Medal of Honor Recipients With A Message To Our Soldiers - About PTSD - Getting Help

 Fighting PTSD Together.

 If you are a soldier the help is here for you. You do not have to suffer this there is help.

If you know a Soldier please let them know there is help.

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 830,000 Vietnam War veterans suffered symptoms of PTSD.

Four out of five reported recent symptoms when interviewed 20–25 years after Vietnam.

Today's Veterans are even more susceptible with the type of warfare they face.  

High rates of PTSD in Iraq War veterans are being seen, as well as a number of other difficulties, including alcohol and drug use, and depression. This may not be too surprising to read as the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are in the news everyday, as are reports of their effect on the mental health of the men and women serving there. A majority of service members in Iraq and Afghanistan have encountered traumatic experiences and high rates of PTSD and other difficulties have been found.

Medal of Honor Recipients Tommy Norris, US Navy SEALS and Mike Thornton, Petty Officer, US Navy SEALS encourage Service members to get the help they need and deserve.

Medal of Honor Recipient Paul Bud Bucha Captain, US Army,

Medal of Honor Recipient Jack Jacobs Captain, US Army

Medal of Honor Recipient James Fleming Captain, US Air Force

Combat Troops in Iraq talk about PTSD

The time to act is NOW. The number of veterans returning from war with PTSD, depression, and those who committed suicide are growing every year. These are dismal facts, yet display the urgency of action.  Join me in becoming a citizen cosponsor of this important legislation and show Congress that veterans shouldn't have to jump through hoops to get the benefits they have earned. 

Sign this petition below then pass it one. Once you have done that call your Congressman and ask them why they are not trying to bring this to a vote.

Combat Act

PTSD Overview: List of Fact Sheets

Family and Friends: List of Fact Sheets

Facing Down PTSD, Vet is Now Soaring High 

For Veterans and the General Public

Cognitive Processing Therapy: CPT has been shown to be one of the most effective treatments for PTSD. For this reason, the VA's Office of Mental Health Services has rolled out a national therapist training program. VA therapists throughout the country will be trained in how to use CPT treatment. These therapists will also consult with CPT experts to learn how to best provide this therapy. Then they will be asked to use CPT in their routine clinical care.

Prolonged Exposure Therapy

After a traumatic event, many individuals experience distress and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This distress may be highest when dealing with memories, thoughts, feelings, and situations that are related to the trauma. Exposure therapy is a type of therapy that helps you decrease distress about your trauma. This therapy works by helping you approach trauma-related thoughts, feelings, and situations that you have been avoiding due to the distress they cause. Repeated exposure to these thoughts, feelings, and situations helps reduce the power they have to cause distress.

Prolonged Exposure (PE) is one exposure therapy that works for many people who have experienced trauma. It has four main parts:

• PE starts with education about the treatment. You will learn as well about common trauma reactions and PTSD. Education allows you to learn more about your symptoms. It also helps you understand the goals of the treatment. This education provides the basis for the next sessions.
• Breathing retraining is a skill that helps you relax. When people become anxious or scared, their breathing often changes. Learning how to control your breathing can help in the short-term to manage immediate distress.
• Exposure practice with real-world situations is called in vivo exposure. You practice approaching situations that are safe but which you may have been avoiding because they are related to the trauma. An example would be a Veteran who avoids driving since he experienced a roadside bomb while deployed. In the same way, a sexual trauma survivor may avoid getting close to others. This type of exposure practice helps your trauma-related distress to lessen over time. When distress goes down, you can gain more control over your life.
• Talking about your trauma memory over and over with your therapist is called imaginal exposure. Talking through the trauma will help you get more control of your thoughts and feelings about the trauma. You will learn that you do not have to be afraid of your memories. This may be hard at first and it might seem strange to think about stressful things on purpose. Many people feel better over time, though, as they do this. Talking through the trauma helps you make sense of what happened and have fewer negative thoughts about the trauma.

With the help of your therapist, you can change how you react to stressful memories. In PE, you work with your therapist to approach trauma-related situations and memories at a comfortable pace. Usually, you start with things that are less distressing and move towards things that are more distressing. A round of PE therapy most often involves meeting alone with a therapist for about 8 to 15 sessions. Most therapy sessions last 90 minutes.

With time and practice, you will be able to see that you can master stressful situations. The goal is that YOU, not your memories, can control what you do in your life and how you feel. Therapy helps you to get your life back after you have been through a trauma. 

PE therapy for Veterans

PE has been shown to be one of the most effective treatments for PTSD. For this reason, the VA's Office of Mental Health Services has rolled out a national PE training program. VA providers throughout the country will be trained in how to use PE treatment. The providers will at first be supervised as they use these treatments in actual cases. Then they will be asked to use PE in their routine clinical care. Others will be selected and trained as consultants.

How can I get help? 

Ask your VA healthcare provider about getting PE therapy. A list of VA facilities can be found online at: VA Facilities Locator

Remembering - Lance Corporal Tom Neathway, British Armed Forces/ Caught by IED Became Triple Amputee

 Lance Corporal Tom Neathway, British Armed Forces - BBC Documentary

BBC Documentary 2009

Lance Corporal Tom Neathway, 25, and Ranger Andy Allen, 19, were caught by improvised explosive devices, which left 216 others dead and 265 seriously injured.

L-Cpl Neathway, of the Parachute Regiment, was on routine patrol in Kajaki when the device exploded with the force of a "full-on rugby tackle". He has had his left arm and his legs amputated. His story, and that of Ranger Allen, is being told in a BBC1 documentary.

For the first time, the Ministry Of Defence has allowed television cameras to follow the recovery and rehabilitation of severely injured soldiers returning from Afghanistan. Lance Corporal Tom Neathway, one of the subjects of the BBC One documentary Wounded, talks to BBC Press Information's Tony Matthews.

Tom Neathway was on a routine patrol in Kajaki, Helmand Province, when, as he puts it, his life took a different path. "We entered a compound to observe the Taliban," says Tom, a lance corporal in the Parachute Regiment. "We'd been into the compound before and had carried out all the correct procedures with the metal detectors to look for bombs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) – we found no metal signature whatsoever. I was on sniper cover and went to a hole in the corner of the wall through which I could observe and fire. There was a sandbag in the way and when I moved it the device detonated."

Tom likens the force of the explosion to a full-on rugby tackle. "It knocked me backwards and I realised straight away that my feet had been taken off," he says. "I still had my left arm, but it was badly damaged.

Tom Neathway was on a routine patrol in Kajaki, Helmand Province, when, as he puts it, his life took a different path

Tom Neathway receives his medal - Wounded - Parachute Regiment Medal Ceremony

Royal Irish Regiment Medal Ceremony - Andy Allen 19-year-old Royal Irish Ranger

"It must have been something new," he says, "the Taliban are as clever as hell and we knew the threat was there. Before that, they had used smaller anti-personnel mines and big IEDs with lots of metal content in, but they'd changed to material that the metal detectors won't pick up."

Like Tom Neathway, 19-year-old Royal Irish Ranger Andy Allen was in a critical condition when he arrived back at Birmingham's Selly Oak hospital, which handles all serious battlefield casualties. BBC One's documentary, Wounded, begins at the moment when Andy was blown up by an IED. Losing his right leg instantly, he sustained severe burns to his face and eyes. Once back in the UK, the hospital's joint military and NHS medical teams had to amputate his other leg in order to save his life.

Andy and Tom were among 65 British casualties seriously injured in Afghanistan during 2008. In an at times harrowing but ultimately inspirational film, Wounded tells the story of their fight for life, their eventual recovery and rehabilitation, and the effect it has on them and their families.

As their burns and plastic surgery consultant Lieutenant Colonel Steve Jeffrey explains in the film, it would be completely unnatural for any severely injured soldier not to be devastated. "One minute they're in Afghanistan, the next they're waking up and they haven't got legs, an arm or whatever," he says, "but I've noticed that those guys that are in a stable relationship seem to do better." For Andy, whose girlfriend, Natalie, was expecting their first child, the target is to get better in time for the arrival of their baby. Meanwhile, Tom's focus is on walking unaided on prosthetic legs in time to attend the medal ceremony at his regiment's homecoming parade. "I was six feet tall and 11 stone," he says, "now I'm four feet and eight stone, but I'm determined not to look like this... I'm not one to give up."

Having remained fully conscious after the explosion, Tom already knew how badly injured he was before he came out of sedation in Selly Oak Hospital. "I didn't realise that my left arm had been amputated and my legs were a hell of a lot shorter because of an infection," he says, "but, if anything, my mind was set on things being worse. I was a bit gutted for about 10 minutes, but there's nothing you can do, so I just focused on getting up as soon as I possibly could. I've not been devastated by it; my parents found it a hell of a lot worse than I have, but seeing how I've reacted they can't be down in the dumps whatsoever."

Andy's recovery was hampered by the damage to his sight, which in turn affected his ability to adjust to the loss of his legs. He admits on camera to being scared and reluctant to get on with his rehabilitation, while realising that it is his fastest route home. It takes eight months before his family and friends are eventually able to welcome him back to Belfast. A cataract operation gives him enough sight to help with mobility and see his baby son; it's a significant boost for a young man who faces a further two years in and out of the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court in Surrey.

Tom's and Andy's paths cross at Headley Court, where they find a common bond among soldiers with similar injuries, such as Royal Marine Mark Ormrod who, like Tom, is a triple-amputee. "One of the things that got me through is being around guys in similar positions, like Mark Ormrod and Joe Townsend, who can talk me through things," says Tom. "They were there with me every day at Headley Court and are my closest mates now. They started their rehabilitation before me, and I could see what they were achieving and where I would be seven months down the line."

In turn, Tom and Mark now visit men returning to Selly Oak with serious injuries. "When they're lying in that bed, they think their lives have ended," Tom reflects, "but they haven't, they've literally just begun, it's just taken a different path. We tell it how it is, and they are shocked because I skydive and go skiing and we both drive stupid cars and crack on with life completely."

Now 25, Tom feels that age and experience is an important factor in the recovery process. "I've done Iraq twice, I've been to Northern Ireland, I've been blown-up previous to what happened in Afghanistan, I've lived life a bit more," he says. "Guys of 18 and 19 have less experience and it's hard for them, that's why it's good having guys like Mark and I around to show them that life doesn't end."

Tom, who comes from Worcester, now has a new job lined up in administration for the parachute school at RAF Brize Norton, and recently took some time off for a holiday in America. "I've been away sailing, fishing and water-skiing. It's an important part of rehabilitation," he says. "You need a break so that when you come back you're willing to crack on again. Mainly I do rehab under the NHS at Birmingham, but they've called me back to Headley Court for a couple of weeks to check on my legs, but I'm improving."

He describes the help and care that wounded soldiers receive as exceptional. "Everything has been 100 per cent," he says, "we couldn't have asked them to look after us any better." But was the recovery process made more difficult by the presence of a camera crew? "I wasn't keen at first," he admits, "but my friends and family thought it would be a good idea for the public to see what happens to the guys returning home injured. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

"The camera crew are awesome and we're all friends now," he adds. "They were with me through the worst times and in my good times and I was able to talk to them. It actually became quite easy – an everyday thing that they were there."

Tom Neathway hopes that Wounded will give the public an insight into how young men with life-changing injuries can rebuild their lives. "You hear about the men getting killed, which should be shown, but it's only recently you've started to hear about the guys with injuries like mine and what we go through," he says. "I'm in my own house, I drive my own car, I've got a girlfriend and I'm back at work – if you didn't know you'd think I was just a normal everyday bloke."

While Andy's girlfriend, Natalie, stood by him, one of Tom's biggest worries, like many injured soldiers, was whether women would still be interested in him. "That knocked me a little bit at first," he says, "but I've got a good personality and chicks are great – they don't look at you for that sort of stuff, [the injuries] don't bother them and that boosted my confidence massively."

On reflection, does he regret going to Afghanistan and the direction his life has taken as a result? "I would definitely do it again," he says. "I never thought about being injured, if you thought like that you'd be scared of going. Up until I got injured I loved it out there. Without wishing to sound nasty, I liked getting into fights with the Taliban... it was exactly what I joined the Paras to do. You get a massive buzz from it and I wouldn't change it for anything."

And what about the public reaction; does he feel that the job the soldiers are doing is fully appreciated back home in the UK? "My personal opinion is that wounded soldiers should get more recognition, and that's only starting to come about now," he says. "The public are starting to realise that what we do needs to be supported. I get people stopping me in the street and asking what's happened and if I go to a bar I won't pay for a drink all night! I think people need to know, it doesn't bother me talking about it."

MUST SEE Iraqi kids get wheelchairs/ AWESOME VISION SEEN TROUGH FROM A CIVILIAN CONTRACTOR.

Disabled Iraqi children get wheelchairs, big smiles

720 pediatric wheelchairs valued at more than $2.5 million (retail) distributed thru Nov 2009

Brad Blauser, civilian contractor  has vowed to try to make life a little easier for these families by organizing the distribution of wheelchairs, donated and paid for by his charity, Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids

Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids helps Iraqi children with disabilities by providing high quality pediatric wheelchairs, each sponsored by individual and
corporate donors.  Sponsors receive a picture of the children as they are placed in their wheelchair for the first time!  This is a unique
opportunity, as families around the world have the opportunity to directly impact the life of an Iraqi family with a real need in a big way.

This incredible gift literally changes the life of the child as well as the family.  Children with disabilities discover a new level of mobility not
previously experienced.  The family no longer carries the heavy child from place to place.  And the heart of the community is touched, resulting
in long-lasting friendships!

As the US prepares for withdrawal from Iraq in 2010 and 2011, I'm hopeful the Iraqi Government will take over this
great program to fund and manage a National Wheelchair Program providing pediatric wheelchairs to all children in
Iraq who need one without charge through use of unspent budget surpluses.  

 BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Mothers cradle children in their arms. Fathers smile softly at the helpless bodies they hold. Other parents are bent over from the weight of their teenage kids whose legs fall limp, almost touching the ground. In the absence of basic medical equipment, these parents do this every day.

Khaled is a father of three. On this day, his young daughter, Mariam, is getting fitted for her new wheelchair. Her arms and legs are painfully thin, little more than skin and bone. She's 7 years old, but looks barely half that. She and both her siblings, a sister and brother, suffer from varying degrees of polio. None of them can walk.Asked how he and his family cope, Khaled chokes up, fighting back tears."I am sick of life -- what can I say to you?" he says after a long pause.

JUST CLICK ONCE ON VIDEO TO LOAD

Khaled is a father of three. On this day, his young daughter, Mariam, is getting fitted for her new wheelchair. Her arms and legs are painfully thin, little more than skin and bone. She's 7 years old, but looks barely half that. She and both her siblings, a sister and brother, suffer from varying degrees of polio. None of them can walk.Asked how he and his family cope, Khaled chokes up, fighting back tears.

"I am sick of life -- what can I say to you?" he says after a long pause.One man, Brad Blauser, has vowed to try to make life a little easier for these families by organizing the distribution of wheelchairs, donated and paid for by his charity, Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids. He first came to Iraq in 2004 as a civilian contractor. Struck by the abject chaos surrounding him and seeing helpless children scooting along the ground, he pledged to find a way to help.

His first step was to consult an Army medic to find out what hospitals really needed. "He surprised me with his answer about pediatric wheelchairs. We've got so many children out in the city that the ones who can get around are following their friends by dragging themselves around on the ground, which is heartbreaking to see," he says.

"I was surprised. It took me aback."

Enlisting the help of generous supporters and an Iraqi humanitarian group Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids was born in August of 2005. Thirty days later its first 31 chairs were delivered. To date more than 250 Iraqi families have received the wheelchairs.

Blauser has partnered with a nonprofit group called Reach Out and Care Wheels, which sells him the chairs at a manufacturing price of about $300.

The chairs are made by prisoners at the South Dakota State Penitentiary and ultimately delivered in Iraq by the U.S. military.

"Getting these prisoners involved, it just means the world to them," said Andrew Babcock, the executive director of Reach Out and Care Wheels. "Even the prisoners, I've been there and visited, and they're so excited. They come up with different design ideas and ways to make things better for the kids. They want to know where the chairs are going and what kids we're helping."

Blauser said it's unbelievable to be there when the chairs are delivered.

"The most affecting thing about this whole wheelchairs for children is when the parents realize the gift that is being given to their children and they reach out to hug you." he said. "The tears are running from their eyes and they say, 'We never thought that you could do this.' "

Blauser is helped on the Iraqi missions by the civil affairs division of the U.S. military, which helps organize the safe transport of the families to the distribution point and adjustment of the wheelchairs to fit each child.

He said it gives "the troops something when they go home, something good to remember where they know they have contributed, they know they have done a good thing."

Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason Jurack agrees. "It brings a smile to your face. It really gives a different image to the Army as a whole -- helping people out, putting a smile on local nationals' faces, little kids that need our help."

It's a sentiment that is echoed by Samira Al-Ali, the head of the Iraqi group that finds the children in need. On this day, she tells the soldiers she hopes that this humanitarian act will give them a different image of Iraq, not one of a gun and war, she says. Her words are simple but effective.

"I wish the world would see with their own eyes the children of Iraq and help the children of Iraq, because the children of Iraq have been deprived of everything," she said. "Even a normal child has been deprived of their childhood; a disabled child and their family is dealing with so much more."

The children also show gratitude, even those who can scarcely move. Blauser remembers one boy's father who dressed him in a three-piece suit, with the trousers hanging off his motionless legs.

"He couldn't move his legs or his arms. But when we sat him in his chair, he gave us the thumbs up."

Iraqi parents will go to any lengths to improve the quality of their children's lives. Blauser points to one of his favorite photographs, of a father carrying his son in his arms, an endless desert road behind him. He had carried his son more than 6 miles to get a wheelchair.
"In August 2006 we had a distribution in northern Iraq," Blauser remembered. "We watched him [the father] come forward, and people rushed to take the boy from his arms. And he said, 'No, I've been carrying this child all my life. I can carry him the last 100 yards to receive his wheelchair.

 Website

WHEEL CHAIRS FOR IRAQI KIDS

CAUSES ON FACE BOOK

Soldiers Angels, May No Soldier Go Unloved, ADOPT! what does that mean? OUR HEROES NEED YOU!

Soldiers Angels, May No Soldier Go Unloved

MISSION: "May no soldier go unloved. May no soldier walk alone. May no soldier be forgotten. Until they all come home."

Founder: March 2003 Patti Patton-Bader

Email: angels@SoldiersAngels.org

Our 250,000+ volunteer members in over 20 different teams and programs operate internationally to provide letters, care packages, and comfort items to the deployed, and support for their families here at home. We also provide assistance to the wounded, continuing support for veterans, remembrances and comfort for families of the fallen, and immediate response to unique difficulties.

Through special projects, dedicated teams and individuals supporting our troops, we make a visible difference in the lives of our service members and their families.



Teams and Programs

• Adopt a Soldier - Individualized support throughout deployment
• Angel Bakers - Homemade treats for the deployed
• Blankets of Belief - Handcrafted support for the deployed
• Blankets of Hope - Handcrafted comfort for the wounded
• Cards Plus Team - Extra TLC for soldiers & families
• Chaplain Support Team - Help chaplains support the troops
• Eagle Cane Project - Handmade canes for the wounded
• First Response Backpacks - Supplies for wounded in-country
• Fisher House Team - Assistance for Fisher Houses & residents
• Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet - Care for pets
• Hero Flights - Emergency travel assistance
• Hero Packs - Care packages
• Holidays for Heroes - Holiday support and activities
• Ladies of Liberty - Extra TLC for deployed females
• Living Legends - Remembering the fallen and their families
• Operation Outreach - Supporting families waiting at home
• Operation Phone Home - Calling cards
• Operation Top Knot - Handmade gifts & virtual baby showers
• Portraits of Memory - Handpainted portraits of the fallen
• Scarves - Handmade heat and sand protection
• SOS:Kids - Helping deployed soldiers help local kids
• Valour-IT - Adaptive laptops for the wounded
• Veterans Support - Assisting veterans facilities

Join Them on Face Book: Soldiers Angals 

Soldiers Angels Website: Soldiers Angels

 

VERY GOOD Six part video series, a real eye opener to what our soldiers are doing on a daily basis.

The following  ISAF  six part video 

series are a  real eye opener to what

our soldiers are doing on a daily 

basis.
 

What their missions are, and how they carry them out.

Sergeant Major Michael Hall International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Reports with raw footage of our soldiers.

VIDEO 1

ISAF Command Sergeant Major Michael Hall tells a story which illustrates the ISAF Vision for Counter-Insurgency operations.  

VIDEO 2

ISAF Command Sergeant Major Michael Hall explains the importance of understanding the mission.  
 

VIDEO 3

ISAF Command Sergeant Major Michael Hall defines the concept of winning the "hearts and minds" of the Afghan people. 

VIDEO 4

ISAF Command Sergeant Major Michael Hall talks about partnering with Afghan National Security Forces as the key to successful counter-insurgency operations.
 

VIDEO 5

ISAF Command Sergeant Major Michael Hall explains how protecting the Afghan people is the goal of counter-insurgency operations.

VIDEO 6

ISAF Command Sergeant Major Michael Hall explains how protecting the Afghan people is the goal of counter-insurgency operations.   

(ISAF) International Security Assistance Force 

(NATO) North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Videos--- The Troops Encounter IED Close Calls

The Troops Encounter  IED Close Calls

Strong Language

The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund has helped Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and their families

The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund

has helped Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and their families The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund has helped Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and their families cope with the unexpected financial hardship that occurs when family members drop everything to be at the bedside of their injured or critically ill loved one. 

The Need

When Marines, Sailors, and other military personnel assigned to Marine Forces, are injured or critically ill, their entire family shares the pain and burden of recovery. Normal life is put on hold, often times for weeks, months, or years, as loved ones travel great distances, at a moment’s notice, and stay at the bedside. They take leave from their jobs, often without pay, and incur additional expenses for childcare, lodging, travel, specialized equipment, and other necessities. Few families are prepared for the expenses they face. They need help, and they need it quickly. The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund was created to meet this need.

 Mission

The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund provides financial assistance and quality of life solutions for Marines, Sailors and other military personnel assigned to Marine Forces, injured in post 9-11 combat, training, or with life threatening illnesses, and their families. Our fund provides relief for immediate financial needs that arise during hospitalization and recovery as well as perpetuating needs such as home modifications, customized transportation and specialized equipment.

Established in May 2004, the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that has provided over 17,000 grants totaling over $34 million in assistance to our Nation's wounded and critically ill heroes and their families. Since our inception, our administrative and fundraising costs have averaged at 8%, well below the national average, and our fundraising expenses have averaged just 2 cents per dollar raised.

Click on Our heroes for more from Semper Fi Fund

Our Heroes

We have encountered countless families with incredible stories of hardship, perseverance, courage and hope. The Fund has been able to help these families in the spirit of the Marine Corps' motto: "Semper Fidelis" (Always Faithful), which is the foundation of our beliefs in "Serving those who preserve our freedom."

Visit Website here

Semper Fi Fund

F14 Tribute video/ In the Cockpit with the pilot and more

 Honor to the F-14 Tomcat

A chapter in naval aviation history drew to

a close Feb. 8,2006 aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt 

(CVN 71) with the last recovery of 

an F-14 Tomcat from a combat mission.

F-14 Tomcat Specifications

Primary Function:	Carrier-based multi-role strike fighter
Contractor:	Grumman
Crew:	Two (pilot and radar intercept officer)
Unit Cost:	$38 million
Powerplant
	F-14A: Twin Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-41A turbofan engines (20,900 pounds of thrust w/ afterburner) F-14B/D: Twin General Electric F110-GE-400 turbofan engines (29,080-high/27,948 average pounds each w/ maximum afterburner)
Dimensions
Length:	61 feet 9 inches (18.6 meters)
Wingspan:	64 feet (19 meters) unswept, 38 feet (11.4 meters) swept
Height:	16 feet (4.8 meters)
Weights
Empty:	41,780 lb (18951 kg) -- F-14D
Maximum Takeoff:	72,900 pounds (32,805 kg)
Performance
Speed:	2.34 Mach (1.2 Mach sea level)
Ceiling:	56,000+ feet
Range:	Deck launched intercept F-14A - 915 nautical miles radius with two 280-gallon drop tanks jettisoned when empty Deck launched intercept F-14D - 656 nautical miles radius combat range with two 280-gallon drop tanks F-14D - With two 280-gallon drop tanks retained, 1,591 nautical miles ferry range
Armament
	Up to 13,000 pounds of: Air-to-Air Missiles (up to) 6 AIM-7 Sparrows 4 AIM-9 Sidewinder 6 AIM-54 Phoenix Air-to-Ground Ordnance MK-82 (500 lbs.) 4 MK-83 (1,000 lbs.) 4 MK-84 (2,000 lbs.) MK-20 cluster bomb 4 GBU-10 LGB GBU-12 MK-82 LGB 4 GBU-16 MK-83 LGB 4 GBU-24 MK-84 LGB one MK-61A1 Vulcan 20mm cannon

The F-14 Tomcat has the ability to fire the AIM-54 Phoenix -- the longest ranged AAM in the world.

The F-14 has visual and all-weather attack capability to deliver Phoenix and Sparrow missiles as well as the M-61 gun and Sidewinder missiles for close in air-to-air combat. The F-14 also has the LANTIRN targeting system that allows delivery of various laser-guided bombs for precision strikes in air-to-ground combat missions. The F-14, equipped with Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) is the Navy's only manned tactical reconnaissance platform.

Arlo Guthrie/ GIVES A VIDEO TRIBUTE When A Soldier Makes It Home VERY GOOD

Arlo Guthrie/ GIVES A VIDEO TRIBUTE

When A Soldier Makes It Home.To the Troops in Afghanistan

Arlo performs this song with his son Abe Guthrie, keyboards, Tim Sears, guitar, Jason Webster, guitar, Sean Hurley, bass, Kali Baba McConnel, drums. Wolftrap,

THE DEFENCE OF AMERULLAH (USPB) IN AFGHANISTAN// GOOD FOOTAGE VIDEO

THE DEFENCE OF AMERULLAH (USPB) IN MUSA QALA IN AFGHANISTAN

FROM SEPT 08- NOV 08. 15 MEN FROM 1 RIFLES, WERE POSTED TO A SMALL PATROL BASE IN MUSA QALA. EACH NIGHT AND DAY THE TALIBAN TRIED TO OVERRUN THEIR PATROL BASE BUT WERE FOUGHT OF BY THE MEN FROM 1 RIFLES ON EVERY OCCASION. AFTER 6 WEEKS, THE MEN FROM THE PATROL BASE WITH AFGHAN SOLDIERS FOUGHT A RUNNING BATTLE TO PUSH THE TALIBAN BACK. TURNING THE TABLES ROUND AND TAKING THE FIGHT TO THEM. AFTER A 36HR FIGHT, THE GROUND AROUND THE PATROL BASE HAD BEEN CLEARED. RESULTING IN 30 TALIBAN K.I.A`s AND 1 BRITISH More..

Darryl Worley: I Just Came Back From A War/// VIDEO TRIBUTE

Darryl Worley: I Just Came Back From A War

A powerful song about the effects of war on soldiers once they return home and try to adjust to the mundane realities of a free society.

Oeration Enduring Freedom, our troops from the arena SLDIE SHOW BEST TO VIEW FULL SCREEN

Operation Enduring Freedom, our troops from the arena

 BEST TO VIEW FULL SCREEN/ JUST CLICK THE FULL
BUTTON

"Girl In The War" Powerful Video From Soon To Be Folk Legend Josh Ritter

Josh Ritter - "Girl In The War"

Peter said to Paul
"All those words that we wrote
Are just the rules of the game and the rules are the first to go"
But now talkin' to God is Laurel beggin' Hardy for a gun
I gotta girl in the war, man I wonder what it is we done

Paul said to Petey
"You gotta rock yourself a little harder;
Pretend the dove from above is a dragon and your feet are on fire"
And I got a girl in the war, Paul the only thing I know to do
Is turn up the music and pray that she makes it through

Because the keys to the kingdom got locked inside the kingdom
And the angels fly around in there, but we can't see them
And I gotta girl in the war, Paul I know that they can hear me yell
If they can't find a way to help, they can go to Hell
If they can't find a way to help her, they can go to Hell

Paul to Petey "you gotta rock yourself a little harder;
Pretend the dove from above is a dragon and your feet are on fire"
But I gotta girl in the war, Paul her eyes are like champagne
They sparkle, bubble over, in the morning all you got is rain
Sparkle, bubble over, in the morning all you got is rain
They sparkle, bubble over, in the morning all you got is rain

5 Canadians Killed in Afghanistan, Including Award-Winning Journalist

5 Canadians Killed in Afghanistan,

Including Award-Winning Journalist

December 30, 2009, Five Canadians were killed in a bomb blast Wednesday in Afghanistan — four soldiers and a Calgary Herald reporter. Brig.-Gen. Daniel Ménard said a Canadian civilian was also wounded in the attack at about 4 p.m. local time. Ménard said their armoured vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device in the city of Kandahar. The attack came during a community security patrol to both gather information on the pattern of life and to maintain security in the area.
"The journalist was travelling with them to tell the story of what Canada's soldiers are doing in Afghanistan," he said.Ménard said the military is notifying the families of the soldiers and more information will be provided once this has been completed. The journalist was identified as Michelle Lang of the Calgary Herald.

Veterans Airlift Command providing free air transportation for medical and other compassionate purposes to wounded warriors, veterans, and their families

Veterans Airlift Command

We provide free air transportation for medical and other compassionate purposes to wounded warriors, veterans, and their families through a national network of volunteer aircraft owners and pilots.

I thought it appropriate to reflect on the year and thank those who have made this effort/enterprise a success.

Looking back, I believe this was the year (our third full year in existence) that we became “established”. We reached a milestone of 1400 volunteer pilots and aircraft owners on our volunteer roles and increased our flights by 50% over the previous year (again). We have now transported over 1800 passengers well over one million miles since beginning in Nov 06. We have become known within the military medical community as a “quietly competent” resource which executes as promised. This is only possible because of our network of willing patriot volunteers who fly the missions, and the financial supporters who keep our flight coordination center funded and able to respond pretty much 24/7.

It is amazing to me that we can cover the mission requests, sometimes with as little as a couple of hours notice and provide such first rate service to our wounded warriors and their families. What a blessing to be associated with the caliber of volunteers that the mission attracts. Volunteers like Phil Tholen from Tulsa, who accepted two missions over the holidays to get two seriously wounded soldiers (one airman and his family and one single soldier… a double amputee) home from San Antonio to Chicago and Dayton respectively, in his Hawker Premier Jet. Phil took it upon himself to call an additional passenger (one he’d flown to Philadelphia previously) to see if he needed a lift as well. Turns out he did need a lift back to San Antonio, so Phil added that to his task for the return leg… thus completing his 31st mission for the VAC since he joined us just over two years ago.

If I had the time I would write a story about every mission we complete. It would be doable if my allergies didn’t kick in every time I hear about what our volunteers do and the difference that they make in the lives of our heroes. Or….even as common…the difference that these heroes make in the lives of our volunteers!

Without the financial support of great Americans like those named on our donor recognition page, this would not work.. THANKS to all those named on our wall for your participation. Patriots all!

We were shocked by a Congressman I met while in DC visiting Walter Reed a couple of Months ago. He heard a short pitch from me and seemed impressed when I described our mission. Six weeks later I got a call from Congressman Rooney’s office (district 6 in FL) advising me that he was planning a motorcycle ride around lake Okeechobee to raise awareness and funding for the VAC. He actually did it on Dec 13. Buck Williams and Paul Donahue, two of our volunteers flew one of our former passengers in for the event…Buck flew him down from Orlando and Paul flew him over the motorcycle route in his helicopter. A great day..captured on this newsmax video. Our story is being told in unique ways and we are gaining momentum. Thank you congressman Rooney and future Congressman Allan West for your leadership.

We are looking forward to expanding our efforts to serve our military family and especially our wounded warriors in 2010. Thanks for your part in the mission. This is important stuff!

Veterans Airlift Command from Walt Fricke on Vimeo.

Veterans Airlift Command

Plaque Honors Nancy Petosky's Support for our Troops in Iraq, INVITES YOU TO COME ALONG

Plaque Honors Nancy Petosky's 

Support for our Troops 

Court Services' Nancy Petosky has been sending boxes of "goodies" to support our service folk in Iraq for almost four years now.

In appreciation of her dedication and support of our troops abroad, the soldiers of the Delta Company 1-63 CAB 2nd HBCT "Reapers" have recognized Nancy with a special plaque in appreciation of her support.  This plaque now hangs with honor in Court Services, a tribute to Nancy's devotion to those who serve and defend.

Nancy invites others to join her in supporting our troops - you may email her directly or call her at 222-3001 to learn how you may contribute to this worthwhile cause.  

"It really makes you feel warm all over to know you are making an impact," says Nancy.  And, most special of all -- this plaque was delivered in person by Company member SPC Nicholas Wiseley,  nephew of the Trial Court's Lisa Kuebler.