VMERG

Taking Chance

2009-01-23T05:58:00.001-08:00

Kevin Bacon stars in "Taking Chance", true story, based on the first-person account of Lieutenant Colonel Michael Strobl (USMC), the film chronicles his poignant journey as the volunteer military escort officer who is assigned to accompany the body of 19-year-old Lance Corporal Chance Phelps (USMC), who was killed in action in Iraq, across America back to his hometown of Dubois, Wyoming in spring 2004.

http://www.hbo.com/events/takingchance/

Ft. Bragg USO’s 5K Run/Walk for the Troops

2008-12-29T13:28:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March 07, 2009, 07:30 AM

Fayetteville Technical Community College

Parking Lot # 5, Hull Road

Fayetteville, NC 28303

This 5K Run/Walk will benefit the Ft. Bragg USO’s facility and outreach programs. Not only is this a fundraiser, but it is an opportunity for the Ft. Bragg and Fayetteville communities to come out and show our support for our local military. As participants, you can choose to walk or run in honor or in memory of service members. Feel free to be creative by making t-shirts or posters to express your gratitude. During our February meeting, let's created a poster!

Please use following link to register under the team name AA VMERG.

http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1668218&assetId=4df639c6-f3af-4764-b7a6-3a7474562777

AA HAS HONOR OF FLYING U.S. HEROES TO ORLANDO

2008-12-14T15:40:00.000-08:00

AA's Flagship Freedom, a 757 signifying AA's commitment to supporting military service members, opened its doors to salutes and cheers as veterans and family members arrived for the Fifth Annual Road to Recovery Conference and Tribute that began Sunday, Dec. 7, in Orlando. The flight made it possible for nearly 140 soldiers and their family members from the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio to attend the event coordinated by the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes (CSAH), an organization that helps wounded and disabled service members and their families rebuild their lives. Events at both departure and arrival gates included Tony Orlando, who performed his "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" signature hit. "What made the flight truly wonderful were the AA employees and crew who made sure these national heroes felt welcome and comfortable throughout the flight," said Captain Steve Blankenship, who manages Veterans initiatives. "It's an honor for all AA employees to be part of their healing process."

AA BRINGING SOLDIERS COURTSIDE

2008-12-14T15:39:00.000-08:00

AA and the Dallas Mavericks will host approximately 150 soldiers this weekend, providing courtside seats for the Mavericks game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. AA will fly the veterans from Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio to Dallas, thanks to the flight crew and flight attendants donating their time. The soldiers will fly aboard Flagship Freedom, the yellow-ribbon 757 that American unveiled on Veterans Day in support of all who serve in the armed forces.

Meeting - 19 December - 1630 - C31

2008-12-14T15:34:00.000-08:00

Our last meeting for 2008 will be held on Friday, 19 December at 1630 in C31 and light refreshments will be provided. Our tentative agenda is:

Communication
Sponsored Families
Other Chapter formations
Senior Prom in May for the NC Veterans State Nursing Home
Ideas for next year and long range plans

Thanksgiving Thoughts from a Deployed Hero

2008-11-27T16:52:00.000-08:00

"Well, let me start with Happy Thanksgiving.

As has been the routine of my last couple of years... I found myself today eating an MRE for Thanksgiving dinner in between planning for missions. When I was a PFC, before my first tour, I was in California, training in the dead of winter in a high desert for Iraq in OIF 4. It was a chicken and salsa MRE. cold. Then, I actually did get a thanksgiving the following year. I came home in mid October and remember my mom tearing at the dinner table because she was thankful, as well as I, that I had made it home alive. Then, the following year I was on a boat, and I don’t think that I was able to call or email home for about 60 days because we were running missions in Somalia and Bangladesh. Now here I am. Today I had a lasagna MRE for dinner as Isat in the office alone, letting my guys get some rest before the mission and I was getting the logistics together. My thoughts always drift home. Pumpkin beer, cold winters, fires in the fire place, football, stuffing my face until I can't sit up, family, being in a safe place where I don’t have to be on guard, or worry about if my other marines are ok... are we, ok?

My mother wrote me an email saying that she feels like her emails are boring in comparison to mylife, and doesn’t know what to say.... so she writes of home and the things I described. But what she doesn’t realize is that all thosethings bring me closer to home. Even an email with one sentence in it saying hello, tells me I am not forgotten and left in this dark world that has been the last 4 years of my life. So this thanksgiving I am thankful for that. Thankful that someone out there cares about me enough to remind me of what I love about home and that if I can just keep pushing, I can make it home and experience these things again, without the weight of the world on my shoulders.

Love Ben"

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T02:48:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! As we are giving are thanks today, please remember those who cannot be with their families during this holiday season.

http://www.cpmsglife.org/tg/td1.html

SERO Can Food Drive

2008-11-25T16:55:00.000-08:00

You may have read in DAILY that the local ERGs are sponsoring a can food drive to help the Food Bank of NC. The event is sponsored by the African American Resource Group with their hopes that all the local ERG's would participate and promote this worthy cause. Collection started November 24 and will run through December 15th. The collection box is in the cafeteria. Please do all you can to make this joint venture a success!

Sponsoring Families for the Holidays

2008-11-21T18:05:00.000-08:00

We have an opportunity to provide a little assistance to two military families enduring financial hardships. If you would like specific information on how to contribute, please send an email to vmerg.sero@aa.com Please help bring a ray of sunlight to these families.

Lets Say Thanks!

2008-11-21T18:03:00.000-08:00

The VMERG would like to make you aware of a great opportunity for employees and their families to show "Thanks", just in time for Thanksgiving! Xerox has partnered with Give2TheTroops, the Boys and Girls Clubs and many printing companies to sponsor this site. The cards have been created by kids all over the country.

If you go to the website, www.LetsSayThanks.com, you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and send to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services.

How AMAZING it would be to get this message to everyone we know to send one!!! This is a great site. Please send a card. It is FREE and really only takes a second.

American Airlines adds Yellow Ribbons to aircraft

2008-11-15T09:47:00.000-08:00

Please check out this you tube video of the ceremony

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPfSkzZjGgY

Thank You to all Our Veterans!

2008-11-10T19:34:00.000-08:00

Happy Veteran's Day to all of our heroes! November 11th each year is an official day to recognize and thank all of those who have served our great country. I believe everyday is a day to recognize our brave men and women in uniform.

Have you thanked a veteran today?

All Member Meeting

2008-10-26T06:13:00.000-07:00

Our next meeting to finalize our launch plans, will be held on Wednesday, November 5th at 1630 in E15. We look forward to seeing you there!

www.MomentofThanks.com

2008-09-21T14:44:00.000-07:00

Check out the website and take just a moment to let our heroes know we care!
http://www.momentofthanks.com/

Writing to our Heroes!

2008-09-19T12:04:00.001-07:00

While our brave men and women are deployed, there will always be a need for cards and letters of support from home. Unfortunately, some of them receive very little love from home. If you would like to send a few words of encouragement and support to our brave heroes, please place your cards and letters addressed to "Any Hero" in locker 1183 or give to any VMERG Officer.

Our soldiers love getting drawings from children, pictures of people and just any cards/letters letting them know they are appreciated. Thanks for helping shed a little sunshine during their long hard days.

New Members and Informational Meeting

2008-09-08T19:05:00.000-07:00

We would like to invite everyone to our next meeting on Tuesday, October 21 at 1630 in C31. We will posting an agenda at least one week prior to the meeting. If you would like anything added to the agenda, please send an email to serovmerg@gmail.com. We will be discussing our plans for our launching of AMRs 16th ERG here at the SERO on November 11th, Veteran's Day.

Meetings are on your own time. If you need your shift adjusted to attend, please either email serovmerg@gmail.com of leave a message in PNR *9104/1Jan-SERO/VMERG. We can split your shift to attend. The additional hour will be added to the end of your shift.

We hope to see many of my fellow SERO family there!

Officers Meeting 8 September

2008-09-04T21:55:00.000-07:00

There will be a meeting for officers on Monday, 8 September, in C32 at 1830.
Snacks will be provided.

Tentative agenda:
1. Approve/discuss logo and brochures
2. Create communication process – email, website, PNR
3. Establish monthly meeting time
4. Recruiting
5. Bank account – need to establish at Credit Union
6. Launch Event on November 11th