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Greetings!
If this is the first edition of the Marine Parents newsletter you have received, WELCOME! If you are a returning reader we are glad you have joined us and are thankful for your support. In this issue In this issue, we begin by looking at the recent appointment of Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense by President Obama. We have also included the latest news about the military's decision to discontinue Tuition Assistance Programs as a result of across-the-board governmental budget cuts. March is National Women's History Month, so we've provided a brief overview of the history of women in the Marine Corps. Reminder: Bridget Cantrell, Ph.D., will be participating in Marine Parents' monthly online discussion on warrior transitioning, and combat recovery issues Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 8 p.m. Central Time in the Marine Parents chat room. (Other times zones: 9 p.m. Eastern, 7 p.m. Mountain, 6 p.m. Pacific.) This issue also contains an alert about an iPhone app that may pose a risk to federal employees and our men and women in uniform. Finally, we discuss a historic day for the Corps--the Wounded Warrior Regiment's inaugural meritorious promotion board. I hope you enjoy this issue of our newsletter and will forward it to folks you know that will benefit from the articles but may not be registered to receive it.
God bless and Semper Fi!
Tracy Della Vecchia Founder and Executive Director MarineParents.com, Inc.
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Hagel Sworn in as Secretary of Defense
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Hagel Steps in as Panetta Steps Down
Former U.S. Army sergeant Chuck Hagel was sworn in as the new United States Secretary of Defense Wednesday, February 27, 2013, following the departure of Leon Panetta from the position he had held since 2011. Upon his swearing in, Hagel became the 24th person to hold the position since its creation in 1947, following his nomination by President Obama on January 7 of this year. In a news release to all Department of Defense personnel, Hagel called his appointment a "privilege" before going on to outline his aims for his time in office. These aims include, among others, ensuring that America maintains what Hagel views as the strongest military in the world, his desire to help, "...build a safer, more prosperous, and more secure world", working to resolve the issue of impending, across-the-board budget cuts to defense programs, and working with the VA and other institutions to ensure members of our military are able to make use of the job opportunities, benefits, educational opportunities, and health care to which they are entitled. Click here to read Hagel's message in its entirety...
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Military to Cut Tuition Assistance Programs
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Programs Latest Casualties of Sequester
Four branches of the military have announced this week that they will be suspending all future tuition assistance programs. The Marines, Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard have all announced their intentions to implement cutbacks to these programs in the wake of the automatic, across-the-board spending cuts enacted by the Obama administration on March 1 of this year. Congress is expected to introduce legislation, possibly as soon as this week, that would prevent all branches from implementing this suspension. To learn more about the types of programs being cut, click here...
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Women's History Month
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Marine Parents Salutes Our Women in Uniform
March is National Women's History Month and here at Marine Parents we'd like to recognize and honor the service of women in the United States Marine Corps. For nearly a century, women have served, in some capacity, in the Marines, beginning with the enlistment of Opha Mae Johnson and 304 other women in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1918. 1943 was a landmark year for women in the Marines. Following World War I, the Marine Corps had reverted to being an all-male institution, but in 1942, due to extreme personnel shortages resulting from World War II, the Marine Corps acknowledged the necessity of integrating females into the Corps, and on February 13, 1943, the Marine Corps Women's Reserve was officially established. Colonel Ruth Cheney Streeter was appointed as the first Director of Women Marine Reservists, Captain Annie Lentz became the first female commissioned officer in the Marine Corps, and Private Lucille McClarren the first enlisted woman. 5 years later, in 1948, President Truman signed the Women's Armed Services Integration Act, allowing women to serve in the military as permanent, regular members (as opposed to just reservists). This law led to the authorization of 100 female officers, 10 female warrant officers, and 1,000 enlisted women and the following year (1949) saw the enlistment of the first African-American females in the Marine Corps. In the 65 years since the Women's Armed Services Integration Act went into effect, numerous barriers have been broken by women in the Marine Corps -- most recently being that, as of January 24, 2013, women are, for the first time, allowed to now serve in combat infantry roles, meaning that, also for the first time, there are no longer any MOS's in the Marines closed to women. Women currently comprise roughly 7% of the just over 200,000 Marines on active duty and roughly 6% of the just over 100,000 Marine reservists and serve in an ever-increasing capacity. For a more in-depth look at the history of women in the Marines, click here... Or click on the video below to learn more... | Corporal Jennifer M. Parcell and the History of Women Marines |
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Chat with Dr. Cantrell 3-21-13
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Log on to discuss combat recovery at 8 p.m. CST
The next chat night with Dr. Bridget Cantrell is Thursday, March 21, 2013, from 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Central Standard Time. The topic of discussion is combat recovery and warrior transitioning. Military personnel and spouses, parents or other adult family members who would like to learn more about warrior transitioning are invited to attend. The format is a structured online chat. The discussion groups are held in the MarineParents.com online chat room. This is your opportunity to talk with a professional in the field of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), combat operational stress (COS), warrior transitioning, and combat recovery in an anonymous online environment. The environment is warm and welcoming, and the discussions are on a personal level. Please join us to have your questions answered and concerns addressed. Click here to enter the chat room...
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Officials Warn Against App
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Unsanctioned App Could Prove Risk
Officials for the Thrift Savings Plan program in Washington this week have warned federal employees and members of the armed forces against using an unsanctioned iPhone app called "TSP Funds." The app, which is available for free in the Apple App Store, asks users for their TSP account login information and could pose a security threat to TSP accounts as it is not endorsed by or affiliated in any way with the TSP program. To read more about the "TSP Funds" app, click here...
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Wounded Warrior Regiment Promotion Board
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Camp Pendleton Marine Makes History
A recent change in Marine Corps policy that allows for recovering Marines in the Wounded Warrior Regiment to be considered for meritorious promotion culminated last month as the regiment held its inaugural meritorious promotion board. Founded in August 2006 as the Camp Pendleton Wounded Warrior Center, the Wounded Warrior Regiment has helped thousands of Marines on their roads to recovery but until recently, Marines in the Regiment were not eligible for meritorious promotions. Now, however, due to the change in policy, recovering | (Photo by Staff Sgt. Christian Foucart) |
Marines in the Regiment will have the same opportunities to be considered for a meritorious promotion just as they would in any other unit. As a result of this change in policy, Cpl. Anthony Arriaga made history by becoming the first Marine in the Regiment to receive a meritorious promotion when he was made a sergeant during the February 14 ceremony. Arriaga, unaware that he was the first Marine to receive such a promotion, said he was, "...honored to receive this rank and continue my service to this nation." To read more about the Wounded Warrior Regiment and Sergeant Arriaga, click here...
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We hope this week's edition of our email newsletter has been useful for you and your family. If there are topics you would like us to address, or if you have other suggestions for the newsletter, please contact us.
The banner photo is a Marine Corps photo taken 03/12/13 by Cpl. Kowshon Ye.
Forward Operating Base Geronimo, Afghanistan, Afghanistan - U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Walter L. Mills, right, commanding general, Regional Command (Southwest), visits Forward Operating Base Geronimo, Helmand province, Afghanistan, March 12, 2013. The Senior leadership was visiting the outpost as part of a battle field circulation to ensure operational readiness and efficiency.
MarineParents.com, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) public charity. MarineParents.com, Inc., was founded in January 2003 in response to parents' needs to find information and to have "a place to connect and share"� with one another during their Marine's career. Our free online services and connections have expanded to support and educate Marine moms and dads, spouses, families and friends. We've helped 400,000 Marine and recruit families during boot camp, training, active duty and deployments. We've shipped more than 34,000 care packages overseas to our Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan, sent 60,000 prayers and letters to injured Marines and served thousands of meals to wounded heroes and their families on the East and West coasts. You've found "a place to connect and share."�
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