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Strong Bonds
Marriage Retreat
Feb. 8-10, 2013
Metro Area | | Click here for more information. |
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147th HRC 60-day
257th MP FRA
Feb. 9, 2013
Metro Area
| | Reintegration event and Family Readiness Academy. |
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Military Discount
to see the
Minnesota Wild
Feb. 26, 2013
Xcel Energy Center | | One of several discounted games offered. Go here for more. |
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Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Night at the
Minnesota Wild
April 11, 2013
Xcel Energy Center | | Discounted tickets and in-game opportunities!. Go here for more. |
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Strong Bonds
Marriage Retreat
April 12-14, 2013
Metro Area | | Click here for more information. |
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Operation Welcome Home
April 26-28, 2013
Ironwood Springs
Christian Ranch,
Stewartville | | Click here for more information. |
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Strong Bonds
Marriage Retreat
May 17-19, 2013
Metro Area | | Click here for more information. |
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Camp Gratitude
Aug. 16-23, 2013
Veterans Camp Ground on Big Marine Lake | | Click here for more information. |
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Strong Bonds
Marriage Retreat
Aug. 16-18, 2013
Metro Area | | Click here for more information. |
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Operation Welcome Home
Sept. 13-15, 2013
Ironwood Springs
Christian Ranch,
Stewartville | | Click here for more information. |
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 The first of seven Yellow Ribbon Summits wrapped up on the afternoon of Feb. 2 in Rochester, paving the way ahead for Yellow Ribbon Communities in the area and building momentum toward future Summits.
"The intent of the Yellow Ribbon Summit was met in that the Networks got together and discussed their best practices in their respective communities," said Capt. Kelli Mangan, Deployment Cycle Support's Yellow Ribbon Liaison Officer. "The biggest thing that stood out was that the participants said the Summit was time well spent."
More than 21 volunteers from five different Yellow Ribbon Networks participated in the six-hour Summit. In addition to networking and sharing best practices, volunteers were briefed on the Minnesota National Guard's Resilience, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention, or R3SP, program.
"R3SP was a new topic to these volunteers serving Servicemembers and military families in their communities, and we were able to educate and inform the audience on that," Mangan said.
The Summit gave neighboring Yellow Ribbon Communities the opportunity to meet one another and help them coordinate to collectively tackle future problems, Mangan said. The next event, scheduled for Feb. 23 in Bloomington, will involve more community members and will likely see even more discussion on sharing of best practices.
To see more photos from the Rochester Yellow Ribbon Summit, visit Beyond the Yellow Ribbon's Facebook page. | |
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 Capt. John Mastbergen grew up in San Diego, Calif., and now lives in Inver Grove Heights, Minn. Mastbergen has more than 13 years of service, enlisting with the Minnesota Army National Guard in 1998 as a cannon fire direction specialist. He received his commission in 2003,
and is currently the battery commander of Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery.
Mastbergen deployed twice, the first from 2006-07 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the second with the 1st Brigade Combat Team in support of Operation New Dawn. Near the end of his most recent deployment, Mastbergen participated in the Employment Resource Team training in Kuwait in March 2012. During this training, Mastbergen learned critical resume writing techniques and conducted resume reviews and mock interviews with corporate training partners.
After returning home in April 2012, during his 30- and 60-day reintegration events, Mastbergen received additional employment skills training on how to update his resume and conduct interviews. In July 2012, he attended the Department of Employment and Economic Development's job fair in Brooklyn Park, where he met with a representative from U.S. Bank. After going through the interview process, Mastbergen was offered a job as a Business Operations Analyst with U.S. Bank.
He stated the most valuable of all the employment support was the corporate partners resume review he went through at his 30-Day Reintegration event. | |
| Beware the large tax refund | by: Lisa McLain-Sharp, DCS's Personal Financial Counselor
Are you one of the millions of Americans receiving an average Federal Income Tax Refund of $2,707 this year? If you are, I'd like to ask you a question ...
Can I borrow a couple thousand dollars from you for a year and pay you no interest? That large tax refund represents exactly that: an interest-free loan to the Federal Government for one year. In fact, you're lending them a little each paycheck.
It's unlikely you'd lend on these terms to anyone else, so why do it for Uncle Sam? See your employer at your civilian job and go online to MyPay and adjust your withholding allowances to reflect how you filed your tax return this year. For example, if you're married, file jointly with your spouse and have two children, you'll file jointly and claim at least four exemptions. Your withholding should match that.
Once you see a change in your paycheck, deposit the difference in your savings and enjoy earning interest on your money.
For more information, contact your Personal Financial Counselor at
608-377-1657, or ask your tax professional. |  |
Small business, big ideas | |
 Recently the Minnesota Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve shared a video, produced by the Small Business Development Center, or SBDC, featuring small business owner Dave Roth.
In the video, Roth, a member of the Minnesota National Guard and owner of Madison Meats in Madison, Minn., explains how he made the decision to shut down his business before a deployment to Kuwait. Madison Meats had been in business since 1996.
"We were a developed business," Roth said. "And when I left, people were waiting for me."
Prior to reopening his doors, however, Roth took the time to contact the Southwest Minnesota Small Business Development Center. He asked them for assistance in reviewing his business plan and finding funds to do some upgrading of his building and equipment. The consultants helped him with his request and he spent the time to get his business restarted and setting Madison Meats up for additional growth opportunities.
Roth will tell you that the SBDC is a great resource for small business owners to be successful.
See Roth's video on the Minnesota Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve's Facebook page. | |
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World's Toughest Rodeo recognition
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 The World's Toughest Rodeo was at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul for two shows featuring world champion cowboys from around the United States competing in several rodeo events on Feb. 1 and 2. During each performance of the World's Toughest Rodeo, Minnesota Servicemembers were honored during the rodeo's Hometown Heroes recognition program.
While the Servicemembers stood "on the dirt" for their recognition, the following scripts were read:
Spc. Ryan Moore (honored Feb. 1) deployed with the 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 194th Armor of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division to Iraq and Kuwait in July of 2011. He returned in April of 2012. During this time he was a convoy driver for countless missions during the drawdown of United States troops in Iraq.
 Spc. Andrew Matthews (honored Feb. 1) was deployed with 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 194th Armor of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division to Iraq and Kuwait as part of Operation New Dawn. While there he provided convoy security - as a gunner for movements throughout Iraq. Out of all the Soldiers in his company, he served the highest number of days in Iraq on security missions, aiding in the final drawdown of troops and supplies.
Staff Sgt. Steve Malecha was deployed with 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry of the1st Brigade Combat Team to Iraq and Kuwait. While he was there he executed route clearance missions in Iraq. During his stay in Kuwait he ensured his Soldiers continually trained on every task needed to execute missions to the best of their abilities.
See all of the photos on Beyond the Yellow Ribbon's Facebook page.
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