Memorial Weekend 2011.

Hardiness , valor,strength, and bravery, peace and honesty, Vigilance, Perserverance, Justice, truth, and loyalty. What do those those words represent? If you're completely puzzled or you think you have an idea, they represent the colors of the American Flag. Good Ole Red, White, and Blue.

Growing up, I've always been patriotic. Being an Army Wife I feel even more empowered to express the way I feel about our country. Yesterday, Jeff and I went downtown to the Special Operations museum where they had 700 flags put out to represent some people in the service. The ground leading up to the museum had engravings of servicemen who had died protecting our flag, our country, us. One of these engravings in particular hit something deep down that filled me with emotion. I just wanted to break down and cry. I don't remember what his name was...but he had died in a Black Hawk crash in 1993 in Somalia. When we came home later that day we popped in the movie "Black Hawk Down." Seeing an actual memorial for this brave man and watching the movie to see what he went through was devastating. War in general is always devastating. Being stuck home on the sidelines when something is going on, we try not to think about how horrible our husbands, our brothers, or even our sisters go through or witness. I know it's nothing compared to the "real" thing but it really made me think. It also made me appreciate our troops even more. Back home there would always be parades and festivities going on to celebrate these men and women. Back home there is no active military base or "military towns". People show their appreciation however they can but it's completely different than being in a military town. In the museum a good majority of the volunteers were veterans. The Vet that I had spoken to, I shook the man's hand and told him "Thank you". I try to thank veterans when I can, I do it because I mean it. After yesterday, I think the Veteran had know I meant it because a whole lot of emotions came with it. After you thank a Vet, the expression you see on their face is always timeless. The world stops and you can feel the joy that they feel.

When Jeff was deployed, my mom had put a single candle in the window so that he could find his way home safely. I ask all of you to please do this until tuesday morning so that all of our soldiers still deployed find their ways home safely. I also ask you to do this for all the brave men and women who have fallen. They gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Please remember the true meaning of Memorial Day and show your patriotism by thanking a veteran.
God Bless the USA.

Make A Wish

For those of you that know me, I've always been really big on helping people. I started doing volunteer work at the age of 13. It was mandatory at my high school in order to graduate. But the more I did the work, the more I appreciated doing it. It makes you feel good and it makes you feel like you accomplished something. People are always talking about change and making a difference. You can make your difference TODAY.

Christmas Eve five and a half years ago, my cousin James was born. He was a great baby, but something wasn't right. After multiple doctors visits, they diagnosed James with Pompe's disease. For those of you that don't know what Pompe's disease is here is a little information:

Glycogen storage disease type II (also called Pompe disease or acid maltase deficiency) is an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder[1] which damages muscle and nerve cells throughout the body. It is caused by an accumulation of glycogen in the lysosome due to deficiency of the lysosomal acid alpha-glucosidase enzyme. It is the only glycogen storage disease with a defect in lysosomal metabolism, and the first glycogen storage disease to be identified, in 1932.
The build-up of glycogen causes progressive muscle weakness (myopathy) throughout the body and affects various body tissues, particularly in the heart, skeletal muscles, liver and nervous system. (Wikipedia)

James has been in and out of the hospital every since he was a baby. Doctors told my family that it is very rare for children with Pompe to live past the age of three. James will be six this winter. This child has showed everyone in my family what love really is. I look up to my aunt and uncle so much. It takes two very strong people to raise a child with a disability. The strength these two have is amazing and unbelievable. I hope and I pray to God that I can be as strong as them both. Enough with the mushy stuff. James gets to go to school, he gets to play with his brothers, and he has one heck of a personality. He can't walk, but he makes you appreciate the small things in life. One of his favorite things to do right now is to go for walks. My family takes turns pushing him in his chair around his house. James will put his little hand out and knock all of the magnets off of the fridge. It's cute and you can see how much joy he gets out of that. The smallest things.

This past April, Make a Wish foundation paid for James to go to Disney with his family. He has a blast!! His favorite ride was the Jaws ride. I've always heard really great things about make a wish, but seeing what it can do for a family is totally different. There are hundreds of thousands of children with disabilities and diseases that Make a wish helps every day. I think it's time for us to show our appreciation. This summer, my Uncle Rick is doing the "Make a Wish ride". It's a bicycle marathon that will probably end up with hundreds of people breathless and puking their brains out. Just kidding. Ha. Anyways, below is a link. Please check it out. Any donation helps, whether it's one dollar or twenty. "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

Donate to Make a Wish!!!

Homesick.

The last couple days I've been pondering what I should write about next. The only suggestion I recieved from people was to write about how REAL army life is different from the tv show. Well, this is about to be as real as it gets...

I'm sitting here listening to "Home" by the Foo Fighters crying like a baby. My husband and I PCS to Hawaii in 10 weeks. He started clearing the other day and things are finally starting to move along. Now that everything is in the works and we have the paperwork, it feels real. It feels real and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I miss home. When will I see home next?
I haven't seen my dad since christmas (he does work in Alabama, so he's not home much). My mom is visiting in just a couple weeks. I don't know what all started this mood though. It could be my little sisters birthday thats coming up. She's going to be twelve. I remember being twelve. It was the most difficult age I had to deal with. I lost a lot of my self esteem when I was that age. I felt the lowest of lows. I don't want that to happen to her. I want to be there to protect her. I want to be there for all my siblings. I used to protect my brothers. Now they are all bigger than me and they try to protect me. I love them all to death. I miss weekends with my mom. All the kids would be gone and it'd be just her and I. We'd watch movies together and just talk about everything. I miss random days with my dad. He'd come home from work early and he'd take me shopping. It's the little things. I feel like I took those for granted. Kids growing up always talk about how they can't wait to get out of the house. We want to be able to feel that freedom. The freedom is great. But I constantly feel like a huge chunk is missing out of my heart. I grew up being so close with my family...after Jeff and I leave I dont know when I will be able to see them again. Three years. A lot can change in three years. 15, 17, 20, 21. Thats how old my siblings will be when we get back to the states. I wont be able to buy my oldest brother his first beer. I won't be able to take my other brother to get his first tattoo. I wont be able to take that first drive with my youngest brother. And I wont be able to take homecoming pictures with my sister. It breaks my heart. I have to keep telling myself that I KNEW what I was getting into.

There you have it. Real live Army wife life. It's time for me to put my big girl panties on now.

First holiday away from "Home."

Easter 2011 was my first holiday away from everything I've known. Growing up, my siblings and I would wake each other up at the crack of dawn just to find our easter baskets. Mom was always great with holidays. It was always too cold for her to hide the eggs, so she would make do with the plastic eggs hidden around the house. After we would go through our baskets, we would get dressed in our best and go to church. Then around noon we would head to my grandma's house and spend Easter with the rest of our ginormous family.

This year since it was just myself, Jeff, and the dog, I had bought a couple baskets and some little gadgets from the dollar tree. I had to play bunny this year. I hid Bella's basket and let her find it. It was so cute. Jeff and I got ready for the day and went to church. It was a beautiful service. Afterwords we got some lunch at Golden Corral (I had never been), it was amazing! We also decided to go for a drive. So we took the dog and went to a couple lakes on post. It was a beautiful day and it was just filled with love, even though it was only the three of us. When we got home, our neighbors came over and we all watched "Passion of the Christ." I had seen the movie before but I was a child and I never really understood. After watching it again, I feel like I found the true meaning of Easter.

Life is beautiful. Life is short. Jesus died for my sins, and yours, whether you believe or not..

Twister..in real life.

As most of you have heard by now, yesterday 16April 2011, tornados ripped through the east coast. North Carolina got hit really badly. As of right now there are 22 confirmed casualties and many many injured. The whole state is under a state of emergency. I decided that tomorrow I am going to red cross and am going to volunteer as much time as I can to help these victims.

Growing up in Michigan, we do get tornados every now and then. However, none are really "deadly." Michigan does a test every first saturday of the month with the "tornado sirens." I didn't hear this down here. Yesterday morning and Friday evening everyone kept talking about how horrible and severe this storm was going to be. Myself along with others didn't think anything of it because back in the fall, we were supposed to get hit with a hurricane. The end results in this hurricane was sprinkles and sunshine. The weather yesterday was kind of over cast, the sun peaking out here and there and pretty humid. It started sprinkling a little bit and Jeff and I had decided to go to Sonic because I am completely obsessed with Route 44 sweet teas..extra ice. As soon as we pulled into the sonic booth, the power went out. Oh great, I thought. I looked behind me to look at the major road, all the traffic lights were out. We decided to leave and head home. Within the .2 miles of driving back home we saw almost two accidents. We get home and sit on the porch because it starts thundering a little bit. The neighbor had her little boy out playing in the rain with his spiderman rain boots and yellow poncho. Then is started to pour cats and dogs, and when I say cats and dogs, I mean elephants and velociraptors.  (Oh yeah and we lost our power too at this point) So we're sitting out on the patio, and we hear this loud thunder that didn't stop for almost 20 seconds. It was loud and kind of sounded like a train. I don't know if this was the tornado or not. But it scared the heck out of me! We went back inside, the power turned back on and the sun was out. The crap? I get online as fast as I can and I hear about two tornados. One in Fayetteville/Ft Bragg and one in Sanford which is like twenty minutes from me. I thank God that this thing passed us. I see pictures, watch the news, see videos, and hear stories and it breaks my heart. I haven't volunteered in a very long time so tomorrow my goal is to get down to red cross and do WHATEVER I can.

Those of you that are in any of the areas that got affected by these tornados, God bless you and your family.
For information on how you can help visit: Highland Hills Red Cross

Tell time like a soldier.

I hate using military time, being around so much it sort of starts to grow on you. Here's a little help on learning military time.

If it's past noon, add 1200 to it. Example: (1:00pm)  1+1200= 1300

If you watch the show Army Wives, they're not 100% right on everything. If it's before noon, it's ZERO and then the time and not OH. Example: 8am...0800 (Zero eight hundred)

Talk like a soldier.

I recently had a poll on which topics I should discuss in my next entry. Military Jargon was tied with skype dates. So I figured why not do both. I'm the kind of wife that makes sure my husband doesn't bring work home with him, and I try not to get involved with the army because I'm not a soldier. However, at times, you can't really help but to want to know what's going on. Like, who the heck is Roger, and why are we still talking about Charlie? I've only been a wife for six months, but I'm SLOWLY learning the jargon. One weekend, Jeff and I went camping and I told him, "My goal for this weekend is to learn the army alphabet." "You mean the phonetic alphabet?" He says. "Well yeah, same difference." Sure enough, by the end of the weekend I could recite the whole alphabet. It wasn't too hard but certain letters were a little tough. I started thinking of way to remember them. Example, L is for Lima. I only remember that because that's the town the show Glee takes place. Hah. Anyways, below is the complete alphabet for you ladies, and a little extra on the jargon. :]

Phonetic Alphabet:


A....ALPHA
B....BRAVO
C....CHARLIE
D....DELTA
E....ECHO
F....FOXTROT
G....GULF
H....HOTEL
I....INDIA
J....JULIET
K....KILO
L....LIMA
M....MIKE
N....NOVEMBER
O....OSCAR
P....PAPA
Q....QUEBEC
R....ROMEO
S....SIERRA
T....TANGO
U....UNIFORM
V....VICTOR
W....WHISKEY
X....X-RAY
Y....YANKEE
Z....ZULU

Other Jargon you may or may not find useful. :]

---A---

AAA - Anti-Aircraft Artillery

AAFES - Army Air Force Exchange System

AAR - After Action Report

ABN - Airborne

ACAP - Army Career and Alumni Program (helps soldiers separating from the military)

ACP - Access Control Point

ACS - Army Community Services (provides family services)

ACU - Army Combat Uniform

AD - Active Duty

ADA - Air Defense Artillery

AER - Army Emergency Relief (emergency funds for families and soldiers)

AFN - Armed Forces Network

AFTB - Army Family Team Building (teaches dependents about military life)

AG - Adjutant General

AIT - Advanced Individual (or Infantry) Training

ALC - Advance Leadership Course (same as BNCOC, Army renamed it)

AOB - Armor Officer Basic

ANCOC - Advanced Noncommisioned Officer Course (needed to make E-7)

ANG - Air National Guard

AO - Area of Operations

APC - Armored Personnel Carrier

APFT - Army Physical Fitness Test

APO - Army Post Office

AR -Army Regulation

ASAP - Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program

ASU - Army Service Uniform (Class A's)

ATC - Annual Training Conference

AWOL - Absent Without Leave

---B---

BAH - Basic Allowance for Housing (money for rent for soldiers with dependents)

BAS - Basic Allowance for Sustinence (money for food for soldiers with dependents)

BCT - Basic Combat Training (formerly known as Boot Camp)

BDE - Brigade

BDU - Battle Dress Uniform (old camouflage uniforms)

BOGINT - Bogus Intelligence

BOHICA - Bend Over Here It Comes Again

BOQ - Bachelor Officer Quarters

BN - Battalion

BNCOC - Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course (needed for promotion to E-6)

BRAC - Base Realignments and Closures

---C---

CAC - Community Action Counsel

CG - Commanding General (in charge of the base or post)

CDC - Child Development Center

CENTCOM - Central Command

CIB - Combat Infantry Badge

CID - Criminal Investigation Division

CO - Commanding Officer

COB - Close of Business

COLA - Cost of Living Allowance (given in Hawaii, Alaska and overseas)

CONUS - Continental United States

CPS - Child Protective Services

CQ - Charge of Quarters

CY - Calendar Year

---D---

DA - Department of the Army

DCU - Desert Camouflage Uniform

DeCa - Defense Commissary Agency (run grocery stores on base or post)

DEERS - Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System

DEROS - Date of Estimated Return from Overseas

DFAC - Dining Facilities Administration Center (or known as the Mess Hall/Cafeteria)

DFAS - Defense Finance Accounting System (in charge of our pay)

DI - Drill Instructor

DITY - Do It Yourself (in relation to moving)

DLA - Dislocation Allowance (money to help with the cost of moving)

DoD - Department of Defense

DOR - Date of Rank

DPP - Deferred Payment Plan (military credit card, now called the Star Card)

DPW - Directorate of Public Works (maintains the base or post)

DSN - Defense Switched Network (secured communication lines)

---E---

EEO - Equal Employment Opportunity

EER - Enlisted Evaluation Report

EFMB - Excellence in Field Medicine Badge

EFMP - Exceptional Family Member Program (helps with special medical needs)

EIA - Excellence in Armor

EIB - Excellence in Infantry Badge

EM - Enlisted Member

ERB - Enlisted Record Brief

ETS - Estimated Time of Separation (date that you may leave the military)

EWC - Enlisted Wives Club

---F---

FAC - Family Assistance Center/Family Advocacy Commitee

FAQ - Family Advocacy Program

FCP - Family Care Plan

FDU - Full Dress Uniform

FLO - Family Liason Officer

FM - Field Manual

FORSCOM - Forces Command

FRG - Family Readiness Group (provides support to families)

FRO - Family Readiness Officer

FSA - Family Separation Allowance (paid to married soldiers gone for 30+ days)

FTX - Field Training Exercise

FY - Fiscal Year (begins 1 Oct and ends 30 Sep)

---G---

GO - General Officer

GS - General Schedule (pay schedule for civilian employees)

---H---

HFP - Hostile Fire Pay

HHC - Headquarters and Headquarters Company

HHT - Headquarters and Headquarters Troop

HQ - Headquarters

HQDA - Headquarters, Department of the Army

HS - Home Station

---I---

IE - Initial Entry

IET - Initial Entry Training (basic training)

IG - Inspector General (investigates questionable situations on base or post)

ITO - Information Travel Office

---J---

JAG - Judge Advocate General (military lawyers)

JUMPS - Joint Uniform Military Pay System

---K---

KIA - Killed in Action

KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid

KP - Kitchen Patrol

---L---

LES - Leave Earnings Statement (Military Pay Stub)

LN - Local National

LOD - Line of Duty

LZ - Landing Zone

---M---

MACOM - Major Army Command

MEDDAC - Medical Department Activity

METL - Mission Essential Task List

MI - Military Intelligence

MIA - Missing in Action

MILPO - Military Personnel Office

MOS - Military Occupational Specialty (Job Title)

MP - Military Police

MRE - Meal Ready to Eat (Food that's vacuumed sealed)

MTF - Military Treatment Facility (Military Hospital)

MWR - Morale, Recreation and Welfare

---N---

NBC - Nuclear Biological Chemical

NCO - Noncommissioned Officer

NCOER - Noncommissioned Officer Evaluation Report

NCOIC - Noncommissioned Officer in Charge

NG - National Guard

NPD - No Pay Due

---O---

OBC - Officer Basic Course

OCONUS - Outside Continental United States

OCS - Officer Candidate School

OD - Officer of the Day

OER - Officer Evaluation Report

OIC - Officer in Charge

OPSEC - Operational Security

OWC - Officers Wives Club

---P---

PAO - Public Affairs Officer

P-38 - Small can opener for C-Rations

PAM - Pamphlet

PCS - Permanent Change of Station (moving time)

PERSCOM - Army Personnel Command (in charge of promotion, movement, etc.)

PERSEC - Personal Security

PFU - Physical Fitness Uniform

PLDC - Primary Leadership Development Course (needed for promotion to E-5)

PLT - Platoon

PM - Provost Marshall

PMOS - Primary Military Occupational Specialty (primary job)

POA - Power of Attorney

POC - Point of Contact

POV - Privately Owned Vehicle

POW - Prisoner of War

PT - Physical Training

PX - Post Exchange (store on base or post)

PZ - Primary Zone (in reference to promotion)

---Q---

QM - Quarter Master

---R---

R&R - Rest and Recreation

RA - Regular Army

RC - Reserve Component

RCP - Retention Control Point (gives cutoffs for promotion)

RD - Rear Detatchment (soldiers who stay behind from a deployment or exercise)

RDC - Rear Detatchment Commander

RDF - Rapid Deployment Force

REG - Regulation

RIF - Reduction in Force

---S---

SBP - Survivor Benefit Plan

SCO - Squadron Commanding Officer

SDNCO - Staff Duty Noncommissioned Officer

SDO - Staff Duty Officer

SGLI - Soldiers Group Life Insurance

SIDPERS - Standard Installation/Division Personnel Reporting System

SMO - Squadron Maintnence Officer

SOP - Standard Operating Procedure

SRB - Selective Reenlistment Bonus

SSI - Single Soldier Initiative

SSN - Social Security Number

STRAC - Skilled, Tough, Ready Around The Clock

SZ - Secondary Zone (in reference to promotion)

---T---

TDY - Temporary Duty Assignment

TIG - Time in Grade

TLA - Temporary Living Allowance

TLE - Temporary Lodging Expense

TM - Training Manual

TRADOC - Training and Doctrine Command

---U---

UCDPP - Uniform Clothing Deferred Payment Plan (military credit plan for clothing)

UCMJ - Uniform Code of Military Justice (military law)

USAR - United States Army Reserve

USARC - United States Army Reserve Command

USAREC - United States Army Recruiting Command

USMA - United States Military Academy

USO - United Service Organization

UTA - Unit Training Assembly

---V---

VA - Veteran Affairs

VHA - Variable Housing Allowance

---W---

WMD - Weapons of Mass Destruction

WO - Warrant Officer

WOAC - Warrant Officer Advanced Course

WOC - Warrant Officer Candidate Course

WOCS - Warrant Officer Candidate School

WOSC - Warrant Officer Senior Course

---X---

XO - Executive Officer

Numbers

4-F - Classification given to those deemed unfit for military service

50-cal -.50 caliber machine gun

51-cal - heavy machine gun used by the enemy

79 - an M-79 grenade launcher

82 mm - a mortar used by the enemy

105 - a 105-mm howitzer

201 file - a US Army personnel file

Terms

Alert - call to be ready on short notice

Allotment - deduction from pay to bank or individual

Allowance - special pay or compensation

Article 15 - punitive action

Blanket Party - unofficial punishment of company goof off

Billets/Barracks/Dorms - where single soldiers live

Brownnoser - person who sucks up to seniors
Cherry- Soldier fresh out of basic and ait

Chit - paper given by medical to be excused from certain types of work or exercise

Chow hall - dining facility (AKA mess hall)

CQ - 24hr watch over the barracks

Dependent - family member entitled to military benefits

Detail - job or assignment

Dining in - social gathering for soldiers only

Dining out - social gathering for soldiers and spouses

Dog And Pony Show - doing something for the Brass or the public
Fartsack - Sleeping bag

Full Bird - Colonel

Garrison - post or community

GI Party - cleanup duty

Grade - pay level

Guidon - unit flag

Grunt - Infantry Soldier

Hash marks - stripes on uniform to show time in service

Hoo ah - slang meaning something is acknowledged and understood

Insignia - indicates branch of service

Jody call - cadence

Klick - slang for Kilometer

Latrine - restroom

Legs - Non-Airborne Soldiers

Motor pool - area where vehicles are kept and maintained

Orderly room - company office

Orders - written or spoken directive

Organization day - outing that is usually mandatory for soldiers and optional for families

Poge - non-combat MOS

Police call - cleanup duty
Puss Pad - the little pad used for sleeping on

Rank - official title of the service member

Re-up - reenlist

Reveille - bugle call at the beginning of the day

Retreat - bugle call at the end of the day

Sick call - where soldiers go for medical treatment

Short timer - someone who is about to leave the military

Short tour - unaccompanied overseas tour

Staff Duty - 24 hour watch over the unit area

TA50 - field gear

Tricare - our medical insurance

United Concordia - dental insurance for family members

Zero Dark Thirty - very early in the morning

80% of information is from bragg wives page on facebook.