Military Family Network™ News · January, 2010
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| A MESSAGE FROM YOUR MFN TEAM |
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010!
 Another year is beginning, another decade, actually, with all of its possibilities. We are very excited here at MFN about things to come this year.
2010 will be a year of moving forward with our mission to help military families, servicemembers and veterans connect with the resources they need, and with each other.
This will be your year! The best resource we all have is each other, and we are going to provide you with the tools to allow you to connect. And we are continuing to bring more expert resources on-board to offer you their knowledge and experience.
We are in the final phase of adding content and testing the new MilitaryFamilyNetwork.com site, and you will be as excited as we are when you see it! With all the information you need, organized in a way that makes it easy to find, and the ability to interact with each other and contribute to the site, this will continue to be your go-to community for news and resources for your military life.
Watch for the February 2010 newsletter for more updates about the new site and other plans for the New Year.
Until Next Month (or you can email us at connections@MilitaryFamilyNetwork.com if you just can’t wait!),
Megan, Luis and Darrell
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| NEWS YOU CAN USE |
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America's Innovators Call for Health Care Reform to Unlock Jobs of the Future
To emerge from the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression, we are depending on entrepreneurs and start-ups -- young and small businesses -- to do what they have historically done for the United States: fuel economic growth by creating a disproportionate share of the new jobs we need. As President Obama's Chief Technology Officer, I devote much of my energy to creating a fertile environment for high-technology start-ups in areas like information technology, clean energy, biotech, transportation, manufacturing, and robotics. Full Story
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| TRICARE UPDATE |
Researcher Shares Cold Safety Tips for Soldiers
Researchers at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine are coming up with ways to sustain Soldiers' performance in environmental extremes, a research physiologist at the institute said Dec. 17.
Read More...
A Shot of Health
In the world of medicine, humanity is constantly warring with ever evolving viruses and bacteria. Read More...
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| VETERANS CORNER |
Guard Gifts Bring Smiles to Veterans
Dakota Soldiers and Airmen received Christmas presents in the form of smiles this year from the North Dakota Veterans Home in Lisbon when they delivered gifts as part of their annual journey to bring cheer to residents. Volunteer Guardsmen left Dec. 17 with presents in tow for those who served before them. Read More...
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| MFN BOOK CLUB |
Your Military Family Network
Order Your Copy Now!
 "Your Military Family Network reference book is the most complete source of information for the active military, veterans and their families that I have seen. At first I just skimmed through it, but when I read the contents and your instructions on how to use this book, I realize this book was worth much more than the purchase price. Thank you for providing a helping hand for our military who have sacrificed so much for our freedom. Your book it is a treasure for me and for all military personnel." - Curt M., WWII veteran
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| MISSION CRITICAL INFO |
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Advertising and Sponsorship Opportunities Available!
- Newsletter!
- Website!
National Military Resource Book!
Contact Megan Turak at sales@MilitaryFamilyNetwork.com for more details.
*Military Community Submissions:
If you have a story, song or photo that you would like to share with The Military Family Network™, please contact Luis Trevino.
Get Seen! Get Heard! Join MFN’s Referral Network!
The Military Family Network™ has connected and worked with media outfits of all kinds including ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, Montel Williams, Dr. Phil Show, Sesame Street, AARP, Newsweek, Army Times, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, Social Security, Department of Labor, Military OneSource, Reader’s Digest, VFW, United Press International, Lifetime, etc. and countless newspapers around the world. These organizations contact MFN for a variety of reasons, but in each case, they want to hear from the military community.
If you are a service member, military family member or veteran and would like to be included in MFN’s referral network for media opportunities, please email lou@militaryfamilynetwork.com with your interest and contact information and Lou will be glad to include you for future opportunities.
Privacy Notice: The Military Family Network™ is committed to ensuring the privacy of our military community according to the Department of Defense and MFN does not release or sell information about individuals. In the event that you participate in MFN’s referral network, you will be contacted by MFN about the opportunity first and if you are interested, you will be given the choice to provide MFN with permission to release your contact information (name, email or phone only) or be given the contact information to make the connection yourself. If you are an active member of the Armed Forces, it is always advisable to contact PAO for guidelines, permission, etc., before participating in public media opportunities.
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| MONEY, EDUCATION & EMPLOYMENT |
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Cash Card Saves Time and Money
Maintaining cash on the battlefield can be a hassle. It can also be expensive without the proper management steps. Read More...
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Manage Your Subscription: Subscribe · Unsubscribe
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| ORGANIZATION IN THE SPOTLIGHT |
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Nominate Your Employer for the 2010 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award
It is only possible for our National Guard and Reserve members to perform at their best with the support of loved ones, friends, neighbors and, particularly, employers. Thousands of employers across the nation employ National Guard and Reserve members, fully aware that at any moment they may be called to serve. And when this happens, both the employee and employer face challenges. We are grateful for the many employers who remain patriotically steadfast in support of their military employees, both financially and emotionally, going well beyond the law. Supportive employers allow service members to perform their duties while alleviating concerns about their jobs and loved ones back home.
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency, invites nominations for the 2010 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the highest recognition given by the U.S. Government to employers for outstanding support of their employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. National Guard and Reserve members and their families are eligible, and encouraged, to nominate their employers now through January 18th, 2010 at .
Freedom Award recipients support their Guard and Reserve employees and their families in important ways, both large and small. Past recipients have provided differential pay during deployments, continued insurance benefits and sent comfort items in care packages. Some of the most valued assistance has been the support extended to deployed service members' families. When one National Guard member was deployed, his employer filled his seat at his sons' sports games. After another service member's family hit hard times during a deployment, his employer stacked gifts under the family's Christmas tree. And during the deployment of a single father, his employer sent his daughters off to school each morning with a wake up phone call. These seemingly small acts have a significant impact on the lives of National Guard and Reserve members and their families.
Any employer supportive of its National Guard and Reserve employees or their families is eligible for Freedom Award nomination. Past recipients of the award have ranged from a small family-owned farm in Iowa to large corporations, including Chrysler and Microsoft, to public sector employers including the City of Austin, Texas.
The 2010 recipients will be announced in the spring and honored in September at the 15th annual Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award ceremony in Washington, D.C. Recipients of the 2009 award met with President Barack Obama and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and received their awards at a ceremony with the keynote given by Dr. Jill Biden.
Click here to submit a nomination.
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| FEATURED PROGRAM |
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DoD Yellow Ribbon Program
The Secretary of Defense initiated the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program which provides information, services, referral, and proactive outreach programs to Soldiers of the Army Reserve and their Families through all phases of the deployment cycle.
The goal of the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program is to prepare Soldiers and Families for mobilization, sustain Families during mobilization, and reintegrate Soldiers with their Families, communities, and employers upon redeployment or REFRAD.
The program includes information on current benefits and resources available to help overcome the challenges of reintegration. The 30, 60, and 90-day post-deployment or REFRAD requirements are for reintegration purposes only and are performed in Annual Training (AT) status for Soldiers.  Family members are authorized to travel on Invitational Travel Orders (ITOs).
MFN's Megan Turak and Luis Trevino participated in seveal of these program conferences last year, and have plans for several this year. In fact, they were in Los Angeles this past week attending one!
Congratulations to Elle!
Winner of the LoungAir® - A Convertible Air Comfort System!
Compliments of VMK Innovations
(Pictured above with MFN's Lou Trevino)
Find out more.
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| THIS MONTH'S FOCUS |
Lee Greenwood Stirs Up Christmas Spirit at the Greensburg Palace Theatre
This actually happened last month, but is a great story!
by Megan Turak, Military Family Network
PITTSBURGH, PA, December 17, 2009 --
On December 2nd, singer, songwriter and musician, Lee Greenwood, ushered in the holiday season with a festive Christmas concert brimming with tradition and musical classics for a jubilant audience of community and military fans at the Palace Theatre in Greensburg, PA.
Attended by special guests from the 14th Quartermaster Company, U.S. Army Reserve; the Department of Defenses’ Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve; and, Pittsburgh-based Military Family Network, and hosted by Latshaw Productions of Monroeville, PA, the spectacular performance captured the crowd’s imagination while Greenwood’s pleasant humor and storytelling wove together a magical tapestry of Christmas spirit...
Read Full Story Here
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| FAMILY SUPPORT |
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Taking the Jobs Forum on the Road, with Your Help
It was an intensive afternoon at the Jobs and Economic Growth Forum, with opening remarks from the President and Vice President, with smaller discussions on creating jobs through infrastructure, exports, green jobs, small business, investment, and helping workers on Main Street.
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Kid Rock Jams For Service Members
Kid Rock and the Twisted Brown Trucker Band entertained service members at Forward Operating Base Warrior in Kirkuk, Iraq, Dec. 2.
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