support for troops in other ways, like being able to post pictures, videos, or blog comments. 

I came across a site that states they are looking for OIF/OEF War fighters, family, friends, and military supporters.  Its main focus is on the afor mentioned folks and allows a "stage" for these folks to come together to share their experiences and stories and to find camaraderie with others.  It is similar to a facebook, but different in that this site is specifically made for service members to share on the main topic of military service.  A place for military support.

The site already has a small following of members and has videos for entertainment, some of which are quite funny. 

I like that the site has the benefits of a blog as far as being able to post blogs or forums, but it goes beyond that.  

First of all, members get their own page to customize through many options, like pictures, videos, music, and applications like twitter, status, games and many others.  Members can also create support groups to link together.  One of the coolest features is the chat function. This is very similar to the facebook option.  One can choose to chat with others that are online; this would be great for military members separated from friends and family or for anyone that is separated geographically. 

This site is what it says, "A stage" for folks to share military related experiences.  A place for folks to find others who know what they are going through.  A site specifically made for support, morale, and connection.   And best of all, a way for us to support our troops!

If you would like to see the site made for the war fighter, got to:

http://www.baladmix.com/?bgst

Hope you enjoy!

 

What the Military Does is Not "News Worthy" in Today's Media. Why not Support Our Troops?

I came across an interesting article about lack of suport for troops in the media.  See below:

I am sick and tired of the liberal media's "pick and choose" approach on what our military is doing. They are only concerned on what sells: blood, death, wrong doing.

What about the GOOD things that our men and women are doing in the foreign lands like Iraq and Afghanistan? What about the rebuilding of communities? The building of schools, clean wells, power plants, etc?

The military is beyond the "bomb and destroy" part of war, especially in Iraq. We are now in the rebuilding phase, similar to what we did following the aftermath of WWII. Our men and women are out there protecting and rebuilding. Is this being covered in the mainstream news like ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CNN, MSNBC, etc ? No it is not!

Why?

Because the story of an "iron clad" US soldier, weighted down by body armor and munitions giving a child a treat or a glass of fresh water from a new well drilled by them does not add the "shock" value the media wants. It does not sell. The media wants a shock and awe value. They are looking for the next Mei Lei massacre. Who wants to see a soldier carrying an M-16 giving an Iraqi child a piece of candy? Who? This guy and I'm sure millions of other Americans who support the US military would like to see it. But the mainstream media won't show these types of pictures/pieces.

Sadly, they know the market. That is what Americans, whether consciously or subconsciously, want. We have become numb to any "good" feeling news stories, but clamber to hear the latest "tragedy"! We want to hear the next "bad news" story to go along with all the other negative stories run by the media.

It is a vicious cycle, but one that can be stopped and reversed.

The Iraq war has been an unpopular one, on the ranks as a Vietnam war. But the folks who lose in this unpopular war and "tragedy news coverage" are the men and women who serve proudly and their supporters. This is an ALL VOLUNTEER force. Each member takes an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, to protect it from ALL enemies, foreign and domestic. To obey the orders of the President and those appointed over him/her. They go out and do what is ordered. They do it not for glory or fame, but due to a sense of duty.

These are the top 1% of Americans. They CHOSE to serve this great country. They and their family and friends make the sacrifice of separation, hardship, and sadly, sometimes the loss of a dear one. These folks "lay it on the line" daily. Would it be too much to ask for the media and American public to portray these HEROES in a positive light? In a news story showing the GOOD they are doing. Showing the locals cheering and hugging them, appreciative of what these foreign soldiers are doing for THEM. Is that too much to ask for?  How about a little support for OUR troops.

We have enough negativity going on; unscrupulous CEOs, the downward economy, home foreclosures, and typical things like murder, rape, and robbery. So why not use the good these soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen are doing to offset all the rest of the evil? Show the good these brave men and women are doing!  How about some troop support!

If you agree with what has been said - if you support our men and women who wear the uniform - if you appreciate their and their family and friend's sacrifice - if you believe that there is good in the world, then I ask you to join me in showing our support for these heroes and making a statement to the mainstream media.

Show them that we are tired of the "bad" news coverage. That we know there is good our servicemen and women are doing and we want to hear about it in the news.

Join us at a website made for the service member, the family, the friend, the supporter, and the contractor who serves. Join the site and post your comments of support. Join and show the media, that WE appreciate all that these folks do and all they have sacrificed. Support our troops with me and the rest of America!

Join us at http://www.baladmix.com/?bgmed

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TROOP SUPPORT!

Scott Bowen

OIF/OEF Vet