Everyone, I served with David during Operation Iraqi Freedom III. He is a great team leader and I ask your prayers for him and for the safe return of his team later this year. This is also his address if you want to send a care package.
Thank you and God Bless our Troops.
Sam
>>from SFC David Broderick, PRT Zabul, FOB Lagman, APO AE 09383
Hello Everyone,
This message is coming to you late Saturday night (your time), so I hope all of you are enjoying yourselves, AND staying out of trouble. Remember, that's my job! LOL
Not too much to tell over the last month. Just dealing with how our role in the area is evolving, and getting used to NOT being a kinetic type Soldier. Basically the role of the PRT (Provincial Reconstruction Team), of which my guys are the Security element, is to help support the training of GIRoA (Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan) in Agriculture, Governance, Education, and Security. Through our activities, we try to help legitimize GIRoA in the people's eyes, and in turn, help them secure their own country. This is a challenging task to say the least. Countering that are our "friends" in the Taliban, who can hide in plain, wield a LOT of power (especially here in Zabul), and who want Afghanistan to revert back to a Sharia law state. Sharia law is a very strict form of Islam much like you see in Saudi Arabia. The Taliban also likes to hit U.S, coalition, and Afghan forces with IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices). They are getting better & better at this task, so that is a little worrisome. In the middle we have our Special Operations brethren, who go out and look for the Taliban, but also stir up the people because the people feel disrespected by being stopped & searched, or searched in their homes. If something gets damaged, broken or destroyed, the PRT comes in to apologize and ask how they can help - so I get to deal with lots of angry and/or frantic people.
On the good side, where we live is actually one of the better FOBs (Forward Operating Base) in Afghanistan, so we feel very lucky for that. The air is relatively clean, the bathrooms are ALWAYS clean, and we don't have to wait for food/laundry/internet when we have the time. Another note of good news, is that we've been replacing old armored vehicles with new MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) type vehicles over the last month. Look up MATV, and see how cool those little buggers are. As a representative of the U.S. Military to you, the American Taxpayer, THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! My platoon also got the opportunity (which we've been begging for) to go out and go "Army stuff" to assist in searching for insurgents & IED makers, and overwatching key terrain. That was a cool few days and the guys were very excited.
Well, I will quit rambling and close for now. I hope that all of you are well, enjoying the Spring, and that life is going good for you. I look forward to seeing you again in the not-to-distant-future. I'll be home on leave, En Sh'allah Sept 8-22. Take care, be cool, and stay safe.
David
Monday, May 3, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Poem by my daughter Amanda
Crusade for Peace
by: Amanda M.
April 28, 2010
Where is the love in this world full of hate?
Let’s strive for peace before it’s too late.
No need for bombs if people are friends,
No need for guns if we tie up loose ends.
No fathers must leave their families behind,
No fathers must leave to kill off mankind.
Can contrast bring comfort, instead of unease?
Can past actions be forgotten; can we stop the wars please?
Love is our weapon; not missiles and hate.
Let’s strive for peace, before it’s too late.
by: Amanda M.
April 28, 2010
Where is the love in this world full of hate?
Let’s strive for peace before it’s too late.
No need for bombs if people are friends,
No need for guns if we tie up loose ends.
No fathers must leave their families behind,
No fathers must leave to kill off mankind.
Can contrast bring comfort, instead of unease?
Can past actions be forgotten; can we stop the wars please?
Love is our weapon; not missiles and hate.
Let’s strive for peace, before it’s too late.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Tip of the Arrow
I had a great meeting today with a professional career counselor and member of Tip of the Arrow. Founded in 2009, this new organization is making great headway in helping our returning Veterans find gratifying employment. This is an entirely volunteer organization. Check it out!
www.tipofthearrow.net
www.tipofthearrow.net
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
What is Honor and why is it important to Veterans
I've noted many times that I'm not going to try to reinvent the wheel when it comes to combat books; near-death combat experiences; or to write the best War Story ever written. I simply want to get a message out that there are many more Veterans and Combat Veterans out there that were injured mentally or physically during their service to our country than we know of. The walking wounded are mostly silent and I want to reach out to them and help them find the way into the light of a healthy life. I want to provide them and especially their families some form of relief and a measure of understanding that they are not alone.
So, a good friend sent me a message I wanted to share with you all. I've read it four times and each time it hits home a little deeper. This is just good stuff and it is so closely in-line with the message I want to get out in my work 'Service and Sacrifice' that I had to put it on the blog right away. Here you go:
From:http://www.militarycodeofhonor.com/
THE WARRIOR’S CODE OF HONOR
As a combat veteran wounded in one of America’s wars, I offer to
speak for those who cannot.
Were the mouths of my fallen front-line friends not stopped with dust,
they would testify that life revolves around honor.
In war, it is understood that you give your word of honor to do your
duty -- that is -- stand and fight instead of running away and deserting
your friends.
When you keep your word despite desperately desiring to flee the
screaming hell all around, you earn honor.
Earning honor under fire changes who you are.
The blast furnace of battle burns away impurities encrusting your
soul.
The white-hot forge of combat hammers you into a hardened, purified
warrior willing to die rather than break your word to friends -- your
honor.
Combat is scary but exciting.
You never feel so alive as when being shot at without result.
You never feel so triumphant as when shooting back -- with result.
You never feel love so pure as that burned into your heart by friends
willing to die to keep their word to you. And they do.
The biggest sadness of your life is to see friends falling.
The biggest surprise of your life is to survive the war.
Although still alive on the outside, you are dead inside -- shot thru
the heart with nonsensical guilt for living while friends died.
The biggest lie of your life torments you that you could have done
something more, different, to save them.
Their faces are the tombstones in your weeping eyes, their souls shine
the true camaraderie you search for the rest of your life but never
find.
You live a different world now. You always will.
Your world is about waking up night after night silently screaming,
back in battle.
Your world is about your best friend bleeding to death in your arms,
howling in pain for you to kill him.
Your world is about shooting so many enemies the gun turns red and
jams, letting the enemy grab you.
Your world is about struggling hand-to-hand for one more breath of
life.
You never speak of your world.
Those who have seen combat do not talk about it.
Those who talk about it have not seen combat.
You come home but a grim ghost of he who so lightheartedly went off to
war.
But home no longer exists.
That world shattered like a mirror the first time you were shot at.
The hurricane winds of war have hurled you far away to a different
world -- the Warrior’s World -- where your whole life is about keeping
your word or die trying.
But people in the civilian world have no idea that life is about
keeping your word -- they think life is about babies and business.
The distance between the two worlds is as far as Mars from Earth.
This is why, when you come home, you feel like an outsider -- a visitor
from another planet.
You are.
People you knew before the war try to make contact.
It is useless.
Words fall like bricks between you.
Serving with warriors who died proving their word has made prewar
friends seem too untested to be trusted - thus they are now mere
acquaintances.
And they often stay that way because, like most battle-hardened
Warriors, you prefer not to risk fully trusting anyone whose life is not
devoted to keeping their word, their honor.
The hard truth is that doing your duty under fire makes you alone, a
stranger in your own home town.
The only time you are not alone is when with another combat veteran.
Only he understands that keeping your word, your honor,
whilst standing face to face with death gives meaning and purpose to
life.
Only he understands that spending a mere 24 hours in the
broad, sunlit uplands of battle-proven honor is more deeply satisfying
to a man than spending a whole lifetime in safe, comfortably numb
civilian life with DNA compelling him to anguish endlessly over whether
he is a brave man or a coward.
Only he understands that your terrifying - but thrilling -
dance with death has made your old world of babies, backyards and
ballgames seem deadly dull.
Only he understands that your way of being due to combat
damaged emotions is not the un-usual, but the usual, and you are OK.
Although you walk thru life alone, you are not lonely.
You have a constant companion from combat -- Death.
It stands close behind, a little to the left.
Death whispers in your ear: “Nothing matters outside my touch, and I
have not touched you...YET!”
Death never leaves you -- it is your best friend, your most trusted
advisor, your wisest teacher.
Death teaches you that every day above ground is a fine
day.
Death teaches you to feel fortunate on good days, and bad
days...well, they do not exist.
Death teaches you that merely seeing one more sunrise is
enough to fill your cup of life to the brim -- pressed down and running
over!
Death teaches you that you can postpone its touch by
earning serenity.
Serenity is earned by a lot of prayer and acceptance.
Acceptance is taking one step out of denial and accepting/allowing your
repressed, painful combat memories to be re-lived/suffered thru/shared
with other combat vets -- and thus de-fused.
Each time you accomplish this act of courage/desperation:
the pain gets less;
more tormenting combat demons hiding in the darkness of
your gut are thrown out into the sunlight of awareness, where they
disappear in a puff of smoke;
the less bedeviling combat demons, the more serenity
earned;
serenity is, regretfully, rather an indistinct quality, but
it manifests as a sense of honor, a sense of calm, and gratitude to your
creator - which lengthens life span.
Down thru the dusty centuries it has always been thus.
It always will be, for what is seared into a man’s soul who stands
face to face with death never changes.
Finally, I wanted to post another link and banner to the VA Families AT EASE program based here in Philadelphia. So, to my new friends Dr Steven Sayers and Dr Tanya Hess, thank you for your hard work to help our Vets!
http://www.mirecc.va.gov/FamiliesAtEase
So, a good friend sent me a message I wanted to share with you all. I've read it four times and each time it hits home a little deeper. This is just good stuff and it is so closely in-line with the message I want to get out in my work 'Service and Sacrifice' that I had to put it on the blog right away. Here you go:
From:http://www.militarycodeofhonor.com/
THE WARRIOR’S CODE OF HONOR
As a combat veteran wounded in one of America’s wars, I offer to
speak for those who cannot.
Were the mouths of my fallen front-line friends not stopped with dust,
they would testify that life revolves around honor.
In war, it is understood that you give your word of honor to do your
duty -- that is -- stand and fight instead of running away and deserting
your friends.
When you keep your word despite desperately desiring to flee the
screaming hell all around, you earn honor.
Earning honor under fire changes who you are.
The blast furnace of battle burns away impurities encrusting your
soul.
The white-hot forge of combat hammers you into a hardened, purified
warrior willing to die rather than break your word to friends -- your
honor.
Combat is scary but exciting.
You never feel so alive as when being shot at without result.
You never feel so triumphant as when shooting back -- with result.
You never feel love so pure as that burned into your heart by friends
willing to die to keep their word to you. And they do.
The biggest sadness of your life is to see friends falling.
The biggest surprise of your life is to survive the war.
Although still alive on the outside, you are dead inside -- shot thru
the heart with nonsensical guilt for living while friends died.
The biggest lie of your life torments you that you could have done
something more, different, to save them.
Their faces are the tombstones in your weeping eyes, their souls shine
the true camaraderie you search for the rest of your life but never
find.
You live a different world now. You always will.
Your world is about waking up night after night silently screaming,
back in battle.
Your world is about your best friend bleeding to death in your arms,
howling in pain for you to kill him.
Your world is about shooting so many enemies the gun turns red and
jams, letting the enemy grab you.
Your world is about struggling hand-to-hand for one more breath of
life.
You never speak of your world.
Those who have seen combat do not talk about it.
Those who talk about it have not seen combat.
You come home but a grim ghost of he who so lightheartedly went off to
war.
But home no longer exists.
That world shattered like a mirror the first time you were shot at.
The hurricane winds of war have hurled you far away to a different
world -- the Warrior’s World -- where your whole life is about keeping
your word or die trying.
But people in the civilian world have no idea that life is about
keeping your word -- they think life is about babies and business.
The distance between the two worlds is as far as Mars from Earth.
This is why, when you come home, you feel like an outsider -- a visitor
from another planet.
You are.
People you knew before the war try to make contact.
It is useless.
Words fall like bricks between you.
Serving with warriors who died proving their word has made prewar
friends seem too untested to be trusted - thus they are now mere
acquaintances.
And they often stay that way because, like most battle-hardened
Warriors, you prefer not to risk fully trusting anyone whose life is not
devoted to keeping their word, their honor.
The hard truth is that doing your duty under fire makes you alone, a
stranger in your own home town.
The only time you are not alone is when with another combat veteran.
Only he understands that keeping your word, your honor,
whilst standing face to face with death gives meaning and purpose to
life.
Only he understands that spending a mere 24 hours in the
broad, sunlit uplands of battle-proven honor is more deeply satisfying
to a man than spending a whole lifetime in safe, comfortably numb
civilian life with DNA compelling him to anguish endlessly over whether
he is a brave man or a coward.
Only he understands that your terrifying - but thrilling -
dance with death has made your old world of babies, backyards and
ballgames seem deadly dull.
Only he understands that your way of being due to combat
damaged emotions is not the un-usual, but the usual, and you are OK.
Although you walk thru life alone, you are not lonely.
You have a constant companion from combat -- Death.
It stands close behind, a little to the left.
Death whispers in your ear: “Nothing matters outside my touch, and I
have not touched you...YET!”
Death never leaves you -- it is your best friend, your most trusted
advisor, your wisest teacher.
Death teaches you that every day above ground is a fine
day.
Death teaches you to feel fortunate on good days, and bad
days...well, they do not exist.
Death teaches you that merely seeing one more sunrise is
enough to fill your cup of life to the brim -- pressed down and running
over!
Death teaches you that you can postpone its touch by
earning serenity.
Serenity is earned by a lot of prayer and acceptance.
Acceptance is taking one step out of denial and accepting/allowing your
repressed, painful combat memories to be re-lived/suffered thru/shared
with other combat vets -- and thus de-fused.
Each time you accomplish this act of courage/desperation:
the pain gets less;
more tormenting combat demons hiding in the darkness of
your gut are thrown out into the sunlight of awareness, where they
disappear in a puff of smoke;
the less bedeviling combat demons, the more serenity
earned;
serenity is, regretfully, rather an indistinct quality, but
it manifests as a sense of honor, a sense of calm, and gratitude to your
creator - which lengthens life span.
Down thru the dusty centuries it has always been thus.
It always will be, for what is seared into a man’s soul who stands
face to face with death never changes.
Finally, I wanted to post another link and banner to the VA Families AT EASE program based here in Philadelphia. So, to my new friends Dr Steven Sayers and Dr Tanya Hess, thank you for your hard work to help our Vets!
http://www.mirecc.va.gov/FamiliesAtEase
Friday, March 12, 2010
Educate our Veterans about their benefits
There was a very interesting article sent to me by Military.Com. It is widely known that the majority of Vets do not know the full extent of benefits they've earned. This article is also a primary driver for the Service and Sacrifice manuscript. My associate at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center Dr Gala True has agreed this information justifies her hard work in the area of Veterans Outreach. Please take some time to read this article and share it with your families and friends, espcially if you know they have Veterans in their lives.
http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,211267,00.html
Many Vets Still Unaware of Benefits
Tom Philpott | February 25, 2010
Too Many Vets Still Leave Service Unaware of Benefits
Despite billions of additional dollars pumped into veterans' benefits in recent years, many military personnel still leave service unaware of their VA benefits or of programs set up to help them transition to civilian life, a senior Defense official and veteran advocates testified Wednesday.
Noel C. Koch, deputy under secretary of defense for wounded warrior care and transition policy, said he has visited many military hospitals and interviewed "hundreds" of service members, many recovering from wounds.
"It's a constant source of partly amazement and partly disappointment at how little aware they are" of benefits and programs to help them either return to full duty or smooth their path into veteran status
Communication "seems to be the entire issue," Koch explained. Despite a lot of work being done to address this gap, the government fails to communicate effectively with departing members, particularly younger ones.
"This is partly a generational issue," Koch told the House veterans affairs subcommittee on disability assistance. Young veterans "don't communicate the way people my age communicate. They don't refer to these thick manuals we put out that are just chock full of information, which nobody reads. Even websites are becoming somewhat antiquated in the eyes of some of our younger service members."... click on the web link above for the complete article. God Bless America!
http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,211267,00.html
Many Vets Still Unaware of Benefits
Tom Philpott | February 25, 2010
Too Many Vets Still Leave Service Unaware of Benefits
Despite billions of additional dollars pumped into veterans' benefits in recent years, many military personnel still leave service unaware of their VA benefits or of programs set up to help them transition to civilian life, a senior Defense official and veteran advocates testified Wednesday.
Noel C. Koch, deputy under secretary of defense for wounded warrior care and transition policy, said he has visited many military hospitals and interviewed "hundreds" of service members, many recovering from wounds.
"It's a constant source of partly amazement and partly disappointment at how little aware they are" of benefits and programs to help them either return to full duty or smooth their path into veteran status
Communication "seems to be the entire issue," Koch explained. Despite a lot of work being done to address this gap, the government fails to communicate effectively with departing members, particularly younger ones.
"This is partly a generational issue," Koch told the House veterans affairs subcommittee on disability assistance. Young veterans "don't communicate the way people my age communicate. They don't refer to these thick manuals we put out that are just chock full of information, which nobody reads. Even websites are becoming somewhat antiquated in the eyes of some of our younger service members."... click on the web link above for the complete article. God Bless America!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Book reviews
The purpose of this blog is to get the word out about the progress towards getting 'Service and Sacrifice' published. I've read several military books to learn more about memoirs and other combat experiences. I've been doing this work as a member of the Dorrance Publishing 'Book Review Team'.
I have just completed reading ‘Toy Soldier – SGT Perronne’s Story’ by Paul E. Perronne. This is a very interesting account of one airman’s experience of the early days of Desert Storm and how serving during that war changed his life. This account may inform veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom about the struggles many service members have experienced proving they have Service Connected medical conditions. I’m especially interested in SGT Perronne’s account of how he documented his injuries, or at least the symptoms and record of medical treatments. He made reference to keeping both a deployment journal and a medical treatment journal. This is vitally important to service members along with maintaining current official copies of their medical files.
I’m not going to attempt to take a formal position on SGT Perronne’s account and cannot validate his story. You can read it for yourself. I just believe it has quite a bit of merit from the perspective of what many of our Vets are experiencing today. Please check it out. If you need to borrow my copy, please let me know.
I have read several books and I post my comments as a member of the Dorrance Publishing ‘Book Review’ team on my Amazon account page. The link to the page is below. A copy of my book reviews are also placed on my Barnes & Nobel book review history. Stop by these sites and please feel free to leave me comments about my reviews or if you have read any of the same titles.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A1D6V6MUSPFAJ2/ref=cm_cr_pr_auth_rev?ie=UTF8&sort_by=MostRecentReview
http://my.barnesandnoble.com/LTConsole-profile/
Let me know if these links don’t work for you! God Bless and take care!
I have just completed reading ‘Toy Soldier – SGT Perronne’s Story’ by Paul E. Perronne. This is a very interesting account of one airman’s experience of the early days of Desert Storm and how serving during that war changed his life. This account may inform veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom about the struggles many service members have experienced proving they have Service Connected medical conditions. I’m especially interested in SGT Perronne’s account of how he documented his injuries, or at least the symptoms and record of medical treatments. He made reference to keeping both a deployment journal and a medical treatment journal. This is vitally important to service members along with maintaining current official copies of their medical files.
I’m not going to attempt to take a formal position on SGT Perronne’s account and cannot validate his story. You can read it for yourself. I just believe it has quite a bit of merit from the perspective of what many of our Vets are experiencing today. Please check it out. If you need to borrow my copy, please let me know.
I have read several books and I post my comments as a member of the Dorrance Publishing ‘Book Review’ team on my Amazon account page. The link to the page is below. A copy of my book reviews are also placed on my Barnes & Nobel book review history. Stop by these sites and please feel free to leave me comments about my reviews or if you have read any of the same titles.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A1D6V6MUSPFAJ2/ref=cm_cr_pr_auth_rev?ie=UTF8&sort_by=MostRecentReview
http://my.barnesandnoble.com/LTConsole-profile/
Let me know if these links don’t work for you! God Bless and take care!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Wounded Warrior National Resource Directory
Hello Everyone!
I see how time is a factor keeping a blog up-to-date. Well, I don't want to post every day just for the sake of it. I really want this information to be valuable. Here is a new reference that will be a key link from Part IV of the manuscript: www.nationalresourcedirectory.gov
The NRD has been released as a single point of reference for the majority of known Wounded Warrior benefits and services. You'll notice it is a ".gov" site. If you check out their 'About Us' section, you'll see this program is a partnership with Department of Defense, Labor, and Veterans Affairs. There are links to State and Local services and quick filters.
Remember, the 'Service and Sacrifice during Operation Iraqi Freedom' manuscript includes key references to programs like this. In contrast, the manuscript intent is to focus on injuries related to PTSD and TBI as opposed to employment services and non-medical issues. I appreciate your feedback and God Bless America!
Sam
I see how time is a factor keeping a blog up-to-date. Well, I don't want to post every day just for the sake of it. I really want this information to be valuable. Here is a new reference that will be a key link from Part IV of the manuscript: www.nationalresourcedirectory.gov
The NRD has been released as a single point of reference for the majority of known Wounded Warrior benefits and services. You'll notice it is a ".gov" site. If you check out their 'About Us' section, you'll see this program is a partnership with Department of Defense, Labor, and Veterans Affairs. There are links to State and Local services and quick filters.
Remember, the 'Service and Sacrifice during Operation Iraqi Freedom' manuscript includes key references to programs like this. In contrast, the manuscript intent is to focus on injuries related to PTSD and TBI as opposed to employment services and non-medical issues. I appreciate your feedback and God Bless America!
Sam
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