BellaOnline Forums News and Politics Military Families Where is everyone?

I'm not asking specifics, but it might be interesting to know where everyone is from and what branch they are associated with.

Obviously from my signature, I am a sailors wife in Charleston and my husband is an instructor at the nuke school.

My husband is serving in the U.S. Air force and we are currently station in Germany, and LOVING it! This is our first base, he joined in 8/07, so we're relatively new to the military life still. My sister is married to a sailor in the nuke school in S.C.

Oh cool!

I have a friend here from TX who is in the Air Force in Chas.

One of my best friends from high school is in the USAF as well and stationed in Iceland.

My husband will be discharged 12/09 unless something critical happens. In fact, he is at a job fair at the USAF base now.

Dear Friend,

This current, harsh economic crisis is challenging to everyone. Its repercussions are particularly severe on our returning soldiers who cannot find suitable jobs to support their families. Many other problems plague our returning heroes.

Repeated deployments and longer tour lengths prompted by an Afghan war entering its eighth year and Iraq campaign in its sixth, cause many of our returning soldiers to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As many as 25% of our returning soldiers (or roughly 40,000 troops) are estimated to be suffering from PTSD. Many more keep their illness a secret. Veterans with PTSD suffer from nightmares, flashbacks and panic attacks. Those suffering from PTSD often have difficulties with personal relationships, legal and financial issues, and are unable to find suitable employment to support their families. They find themselves facing divorce, entertaining thoughts of suicide, and self-medicating to eliminate images that cannot be forgotten. Our wounded warriors just want someone to talk with who understands what they went through and the problems they are facing.

This is where the United States Veterans Initiative steps in to help.

U.S. Vets (www.usvetsinc.org) has been serving our nation�s veterans and providing needed physical services as well as housing, since 1993. We have grown to 10 sites across the country. Many non-profit organizations exist to serve veterans but most of these organizations are referral and cannot assist veterans with housing and physical services. U.S. Vets is the top leading organization that can help veterans with these much-needed services.

Can you help us get the word out about U.S. Vets? Please go to our web site at www.usvetsinc.org and take a little time to get to know us and what we do nationally to assist over 3,500 Veterans who call U.S. Vets home. Click on �locations� at the top to locate an office nearest you. Take the time to stop by the nearest location and see for yourself the camaraderie that exists amongst the Veterans who reside there, and how easily they live together and network to insure that each and everyone gets the help they need from what seems like an extended family comprised of all races, religions, and ages.

Please do not let this letter stop with you. Open your address book and send it off to someone else who cares about the noble sacrifices our troops have made. All support is put to good use -- even if it is just good advice.
Thank you for taking the time to read about U.S. Vets and forwarding our information. Please feel free to contact us directly if you have any questions about U.S. Vets and the services we provide.
Sincerely,

George R. Smith
Case Manager
U.S. Vets/ Compton
gsmith@usvetsinc.org
www.usvetsinc.org

Aloha,

We are stationed in Hawaii, where he has been for the last 17+ years out of a 26 year career. My husband is in the Navy and has been attached to the P-3 Squadron (be it in the Hangar or at the WING) since he joined. I am an Army brat, being a dependent for 20+ years as well. It has been an incredibly awesome place to live, but he will be leaving our beautiful island within a few months when he retires in March of 2009. I will follow in June when our girls get out of school. A bittersweet ending to a great career and a great life with the military. He is anticipating the change and a new glorious job awaits him in Southern Maryland; doing what he does now in the Navy, but as a civilian contractor. So, next destination....Mainland USA. Another chapter to add to the storybook of our family.

Mahalo Nui Loa

I nor my family are in the military but I would like to thank you all for your part in protecting our freedom and its great to hear your stories and where you are from. LOL

I used to be a military wife a long time ago, since divorced - but I do have a couple of pen-pals over in Iraq through a site called anysoldier.com
They are 2 very nice young men. They are both married and have the cutest little babies. I always write to them and give them a chance to talk about what they do, we talk about the things they want to do with their families when they get home. I always tell them to tell their wives they have a pen pal and that I said hey!!! I definitely don't want to cause trouble, but it just ended up that I sent out cards and they wrote back. I'm always happy to "listen" to them talk about their families and their kids...they are just so proud of them. It does my heart good. Sometimes when I have a little extra cash, I send them little treats in the mail. I know that sometimes military families don't have a lot of money, I don't either...lol.. but it makes me feel better to give them a little something when they do SO MUCH for us.
I think opening the mail gives them something to do, and they know by now I can ramble on about anything and it keeps them entertained, so they say.
I think that military families are so AWESOME!!!