tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91015325308238940752024-03-13T09:30:36.410-07:00The Comfort Crew for Military KidsThe Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-31791963337528906922013-05-24T14:10:00.001-07:002013-05-24T14:10:11.538-07:00Memorial Day Message<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/b_6kBn0t7Yk" width="480"></iframe>The Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-36479137437735302662013-03-21T12:57:00.002-07:002013-03-21T12:57:17.528-07:00Catching Up with Trevor & The Crew<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">Trevor and <a href="http://www.comfortcrew.org/" target="_blank">The Crew</a> have been busy traveling all over the U.S. for our <b><i>With You All the Way!</i> <a href="http://www.uso.org/trevor-romain.aspx" target="_blank">USO Tour</a></b>, and we've seen some great military kids! So far this year, we have visited thirty elementary schools and youth centers, enjoying the opportunity to speak with over 12,500 kids. Coming up next quarter we will visit schools in Georgia, Virginia, Washington D.C, and Washington State. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">Here is what people are saying! </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">"</span><span style="line-height: 22px;">My experience with Trevor Romain over the past three days would qualify as the first time that I feel the word profound, in my professional experience. The event at our school was a powerful experience that allowed the students to hear, see and feel the experiences that Trevor shared. The students returned to school today still speaking of a story or experience they heard Trevor share yesterday. One child, whose single father is deployed and mother is deceased, went home and told his grandfather he missed his dad. The grandfather took a picture of Dad and alongside the picture wrote the words 'My Hero, My Dad' for the child to use as a journal cover so he could be close to his father. This is just one experience immediately following Trevor’s visit. Thank you to the USO for providing this needed resource for our school that over the years has ranged from 65 to 80% military dependents</span><span style="line-height: 22px;">." Principal, North Carolina</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"As a parent of a well adjusted 24 year old son you would never think that this one little news story would have so much of a profound effect on me but last night's story on <a href="http://www.wlox.com/story/20797038/crew-brings-comfort-coping-strategies-to-south-ms-military-children" target="_blank">WLOX</a> had me in tears and my really making my heart ache in a way that I thought I would never feel again. You see when my son was in the seventh grade he started having problems in school and I noticed that he was always sad. One day there was an altercation at school and I was called in to talk with the staff. Alex was being bullied. Part of the thing that hit me the hardest was that these kids.... were bullying him about his dad serving in the military! To keep the long gory details to a minimum, they were taunting him and telling him that his dad was going to die a bloody death during his (at the time) upcoming deployment to Iraq. This little boy kept all this buried, having nightmares, being bullied everyday to protect his mom. I wish there had been a resource like this back then but now there are more." Mother, Mississippi</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Thank you, what a wonderful resource! The students absolutely LOVED the assembly and they really HEARD the message! I was so happy to hear some of the things they shared with Mr. Romain. Thank you so much from our Faculty and Staff for delivering such an important message and for making our kids feel important!!! What a gift!" Counselor, Texas</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">The</span><span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span><strong style="font-size: 12px;">With You All the Way! USO Tour</strong><span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12px;">is an engaging presentation led by Co-Founder, <a href="http://www.trevorromain.com/" target="_blank">Trevor Romain</a>. The presentation, emphasizes the importance of caring for one another and developing valuable strategies for dealing with the unique challenges of military life. To learn more about the tour</span><span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.uso.org/trevor-romain.aspx" href="http://www.uso.org/trevor-romain.aspx" style="font-size: 12px;" target="_self">watch the trailer video</a><span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12px;">today!</span></div>
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The Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-31368123777561012672013-02-26T09:06:00.001-08:002013-02-26T09:06:50.881-08:00Why? A Poem by Bobby Henline<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-23271656552362628502013-02-07T14:23:00.000-08:002013-02-26T09:15:56.887-08:00Trevor's Journal: The Patch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />The Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-64098292431448279602012-11-01T08:00:00.000-07:002013-02-26T09:07:31.171-08:00Local radio station launching care package campaign to give back to troops deployed- asking Austinites to give<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Contact: Ashley Kamrath<span style="mso-tab-count: 7;"> </span>FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Cell Phone: 254-226-0556<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Email: </span><a href="mailto:ashleykamrath@yahoo.com"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="color: blue;">ashleykamrath@yahoo.com</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>SOLDIERS DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN FACING LONG
HOLIDAY SEASON<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Local radio station launching care package campaign
to give back to troops deployed- asking Austinites to give<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Austin, TX
(November 1, 2012)</i> The Holiday season is supposed to be the happiest time of
the year, but for those not able to be with their loved ones, it can be the
loneliest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thousands of American men and
women will be spending their Christmas in Afghanistan facing hard weather and
terrain but more importantly, holidays away from their families, friends and
comforts of home so that each of us can be with ours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“This time last year I was in Afghanistan with nothing by
my assault rifle. I was all alone while my family was trying to have a normal
holiday back home” said LT Rick Tackaberry, “I was trying to pretend it was
just another day but I could only deny it for so long and everyone has that
moment when they realize.” Tackaberry,a 27-year-old U.S. Army Lieutenant and
single father of five adopted children, is currently stationed at Fort Bliss,
TX and continued “getting packages in the mailhelped me feel connected to home,
even if they were from strangers.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Each Saturday this Fall, ESPN Austin (104.9 The Horn) has
featured a military hero that has gone above and beyond the call of duty in
their series, The Real Heroes. This November, they’ll be collecting supplies
and monetary donations to send care packages to soldiers deployed to
Afghanistan in time for Christmas with their Real Heroes Care Campaign.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Deployed soldiers are in need ofbasic items, always
welcome comforts from home and truly enjoy cards and letters from home. Requested
items include: travel-size toiletries, eye drops, chapstick, hand and feet
warmers, socks, beef jerky, hard candy, coffee, etc. (a full list of acceptable
items can be found at </span><a href="http://www.espnaustin.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">www.espnaustin.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“It should be a high priority for any American to remember
and give back to those that protect our freedoms to live in this great country,
and what better time to do that than the Holiday season,” says Ashley Kamrath,
Host of The Horn’s Real Heroes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Austin and surrounding area residents are asked to drop
off their donations at The Range Golf Center and Sports Bar (10910 Domain Dr.,
Ste.120, Austin, TX 78758) or any of the ESPN Austin live radio remotes in
November.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Real Heroes Care Campaign will run the entire month
of November with a special all-day live remote and drop-off event at The Range
Golf Center and Sports Bar on November 23<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> (Black Friday, 9am-7pm).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There will also be a special invite-only VIP/Media event
on December 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> from 6-8pm at The Range Golf Center and Sports Bar
to package up items received with special guests. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For more information on “The Real Heroes” radio series on
ESPN Austin, visit: </span><a href="http://www.espnaustin.com/page.php?page_id=341"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.espnaustin.com/page.php?page_id=341</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
or the facebook page: </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/therealheroesmilitary"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">www.facebook.com/therealheroesmilitary</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Email: </span><a href="mailto:ashleykamrath@yahoo.com"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">ashleykamrath@yahoo.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
Phone: 254-226-0556 or 210-360-9199.</span></div>
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The Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-42699403978799687782012-10-17T07:41:00.003-07:002013-02-26T09:07:44.746-08:00CCMK Bracelets Are On Their Way!Just in time for the holiday season, The Comfort Crew will soon be selling our very own bracelets! Two versions will be available, a long, wrap-around version (pictured below) and a shorter version. Both will each have a Cuzzie button clasp (with his trademark goggles!), and a CCMK dog tag charm.<br />
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Profits from CCMK Bracelets will go toward sponsoring Grief Kits for military children who have lost a loved one. <a href="http://www.comfortcrew.org/Programs/ComfortKits/GriefKit.aspx" target="_blank">Read more about the Grief Kit here</a>. These unique pieces of jewelry will be a perfect gift for the holidays, giving the recipient as well as the giver the knowledge that they've helped a military child in need.<br />
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If you'd like to be informed when CCMK Bracelets officially go on sale, make sure to <a href="https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/tccfmk/survey.jsp?surveyId=1" target="_blank">sign up for our newsletter today</a>!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKh-f_UMcC40W9em_C_rWpjb7jvF2bCl3UeqVNdn_boL7PZBM5cUQnTG7tfWMWYt1p7ejP378fAjs1Y9R635yDKgKTce1LkkJaW_fh6vytpS6DCAR_HvyMbtWOBbdKixR28oxqOxjaD_o/s1600/IMG_20121005_141655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKh-f_UMcC40W9em_C_rWpjb7jvF2bCl3UeqVNdn_boL7PZBM5cUQnTG7tfWMWYt1p7ejP378fAjs1Y9R635yDKgKTce1LkkJaW_fh6vytpS6DCAR_HvyMbtWOBbdKixR28oxqOxjaD_o/s320/IMG_20121005_141655.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wrap-around CCMK Bracelet - so cute!</td></tr>
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<br />The Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-72482449619944411242012-09-10T07:08:00.001-07:002012-09-10T07:10:39.649-07:00Diary of a Military Kid: Keeping it in Perspective<i><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Californian FB","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">This blog is part of a series that former military child and current
college sophomore Alison will be writing for The Comfort Crew. Her unique
voice and viewpoint are a great insight into the mindset of a child who has
faced the challenges of being in a military family.</span></i><br />
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For most of my teenage-hood I skipped out on that phase of intense embarrassment of my parents and seeming need to make my entire belief structure stand in stark contrast to theirs the media is constantly promoting. A lot of that rebellion just comes naturally with age, but I’m sure shows targeting pre-teens with caricatures of “lame” parents, examples of the socially disastrous consequences of groundings, and the need to be constantly socially connected with your peers versus your parents don’t help much either.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxv-t_osxXGOxMO7auEN_igJ9ROzo1sc9nZ3pVs9yH5wHPGPxSpiV7GHslIfEez18qqQ1EGg6YKfbOeYLT4oAphAAoc8MnFHzEv85t3W7m7EOYXey-GlCJRkZ-uSNHmk-Jev9AsMkQm8/s1600/108221074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxv-t_osxXGOxMO7auEN_igJ9ROzo1sc9nZ3pVs9yH5wHPGPxSpiV7GHslIfEez18qqQ1EGg6YKfbOeYLT4oAphAAoc8MnFHzEv85t3W7m7EOYXey-GlCJRkZ-uSNHmk-Jev9AsMkQm8/s200/108221074.jpg" width="200" /></a>There was, however one rough spot (okay, a few) of my adolescence. It came with the second year in a row of several that my dad was an absent member of the household. Though he had been deployed the first year, the second and third consecutive years he was elsewhere he was able to visit about once a month. And though I was thankful to be able to see him that limited amount, it made reintegration a long, drawn out process.<br />
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My dad didn’t know who my friends were, what my teachers looked like (he hadn’t been to a parent-teacher conference or awards assembly in years) or even what it was like to go through the daily household motions of carpooling, schedule tweaking, and pick-up times. So I shouldn’t have been surprised when he showed some concern about who I was hanging out with. But I interpreted that concern as an insult. In my mind, I had been hanging out with the same friends and mentioning their names often enough for him to know exactly who they were- but he had no faces to match names with. He had a few measures of catch-up parenting when he was home to make him more a part of the daily picture that I took serious issue with. A curfew that was a whole hour earlier than my mom allowed? You might as well have told me women’s right to vote had been revoked or the sky was falling. If I got in trouble while Dad was home I had two options: pick my own punishment (a grueling psychological test), or manual labor. If you haven’t ever experienced friction with your parents, try scrubbing all the windows of your house inside and out on a 100+ degree summer day when you could be doing something obviously more important. Failure to come home on time meant a stern talking to, and forget dating.<br />
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Needless to say, I had a tough time dealing with the efforts of absentee parenting. Now I can say my anger came from not having him around more often, though then it seemed like I’d rather him just not be home because it was stressful all around. But I remember the minute I realized none of that friction ever really mattered much to me in the scheme of things. I was home from my first year of college and at the high school Academic Awards Banquet to see my brother receive an award. As teachers stopped by the table to catch up and say hi all night, it didn’t even cross my mind that I’d have to introduce my dad since I had known them for four years. But as the night came to a close, my dad pointed out that we hadn’t introduced him to one teacher. We hadn’t even realized he’d never met them.<br />
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That, to me, was big. I had been so concerned with so many nitpicky things like curfew that I didn’t even realize I was ignoring the wealth of those few weekends I had him home, and how important they were for him. And now I know, if asked years from now about that particular curfew violation or Friday night I thought my life would end because I couldn’t go to a concert, I’d be way more likely to remember the times I spent with my dad and the times he missed.<br />
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The Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-82544064241375102082012-08-14T10:11:00.000-07:002012-08-14T10:11:43.448-07:00Diary of a Military Kid: Coming to Terms<br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Copse; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This blog is part of a series that former military child and current college sophomore Alison will be writing for The Comfort Crew. Her unique voice and viewpoint are a great insight into the mindset of a child who has faced the challenges of being in a military family.</i><br />
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I could have been a lifeguard this summer, a waitress, a college kid cashier at the brand new, fancy grocery store down the street. Instead, I decided to work far away from home, pitch my tent, and live and work on an organic farm in rural Virginia. I learned how much time on the part of small-scale farmers is dedicated to the production of quality produce, how to treat growing things like an art, and the beauty of close observation. I learned how to practice the peaceful resistance of a small-scale farmer, someone who refuses to let genetically modified organisms and pesticide use define the food market of the entire nation and struggles to make produce available to people of all economic backgrounds.<br />
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Though I felt I had found one of my callings in life- growing things- I also ran into some inner conflict. I spent a lot of time around people who disagreed with our country’s involvement overseas, couldn’t understand why someone would choose a military career, and considered war an antiquated, useless tradition. I’ve always wished war wasn’t real and thought it wasn’t worth it, from the time we didn’t hear from my dad for months, when I raced to the phone to talk to him for a minute and a few seconds, when my family video-taped Christmas Day present-opening to share with our fourth and missing member who was thousands of miles away, when I saw news coverage of daily casualties. I wanted to tell my friends at the farm, trust me, if there’s anyone who wishes for the extinction of war, it’s a military kid. But I didn’t. Instead I just kept my mouth shut and thought about things.<br />
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I observed the simple and peaceful life all my friends lived around me. The community in a hidden valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where parents didn’t worry about their children playing outside all day, doors were never locked or rarely even shut, and there aren’t really strictly enforced boundaries for much of anything. And I came to the sad realization that war has always been an unfortunate and necessary evil. This is not to say I think military involvement is always the answer. But I know that this quiet and loving community may not exist without a band of protectors. That’s the sad part of human nature you have to figure out on your own, even if you still hope and believe in the inherent goodness of everyone. Conflict exists, and people feel compelled to guard what they love- be it a piece of land, a tradition, a right, a spouse, or a child.<br />
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One day a co-worker and friend asked me how I had such a good head on my shoulders for someone who has led a life around soldiers, and how a seemingly smart and kind man like my Dad could choose to participate in the less than honorable profession of being a soldier. He asked me if I thought about the lives damaged by casualties of the opposition, and if those lives lost at the hands of our soldiers merited American celebration and patriotism.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLP8Po70m1AUwFfEVIb_J27Ai21JcmbSthU9nH7X_UnmoKoNs8FhIAgQijQ-h40xZnxgFTM5uQBztXyXCxma7CZyR_pUsRaYYuHdiWvDCL-c2e4tR1P9KB_64ZyPumqAEfLtrfq46rx5k/s1600/large_Troops-Hug-453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLP8Po70m1AUwFfEVIb_J27Ai21JcmbSthU9nH7X_UnmoKoNs8FhIAgQijQ-h40xZnxgFTM5uQBztXyXCxma7CZyR_pUsRaYYuHdiWvDCL-c2e4tR1P9KB_64ZyPumqAEfLtrfq46rx5k/s320/large_Troops-Hug-453.jpg" width="320" /></a>I told him it was like this: I regret death on either side and I do not think the patriotism he thinks most soldiers display is the celebration of another’s death so much as it is the celebration of continued life in their own country- at the cost of their own life or limb, permanent mental and/or physical trauma, the guilt of having harmed another human being, irreplaceable lost time, or a fractured family. I told him most soldiers I’ve known, including my dad, are driven by something a civilian might not understand. They sacrifice everything to keep the things others love safe. And that takes more than the brainless, brawny, gun-toting portrayal of a soldier much of the media glorifies. As for where I got my good head- it came from being raised around selflessness, encouragement to do something for what you may believe is the greater good, and intelligent and kind people.<br />
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People involved in conflict and war do and see terrible things. In my mind, that cannot be disputed. Though I don’t support violence, I do understand that situations sometimes require it. I understand that however right or wrong it may be, service members are voluntarily dedicating their lives and everything they have or care about to protect a child, who plays barefoot in a field without fearing setting off a landmine, to preserve the feeling you have of being safe in your own bed, to allow access to all the resources our country depends on for the maintenance of its comfortable lifestyle, and even the ones it truly needs. And that is honorable.<br />
Until the day comes when nobody on Earth believes in threats, inequalities of race, religion, tradition, or selfish feelings of entitlement to a particular resource or plot of land, I would ask you to consider what you might do for someone you’ve never met. Would you give an arm, a leg, or your life? Would you make a choice to benefit someone else that would forever alter the lives of your loved ones? It’s a tough question, but as long as there are other people answering and solving it for you, you may not even have to think about it.<br />
The Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-1268209134633455732012-08-03T14:05:00.001-07:002013-02-26T09:13:14.981-08:00Camp Hero: Day 5Today was the last day of Camp Hero. Even though we're sad, we are so glad to have made so many awesome new friends!<br />
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We started off the day by challenging ourselves to some relays, and then seeing if we could beat our stats from Monday. Everyone was able to do the same or better at the 40 yard dash, the shuttle run, and the vertical jump tester.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c8AVS0ZIPnE/UBb2MJNGqDI/AAAAAAAAC1A/iygnR_sn1Mg/s720/DSC03609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c8AVS0ZIPnE/UBb2MJNGqDI/AAAAAAAAC1A/iygnR_sn1Mg/s320/DSC03609.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monday's Circle-Up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then, everybody worked together to put together 50 Taking Care of You! Support for Kids of Injured Heroes Kits for military kids who have had a parent return from deployment with a visible or invisible injury. Kids also had the opportunity to talk about what they enjoyed most at Camp Hero, and to play everybody's favorite game of circle catch with the medicine ball.<br />
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We had a great lunch of pizza, followed by Trevor Romain talking about things you can do to help others, as well as help yourself. We also learned a little about his own deployment experiences.<br />
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Then after some free journaling, everybody got the chance to write nice messages around their friends' pictures, write a note of thanks to a service member, and participate in one last thank you circle.<br />
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Because we had a special guest come out to take pictures today, we don't have those for you yet, but we'll get them up on the Picasa site as soon as we can! In the meantime, <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/108802487296726286905/CampHero2012?authuser=0&feat=directlink" target="_blank">enjoy these pictures from the rest of the week</a>.<br />
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We can't wait for next year's Camp Hero!<br />
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- CCMKThe Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-12778822707485627582012-08-02T16:46:00.001-07:002013-02-26T09:13:28.480-08:00Camp Hero: Day 4The 4th day of Camp Hero was a blast! Today, campers had the opportunity to climb a rock wall that looked short from afar, but very tall from up close...<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eBkG6-QKauY/UBsGL44mv0I/AAAAAAAADEo/RH9WwYmv_88/s720/IMG_4576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eBkG6-QKauY/UBsGL44mv0I/AAAAAAAADEo/RH9WwYmv_88/s320/IMG_4576.JPG" width="320" /></a>Campers participated in different kinds of relays (skipping, jumping, chasing medicine balls - oh, my!) and other physical stations such as sandbag slams, step-ups, and ladder-running. Each group went one at a time to the rock wall, and almost all the campers were able to reach the top! As the rock wall fun continued, the groups off the wall made <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&ved=0CIEBEBYwBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fraems.com%2F550_cord_bracelet.pdf&ei=KBAbUKakPKqw2wWzk4CoDg&usg=AFQjCNEm_IoGy0Bob8IVg18VrO-sFEfq3w&sig2=zzAK18QC6c--S8QNwg9tsQ" target="_blank">paracord bracelets</a>, participated in the "fall back" exercise, and played charades.<br />
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After lunch, the Garrison Commander of Camp Mabry, Major Les Davis, came to talk with the campers about the challenges of reintegration, how they can help their parents, how they can help themselves, and answered some questions. We learned lots of things about what Major Davis experienced during deployment in Afghanistan, including harsh winters, enjoying care packages with handwritten letters, and missing Whataburger.<br />
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Campers then had a chance to free journal in their military youth journals created and provided by The Comfort Crew, and then made "vision boards" expressing a goal they had and creating a motivational collage around it.<br />
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Tomorrow is the last day of Camp Hero, and we'll be so sad to not see everyone each day! At least we have lots of pictures with which we can remember this great week!<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/108802487296726286905/CampHero2012?authuser=0&feat=directlink" style="background-color: white; color: #358289; font-family: Copse; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Click here to see photos from Camp Hero</span></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Copse; line-height: 18px;">See everybody tomorrow!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Copse; line-height: 18px;">- CCMK</span>The Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-36071823656061721292012-08-01T13:34:00.002-07:002013-02-26T09:13:44.909-08:00Camp Hero: Day 3Today was the third day of Camp Hero, and if it was hot, we didn't notice today because it was... (drumroll) slip 'n slide day!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ON8xrsFBjdQ/UBmQf3-9STI/AAAAAAAADAM/Drez3_19NBE/s720/DSC04597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ON8xrsFBjdQ/UBmQf3-9STI/AAAAAAAADAM/Drez3_19NBE/s320/DSC04597.JPG" width="320" /></a>Starting with a short warm up, we then broke up into our color teams and rotated through 5 different stations, including the slip 'n slide. A couple campers were hesitant at first, but eventually everyone went through at least once (most much more!), and the counselors even got in on the fun. The other stations were mainly workouts, including keeping a medicine ball from dropping, lunges, sandbag slams, and more, but there was also a station where each camper had to find at least 5 things they had in common with their other teammates.<br />
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After lunch, Baker Harrell from <a href="http://www.activelifehq.org/" target="_blank">ACTIVE Life</a>, a local nonprofit focused on health, nutrition and exercise, came by to help campers make some goals for ways they can inspire their entire family to live a healthier life.<br />
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Then we did some free journaling, both writing and drawing, followed by an exercise talking about how you feel in different situations, why, and how you can be comfortable with yourself in different places. After that, we played a game called "Who Am I?" where campers had to guess "who" they were (the name on the post-it on their backs) by asking a limited number of "yes" or "no" questions.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/108802487296726286905/CampHero2012?authuser=0&feat=directlink" style="background-color: white; color: #358289; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Click here to see photos from Camp Hero</span></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Copse; line-height: 18px;">See everybody tomorrow!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Copse; line-height: 18px;">- CCMK</span>The Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-76054104949727882132012-07-31T16:57:00.001-07:002013-02-26T09:13:58.756-08:00Camp Hero: Day 2We're happy to say the heat didn't scare off any campers and we were glad to see everyone's smiling faces again today!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F3hEv4pxBcA/UBhsik77LRI/AAAAAAAAC8E/JosUHMVPDq4/s720/DSC04322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F3hEv4pxBcA/UBhsik77LRI/AAAAAAAAC8E/JosUHMVPDq4/s320/DSC04322.JPG" width="320" /></a>We started off the day with a really fun workout from Jeff and his team at YourTrainer.com. We had some fun "down the line" activities, and then played dodgeball for the chance to crack an egg on Jeff's head (yes, a real one!).<br />
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After everybody had cleaned up, we had a special treat when Lene from Whole Kids Adventure Foundation came to give a cooking lesson. Drinking out of the actual coconut is the only way to drink coconut water! We also played word-association scrabble, and worked on social skills while untangling hand knots.<br />
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After lunch, we had Alissa Magrum from <a href="http://www.colinshope.org/" target="_blank">Colin's Hope</a>, a water safety and drowning prevention organization, come and talk about ways to keep you and your friends safe around water.<br />
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In the afternoon, we continued the theme of emotional expression by talking about what different colors and lines can mean in art, and how drawing can be a great way to journal. Kids then drew themselves as superheroes, and then as an animal, really showing off their art skills!<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/108802487296726286905/CampHero2012?authuser=0&feat=directlink" target="_blank">Click here to see photos from Camp Hero</a><br />
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See everybody tomorrow!<br />
- CCMKThe Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-37375526349165677552012-07-30T16:51:00.000-07:002013-02-26T09:14:10.923-08:00Camp Hero: Day 1Hey everybody!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6LG3n8cuLNc/UBb0JWajJeI/AAAAAAAACxU/9aRSouuqe_M/s512/DSC03836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6LG3n8cuLNc/UBb0JWajJeI/AAAAAAAACxU/9aRSouuqe_M/s320/DSC03836.JPG" width="214" /></a>Today was the first day of Camp Hero (whoop!), and we just wanted to keep you updated on what we were up to! We started the day off with some awesome warm-ups and then tested our physical skills. We'll be re-testing on Friday to see if there have been any improvements.<br />
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After that, we had a "human scavenger hunt" to see how much we could learn about our fellow campers. We learned who had never seen snow, who didn't like chocolate, and who spoke a foreign language. We then played a fun game of have you ever (and learned we have a few prank-callers in our midst...)<br />
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After lunch, award-winning author and Comfort Crew co-founder Trevor Romain came to talk. He talked about growing up in South Africa, some of the other work he's done, and then talked about journaling and how that can be a powerful tool to help during difficult times.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/108802487296726286905/CampHero2012?authuser=0&feat=directlink" target="_blank">Click here to check out our photos from the day</a><br />
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See you tomorrow!<br />
- CCMKThe Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-88981692721147016082012-07-26T13:34:00.002-07:002013-02-26T09:15:12.611-08:00Austin, TX Yellow Ribbon Event<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUfIryBVdMEloXgHWKSkk0mGRFcLn129K_n9725tMjiORr2sHpJ70MOl5JHYKmMqdXsh1guqqS-HC6nd2CgUJ9ERXbdOTiFqa3-waccS8x97aVsdBeCnrJWkBqo-E_Wdp1nZJiJt9444/s1600/DSC03576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUfIryBVdMEloXgHWKSkk0mGRFcLn129K_n9725tMjiORr2sHpJ70MOl5JHYKmMqdXsh1guqqS-HC6nd2CgUJ9ERXbdOTiFqa3-waccS8x97aVsdBeCnrJWkBqo-E_Wdp1nZJiJt9444/s320/DSC03576.JPG" width="320" /></a>The Comfort Crew was honored to be invited to present our With You All the Way! Program to over 50 children whose parents will be deploying in the near future or who are already deployed at a Yellow Ribbon Event today. More than 100 children will be receiving a With You All the Way! Deployment Kit, containing resources to help them cope with the complex and difficult emotions that can arise while a parent or sibling is deployed.<br />
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After being split into age groups, the kids wrote some wonderful letters to the younger military kids. Below, find some of our favorite excerpts:<br />
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<i>"I always try to stay busy to keep my mind off of my dad being gone and do a lot of things that I know will make him proud." - Brianna</i><br />
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<i>"So just keep in mind that there is always someone just like you and always someone you can talk to whenever you feel sad." - Alli</i><br />
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<i>"Never forget that they love you and you are not alone." - Cydney</i><br />
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<i>"The worst thing to do is keep your emotions inside you and not let it out." - Robert</i><br />
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<i>"The might be gone for awhile, but they won't forget that you're waiting on them to come home." - Chelsea</i>
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<i>"I am proud of my grandpa for serving in the military to keep this country safe." - Jaylen</i>The Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-87081619122049697072012-07-22T09:58:00.001-07:002012-08-03T14:17:44.966-07:00TAPS Survivor Seminar: Trevor's Impressions<i>Our co-founders, Trevor Romain and Ronda Englander were fortunate enough to be invited to attend the <a href="http://www.taps.org/events/event.aspx?id=7481" target="_blank">Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (T.A.P.S.) Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp</a> at Ft. Hood this past Friday. Below are Trevor's impressions from the event:</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.taps.org/uploadedImages/TAPS/IMAGES/SEMINARS/hood.png?n=5159" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.taps.org/uploadedImages/TAPS/IMAGES/SEMINARS/hood.png?n=5159" /></a>“I’m here to honor my two sons,” said the man. “My eldest son was killed in action in Iraq by an IED. My younger son, who is also in the military, escorted his body home. For some reason he felt the need to go back and was deployed in Afghanistan…where… a few month later he took his own life. I lost both my boys.”<br /><br />I’m here to recognize my husband, he was killed in Afghanistan two weeks before he was retiring. He died while saving a young marine.”<br /><br />“My wife died days before our only son graduated. We miss her so much, every day.”<br /><br />There were over two hundred stories like this that started off our day yesterday. ( I shared the experience with my dear friend Ronda Englander, who lost her dad in Vietnam. She is the Executive Director of our non profit organization The Comfort Crew For Military Kids and the amazing Jackie Green, from the USO, was also there with us).<br /><br />The event was at Ft. Hood. And after hearing these powerful, heartrending stories I was invited to speak to the kids and the wives, husbands and parents of fallen soldiers during the Good Grief Camp hosted by TAPS.<br /><br />TAPS is the 24/7 tragedy assistance resource for ANYONE who has suffered the loss of a military loved one, regardless of the relationship to the deceased or the circumstance of the death.<br /><br />During the day I presented grief workshops to kids who have lost a parent, many by IED’s in Iraq and Afghanistan and way too many by suicide. I also gave a workshop to surviving spouses and parents of fallen soldiers.<br /><br />Later at the TAPS dinner gala, I had the honor and privilege of giving the keynote address to over 400 people who have lost sons and daughters or moms and dads and family members while serving in the US military. I was humbled to have the honor to speak to this awe-inspiring group of people. I am truly blessed to have been chosen to work with them all. May God bless the fallen soldiers and their families who are part of only one percent of our population who have dedicated their lives, and paid the ultimate sacrifice, to ensure the freedom of the other 99 percent.<br /><br />My life has changed since yesterday,<br /><br />I am humbled, proud and overwhelmed to be chosen to work with TAPS, The USO and The Comfort Crew for Military Kids.<br />
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~ Trevor RomainThe Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-60761493168420170612012-06-26T09:27:00.000-07:002012-08-03T14:18:35.324-07:00Military Kids Express their Gratitude<i>Last week, the Comfort Crew was honored to be a guest speaker at the Operation Military Kids Navy Adventure Camp right here in Austin, TX. We talked with military kids about journaling and expressing your feelings. One of the exercises was writing a letter to a deployed service member. Check out what some of the kids wrote:</i><br />
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<a href="http://rlv.zazzle.com/usa_hearts_stamp_postage-p1720981041312880357goi_325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://rlv.zazzle.com/usa_hearts_stamp_postage-p1720981041312880357goi_325.jpg" width="200" /></a>Dear reader,<br />
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Thank you for doing everything you can in your power to protect our country. You make me and many others feel safe every day. My name is Jacob and I am a military child. I understand about the hardships undertaken by you to protect our country daily.<br />
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Thank you for what you do,<br />
Jacob<br />
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My name is Samantha and I’m 12 and live in Monterrey, California. You are a hero! Thank you so much for serving for our country. I know what it’s like to be away from a family member no matter what position you’re in. I’m a military child; my dad’s in the military and he’s deployed right now. Trust me it’s hard but I know you can get through this.<br />
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To the greatest luck for a soldier! <br />
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Dear Hero,<br />
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Thank you for all your service you have done for our country. Thank you for sacrificing all of your time and energy into protecting our country. My name is Natasha and I am 17 years old. I really hope that my words will help to uplift and encourage you even though I am still very young. However, even though I am young, I understand how much it takes for you to do what you do. I hope that one day I can make as much of an impact on as many lives as you do. Thanks from Virginia Beach! =)<br />
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Hey,<br />
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My name is Daniel. I am 17 years old. It may not cross your mind very often, but believe me when I say that every single person that is affiliated with the military thinks about you at one point every day. You are most definitely not forgotten and we can’t wait until you guys get back. Even though I don’t really know you, I have no problem letting you know that you are my HERO and I should wish to get the chance to do something as honorable and meaningful to the world as what you do. You should look forward to seeing your family when you get back, but if you have nothing else to look forward to, think about sinking your teeth into your first BIG MAC when you return.<br />
<br />
-DanielThe Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-69796358678948749152012-05-29T07:16:00.001-07:002012-08-03T14:18:35.328-07:00A Grateful Military Mom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHcce5FRhZ77_PsL47wXataRaZUjP3PJIN0F_YwLAZQK1sQ2vucrVwRYAc6Xe-MS84Cufd_pKJfCKJDZ5CgZFlKKG5VpdGZELKH8DN4bIhWkrMlrJvXXLV7uPekBA1g62mHGVgva2cdw/s1600/Cherry+Point+NC+4-11-11+%282%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHcce5FRhZ77_PsL47wXataRaZUjP3PJIN0F_YwLAZQK1sQ2vucrVwRYAc6Xe-MS84Cufd_pKJfCKJDZ5CgZFlKKG5VpdGZELKH8DN4bIhWkrMlrJvXXLV7uPekBA1g62mHGVgva2cdw/s320/Cherry+Point+NC+4-11-11+%282%29.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
This was from an e-mail we received last week -<br />
<br />
"Thank you for coming to our school. My son did not stop talking about your visit all the way home in the car. Then something happened when we got to the house. You see my husband was hurt and he lost part of his leg and my son seems ashamed and angry about what happened. He always wanted to take his anger out by himself and stay locked in his room alone and did not want to deal with his dad. And it was so hard for my husband. He said that kind of pain was worse than his injury. Today when he came home my son wrote a letter to his dad and said he loved him and wanted to help him get better. I am not sure what you said to him but thank you and the USO for your presentation and for helping our kids on the bases. You just don't know how much it means to us. I cannot thank you enough for your help." - Cas<br />
<br />
One of our resources is designed specifically with kids of wounded warriors in mind: The Taking Care of You! Support for Injured Heroes Care Kit. The Injury Care Kit features the Taking Care of You! DVD created by the Trevor Romain Company with the USO, and provides resources that help military children understand the types of injuries as well as recovery and reintegration. With this kit, families can encourage and support one another when challenged with the obstacles of reintegration. The Injury Care Kit includes:<br />
<ul>
<li>The animated DVD Taking Care of You! Support for Kids of Injured Heroes. This DVD explains injury, PTSD, reintegration, and the challenges of each in kid-friendly language, as well as tips to help your child express and self-regulate his or her emotions.</li>
<li>A journal with prompts, calendar, map, and activities. The journal is an invaluable tool for helping your child express and cope with his or her emotions. This is a vital step in open communication.</li>
<li>Caregiver booklet with suggestions and insight</li>
<li>Coco™, a plush toy mouse offering comfort to children</li>
<li>An achievement patch</li>
<li>All housed in a Care Kit Box to keep treasured items safe.</li>
</ul>
For $42, you can sponsor an Injury Care Kit for a military child in need, please visit our <a href="https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/tccfmk/donation.jsp?campaign=2" target="_blank">Sponsorship Page</a>.The Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-64715662650820806072012-05-25T09:12:00.002-07:002012-08-03T14:18:35.326-07:00Memorial Day from a Non-Military Kid<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
My name is Beth and I'm a new member of The Comfort Crew
this year. I am loving this mission to support and comfort military kids, and learning so much about military families
& the sacrifices they make for us. </div>
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<br /></div>
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You see, I don't come from a military
family. I don't have any inspiring, sad, or amazing stories to share (unless
you count the hula girl/"Honolulu Jerry" tattoo my grandpa got during
his four years in the Navy that has become a running family joke). I didn't
know anyone who had lost a limb serving her country, or anyone who had to watch
the birth of his baby girl on Skype. I didn't know anyone who had given his
life to keep our country safe. Growing up, Memorial Day meant school was coming
to an end and I'd be free for almost three months. I had no frame of reference
beyond that.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I'm not writing this to tell you what Memorial Day means, did mean, or should mean. There
are plenty of other blogs doing that. I'm not writing to make you feel guilty
if you're not from a military family, or to inspire your irritation if you are.
I'm simply writing to ask a favor of military and non-military families alike. Because before I began working at The Comfort Crew, I had no idea about the
sacrifices military families make, the pain they face, or the stresses they
bear time and time again. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, my favor is as follows: to all the people who are like me
and don't know about the military, please ask! Take the time to talk with the people around you about the
holiday, and you may find out that your neighbors and friends were military
children or relatives with remarkable stories to tell. Even more respectful
than flying a flag is taking an active interest. You will be amazed how just
having someone to listen and be aware can help alleviate some of the stress.
You may even find out something more you can do to help. And to military
families, speak up! There is a community of people around you who would love to
connect and help, but have no idea how or why. Reaching out to them will help them to support you during difficult times. It is important to not isolate military
families from the rest of the community as they deal with the challenges of
military life, but it takes communication from both sides to bridge that gap.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_sFaTYyc0LI1k-ex3nAJLLMtFH7aLzbfth1Ts09R4JfU_xv4LU9y-zJFqvAfLVwTJbtzQnrpCNtP3QQolgU0ENQugEK-3NZhtLztJIbqEox_LmPfrkadRuYXp9dKZQSBxdT-PW_dUEs/s1600/American_flag_background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_sFaTYyc0LI1k-ex3nAJLLMtFH7aLzbfth1Ts09R4JfU_xv4LU9y-zJFqvAfLVwTJbtzQnrpCNtP3QQolgU0ENQugEK-3NZhtLztJIbqEox_LmPfrkadRuYXp9dKZQSBxdT-PW_dUEs/s320/American_flag_background.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And of course, we at The Comfort Crew would like to extend a
huge thank you to all of our service men and women, and military families. We
appreciate so much your dedication to our country!</div>The Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-78186013992032051842012-05-25T06:23:00.000-07:002013-02-26T09:15:45.773-08:00In Trevor's Words: USO With You All the Way Tour In Germany<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
We recently completed our spring portion of the With You All the Way tour. We spoke to about
15000 kids, all of them overseas. This portion of the tour had somewhat of a
bittersweet ending. The good news is that we get to rest a little bit over the
summer. The bad news is that we are going to miss being around this brave group
of kids for a while. Plus, a number of bases we visited are closing or
consolidating which means big changes for the military and many of the
families.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were in three
cities in central Germany, Weisbaden, Heidelberg, and Stuttgart. The Heidelberg
area is home to two elementary schools, Manheim Elementary school and Patrick
Henry Elementary school. Manheim Elementary is closing its doors this year. Due
to the army drawdown and plans for realignment in Europe, schools and bases are
closing down. It has been open since 1946. In the early nineties it had about
2000 students. Today, there are only about 200, and those kids will be moving
somewhere else next year. In fact, many are having to move now, back to the
states and many know they are moving but don’t know where they are going. We
spoke to one little girl, who towards the end of the presentation, finally had
the courage to say something. Her dad was currently deployed, and she andher mom were having to move to Colorado in
the next couple of days. She was petrified, and rightfully so. I can’t imagine
have my family be uprooted to a somewhere far away while I was deployed to
Afghanistan and not able to offer any help. However, because the little girl
had the courage to speak up, we were able to offer some assistance and expedite
shipping of her USO family empowerment pack so she could have it for her
travels.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUXcxuUfsfLZxUzFUyLoQqosej-P8fYk024GKnZjfIMIy8NWceGpUhV2jXZEoZZ_mt6kXOfO4RI5wXx-gj5d_-NII1yOHic7YWxJiSAYdMEqFJa3eKDCJRT3cV4MxBUK-cvS4_FFDSNvQ/s1600/IMG_0231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUXcxuUfsfLZxUzFUyLoQqosej-P8fYk024GKnZjfIMIy8NWceGpUhV2jXZEoZZ_mt6kXOfO4RI5wXx-gj5d_-NII1yOHic7YWxJiSAYdMEqFJa3eKDCJRT3cV4MxBUK-cvS4_FFDSNvQ/s320/IMG_0231.JPG" width="320" /></a>Patrick
Henry Elementary school is also going to close soon. These families are really
in a state of flux because they know they are going to have to move but don’t
know when and don’t know where. Living in this state of uncertainty is causing
much stress on a lot of families. We had two great presentations at Patrick
Henry. The kids were so engaged and had plenty to say. One thing that stood out
in particular for me though, was a shy little girl in the back who had the
courage to raise her hand. We ask the
kids what they learned during the video portion of our presentation. So she
felt the need to say something. I asked, what she learned and very quietly but
confidently said, “You don’t have to be in a special group to be special. “
Wow, I hope everyone can learn from that."</div>
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<br /></div>
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We spent
our last couple of days in Stuttgart. We had no idea how big Stuttgart was.
There is about 5 million people in the city and surrounding area. Stuttgart is
a beautiful city. It is where old meets new. Buildings that are 700 years old
living happily with very modern buildings. We went to a school called Patch
Elementary, on the Patch military base, which is a large army base. We had some
really good presentations again. But we want to leave you with one email we
received from a mom. It really makes us feel good about what we are doing and
how important the work the USO is doing for military families.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 14pt;">
<i>Dear
Mr. Romain,<br />Thank you for coming to Patch Elementary School in
Stuttgart. My son did not stop talking about your visit all the way home
in the car. Then something happened when we got to the house. You
see my husband was hurt and he lost part of his leg and my son seems ashamed
and angry about what happened. He always wanted to take his anger out by
himself and stay locked in his room alone and did not want to deal with his
dad. And it was so hard for my husband. He said that kind of pain
was worse than his injury. Today when he came home my son wrote a letter to his
dad and said he loved him and wanted to help him get better. I’m not sure what
you said to him but thank you and Mr. Woody and the USO for your presentation
and for helping our kids on the bases. You just don’t know how much it
means to us.I cannot thank you enough for your help.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Trevor Romain<br />
Award-Winning Children's Author<br />
Co-Founder, The Comfort Crew for Military Kids</div>
The Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-8440690927706164652012-05-18T10:00:00.000-07:002012-08-03T14:18:03.715-07:00Diary of a Military Kid: Putting Down Roots<i>This blog is part of a series that former military child and current college freshman Alison will be writing for The Comfort Crew this summer. Her unique voice and viewpoint are a great insight into the mindset of a child who has faced the challenges of being in a military family.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB63jxjV5oEHsa_Ff26u4Ms90Zt6gmVb962xpNzvK_Pq83Vb2D39etTP3z-ZoQaJLosc_iojzKEUOHqsMKlDqn1XERTp7PYR6FKrpc2FGjId2PwsK3bHitY8fkPyNs9pvhx012ljUTn-k/s1600/tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB63jxjV5oEHsa_Ff26u4Ms90Zt6gmVb962xpNzvK_Pq83Vb2D39etTP3z-ZoQaJLosc_iojzKEUOHqsMKlDqn1XERTp7PYR6FKrpc2FGjId2PwsK3bHitY8fkPyNs9pvhx012ljUTn-k/s1600/tree.jpg" /></a>I recently read this book, <i>Maphead</i>. The quick but ardently recommended read focuses on the study of geography and the human connection to place. Ken Jennings writes of his frequent moves growing up, his struggle with the “Where are you from?” question, and identifying a love of and connection to a place he hasn’t actually lived for most of his life. As a military child who dealt with all of the above, this concept of a connection to a place even when you aren’t actually there really resonated with me. Jennings quotes Simone Weil, “To be rooted is perhaps the most important and the least recognized need of the human soul.”<br />
<br />
Well, hey! No wonder moving-related transitions were so hard for me growing up- it’s natural to have a tough time if you feel uprooted. I often got really frustrated with the awkwardness related to fitting in with a group of kids who had grown up together, and trying to find my own niche or friend group. Researching different clubs and teams to join in order to meet new people took so much time and effort it was like a class within itself. When I was younger, meeting people and building new relationships wasn’t much of an issue. At that age, being best friends with someone wasn’t a complex thing- they liked the same stuff you did, you thought their shoes were pretty cool, and that was that. But that changes with age, and I remember my first week of 7th grade as being, perhaps, the most miserable week of my life. Everyone had such tight-knit friend circles that there simply wasn’t a need for me at their lunch table and I ate lunch alone. I had just moved from Germany to Tampa, FL, and I hadn’t gotten the memo on which name-brand clothes were okay to wear, or that I should be wearing eyeliner and straightening my hair into lanky, boring submission.<br />
<br />
Even though it was really tough, I realized that I could, in fact, find a way to break through to the other kids through common interests. So I joined the Science Club, the Track and Soccer Teams, and Band. I found that, even if you don’t plan on continuing an activity, being a part of a team is a great way to build relationships with new people. By the end of my first year in a place, I usually felt pretty connected to my peers. However, I missed old friends. Before the days of Facebook, I would write letters to friends and a few of us took turns exchanging “thinking of you” boxes. They usually had a bunch of silly stuff in them, but, regardless, it felt good to know I still had a connection to friends from other places I’d lived. I always tried to see old friends when we’d go on cross-country road trips, even if it was just for lunch. Even though I may only see them every few years, my old friends are still in touch. Facebook is now a useful tool to connect, but I have to say that exchanging packages or letters with my friends was always way more exciting. There’s something about having a tangible connection to different people in different places, and I guess that all goes back to the importance of feeling like you’ve left roots somewhere.The Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-30984245282453941702012-05-08T11:18:00.004-07:002013-02-26T09:16:46.295-08:00Sittercity Subscriptions Paid for Military Families<a href="https://www.sittercity.com/img/userphoto/system/dod/landpage/family.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://www.sittercity.com/img/userphoto/system/dod/landpage/family.png" width="320" /></a>Summer is a busy time for everyone, but especially military families. One in three military families will be moving this summer. Relocating is tough on everyone, and one of the hardest things for a parent is moving to a town where you'll have lots to do to settle in, but no reliable babysitters, and often not even a trusted friend to recommend one. The Department of Defense is trying to make this transition a little easier.<br />
<br />
Thanks to the Department of Defense, every active duty military personnel has a free subscription to a company called <a href="https://www.sittercity.com/register_corp_1.html?corp=dod&client=67" target="_blank">Sittercity</a>, which can help you find:<br />
<ul>
<li>Babysitters and Nannies!</li>
<li>Certified CDH/FCC care providers</li>
<li>Authorized access caregivers
</li>
<li>Senior care</li>
<li>Pet care</li>
<li>Housekeepers</li>
<li>Tutors</li>
</ul>
To register for this free service, visit <a href="https://www.sittercity.com/register_corp_1.html?corp=dod&client=67" target="_blank">this site</a>.<br />
<br />
If you are one of the military families making a move this summer, make sure to also check out our <a href="http://www.comfortcrew.org/Docs/PCS_Onesheet_4.pdf" target="_blank">PCS: The Great Moving Adventure Survival Kit</a>. Call or <a href="mailto:beth@comfortcrew.org" target="_blank">e-mail us</a> for more information.The Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-54812852446189262642012-05-03T07:23:00.001-07:002012-08-03T14:18:35.318-07:00What National Military Appreciation Month Means to a Former Military ChildIn honor of National Military Appreciation Month, we sat down with Alison, a military child who is now a freshman at the University of Texas, to get her thoughts on what the month means to her, and what it was like growing up as a military kid.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>As a military child, what does National Military
Appreciation Month mean to you?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To me, the month of May is a time to recognize our soldiers
and the support system behind them. It doesn’t matter to me what someone may
decide to do to acknowledge their appreciation- every little bit counts.
Whether it’s googling the effects of PTSD or saying “Thanks for your service”
to someone in uniform- these are the things that make us feel supported and
connected in a difficult time. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What are some of the common issues that military kids face?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All the problems that accompany moving and uprooting were
difficult to deal with growing up- new schools, new friends, losing touch with
old friends, and explaining to new friends the reasons for your frequent moves.
For kids attending schools with largely civilian populations, it can be tough
to find a support group that understands the emotional challenges that
accompany moves and why they occur so frequently in the life of a military kid.
Understandably, deployments also make life tough. People assume that military
kids “get used to” loved ones being gone, but that simply isn’t the case. To a
child, the importance of whatever event is being missed doesn’t matter- see<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9101532530823894075" name="_GoBack"></a>ing other peers with both of their parents at a soccer game,
an awards ceremony, or a meet-the-teacher night at school makes you miss your
service member. For me, it was hard just realizing my dad wouldn’t be home for
dinner, let alone my Senior Academic Awards Banquet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How did you cope with those challenges?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I made new friends, I tried to better explain where I
was coming from if they didn’t already understand. The emotional strain of
deployments is very hard to grasp unless you’ve experienced it, and I tried to
let my peers know what that means to so many Americans with loved ones serving
overseas. I also tried to stay busy, to find new hobbies and ways to connect
with my community. Building a support system within the military community or
without can be more helpful than you may realize. Doing something as simple as
going bowling with the Family Readiness Group from my dad’s Battalion really
helped relieve some anxiety I had during my dad’s deployment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How do you feel you would have benefitted from support from
an organization like The Comfort Crew for Military Kids </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would have loved to get a Comfort Crew Comfort Kit
growing up. It’s important for a kid to know someone knows what they’re going through
and can sympathize. Especially because I lived abroad for several of my dad’s
deployments, I often felt alone in what I was feeling- my neighbors didn’t
agree with our country’s involvement in the Middle East and though they
understood how important that one phone call a week from my Dad was, they
couldn’t empathize with the issues with deployments and moving caused. Everything in the Comfort Kit lets a
military child know someone is thinking about what they’re going through. I journaled growing up, but I think if I
received a journal similar to one another kid going through similar issues
received, I would have felt a stronger sense of togetherness. Meeting kids
through camps would have helped with the times I lived in areas that were
farther away from a military base, and didn’t have the same support group as I
would have on a post or base.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What's the best way for those outside the military world to
support military children and families?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would encourage people to educate themselves about the lifestyle.
I find a lot of comfort in people I talk to understanding certain aspects of
the military lifestyle. For example, the difficulty with reintegrating and
readjusting after returning home. Regardless of how someone might feel about
the military in general, respect for what service members and their families go
through is important for our families. </div>The Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-88272443031977878862012-04-24T11:57:00.000-07:002012-08-03T14:17:44.968-07:00Texas Military Forces Open House and Air Show<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HVuabHWz7bLNVTnbUM6_-FW4g9EDfy5WO0DUqRh4IpHEzX8gyd0opVytArmMJ85l04ErgD9BspklRxg-u4GQ5DuecQFJtGuP7tJCBjRDvuyHLuIzZ3AFMttoEjYZvd9JQUhaobtYMy4/s1600/Young_marines2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HVuabHWz7bLNVTnbUM6_-FW4g9EDfy5WO0DUqRh4IpHEzX8gyd0opVytArmMJ85l04ErgD9BspklRxg-u4GQ5DuecQFJtGuP7tJCBjRDvuyHLuIzZ3AFMttoEjYZvd9JQUhaobtYMy4/s1600/Young_marines2.jpg" /></a>This past Saturday, The Comfort Crew attended the Texas Military Forces Open House and Air Show. What a beautiful day! We met a lot of military families, and heard a lot of interesting stories. One older gentleman in particular came to our booth, and was really impressed with our programs and resources. As we were telling him about our special With You All the Way dog tags, he almost began to cry. When a parent deploys, the child keeps one dog tag and gives the other to the deploying parent. This, along with other items in the Deployment Kit, helps to support and comfort the child during their parent’s deployment.<br />
<br />
The gentleman at the event told us that when he was a little boy, his dad was deployed. Fifty years later, he still cries over the time he lost with his dad. He was so happy to know that there are organizations out there that understand what military kids like himself go through, and are doing what they can to help support and comfort them.<br />
<br />
We also want to send a special shout-out to our event neighbors, The Young Marines, who were <i>so</i> helpful with our tent and materials - thank you, Young Marines!The Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-56599571912027779552012-04-19T06:36:00.000-07:002012-08-03T14:18:35.321-07:00Holocaust Remembrance Day 2012<a href="http://gallery.vietflower.info/plog-content/images/design-flower/flower-lovely/flower-picture-macro-white-rose-darkmatter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://gallery.vietflower.info/plog-content/images/design-flower/flower-lovely/flower-picture-macro-white-rose-darkmatter.jpg" width="320" /></a>Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day when we remember the persecution of millions of people and make a firm commitment to never allow that to happen again. The theme of this year's remembrance day is "Choosing to Act". <a href="http://www.ushmm.org/remembrance/dor/years/detail.php?content=2012&lang=" target="_blank">This page</a> talks more about what that means - here is a short excerpt:<br />
<br />
"Confronted with the persecution and murder of Europe’s Jews, witnesses
had a choice of whether or not to intervene. Getting involved meant
running the risk of severe punishment, and most people—even those who
disagreed with the Nazis’ policies and practices—opted to do nothing... We must never forget, however, that for each person who was rescued and
survived the Holocaust, countless more were killed. As we remember
stories of rescue, therefore, we must first honor the memory of
Holocaust victims by countering indifference with vigilance and apathy
with action."<br />
<br />
It is really a wonderful article and one that we highly encourage you to read. In thinking about this, our minds turned to a matter close to our hearts - military children, and children in general. So often, in schools, children are teased or bullied simply for who they are or how they choose to behave. Today - and every day - let's remember that those actions are a form of persecution. We challenge you, as we are challenging ourselves, to talk with your friends and children about not simply turning away when we see someone being "picked on" or maligned. Stand up with confidence to those who would try to bring harm or sadness to others. It is important that we all treat each other with kindness and respect. Isn't that what you would want for yourself and your children?<br />
<br />The Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101532530823894075.post-44044273014346146572012-04-19T06:20:00.002-07:002012-08-03T14:17:44.964-07:00Texas Military Forces Open House<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPp8GE1Tbhu-0xeFfysaJS1BCdVzdKqcc1YLz0M0MaZIU1AJdMrq_0GpHWXWDHcdigAt-aL9zLT4ZrzRxeIrJK7izUMLUbGi8fwWxHCH4XpCuiz-d-v6b84O4WtTeB6Zy5nCo5UPpWZs/s1600/DSC00389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPp8GE1Tbhu-0xeFfysaJS1BCdVzdKqcc1YLz0M0MaZIU1AJdMrq_0GpHWXWDHcdigAt-aL9zLT4ZrzRxeIrJK7izUMLUbGi8fwWxHCH4XpCuiz-d-v6b84O4WtTeB6Zy5nCo5UPpWZs/s320/DSC00389.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption">One of our Comfort Crew tattoos</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This Saturday, April 21, The Comfort Crew is honored to be attending the Texas Military Forces's Open House and Air Show. We'll be in one of the non-profit vendor tents, letting people know about The Comfort Crew, distributing dog tags and sometimes even kits to those who sign up for our mailing list, and offering kids Comfort Crew "tattoos". More information can be found about the event <a href="http://www.txmf.us/openhouse/" target="_blank">on this flyer.</a><br />
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We've been told that the wind from the air show can be pretty intense - have you ever been to an air show? What did you think?The Comfort Crew for Military Kidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621539013880706154noreply@blogger.com0