Talking Tuesday

Oh. My. Goodness.

As most of you know, I live in the state of Maryland. Last Friday a snowstorm moved into the Mid-Atlantic area dumping 30 inches of the white stuff on our quaint little town, when it was all said and done on Saturday night. Hubster and I shoveled about 8 inches on Friday night. Our driveway is about 90 feet long, so the remaining 22 inches of snow was shoveled on Saturday and Sunday. Monday we tackled the sidewalk, front porch and the ten steps leading to the front door. Today, we are expecting an additional 10+ inches of snow.

Now that you have the weather update for our region...let me say, I. LOVE. SNOW! There is nothing more beautiful, than snowflakes falling to the ground at night. Falling snow is so pristine and so graceful. I could watch it snow for hours and hours...in fact that is exactly what Hubster and I did. Hubster works for Uncle Sam and the snow in our area has been so paralyzing to traffic and Metro, he has not been to work since last Thursday!

So, here's today's Talking Tuesday.....
What is your favorite season? What is your favorite winter memory? Do you go bonkers when house-bound for a week or more? Do you mind that AirmanMom chose to talk about snow today?

Your turn.............



This photo was taken Friday night, after Round One of shoveling.




We had hoped Round Two of shoveling would get the job done. Not!




Once the shoveling was done, it was time to play! Our mutt, Luke had too much fun chasing snowballs! He is confused at times, thinking he is a retriever.

Good Night, 'Army George'

Many times I have mentioned what an honor it is to welcome home our troops at BWI.I've been a volunteer with Operation Welcome Home for about two years. Every single time I attend an event, my heart pounds harder at the sight of the first soldier coming through the security doors. Welcoming home our soldiers is such an emotional experience...knowing these brave men and women placed themselves in harm's way for me, for us!

As awesome as it is to shake the hands of our soldiers and thank each of them for their service...it has also been a thrill to meet the other volunteers. We work together to fill 'goodie' bags which are given to each Service Member. We stand around sometimes for hours, when a plane is delayed...talking, sharing what brings us to meet our returning soldiers, learning of each other's family and military service. We all love our country, we love our soldiers.

Sadly, one of our most animated volunteers passed away on January 23rd. Please take a few moments to read the story which the OWH homepage posted:

George Miskavage, affectionately known to many of us as “Army George” met his Supreme Commander on January 23, 2010. The Operation Welcome Home (MD) team sends its prayers and thoughts to his family and friends during this time of grief. He was a dedicated volunteer who came to many OWHMD events, a true patriot and veteran who served in both the Korean and Vietnam War.

With a genuine smile on his face, and “fist-bumps”, he personally thanked each Soldier, Marine, Airmen and Sailor who passed him by, with a warm and enthusiastic “Welcome home”. A service will be held on Saturday Jan. 30, 2010 at 10am at Saint Mary of the Mills Church, 114 Saint Marys Place, Laurel, MD 20707-4098.

The Warrior Watch Riders have planned to escort him to his final resting place in Pennsyvania. ExploreHoward.com published a wonderful article about George’s support to OWHMD last November.
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For Laurel resident George Miskavage, it's not about the flashbulbs, cameras, microphones and general hoopla that greets military men and women as they arrive at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.

For Miskavage, who volunteers with Operation Welcome Home Maryland, it's about the hugs from proud parents, kisses from wives and husbands and smiles from children who've missed their parents.

Miskavage, 79, is one of dozens of volunteers who show up at BWI to welcome troops as they arrive back in the United States from overseas assignments.

For three years now, volunteers with the program have staked out a spot at the international arrivals gate at BWI -- sometimes twice a week, sometimes upwards of five times -- to await the British Airways flights carrying troops from Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkey, Italy, Greece and Germany.

The returning soldiers walk through the gates to the sights and sounds of 30 to 40 people, including volunteers and family, applauding, holding signs and giving out goodie bags filled with bottled water, cookies, pretzels and sweets.

"This is the land of the free because of the brave," Miskavage said as a serviceman awaiting his wife's arrival walked by. "We can never and should never forget that, and I think we need to let these guys know that we know that."

Miskavage first heard about Operation Welcome Home from a fellow parishioner at St. Mary of the Mills Catholic Church.

Carol Silvoy said she had talked with Miskavage about his own service in the Army. Then, last year, she encouraged him to come out to help with an Operation Welcome Home event.

"I just thought it would be something nice for him to take part in," she said. "Something he could appreciate as a veteran."

"I went out there the first time, and it brought me back for a second time. And that brought me back the third time and fourth time and next thing you know, it's been a year," Miskavage said.

Miskavage said he quickly threw himself into it after seeing the dedication of the volunteers at the airport.

Silvoy, a former employee for Northwest Airlines who used to help coordinate flights for soldiers at Fort Meade, said that much of that dedication is rooted in a sense of gratitude that everyone with Operation Welcome Home feels toward the soldiers.

"It's just our opportunity to say, 'Thank you,' to these people that give it all. That opportunity is everything," she said.

More important to Miskavage, though, is seeing the looks on the faces of the soldiers as they walk through the doors, and the smiles on their families' faces.

"They see each other and smile and it just makes your day," he said. "We talk about the soldiers, but the mothers and fathers and spouses and children -- they're the warriors."

Jane Helveick, who also volunteers with Miskavage, said she is driven by the hope that she makes the soldiers truly feel as though they're at home, even if they still have to hop on another flight to reach their final destination in the U.S.

"They don't always have a smile on their face when they get off the plane," she said. "Then they see all the people and hear the applause and they get a big smile, even if it's just for a minute."

Miskavage said that's a major reason why he threw himself fully into Operation Welcome Home.

A veteran of both the Korean and Vietnam wars, Miskavage said he remembers how he and his fellow troops were greeted -- or not -- when he returned from Vietnam in 1969.

He holds no bitterness toward the protesters that often awaited returning veterans, but it engendered in him a desire to make sure that soldiers coming home now would feel welcomed.

"It's payback time," he said. "It's time to make sure someone is there to say, 'You're doing a great job.' "

Miskavage doesn't make it out for every flight -- he still keeps Sundays for himself -- but he did make it out for every flight the week of Veterans Day this month.

While more than 300 people, including press, showed up to greet soldiers on Veterans Day, Miskavage said he preferred the experience of a Nov. 13 flight, which was greeted only by Welcome Home volunteers and families of soldiers.

On his volunteer days, Miskavage arrives at the airport about two hours before a flight lands, to allow time to talk with some of the families awaiting loved ones, put up signs and posters and put together goodie bags.

Sometimes he finds soldiers checking in for their return flight overseas.

"I like to talk to them and let them know that I know how they feel," he said. "You look over the rail and see a guy hug his wife while you're checking your bags to go where he just came from. Those are the guys we can't forget. They're serving this country, too."

One of the families Miskavage spoke with on Nov. 13 was from Elkton. "It's a nice feeling to be able to welcome her home like this," said Terri Ward, whose sister-in-law serves in Baghdad with the Navy.

Ward's son, Jeffrey, agreed. "I haven't seen Aunt Margaret a lot, so it's a very good feeling to know she'll get this kind of welcome."

On Nov. 13, a Welcome Home organizer asks Miskavage to help personally welcome every service member as they come through the doors. And so, one-by-one, he tells 200-plus men and women "welcome back" as they share a fist-bump for a handshake.

Only uninjured soldiers fly through BWI and are greeted by Operation Welcome Home; those soldiers that are returning for medical care most likely return via Andrews Air Force Base.

After about an hour, as families embraced and other soldiers milled about the airport USO facility, Miskavage reflected on his one-on-one moment with each trooper.

"This is the best. I never let myself cry in front of them, but seeing families reunited -- it just gets me," Miskavage said. "I'm just glad to be here to see this, and not at Andrews."

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'Army George'...go rest high on that mountain. Your work on earth is done.
May God Bless this true patriot!

Fridays at the Pentagon

Mornings at the Pentagon

By JOSEPH L. GALLOWAY
McClatchy Newspapers

Over the last 12 months, 1,042 soldiers, Marines, sailors and Air Force personnel have given their lives in the terrible duty that is war. Thousands more have come home on stretchers, horribly wounded and facing months or years in military hospitals.

This week, I'm turning my space over to a good friend and former roommate, Army Lt. Col. Robert Bateman, who recently completed a yearlong tour of duty in Iraq and is now back at the Pentagon..

Here's Lt. Col. Bateman's account of a little-known ceremony that fills the halls of the Army corridor of the Pentagon with cheers, applause and many tears every Friday morning. It first appeared on May 17 on the Weblog of media critic and pundit Eric Alterman at the Media Matters for America Website.

"It is 110 yards from the "E" ring to the "A" ring of the Pentagon. This section of the Pentagon is newly renovated; the floors shine, the hallway is broad, and the lighting is bright. At this instant the entire length of the corridor is packed with officers, a few sergeants and some civilians, all crammed tightly three and four deep against the walls. There are thousands here.

This hallway, more than any other, is the `Army' hallway. The G3 offices line one side, G2 the other, G8 is around the corner. All Army! Moderate conversations flow in a low buzz.. Friends, who may not have seen each other for a few weeks, or a few years, spot each other, cross the way and renew.

Everyone shifts to ensure an open path remains down the center. The air conditioning system was not designed for this press of bodies in this area.

The temperature is rising already. Nobody cares. "10:36 hours: The clapping starts at the E-Ring. That is the outermost of the five rings of the Pentagon and it is closest to the entrance to the building. This clapping is low, sustained and hearty. It is applause with a deep emotion behind it as it moves forward in a wave down the length of the hallway.

"A steady rolling wave of sound it is, moving at the pace of the soldier in the wheelchair who marks the forward edge with his presence. He is the first. He is missing the greater part of one leg, and some of his wounds are still suppurating. By his age I expect that he is a private, or perhaps a private first class.

"Captains, majors, lieutenant colonels and colonels meet his gaze and nod as they applaud, soldier to soldier. Three years ago when I described one of these events, those lining the hallways were somewhat different. The applause a little more wilder perhaps in private guilt for not having shared in the burden ... yet.

"Now almost everyone lining the hallway is, like the man in the wheelchair, also a combat veteran. This steadies the applause, but I think deepens the sentiment. We have all been there now. The soldier's chair is pushed by, I believe, a full colonel.

"Behind him, and stretching the length from Rings E to A, come more of his peers, each private, corporal, or sergeant assisted as need be by a field grade officer.

"11:00 hours: Twenty-four minutes of steady applause. My hands hurt, and I laugh to myself at how stupid that sounds in my own head. My hands hurt. Please! Shut up and clap. For twenty-four minutes, soldier after soldier has come down this hallway - 20, 25, 30. Fifty-three legs come with them, and perhaps only 52 hands or arms, but down this hall came 30 solid hearts.

They pass down this corridor of officers and applause, and then meet for a private lunch, at which they are the guests of honor, hosted by the generals. Some are wheeled along. Some insist upon getting out of their chairs, to march as best they can with their chin held up, down this hallway, through this most unique audience. Some are catching handshakes and smiling like a politician at a Fourth of July parade. More than a couple of them seem amazed and are smiling shyly.

"There are families with them as well: the 18-year-old war-bride pushing her 19-year-old husband's wheelchair and not quite understanding why her husband is so affected by this, the boy she grew up with, now a man, who had never shed a tear is crying; the older immigrant Latino parents who have, perhaps more than their wounded mid-20s son, an appreciation for the emotion given on their son's behalf. No man in that hallway, walking or clapping, is ashamed by the silent tears on more than a few cheeks. An Airborne Ranger wipes his eyes only to better see. A couple of the officers in this crowd have themselves been a part of this parade in the past.

These are our men, broken in body they may be, but they are our brothers, and we welcome them home. This parade has gone on, every single Friday, all year long, for more than four years.

"Did you know that?

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Thanks to my sweet friend, K for passing this along to me!

East Coast Monster Snow Storm!

Guardsmen Prepare for Second Major East Coast Storm
By Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke
Special to American Forces Press Service

ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 5, 2010 – Schools are closing, weekend activities are being cancelled and the federal government here will shut down four hours early today, but the National Guard is on duty in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia in anticipation of a major winter storm.

About 660 Guardsmen have been activated for a storm that is expected to dump up to 28 inches of snow and bring high winds to the northern and western parts of Virginia and then continue north up the East Coast this weekend.

"This storm will bring severe weather to many parts of Virginia,” said Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. “As the storm affects your area, please stay off the roads and contact local authorities if help is needed."

McDonnell declared a state of emergency Feb. 3, and the state’s Department of Military Affairs is staging more than 400 personnel from the Virginia Army and Air National Guard and Virginia Defense Force at key locations in the commonwealth.

If needed, the DMA will bring an additional 100 personnel on duty when the weather picture and state and local support requirements become clearer, according to a news release from the state.

“We are moving DMA personnel into position in order to be on standby for possible missions to assist state and local emergency response organizations with rescue and transportation operations,” said Army Col. Rob McMillin, a Virginia National Guard joint operations officer.

Personnel were expected to be in place yesterday and to be ready for duty this morning, Guard officials reported.

McMillin stressed that the Virginia National Guard receives its missions through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management to assist state and local emergency response organizations and is not able to respond to direct support requests from the public.

“During the winter storm in December 2009, we received calls directly from citizens, and we are not able to respond to those requests.” McMillin said. “We urge people who need assistance to make a request through their local dispatcher or 911 services, and that request will be forwarded to the DMA when appropriate.”

McMillin said the initial plan is to place Virginia National Guard personnel with Humvees on duty at locations throughout the commonwealth.

This is the third time since the middle of December the DMA has called up Guardsmen for weather-related duty. The DMA had nearly 250 soldiers, airmen and members on duty throughout southern Virginia on Jan. 29 and 700 on duty after a storm that began Dec. 18.

In Maryland, the National Guard has pre-positioned its forces and equipment to provide support to civil authorities. Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley is expected to declare a state emergency later today.

“The Maryland National Guard always stands ready to support the governor and the citizens of Maryland,” said Army Lt. Col. Charles Kohler, the state public affairs officer. “We provide essential, lifesaving services when local and state response capabilities are overwhelmed, including the capability to provide transportation, shelter, food, water and medical support.

He added that the National Guard has 34 armories across Maryland that also will be used to support this ongoing operation.

In the District of Columbia, Washington Mayor Andrew Fenty declared a snow emergency this morning. The National Guard will provide 12 Humvees and 60 soldiers to help in implementing the district’s Snow Emergency Management Plan.

In Delaware, Gov. Jack Markell is prepared to declare a state of emergency, his spokesman said. If needed, the Delaware National Guard will be mobilized.

In South Dakota, 16 Guardsmen are still on duty helping to re-establish road and utility infrastructure and conduct search-and-rescue operations as required by local authorities. The state experienced strong winter storms with high winds, snow, and freezing rain on Jan. 23, and more than 2,000 residents are currently without power throughout the state.

National Guard missions normally performed during snow operations include assisting local law enforcement with transportation and evacuation, distribution of supplies, road clearing and snow removal, search and rescue, security and law enforcement airspace coordination, aircraft support and patient evacuations, airspace coordination, and sheltering assistance.

(Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke serves at the National Guard Bureau. Army Maj. Cotton Puryear of the Virginia National Guard contributed to this report.)

May Almighty God protect those who protect us!

War Games

A US Marine wears combat camoflage as he participates in the annual combined military exercise Cobra Gold 2010 at a Navy base in Rayong province on February 4, 2010. About 14,000 military personnel from six nations, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, US, Singapore and Japan, are involved in the largest US-led war games in the Pacific, ending on February 11, 2010.
-militaryphotos.net

May Almighty God Bless and Protect each and every Airman, Soldier, Sailor and Marine!

Thank You Once Again, Sears!

Sears Once Again Supports U.S. Military Veterans by Teaming Up With AMVETS for 'Operation Blanket'




Sears continues its longstanding commitment to members of the military this winter by collecting blankets to help provide warmth to homeless veterans

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Feb. 1, 2010

With the final months of winter upon us and some of the coldest temperatures yet to be faced, it is important for Americans to remember those who do not have a warm home, 23 percent of whom are military veterans(1). At a time when these veterans need help the most, Sears is rallying support for them. Today the retailer announced it has teamed up with AMVETS to support "Operation Blanket," a program created to collect blankets that will be
distributed to military veterans.


Customers are invited to show their support and donate gently used
blankets at select stores* from Jan. 31 through Feb. 18. In exchange for
their donation, Sears will provide each customer with a coupon for 20
percent off any one home fashion or home decor item, or a coupon for 10
percent off any one housewares, luggage or furniture item (mattresses are
excluded). Customers will receive a coupon for each blanket they donate.

"Sears is proud to work together with AMVETS to support 'Operation
Blanket' in an effort to help provide comfort to those veterans who have
given so much for our country," said Doug Wurl, VP/GMM, Sears Holdings Home Fashions. "Each year we challenge ourselves to find new ways to say 'thank you' to the members of our military. This is yet another way we can show our appreciation and encourage participation from our customers."

AMVETS will distribute all collected blankets to veterans through its
thrift shops and local veteran posts in select cities across the country.
Sears will also make a $5,000 donation directly to AMVETS to further
support their military veteran programs.

"We are pleased to be working together with Sears and appreciate that
they are making it easy for Americans to give back and help our veterans,"
said AMVETS National Commander, Duane Miskulin. "The harsh winter months are an especially difficult time for the homeless and each blanket we collect will help keep one veteran a little bit warmer."

Sears' ongoing commitment to assisting troops and their families is
evident by a number of initiatives they have committed to over the years,
including several recruiting and employment programs. The retailer has set
one of the most generous standards of support in the country for employees
who serve in the military by maintaining civilian pay and benefits
throughout their calls of duty.

Sears also oversees the Heroes at Home program, which includes a joint
effort between Sears Holdings Corporation and the non-profit, Rebuilding
Together, which works to preserve home ownership for military veterans.
Through the Heroes at Home program, Sears Holdings Corporation has sought
to improve the lives of military families in need across America by making
necessary repairs, improvements or modifications to their homes. To date,
Sears has raised more than $11 million for military families.

For more information please visit HERE

*Sears stores in the following states will participate in "Operation
Blanket": California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois,
Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York,
North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and
Wisconsin.

About Sears Holdings Corporation

Sears Holdings Corporation is the nation's fourth largest broadline
retailer with approximately 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores in
the United States and Canada. Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance
retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, home electronics
and automotive repair and maintenance. Key proprietary brands include
Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including
such well-known labels as Lands' End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well
as the Apostrophe and Covington brands. It also has the Country Living
collection, which is offered exclusively by Sears and Kmart. We are the
nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 12 million
service calls made annually. Sears Holdings Corporation operates through
its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation.
For more information, visit Sears Holdings' Web site at
http://www.searsholdings.com.

About AMVETS

A leader since 1944 in preserving the freedoms secured by America's
armed forces, AMVETS provides support for veterans and the active military
in procuring their earned entitlements, as well as community service and
legislative reform that enhances the quality of life for this nation's
citizens and veterans alike. AMVETS is one of the largest
congressionally-chartered veterans' service organizations in the United
States, and includes members from each branch of the military, including
the National Guard and Reserves. To learn more visit http://www.amvets.org.

(1) U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Urban Institute,
1999


SOURCE Sears Holdings Corporation


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Please consider participating in this generous program! In exchange for your donation, Sears will provide each customer with a 20% off coupon for any one home fashion or home décor item, or a coupon for 10% off any one housewares, luggage or furniture item (mattresses are excluded). Customers will receive a coupon for each blanket they donate. It's up to us to encourage companies such as Sears to continue to make these efforts for our troops. By patronizing their establishments and participating in their outreach programs, we are saying our own "Thank You" to Sears!

Warm thanks to Romey for passing along this 'Sears Press Release'. I'm so deeply grateful for all who happen upon such important stories, then take the time to pass them along to me for posting. My sole intent for AirmanMom Blog is to keep our Service Members in the minds and hearts of those they protect.
Romey, I thank you so very much!

Happy 1st Birthday, Sweet Girl!!!

Today we celebrate the first birthday of my baby girl's-baby girl!

I had the absolute honor of being (almost) present, when my daughter gave birth! After too many hours of labor, my exhausted daughter was wheeled away to give birth. As my daughter was being prepped to leave the labor room, I leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Now you will know how very much I love you." What a gift to be able to stand right outside the door and hear the beautiful first cry of this Sweet Girl.

Sweet Girl is an absolute joy to all who meet her. She has incredible eyes! Sweet Girl is a serious little baby, with very intense stares... ahhhh, when she breaks out into her bright smile, it warms my heart. As soon as music begins to play, this girl begins to dance!

It amazes me to see my daughter as a mother. My Marie is a Night-Shift Nurse in Labor & Delivery. Her compassion for others, is like nothing I have seen in my life. At Christmas, Marie's husband and my oldest daughter, K were talking of how much Sweet Girl resembles her daddy (which she does!) Marie's husband said that as long as Sweet Girl grows to have her mother's heart, it won't matter what she looks like. Love that statement.

Sweet Girl, I do wish you a Happy First Birthday!
May you dance all through your life.
May you have your mother's heart.

Sweet Girl, I love you so!