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Greenlights

Recently, you’ve probably seen the Greenlight A Vet commercial while you’re watching TV. With Veteran’s Day upon us, I want to share a little more information about Greenlight A Vet.

Because veteran’s are often camouflaged in their day to day life, the Greenlight A Vet campaign wants to show visible support to the brave men and women who serve our country. Changing one light to green will be a visible sign of support for our vets. Be sure to check out the Greenlight A Vet website.

 

Kait


USMC Birthday Ball Invitation

The United States Marine Corps 240th birthday is upon us. That means the birthday ball is right around the corner for many Marines.

Here’s a great story about a Marine who’s wife is unable to attend the ball with him, so they decided that he should invite a Gold Star Mother, Gold Star Wife, or Gold Star Daughter to the ball. A Gold Star family is the family of a service member who was killed in combat. This Marine is encouraging others without a date to do the same.

Here’s his video:

 

 

Kait


How to Send Holiday Mail to Heroes

Usually around this time every year, I see a website or a Facebook post floating around about sending holiday cards to wounded warriors, veterans, etc. Often times the information is incorrect.

Recently, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, sent out a link with the correct information on how to send holiday mail to our heroes at Walter Reed. Here is the information from their website. I’ve also attached the link.

Holiday Mail for Heroes

“Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Public Affairs

Every year there is a FaceBook Post that goes viral listing the wrong address for sending Holiday Cards to service members, veterans and families receiving care at Walter Reed Bethesda. It lists the address for Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Georgia Ave, which closed more than 4 years ago. PLEASE, if and when you see this FaceBook Post, respond to correct it. Any cards sent to 5900 Georgia Ave, “Any Service Member,” or to “A Recovering American Service Member” will be returned to sender because the address does not exist. Please do not forget about our veterans who are receiving care at your local VA Hospital.

Walter Reed Bethesda and the American Red Cross, National Capital Region is encouraging those interested to join us in helping to provide service members, veterans and their families, cards to send home to their loved ones this holiday season! Deadline for Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa cards is Friday, November 27, 2015.

Items to include in each bundle:
3 blank holiday cards (same holiday per bundle and no glitter)
3 blank envelopes with postage stamps
1 short message to the service member (do not included contact information, only first name)
Bundled with a ribbon

Please drop off or mail completed bundles to:
American Red Cross in the National Capital Region
ATTN: Holiday Mail for Heroes
8550 Arlington Blvd
Fairfax, VA 22031

Those interested in sending signed holiday cards are encouraged to contact their local Red Cross office, Military Treatment Facility or VA Hospital to obtain the local guidelines.”

 

If you want to send cards, please follow those guidelines!

 

Kait


Dancing with the Stars

Have you been watching Alek Skarlatos on Dancing with the Stars? We have and he’s got some smooth moves! Here are a few of his most recent dances. Definitely check them out!

Alek and Emma Slater rumba during Switch Up Week.

Here’s Alek and Lindsay Arnold’s dances from Hometown Week.

There are a few more dances. You can find them on Youtube.

Tune in to ABC on Monday at 8PM (EST) to see Alek and Lindsay on Dancing with the Stars!

 

 

Kait


Another Hero on DWTS

Another season of Dancing with the Stars has begun and another hero shows off his moves.

Alek Skarlatos, an Army National Guardsman who helped stop a gunman on a train headed to Paris, is one of the stars this season.

I love to see DWTS featuring some of America’s heroes!

Alek’s partner is Lindsay Arnold. Their first dance with a foxtrot. I have to say Alek has some moves! Here’s their first dance!

Hopefully, there will be many more dances where that came from! Make sure to vote!

Kait


Noah’s First Pitch

Army veteran, amputee, motivational speaker, model, and former Dancing with the Stars finalist, Noah Galloway, threw out the first pitch at the Yankees vs. Red Sox game a few days ago. Here’s a link to the clip of his pitch!

http://m.mlb.com/video/?content_id=330728283&source=MLB&topic_id=8878548&c_id=mlb&tcid=facebook_embedded_player&gid=2015_08_04_bosmlb_nyamlb_1

Kait


Another Great Commercial

Duracell also created a beautiful and moving commercial. Check it out.

I’ve heard about these teddy bears before and I think they are genius. They are definitely one of many great ways to help a child cope with a deployment.

Kudos, Duracell, for creating such a heartwarming commercial.

Kait


Best Commercial of the Summer

If you haven’t seen this commercial yet, take a look! It is the best commercial of the summer.

Here’s a quick article about the commercial: The Best Commercial of the Summer is the Heartwarming Tale of a Military Child

This commercial is moving and cute, and it makes a great point. Letters on hard paper have such a greater impact than social media and email. Mail is such a morale boost for our men and women serving overseas. I made an effort to send my husband a care package with letters in it almost every week. It was a great way for us to remain connected and it kept him from feeling like he was completely missing out on what was going on back home. I also would mail my husband some stationary, envelopes, and pens so he could send letters home. As well as the mail making our service men and women happy, imagine the happiness of a child receiving a letter back from mom or dad while they are thousands of miles apart.

Kait


Happy Birthday USCG!

We’d like to wish the US Coast Guard a happy 225th birthday!


All About Noah

If you haven’t already seen it, here’s a link to the Men’s Health article when Noah Galloway was the Ultimate Men’s Health Guy Winner. There’s a great video along with the article. Make sure to check it out!

Noah Galloway is the Ultimate Men’s Health Guy

Noah chatted with Men’s Health weekly while he was on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. Here’s his interview after being in the finale! Check it out!

Noah Galloway on How You Could Become the Next MH Ultimate Guy

Noah’s a great inspiration! We loved watching him every week on Dancing with the Stars! If you’re having Noah withdrawal, follow him on Facebook to see what he’s up to: Noah’s Facebook

Kait


Memorial Day

Today, we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. We are forever grateful.

– The Marshall Plan Team


Watch Noah & Sharna’s Freestyle!

Last night was the 1st of 2 Dancing with the Stars Finale shows. The final 3 contestants performed their favorite dance from the season that they wanted to improve on and a freestyle dance. The freestyle dance is one of the most anticipated dances of the season. All three contestants had excellent freestyles!

ICYMI, I wanted to share Noah and Sharna’s freestyle with you! It is beautiful, emotional, and powerful. What a fantastic dance. Check it out and be sure to tune in tonight to see who goes home with the mirror ball trophy!

Kait


Noah’s in the Finals!

ICYMI, Noah Galloway made it to the Dancing with the Stars Finals! It airs tonight and tomorrow. Noah is one of three competitors left dancing for the mirror ball trophy! Be sure to watch. It’s on tonight, Monday, May 18 on ABC at 8pm est, and it will continue tomorrow night, Tuesday, May 19 on ABC at 9pm est. Be sure to watch and vote!

Kait


Inspiration!

I’ve seen this floating around the internet and on the news over the last week. It’s an inspirational video and a great story.

Army Captain Sarah Cudd was in a 12-mile march to get her Expert Field Medical Badge. She was exhausted and collapsed with the finish line in sight and minutes to spare, but with the encouragement of her fellow soldiers she pulled herself up and finished! It is very difficult to earn this badge, roughly only 20% pass.

Congratulations, Captain Cudd!!
Here’s the article with a video. Check it out.

Inspiring Video Shows Army Captain Stumbling to End 12-Mile March

Kait


Noah’s DWTS Semifinals!

I hope you all are following Noah Galloway‘s journey on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars! He just performed in the semifinals last night! Amazing! Tonight we’ll find out if he will be dancing in the finals next week! If you didn’t watch last night, you missed out on a fantastic and emotional show. Noah did two awesome dances! The first is a beautiful waltz. The second was judges choice. Noah and his dance partner, Sharna Burgess, teamed up with DWTS judge, Carrie Ann Inaba. Carrie Ann chose the dance and the concept, and it was BRILLIANT! Check out both dances!

Oh, and ICYMI, Noah proposed to his girlfriend, Jamie, right after his first dance! She said YES! Loved it! Congratulations Jamie and Noah!! (Watch the end of the first video to see the proposal!)

Here’s the waltz:

Here’s the judge’s choice:

Such a great show! Not only were Noah’s dances fantastic, the 3 other semifinalists were great too! It’s worth the watch!

Also, here’s a link to an Access Hollywood interview with Noah, Jamie, and Sharna after last night’s show: http://www.accesshollywood.com/noah-galloway-reveals-dwts-proposal-planning-details_video_2785137

Kait


Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s out there! We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you!

Kait


Noah Made It to the Semifinals!

I don’t know if you all have been watching Dancing with the Stars, but if you haven’t you should check it out on Monday!

Army Veteran, Noah Galloway, has made it to the semifinals! How cool is that?! He’s done a great job so far. He is challenging the way we all view dance.

Here’s one of Noah’s most recent dances. He received a 10 for this dance!

You can find more on Youtube.

Kait


Military Spouse Appreciation Day

Life has been crazy the last few weeks! Things are slowly calming down though. I can’t believe it’s May already and that means it is Military Appreciation Month! Make sure to show your appreciation to any of the military members in your life. They work hard and sacrifice so much. They deserve a little appreciation every now and then.

Today happens to be Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Along with our hard-working military members, we can’t forget their spouses. They endure a lot as well. Sometimes a little appreciation goes a long way.

So, I’d like to extend a warm THANK YOU today to all the military spouses! As a military spouse myself, I understand the pride, the love, the sacrifices, the hardships that a military spouse faces. It’s not easy feat, but it’s worth it for love. Thank you for all you do!

Kait


The Oscars

The Oscars are one of the biggest nights in Hollywood recognizing the talent you see on the screens and the talent behind the scenes. It’s always nice to see movies, documentaries, etc., relating to the US military nominated for an Oscar.

American Sniper, the film based n Navy SEAL, Chris Kyle, was nominated for Best Picture, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Writing (Adapted Screen Play), Film Editing, and Bradley Cooper was nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of Chris Kyle. American Sniper took home the Oscar for Sound Editing! I have yet to see American Sniper, although, it’s on my list. My husband is currently reading the book and we plan to see the movie when he’s finished.

Here’s the trailer for American Sniper:

Another military related piece was nominated as well. The documentary Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 was nominated for Documentary Short Subject and it won! Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 brings to light the trauma and hardships our veterans go through. I have not seen this one either, but it’s on my list as well.

Here’s the trailer for Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1:

Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 is an HBO documentary. Check out the link for more info.

Here’s the link for more info on the movie American Sniper.

For more info on Chris Kyle and his book, American Sniper, check out this link.

Congratulations to all of the Oscar winners and nominees!

Kait


Noah Galloway on DWTS 20th Season!

Hey all!

I’m a big Dancing with the Stars fan. It’s such a fun show to watch. So, I was excited to see the big season 20 stars reveal this morning. It seems like a pretty diverse and interesting cast, as usual. There’s always a few celebrities you’re excited to see and a few you’ve never heard of, but end up becoming fans of anyway. BUT… I was THRILLED to see that Noah Galloway, athlete, personal trainer, and Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran will be part of Dancing with the Star’s 10th Anniversary season cast! He will be partnered with Sharna Burgess.

Some of you may recognize Noah as he graced the November 2014 cover of Men’s Health magazine. He was their Ultimate Guy. He was deployed on his second tour to Iraq in 2005 when he was injured by an IED. He is a double amputee – left arm and leg. He spent time at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda as part of his recovery and rehabilitation. He is now a motivational speaker, and personal trainer. He has competed in Tough Mudders, Crossfit, and numerous other competitions. He takes no excuses! Check out Noah’s website!

I am very much looking forward to watching him dance this season on Dancing with the Stars! Be sure to tune in to see him in action! Season 20 begins Monday, March 16 at 8pm(est) on ABC.

Kait


Myths about PTSD

There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding PTSD. Here’s an article that talks about 5 of the biggest PTSD misconceptions. Check it out. It’s great info.

5 Common PTSD Misconceptions

Kait


CrossFit and PTSD

I’m sure you’ve heard of CrossFit by now. If you haven’t, it’s one of the latest workout crazes. Really, it’s more than just a workout, it’s a workout philosophy. It’s intense. It’s a competitive sport. It’s made up of all sorts of exercise elements, like weightlifting, gymnastics, calisthenics, high intensity interval training, and much more.

CrossFit is popular among servicemen and women. My husband loves it. Recently, he was surfing the web for some CrossFit stuff when he came across this video of a veteran with PTSD who says CrossFit saved his life. It’s a moving video and definitely worth the 20 minutes. Learn a little about CrossFit and PTSD. There’s always hope.

 

 

Kait


Dogs for Vets

Have you watched A&E‘s Dogs of War?

If you don’t know what it is, it’s about Paws and Stripes, a non-profit organization that helps provide vets suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with service dogs.

As a military spouse and a dog lover, this show hits home. Fortunately, my husband does not suffer from PTSD, however, we have both seen the effects of it and we both know how the unconditional love of a dog effects your life. It’s a very good show and worth the watch. Jim and Lindsey Stanek, the husband and wife co-founders of Paws and Stripes, work hard to match veterans with the right dog to help them get on the right path.

Dogs of War airs Sundays 11pm/10c on A&E. Check it out.

 

Kait


Carrie Underwood Touched by a Military Family

I’ve been a Carrie Underwood fan since her American Idol days. So, as a military spouse, I was happy to see this article written by Carrie about how a military family changed the way she sings one of her songs. This article was published back around Veteran’s Day and I never got around to posting it… so, here it is!

The Military Family That Changed How I Sing “See You Again”

 

There are also some other great articles about vets that are tagged with hashtag #TIMEVets. Check them out!

 

Kait