Angel Flight

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Thanks, M for passing this along!!!

Wednesday Hero 01/26/2011

Cpl. Jason A. Karella
20 years old from Anchorage, Alaska
2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force
October 9, 2008


Cpl. Jason A. Karella died supporting combat operations in the Farah province of Afghanistan when the Humvee he was riding in rolled over. He had given up his, as his Father described "best seat in the armored Humvee" to the turret gunner who wasn't feeling well that day.

"My son was proud of what he stood for," said his father, Kevin. "He had a fiancee named Beth and he said to me, 'Dad, I don't have to worry about Beth getting blown up in a market over there because we're keeping them busy here.'"

Karella grew up in a strong military family, with his father a former chief warrant officer in the Army, and his brother Josh also having served in Iraq.

Marines recognized Karella for his incredible strength, which he used to carry large amounts of ammunition with him in the battlefield. They referred to him as "the walking ammo supply point" and "the walking arsenal." Well-respected among his peers, he was awaiting a promotion to Sergeant at the time of his death.

This page has a nice background piece on Cpl. Karell.

Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com

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

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

Talking Tuesday

Dancing through the internet this morning, I happened upon this question:

Do you plan to watch the State of the Union address tonight? If so, what issue do you most want to see President Obama address?

Today is my Aunt Irene's birthday. Aunt "I" is my mom's older sister, she is 86 years old. As we chatted this morning, we spoke of all the sadness in today's world. Yet another young person I know, took her own life last weekend. A sweet 27 year-old young lady, with her entire future ahead of her. Aunt "I" shared that she lived through the Depression and finds today so much more troubling. We spoke of my recent surgery and agree that medical knowledge and conditions are so much better. But where is our sense of community, our patriotism, our genuine love for one another? Are we any better off? Our bank accounts may be fatter, but are we still robust in the riches of our hearts?

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

Happy Birthday, Precious!!!

It's so hard to believe Precious One is five years old already, and yet it feels as though she has always been a part of our lives.

This sweet child taught me of a love I had never known, the love of your child's child.

I love you so, Precious.

Wednesday Hero 01/19/2011

This Weeks Post Was Suggested & Written By Beth

Maj. Dick Winters
92 years old from Hershey, Pennsylvania
Company E, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
January 21, 1918 – January 2, 2011


Maj. Richard "Dick" Winters passed away a couple of weeks ago and Beth has written a wonderful piece honoring his service and his life.

Some of the awards Maj. Winters was honored with for his service: Distinguished Service Cross, Bronze Star with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation with one Oak Leaf Cluster, American Defense Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 service stars and arrow device, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal, Croix de guerre with palm, French Liberation Medal, Oorlogskruis with palm, Belgian WWII Service Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge with 2 combat stars and the Medal of the City of Eindhoven

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

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

Their Stars Have Turned From Blue to Gold

Sgt. Omar Aceves





Spc. Jarrid L. King





Pfc. Benjamin G. Moore

FORT DRUM -- Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has directed that flags on State government buildings be flown at half-staff on Tuesday, January 18 in honor of three Fort Drum soldiers killed in Afghanistan on January 12.

The Department of Defense says the soldiers based at Fort Drum were killed January 12th in the Ghazni Province of Afghanistan. The soldiers were killed by an improvised explosive device.

From the Fort Drum news release, the dead are identified as:

Sgt. Omar Aceves, 30, of El Paso, Texas.: Aceves joined the U.S. Army in February 2005 and was subsequently stationed at Fort Hood, Texas until 2008 when he arrived at Fort Drum, NY. Aceves previously deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from October 2006 to January 2008. Aceves' awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Badge, two Army Commendation Medals, 6 Army Achievement Medals, 3 Army Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the NATO Medal, the Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Air Assault Badge and the Marksman Qualification Badge. Aceves is survived by his wife, 6 children, mother and father.

Spc. Jarrid L. King, age 20, of Erie, Pennsylvania. King joined the U.S. Army in March 2009 and after completing training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, came to Fort Drum, NY in August 2009. King's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Badge, the Good Conduct Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the NATO Medal. King is survived by his mother and father.

Pfc. Benjamin G. Moore, 23, of Robbinsville, N.J. Specialist Benjamin G. Moore, age 23, of Robbinsville, New Jersey. Moore joined the U.S. Army in April 2009 and after completing training at
Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, came to Fort Drum in September 2009. Moore's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Badge, the Good Conduct Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the NATO Medal. Moore is survived by his mother and father.

"On behalf of all New Yorkers, I extend our deepest sympathy to the family, the friends, and the fellow soldiers of Sergeant Aceves, Specialist King, and Private 1st Class Moore," Governor Cuomo said. "We mourn their loss but we remember their service to our nation and honor them for it."

All three men were assigned to the 10th Mountain Division's 7th Engineer Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade.


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May Almighty God Bless these brave Soldiers. May God comfort the families who love them so. We must always remember our Soldiers are real men and women, with real families who have hurting hearts.

Wednesday Hero 01/12/2011

Seaman Leah King


Ship's Serviceman Seaman Leah King brushes off excess hair after cutting a Sailor's hair inside the barbershop aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Carl Vinson and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 are on a deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility.

Information And Photo Were Found On And Copied From Navy.mil

Photo courtesy Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Travis K. Mendoza

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

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

Rotor Wash

Soldiers and Marines walk through rotor wash from a UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter as they move toward a Forward Operating Base in the village of Darrah-I-Bum, Badghis province, Afghanistan, Jan. 5. The cadre of personnel accompanied the International Security Assistance Force command sergeant major, Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin L. Hill on a visit to the Marines, sailors and soldiers of Special Operations Task Force-West living and working in Darrah-I-Bum

Pain, Percocet and Blogger

Not a good combo...

Surgery went well on Wednesday morning...that is after the fourth try to get an IV started. Yep...two nurses couldn't insert the IV properly, so it was decided to let the anesthesiologist give it a try. He had to insert the needle in the inside of my lower arm (I'm sure that area has a name, but the Percocet is keeping my mind from any form of extensive thinking). He flubbed it, at which point the surgeon joined the unexpected IV Party and asked how he could help...I asked if the offer was for the doc or for me (with tears running down my face-I just don't do needles well). The anesthesiologist found another good vein, the surgeon held my hand and finally we were ready to roll into the operating room! Yay!

Several hours later, I was on my way home! Yay! Crutches and a Surgical Boot which keeps my foot at an angle, so that my toes bear none of my body weight. Steps are not fun. Dressing is not fun. Showering is taboo for two weeks. And to think I chose to put myself through this??? yikes. My brother-in-law, Phil who suffered his 7th heart attack on Christmas called to see how I am doing (can you believe this guy???) I asked for Sponge-Bath suggestions... he told me they simply suck. Okay. He did suggest a product called Comfort Bath Wipes, which hospitals use for sponge baths and they seem to work. So, enough about my hygiene habits or lack thereof until I feel better. Nausea has become my bosom buddy. Not sure if it is the meds or the pain...but I will say that Brown Rice, Ginger Ale and Black Cherry Jell-O seem to keep me feeling the best I can...all things considered.

So what does AirmanMom choose to do while feeling dizzy, and icky...let's change the blogger layout. I botched it...so I have a temporary template. When I am feeling better, I will take some time and figure out the html's and other fun stuff which percocet is not allowing my mind to think clearly enough to figure out right now!

Enough whining... I am grateful for my Hubster who takes excellent care of me. I was serenaded by my Grandgirls yesterday afternoon on the phone yesterday afternoon... they sang "You Are My Sunshine" which was the sweetest sound in all the world. Prayers and calls from friends have been so deeply appreciated. And I do thank God that I live in this Blessed Nation... we have skilled surgeons and health care which provides a speedy recovery. Simply the fact I know I will recover, is a blessing in itself.

Thanks for reading...however if you did not make it to the end of this post, no worries...this is one of those posts which I write as a reminder to myself for that 'one day' when I choose to reflect on this surgery. Good health is one of our richest blessings.

Congratulations, John!!!

Information Exploitation Squadron
Junior Enlisted Technician of the Year - 2010

John, I am so very proud of you!!!

You are where you are meant to be,

doing what you are meant to be doing.

I do love you so!

Wednesday Hero 01/05/2011

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Kathi

Jordan Brown

An 11-year-old from Lebanon County in Pennsylvania, Jordan Brown has long been fascinated by World War II and one old soldier in particular -- Dick Winters, the Easy Company commander made famous by the HBO mini-series "Band of Brothers."

Mr. Winters, a Lancaster native who lives in Hershey, is 92 and has Parkinson's disease.

But a statue of him is going up in France, and Jordan has taken it upon himself to raise money for it by selling $1 rubber wristbands in the tradition of Lance Armstrong's yellow "Live Strong" bracelets.

You can read the rest of the story here.

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

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

Talking Tuesday

US Navy introduces smoking ban on submarines


Giving up smoking may be a New Year's resolution for some, but all US sailors will now have to follow suit, as the US Navy moves to ban its crews from smoking aboard submarines starting Friday.

In a country where fights against Big Tobacco are common, troops deprived of fresh air and natural light for months were surprisingly allowed to smoke in submerged submarines. But no more, after a Pentagon study found the risks of second-hand smoke were severe in those highly confined spaces.

Submarine Forces Commander Vice Admiral John Donnelly ordered the ban aboard 73 US subs, citing health concerns.

"Our sailors are our most important asset to accomplishing our missions," he said in announcing the measure in April.

"Recent testing has proven that, despite our atmosphere purification technology, there are unacceptable levels of secondhand smoke in the atmosphere of a submerged submarine. The only way to eliminate risk to our non-smoking sailors is to stop smoking aboard our submarines."

About 40 percent of the 13,000 US submarine sailors smoke -- double the US national average.

The order comes 16 years after a ban on smoking in military buildings and installations, as well as aboard US Navy ships. Sailors are, however, allowed to smoke on the decks of surface ships.

US submarine sailors are also bracing for another major change with women being allowed to serve aboard submarines for the first time starting late next year or in early 2012.

British submarine sailors are allowed to smoke on board, while the French have banned the practice except on decks when the submarine is out of the water.

by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) Dec 30, 2010
-www.spacewar.com

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

Somewhere...

over the rainbow.....

PACIFIC OCEAN (Dec. 24, 2010) A HH-60H Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 15 passes a rainbow while delivering mail to the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) during a vertical replenishment at sea. Carl Vinson and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 are on a deployment to the U.S. 7th and U.S. 5th Fleet areas of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class James R. Evans)