UPDATE FOR: Help COP Keating Survivors!

I just got this notice from a fellow Blue Star Mom and thought you'd like to know:

On Saturday, Oct. 24, The American Legion and Target Corp. begin replacing personal items U.S. soldiers were forced to destroy in an Oct. 3 attack in the rugged Nuristan province of Afghanistan.

Between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., Legionnaires will go to a Target Store in Colorado Springs and purchase thousands of dollars worth of DVDs, video games, books, magazines and other comfort items for surviving Fort Carson-based Bravo Troop 3-61 Cavalry soldiers who remain in Afghanistan or are recovering from the battle. The Target Store is located at 3810 East Bloomington Street, Colorado Springs.

The items will be transported from the store to American Legion Post 209 at 3613 Jeannine Drive in Colorado Springs for a packing and shipping party. Some family members of the troops are expected to be present.

A fundraising drive on an American Legion blog site, The Burn Pit, netted more than $50,000 in cash donations to help the soldiers replace their personal belongings. Outnumbered and surrounded in a rugged mountain valley, the besieged troops were forced to call in an artillery strike on their own position, escaping Combat Outpost Keating with little more than the clothes on their backs Oct. 3. Eight American troops were killed in the battle.

Upon learning of the COP Keating Relief Fund, Target Corp. matched The American Legion Burn Pit cash contribution with $50,000 worth of merchandise and gift cards. In addition to the purchases made at the store in Colorado Springs, merchandise will be trucked from a Target regional distribution center to Post 209 for packing and preparation.

Similar shopping and packing events are scheduled in Minneapolis, home of Target’s corporate headquarters, on Oct. 27 at 10 a.m.; and Triangle, Va., on Oct. 29 at approximately 10 a.m.

The Target Store involved with the event Tuesday, Oct. 27, is located at 7000 York Ave., Edina, Minn.; merchandise purchased there will be assembled and shipped from Richfield American Legion Post 435, 6501 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis.

The Target Store involved with the event Thursday, Oct. 29, is located at 4310 Fortuna Center Plz., Dumfries, Va.; merchandise purchased there will be assembled and shipped from American Legion Post 28, 17934 Liming Lane, Triangle, Va.

Custom Boyfriend of a Deployed Soldier Shirt

Here is another hard to find shirt...

Custom Boyfriend of a Deployed Soldier Shirt

Suggestions for other shirts/mugs/bumperstickers are appreciated!! We've already covered a few I wasn't thinking of, like Mother-in-Law and Uncle (thanks to those who have made suggestions already), let's see what else we can come up with!

Minor babble and I Just Made This Customizable Proud Girlfriend of a Deployed Soldier shirt

I admit I've been distracted lately. Ok, maybe distracted is too weak a word. How about overwhelmed? Yeah. That fits better.

My "duties" as a military parent are not so obvious to others now that Mike is back in the US. However, I have many organizations that I am a member of that are not dependent on what country my son is in at the time. Sometimes, they seem to overrun my life and then when I try to weed through and thin out those that I could let go of with certainty that someone would fill the position...I am at a loss. It seems that many people are not so interested in helping those outside their immediate family circle. So I will continue to be sporadic here, and keep on chugging along in all my other endeavors. One thing that can not be let go any further though is my income. Gotta pay those bills, right? So today is dedicated to getting my store in order, as well as it can be. I'll try to space out my bombardment of new items so you aren't wondering whether I gave up the Army Mom gig and moved over to Retail Store Mom. :P

Thanks to everyone that has visited so far! I do appreciate you all!

And without further adieu.. here is my newest shirt...

Custom Girlfriend of a Deployed Soldier Shirt

Helping COP Keating Survivors

In the last 36 hours, bloggers from "left" to "right" have teamed up with the American Legion and other military support organizations to support the survivors of the battle at COP Keating. And Soldiers' Angels has jumped in to help!

Not only did the soldiers of COP Keating fight a ferocious battle that included a breach of the base at one point, they lost eight of their brothers (while they donated blood as the battle raged) and watched their living quarters go up in smoke. A participant in the battle who got out later wrote via email, “Most people back home don't even know, no one gives a s***.”

Well, he's already being proven wrong!

Blogger and troop supporter extraordinaire "Tanker Babe" was the first to sound the alarm, pointing out that while the very-most basics would be replaced by the US Army, these heroes needed more. Bloggers across the political spectrum answered the call as Tanker Babe began to coordinate specific item donations of extra clothing and toiletries. Soldiers' Angels pitched in with 54 pairs of socks and a stack of cards and letters written by kids, and within 36 hours Tanker Babe was proud to report, "Mission accomplished."

The American Legion also stepped up to lead in lifting the morale of these brave warriors another way:

In the battle for Combat Outpost Keating, the men of Bravo Troop 361 Cavalry lost every possession they had, save for the clothes on their backs. These men have lost friends, their outpost, and all their belongings. One soldier who made it out wrote that “most people back home dont even know, no one gives a s***.” Well, many of us do. And you can prove it by giving whatever you can. These guys need things like running shoes, and other essentials, as well as some comfort items like iPods and DVD players. The American Legion has kicked in $1000 to start the fund, and your humble blogger will be the first to donate $100. I intend to get these items out by the end of next week. ANY amount you can give, no matter how small will help us prove that we care.

Congratulations to all involved in this great effort, a wonderful example of the amazing things Americans can do when we all pull together!

New Hampshire for Valour-IT

Business people from Southern New Hampshire are getting a jump on the upcoming Valour-IT fundraser by conducting a little fundraiser of their own. From the Souhegan Valley Chamber of Commerce:

Eastern Expo Challenges Nationwide Bloggers in Support of Soldiers’ Angels

Attendees of the Southern New Hampshire Expo will be taking on the blogging world on October 22 at the Hampshire Dome in a competition to raise money for wounded veterans. At stake is the goal of supplying voice-activated laptops through Soldiers’ Angels Project Valour-IT to servicemen and women who were injured while deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Souhegan Valley Chamber of Commerce is partnering with local Soldiers’ Angel volunteers to raise funds for Valour-IT laptops through direct donations or by admission to the Expo. “Mention the name Soldiers’ Angels at the door, and one dollar of every paid admission to the Expo will go to Soldiers’ Angels,” explains Richard Mori of Mori Books, Co-Chairman of the event. “We are hoping to raise enough money to purchase at least 10 of them.”

This real world effort in Milford is competing with a cyber network of blogging supporters who will be raising funds for Valour-IT through their websites, beginning on October 26. Bloggers and other New Media mavens will compete as teams of Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force supporters to see who can raise the most money for laptops and other technology that supports the recovery of wounded warriors.

Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, helps provide voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries. These laptops are important to a wounded service member's recovery. Not only do they allow communication with family and friends, but they can be a powerful tool for recovery as patients educate themselves on medical treatments and use computer-based treatment/recovery tools.

Matt Bernard of Brinestone Network Security and IT Consulting, a twice-decorated Purple Heart veteran of Iraq, brought Valour-IT to the attention of the Chamber’s Expo committee. “Soldiers’ Angels was the first group to reach out to me when I landed back in NH after being wounded. They provided what I needed to get back on my feet. I know how necessary these laptops are to get people on their feet,” Bernard explains. “Getting this fundraiser underway is just my way of paying it forward.”

The Souhegan Valley Chamber reaches beyond the typical business to business connections in planning its events. “This partnership with Soldiers’ Angels is one more way the Chamber is providing a vehicle for the nonprofits that serve our communities to raise the money needed to do the important work they do,” from Mike Brisebois, Hitchiner Manufacturing and Co-Chairman of the Expo. “All the organizations – business, civic, government form a network that supports the towns and our citizens. The success of one lends strength to the others. We hope everyone will help us by attending the Expo on October 22 at the Hampshire Dome in Milford.” Over 150 booths will be displaying the products, services and food samplings of the exhibitors from all over the region, northern MA and southern NH. Major sponsors for The Southern NH Expo are Walmart, First Colebrook Bank, PSNH and the Cabinet Press.

Those who want to donate directly to SA and credit it to this fundraising event can use the donation buttons on the SA site, then add "from Souhegan" in the comments section. For more information, contact May Balsama: may@souhegan.net, 603-673-4360.