Category: upcoming book

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Just Making Beds in Basic Training for the Military Was Tough.

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Military news…

‘Russians hit my training base last night’ — Ukraine through the eyes of a US Army veteran fighting there.
“I survived because the missiles struck the hard structures instead of the tents where I was.”

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Where things stand as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its third week

“It is time to stop the horror unleashed on the people of Ukraine.”

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“The Distance Between You Grows”—the Many Difficult Truths of Military Family Homecomings

Back-to-back deployments and explosions were “a recipe for disaster,” writes a military spouse. “For my family, reintegration lasted years.”

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A Rescue Team Evacuates Premature American Twins From Kyiv in a Daring Mission

Premature twins were evacuated from Kyiv by Army and Navy veteran Bryan Stern and his specialist evacuation team of U.S. Army veterans.

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House Approves $13.6 Billion in Emergency Aid for Ukraine

The House cleared $13.6 billion in military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, including $6.5 billion for the Pentagon to cover the costs of deploying additional U.S. troops to Eastern Europe and sending weapons to Ukraine as it battles a Russian invasion.

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A Ukrainian Learned His family Had Died After Seeing Viral Photos: ‘I Lost Everyone And Lost The Meaning of Life’

Serhiy Perebyinis learned his family had died after seeing a photojournalist’s images of four people lying next to a World War II memorial just outside Kyiv after the Russian military fired on them.

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In Search of a Just War: Why American Veterans Are Answering a Call to Serve in Ukraine

Some veterans who became disillusioned with U.S. missions in Afghanistan and Iraq say they’re traveling to Ukraine to help in what they call the type of righteous war they enlisted for.

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Brent Renaud, Crusading Filmmaker, Is Killed at 50

Peabody Award-winning documentarian Brent Renaud was the first journalist on assignment from a U.S. news organization to be killed while reporting on the war in Ukraine.

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Here is another excerpt from my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life.

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Sometimes the Answers Are Right Under Your Nose

There was one aspect of basic training that made the times hard for a soldier. That was when it came to making your bed for inspection.

We had regular inspections by our drill sergeant. When he came through the barracks, he carried a quarter in his hand. When he passed your bunk he would drop the quarter on the bed. If the quarter didn’t bounce, he tore the bed up and told you to try again. 

I had some real stressful times of making beds at first. I usually failed. But then I learned some tricks about tucking in the sheets, and even the blanket. There was a double tuck you could do that made the bed tight and quarters bounced on it easily.

There were some guys who never caught on to the tricks that were right in front of them. They were too proud to ask others for help.

I have seen that in life after the military. People struggling to keep up with the world, because they are too proud to seek help.

Are you one of those who could benefit from outside help, but have never taken advantage of it?

I have compiled a very extensive military appendix for your use. It is in the back of this book. Feel free to search through it for help in almost every possible way a veteran or current soldier may need.

It is not “giving in,” to seek help. It is finally agreeing that what you are doing may not be working for you, and you want to find other ways to cope in this unfriendly world.

Many of the sources have proven to reach out to those who suffer with anxiety, fear, depression, and hopelessness.

Don’t hide in your own self-pity. Take that first most important step and seek help today. Go to the back of this book and find the right sources for your needs.

IWILL

The lists in the back can be overwhelming. There are hundreds of sources there. Think about your own special needs and concentrate on that section only. Then narrow down your choices while checking out each resource. Most of the sources are websites.  If you don’t have access to the net, go to your local library, or visit a friend who has access.

Think about this

Isn’t it sad how we know we need help, but hide our feelings?

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Checking in on you. How are you doing? Did you have adventures while in Basic Training?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 14,135 veterans on this site who have your back.

Here is what I am asking you to do…please share this site with other veterans as you can you may know. It has helped so many.

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If you are battling mentally, but you are losing, GET HELP!!

Here is a toll free number that you can call 24/7. There are highly qualified counselors there to help you, and they will no hang up until they know you are OK.

1-800-273-8255…texting 838255

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

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Deployment Can be Very Hard on the Military Family

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

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Military news…

US and allies quietly prepare for a Ukrainian government-in-exile and a long insurgency

The war in Ukraine is barely two weeks old, and in Washington and European capitals, officials anticipate that the Russian military will reverse its early losses, setting the stage for a long, bloody insurgency.

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In support of Ukraine, US governors cut economic ties with Russia Governors in at least 11 states — Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, North Dakota, New York and Virginia — are pushing state entities to review or cut financial ties with Russian companies.

Israeli premier meets with Putin in surprise Moscow trip

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett made an unannounced trip to Moscow Saturday to meet with Putin. Israel alerted the White House in advance of the visit.

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No, The US Air Force Isn’t Going to Give Ukraine its A-10 Warthogs

Despite calls from former U.S. defense officials to transfer some of A-10 Warthog attack planes to Ukraine, the Air Force’s top leaders say there are no current plans for such an exchange.

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Here is another excerpt from my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life. Being separated from family while in the military can be very hard.

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Deployment Can Be Very Hard on the Military Family

As parents get deployed in the military, there is a void created. The children are left without a mother or father to have for love and guidance. So remember, it can also be very hard on the children as well.

As for the boys in a family there is a need for a father figure to help show them the way. A father can help him acquire knowledge and confidence he needs.

There is a time when a boy needs to seek out his father for attention. There is a need for someone to play catch with, to wrestle with.

I didn’t have a dad that came home each night to give me a hug and share my day with. My parents divorced when I was only about six years old.

My mother called me her “little one,” when I was very young.

I needed a dad to say, Hi Ace, or How’s it going today champ? I never heard that. It was like my dad was deployed to somewhere else, but he was never coming back.  

My mother was my only comfort zone. She had to be the one that showed interest in me. She was the only one who could support me when I needed it. She was my protector, but I needed someone to show me the excitement outside the realm of our home. My mother worked long hours and was very tired when she came home each day.

My mother did teach me toughness. She allowed me to play with toy guns, Beebe guns, and let me play with GI Joe figures. She did this because three of her brothers fought in World War II.  

I didn’t have a dad to go fishing with. That was probably the most glaring thing missing in my childhood. I loved to fish, but didn’t have the proper skills to know how to do it. My Uncle Paul taught me how to fish, but he was a farmer and didn’t have the freedom to go with me during the summer months because that was the busiest time for him. So I grew up fishing by myself. I needed a dad to get excited with me as I pulled in a fish.  

Today, I go fishing with my two sons often, and there is a special bonding there. Now I need to learn how to spend more time with my daughter, and come up with different ways of bonding with her.

Speaking of daughters, they also need their father or mother to be there for them. Sometimes it is the mother who is deployed, and the father becomes “Mr. Mom.”

He needs to find ways to give his daughter the love she needs without mom around. He needs to join in her fantasy tea parties. He needs to allow her to paint his fingernails a special color. She may even want to give dad a perm. No one expects a mother or father to be perfect in a military home. But you should do whatever you can to keep the family united and happy.

One of the happiest times for a military family is when their loved one comes home. I just watched some videos of surprise home visits that no one knew was coming. To see the joy in the children’s eyes and the tears in a wife’s eye make anyone who is half sane to cry for joy as well.

So many months of separation. So many times of loneliness and sadness from missing their loved one came to a screeching end in one moment.

IWILL

I can’t totally relate to each of you that have a family member deployed, and thus causing a mother or father to be absent. However, I did have a broken home when I was little and possibly I did feel the same hurts, and lost moments.

My heart cries out to you, and I hope that you remain strong, and show confidence to your children through a trial that hopefully will only last for a while.

Think about this

Isn’t it true that a family that prays together stays together?

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There will be more excerpts in the future, but they are getting scarce. Come back often to check them out. Better yet…go to the top of this page and click on subscribe. When you do all future posts will come directly to your inbox.

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Checking in on you. How are you doing? Have you been separated from family while deployed?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 14,125 veterans on this site who have you back.

Here is what I am asking you to do…please share this site with other veterans as you can you may know. It has helped so many.

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If you are battling mentally, but you are losing, GET HELP!!

Here is a toll free number that you can call 24/7. There are highly qualified counselors there to help you, and they will no hang up until they know you are OK.

1-800-273-8255…texting 838255

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

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In the Military, Scars Show Where We Have Been, But Not Where We Are Going

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

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Military news…

A photo apparently showing Russian troops stranded in an elevator is going viral

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A second Russian general has reportedly been killed in Ukraine

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What we know about possible Russian war crimes in Ukraine


American and international organizations believe there are “credible reports” that war crimes have occurred in Ukraine.

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These ‘Saint Javelin’ stickers raised $470,000 for Ukraine aid in a week

“As soon as I posted the artwork … I just got a flood of people saying, ‘I want it, I want it, I want it.'”

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Ukraine’s Drone Strikes Reveal Russian Planning Failures, Expert Says

Ukraine’s handful of Bayraktar TB2 armed drones has played an outside role in defending the country from Russian invaders. The drones have destroyed surface-to-air missile launchers and logistics trains.

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Mom Adopts Military Service Dog of Marine Son Killed in Action

A Gold Star mom adopted the military working dog who lived with her son while he was deployed to Afghanistan in 2012. She said the new comedy-drama “Dog” hits close to home.

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US Paratroopers in Poland Largely Hidden From View Amid Mission Prompted by War in Ukraine

An airfield near the Ukrainian border has transformed into the main staging area for the 82nd Airborne’s new mission in Poland.

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Here is another excerpt from my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for The Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life.

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Scars Can Show Where We’ve Been, But They Don’t Show Where We Are Going

One of the hardest things for us as veterans and current soldiers is dealing with the scars we have had from the past. It may be a physical scar, or it may be mental or emotional. We can’t keep living in the past. Much of it is too painful to relive again. Yes, the present isn’t exactly rosy sometimes either, but it is here, and we need to deal with it. The one-day-at-a-time thought works for me. I just do what I need to do to make it through each day, and I am thankful when I have made it.

The future is something we can’t always control, but we can help shape it by being eager to take it on and conquering it with our determination and guts.

I feel deeply of those of you who have physical scars. I also feel deeply for those of you who have mental and emotional scars. I have been to the mountain with these kinds of scars.

Strive to never give in to the dark side thought of doom and gloom. Look for the bright side, and share it with others around you who need it as well.

This reminds me of Kris Kyle the sniper who was famous for his accuracy, and how many lives he saved by eliminating the enemy who was about to kill our soldiers. He was a tough and no nonsense kind of guy, and yet he lost his live trying to help a fellow soldier who was battling his own demons. Kris was trying to help others even though he had his own dark times.

Never give up! There may be walls in your way, but you will overcome them with perseverance.

Let someone pile expectations on and then exceed them. Your biggest goals in life become your biggest achievements. If you have discipline and drive, you don’t lose. You cannot lose. New ideas are sometimes scary, but can end up something special. Walls: They separate, divide, and isolate. But walls can always fall.

What we have to remember is that we have to go through the pains of life to achieve the joys. Pains actually inspire growth. 

I saw those words recently and at first I thought, Easy for you to say! Most people don’t know what real pain is. My neighbor recently complained she had double abscessed teeth. Knowing how painful that is, since I have had abscessed teeth myself, I thought about those military servicemen and women have lost their legs, arms, or are going to be in a wheelchair the rest of their lives. The level of pain is relevant to only what you are really going through.

We must always remember: With God on Our Side, who can be against us? No one!

IWILL

It is hard enough to exist in this cruel world without adding pain and mental strain to our lives. We need to battle the elements that attack us with vigor and valor, just like we would on the front lines, in the trenches, as we face the enemy. Stand strong and be brave.

Think about this

Isn’t it interesting how it takes bravery to face this world, but it takes even more bravery to give it all up to God?

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I will have more excerpts in the future so keep coming back. Better yet…go to the top of this page and click on subscribe. When you do all future posts will directly to your inbox.

______________________________________________________________

Checking in on you. How are you doing? Did you have scars for you time in the military?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 14,120 veterans on this site who have you back.

Here is what I am asking you to do…please share this site with other veterans you may know. It has helped so many.

______________________________________________________________

If you are battling mentally, but you are losing, GET HELP!!

Here is a toll free number that you can call 24/7. There are highly qualified counselors there to help you, and they will no hang up until they know you are OK.

1-800-273-8255…texting 838255

_______________________________________________________________

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

_______________________________________________________________

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.