More than 900 take part in 'One Tough Cookie' inaugural mud run

Wisconsin National Guard Public Affairs Office

More than 60 service members and veterans joined approximately 900 women and girls to prove they are "One Tough Cookie" Saturday (Sept. 15) in a 5K mud run adventure at Oakwood Knoll Girl Scout Camp in East Troy, Wis.

The Wisconsin National Guard Recruiting and Retention Command co-sponsored the event with the Girl Scouts of Wisconsin-Badgerland Council, with the goal of promoting physical activity. Race Director LaShell Lentz said the inaugural event went extremely well.

"There will definitely be a next year," she said. "We had double or triple the spectators we were expecting. I think we'll easily double our participants for next year. We've gotten tons of really great feedback."

Warrant Officer 1 Kari Wagner, who has led Girl Scout Troop 2651 in McFarland, Wis., for the past year, also led six Girl Scout moms and two other women through the course.

"We did awesome," she said. "We started together and we all finished together."

Wagner said they tackled the course to show the girls in Troop 2651 that fitness is important.

Lentz described the difficulty level of the obstacle-filled course - designed by two Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans from the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 1158th Transportation Company - as beginner to intermediate, but said it still challenged many of the participants.

"The course is as hard as you make it," she said.

Obstacles included jumping through tires, climbing walls, low-crawling through mud and swimming in icy, murky water. Wagner recounted part of the course where one participant was reluctant to scale the wall, but overcame the challenge with help and encouragement from others.

"She was out of her element," Wagner observed. "She was crying afterward, but she was happy that she did it."

The "One Tough Cookie" was the first such race for Col. Joane Mathews, deputy chief of staff for personnel with the Wisconsin Army National Guard, and her 15-year-old daughter Shannon.

"We really enjoyed it," Mathews said. "It was a good time for us to connect while exercising and having fun. It also gave us both the urge to do more of these because it was so fun."

Lentz said that an age-appropriate course will be offered next year for girls 14 and under.

Proceeds from the run benefited the Girl Scouts of Wisconsin-Badgerland Council.

CSG2, Congressman Present Awards to Nautilus SSN 571 Division Cadets

By Lt. Cmdr. Jennifer Cragg, Commander, Submarine Group 2 Public Affairs

OLD SAYBROOK, Conn. (NNS) -- Rear Adm. Rick Breckenridge, commander, Submarine Group 2 and U.S.Rep. Joe Courtney joined nearly 100 Sea Cadets and their families for their annual holiday party and awards at the VFW Post 1053 in Old Saybrook, Dec. 10.

Nautilus (SSN 571) Division Commanding Officer Lt. Cmdr. Robert Smith, who retired from the U.S. Navy as a chief messs specialist, thanked the families and local community for their support of the Sea Cadet program.

"So many give so much to run a program like this," said Smith. "Your kids make this unit as strong as it is."

Smith added that countless hours are spent by volunteers to better the organization and these volunteers bring nearly 200 years of cumulative military experience.

Breckenridge, a strong supporter for the Sea Cadet program, praised the cadets for their interest and commitment in serving a purpose greater than themselves.

"It's great to see your selfless discipline and personal devotion to our country at such an early point in your lives," said Breckenridge, who also emphasized the values of the program in preserving what is great about America.

Breckenridge impressed upon the group the significance of Courtney's attendance.

"When a congressman with the scope of responsibilities of Joe Courtney invests his extremely limited discretionary time to meet here, it speaks volumes on the importance of our youth and to this program," said Breckenridge.

Courtney and Breckenridge attended the annual awards ceremony to present the Nautilus 571 Division Cadet of the Year and Navy League Cadet Corps Training Ship Nathan Hale Cadet of the Year awards.

Sea Cadet Tulsa Scott, Fitch High School senior, received the Nautilus 571 Cadet of the Year and has been in the program since July 2010. After graduation Scott hopes to attend the U.S. Naval Academy and pursue a naval career in the Submarine Force.

"Both my father and grandfather were submariners and I have been on the water all of my life," said Scott.

During the ceremony Breckenridge presented the 2011 Navy League Cadet Corps of the Year award to Petty Officer 1st Class Jakob Stanton.

Another senior participating in the Sea Cadet program is Sarah Kukich; an East Lyme High School senior was recently accepted into the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

While she has her sight set on the Coast Guard Academy, she is still waiting for acceptance replies from Naval Reserves Officer Training Corps or U.S. Naval Academy.

Kukich is a perfect example of the programs' benefits said Smith who spoke of the benefits of the Cadet Corps by instilling obedience, military bearing and discipline. Captain of her crew team; sailing team, as well as a fierce competitor in pole vaulting and track team, Kukich has also received the coveted Girl Scout Gold Award earlier this year.

"It's a good leadership opportunity and a good introduction program that shows kids about the military," said Kukich.

Melinda Welch, Kukich's mother discussed her daughter's drive. "She has always been very organized and disciplined," said Welch.

During Courtney's speech he emphasized the important role he plays in approving academy nominations and congratulated Kukich on her recent acceptance.

"I get to be involved in the nomination process and a Sea Cadet label on a resume or application is like a stamp of Good Housekeeping," said Courtney.

Wendy Bahner, resident of Clinton, Conn., is another parent whose two sons, 17 and 19, has been involved in the Sea Cadet program for the past eight years collectively and echoed the programs' benefits.

"It teaches them leadership, self discipline, self respect and teamwork, as well as respect for others," said Bahner.

Bahner added that the Navy vs Army annual game will have new meaning in her home when her two sons join the military. Her 19-year old will be leaving for boot camp in January and her 17-year old will enter the U.S. Navy upon graduation from high school next year.

Supporting Troops Never Gets Stale for Girl Scouts

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

May 29, 2007 – Girl Scouts in southern Nevada are preparing to ship more than 11,000 boxes of Thin Mints, Do-Si-Dos, Tagalongs and other Girl Scout cookies to servicemembers overseas. The Scouts' donation was made possible through the generosity of the Girls Scouts of Frontier Council, which donated the cookies. The Nevada Benefits Foundation offered its assistance by coordinating the effort and covering the cost to ship the cookies to servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Community service is a long-standing tradition in Girl Scouting, allowing girls to learn the value of helping others," Toni Carey, product sales director for the Girl Scouts Frontier Council, said. "Their service and generosity significantly contributes to the quality of life for our servicemen and women."

Through the same collaboration in 2006, troops serving overseas received 4,700 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. They were most welcome, Phil Randazzo, president of Nevada Benefits and its foundation, said, adding he has received several requests for the cookies this year.

Nevada Benefits Foundation is a non-profit organization originally created to support U.S. troops and their families who fight in the war on terror. To date, the foundation has raised more than $942,000 through its rallies, "Defending Freedom" wristbands fundraising, and its Web site.

"They just crave a little taste from home," Randazzo said. "Toni Carey at the Girl Scouts came through again this year, doubling this shipment of Girl Scout cookies, and they should really be proud!"

Randazzo also offered kudos to the Palm Casino Resort, in Las Vegas, for helping to make the shipment possible.

Note: To find out about more individuals, groups and organizations that are helping support the troops, visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. The Defense Department's America Supports You program directly connects military members to the support of the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their quest to find meaningful ways to support the military community.

Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.

Troops Get Girl Scouts' Gift of Caring

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 17, 2007 – When the Girl Scouts combined their knack for selling cookies with their dedication to community service, they cooked up the Gift of Caring program. Each Girl Scout troop can choose a Gift of Caring partner to receive donated boxes of Thin Mints, Do-si-dos, Trefoils and other baked favorites throughout the cookie-selling season. Many girls of the 4,000 troops in the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital have chosen the United Service Organizations as their partner, encouraging customers to purchase additional cookies to be given to U.S. servicemembers.

"I think it makes soldiers feel good," Lexi Rhem, an 8-year-old member of Troop 652 in Springfield, Va., said. "One of the girls actually got a (thank you) letter back from a soldier."

Many GSCNC troops in the past have selected U.S. servicemembers as their Gift of Caring recipient, and this is Troop 652's third consecutive year.

Knowing that U.S. troops are serving their country abroad makes Lexi feel "safe, but kind of sad, because they're away from their families."

But giving the troops cookies can help them feel closer to home, she said.

"For little girls who hear a lot about what's going on in the world but don't have a direct connection, this is a great way to make a connection," Laura Basset, GSCNC product sales specialist, said. "It takes something that's abstract in their lives and makes it a little more concrete."

For older Scouts, giving cookies to U.S. troops is a way to learn civic responsibility, Pam Horton, USO volunteer coordinator and Girl Scout troop leader, said.

"The older girls had discussions about (troop deployment) and they said they wanted to do something to help," Horton said. "They got lots of thank yous and positive feedback from people who had taken the cookies over and distributed them. ... It made them feel good."

Washington-area Girl Scout troops donating to servicemembers will deliver the cookies in one of two ways: sending boxes abroad to deployed troops or handing servicemembers care packages at the USO International Gateway Lounge at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

"Our flagship lounge at BWI is 5,000 square feet, and it gets a lot of foot traffic," Horton said. "We make the cookies directly available to soldiers in the lounge who are deploying and returning.

"We usually take two or three girls to deliver care packages there, and I never have a problem filling those spots," she said.

The Gift of Caring is not just a great way to sell cookies, but it also instills a good lesson, Basset said.

"Part of the whole mission of Girl Scouts is service to community, service to country," Basset said. "So the (Girl Scout) troop gets the benefit from selling the cookies, but they're also doing it as service. Everybody wins."

Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors by writing books.