America Supports You: Online Radio Show Gives Voice to Military Community

By Jamie Findlater
Special to American Forces Press Service

Sept. 2, 2008 - The host of a radio program available worldwide on the Internet gives servicemembers a chance to tell their stories. "This is one way that I can serve the military," Dave Whitten, host of "Voice of the Troops," a weekly hour-long show on Phoenix station KFNX and carried on the station's Web site, said in an "ASY Live" BlogTalkRadio interview.

"ASY Live" is part of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which connects American citizens and companies with servicemembers at home and abroad.

"I grew up in a very military household," Whitten said. "I always kick myself for not serving."

The idea started for Whitten a year and a half ago, he said, after listening to the radio and television and sensing a need to bring to light the voice of the individual servicemember.

"You hear all the bad stuff that goes on," he said. "Let's face it, war is not pretty. ... But you never [get] to hear the good stories about the good things that our troops [are] doing."

on the program airs Sundays at 7 p.m. PST and is available on the Web at www.1100kfnx.com.

"I give them an hour every week to talk about whatever they want without cutting them up into sound bites," Whitten said. Topics range from post-traumatic stress disorder to military history.

"On one of our most memorable shows, we had two of the remaining five Navajo code talkers talking about how they saved countless numbers of Marine lives in the Pacific Theater," he said. "What was really interesting was that many of these guys were in their mid-80s, and you never know, this might be the last time we capture this. I was told by another Marine, "You guys have captured a part of history."

It's important, especially with current conflicts, to talk to those who are directly affected, Whitten said.

"Kimberly Dozier was a CBS News reporter that we had on our show recently to talk about her experience," he said. "Kimberly and her video crew were involved in an [improvised explosive device] explosion over in Iraq and almost lost her life. [As a] matter of a fact, her photographer and sound person did lose their lives, and she knows first-hand the type of quality care that military survivors received. We got her on the show to talk about how the military doctors got her back to normal."

The show also discusses recent topics of interest and the important ramifications of new military policy.

"Recently, we had a show with two colonels, Kevin and Kate Voight, who talked about their experience serving as intel officers based in Baghdad, Iraq," he said. "Now that Army rules have changed, they can actually serve in a combat area together and have their own housing. It's a way to attract qualified people, because they can have the 15 months of actually functioning as a husband and wife."

Voice of the Troops also brings to light plans for future development of new capabilities. For example, he said, he has lined up Air Force Maj. Gen. William T. Lord, commander of the Air Force's provisional Cyberspace Command, as a guest for an upcoming program to talk about the importance of defending the nation's computer systems from adversaries.

Whitten said he appreciates that programs like America Supports You work to get the message out to servicemembers about programs like his.

"We are proud to work with programs like America Supports You, [which] has done a phenomenal job in garnering the support of people throughout the nation," Whitten said. "We need to help [the public] understand that there is a need out there. We still have men and women in a combat zone, and my hat's off to ASY for what they do."

(Jamie Findlater works in the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)

Mercy Nears Halfway Point in Humanitarian South Pacific Deployment

By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service

July 21, 2008 - Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy is preparing to leave the third country it has visited in the South Pacific during a four-month humanitarian deployment supporting Pacific Partnership 2008. Mercy arrived in Timor-Leste on July 12 for a two-week humanitarian visit, but this isn't the first time the crew has visited the country.

"This is the third time we have been here. ... The first time was in 2005 following a tsunami, and the USNS Mercy was back in 2006, and now this time," Navy Capt. James Rice, commander of the Military treatment facility aboard Mercy, said July 17 on the "Dot Mil Docs" program on BlogTalkRadio.com.

"We look forward to coming back in the years to come on a regular basis. One of the most important aspects of the Pacific Partnership is the long-term commitment to work with each of the nations and to make sure that the friendships and the relationships we build are long-lasting ones,." Rice said.

In 2006, Mercy participated in a four-month humanitarian and civil assistance deployment that brought medical treatment to the people in the Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia and East Timor. Prior to that, in 2005, Mercy deployed in response to the December 2004 tsunami that struck Southeast Asia.

"Pacific Partnership is really why doctors and nurses went into medicine in the first place," Rice said. "In particular, all of us enjoy taking care of patients and working with each other on a very human level. It is just something that gets to the core of why we went in our professions in the first place."

Since the beginning of Pacific Partnership, the Mercy medical staff has seen more than 41,000 patients and provided dental services to nearly 9,000 patients. They have performed more than 600 surgeries and provided veterinarian medicine care to more than 4,000 animals. In addition to the medical care provided, Mercy's biomedical repair technicians have fixed medical equipment in the hospitals they've visited.

"We have repaired many of their equipment items in their hospitals that will allow them to continue to provide health care services long after we're gone," Rice said.

Though they sometimes have to work at a technological disadvantage, Rice said, the host nations' medical knowledge often is very sophisticated.

"Sometimes they don't have the technology that we have, but most often they know what they want us to do for them, and they ask for very specific training or very specific diagnostic treatment and modalities," he said.

Various nongovernment organizations from the United States and from the host nations also are participating in Pacific Partnership 2008.

"We have NGOs from the United States -- in particular, Operation Smile, Project Hope, and [the University of California at San Diego] pre-dental society -- and we are working with host-nation NGOs -- in particular, Timor Red Cross, Australian Aid International ... and many others," Rice said.

"The idea is that the host nation NGOs are on the ground all the time, and we would like to interact with them so that they will be able to continue various projects for patient care that we happen to take care of while we are here for two weeks,." Rice said.

Prior to arriving in Timor-Leste, Mercy visited the Philippines and Vietnam. The ship is about halfway through a four-month humanitarian mission that soon will take the crew to Papua New Guinea and the Federated States of Micronesia.

Partner nations participating in Pacific Partnership 2008 include Australia, Canada, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Portugal.

"Medicine is really a universal common denominator," Rice said. "It is an incredible experience to have in the operating room an American or Australian as the surgeon, perhaps an anesthesiologist from India."

He added that while the medical professionals initially have to figure out how to best communicate, they do use translators.

"In the operating room a lot of times, it's visual anyway, the language barrier has not been a big problem," Rice said. "But it really has been a tremendous experience for all of us, and it has helped us to bond very closely together and make long lasting friendships that all of us are cherishing."

(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg works in the New Media Directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)

America Supports You: Group Helps Family Members With Education

By Jamie Findlater
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 23, 2008 - Military family members looking to further their education have a friend in a support organization called Thanks USA. "So many spouses appreciate the opportunity to go back to school and finish their education," explained Carolyn Ferek, Thanks USA's board secretary, said in an "ASY Live" interview on BlogTalkRadio.

"ASY Live" is part of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad. Thanks USA is an America Supports You supporter.

Ferek said the focus of Thanks USA is different from that of many other scholarship-based organizations, because while it does focus on providing assistance to military dependents, it also uniquely gears a lot of its funding toward spouses.

"It's not just for dependents," she said. "It's for spouses, because we feel like so many times the spouses are at home taking care of the families, and they are forced to put their career on hold."

When the organization was founded, Ferek explained, she could not find many organizations that focused on providing for spouses and dependents of current servicemembers based on their need. "Some offered them to military families if there was a death or an injury, but ours isn't like that," she said. "We offer it as a need-based scholarship; we have educational scholarships for any branch of the military for college, technical and vocational schools."

Ferek cited a couple of people the organization has helped.

"I remember one person that wrote to us saying that she would be the first one in her family to have a college education thanks to our program," Ferek said. "Another woman we helped down in Florida had just had a lung transplant, and still really wanted to go to college. She was just trying to get herself healthy, but she was just so positive and optimistic about her future and wanting to make a difference. So many of the scholarship winners want to give back to the community."

The organization has raised nearly $4 million and we has awarded more than 1,350 scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 dollars. "We have given scholarships to military families all across the United States in all 50 states," Ferek said.

(Jamie Findlater, host of "ASY Live," works in the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)

America Supports You: Group Offers Free Mental Health Counseling

By Jamie Findlater
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 17, 2008 - Mental Health practitioners nationwide are donating their time and services to provide free, confidential counseling to military people and their families. "Combat affects everyone in one way or another," explained Dr. Barbara Romberg in an "ASY Live" interview on BlogTalkRadio. "Most people react when exposed to a situation where there are extreme or horrific events; it is a human reaction to abnormal situations."

ASY Live is part of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

Romberg, founder and president of "Give an Hour," said she started her nonprofit organization to educate servicemembers and their families about the seriousness of post-traumatic stress disorder and the importance of taking steps to combat it.

"When we set up the organization a few years ago, the concept was very simple, she said. "We asked mental health professionals across the country to give an hour of their time."

When one of the program's providers was asked why she joined, Romberg said, her answer was equally simple. "How could I not? It's so little that they are asking of me to give," the practitioner said.

Romberg said a broad spectrum of mental health practitioners participated in Give an Hour. "We have mental health professionals of all kinds -- psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, licensed marriage and family counselors, substance abuse counselors and pastors," she explained. "One size doesn't fit all; people need different things."

Raising awareness about PTSD is as important to the group as providing help to people who need it, she said.

"We are really launching a public education campaign to make sure our entire country understands post-traumatic stress -- what it is and why it's so important to address," she said. "Post-traumatic stress is a condition that will affect most people."

Romberg said there are important signs that a family member can identify that may be an indication that professional help may be a necessary part of the recovery process.

"Anyone might be withdrawn or irritable for awhile, but if those symptoms persist past six or eight weeks, then you need to take action," she said. "If the family member seems to be uninterested in activities that they used to be interested in before, uninterested in relationships with spouses or children, or engaging in persistent drinking or substance abuse as a way of escaping, that's a warning sign," she explained.

Nightmares, anxiety attacks and rage can lead to very serious symptoms if left untreated, she added, "but it doesn't have to become a chronic mental illness at all."

For that reason, Romberg explained, it is important that family members work to recognize symptoms and seek counseling as quickly as possible. Most people want to feel as if they can handle these issues, she said. And in fact, they can, but sometimes they need assistance, she added. That's where Give an Hour comes in.

Give an Hour provides counseling not only for servicemembers, but also for affected family members, whom Romberg defines as "anyone who loves someone who is serving."

"When someone we love is deeply affected, the consequences are usually fairly far-reaching," she explained. "Spouses and children are, of course, an immediate concern, ... but grandparents, aunts and uncles are just as affected by this situation.

"If you, as a family member, feel like you have resources," she continued, "you can put together a plan and you have ... someone else to help you think through it, and eventually encourage [your] loved one to come with [you]."

It is also important, she noted, to keep a close eye on children.

"Spouses that are focused on their husband or wife, it might be really difficult to also be concerned with their children," she said. "We see things such as regression -- a young child that's maybe 3 was potty-trained and all of a sudden starts wetting the bed or isn't eating or sleeping well."

The services offered by Give an Hour are free and ongoing, and providers stay in the network a minimum of a year, Romberg said.

"If their provider has to leave, we provide a replacement," she noted. "They are never told, 'You've used up your services here.' By building such a hard network, it's not a hardship to give an hour. And [the practitioners] are happy and eager to give."

To receive support or to register to become part of this support network, people can visit the organization's Web site, www.giveanhour.org. People seeking help can search for the nearest participating provider by entering their ZIP code.

"It can be an educational conversation or it can be setting up an appointment to meet face to face," Romberg said. "If they don't know what type of assistance they need, they can also click on the 'Contact Us' button, ... and we will help locate a provider.

"It's all about partnering, networking, reaching out, connecting -- helping them to get what they need," she said.

(Jamie Findlater, host of "ASY Live" on BlogTalkRadio, works in the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)

'Adopt a Platoon' Still Thrives After 10 Years

By Jamie Findlater
Special to American Forces Press Service

April 28, 2008 - Iga Hagg knows all about care packages; in fact, after 10 years of sending them out, she's pretty much an expert. "The troops appreciate beef jerky, sunflower seeds, movies, DVDs," she said. "In the outlying areas, they appreciate receiving baby wipes and socks and hygiene products -- and all this is topped off with tons of cookies."

Hagg first realized the importance of care packages when her own son was deployed to the Balkans, she explained during an "ASY Live" BlogTalkRadio interview. The online radio program is an extension of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home or abroad.

"In every letter he would send, he would talk about how nine out of 10 of his buddies did not receive regular mail," Hagg said.

Since 1998, her organization, "Adopt a Platoon," has been sending out thousands of care packages to let U.S. troops know they care. In fact, she said, the group sends out about 30,000 pieces of mail and care packages a month.

"It is my experience," Hagg said, "that Americans want to support the troops, but unless they have a deployed servicemember -- a spouse or a son or daughter in the military -- ... they don't know how. ... For this reason, we rely greatly on our 'platoon moms and dads.'"

The group also works closely with combat hospitals and gets word from chaplains who tell them what items the troops need the most.

One of Adopt a Platoon's current projects, "Operation Don't Bug Me," stemmed from one of these requests. The group sends mosquito repellent during the summer months. Other operations range from supplying soldiers with sunglasses, to seasonal morale boosters such as "Operation Holiday Stocking" and even a special campaign called "Operation Underwear."

"Only American mothers truly care and understand the most important needs that you wouldn't normally think about," she said.

The group's "Operation Crayon" started in 1999 in the Balkans to help out with humanitarian missions in Bosnia and in Kosovo. Today, it serves areas in Iraq and Afghanistan. "Now, while our troops help with reconstruction efforts, we can provide the writing tablets and supplies for the schools," Hagg said.

A teacher by trade, Hagg said she understands that it is important to get everyone in the community involved.

"We rally fellow Americans, our neighbors and our community to stand behind our troops," she said. "We encourage people to submit an application, and we follow through with personal phone calls. We work to involve teachers and their students, families, business, civic groups."

Everyone can get involved as much or as little as they like, she said.

"A classroom in a senior high school wants to write letters, but can't afford the care packages," she said, "so we form a partnership with them."

Though trying to determine what items will truly give troops that extra push is a full-time job, Hagg said, it's worth the effort. She said troops appreciate cards and letters the most. "They just need to know that we're thinking about them all the time," she explained.

The success of the organization over the past decade is proof that America values its servicemembers, Hagg said.

"I had no idea in 1998 that we would be as big as we are today," she said. "It just goes to show that our American people want our support our deployed sons and daughters."

(Jamie Findlater, host of "ASY Live" on BlogTalkRadio.com, works in the New Media branch of American Forces Information Service.)

America Supports You: Organization Hires Heroes

By Jamie Findlater
Special to American Forces Press Service

April 18, 2008 - Returning from combat in Iraq or Afghanistan with a disability certainly brings with it a number of challenges, but for one soldier, a great aid to his successful recovery was the easy transition he made into the civilian job market. Justin Callahan enlisted in the U.S Army as a combat engineer when he was 18. When he was 21, he deployed to Afghanistan, where he led a squad of 8 men squad leader. During a routine patrol, Justin was hit by an IED and suffered a left leg amputation below the knee.

During his recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, Justin was approached by Bayne Tippins, a businessman who offered him a job as soon as his health returned.

Callahan inspired Tippins to found Hire Heroes USA, an non-profit organization dedicated to helping disabled veterans to find the right fit in the civilian job market. Hire Heroes USA is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program that connects individuals, non-profit groups and companies who want to support U.S. military men and women.

"Hire Heroes USA was designed to give other wounded servicemembers like myself the opportunity that I was fortunate to have right out of the hospital," Callahan said during an interview on America Supports You Live BlogTalkRadio. He and Tippins discussed the organization's success during the interview.

Callahan explained that the biggest challenge for many wounded warriors is getting their confidence reestablished after a tragic event.

"It's really to pick them up and point them in the right direction, helping them to re-establish the confidence they've lost going through something traumatic...and the direction to move forward," he said.

Part of re-establishing this confidence is understanding how the skills developed in the military apply to the civilian job market. One skill, Callahan mentioned, is leadership.

"A non-commissioned officer is responsible for 6 to 8 soldiers operating under very stressful situations...they are taught the hard things by the military."

Callahan talked about his day-to-day experience working with countless organizations that see great value in employing those with military experience. Employers notice military experience and benefit from an incredibly motivated group of individuals, Callahan explained.

"These men and women are so motivated to get into a good job that has a steady salary where they have the opportunity to advance."

Now the challenge for Callahan and Tippins is reaching out to the many veterans who might need assistance and do not realize how to best market their skills to a new audience. Callahan explained that the organization places everyone from sales reps to IT professionals, and from security personnel to project managers.

"A lot of servicemembers don't know what's out there. They are used to doing a certain job in the military, and when they get in the civilian world they do not always know how to apply and transfer the skills they have learned making them noticeable to employers," Callahan said.

One example of many such skills is the ability to handle logistics, Tippins said.

"Getting men and troops and supplies from point A to point B is an incredibly transferable skill," he said.

Tippins also said learning new skills easily is a common attribute of veterans.

"They are extremely trainable," he said. "The acquisition of the new skills within a new position comes easily because of their experience in the military."

Tippins explained that the mission Hire Heroes USA is to reach out to candidates, identify their strong qualities and let them know that there are jobs available for them.

"Some servicemembers just need to understand that company XYZ has a need for you.... Hire Heroes USA is designed to be a bridge to get out in front of organizations that are anxious to hire them," Tippins said. "We want to help them adjust to becoming a great member of society that they have already defended so bravely."

Combat Pay Counts Toward Economic Stimulus Payment Eligibility

By Jamie Findlater
Special to American Forces Press Service

March 20, 2008 - Military personnel serving in combat zones are eligible for an economic stimulus payment, an Internal Revenue Service spokesman said today during an "America Supports You Live" interview on BlogTalkRadio. While combat pay generally is nontaxable, servicemembers are permitted to count this pay on their 2007 or 2008 income tax returns if it helps their eligibility, Clay Sanford explained.

"A military person who would not normally file a 2007 tax return because the 2007 income is not taxable, can file a 1040A with the IRS and receive the stimulus payment," he said. Servicemembers should report their nontaxable combat pay on Line 40b of the Form 1040A to show at least $3,000 in qualifying income, he added.

Starting in May, as part of the economic stimulus plan, the IRS will issue payments of up to $600 -- $1,200 for married couples -- plus a $300 payment for each qualifying child younger than 17. The payments are based on 2007 income tax returns. The payments for individuals begin to phase out starting at $75,000 in adjusted gross income for single taxpayers, and at $150,000 for married couples.

People must have at least $3,000 in qualifying income to get a payment. Qualifying income is defined as any combination of earned income (such as wages or taxable income from self-employment), nontaxable combat pay and certain benefits from Social Security, Veterans Affairs and Railroad Retirement.

Sanford encouraged qualifying servicemembers to submit early. While military servicemembers who are serving in a combat zone are granted an extension of 180 days after leaving combat, spouses or others with a power of attorneys can prepare and file a 2007 income tax return on their behalf so that the stimulus payment is received this year. The return must be filed by Oct. 15.

Sanford offered additional tax advice to servicemembers during the interview, especially those who are just starting out and filing taxes for the first time.

"Keep receipts and copies of your tax returns," he cautioned. It's a good idea to keep receipts for six years and the tax returns indefinitely, he advised.

"You are responsible for your own tax return, regardless of whether you do it yourself or rely on a tax preparer," he said.

For help, Sanford listed a number of helpful documents that can provide clarification. By going to the IRS Web site at www.irs.gov and typing in "Publication 3," he explained, servicemembers will find a great resource for active duty people and reservists. He also recommended Publication 17 for learning more about general filing of individual income tax, and Publication 525, aimed at veterans and those with pensions. He also noted that many military members qualify for free electronic tax filing.

"Additionally, on most military installations, the legal office is there to provide you with information," he said, and he also noted that the military is one of the IRS's leading partners in its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, in which provides on-site help to taxpayers, courtesy of volunteers in their organizations.

In today's digital age, irs.gov is a great resource for young servicemembers, Sanford went on to say. Sanford encouraged servicemembers to visit the site for detailed educational guides on filing, helpful tips and tools, and to learn more about the special deductions that may not be intuitive for military members.

Those without easy access to the Internet can call 1-800-TAX-1040 toll free for information and answers to any specific questions, he said.

(Jamie Findlater works in the New Media branch at American Forces Information Service.)