Brendan Smitke's World Tour

Latest Updates

2009-09-29T09:42:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Brendan's 20th birthday. Who doesn't want to spend their 20th in Iraq? Between Rachel and I we worked to get as many people emailing him best wishes as we could. Made him feel pretty good. You do what you have to do with what you got. We saw him for just a few minutes last night before the kids went to sleep. He was just getting off guard duty ( 4:00am) and was exhausted so we kept it to a few quick Happy Birthday and I love you's.

Since I last posted he has moved to a new JSS. After 6 months of missions and guard and 4 hours sleep this new JSS is a bit boring to him. He guards 2 4 hour shifts a day. That's it. He's still working out and has his computer to keep him busy. He's been spending time on Craig's list and had Rachel pick up a plasma tv the other day for their new place. He'll be moving to the next JSS in a couple of weeks from what I can tell. Hope it's the last move for him.
Brendan is one of the last to get leave. Why? He's the only infantry guy in the unit is the best guess. The Army is a lot like High School in so many ways when it comes to status. Everyone is better than the next unit ,etc. He may have his leave moved up by a couple of weeks though , which would be wonderful. Brendan LOVES Halloween and it would be great if he at least gets home for that. It would also be within a week of his son's 1st birthday. He's missed so many 1st. At any rate , we'll do a Christmas and Thanksgiving all while he's home.

I'll be sure to have lots of pics of his leave. Sorry I don't post that much but Rachel has a letter she sends out weekly to friends and family so it seems a bit repetitive. If you would like to be on the weekly email list please let me know and I'll be sure to get you added.

6 Months Down , We're At The Halfway mark

2009-08-02T19:53:00.001-07:00

We got a new FRAG not long ago and we are really missing our old one. We used to get weekly updates from Brendan's commander. Now , all we get are local (Killeen) info. Very disappointing but what can you do?
Brendan is using Skype now and the connection is fantastic. No disconnects , no huge delays , clear as a bell. Of course we rely on the internet being up which isn't always a given. They've had quite a bit of trouble with that in resent weeks.
Rachel's school did another drive and mailed out 15 boxes of goodies for Brendan and the boys. I sent one out as well. He says it was the best one I've sent so far. Must be because it was mostly junk food.
Rumors are running rampid that they may be coming home a bit early. I try not to think about that because the Army is good at disappointing. Would be a fantastic Christmas present though.
Brendan's brother Bryan is back from Afghanistan and all in one piece which is a blessing. He's in Minnesota getting things together for the family move to Texas. They also are pregnant already!!! Such fantastic news!!
As for us back in Ohio the summer is always a busy time. Tom and I went to a Kid Rock/Leonard Skynard concert for our anniversary. Met a Navy and an Army guy who just returned from Afghanistan. The Army guy was a medic and stayed at our hotel so we got to hang out for quite a bit. Real nice guy.
County Fairs are going strong and I plan on taking the kids over to the Ohio State Fair on Wednesday. Journey and Eddie Money are singing that night which is SWEET! I've heard Eddie before but never Journey.
Schools are starting early this year so the kids summer is coming to an end quickly. Didn't get much camping in. Camper needs new tires and we've just had other expenses to worry about. Hope to get a few fall trips in though.
Elijah is a senior and is focusing on his college of choice. He goes for testing on September 19th and if all goes well he'll be in there. After that is looking for all the help we can get to cover the $26,000 cost.
Canning season has begun. Been busy with pickles this week. Tired of the smell of vinegar.
That's about it. Short but sweet for now.

The Real Heroes

2009-07-07T10:39:00.001-07:00

As I sit here listening to the Michael Jackson Memorial rather than my usual soap opera my blood once again begins to boil. The whole world seems to be in mourning over the death on a 50 year old pop star. People are spending money traveling to get out to LA in the hopes of a glimpse , spending hundreds of dollars on memorabilia and records and the news channels have had non-stop coverage. Throw in the mix an ex football player who was shot to death by his lover when he should have been spending time with his wife and kids who is being praised left and right. You know who else died that day? A number of our young , brave soldiers over in Afghanistan. Do you know their names? Have you seen their faces? Heard coverage of their lives and sacrifice? 7 more have died there since then. Can you name them? Do you know anything about the soldier who the Taliban claims to be holding?
We have had thousands of men and women give their life for our country in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years. Tens of thousands more have returned with serious injuries. Thousands of children live each day without their parents , some never to return to them. These soldiers are willing to be away from their families for months and years at a time to fight for our country. How do we honor them? Drive down our streets. How many flags do you see being displayed on people's lawns? How many can say they have written a thank you note to a vet , sent a care package to a soldier , donated your time for any number of organizations that reach out to soldiers , vets and their families? How many of you know the words to the National Anthem and sing along at a sporting event?
The REAL heros are these brave soldiers and their families. THESE are the people who deserve to have the coverage on the national news shows. Show them , name them , tell us about them and end with a moment of silence. Let us see their flag draped coffin on the news. It's a sad society that ignores the brave men and women who are willing to DIE for your freedom and yet spend hundreds of hours praising a singer , actor or athlete as though they made the world such a great place. Entertainment does NOT equal freedom. We would have NOTHING if it weren't for our brave soldiers past and present. Wake up America!! If you can write , bake , sew , shop , pack or dog sit you CAN do something to show a soldier you care. Take a few minutes to go to www.soldiersangels.org and cruise the list of options and click one. Painless , takes so little time and very little money.

These 2 died on July 4th:
http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=12787

7 more since then:
http://www.freep.com/article/20090707/NEWS07/907070303/7+U.S.+troops+killed+in+Afghanistan++Taliban+claims+to+hold+a+soldier

OK , I will now pass the soap box to the left......Thank you.

This holiday wasn't the same. I spent alot of time thinking back to last year camping at Meadow Lake and Brendan taking the kids to see the fireworks in town. We were waiting for him to sent to Texas and were trying to enjoy every minute we had left with him. I hope and pray that he'll be back , safe with us next year.
I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to send Brendan emails and packages. Brendan is a growing boy and LOVES to get his care packages. He told me when he gets them he skips chow hall and does nothing but graze on all the new goodies. I suppose my packages aren't that good. Momma has to send some dinner type items too. I am finishing a package now and have tried to cover all the junk food without filling it up with too many good things. You know it's driving me crazy!!!
We are hoping his deployment will be cut a few months short but as anyone in a military family knows , you never count on anything until it's here.
Brendan's brother , Bryan , has returned home. His wife will stay in Minnesota for a bit longer until they get to a permanent base , is my understanding. Haven't heard anything directly from him but I'm sure he is so glad to be back home.
One other note , a friend of mine's son , Lee , will be deploying this week for Afghanistan. I tear up just thinking about it. It takes me back to the day that I watched Brendan's face through the bus window as it pulled away from the base. He is being attached with another company that is already in Afghanistan and is hoping to not be there very long. Please add Lee to your prayer lists so that he may return home safe to his family.

As Promised

2009-06-28T10:27:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the long stretch between posts. I suppose you can consider no news as good news. Brendan was picked as one of a group of 40 soldiers for Freedom Rest. It's a bit of R & R at one of Sadam's palaces. It was a wonderfully relaxing and much too short break. The huge pool was obviously the highlight of the stay. The high dive looked like something you could parachute off of. He still has the bruises from his jump! Here are a few pics he sent us.

Things where he's at have gotten much worse. They are patrolling twice a day now plus he pulls guard duty a couple of days a week. The heat there is crazy. He says his whole body feels just like a sidewalk that's hot enough to burn your feet. Here are a few more pics he's sent back. The kids over there LOVE getting their pictures taken!

Brendan is up for a promotion soon. A much over due one but the company he's with isn't famous for promoting people until they have to. Hoping he'll be Private 1st class Smitke in a couple of weeks , though. There is also talk that they may be back as soon as December but we've gotten used to the Army and will count on nothing until it happens.
Brendan's brother Bryan was due back from Afghanistan over a week ago and has been bumped 3 times now. His wife , Lindsay , is in Texas waiting and getting very impatient. All has been quiet for a couple of days so we're hoping that means he's back and they are just honeymooning it.
Father's Day was a rough day as were all the other 1st's that Brendan is missing. Rachel sent him a card with a recording of Caiden screaming Dada Dada. He's got that down pat. He knows his Dad's voice and visits with him on the computer all the time.
My parent's were in Ohio this week-end doing a whirl wind tour of parties and get togethers. Saturday we all met at Bob Evans in Bellefontaine as well as Rachel's parents. Here are a few pics from the meeting. Notice my hair...Rachel colored my hair Friday night and it looks SO good! A belated Birthday present from our future hair stylist to the stars.

It's been a busy month the month. I took the kids and their friends to Kiser Lake State Park camping for a week right before my birthday ;Teresa had a slumber party that drug out an extra day for her birthday; many trips to drop the kids off at Mad River to canoe or swim near the dam to help fight the sweltering heat here. Also , the Friday after my birthday out friend's Dirk and Felicia invited teresa and I up to Dayton for a birthday treat. We ate dinner at Dewey's pizza which is THE best pizza EVER made! And then we went to the Dayton Dragon's baseball game. They have season tickets right behind home plate. We were surrounded by scouts. The man right in front of me was from the Padres. He had a radar so I got to see how fast every pitch was. Here are a few pics from some of the going on's:

We went to Chicago since a dear friend of mine's daughter was killed. Albe was my best friend when I lived in Chicago. She now lives in Florida and I'm in Ohio but friendships as close as our's will always stand the test of time and distance. Her daughter Nikki babysat for Brendan , Elijah and Christopher when they were little. She was trying to close the garage door which was broke and she somehow lost her balance and the door slammed on her neck. A neighbor found her body several hours later attacking out from under the door. She leaves behind 4 children , one of whom just graduated from High School that same week. We went up for the viewing (Tom went with me) and we headed home the next day. Not much time to visit with Albe but I know my presents meant so much to her. She is now heading back to Florida with 2 of the 4 kids.

One final note: Erin says Cheers to you Brendan! lol

I've got a few hairs on my chins but my sister really got the short end of the german stick!!

Been A While

2009-06-01T20:52:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been awhile since I've posted. As many military families that blog know , there are times you just don't want to write about it all. But , rest assured that Brendan is doing well. He keeps very busy going out on missions as well as pulling guard duty and other details. Thank goodness for the internet and webcams. He is able to see his son and wife almost everyday. And , although it's not the best thing it's certainly not the worst thing. He misses his family and wishes he could be home to see all the milestones that Caiden is reaching. I'm dealing with a few tragedies close to my heart right now but I promise I'll post pictures and a bigger update once I get back from Illinois.

A Streaming Video Chat From The Sandbox

2009-05-11T11:48:00.000-07:00

This afternoon was the first time Brendan was able to get his cam up and running for me on yahoo so I could see him. It was so good to see his face and his smile. It seems like forever. He's changed so much just since I last saw his face looking out of the bus at Fort Hood. He's turned into quite a man and I'm very proud of him.
Conditions have improved greatly since they first arrived. They now how mattresses and bunks to sleep on rather than cots. They also now have there own closet lockers , air conditioning , internet and electric. The day the internet was suppose to be up and running the electric went out but for today , at least , everything is working well. Showers are still mostly cold water but as hot and humid as it is it has to feel really good. By the time they get back after a day of patrolling and lugging all their equipment they are soaked with sweat.
He's been receiving a few care packages a month which helps his spirits tremendously. Had a ton to take care of this month so wasn't able to get anything sent so it's good to know other's are able to help from time to time. They don't get back to the main base often so supplies start running short fairly quick.Luckily the mail gets to him pretty quick , too. His brother Bryan waits 3 weeks to get his packages.
Brendan goes on patrol 7 days a week and pulls guard duty several times a week. He spends a couple of hours a day in the gym which is a good way to focus on himself for awhile and work off the stress. When you're in a war zone there is no such thing as a day off. He gets a 2 week leave at some point during the year and that's it.
His buddy Sandusky seems to be doing really well over there. He was in ROTC so this is what he's worked towards for years. He's posted some pics from over in Iraq that I will unload on the next post.
I've got flowers planted in the tree stump under the flag. Hope they pop up soon. I went with seeds rather than buying flowers to plant. Couldn't decide what to plant so I ended up just planting white and yellow daisies which are my favorite flowers. The yellow will watch the ribbon we have for him.
Brendan said he recorded a Mother's Day wish on for a local news channel but we never got a call so don't know if it showed or when. I am really bummed about that. I'm going to email the local news stations and see if they have the clip and if I can get a copy.
Less than 9 months to go. Would sound so much better if it was 9 weeks or 9 days. I hope his visit home will come sooner than November. That will be up in the air until the last minute , I'm sure. Hometown recruiting really burnt him in the butt as far as that goes. Just have to have faith that the powers that be will correct it soon.
Took Caiden , Rachel , Christy , Christian and Matty T to the Zoo a couple of weeks ago. Caiden LOVED being on my shoulders. I would shake my head and it would tickle him and he laughed and laughed. No better sound than a baby's laughter. He's also crawling now but does a sniper crawl. It is so cute! Daddy would be proud.

A Long Conversation

2009-04-27T07:22:00.001-07:00

I'm a bit behind on posting here. As the weather heats up it's so much harder to spend too much side indoors. Warm weather in Ohio never lasts long enough so you have to get out and take in every drop of it.
End of last week I got a call from Brendan. Amazingly we talked for 45 minutes , I understood every word of what he was saying and we didn't get disconnected once! He sounded in really good spirits. He's been staying very busy and isn't getting a lot of sleep but it doesn't seem to bother him as much anymore. I think he gets that from his father. His father could get 4-5 hours sleep a night and be good to go.
They spend quite a bit of time going through the village and visiting the people to see how they're doing , if they need anything and if they have seen anything unusual , etc. When you are in an iraqi home and they offer you food or drink you take it. To not take it is considered rude and insulting. I understand that from my visits to Mexico. Like Mexico our body isn't able to handle the things their bodies are able to handle. The town he's in only has one water source which they use to cook and clean with. Keeping that in mind he is often offered chi tea. If you ever had chi tea here this is nothing like it. It's served in a glass the size of a large shot glass and is half sugar. He says it leaves a real gummy feeling on your lips from all the sugar. The last trip to the village he was given numerous glasses of this tea. Eliminating a large amount of gross detail let's just say he squatted over alot of holes in mud huts which is the only bathroom they have. I have a feeling a few villagers have learned which soldiers to not give the tea too! I'll be adding meds to the list of items to send in the next care package just in case.
Brendan is still working out several hours a day. I have a feeling I won't even recognize him when he gets back. He told me "I'm not going to lie , I'm drop dead sexy". That's my Brendan , humble to the end. lol He was always such a beanpole so he has plenty of room to grow out.
He seems set on moving to Texas permanently and wants to be a policeman more than anything. He definitely could do it. A neighbor had a problem with an ex boyfriend who had lost it and smacked a guy around he saw her with. He tried to take off on a bike and Brendan ran down the street , around the corner , grabbed the guy off the bike and kept him there until the cops came. The guy had violated parole and is doing 4-5 years in prison. He also had a sack of weed on him which added a charge. I was mad at the moment because he was a minor and it wasn't his business. The cops patted him on the back for a job well done but I was upset because I was worried the guy would come back and try to do harm to Brendan. Not the least bit worried about that now! I could see Brendan joining the US Marshals or the DEA. Can't seem him settling for a job spent in a cruiser.
At the end of our conversation I heard this huge BOOM!!! He said "Holy Crap!" which really worried me. I asked what it was and it was their guys shooting some weapon that can take out a tank. Had to end our call then since there were 4 more rounds to come.
If anyone is interested in sending him a small care package he is always in need of something since they only get back to the main base every couple of weeks. Bugs are a HUGE problem there so something like Skin So Soft insect repellant or something along those lines would be great. Powdered gatorade or powerade mix , microwavable meals , and wet wipes are also always needed. He does get a chance to read once in awhile and they have electric now so he can read if anyone has a book they think he'ld be interested in. Should be something that he can keep and share with the other men and not something you need returned though.
I bought a Columbus Zoo pass for our family and the grandsons and their Momma's for Easter. This Saturday was the first decent week-end we've had all year so I packed up Momma's , grandsons and Teresa and we went to the Zoo for the day. The Zoo was packed but all the animals were really up and active. they also had the baby elephant up for viewing which was worth the wait to get in to see. I took a ton of pictures so that I can make Caiden and Matty T a "My 1st trip to the Zoo" scrapbook to match Christian's. The Zoo , as always , is expanding like crazy. They now have a number of amusement rides near the entrance that used to be at the old Wyandott Lake. We didn't wander over there this trip but will take Christian through there next trip. Here are pics of the boys at the petting zoo and Teresa feeding the Lorakettes. ( not sure the spelling)

Letter From The Company Commander to Family

2009-04-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

I've had to edit location names from the newsletter since there are rules concerning blogs and military info. It's nice for me to have a name now though so I can look at a map and know just where Brendan is. It sounds like the company has been working hard to get everything in running order. Last I talked to Brendan there was still no hot water or electricity.
I also talked to Brendan's buddy Sandusky the other day and he is doing well. Ideally the two would have stayed together but , as we know , that wasn't meant to be. At any rate Sandusky seems to be in great spirits. He has posted a number of pictures on his Facebook which were great to see.
His brother Bryan is down to 2 months before he returns from Afganistan. I know he is tired and misses his family terribly.
The following is the letter I received concerning Brendan and his company:

We are living on an old Iraqi Army base which is not too bad. We are being fed three hot meals a day, though we are not always on base to eat all three meals. For the most part everyone has the opportunity to get 2 hot meals if they choose. The company does a food supply run every Friday which allows us to provide Gatorade, Rippit (an energy drink which the men love), snack food such as pop tarts-potato chips-and muffins, soda to include Mountain Dew, A&W Root Beer, and 7UP, we receive assorted cereal in plastic containers and milk, V8 juice, and even beef jerky which I do not think is a winner. This makes up for missed meals plus we always have MRE’s available. Trust me when I say that no one is going without food. We have tons of drinking water so we will be good even when the weather becomes really hot. We have showers that actually work and most of the time we even have hot water. We do a laundry run about every 3rd day and it takes about 3 days to get it back. All of our men have cots and live in rooms with electricity for their computers, IPODS, and even TV’s with their assorted video games. The company has been getting supplied with wood and paint in order to separate living spaces so that everyone gets a bit of privacy and we painted the rooms to make things a little nicer. In the next 30 days we will have beds, wall lockers, and internet in the rooms. We are also getting the Armed Forces Network but this is going to take some time. Considering all of this I would say that compared to other deployments we are doing very well for ourselves.
There is little activity in this area which I am grateful for. Our work tempo is rather easy compared to our last deployment here so the men are getting enough rest. In fact I would say that some of the men are actually bored, especially the Soldiers that are on the second or third tour and remember how busy they used to be. We have been doing a lot of great things in this area. We have gone to a primary school and gave out 500 back packs with books and other school supplies as well as soccer balls for the kids. We even gave out things for the teachers. Along with this we had engineers with us that are going to repair and rebuild part of the school. They are going to increase the electricity to the school, rebuild the bathrooms and aid station, construct another court yard for the kids to play and add air conditioning for the summer time heat. This is the first project of many to come. We have also worked in creating projects at the water treatment facility, the local medical clinic, gas stations, and even are in the process of adding much needed material for security at the Iraqi Army Headquarters. Your loved ones are making great things happen and you all should be very proud of them. I know that many of the local villages that we have operated in appreciate us very much. Many of them have invited us in for chi (Iraqi tea) and even lunch. Most of the time we have to decline, but there have been occasions where we accepted the local villagers hospitality.
We probably will work in a different area soon and we will be doing the same missions that we are currently doing. The most important thing for you all to know is that even if we move to a different area to operate in—we are still living at the same location. We are not moving our living environment just the area that we will be working in. So really nothing is changing. Our mail address will be the same and everything that the Soldiers have afforded to them right now will only get better with time. I can not promise that we will stay here for the entire deployment but I can say that there is not talk about us moving, so our chances of actually doing so are slim.
Our Soldiers have been receiving mail on a regular basis. Adopt-A-Platoon has been extremely gracious by constantly sending boxes for the Soldiers as well as Blue Ribbon Moms. We have also had some of our Soldiers sponsored by different organizations that send care packages. I would say that our “wants” are very limited except for wanting to be with our family and loved ones. This is obviously something I can not fix. We have already started our leave and have tentative dates for everyone. Of course these dates are based on aircraft, seats available, and mission needs so no one is able to say exactly when they will be taking vacation, but do know that everyone will get vacation. Again, not too bad considering that on my first of three deployments I did not get any vacation even though I had my daughter Victoria born.
Most of the men have bought Iraqi cell phones that use a special Iraqi calling card. This is something that you can not help them with. We need to buy the calling cards here and they are prepaid minutes that we load on to the phone. It averages out to 17 cents a minute but again this is only the average. I do not know how the Iraqi system truly works but I do know that sometimes I have gotten more minutes than what I paid for while other times it went in the opposite direction. I guess it all evens out in the end. The phone cards come in 10 dollar increments and there is no limit as to how much time you put on the phone. Reception with these phones is not the greatest. If we are having a storm, whether rain or sand, most of us do not get a signal. We also have to be outside most of the time in order to get a signal, but this has not stopped anyone. We also just received a military phone which we can use for morale. If you live by a military installation than the Soldiers can call home for free. There is usually a 10-15 minute time limit and then the operator cuts you off, but if the lines are not busy they will let you stay on longer. Also Soldiers can use US calling cards with this phone to call someone who does not live by a military installation. The only draw back about this phone is that we only have one and it is located in my office. The primary purpose of the phone is business related-not morale but we use it for morale when we can anyway. I leave the key to my office at the CQ desk this way Soldiers can get into the office at night. We are too busy during the day to place calls, but on occasions Soldiers have been successful in doing so. The battalion will eventually get a bunch of the phones as well as computers with free internet for everyone to use at any time they are free, but again this will take some time. It is part of a morale, welfare, and recreation package that the battalion will receive which is where the AFN television comes from.
We have also built a conference room with a video proxima available in it. We will soon have this room complete so Soldiers can hook up their computers to the video proxima and watch movies on the big screen. We bought some comfortable padded chairs for this room so it will eventually double as a conference room for meetings and a place to relax at night and watch some movies. As long as the Soldiers take care of all that we have provided and are going to provide then life will only get better. I guess we could use movies and books to stock the room but I am guessing that this will happen naturally. I have not heard anyone say that they which they had xyz yet.
We will have finance come out to our base once a month so Soldiers will have access to money. We have also been making trips to Camp Liberty where there is a PX that is fully stocked with goods, a finance office, gyms, and KBR for chow. There is also a post office for Soldiers who want to send things back home. I imagine that this will become important as our deployment nears an end, but not right now. I almost forgot to tell you that we do have a gym here but it does not have all the equipment that it should have. The equipment is on its way though and should be here relatively quickly. Many of the men are working out religiously.
All in all life is pretty good. Even with all of this mentioned we still must remember that we are in combat and we have to stay focused on the mission. We can not allow ourselves to become lazy due to our comforts. Please do not expect your loved ones to call home or send emails every night because that is unrealistic. Thank you very much for your support!

Caiden Pics and Current Events

2009-04-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

As promised here are the pics from Caiden's overnight visit this week.

It's a busy week here this week. Wednesday we joined about 70 other folks here in Urbana at the 1st annual Tax Day Tea Party. I don't care if you're a Republican or Democrat , this spending has got to end and end now! Both parties are equally guilty for this mess we're in. Here are a few pics.

Tom is always such a subtle individual.

Saturday is the 2nd annual Patriot's Day walk. http://patriotsdaywalk.blogspot.com/ . Tom has received calls from several newspapers this year and interested people from all over the state. We are hoping to see a nice turn-out tomorrow morning. If you have questions Tom's contact number is posted on the event blog. You can also read about the event on www.gochampaign.com . I will be updating the event blog after the event with plenty of pics of this year's event.

Front page of the Urbana paper on Thursday had a pic of Jesse at the Tea Party walk holding his sign which read "Stop Stealing My Future" on one side and "I'll Be Paying Your Bills The Rest Of My Life! Does It Look Like I Have 10.1 Trillion Dollars?" The article under that one was an article on the Open Carry Walk that Tom and his friend Mike Craft organized. The bottom article was about right-wing groups.

And while I'm on that subject I want to say that I'm infuriated that the powers that be are trying to scare people away from 3rd party politics by labeling these groups as extremists. Also on the list? American soldiers returning from war!!!!!!!!!!! Are we trying to make the citizens fear these returning heros? Are we going to return to the Vietnam era of ignorance which will lead to our returning soldiers being spat at and worse on their return home? They want us to believe that these soldiers will ban together with extremist groups and /or engage in lone acts of violence. Our returning soldiers are all potential Timothy McVeighs. If Homeland security wants to worry about a dangerous group why don't they go after the thousands of gang members in this country? Do a full sweep of every city and lock them all away for good. I'll take my chances by locking myself up in a room with a group of returning soldiers and Libertarians.

Easter Monday

2009-04-15T05:07:00.000-07:00

Caiden came over Monday and spent the night with us. He is such a good baby! Went to bed about 9 and got up briefly at 10:30 for a half hour and then was out for the night. Let him sleep in our bed and for a small guy he sure spreads out and takes up the majority of the bed. I woke up stiff as a board!
Brendan called about noon on Tuesday and we were able to talk quite a bit with only one disconnection. I believe that has to be some sort of record. As soon as Caiden heard Brendan's voice his eyes grew 3 times their size. He definitely knows his Daddy's voice. Had peepaw not been feeding him broth from his bean soup I believe he might have tried to listen to his Dad longer but the only thing Caiden loves more than Daddy is food!!!
Brendan is doing well. The usual frustrations from being around a large group of alpha males. I have to commend him for his restraint. It's not something he used to be good at and something I certainly couldn't do for very long. But he lets it roll off , for the most part. Just keeps himself busy with PT and such so as not to have to listen to all the BS. His infantry buddy is back but they aren't in the same living area. Apparently they do too much of the right thing together whatever the hell that's suppose to mean. I think they just enjoy screwing with the infantry guys who the tank guys think are completely useless and the scum of the Army. But enough about that.
He was out patrolling the village yesterday and was just getting back when he called. The kids in the village love the soldiers but I think it all has to do with what they can get from them. Brendan gave one kid an ink pen because it's all he had on him and as soon as he handed it over a swarm of kids came out of no where trying to get his glasses and everything else they could try to grab. Brendan says he can see why they appreciate such small things as a pen because of the way they live but it's almost better NOT to give them things because it just starts a feeding frenzy. One thing is for sure , one flat rate box full of goodies doesn't last a day over there. He says the people in the village they are at live in mud huts with one room. There is one water source in town that is used for drinking , bathing , cleaning , cooking and for bodily functions. They are working on getting clean water and all the other goodies to the village but it takes time. Brendan said about a year ago a Marine group came through the village and forced everyone in the village out onto the roofs with their hands on their heads and made them get on their knees while they were interrogated and their homes were searched. Because of this the elders in the village are leery of the Army boys there now. Women have asked them not to hurt them or tear up their house. That is not what Brendan's company is doing there. In fact , they have to have a search warrant to enter a home. They are just trying to improve the village as well as collecting information through casual contact with the villagers. Of course there's always the village idiots who will be in the market and make a motion at the soldiers as if to indicate they have a bomb strapped to them or something. We are the good guys and have to use non-lethal force whenever necessary which makes these idiots very lucky men.
As for the medal Brendan was given it's the Army Achievement Medal. It's one of the ways they say "Great job on a job well done". It doesn't give you anything extra in the old paycheck but it's pretty and shiny and looks great on a dress uniform , I suppose. It's good to see that his hard work isn't being taken for granted. He really goes over and above what he has to do , volunteering for crappy jobs all the time. Eventually all that hard work has to pay off.
Email over there will be another month or so to get up and running. I'm sure he'll have an email box full of emails by the time it gets going which I'm sure he'll enjoy immensely. In the meantime he's just having to buy alot of minutes for his phone so he can call Rachel and Caiden at least for a few minutes each night.
Back at the home front , Caiden left here last night about 6:30. He had a pretty good afternoon before that. I took him upstairs to visit with the other 2 grandsons. They all laid on the floor and played with their toys. Caiden and Matty T are almost the same size. Caiden is just beefier and Matty's legs are longer. Tom came up after he got off work and I had him take some pics of the boys on his I-phone. I'll have to get them from him and post the pics on here later on.
Today is tax day and Tea Party Day. File your taxes and get those protest signs drawn up. Hope your neck of the woods is warmer than it is here in Ohio. Can't believe I'll have to have a veggie garden planted in 2 weeks. Mother nature is going to have to get busy warming things up around here real quick!
Rachel is still collecting pictures of yellow ribbons for her project for Brendan so if you can get those to her that would be great. I went to the floral shop and they donated the ribbon as did Rachel. It was a surprising jester and very much appreciated. Thanks to Ethel's flowers in Urbana and Wren's in Bellefontaine.
Also , if you would like Brendan's mailing address give me a shout out and I'll get that to you. Rachel has been pretty good at adding folks to her weekly email update list that includes all that but if you have been missed let me know and I can add your email address to her list.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T15:32:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a great week-end. Ours wasn't too bad. Had some friends over for dinner on Saturday. They are transplants from Nebraska so we've kind of adopted them as extended family. We've shared a few holidays together this year. Couple kids were home today after all. Two grandkids were here so it wasn't as quiet as we thought it would be. My sister and her girlfriend swung by for a quick visit on the way out of town as well. I bought a HUGE ham which was way more than a few of us could eat. We ate ham last night , ham and eggs this morning , cheesy scalloped potatoes with ham for lunch. Also made potato soup with ham and have beans soaking for soup beans with ham and corn bread for tomorrow's dinner. Sadly there is still going to be diced home left for something else. Next year I really need to think about quantity verses how many will actually be home for the holidays. Then again Brendan should be home and the Smitke's WILL be coming to spend part of the holiday with us!
Question for all you military folk out there: My sister was looking for a website that has military e-cards for the holidays. Something a bit more toned down than the "Hope you have a wonderful , fun filled day" to send to the troops overseas. Anyone know of a good site for us to look?
Last word was that Brendan and the boys have moved to their new place and are working on electric , water , internet , etc. Not sure how long it will take but if you are sending emails to him he'll get them eventually just not right away. I don't think their mailing address is going to change at all. I think it will go to the main camp and once a week someone will go back to get things and bring mail back. The first boxes I sent got to him really fast. I'll be interested to see how speedy he'll be getting them now.
Haven't heard from him in a few days but it sounds like they've got a ton of work ahead of them so they'll likely be too busy to do much but work and sleep for awhile. Three men in the company received promotions this past week. Hope to see more of those in the near future. Heard a rumor of medals but won't state anything definite until I hear from Brendan.
Have a great week everyone. Hope Spring gets up and moving soon! Chilly in Ohio this week-end!

A Trip To The Wright -Patt Air Force Museum

2009-04-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

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Tuesday the kids and I drove over to the Air Force Museum. It's been years since I was there and forgot just how much there is to see. If you took the time to read all the information they have it would take you 3 days to really take it all in. I think Tom and I need to drive over there some lazy , rainy week-end and spend the day by ourselves. The kids had a great time but they need to move at a faster pace to stay entertained. We also took in the IMAX theater. (Jesse and Teresa saw 2 movies) I hit the lotto I want one of those in my house!! I saw "The Magic Of Flight" which follows the Blue Angels. There were moments you really felt you were in the stunt planes with them. The kids also watched a movie about the space station and they really enjoyed it. They have 5 movies in all that run through out the day. Well 4 and an extra one on the week-end.
They have a Presidential hanger that you can get a tour of but you need to be there early to sign up. I didn't know anything about it so we didn't get in the long line but I looked it up on line when we got home. Tom and I will have to hit that next trip. Not sure how long it's been there but I know I've never been over to see it.
The Iraq/Afghanistan War exhibit is obviously not very big since they are still using the equipment. They had a few air men and soldiers donate their items to the museum assuming they won't be using them any more. The museum itself tends to be pretty dark in most areas. I took pics with my I-phone and Jesse took pics with the digital camera. Between the 2 we got a few good pics from that area. Biggest surprise is a 1st cavalry patch (Brendan's unit) and a Big Red One (Bryan's unit). Not sure how Army patches got in the Air Force Museum but I found that pretty darn cool. Here are a few pics for all that they're worth. Not the best shots but the best we could get.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Easter week-end. Tom and I are going to be able to relate to Brendan this holiday , I'm afraid. All the kids and grandkids will all be going other places. A counter full of baskets , a huge ham and no one to spend the day with. We'll have to make it up when Brendan gets back by making next year a mandatory day with our side of the family.

Updates From The Sandbox

2009-04-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

Well , I'm starting to get back to my old self again. That pneumonia really knocked me for a loop. Still don't have alot of energy but I'm able to get off the couch and move around and get some things done. Just have to move slower since I still get winded easy.
Brendan called today which happened to be the first day of Easter Break for the kids so Teresa and Jesse were able to talk to Brendan for quite some time. It's the first they've gotten to talk with him since he's left. Of course the connection was fine for them. The minute I got on the phone we got kicked off line. Getting used to it by now. Not unusual to be knocked off line 4-5 times before we finally give it up.
Brendan just got back from an 18 hour mission yesterday and his back is killing him. Imagine walking around for 18 hours with 50-80 pounds strapped to your back. He'll get back and get a few hours sleep and then up again for guard duty for another 8 hours then maybe another 1-2 hours sleep.
The press can print all the warm and fuzzy stories they want about how welcoming the Iraqi's are to our troops but that sure isn't the case where he's at. The civilians and the Iraqi Army are both pretty hostile to our men. There is always an underlying current of resentment and anger. The people we think we can trust could easily turn around and stab them in the back.
The food they get where they're at is nothing like what they got at the main base. He was served bologna sandwiches 2 days in a row. I NEVER bought bologna for the kids growing up. It is just so nasty!! So , Momma sent out 2 boxes of microwavable foods so he has an alternative to bologna. When Dinty Moore looks good you know the food there is bad. Too bad I can't make him my famous enchiladas. Well , I'm sure I could but after 2 weeks it wouldn't be edible.
Brendan sent money for Jesse's Birthday so we went to Gameworks on Saturday. The noise gave me an instant headache so Tom and I gave the kids money and walked down to the apple store to buy a new keyboard. After that we ate at Max and Erma's which was much better food than they had at Gameworks. The kids joined us before running back to play more games. Gameworks was full of kids yelling and running from noisy video game to video game. There's also a large bar where parent's were getting wasted and trying to block out the noise. Kids had fun so thanks to Brendan but I'll never step foot in there again!
I'll be taking the kids to the Wright Patt Air Force Museum tomorrow. We haven't been there in years and I don't know why. It's only a half hour away and it's free except for the IMAX movies which are a reasonable price. They have a new Iraq War exhibit which I'm anxious to see. I need to run out and get batteries for the camera. Don't want them to die before I take pics of everything there!
So , back to Brendan. He seems in pretty good spirits. He says he always tries to stay in a good mood. Your time is what you make it. Laying around bitching all day just makes the time that much harder. He has a routine he likes to stick with and PT is always part of it. The worst part of this whole thing is the time spent away from Caiden. Brendan's father died before he was 2 so he has no memories of his father. That weighs heavy on him and he is worried that Caiden won't remember him. It's hard to see Caiden on the webcam and see him sitting and trying to talk. By the time he comes home for good he'll be walking. There's so many milestones he's missing but they're being recorded for him which is the best that we can do. Sure wish we could fly over there and get a hotel and have him come and visit us.
The heat is already getting bad and summer isn't even close to being there yet. It was 85 the other day and he says the heat was so intense. You figure all that sand just absorbs the heat and throws it back up. The soldiers that have been there before say it's like being on the equator. You feel like you are touching the sun. Add to that all the clothing and gear they have on and I couldn't even imagine how miserable it is. I'm sure I would pass straight out!
He's hoping they'll have the internet up and running soon where they're at. Not sure which he wants more at this point , internet to webcam home or a decent shower. What they have now is nothing more than a trickle of water. There's no electricity so at night you can't read or write or anything. Not sure what the timeline is on getting that up and running. I took the kids camping alot so he's used to going primitive so it's not the toughest thing on him.
They've run into a few minor incidences but for the most part things have been uneventful. I know he just wishes he'ld get back to an infantry unit. He got stuck with a tank unit and he's not doing the things he was trained to do. The unit is also really bad at handing out promotions. You pretty much have to reach the time limit to get your next rank. Pretty discouraging when there are men who are busting their ass and wanting to prove themselves. What's the point in it? Most of his buddies have already ranked up and Brendan is stuck waiting for the 14 months to come up. He wants to be with a gung ho unit and that's not what he's gotten. Worse yet , when he does get back to an infantry unit he'll be behind since he hasn't been working with them all this time. He had one buddy who he worked out with all the time and now he got moved. I think most of the men in his unit have been over there 3-4 times and they are tired and just want to do there time and get out. Hard for a soldier whose wet behind the ears and who's just wanting to kick ass and take names to fit in with a group like that.
7 more months until he gets leave and 10 months before he's scheduled to come home. Who knows how long he'll be back before he gets shipped somewhere else. Wish it all would end but our future sure isn't looking too bright. Suicide bombings are increasing in Pakistan and North Korea shooting missiles.....can't we all just get along??

Heros

2009-03-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've not been on here folks. I've been down for 6 days with pneumonia. I go to the hospital tomorrow to be poked and prodded. I did want to share with you something from a blog I follow. The link to her blog is above the blog entry I cut and pasted from her blog. She is the wife of Sgt. Best who is written about. I pray that SPC Zimmerman will heal quickly from his injuries and hats of to Sgt Best , Pvt. Wilson , Sgt Kerksick and to all of our heros who put their lives on the line everyday for our freedom.

http://mytwoarmybrats.blogspot.com/
22 MARCH 2009

Words of a Hero
I hadn't mentioned it before but since it's all over the newspapers apparently it's ok for me to post. Kirke's platoon was hit a month ago. We got the call at 7pm Feb. 19th and were told it was our platoon but the only wounded soldier was SPC Zimmerman. At that time I didn't know where Kirke was at in all of the mess and how it had affected him emotionally. I didn't hear from him for nearly 24 hours from when I got the call. He told me what little bit he could share at that time. He was in the vehicle behind the one that got hit and he, along with two other soldiers were instrumental in saving this young soldier.

WORDS OF A HERO

What Happened to Me in Iraq
by Daniel Zimmerman

I’ve read the newspapers and I just wanted to clear up some of the stuff, but here it is:

Feb. 19, 2009, my maintenance/recovery team and I were out in support of a 3 week long mission. Which means we were off of our normal FOB and traveling to other FOBs when needed. One of the engineer groups we were supporting had a mine detonation trailer that was blown up, so we went to another FOB to pick up and new set for them to continue their mission.

On our way back to deliver the equipment, we had to stop at a check point to let our other platoon go through (Iraqi roads are small). So once they had passed, we proceeded through and I was the second vehicle in the convoy.I just happened to look out my window while I was driving and at that moment was when I got hit.I watched the explosion, and the shock from it shook my truck and opened my door at the same time. I saw my weapon, an M249, jump about a foot from where I had it positioned.Without even thinking, I slammed my door shut, but at that time it was too late.There was silence in my truck except for the air pressure alarm buzzing. I knew I had been hit, but I didn’t know how bad it was. All I could do was hold my leg as tight as I could, until my fellow soldiers cleared the area so it would be safe for me to get out.I had one other person in my truck (he is also from Missouri), and he called up on the radio that we had been hit and that we were all good, but he didn’t realize that I had been hit.When I told him that I wasn’t good, he asked how I knew. I said, “Can’t you see the blood pouring out of my boots?”So he called back up and gave the report. At that time it was clear they needed to get me out of the truck safely, so he and Pvt. Wilson helped me out the passenger side and performed our combat life saver (CLS) techniques. They had placed the tourniquet above my knee. If it would have been placed below my knee, I would have bled out and probably wouldn’t be here today. So I owe my life to Pvt. Wilson, Spc. Kerksick and Sgt. Best.

About 20 minutes later I was on a chopper on my way back to Balad, Iraq (also where I was stationed). That is where there was a vascular surgeon who saved my leg. Without him it would have been amputated.They also replaced 6 units of blood when I got there, and another two units after surgery because I was still bleeding a little.

After they got me stable, I had many people from my unit and brigade there to support me.I got a purple heart and three other coins. The purple heart meant the most to me. I will have it with me at all times, and I will never forget what happened and all my soldiers/friends who were there to support me. Soon after that they sent me to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany on Feb. 22. That was more of a pit stop to make sure that I was stable enough to fly back to the States.On Feb. 22, I was flown from Germany to where I am currently, at Walter Reed in Washington D.C.

I have had 7 surgeries as of now, and I have one more left and that will be on Sunday or Monday. Sunday or Monday I will have a skin graph done to close up the two remaining holes in my left leg. After that I hope to be out of here and back home within two weeks or so.I will still have to do some therapy to get walking again. I had to use crutches for the first time today, March 13, that’s better than what I was doing a week ago. I do have nerve damage to my left foot to where I can’t feel the bottom of my foot or my big toe. I can barely move my ankle and can put little to no weight on it when I walk.It takes time and, but I’m stubborn so I’ll be walking with in no time.

One more thing—my truck took a lot of damage but didn’t flip over. It had blown all 10 of the tires on the truck, messed up the air system, had at least three or four holes in the gas tank and had hit the trailer I was hauling. That’s all I could see while I was getting fixed up.At no time did I loose consciousness. I was alert the whole time, but the pain never really set in. I was calm to the best of my abilities and helped the best I could to speed up the process of getting me out of there and to a hospital.Well I hope this clears the story up a little bit more.

Zimmerman is a former student from Licking High School.

If you would like to write Zimmerman, send correspondence to Spc. Daniel Zimmerman, 11192 Little Oaks Road, Rolla, MO 65401

I also wanted to add that this incident was the first for our platoon and I'm proud beyond words of how quickly they were able to act. The confidence I heard in my soldiers voice after they knew Zimmerman was going to be okay was incredible. It sucks that it happened and we pray for SPC Zimmerman and his family. I'll be so glad when he's done with surgeries and back here at the Fort. Our platoon now knows we can take a hit and are able to get it together and get through it.

Quick Call Home

2009-03-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

Brendan called home yesterday afternoon. He's sounding good but is ready to do sometimg other than hanging around pulling guard duty. Once he sees some real excitement that guard duty is going to be looking real good.
One thing that irritates the shit out of me: When a fellow soldier is on the cell phone do you think maybe he just might be talking to someone he doesn't see 24/7? Our call was inturupted 3 times with the last one being the end of our conversation. Men in groups have an interesting way of seeing the world. Manners seem to get tossed aside. Happens again big momma is going to start a shit list to check off on the day of the companies return.
I've been horridly sick for a couple of days now. I feel ALMOST as bad as the house looks. I love how they all save the work for me. Can't you feel the love? OK , I'm now taking my grouchy butt back to lah lah land. I do actually have a positive story to share but I'm typing this in bed from my iPhone. Not easy to share from other sites on here so I'll leave you in suspense.

Just My Two Cents

2009-03-23T06:48:00.000-07:00

I've been catching up on some of my newspaper reading here lately. I've run into a number of articles concerning war protesters , mainly the week-end after the 6th anniversary of the US's involvement in Iraq. Now , I love a good protest just as much as the next guy but tell me a time when protesting a war has had any affect. Do you think Obama is going to look out the window and see 1,400 protesters and say "Oh my gosh they are SO right! Get the General on the phone and tell them I want our boys home TODAY!" You know when they'll be home from Iraq? In 2011 , that is if we can believe our government.
So while the focus seems to be on our withdrawal from Iraq the coverage of our involvement in Afghanistan and the fact that we are sending in something like 17,000 more troops seems a bit light. Let's take thousands of our troops , many already worn from too many tours in Iraq and send them into Afghanistan to do what a huge Russian army wasn't even able to do. We're sending boys back now who have artificial limbs and enough medical problems they shouldn't be allowed to deploy.
You'll never see a group of protesters with signs saying " Enough of the peace we want war!". No one likes war. ( normal people anyway) But what we need to look into as a country is the idea of a draft. If we are going to continue supporting politicians who send us to this country and that rather than focusing on the needs of our own people then make sure everyone gets a shot at having their loved one coming home in a box. And college isn't going to get you out of the running. The Army will let you go to college while you serve. It used to be the elite having a General in their family was the same as an Irish Catholic family having a priest in the family , it was mandatory.
Sure there are plenty of men and women who joined our armed services for no other reason but that they want to serve our country. But, there are many more kids who are poor and a recruiter dangles the promise of a $10,000 sign on bonus in their face ( any how many got screwed out of it?). And with the economy going the way it is we're going to see more and more people signing up for the money or promise of it. Soldiers who have left the service and joined the work force only to be laid off are having to rejoin to support their families. Single mothers leaving babies at home to join in hopes of building a better life for their families. Do we really want a nation whose poor feel that joining the military is the only way out of the hole they're in?
Take the billions of dollars we are sinking into these god forsaken countries and dump the money into our schools. Give our kids the best educations possible so that they will have better lives and grow into tomorrow's leaders , leaders who will help lead this nation in prosperity and not war.
And for those who love chanting 9-11 take the time to look at this website: www.sweetalicia.org Not all families of the victims of 9-11 saw war as the only option. Alicia Titus's family are honoring her memory by exploring " responses to violence that go beyond retribution and to learn about ways of understanding and resolving conflict that could break the cycle of violence."
War should always be a last option.

As always I don't support war but I support our soldiers.

*********

And now on to life for Brendan. I sent him a long email the other day. Haven't heard back from him but word from Rachel who he obviously loves more than his own mother , the woman who carried him for 9 months and labored for 12 hours ( I was born to be a Jewish mother! lol) is that they set out on patrol but had to turn around for some reason. I'm sure they could tell us why but then they'ld have to kill us. They'll be setting back out sometime this week , I suppose. I have a feeling Brendan will be packing many more wet wipes this time out. Wet wipes are as close as he's going to get to a shower for a couple of weeks. Can't we pump water out of the Euphrates River and haul it to the boys in tankers. Just give them a good spray down at least!
I love my son to death but 2 weeks in the desert with no shower and he's not getting within 100 yards of me without showering first!
It's a beautiful , sunny Monday here in the sticks of Ohio. Hope you all have a great week!

Family Resemblance

2009-03-21T13:14:00.001-07:00

With The Hat On He Certainly Looks Like A McLaughlin. I think he's channeling my Poppy. Although with the stripped shirt he looks like a 1920's gangster. Baby Face Smitke.

Short Update

2009-03-19T13:12:00.000-07:00

I tried to clean our keyboard on the Mac and managed to fry it. Apparently you're not suppose to spray Windex directly on the keyboard. Long story short I'm typing this with one finger on my I-phone. ( as you may have guessed Tom is a big Apple fan.
Brendan is back and enjoyed a shower for the first time in two weeks. He was with a small group that went out to clean and clear their new home away from home. Still things to do before they leave base camp again.
He got the 2 boxes I sent him. One box was Easter candy and I couldn't resist buying a camp basket and camo plastic eggs. The other box was filled with everyday goodies and a few odds and ends like wetwipes and Monkey Butt. Also threw in my old People magazines. We may be at war but you still want to know what star is doing what star. LOL
I'll add more once the keyboard is replaced.

*****************
OK , so the keyboard is now spotless. It's also dead as a doornail. Tom dug out this one which is only half fried thanks to Mike Craft spilling beer on it. Now I feel bad giving him a hard time about it.
Brendan called home the other day. The connection is better the closer you get to Baghdad that's for sure. As is always my luck though Tom had a nice conversation with him and then I got the phone and got 5 minutes in before we got disconnected. He seems to be in pretty good spirits. Just finally going out and doing something has to help out quite a bit. He also came back to find lots of emails and boxes of goodies. Peeps are his favorite so I sent boxes in every color. I personally can't stand them but he can wipe out a box in 2 minutes flat!
Apparently they don't have any McDonald's or Fricker's to go at night when they are out on missions. After 2 weeks of MREs he hit the chow hall and ate everything in sight. The stomach ache he got may be a lesson to pace himself next time. I don't care what Tom or anyone says MRE's aren't good. They may be ok to sustain yourself but it isn't even close to being good. Momma sent plenty of Jerky to stuff his pockets with for the next patrol.
Caiden and I had a good visit last Sunday. We went to visit Josh and went to Walmart. The boy takes after his Mom , he seems happiest when he's shopping. I picked him up some baby food to eat when we got back home. This boy is MAD about sweet potatoes. It looked like he was having a seizure trying to get more in his mouth. Sweet Potatoes were Brendan's favorite food , he could have eaten them every meal. When Caiden's sweet potatoes ran out and I switched to pears it was not a good moment. He gave me a look that put the fear of God into me.

2nd Annual Patriots' Day Walk

2009-03-16T19:41:00.001-07:00

Tom has made final plans on this year's event. You can check out the blog for more info at http://patriotsdaywalk.blogspot.com/
This year's walk will be a little different from last but it was important to add long guns to the march with Obama heading towards banning them.

A Call Home

2009-03-15T08:01:00.001-07:00

Brendan called home this morning and we were able to talk for quite some time. As most calls home it is difficult to understand or hear what he's saying the majority of the time and we got disconnected at least 6 times. He's not at the main base so he has to rely on his cell phone. For whatever reason calls to our home phone never go through but the calls to the i-phone works just fine. Maybe our small town phone company just can't handle overseas calls or something although that seems odd because our phone company is pretty darn impressive.
Brendan is out with a small group of guys mainly doing clean-ups right now. This first patrol is the first real look he's gotten of Iraq outside of military bases and it was a real culture shock to him. He says he can't imagine people living any worse than the folks he's seen so far. The area he's at is full of trash and raw sewage in the streets and no running water. He hasn't had a shower in over a week. ICK!
He said the boxes I mailed him arrived at the main base this week. That was much faster than I had expected. Not sure when he'll get the boxes. I don't know if they bring mail and things to them when they are out on patrol or he has to wait until he gets back to the main camp. I have a feeling it's the later. He doesn't have access to a PX or anything where he's at so it would be nice if they could get some care packages out there though. If that is the case I may send one food package and one hygiene package each time.
Now the real bummer. His leave has gone from one extreme to the other. He went from being here next month to now getting here in November.( And men say women can't make up their minds! PLEEEEEASE! Army has us beat by miles.) He is really saddened by the amount of time before he can see Caiden again. He is 5 months old now so he'll be walking by the time Brendan gets to see him again. All we can do is reassure him that at Caiden's age he'll adjust to seeing Daddy just fine. We are the ones who are saddened by all the milestones that Brendan will miss. We need to get our camcorder fixed so we can start making movies each time he comes over to visit so he can watch them and see how well he's doing.
I went down to Yellow Springs with my friend Wendy yesterday. For those of you who aren't from around here Yellow Springs , Ohio is a small town that is stuck in the 60's. I absolutely love seeing all the wonderful shops down there and trying out new and interesting foods. If you don't like the smell of incense you'll not want to enter any stores down there. They also have a state park down there with some really sweet trails to hike. I take the kids alot down there to hike and Brendan now drags Rachel down there as well. Last year folks in town decided to crochet a sweater for a tree in the downtown area. It was so pretty but you can't leave them on long or the tree will die. Now they have taken that artistic talent and made sweaters for every street sign and light pole in town. This first picture was taken yesterday the rest were last summer. This new one is covered with little signs that show you how to say peace in all the languages of the world. So I went on a bit of a tangent but wanted to give readers an idea of where I was at. At any rate I had to buy a hacky sack for Brendan while I was there. Most that the lady had this time were a yellow or light brown background color which doesn't work well in a desert setting. Kick it over someone and they'll never see the darn thing! I dug around and finally found one that was a black background which will be much easier to spot. When I go down there I always wear my tie dye (which I wear most days anyway) but I went rebel and wore camo pants and a "Army Mom" t-shirt. REALLY had to resist buying some hippy 'make love not war" and "Peace" patches to sew onto the camo though. And don't even get me on bumper stickers! But I'm a good Army Mom , all bumper stickers on the family van are Army related and only in a positive way. However , if I hit the lotto before it sells there's a 75 VW van in bright yellow for sale down there that is going to be all mine and will be open to anything I want to put on it! lol

Well , time to shower up and clean up , Caiden is coming for his Sunday visit. You all have a great week.

First Patrol

2009-03-12T08:05:00.000-07:00

Last word from Rachel is that Brendan is out on his first patrol. We likely won't hear anything from him for a minimum of 2 weeks. We may have a plan to pull out of Iraq but there are still plenty of hostiles to deal with. I gave him my form of motherly advise , "When in doubt , shoot".
The amount of info families are getting from their support team is already getting overwhelming. I've got a file of emails and it's just too much. I'm going to have to buy a notebook and condense information to make it easier to look over. Don't get me wrong , the emails have been helpful and have made me aware of things I haven't considered. For instance if I leave home for more than 24 hours I need to let my support person know so that they can contact me if needed. Maybe it's just something I didn't want to think about at all.
Leaves begin 2 months after deployment and continue until 2 months before they are to return. That means leaves begin in a couple of weeks. Looks like Brendan will be at the front of the line. Yes , we'll be glad to see him obviously but not happy about that. If he comes home now it makes it that much longer before we see him again. We'll have 15 days with him though and hoping to make the best of all of it.
His brother Bryan is doing well and is expected to be back in June. ( He joined a company that was already over there) He'll be stationed in Fort Knox , KY when he gets back. Tom goes to Knob Creek machine gun shoot now and again. It's held twice a year and is adjacent to Fort Knox. It's only a couple of hours from here so Rachel and Caiden visiting will be much easier.
One last note: I've been reading "A journal for Jordan" and it's a must read! I bought it at the airport in Dayton on my trip to see Brendan off. I tried reading it when I got back but I was too hormonal and cried too much so I put it aside for awhile. I picked it up again the other night and had to struggle to put it down. It is so well written , so heartfelt , you can't help falling in love with this soldier. This is the link to the book's website.

http://www.ajournalforjordan.com/

Operation Kid Comfort

2009-03-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

I just found out about this program from a military wife blog and this is so fantastic I had to pass it along. She just had a blanket made for her two sons and was so impressed with it. This is from the heading on their page:

COMFORT. CREATE. UNITE. OPERATION KID COMFORT CREATES COMFORT QUILTS AND PILLOWS FOR CHILDREN OF DEPLOYED SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN, AND OFFERS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AMERICA TO UNITE IN SUPPORT OF MILITARY FAMILIES. PLEASE TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO SCROLL ON DOWN, LOOK AT OUR PICTURES, AND READ ABOUT OUR SUCCESS.
This is their link:
http://www.operationkidcomfort.blogspot.com/

Whether you have a loved one overseas or have the talent to volunteer your time to the cause , this is a fantastic cause. Imagine what comfort these quilts give to the sad children who miss their parent. They can cuddle up and stay warm with a blanket that has pictures of their parent on them.

Just A Couple Of Things

2009-03-06T10:15:00.000-08:00

Well by now I know you're thinking I'm the Link Queen but I've found so many interesting things and it's easier to give the links for you to look at then me typing all the stuff up. I've also figured out how to get links to work on here so no more cut and pasting. Wasn't that hard , just lazy! lol (hmmm...ok posted and it doesn't show up. I bragged too soon. Cut and paste away folks! lol)
First link is Kevin Baker's website. Kevin is disabled Gulf War Veteran who is riding his bike across country promoting the "Honor and Remember" flag. His journey begins this week-end. Good luck Kevin! There is also a petition to sign if you're interested. Please take the time to check this site out.
http://www.honorandremember.org/kevin.html

I update links on the side from time to time but I wanted to make a special note of this blog. This is a well written blog with some fantastic links on it. Well worth checking out. It's written by an Airforce Mom who I was lucky enough to have come visit my site. Her blog is: http://airmanmom.blogspot.com Of special note is Wednesday Hero.

Sierra Club is hosting summer camps for military kids , families and vets. From their website is this description:
The Sierra Club's Military Families Outdoors program supports organizations that provide military Veterans, Service Members and their families with the mental and physical benefits of outdoor experiences. By sending the child of a deployed parent to summer camp, providing a much-needed weekend getaway for a military family to reconnect, or creating challenging wilderness adventure courses for Combat Theatre Veterans and Active Duty Service Members, together we are working to ensure that those protecting our country get to enjoy its natural wonders.
The link to this page is: http://www.sierraclub.org/military

I got Brendan's boxes mailed out today. Postage was almost $12.00 which is a few bucks higher than I was told but still worth it if you pack them well. Custom paperwork is a bit time consuming but you do what you have to do. Just expect to have to individually list everything by name , weight and value. You can't just put "Easter Candy" or "Toiletries". I have a feeling Brendan is going to get slammed all at once with a ton of boxes. It'll be like a very early Christmas! Just hope he gets it sooner than later. I know to expect at least 2 weeks but if they head out on missions he won't be back to get them for 3-4- weeks. If you send food be sure it's in a container that will help keep them fresh.

I've got a ton of updates to do on this blog. I'll try to get to those the first of the week. I'm taking advantage of the great weather to open the doors in the house to get fresh air and clean the carpets while the fresh air can help dry them. Garden and yard work season is just around the corner folks. With the economy the way it is I'll be adjusting my veggy garden this year. More beans and less salsa goodies. If you've got the space why not considering a garden of your own? Canning is much easier than you think and there is great security in knowing you've got a basement full of food.

Have a wonderful week-end everyone. Brendan , if you're reading this I love you and we miss you like crazy. Jesse is done fixing up his room. I patched the MANY holes in the walls from when you had the room and he and Teresa painted. We've got curtains up since the pic was taken and only have the closet to contend with. Even more impressive? He's kept it PERFECTLY clean for over a week!! I know!!!!!!!!!

Teresa had a solo in her school musical held at the hospital. She sings WAY better than I do thankfully. She did really well.

A moment doesn't go by when you're not in my thoughts. I pray for you constantly and can't wait to give you a huge hug. I love you!

Finally An Address

2009-03-05T14:18:00.000-08:00

We were finally given a mailing address for Brendan. Good timing on that as the post office just delivered the free mailing boxes today. I knew there had to be a catch on the flat rate boxes. These boxes aren't very big. I had to divide things into 2 boxes. And the packing tape? It is the WORST!! It rips like rice paper. I was getting so aggravated trying to pull off just one strip without it shredding. Guess you get what you pay for.
If anyone is not on Rachel's mailing list and you want Brendan's address you can email me a message at Pettyhead8@yahoo.com and I'll give that address to you.
I've started getting emails from the companies FRG (Family Readiness Group) Leader. She does the work voluntarily and keeps everyone up to date with what's going on with our boys. She also sends out lots of resource info for soldiers' family. One thing I can say about the Army , they work hard to keep families together and in touch.
We';re now 30 days down. ONLY 11 months or so to go.

Yellow Ribbon

2009-03-03T20:28:00.001-08:00

Here's our yellow ribbon. I went to Ethel's flower and they donated the ribbon to us. So wonderful! Figured it was better to tie it to the house than on the tree in the backyard which is the only tree we have left. Now to get a flagpole hooked up somewhere in the same area and that project will be done.
Was able to talk to Brendan for quite awhile ,this afternoon. He's sounding good , just anxious to get things underway. He bought a cell phone over there. What would cost $15 here cost 3 times that there and the connections are horrible. The day before we got about 3 sentences in between 2 calls. Better luck today , only one disconnection. Still trying to get used to the huge delay. No new updates , just the usual Army hurry up and wait routine.
On a lighter side, Matthew is learning to read............

Quick Update

2009-03-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

Brendan will now be wearing an Infantry patch again soon. He is with the 1st cav unit but they are going to be merging with an infantry division. The unit is called The Big Red One. Big red what I'm sure I don't want to know. As some of you know I've been ordering patterns to cross-stitch pictures of the badges he's worn soooo this means yet another pattern to order.
According to Rachel an IED hit close to where he is at. You can imagine what that means. I think the reality of war has really hit now. How folks go through that and come home unchanged is beyond me.
ok , the big red one was bothering me so I had to google it. It's the 1st Infantry division which is where he was suppose to be to begin with. It's also the group that his buddy Sandusky is in. ( http://www.1id.army.mil/ ) Thank goodness it's a simple patch. It's just a big red number 1. I feel a bit disappointed now.
These pics were forwarded to me from Rachel from Brendan.

FREE Military Packing Supplies

2009-03-02T07:51:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Rachel for this info:

United State Postal Service has created a "Military Care Package
Kit" items contain most frequently requested by the military. This
service is FREE.
The kit contains:

Three (3) each of flat rate boxes ($8.10 per box up to 70 lbs.)
O-FRB1- and O-FRB2
Two each of Cube boxes OBOX4 and OBOX7 (price based on weight of
package)
Address labels-Label #228 10 each
One roll of Priority Mail tape
15 customs forms with envelopes.

The kit may be requested by calling 1-800-610-8734 (Packing
Supply) and:
1. Choose you language (1 is English, 2 is Spanish).
2. Choose option 1 (it states it is for Express Mail, Priority
Mail or Global Guaranteed products).
3. When you reach a live agent, request CAREKIT04.
4. Please allow 7-10 days for delivery.

Note: These are free supplies, postage must be affixed.
You may request a maximum of 4 kits per phone call. I have
ordered 4 kits, they should be here in 7-10 if anyone is
interested in viewing them.

Have a pencil ready , they'll give you your account number for reordering. Now all we need is an address to mail stuff!

A Bit Of This And That

2009-02-27T21:48:00.000-08:00

Brendan spent the day with more training. When and where they will be going is , as always , anyone's guess. For now he is happy to have a phone and to be able to call his wife. I still haven't been able to get any response from him on IM but Rachel keeps me updated. Sorry Mom's of small children but wives will always outrank you so you might as well let it sink in now. She also received a letter from his buddy Sandusky's Mom. He is in Taji and doing well. She also confirmed what has been passed on to us that many towns are still in bad shape there with raw sewage in the streets and poor conditions. I believe "Don't drink the water" goes for there as well. There is still unrest among different groups , especially the Shiites. Fighting and killing each other over religion....just never ceases to amaze me how absurd the idea is.
So Obama has said the war in Iraq will end in about 18 months. Of course you then read the fine print that shows we'll still be there but we'll be "training" and other such things. Don't even get me started on smoke and places it shouldn't be blown. Not sure what us "leaving" Iraq in 18 months will do to Brendan's tour. We were under the impression that , rather than spending money to train and send new troops over for a few months that those already there would have to stay longer. Then again Afghanistan is such a mess they might not have anyone to replace them with anyway since they'll all be in Afghanistan or Pakistan or what other country we'll be invading at the time. What can I say? I support our troops but I'm still the tree hugging hippy at heart.
One last note , I saw a survey today that said some 30 odd percent of folks think we shouldn't leave Iraq. Of those people who think that , show of hands , how many of you are willing to go over there or send your children over there? Anyone? Hey , look at the bright side , over there you'll at least still be able to exercise your 2nd amendment rights.

And now for your "Aaaawwwwwwwwwwwww" moment of the week.......

Matty T and Caveman

Photos Of Soldier's Coffins Again Allowed

2009-02-27T21:45:00.000-08:00

Many people have been working hard to get Bush's decision to ban photos from being taken reversed. Their hard work has finally paid off.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/us/26web-coffins.html

Camp Liberty

2009-02-26T04:52:00.000-08:00

Rachel heard from Brendan in the wee hours of the morning. For now they are at Camp Liberty. For how long before they head out to their mission is unknown as are most things in the military. Here is a link to some pics of Camp Liberty. http://1-22infantry.org/pics3/liberty.htm At least I see a couple of green palm trees in the pics. Hopefully they'll be there long enough to get a couple of nights sleep in a real bed. They have internet there so maybe I'll be able to get some videos from Brendan soon. Here's another website I found that gives a brief rundown of the camp. Not sure the date this was posted so not sure how up to date it is. http://www.iraq-up-close-and-personal.com/camplibertyiraq.html
This is the website of the 1st Cavalry that Brendan is serving with. http://www.hood.army.mil/1stcavdiv/

Lasty , here's a video covering both camps Brendan has been at. It's 2007 video but gives you an idea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WCk1PMdbD0

Off To Iraq

2009-02-25T13:01:00.000-08:00

Brendan was given about 45 minutes notice that they were pulling out and heading to Iraq. He was able to talk to me less than 2 minutes which really sucks but I'm glad I got to talk to him before he left. Odds are we won't have any word from him for a few weeks. I think the reality of the war just hit him in that moment they announced the pull out. I can't even imagine the feelings soldiers must go through as they are packing up. Life is now going to be completely different than anything they've ever imagined. That ever present feeling that they must always be alert of everything around them for the sake of their lives and other's. A sense of fear that you can never quite shake.
Rachel has started a yellow ribbon campaign of sorts. She went to her local florist and they gave her 2 ribbons for free to tie around the tree and mailbox in her yard. She's asked friends and family to do the same and send her pics. She's working on something for Brendan for his return. May have to tie the ribbon around the tree stump in the front yard. All the wind storms this year have taken care of most of our trees.
I found a website that sells charms and bracelets for deployed soldiers. Add that to my list of projects I have stacked up to concur. Will probably make my own just need to order the charms but they had italian charm bracelets at a really reasonable price.
As for me those of you who know me know I can get a bit worked up emotionally. The doc adjusted my meds and they seem to be helping somewhat. Just need to keep myself really busy. We're working on Jesse's room remodeling this week. I've got a massive pile of art projects , as well. You name it , curtains to finish , quilts to finish , a million cross-stitch projects....none of which I really have any desire to touch but will need to. I know they tell you not to watch the news while your kids are over there but that's all I can do. Just to hear any news or catch a quick glimpse of Brendan in a news reel and know he';s ok. War sucks!

Bryan Smitke Update

2009-02-23T11:17:00.001-08:00

Brendan's brother , Bryan , popped up on his Facebook last week. First I've seen activity on there for quite some time. It was quite a relief to hear from him. He says he's doing well. He was taking a break from battles in Afghanistan and surely is never going mountain climbing ever in his civilian life.

Map Of Iraq

2009-02-23T11:07:00.000-08:00

How many of us can even find Iraq on the map? Have to admit I wasn't exactly sure until Brendan left. Figured it would be a good idea to know exactly where in the world my son was.

New Update

2009-02-23T08:39:00.000-08:00

Well, it appears Brendan actually has his orders this time. Can't give you any details here for his safety but if any of you are not on Rachel's update mailing list please email me and I can forward you the information given. I'm hoping to have his mailing address before he leaves as we most likely won't hear from him for awhile.

Article From The AP. Simply Disgraceful.

2009-02-22T13:44:00.000-08:00

AP INVESTIGATION: Army charity hoards millions
Buzz UpSendSharePrint
By JEFF DONN, AP National Writer – 1 hr 29 mins ago

AP – Army Community Services financial educator Yolanda Davis, center, talks with Pvt. Terrence Nicholas and …
FORT BLISS, Texas – As soldiers stream home from Iraq and Afghanistan, the biggest charity inside the U.S. military has been stockpiling tens of millions of dollars meant to help put returning fighters back on their feet, an Associated Press investigation shows.
Between 2003 and 2007 — as many military families dealt with long war deployments and increased numbers of home foreclosures — Army Emergency Relief grew into a $345 million behemoth. During those years, the charity packed away $117 million into its own reserves while spending just $64 million on direct aid, according to an AP analysis of its tax records.
Tax-exempt and legally separate from the military, AER projects a facade of independence but really operates under close Army control. The massive nonprofit — funded predominantly by troops — allows superiors to squeeze soldiers for contributions; forces struggling soldiers to repay loans — sometimes delaying transfers and promotions; and too often violates its own rules by rewarding donors, such as giving free passes from physical training, the AP found.
Founded in 1942, AER eases cash emergencies of active-duty soldiers and retirees and provides college scholarships for their families. Its emergency aid covers mortgage payments and food, car repairs, medical bills, travel to family funerals, and the like.
Instead of giving money away, though, the Army charity lent out 91 percent of its emergency aid during the period 2003-2007. For accounting purposes, the loans, dispensed interest-free, are counted as expenses only when they are not paid back.
During that same five-year period, the smaller Navy and Air Force charities both put far more of their own resources into aid than reserves. The Air Force charity kept $24 million in reserves while dispensing $56 million in total aid, which includes grants, scholarships and loans not repaid. The Navy charity put $32 million into reserves and gave out $49 million in total aid.
AER executives defend their operation, insisting they need to keep sizable reserves to be ready for future catastrophes.
"Look at the stock market," said retired Col. Dennis Spiegel, AER's deputy director for administration. Without the large reserve, he added, "We'd be in very serious trouble."
But smaller civilian charities for service members and veterans say they are swamped by the desperate needs of recent years, with requests far outstripping ability to respond.
While independent on paper, Army Emergency Relief is housed, staffed and controlled by the U.S. Army.
That's not illegal per se. Eric Smith, a spokesman for the Internal Revenue Service, said the agency can't offer an opinion on a particular charity's activities. But Marcus Owens, former head of IRS charity oversight, said charities like AER can legally partner closely with a government agency.
However, he said, problems sometimes arise when their missions diverge. "There's a bit of a tension when a government organization is operating closely with a charity," he said.
Most charity watchdogs view 1-to-3 years of reserves as prudent, with more than that considered hoarding. Yet the American Institute of Philanthropy says AER holds enough reserves to last about 12 years at its current level of aid.
Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy, said that AER collects money "very efficiently. What the shame is, is they're not doing more with it."
National administrators say they've tried to loosen the purse strings. The most recent yearly figures do show a tilt by AER toward increased giving.
Still, Borochoff's organization, which grades charities, gives the Army charity an "F" because of the hoarding.
The AP findings include:
• Superior officers come calling when AER loans aren't repaid on time. Soldiers can be fined or demoted for missing loan payments. They must clear their loans before transferring or leaving the service.
• Promotions can be delayed or canceled if loans are not repaid.
• Despite strict rules against coercion, the Army uses pushy tactics to extract supposedly voluntary contributions, with superiors using language like: "How much can we count on from you?"
• The Army sometimes offers rewards for contributions, though incentives are banned by program rules. It sometimes excuses contributors from physical training — another clear violation.
• AER screens every request for aid, peering into the personal finances of its troops, essentially making the Army a soldier's boss and loan officer.
"If I ask a private for something ... chances are everyone's going to do it. Why? Because I'm a lieutenant," says Iraq war veteran Tom Tarantino, otherwise an AER backer. "It can almost be construed as mandatory."
Neither the Army nor Sgt. Major of the Army Kenneth Preston, an AER board member, responded to repeated requests for comment on the military's relationship with AER.
AER pays just 21 staffers, all working at its headquarters at Army Human Resources Command in Alexandria, Va. AER's other 300 or so employees at 90 Army sites worldwide are civilians paid by the Army. Also, the Army gives AER office space for free.
AER's treasurer, Ret. Col. Andrew Cohen, acknowledged in an interview that "the Army runs the program in the field." Army officers dominate its corporate board too.
Charities linked to other services operate along more traditional nonprofit lines. The Air Force Aid Society sprinkles its board with members from outside the military to foster broad views. The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society pays 225 employees and, instead of relying on Navy personnel for other chores, deploys a corps of about 3,400 volunteers, including some from outside the military.
Army regulations say AER "is, in effect, the U.S. Army's own emergency financial assistance organization." Under Army regulations, officers must recommend whether their soldiers deserve aid. Company commanders and first sergeants can approve up to $1,000 in loans on their own say-so. Officers also are charged with making sure their troops repay AER loans.
"If you have an outstanding bill, you're warned about paying that off just to finish your tour of duty ... because it will be brought to your leadership and it will be dealt with," says Jon Nakaishi, of Tracy, Calif., an Army National Guard veteran of the Iraq war who took out a $900 AER loan to help feed his wife and children between paychecks.
In his case, he was sent home with an injury and never fully repaid his loan.
The Army also exercises its leverage in raising contributions from soldiers. It reaches out only to troops and veterans in annual campaigns organized by Army personnel.
For those on active duty, AER organizes appeals along the chain of command. Low-ranking personnel are typically solicited by a superior who knows them personally.
Spiegel, the AER administrator, said he's unaware of specific violations but added: "I spent 29 years in the Army, I know how ... first sergeants operate. Some of them do strong-arm."
Army regulations ban base passes, training holidays, relief from guard duty, award plaques and "all other incentives or rewards" for contributions to AER. But the AP uncovered evidence of many violations.
Before leaving active duty in 2006, Philip Aubart, who then went to Reserve Officer Training Corps at Dartmouth College, admits he gave to AER partly to be excused from push-ups, sit-ups and running the next day. For those who didn't contribute the minimum monthly allotment, the calisthenics became, in effect, a punishment.
"That enticed lots and lots of guys to give," he noted. He says he gave in two annual campaigns and was allowed to skip physical training the following days.
Others spoke of prizes like pizza parties and honorary flags given to top cooperating units.
Make no mistake: AER, a normally uncontroversial fixture of Army life, has helped millions of soldiers and families. Last year alone, AER handed out about $5.5 million in emergency grants, $65 million in loans, and $12 million in scholarships. Despite the extra demands for soldiers busy fighting two wars, AER's management says it hasn't felt a need to boost giving in recent years.
But the AP encountered considerable criticism about AER's hoarding of its treasure chest.
Jack Tilley, a retired sergeant major of the Army on AER's board from 2000 to 2004, said he was surprised by AP's findings, especially during wartime.
"I think they could give more. In fact, that's why that's there," said Tilley, who co-founded another charity that helps families of Mideast war veterans, the American Freedom Foundation.
What does AER do with its retained wealth? Mostly, it accumulates stocks and bonds.
AER ended 2007 with a $296 million portfolio; last year's tanking market cut that to $214 million, by the estimate of its treasurer.
Sylvia Kidd, an AER board member in the 1990s, says she feels that the charity does much good work but guards its relief funds too jealously. "You hear things, and you think, "`They got all this money, and they should certainly be able to take care of this,'" she said. She now works for a smaller independent charity, the Association of the United States Army, providing emergency aid to some military families that AER won't help.
Though AER keeps a $25 million line of bank credit to respond to a world economic crisis, its board has decided to lop off a third of its scholarship money this year. "We're not happy about it," Spiegel says.

A Call Home

2009-02-21T11:11:00.001-08:00

Brendan called home yesterday and we were able to talk for over 40 minutes which was pretty sweet. He's sounding good and seems to be able to keep himself busy. Most days start way too early in the morning with PT and training classes. He finally got to see the tanks in action the other day. I think he was a bit disappointed that they don't make more of a "BOOM". I'm sure the folks on the receiving end would beg to differ.
Brendan is one of only 2 infantry men in the unit so they've made a bond. Both are young privates and outsiders in the unit.One thing I've learned quick about the military is that everyone thinks they're better than the other. Brendan and his buddy spend alot of time working out in the gym and he's taking alot of protein to help him bulk up. As heavy as his bags are he's required to carry around he could use all the muscle he can get.
He bought a laptop before he left. Someone decided to use his bag as flooring and busted the laptop that was in it. That laptop is the one thing that keeps him in touch with Rachel and Caiden on a daily basis so he had to buy a new one.
Everyday plans seem to change as to when they are leaving for Iraq. It was next week , then it was next month then back again so who knows. Only thing for sure is that they'll be working along side the Marines. Love that considering how much the two always talk crap about the other. Since we are slowly pulling out if Iraq I don't see much use for tanks so I asked him what they would do. Just sit and wait for a need to blow something up? The answer is foot patrol.
He hasn't seen any combat pay or separation pay in his checks yet. Payroll always seems to be an issue in some way or another. With men moving from base to base and circumstances always changing it has to be hard to keep track of everything. Eventually it all seems to get straightened around. His leave days is another story. He came home as a hometown recruit after basic and was suppose to get those 14 days backs but he hasn't seen it yet.
Sobering news , these soldiers are also 1st Cav and left just weeks before Brendan did:

9-Feb 4 Lt. Col. Garnet R. Derby, 44, of Missoula, Mont. ,
Sgt. Joshua A. Ward, 30, of Scottsville, Ky.,
Pfc. Albert R. Jex, 23, of Phoenix, Ariz., and
Pfc. Jonathan R. Roberge, 22, of Leominster, Mass. died Feb. 9 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle. They were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. This is a link to the article on these heros:
http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/02/19/17106-greywolf-battalion-commander-killed-by-ied-in-mosul-dies-alongside-three-of-his-personal-security-detachment-his-interpreter/index.html

Here is the website for the 1st Calvary:
http://www.hood.army.mil/1stcavdiv/

Here is a link to a journal written by a soldier stationed at Camp Buehring which is where Brendan is at the moment. He's got some great pictures of the camp so you can see what Brendan sees every day.
http://www.serving-in-iraq.com/Main-Pages/Serving_in_Iraq_Journal_Camp_Buehring%20_Kuwait.htm

And here's a blog that a comedian did on her trip to the camp.
http://www.jenisfamous.com/2007/08/mideast-tour-camp-buehring-kuwait.html

Here are some newspaper articles with some good pics.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/1761497/US-Army-070423145228

And lastly a great slide show of pictures found on the Stars and Stripes website.
http://www.stripes.com/08/mar08/5iraq/

Cool Crafts

2009-02-15T09:36:00.000-08:00

Went to a gun show yesterday with my hubby. This guy was displaying his crafts and they are pretty cool. Here's a link to see all he offers. I was also under the impression that he does custom work.

http://stores.shop.ebay.com/MadKowCrafts__W0QQ_armrsZ1

A Phone Call Home

2009-02-13T07:28:00.000-08:00

This morning Brendan finally called home. It was so wonderful hearing his voice! He sounded good and seemed to be in pretty good spirits. They are keeping him busy with training and classes which is good...helps the time go a bit faster. I'm always amazed at the first aid training they get in the military. During basic they learned to give each other IV's. Down in Fort Hood he volunteered to have a tube shoved down his nose (pretty sure he won't be volunteering for that again!). In Kuwait they practiced on a dummy to stick a needle in someone's lung if it collapses. Keep it up and he'll be a doctor by the time he leaves the Army!!

He said the food at chow hall is pretty good. They have a KFC, Burger King and Taco Bell there but he's been eating in the chow hall. He's trying to live on $50 a week so he'll have a nice savings when he gets back. Best part of chow hall? They have a Baskin and Robbins and it's FREE! I KNOW!! There's also a movie house and the USO there is really nice. He says they have a lot of flat screen tvs and video games to keep the guys entertained. They also have musical groups coming there on a pretty frequent basis. Someone came and gave the guys camel rides. Brendan filmed it but didn't ride one. The video camera I bought him is getting quite a workout. Not sure when I'll get to see any of the things he's filming as the internet there is extremely slow.

Pretty sure he won't be wanting to hit the beach anytime soon after his return. Sand storms are pretty frequent in Kuwait. He says you can look out during a storm and see nothing but orange. You taste sand , get sand in your eyes...he HATES sand now! One item that appears on all the suggested care package lists is canned air. Got to blow all the sand out of your electronics. He's been told it's not near as bad in Iraq as the ground is harder there than it is in Kuwait.

As with everything Army dates are constantly changing for everything. He was thinking he'ld be in Iraq by the end of the month but now they gave him a date in March. The longer he's in Kuwait the easier I'll rest. As the Iraqi's take back their country the troops will slowly be moved out so not sure where he'll end up by the end of the year. For now he's anxious to get there so he can sleep in a bed , I'm sure. They are sleeping on stiff old army cots for now.

I was talking to Brendan about something and he started looking through his notes. he takes notes on everything he learns over there. Pretty amazing. I don't think he ever took notes in school!! I'm so proud of him. He's a great soldier and has really embraced the military life. He's just trying to stay focused on what he has to do and is allowing Rachel to make all the decisions for herself on matters here.

I see quite a few organizations who say they collect money for calling cards for the troops but I wonder how they get them. Brendan has been having to buy calling cards to call home.

I have had a really hard time since he left but hearing from him today has given me a jolt of positive energy. Just knowing he's doing ok and is sounding good is what I needed. Seems like he's been gone forever already. It's going to be a long year but I know in the scheme of life it'll be a blip on the map of time. Just wish I could hop a plane and visit him.

Injured Soldiers

2009-02-10T07:46:00.000-08:00

We often hear about the soldiers who are killed but little attention is given to those who are injured. This is a link to an article on a soldier who was on the wounded angel list this week. I just received an email passing on the sad news that Kevin lost his fight.

http://www.patriotledger.com/news/state_news/x1851004653/Mom-Bridgewater-soldier-clinging-to-life-in-Texas

Please consider joining the soldier's angels. You'll receive a weekly list of injured soldiers who are needing letters. You are only asked to write one but can write as many as you like. This group also has a number of other ways you can help soldiers such as making blankets for injured soldiers , donating calling cards , adopting a soldier , care packages and much more. Whether you have a little time or a lot of time to offer there is something that everyone can do.

http://soldiersangels.org/

Off To The Sandbox

2009-02-08T11:30:00.000-08:00

February 4th Brendan headed to Kuwait. He'll be there for a few weeks before heading to Iraq. For how long is still to be seen.

First let me say NEVER book a flight with US Airways!! Rachel faced delays while flying down to Texas and then I was delayed on this trip. Missed my flight in Charlotte and got stuck there for 3 more hours. Got into Austin around 9:30pm. Took over an hour to get back to Killeen. We stopped at Friday's for Brendan's last meal. We then hit Walmart so I could get Brendan a camcorder. I wanted to make sure he could show us what life is like over there and , more importantly , he can video messages back to Caiden so he doesn't become a stranger to him. After all that running it was well after midnight before we got back to their place.

Brendan had to report to base at 5:00am. Rachel dropped him off and came back to the room. We were told family were to be there around 7:30am. Brendan called her back and said other family was hanging around so we rushed over to the base to get some precious time in with him. We hung in the parking lot until the gym opened around 8:00am. We were able to visit until about 9:00am. I tried to keep myself composed but when it got time to say good-bye I completely fell apart. There aren't too many things more painful in the world then seeing your child go off to war. Your job as a parent is to protect your kids. To see them heading off to a war zone is just completely heart wrenching. When he stepped onto the bus and looked out the window at me I could see Brendan going off to school for the first time. That look in his eyes that says "Mommy , I don't want to go!! Please can't I stay home?!" I still tear up just thinking about it and the memory of the bus driving away and disappearing around the corner. Adding to the scene was a little girl behind Rachel who was crying for Daddy to stay. Trust that Momma had a full blown ugly cry face on. Rachel was crying so hard she was snorting. Let's just say we've looked better!

Brendan was able to text and called from the stops along the way. First stop was Maine and then to Ireland before the final lag of the trip. He downloaded Skype but the internet over there is horrid. He and Rachel have found it easier to use MSN. He has a webcam so we were able to see him laying on his cot and were able to text him. Thank goodness for new technologies. No other mother was able to have contact so immediately with their soldier in any other war. It helps ease some of the worry. At least we don't have to wait weeks at a time to know if they're ok. I'm working at getting a cam for this mac and downloading MSN so we can see him here at home. Phone connections are frequently cut off. For every 10 times he tries to call he might connect once. If you connect you better say "I love you" and "I miss you" first thing so you are sure to get it in.

It rained over there which cooled things somewhat. His home is a big tent filled with cots. The soldiers share the tent with a massive family of mice. Brendan popped one's head open while he was chatting with Rachel. *ICK* First couple of days was just unloading equipment. He doesn't have a job yet which makes the days even longer. He should be getting something soon.

Once they head to Iraq his job will be Loader. (He's in a tank unit) He gets to load up the big guns. I am SO grateful to the old lady in Seattle who grabbed the wrong suitcase which caused Brendan to get set back a week waiting for his paperwork to get to Texas. He ended up having to go with a tank unit instead of the infantry brigade he was to be with. I can't think of anything safer to be in than a tank.

He won't have a mailing address while he's in transition. His email is Bsmitke@yahoo.com for those who would like to drop him a line. I don't know how often he is able to get the internet well enough to check it but he'll get it eventually. Just want an address as soon as possible so I can get some care packages sent out to him.

Here are some pics of the send off. I'm adding a quick video Rachel took of Brendan's bus leaving. He popped up and waved out the window as they drove off. I'm warning you , don't watch it if you don't want to cry. Rachel is crying pretty bad.
**NOTE: pics loaded up in some crazy order. You'll figure out the sequence. I'm too tired to mess with it***

Heading South

2009-02-02T14:52:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note before I take off in the morning.Was really hoping to have left on Friday so I could have more time to visit with Brendan but things never seem to go as planned. I'll be landing in Austin tomorrow night around 5:30pm their time. I'm taking a carry on only bag so I can get out of the airport as quick as possible. We'll be hitting Wal-Mart somewhere along the way to get Brendan a video camera to take with him. After a bite to eat will probably sit up most of the night visiting. Brendan has to be on base at 5:00am and family can be there around 7:00am. We'll be able to visit until the buses are ready to load. I'll try not to be a big baby but odds are I'll be blubbering before it's all over with. Brendan LOVES Peeps so I'm taking him a couple of boxes to chow down on.
We'll stay until Friday morning. Gives me time to tour the base and buy up some goodies at the Army Surplus store. First night we'll stop in Memphis. You can't drive through Memphis without stopping for BBQ. Not sure that I'll venture to Beale Street with a baby in tow. Thinking about hitting Corky's. I hear the BBQ is to die for. If Tom is nice I just may bring him back some. Besides Memphis is a good stopping point. It's about 9 hours from Killeen and just about the halfway point in the trip. If I had money to blow I'ld stay a day in Berea , Kentucky and hit all the wonderful shops. Haven't been there in years. But I better get back so my babies don't suffer too long without Momma's home cooking.
I'm sure to have a ton of pictures to post when I get back. Have a great week everyone and I'll see you in a week!

A Company 1-19 Basic Training In Fort Benning, Georgia

2009-01-31T10:57:00.000-08:00

One More Day!!

2009-01-28T09:46:00.000-08:00

Real quick, I just wanted to pass along the news that Brendan won't be deploying now until the 5th! A whole days worth of time is great :). He came home after breakfast and told me. Alright.. that's it. I was just so excited and wanted to share the news! haha

We got a lot of ice last night, as I heard you guys got a lot of snow! Be Careful!!

Latest word from Texas

2009-01-27T16:31:00.001-08:00

Hey guys!
I hope everyone's week has started off well! It's down to about 40 degrees here. Yesterday was really foggy all day. Brendan had the day off so was a very relaxing day for us, which is great. He got off pretty early today, too. The work days will most likely continue to be short until deployment.
Last night we spent about two hours packing and unpacking all of Bren's gear for Iraq. It was mind boggling to see all of the things he has to carry with him at all times over there. I couldn't believe it. He has three HUGE duffle bags plus all of the add-ons to his ACU's (his camo work outfit he will have to wear basically 24/7). He's not allowed to have any civi's. The closest thing he has to those would be his PT (physical training) clothes. Needless to say, he is not happy about that and I don't blame him.
The word is right now is that he could possibly be over there for 18 months rather than the 12 months because Obama wants to be out of there in 16 months so he won't send over anymore troops. But everyone knows how much things constantly change in the army. If he does end up having to be over there 18 months, he will get two two week leaves instead of only one. He still has no idea how long he will be in Kuwait or where they are going after that. A positive is that he bought a laptop a few days ago so I will be able to keep in much better contact with him. That is basically where we are at now. Not a lot has changed.
Caiden's doing great. He laughs, plays, and "talks" all the time. He is rolling over now. Spoiled as ever, but you can never spoil a baby too much. I have some more pictures attached of course. You know me, the camera queen. Ha-ha :) Have a wonderful week everyone.

Graduation Pictures

2009-01-26T08:30:00.000-08:00

Brendan Smitke

Bryan Smitke

Brendan's buddy Sandusky

Care Package Ideas

2009-01-22T17:55:00.000-08:00

I've been searching the internet for lists of items that soldiers seem to be asking for the most. i've combined several lists and have come up with the following:

PERSONAL CARE ITEMS:

Shower to Shower body powder
toothbrush and paste
nail clippers
deodorant
mouthwash
floss
hair bands , etc for the girls
nail files and polish for the girls
razors and shaving cream
female products
foot powder
soap
shampoo and conditioner
wet wipes
icy/hot patches
foot massager
vitamins
protein powder
Avon Skin-so-soft (great for removing face paint and a good bug repellant)
Vasine
brush and comb

CREATURE COMFORTS:
disposable camera
playing cards
dice
CD's
AA batteries
board games
newspapers
magazines
koozies
DVD's
canned air to blow sand out of electronic items
books
ink pens
inflatable seat cushions
air fresheners
word/puzzle books
hackie sacks
rubix cubes
ziplock bags (ALL sizes)
stress squeeze ball
blank cards and stationary , note pads
AT&T calling cards
copenhagen snuff ( even if they don't chew stateside copenhagen is a great bargaining tool)

FOOD ITEMS:

Jelly Beans
Rice Krispie treats
Altoids
Beef Jerky
Snack mixes
sunflower seeds
gum
nuts
Little Debbie's
Coffee , Cocoa
Gatorade
Powdered drink mixes
Microwavable canned meals ( pasta , soups , sardines , etc)
Pringles
microwave popcorn
Ramen noodles
mac and cheese
granola bars
spices , olives , pickles , squeeze butter , hot sauce
energy bars
jolly ranchers , lemonheads , etc
homemade cookies can be mailed. Best tip...pack in unsalted , unbuttered popcorn to help absorb moisture to keep them fresh)
canned fruit
microwavable plates , bowls , paper plates
mugs (unbreakable)

CLOTHING:
shoe laces for tennis shoes and boots
brown t-shirts (army surplus stores)
boot socks
underwear
hand warmers
black wool or leather gloves
black wool socks
disposable shower towels

SURVIVAL GEAR:
utility knife , folding knife , swiss army knife
multi-purpose tool
adventure medical kits
rescue inflators

GOOD WILL ITEMS:

Kids there like sour candy as opposed to sweet so items like SweetTarts and Smarties are great to hand out to the kids to build a relationship

Beanie Babies to pass out to scared kids

ITEMS NOT TO SEND:

Anything that will melt easy
waterless hand cleaners (wet wipes preferred)
flashlights
compass
sun screen (TONS over there)
liquor
porn of any kind

MAILING:

You can go to your local post office and ask for a flat rate box. It costs around $8 to send and can hold quite a bit of stuff. Boxes take 10-14 days to get there.

I've also included a link to a care package idea website that is the best I've found so far. It's done by a military wife and has some great suggestions for kids and wives to send special packages to their soldier.

The Day Draws Near

2009-01-22T07:16:00.000-08:00

Talked to Brendan last night. He is definitely leaving on the 4th. They will spend at least 2 weeks in Kuwait before being sent out. The problem in Iraq is that the Iraqi government is slowly booting out our soldiers. A problem because now the troops that were planning to go there are now not needed or at least wanted. Normally that would sound like a good thing. However , odds are he'll end up going to Afghanistan at some point. Brendan says some troops have been sitting in Kuwait for 4 months not knowing where they're going. My thought is if you have to sit in Kuwait for 4 months and NOT get shot at then I'ld want in that line. It all goes towards your downtime towards being able to go home and he;ll still collect combat pay.
I'm keeping fingers and toes crossed that my income tax refund gets here by next Friday. If so I'll be flying out that week-end. I want to get a few days in to visit before he leaves. I hate living in the unknown. If not I'll be stuck leaving the 3rd after I get my check which won't leave me any time at all to visit.
I'll be giving Brendan the sign on information for this blog so he can upload videos and add comments when he gets access to the internet over there. I suppose he'll make me change the heading on the blog about handsome soldier though!
Still no word on his brother, Bryan. Brendan was asking yesterday if I'd heard anything. News moves across the pond very , very slowly but I hope to hear something soon.

Update Letter From Rachel

2009-01-20T10:01:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone :)
Yet again, another email. You're gonna get tired of me. Haha! I hope everyones weeks has started off great.

I have some more pictures attached. So enjoy! If any of you can think of anyone else who would enjoy reading these updates send me their email and I will def put them in my address book.

Anyways.. as the weeks close in on Brendan deploying, it's getting harder. Not only for me, but for Brendan, too. We've been talking a lot about the day to come. I am now in an FRG (family readiness group). It keeps me updated to a "T" about how Brendan and his Brigade are doing, where they're at, addresses, and many of the sort. It keeps me close to the other wives of the husbands in that Brigade as well.

We went to two meetings last week and it kind of gave us insight and prepared us for what is to come. Needless to say, it was an emotional shock. Brendan will be deploying to Kuwait on February 4 for two weeks. They have no idea as to where they're going after that because the Iraqi government keeps kicking the soldiers out of the camps, but as soon as I know I'll pass it along. Thats what is happening as of right now.. I'll be sure to keep everyone updated as I get the info. Thanks everyone. Have a great week.

Bringing you up to speed

2009-01-19T09:58:00.001-08:00

I am writing this blog to keep everyone up to speed on the travels of my son , Pvt. Brendan Smitke. Brendan will be leaving within the next couple weeks for the war front. As with most things Army we won't know for sure where he's at until he gets there. He's been told Sadr City and Bagdad but now who knows? It could well be he'll be heading to Afghanistan which is probably my worst fear with things escalating the way they have been.

Brendan joined the Army this past summer and is a member of the infantry. He is attached to a tank unit at the moment. That in itself makes me feel a bit better. Not too many vehicles sturdier than a tank.

He started his Army experience in Fort Benning , Georgia and is stationed , at the moment , in Fort Hood , Texas. The base at Fort Benning was nothing like I had ever pictured a military base. Things have certainly changed since the days of Gomer Pyle. I'm told that Fort Hood is so much bigger that Fort Benning so I'm anxious to get there and take the tour.

I'll be heading down to Texas the beginning of February to see Brendan off. I'll be helping drive his car back since the drive is just too much for Rachel to do alone with the baby. As cold as it's been in Ohio I'm looking forward to the warm Texas sun.

I've included some pictures from Fort Benning. We went down there twice to visit with him. Once for a week-end pass on his birthday and the 2nd visit for his graduation.

As some of you may know he met his long lost half-brother Bryan down there. After their father passed away in 1991 I lost all touch with Fred's other 2 boys. As fate would have it Bryan , who is 31 , married and father of 2 , signed up for the Army in the infantry division. He was in a barracks right next door to Brendan's. He is in mechanized and arrived 2 weeks before Brendan but they graduated the same day. Just an amazing turn of events. Fred had to have been proudly looking down on those boys when they graduated that day. Bryan is now in Afghanistan (left before Christmas). I am hoping to keep in contact with him during his tour so I can let Brendan know his brother is doing well.

This blog will be used to keep people updated on what Brendan is doing and where he is at ( as much as he can say ) and I will post his contact info as soon as we get it so people can send pictures and support letters. I've also included a list of links that are military related. If you have a military blog or know of one that you'ld like to share please do so and I'll be sure to add the blog to my list.

Also , I had started blogging on myspace about Brendan but too many friends were having a real problem with viewing it. (hi Rita!!) The link to that page is myspace.com/Pettyhead