Thank you!!!!!

SPC Ross McGinnis - Medal of Honor: Operation Iraqi Freedom

Thank you for your service.

Thank you for protecting my daughter, my wife, and the rest of my family members.

May you arrive in peace.

We love you.

Do they think we're STUPID?!?!?

Hi everyone-

A few years ago, I was visiting my parents house in Corpus Christi, TX. I stopped by the Trade Center (a huge fleamarket) with my nephew to look for some old baseball cards.

When we arrived, we went directly to the cotton candy and snack shop, got our fill and headed over to the sports memorabilia booth. My nephew took it all in and asked if I would buy him a 1984 George Brett card. Of course being a huge Royals fan, I couldn't tell him no. As I was paying for the card, I noticed a sign that took me back.

The sign above the unopened packs of 1990 Fleers read, "50 cents each OR two for $1.00" ?!?!?

I just about lost it. I caught myself before laughing hysterically.

At first I was a bit insulted. Did they really think that I couldn't add 50 cents to 50 cents. But then I calmed down and thought that it may be that there are alot of children that come through and some of them haven't mastered addition yet.

But then it happened again in Hanau, Germany last week. I was helping close down the post Education Center (base closures) when I went to the AAFES Shoppette (think 7-11 or Circle K) to get a soda. On the front of the window, there was an ad for Spunkmeyer Cookies. It read "50 cents each or three for $1.50"?!?!

I couldn't believe it! Does AAFES think that military family members, servicemembers, and DOD civilians can't add? I only thought this stuff happened in my hometwon fleamarket.

Has this ever hapened to you????

Army Wife Talk Radio - Interview

Hi everyone -

I had my interview the other night with Tara Crooks and Star Henderson at Army Wife Talk Radio.

The interview went great and I really enjoyed myself. These two ladies were fantastic!!!!!

If any of you out there are looking for an entertaining show, check out their site at www.armywifetalkradio.com.

If you want to hear my interview, please click over to www.survivingmilitaryseparation.com/Media.htm

Best regards,

Marc

Volunteer Recognition!

Hi Everyone -

Last night was the USAG Wiesbaden Annual Volunteer Recognition ceremony. The event was hosted by the Army Community Services.

What a great event. The gathering recognized each organization in our Garrison and the volunteers that make our community excel.


The guest speaker for the event was my wife Christine. Her speech concentrated on Leading by Example and suggested that we strive to get our children to volunteer as well to set a foundation for our future. I know I'm biased because she's my wife, but I thought her speech hit all the right notes.
After the event, she presented her book "The Ultimate Volunteer Guidebook for Young People" (http://www.ultimatevolunteer.com/) to the Wiesbaden Youth Volunteer of the Year. This little girl recorded over 120 hours of volunteer work.... AND she's only 10 years old!!!!!!

In our community alone, our volunteers logged in over 79,000 hours of community services which saved our local command over $1,000,000.

Remember, by volunteering, you become the backbone of the community. Without this type of support, our schools wouldn't excel, our servicemembers wouldn't be taken care of the way they should, and our mail wouldn't be delivered on time... to name a few.

Please consider volunteering in your community. If your family member is deployed, this is just one more way to help pass the time until they return to you.

Best regards,

Marc

"The Unit" visits Iraq!

Talk about a morale booster!

The actors from the hit CBS series "The Unit" took time out of their busy schedules and visited our men and women in Iraq to shake hands and sign autographs.

The USO set up the event.

Click here to visit "The Unit"'s official website.

One of the soldier's downrange sent me this great picture of the group. In a place like Iraq, it's hard to find things to smile about, but when a group of supporters comes through, it sure changes attitudes fast.

It's amazing what the USO does for families and servicemembers. From free concerts given by Toby Keith and Gary Sinise to NFL and NBA stars signing autographs to Morgan Freeman shaking hands and Cher "turning back time", the USO has our servicemembers connected. Visit the USO to check out what they can do for you and your hero. In return, see how you can volunteer to be a USO helper!

Regards,

Marc

Happy Mother's Day!

Hi Everyone-

I just wanted to take a moment and wish all the military mom's out there a very Happy Mother's Day!

A special wish to my sister. Her husband (my old Army roommate) is deployed to Iraq and she is busy with her two little ones. Those kids have the best Mom!

Her husband took the time to record a song that means alot to the both of them. Apparently, his unit has this makeshift recording studio set up and he enlisted the help of his friend and peer to play the guitar for the track.

I haven't heard the song yet, but it really doesn't matter if his voice is Grammy worthy or not. It's the thought that counts. And I know my sister really appreciated it.

So, good job brother-in-law. You made my sister happy this Mother's day!

PS. Stay safe!

Marc

Military Spouse Day, 2008

Military Spouse Day, 2008

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America


Military spouses embody the courage, nobility of duty, and love of country that inspire every American. On Military Spouse Day, we pay tribute to the husbands and wives who support their spouses in America's Armed Forces during times of war and peace.

The legacy of military spouses began when colonial Americans were fighting for independence. Martha Washington boosted the morale of her husband's troops by visiting battlefields and tending to the wounded. Since then, members of our Armed Forces have served our Nation accompanied by the steadfast love and support of their spouses and families.


While our men and women in uniform are protecting our country's founding ideals of liberty, democracy, and justice, their spouses live with uncommon challenges, endure sleepless nights, and spend long periods raising children alone. Many military spouses are also committed volunteers, serving other military families and local communities. Our Nation benefits from the sacrifices of our military families, and we are inspired by their courage, strength, and leadership.

On Military Spouse Day and throughout the year, we honor the commitment spouses have made to freedom's cause. To learn about ways to support our troops and their spouses and families, I encourage all Americans to visit www.americasupportsyou.mil.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 9, 2008, as Military Spouse Day. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities and by expressing their gratitude to the husbands and wives of those serving in the United States Armed Forces.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Get an Education! It's never too late.

Hi Everyone-

What do you do now that your servicemember is deployed?

Get Educated!

Getting a degree and getting an Education are two totally different things.

As most of you know, most jobs require some sort of vocational skill or a mention that you have a degree on your resume. But you don't have to be working towards a degree to get an EDUCATION.

Most of you will say that as a servicemember's spouse you have put in plenty of time at the School of Hard Knocks. I agree.

Military spouses are some of the strongest people I know. You deal with the homefront on a daily basis. Many of you hold down jobs and then take care of the family. That leaves little time for anything else. And I agree that sometimes taking classes may be hard and very time consuming.

BUT, you owe it to yourself to visit your local education center, community college, or university to see what courses are being offered.

You may find a class or two that peeks your interest and fits your time schedule. You may find a class that will Educate you. It's true that one or two classes won't get you a degree, but one or two classes starts you on the way to become an Educated person.

Best regards,

Marc

Marc's new Sports Books

Hi Everyone -

As most of you know, I am the co-author of the Sports By the Numbers series. Here is a sneek peek of the covers to my next few books: NASCAR, Major League Baseball, and the New York Yankees.

We were blessed to have some great writers help us with our book Forewords.

Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post and author of 1941 - The Greatest Year in Sports wrote the Foreword for the Yankees title.

Zack Hample, the "Baseball Collector" and author of Watching Baseball Smarter, penned our MLB Foreword.

And Monte Dutton, NASCAR writer and author of numerous books including Haul A** and Turn Left, assisted us with the NASCAR Foreword.

If you know any Sports fans, please let them know about www.sportsbythenumbers.com

Thanks,

Marc

Precious Cargo

I was carrying my 10 month old daughter today at the commissary and my wife asked if I had a good hold on her. She said that I better because I was holding her Precious Cargo.

Like I don't know that!

Seeing this little girl is the brightest point of my day. She is what I work for. I can't wait to get home after work so I can hold her and play with her. Her smile is contagious.

Being a veteran and being deployed often as a servicemember, I know that being away from home is hard. Being away from a spouse is difficult, but being away from a child is even harder.

My brother-in-law is in Iraq right now and my sister is home watching my niece and nephew. It's hard on her being a so-called single parent right now. But its equally hard on my brother-in-law.

They have come up with a great solution to stay connected. It's not for all servicemembers, but in his case it works because of his MOS. He has a few extra minutes to call home. He HAS to see and hear his Precious Cargo!

Yahoo has a great call out program that is cheap, cheap, cheap! Click here to check it out. The servicemember down range can call home from PC to PC. It's absolutely fantastic.

Other services that you may want to look into are Gizmo Project and Skype.

Good luck and stay active,

Marc

Excerpt

Hi everyone:

I've had numerous requests from family members to display a excerpt from my new book. Here is a sample of a few of the activities. There are 365 activities listed for family members to attempt. There is also a journal section after each of the listed activities. I hope everyone enjoys them and the artwork of Serviceman Sam from the brilliant mind of Val Laolagi!

Take care, Marc

Blog radio - Army Wife Talk Radio

Hi everyone -

I have just been confirmed as a guest on the Army Wife Talk Radio.

The show will air LIVE on Monday, May 12 at 8PM EST.

Click here to listen to the show. Wish me luck!!!

What a Journey

It seems like an eternity ago that I was proposing this idea to my publisher Ted Savas of Savas Beatie LLC. Fortunately for the military community, he saw the need for this type of book to be available for family members of deployed personnel.

The idea for Surviving Military Separation came to me after a week of counseling family members of 1st Armored Division stationed at Wiesbaden, Germany. Their service members had just been deployed to Iraq and were scheduled to be away for 365 days or “until mission is complete”. Our offices were flooded with family member dependents looking for something to help them pass the time. And although the military community is family friendly and has professional organizations setting up activities for just this reason, I noticed that no one was breaking the activities down in a structured and manageable time period. Some spouses needed a day-by-day calendar of scheduled events that they could choose from to get through the deployment.

When the idea for Surviving Military Separation struck me, I immediately went to the local bookstore and visited online vendors looking for a similar book. I found none. There is nothing on the current book market that helps the family member of a deployed military personnel by saying, “today is a new day and here is what you are going to do”.

The glorious thing about Surviving Military Separation is that it is an activity guidebook created especially for family members of deployed personnel. The book has 365 days of activities for the family member to attempt. The activities are laid out seven at a time for 52 week sections. The book’s setup allows the reader the ability to break down the deployment into weeks instead of months which gives the family member a chance to take the deployment one step at a time.

I truly believe that this book will help our family members cope with a deployment… any deployment. Whether it is a deployment to support our Global War on Terrorism, a TDY, a trip to a Professional Development school, a new service member leaving for Basic Training or Boot camp, a few months out to sea for our Navy or Coast Guard, or a local training exercise that will take the service member away from the home, Surviving Military Separation will help the time fly until the family can be reunited.

With the wonderful help of Sarah Keeney, Savas Beatie Marketing Director, and that of artist Val Laolagi, who created a fantastic mascot named Serviceman Sam (visit Sam’s page) for our book, this book has become a reality that everyone in the military community can use.

I would ask everyone that has a family member that must endure the hardships of a deployment, to pass along our website for their view. Together, we can combat the potential idleness of a Military Separation.

Warmest regards,

Marc

5 Tips for Surviving Military Separation

I have had the opportunity to speak with and counsel thousands of servicemembers and their families, contractors, and hundreds of Department of Defense civilians about military deployments and separation. Many of these individuals were not prepared for the issues surrounding being separated from their loved ones. Deployments can unfortunately bring on the possibility of combating depression and loneliness. Although not everyone copes the same way, I believe there are hundreds of activities that can help a person thrive during a separation. Therefore, I bring you a sample of these activities as 5 tips everyone should know before a Military Separation.

5. Stay in contact:No matter where you are stationed; close to home or far, far away… staying connected with family and friends can be the difference between surviving a deployment and thriving during a deployment. Set-up an email account and commit to writing one family member or friend a day. Even if you have no news to speak of, writing a letter or email can help you stay focused and may act as a form of journal. Your friends will most likely return the favor and write you back. You can use this as a form of pen pal writing. This will help you stay in the loop with issues and event happenings back home and in touch with people that care about you.

4. Use your Local Family Readiness Groups:Realistically, you may not like everyone in your community or even be able to stomach them all. Not all the spouses in your local Family Readiness Group will even be nice to you or support you in a way that you need. This is one major complaint about local FRG’s; pettiness and gossip. However, the good far outweigh the bad. There are so many spouses that will reach out and assist you in your time of need. Remember, you also have a shoulder to offer for another spouse that is going through a rough patch during a deployment. Use this resource. You will not regret your choice to reach out. You may even make new life-time friends.

3. Take a Class:Visit your local Education center, Community Services, Morale Welfare Recreation center, or athletic gymnasium. Whether you want to learn about ancient Rome, take an aerobics class, learn CPR, or how to update your resume, getting your body and mind in shape will help pass the time while your loved one is deployed. Remember, this will give you a chance to broaden your horizon as well as focusing on something other than your servicemember.

2. Support Your Troops:It’s the small things that we do that sends the loudest messages to the rest of the world. We all have a need to display symbols of what our military community means to us. It gives us a great sense of pride to be able to demonstrate our love for our troops. Examples may be: Wearing a red outfit shows your neighborhood that you support your troops overseas. Tell everyone why you chose to wear red. Spread the word that our troops are deployed around the world. Also, tie yellow ribbons around the trees in your area. Show the world you support your servicemember. Canvas the whole neighborhood. Enlist the help of your friends.

1. Send Care Packages:Boost your servicemember’s morale with a care package. Cookies, chips, stationery, and magazines brighten up long deployment hours. Go to your local post office to find a list of what you can and can’t send. Your servicemember will appreciate it. There’s nothing like receiving mail during deployment.

Warmest regards,

Marc basic training, book, deployment, family member, military

The Children are our Future!

As a former Army Airborne Ranger and a current Department of Defense employee, I will be the first to say that I don’t know the answer.

Should we stay or should we go??

As spouses, brothers, sisters, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and in-laws, we hate to see our service members deploy into harm’s way.

What good could come out of all of this? We want our family at home to watch our kid’s recitals, baseball games, and to share in all the excitement of a graduation or the birth of a new family member.

We get tired of seeing the newspapers and television reporters say the same monotonous things over and over. “We are helping build a new life for the people of Afghanistan and Iraq”.

These children we see on the news haven’t done anything wrong. They have been born into circumstances that are beyond their control. I imagine that the children of Iraq would love Disneyland, watching Hannah Montana, or just eating cereal in front of the television on Saturday morning while they take in cartoons.

Our children have opportunities because our service members protect our way of life, because they help bring stability to other regions. Our children can become who they want because our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coasties do what they do. They bring stability to a world that needs it.

The best thing that we can do is focus on what we can control; stability in our own homes. We need to stay active, we need to have a schedule, we need to believe!

Believe in what our service members are doing overseas. Believe in their training. Believe in their brothers and sisters that are standing on the right and left of them when they dig in on the front lines.

Best regards,

Marc CB Maxwell