Colonel Christopher L. Spillman, Commander, 108th Air Defense Artillery (ADA) Brigade, and Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Harold Lincoln, 108th ADA Brigade CSM, unfurl the Brigade colors during a transition of authority ceremony on 22 June 2011, in Southwest Asia. The 108th ADA replaced the 69th ADA Brigade as the command and control unit of air and missile defense forces in the Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility.

108th ADA Takes Command in Southwest Asia
(Posted 28 June 2011)
Article and photograph by Staff Sergeant. Henry W. Marris III

SOUTHWEST ASIA - The 108th Air Defense Artillery (ADA) Brigade, based out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, accepted the reins of control from the 69th ADA Brigade, home-based at Fort Hood, Texas, during a Transfer of Authority ceremony on 22 June 2011 in Southwest Asia (SWA).

108th ADA Brigade has been preparing for months in order to assume command and control of air and missile defense (AMD) forces throughout the Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility (AOR).

Colonel Christopher L. Spillman, commander of the 108th ADA, believes a successful mission lies with the Soldiers and leaders within the brigade.

“No doubt,” Spillman said, “that it will be the knowledge and skills of the great professionals of the brigade and their dedication to executing this mission to the highest standard.”

For a number of Soldiers in the 108th, this will be their first deployment in support of combat operations.  Private First Class (PFC) Mark A. Giauque, a native of Camarillo, California, and a Soldier in the brigade operations section, says he relied heavily on training exercises to help prepare for the mission.

“I tried to learn as much as I could during mission readiness exercises,” Giauque said. “Whether that meant coming in an hour before shift or staying an hour after, I just tried to learn as much as I could from the more experienced [ones].”

Since arriving in the SWA theater of operations, the members of the incoming 108th ADA Brigade have been working side-by-side with their counterparts in the 69th ADA Brigade.

Often called “right-seat rides,” each unit’s members will accompany their outgoing counterpart for a short period of time to help ensure the smoothest possible transition of command and control between the units.  One benefit to the right-seat rides is learning how the previous unit conducted operations.

 “They (69th ADA Soldiers) gave us examples of all the memorandums we needed to complete so we could be set up for success,” said Specialist (SPC) Douglas Cook, a native of El Dorado, Arkansas, and member of the 108th ADA Brigade’s communications section.

The Soldiers and leaders of the 108th ADA will be deployed in SWA for one year in support of CENTCOM and it will be a learning experience for many. Cook said he hopes to gain a better perspective of how his job affects the mission during deployment.  The lessons learned will be passed on when the 108th ADA rotation ends next year.

Just as many before them, the 108th ADA is prepared and ready to do their part in defending U.S. and coalition troops.  For Spillman, it is more than doing his part.

“It is a tremendous honor and a professional high point in my career to lead this brigade and our deployed battalions in the execution of a vital mission in support of our national interests,” Colonel Spillman said.


About the author and photographer: Staff Sergeant. Henry W. Marris III, is assigned to the 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade Public Affairs Office while supporting CENTCOM operations in SWA.

Fires Capability for
a Wide Area of Security and Combined Arms Maneuver
(Posted 28 June 2011)

The new edition of the Fires Professional Bulletin-644 (PB-644), May-June 2011, is now online.

The theme is Fires capability for wide area security and combined arms maneuver. This edition includes stories from the 2011 Fires Seminar (16-20 May 2011) held at Cameron University, Lawton, Oklahoma. You can also read the 2011 State of the Fires Center of Excellence: Report from the Front.

(To access the bulletin click on the cover photo to the left.)

C-RAM: Sky Watchdogs
Ohio Guard Unit Adjusts Fire to Operations in Iraq
(Posted 27 June 2011)
By Corporal Daniel Eddy, 196th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment,
Ohio Army National Guard


Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Greg Gustafan (left), Commander, Joint Task Force 1-174th Counter-Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (C-RAM), United States Forces – Iraq, and a McConnelsville, Ohio, native, talks with Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Steve Woodall of the 116th Garrison Command, United States Division – Center, from Meridian, Idaho, on 27 January 2011, after a test fire of the C-RAM weapon system at Camp Victory, Iraq.
The Ohio Army National Guard (OHARNG) Air Defense Artillery (ADA) battalion is responsible for the  C-RAM systems throughout the theater and is the first ARNG unit to perform this mission.
(U.S. Army photo by Corporal Daniel Eddy)

     An insurgent spends days scouting the spot. He moves at night so his actions are cloaked by darkness. He emplaces the payload he has spent countless hours preparing. Everything is in place. He lights the mortar – directed right at a U.S. military forward operating base (FOB).

     As the rocket or mortar hurdles toward the compound, a counter-rocket, artillery and mortar (C-RAM) weapon system sounds the early warning sirens and lights up the sky. Within seconds, the mortar is destroyed.  The insurgent won’t be taking any lives tonight – not on the watch of Joint Task Force (JTF) 1st Battalion, 174th C-RAM.


Policing C-RAM bras shell casings at Fort Sill, Oklahoma during training.
(U.S. Army photo by Kathleen M. Doyle, November 2010.)

The 1^st Battalion, 174^th Air Defense Artillery (1-174 ADA) is an Ohio Army National Guard (OHARNG) ADA battalion headquartered in Woodlawn, near Cincinnati, Ohio. U.S. Army and Navy personnel assigned to JTF 1-174th C-RAM, U.S. Forces-Iraq, operate and maintain multiple C-RAM systems across Iraq, ensuring the safety of service members 24 hours per day.

     The C-RAM system, a land-based version of the Phalanx weapon system used aboard U.S. Navy ships to protect vessels from incoming missiles, was first used in Iraq in 2005. The Army has adopted the technology and is now using it to protect U.S. bases from threats lobbed over the walls.

     “We [have] 20-millimeter rounds that we will fire at a rapid rate in a pretty significant quantity,” said Captain (CPT) Lawrence Bogan, commander of the battalion’s Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (HHB), and a Hilliard, Ohio, native. “We provide early warning to alert location personnel of incoming indirect fire and then engage, basically shooting down a bullet with another bullet.”


(Left)  A Counter-Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (C-RAM) weapon system is test fired on 27 January 2011, at Camp Victory, Iraq. C-RAMs are placed on U.S. bases throughout Iraq to provide early warning and protect service members and civilians from indirect fire. (Right) Captain Josh Harris, a C-RAM liaison officer with Joint Task Force 1-174th C-RAM, United States Forces – Iraq, and a native of Wellington, Ohio, presses a fire release button on 27 January 2011, to allow the C-RAM to test fire at Camp Victory in Baghdad, Iraq.
(U.S. Army photo by Corporal Daniel Eddy)

     When the C-RAM fires it can be heard miles out, and when standing next to it one can feel the ground rumble underfoot. But before the 20 mm rounds can be intercepted, Soldiers and Sailors must quickly take measurements.

     “When we get a confirmation of an incoming round, that’s when we go into our engagement battle drill,” said Cincinnati-native Staff Sergeant (SSG) Ryan Osner, noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the unit’s engagement operations cell. “We have to confirm the air space is clear. Once the air space is clear, we send the order to send-fire permit. The gun will track and then the gun will engage. Simultaneously, the warning system will send out the ‘incoming call’ to (speakers) near the projected point of impact.”

     Osner said in the beginning, the job was slow, scary and resulted in quite an adrenaline rush.

Above a Soldier holds the spent 20 mm round shell casings from the C-RAM gun used to shoot down incoming indirect fire on U.S. forward operating bases in Iraq. The C-RAM can track, calculate the trajectory and engage a rocket or mortar before it hits the base.
(U.S. Army photo by Corporal Daniel Eddy on the right and by Kathleen M. Doyle on the left.)

     “Being able to shoot something down out of the air with all the technology and gun systems that we have is awesome,” he said.

     It’s a feeling that two years ago he didn’t expect to experience.

     Around January 2009,  1-174th ADA, initially received orders to deploy to Washington D.C. The mission required them to work with the Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAM)  and to train on the Avenger missile system the unit had been trained to operate. Then, in September 2009, the unit received orders to deploy to Iraq to work with the C-RAM weapon system.

     “The first question we all asked was, ‘What is C-RAM?’” said Lieutenant Colonel Greg Gustafan, the joint task force commander and McConnelsville, Ohio, native. “That’s not an air defense weapon system that any of us have worked with.”

     The C-RAM mission had been, up to now, an active-duty mission. JTF 1-174 is the first ARNG battalion in Iraq to assume the C-RAM responsibilities. The JTF, Navy counterparts included, trained for 90-days at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to learn C-RAM’s capabilities.

     Bogan said the transition from Avenger to C-RAM was challenging because it’s a completely different weapon system and they have to coordinate with different organizational assets. With the Avenger mission, they would go on their own and perform their mission solo. He said the Soldiers have adapted well to the change on all levels throughout the training process.

     “Everyone, from the moment we have started this, has taken it very seriously and that has been the piece that has made us the most (successful),” he said. “Everyone has paid very close attention and they have executed flawlessly to this point.”

     A Gatling gun is one element of the C-RAM system, often referred to as a “system of systems.” Collectively, the C-RAM is made up of multiple computer and radar systems working together, which connect to the early warning system. All of those “brains” are tied into the machine’s “muscle” – the Gatling gun. Each system has redundant capability to ensure the overall system is running at all times.

     “You have an off-the-shelf radar the Army uses in field artillery … designed to pick up rockets and mortars launched at ground level,” Gustafan said. “These, in conjunction with our air defense radar systems allow us to cover the entire third dimension; from very high altitude to the trajectory more common to rockets and mortars at lower launch elevations.”

     Gustafan said the computer systems can determine the trajectory of the round and predict where it will be at a certain point in the sky and from there, the radar and the Phalanx gun go to work, tracking the round and determining the most effective firing solution.

     The radar, however, picks up more than just rockets, artillery and mortars launched at the base. It detects anything in the sky, which includes helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles/unmanned aircraft systems (UAV/UAS), blast fragmentation from other sources and gunfire, Gustafan said.

     “So what those (radar) operators have to do is be able to discriminate between (what) is on the screen and see what may meet the ballistic criteria to be a potential threat,” he said.

     Osner said there’s a lot of learning involved in this mission, but he’s gained a lot of experience along the way.

     “This is one of the proudest moments of my life – being in command of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, and one of [the] key members of the first National Guard battalion-sized unit to be entrusted with the C-RAM mission,” CPT Bogan said. “I didn’t know this was the capacity that I would be doing it in, but helping people and saving lives is exactly what we were meant to do.  We are proud to be a part of this task force, represent the 174th ADA Brigade and our great state of Ohio for the opportunity to perform this C-RAM mission, very proud.”


Soldier of the 1st Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment trained at Fort Sill, in October and November 2010, in preparation for deployment on a system new to the unit.
(U.S. Army photo by Kathleen M. Doyle.)

2-44 ADA CASES COLORS AND HEADS BACK TO KENTUCKY
Article by Major David A. Carlile
Photographs by Sergeant First Class Peter Mayes

KABUL AFGHANISTAN -- On 18 June 2011, Major General (MG) James B. Mallory III, Deputy Commanding General (DCG) of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization- (NATO) Training Mission-Afghanistan (N-TMA) presented a Meritorious Unit Commendation Streamer to the Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery (2-44 ADA) Regiment.

The "Strike Fear" Battalion deployed in July 2010 to execute an extremely diverse mission set in support of the N-TMA and Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (NTM-A/CSTC-A) across 37 different locations. The Battalion served as the NTM-A/CSTC-A main effort to train and advise Afghan National Police (ANP) with direct responsibility for over 70 percent of the ANP's institutional training mission.

Strike Fear Soldiers trained over 27,000 ANP personnel: 13,000 Afghan Uniform Police Patrolmen (AUP), 5,000 Afghan Border Patrolmen (ABP), 1800 AUP noncommissioned officers (NCOs), 600 Afghan Border Patrol (ABP) NCOs, and over 7,000 Afghan Civil Order Police (ANCOP).

To expand and improve that training, the Strike Fear Soldiers managed over

$275 million in Afghan Security Force and Title X funds, issued 6,592 tactical/non-tactical vehicles totaling over $1.5 billion to Afghanistan National Security Force (ANSF) units.  Additionally, 2-44 ADA supported ANA development by training over 1000 Soldiers, the first class of female Officer Candidate School (OCS) Officers, 600 medics, and 80 physician's assistants.  Moreover, 2-44 ADA Soldiers traveled thousands of miles providing convoy escort security and acted as personal security details for NTM-A leaders and NATO weapons.  Air Defenders executed their assigned missions across all six Afghan regional commands while working side by side with their Afghan counterparts, members of all four U.S. service branches and twelve coalition nations.
  
(To read another article, Short Notice Success by Sergeant First Class (SFC) Peter Mayes from the 101st Sustainment Brigade, Public Affairs Office, click on the title above.)
 

Above, 2-44 ADA’s Battalion formation.

 
Above the command team of 2-44 ADA presents a Certificate of Appreciation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Training Mission-Afghanistan (N-TMA).
    

Left, Major General (MG) James B. Mallory III, Deputy Commanding General NATO-NTMA, attaches the Meritorious Unit Commendation streamer to 2-44 ADA's Regimental guideon. The battalion, originally scheduled for de-activation, was re-activated for deployment to Afghanistan serving as trainers to the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police.

Below from left to right, are Command Sergeant Major (CSM) William K. Maddox and Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Thomas Nguyen casing the battalion colors for transport back to their home station.

About the author:  Major David A. Calile is currently assigned to the 2d Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery (ADA) Regiment as the Battalion Executive Officer serving in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). About the photographer: The photographer is Sergeant First Class Peter Mayes from the 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division as a public affairs NCO also stationed in Afghanistan supporting OEF.

About the author/photographer: Sergeant First Class Mark Porter, is assigned to the 32d U.S. Army Air and Missile Defense Command (AAMDC), Public Affairs Office (PAO) at Fort Bliss, Texas.

POUNDING THE PAVEMENT WITH FRIENDS IN CELEBRATION OF
THE ARMY'S 236TH BIRTHDAY,  IN SOUTHWEST ASIA
By First Lieutenant Stephanie A. Joyce

It was 0500 and the temperature had not yet reached sweltering. Soldiers and Airmen alike were gathering in front of the Soldiers Creed, an imposing sign letting all those that passed, know they were approaching the Army Operations Area. They came with spirits high and yells of “Happy Birthday!” reaching out across the formations. Today was 14 June, more importantly; it was the 236th birthday of the Army. And today the Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery (3-4 ADA) Regiment, and the Airmen and women of 380th Air Expeditionary Wing (AEW) would celebrate the history and lineage of a Force that did, indeed, change the world.

The celebration kicked off at 0530 with a 2-mile run, led by Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Richard Harrison and Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Paris Williams, battalion commander and CSM of 3-4 ADA.  At the front of the formation the unit colors were proudly carried by Specialist (SPC) Jasper Fowler of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (HHB)/3-4 ADA. Running directly behind the colors were the Soldiers of HHB, led by Captain (CPT) Eric Riley and First Sergeant (1SG) Stephen Flack. Following HHB was Charlie Battery, led by CPT Ben Faiella and 1SG Kareem Reid; and Delta Battery, led by CPT Kalman Lonai and 1SG Norman Harvey.  Throughout the three formations, the 3-4 Soldiers and 380th AEW Airmen ran side-by-side.

About the author and photographer: 1LT Stephanie A. Joyce is currently serving as a battle captain and battalion Public Affairs Officer (PAO); Corporal Jamie A. Carpenter is an Military Occupational Specialty 14E (Patriot Fire Control Enhanced Operator). Both are assigned to Headquarters, and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery (HHB/3-4 ADA) Regiment home based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  They are currently  supporting Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in the Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility (AOR) in Southwest Asia.

GENERAL OFFICER ANNOUNCEMENT
Dated: 7 June 2011

The Chief of Staff, Army, announces the following officer assignments:

Brigadier General Heidi V. Brown, Director of Integration, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff,
G-8, United States Army, Washington, DC to Deputy, Test and Assessment, Missile Defense Agency, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

To read more about BG Brown and this assignment Click on her photo above.
(El Paso Times/6-9-2011, General from El Paso gets Missile Test Job)

Winner Announced for XVIII Airborne Corps Color Guard
(The Fort Bragg Paraglide/06-02-2011)
Article and photo by Sharilyn Wells

With sharp, crisp moves, five Soldiers under the direction of a staff sergeant, perfectly executed the necessary commands to sweep the XVIII Airborne Corps Color Guard Competition, May 17. The 108th Air Defense Artillery (ADA) Brigade earned the honor of representing corps during formal ceremonies, parades, military balls, and any special events in which a color guard is needed.

“This is a great honor,” smiled Sergeant (SGT) Matthew Tenbrink, who holds the American flag for the team. “We’ve been together for two years and have won before. It takes a lot of attention to detail … This is kind of a big deal.”

Held at the XVIII Airborne Corps Noncommissioned Officer Academy (NCOA), seven teams competed in several tests of professionalism, appearance, drill and ceremony, and the casing and uncasing of the colors.

The 108th ADA color guard team is: Staff Sergeant (SSG). Christopher Calais, color sergeant; SGT Matthew Tenbrink, national colors bearer; Specialist (SPC) Scott Baker, brigade colors bearer; Corporal (CPL) Dakota Maddox, Army colors bearer; and SPC Jaron Frazier and SPC Michael Alcorn, the left and right guards.

~   ~   ~
CONGRATULATIONS 108th - HOOAH!

OSU ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR VETERAN'S
ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING PROGRAM

(May 31, 2011 Stillwater, OK) – Oklahoma State University is now accepting applications for its annual Veterans Entrepreneurship Program (VEP). This cutting-edge, experiential training program empowers disabled veterans of the U.S. military and equips them with the skills they need to turn their business ideas into workable business models.

The entire VEP program – transportation, accommodation, books, food and instruction – is provided free of charge to participants. OSU alumni and supporters have rallied around the program and donated thousands of dollars to help make the program possible.

The deadline for application is 1 October 2011, and participants will be selected by 1 November 2011. The online self-study session will be available to participants from 5 December through 13 January 2012. The eight-day boot camp will be held 4 through 11 February 2012, on OSU’s campus in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

(TO READ THE ENTIRE PRESS RELEASE CLICK <HERE>.
TO ACCESS THE FLYER CLICK ON THE OSU LOGO ABOVE)
For more information about VEP 2012, visit the VEP website at http://entrepreneurship.okstate.edu/vep or send an email to VEP@okstate.edu. You can also call Brooke Stuart at 405-744-7552.

ADA IMMERSION PROGRAM
TAKES OFF INTO THE WILD BLUE YONDER
AS USAF PERSONNEL LEARN ABOUT PATRIOT
By 1LT Stephanie A. Joyce

The Patriot Soldier trains constantly in a tactically and technically intensive field.  If we are not actively engaged in a training exercise, we are studying tactics, improving our sites, or preparing our equipment for the next exercise.

Each Soldier understands that our presence and readiness allows U.S. and Coalition forces freedom of maneuver and regional stability. Our ability to guard the skies and our knowledge of our weapon system will allow us to successfully engage and destroy all tactical/theater ballistic missiles (TBM) and air breathing threats (ABT) threats.  We are closely associated with the Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS), in that our organization, mission and equipment are the most similar. The greatest difference between the Patriot System and AWACS is that we are land based; and instead of sending out fighter jets, we control launchers.      

Major Karen Clark (far left), the Operations Officer of the 3rd Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery (3-4 ADA) Regiment, gives a Patriot weapon system information brief to U.S. Air Force personnel. Supporting Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), 3-4 ADA is currently deployed to the Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility (AOR).
(Photograph by Corporal Jamie A. Carpenter.)

The actual vans, known as the Information Coordination Central (ICC) at the battalion level and Engagement Control Station (ECS) at the battery level are where the tacticians live and breathe. It is here that our Soldiers, 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, track and analyze aircraft. During training exercises, an observer would see protective masks and chemical gloves donned; while, on their monitors an image most closely described as Armageddon is taking place. There is such a flurry of activity that it is almost impossible to keep up with a well trained crew. While the tacticians are analyzing data from their radar and passing aircraft track data, the launcher crews are standing by preparing to reload missiles, or conduct on-the-spot maintenance.

As a Patriot Soldier, we are not only responsible for being tactically and technically proficient, we are also required to be professionals in our field. In addition to our Patriot training, we conduct leadership training, Soldier skill training, professional and personal development. We are tacticians, technicians, supporters and leaders; but above all, we are Soldiers.

About the author and photographer: 1LT Stephanie A. Joyce is currently serving as a battle captain and Corporal Jamie A. Carpenter is an Military Occupational Specialty 14E (Patriot Fire Control Enhanced Operator) Both are assigned to Headquarters, and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery (HHB/3-4 ADA) Regiment home based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  They are currently  supporting Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in the Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility (AOR) in Southwest Asia.

Obama Taps General Martin E. Dempsey
for Joint Chiefs Chairman
(Washington Post/05-30-2011)

President Obama nominated General Martin E. Dempsey as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Memorial Day, the holiday that honors the nation's war dead. Dempsey, who was sworn in as Army Chief of Staff just last month, replaces Admiral Mike Mullen, who is retiring on September 30th.

(To access complete article, click on the title above.)

US and Saudi Arabia Deepening Military, Strategic Ties
(International Business Times/05-19-2011)

Amidst the political upheavals in the Middle East and North Africa, military and defense relations are expanding with Saudi Arabia. Concerned about the vulnerability of their energy production facilities the Saudis are talking to Washington about a sophisticated air and missile defense system.


(To access complete article, click on the title above.)

Top Ten Military Family Programs
(Designated by the Military Officers Association of America [MOAA], May 2011)

1. Our Military Kids – Their mission is straightforward. Support military kids through enriching activities. Thousands of military children from Guard, Reserve and wounded families have received funds for tutoring, ballet, music, martial arts and so much more thanks to the compassion and business savvy of two women (not from military families) who wanted to make a difference in the lives of the nation’s military kids. Mission accomplished!

2. National Military Family Association – With free summer camps for military kids and scholarships for spouses, this organization has led the way in service for military families for more than 40 years. (And they’re our long time colleagues within The Military Coalition!)

3. Military Child Education Coalition – checklists on transferring students, navigating children through loss, camp scholarships and professional development for teachers – MCEC is the hub for all things related to milkids and school.

4. F.O.C.U.S. – Families Overcoming Under Stress teaches resiliency training to military families. We love that it’s a solution based program with a civilian partnership, co-developed by UCLA Center for Community Health and the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCTSN) and funded by the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) of the U.S. Department of the Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps.

5. Blue Star Families – They’re the group behind such programs as Books on Bases, Smiles on Faces; Blue Star Museums, and the 2010 Military Family Lifestyle survey. Launched in 2008 by some seriously hardworking military spouses, Blue Star Families has leveraged social media in a way like no other military organization, and has garnered the attention of the White House many times over.

6. United Through Reading – “Read me a book, daddy.” Your kiddies can still get their bedtime stories through this program which partnered up with the next organization on our list. It’s simple: United Through Reading has set up stations for all deploying military units and some USO locations where moms and dads can read books to their kids on DVD. (Pssst. We won’t tell if you watch them for a little comfort, too!)

7. USO – Bob Hope. Marilyn Monroe. Toby Keith. You are major star if you’ve been on a USO tour, but the real celebrities are the ones in uniform, thanks to the 69-year-old United Services Organization. They bring inspiration and a break from the battle field whether you’re in an airport or recovering from wounds. Plus, their motto “Until Everyone Comes Home” is one we can all agree on.

8. The Fisher House Foundation – One of only two people to ever receive the designation as an honorary veteran, Zachary Fisher’s legacy has provided the comforts of home for the families of our convalescing service members since 1991. The newest homes were opened in Bethesda this month.

9. Zero to Three – Our youngest military kids are affected by stress, unpredictability and lack of bonding, but Zero to Three has empowered military parents of children ages – you guessed it; zero to three years old – to mitigate these stresses with tips grounded in science. And pics of cute babies – well we just can’t resist!

10. Wounded Warrior Project – This organization is defined by its vision: To foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded warriors in this nation’s history. WWP has been making a difference in the lives of soldiers, Sailors, airmen, and Marines and their family members since 2003. We give kudos to this great organization for its grassroots efforts.

(To get more information on any of these programs, click on the hyperlinked titles)