Capt. Tim Reynolds: "a Little PEACE of Home"
October 5, 2008 at 03:22
by BlogMasters
Capt. Tim Reynolds, a native of Beaumont, Texas, who serves as a chaplain with 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, sits in his chair at the Soldiers’ Blessing Store, Oct. 2, 2008, where he has facilitated and consolidated donations from many people and organizations for Soldiers living at Forward Operating Base Prosperity in Baghdad. The facility is stocked full of donated items – and provides the erstwhile visitors with “a little PEACE of home.”
Date Taken: October 2nd, 2008
Location: FORWARD OPERATING BASE PROSPERITY, Iraq
Photographer: Sgt. Whitney Houston
Multi-National Division Baghdad
Read Full Story Here: Capt. Tim Reynolds: "a Little PEACE of Home"
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Soldiers Blessing Store: "a little PEACE of home."
October 5, 2008 at 03:08
by US Military News
In an attempt to counteract the effects of being deployed, many devout patriots have stood up and have been the means of providing Soldiers a taste of home through donations to the Soldiers’ Blessing Store, located on Forward Operating Base Prosperity in Baghdad
Capt. Tim Reynolds, a native of Beaumont, Texas, who serves as chaplain with 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, has collected donations from charitable individuals and organizations across the United States and consolidated them in the store in an attempt to bless the lives of Soldiers.
“It’s hard for me to quantify, but we’ve received donations from 20 to 30 states,” Reynolds said. “It’s a great way to show Soldiers that people back home care for them, and it’s also a great reminder for them that there are a lot of people that support them back home.”
The idea behind the Soldiers Blessing Store was to provide Soldiers who aren’t close to a post exchange with a perpetual care package, giving them home-baked goods, reading materials and essentials such as hygiene products.
“A lot of Soldiers don’t receive care packages on a regular basis, and in this case, it’s a continual care package from the people back home,” said Capt. Jonathan Hilton, a native of Colorado Springs, Colo., who serves with the 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
“In addition to that,” he continued, “there are a lot of Soldiers who are at joint security stations or forward operating bases where there isn’t a PX, so when they come here they can come in and get stuff like hygiene products and morale things like books and homemade brownies.”
Not only does this boost Soldiers’ morale, it also helps them a little economically as well.
“It’s just a great thing to be able to do something like this. It’s a practical thing to save Soldiers some money,” Reynolds said.
This huge operation requires a lot of coordination, explained Reynolds. Members of his family and many others have worked tirelessly to get the goods, which have an estimated value of more than $40,000, to the store so far.
“There are a lot of individual groups – and my wife,” he said, in talking about those who have so lovingly given their time to make the program such a success.
“My Aunt Merna in Bay City, Texas, has a lot of connections that she works through to get this stuff over here,” Reynolds said. “It’s like we’re doing [those who give] a service by taking their donations. To me that speaks volumes. And believe you me, they get very excited having the opportunity to do this for the Soldiers.”
Putting his efforts aside, Reynolds modestly explained that the people back home who have given their time are the true champions of the operation.
“I’m not the hero,” Reynolds said. “The heroes are the folks back home. All I do is facilitate and provide an avenue for the folks back home to do their part in supporting our Soldiers. Without their help and support, it couldn’t happen.”
Outside the store hangs a sign that greets the Soldiers with the words: “Soldiers’ Blessing Store.” The second line of the sign reads: “a little PEACE of home.”
Each time a Soldier enters, the program’s goal is met through there mere entrance to the facility, which offers a little bit of love and peace from home.
By Sgt. Whitney Houston
Posted on 10.05.2008 at 12:07PM
Multi-National Division – Baghdad
Source: DVIDS-Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System
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398th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion: Takes Control
October 3, 2008 at 01:39
by BlogMasters
The 398th CSSB now has command and control of Victory Base Complex bulk fuel farm, central receiving and shipping point yard, liberty ammunition supply point and shower laundry and clothing repair teams in Multi-National Divisions – Baghdad and Center.
In order to prepare for their new mission, the 398th CSSB underwent months of pre-mobilization and mobilization training. Upon arriving to Iraq, the Soldiers of the 398th CSSB trained closely with their counterparts in the 553rd CSSB to fully understand how to perform their duties.
“The 398th [CSSB] is fully ready to support the mission,” said Lt. Col. William Arther, an Eldersburg, Md. Native, and the 398th CSSB commander.
“[Our goal] is to get the mission done and try to make a positive impact to the mission,” added Arther. “The main purpose here is the warfighters and the decision makers.”
Although the 553rd CSSB has cased its colors and left its former responsibilities in capable hands, the unit’s mission is far from complete. The battalion is not quite heading home, but to a different location on the camp.
The 553rd CSSB, a Fort Hood, Texas, unit, is scheduled to transition with the 168th Brigade Support Battalion and take on a new mission. The unit will be responsible for a multi-class Supply Support Activity and conduct direct support maintenance.
The unit will also have to direct the transport of supplies to about 80,000 warfighters throughout MND-B and MND-C.
“We were aware before our deployment that our mission was going to change. That wasn’t an issue for the battalion headquarters since we’d already trained on both mission sets at the National Training Center in November 2007,” said Lt. Col. Gregory Koller, the commander of the 553rd CSSB.
“We look forward to our next mission and will continue to provide great support to our customers,” added Koller, a Mobile, Ala. native.
By Spc. Andrea Merritt
Posted on 10.03.2008 at 08:55AM
1st Sustainment Brigade
Source: DVIDS-Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System
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Pfc. Serena Norman- Enjoys Being "One of the Guys"
October 2, 2008 at 10:08
by BlogMasters
Instead, she’s found a happy medium providing medical coverage for more than 60 of her brothers-in-arms at Joint Security Station Five.
Norman, of Company C, 589th Brigade Support Battalion, 41st Fires Brigade, supports Battery A, 2nd Bn., 20th Field Artillery Regiment, 41st Fires Bde. and the Iraqi policemen who rotate through the JSS.
“We’re one big happy family,” said Norman of the crew.
Norman proved herself to the “Renegades” on early patrols.
“She never complained, and always helped out when we needed – you couldn’t ask for a better medic,” said Bolline, Ill., native 2nd Lt. Anthony Mathis, platoon leader, Btry. A.
In August, when the Renegades and IPs took over JSS-5 after the Georgians were called back home, Norman joined them and set up shop. She teaches combat lifesaver classes to the American Soldiers and IPs, holds sick call, provides medical support on patrols and assists with details.
Norman said the camaraderie she finds between the Renegades and IPs always motivates her. She gets a kick out of knowing the guys all have different backgrounds and music preferences, but come together while deployed.
“They’ll do anything for each other. It’s exactly what I thought the Army would be,” she said
The Los Alamos, N.M., native is torn between the adrenaline rush she feels when treating medical trauma and not wanting to see any of “her guys” injured. Norman instead finds fulfillment through knowing the Iraqis are learning valuable skills from the Americans, such as holding patrol briefs and taking CLS bags on patrols.
“I felt so good after teaching the Iraqis CLS,” she said. “I smiled for about a week afterward.”
She’s also inspired by the initiative the Renegades take to setting up their living space. When she first arrived they were setting up their air conditioners; she, in turn, built a locking cabinet for the aid station.
“If we don’t do it, who is going to?” Norman asked.
Norman said she still plans to become a doctor, most likely a trauma surgeon, after completing her military service.
By Spc. Allison Churchill
Posted on 10.02.2008 at 03:05AM
41st Fires Brigade Public Affairs Office
Source: DVIDS-Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System
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Home Repair Scam Appears to Target Military Families
September 17, 2008 at 05:43
by BlogMasters
WASHINGTON - The letter that appeared in a Soldier's mailbox promised an offer almost too good to be true: a home improvement loan approved by Congress and backed up by a government agency.
Officials at the Federal Citizen Information Center fear it's a scam targeting military members that uses the center's credibility to lure victims in.
An eagle-eyed Soldier notified the Federal Citizen Information Center after receiving the ad from the "Home Information Center" linked to post office boxes in Dallas and in Owasso, Okla. The letter included a reference to FCIC's Web site in an apparent attempt to show a federal endorsement.
"The thing that immediately sends up a red flag is the fact that [the advertisement] says these loans are approved by the U.S. Congress," said Mary Levy, director of consumer education and outreach in the FCIC's Office of Citizen Services. "Congress would absolutely never approve any particular home improvement loan."
Source: DVIDS-Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System
Read Full Story Here: Home Repair Scam Appears to Target Military Families
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