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MarineParents.com Newsletter
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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. We begin this issue of our newsletter with a look at our newest campaign, Save MotoMail. September is Suicide Prevention Month and our second piece looks at the statement released by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to mark the occasion. This year, the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) has added a new way to donate to the charity of your choice--setting up an online "My Pay" account. Our third article provides more information on "My Pay," as well as information on how to sign up for it. Next Thursday, September 19, is our monthly online chat session with Dr. Bridget Cantrell on the topics of PTSD, COS, and TBI. Our fourth piece provides information on how you can participate. 12 years ago today, the world as we all knew it changed. Our fifth article looks at how the tragic events of September 11 led to the founding of our organization, MarineParents.com, Inc. Finally, we take a look at this issue's Team Marine Parents Featured Participant--a proud "Marine Mom" from New York--Sherry Canzano. God bless and Semper Fi!
 Tracy Della Vecchia Founder and Executive Director MarineParents.com, Inc.
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Help Save MotoMail!
| | Keep Our Marines Safe, Connected
 Being deployed to a combat zone is never easy. In addition to the constant threat of attack and the minutiae of everyday life, going months without seeing family members and loved ones can be incredibly difficult. Not being able to kiss your spouse, tuck your children into bed, or hug your parents and tell them you love them would take its toll on anyone, and Marines are no exception. Fortunately, for a number of years now, the Marine Corps' MotoMail program has helped ease that burden by allowing Marines to communicate with their loved ones back home via electronically delivered letters and photographs in as little as 24 hours, much to the Marines' (and their families') delight.
With that in mind, we are sad to announce that, unless something changes, Marine Postal will be ending MotoMail services permanently on September 30, 2013 due to forced budget cuts by the Federal Government. And that's where you come in. With your help, we can save MotoMail!
Click here to learn how you can help save MotoMail...
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Secretary Hagel Releases Statement to Mark Suicide Prevention Month
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Military Mental Health in the Spotlight
 September is Suicide Prevention Month and to mark the occasion, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel released a statement last Tuesday, September 3.
In the statement, Hagel expressed his concern over the military's suicide rates and discussed efforts the Department of Defense is undertaking to combat this problem, including spending more than $100 million on research into the diagnosis and treatment of various factors associated with suicide, attempting to reduce alcohol and substance abuse issues within the military, and increasing suicide prevention training for military members.
To read Secretary Hagel's message in its entirety, click here...
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CFC Adds Online "My Pay" Option
| | Donating Made Easy
 The Combined Federal Campaign has recently announced it has added a new feature for the 2013 campaign--the ability to donate online through "My Pay." According to Anthony DeCristofaro, assistant director of the DoD Voluntary Campaign Management Office, there are three main reasons to set up a "My Pay" account and donate online as opposed to the traditional donation method. They are:
- It's available from any computer, 24 hours a day
- No paper forms pass from hand to hand, increasing confidentiality and security
- It's less prone to error
Signing up for "My Pay" is strictly voluntary.
Click here to learn more about how you can set up a "My Pay" account for the CFC...
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| Combat Takes a Toll |
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Learn from an Expert Thursday, September 19 at 8pm CST
Please take time to read this
 article, then forward it to folks you know who would benefit from next Thursdays's online conversation with Dr. Cantrell. Bridget Cantrell, Ph.D., will participate in Marine Parents' monthly online discussion next Thursday, September 19, 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.) TALK WITH A PROFESSIONAL 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 access the chat room. You must scroll to the bottom of the linked page to enter the chat room. Or you may also visit www.MarineParents.com and in the center column under "Connect & Share" you'll see the link to the chat room. BOOKS BY DR. CANTRELL Dr. Cantrell has written several books on combat recovery, post-traumatic stress disorder, and warrior transitioning. Two of her books are on the 2013 Commandant's Reading List!
Click here to review or purchase Dr. Cantrell's books. WHO SHOULD ATTEND Military personnel (current or past conflicts) and their families who are interested in knowing more about issues related to combat recovery and warrior transitioning are encouraged to participate in the chat. Please forward this email to folks you know who should attend. Your participation could make a difference in the life of someone you love. |
Hope Born From Tragedy
| | How September 11 Led to the Foundation of MarineParents.com, Inc.
Today, September 11, 2013, marks the 12th anniversary of the single largest loss of life from a foreign attack on American soil, ever. Almost 3,000 people lost their lives on that Tuesday morning, and more than 6,700 brave Americans have sacrificed everything in the resultant military operations.
Rarely does an event have such wide-reaching and impactful consequences, but no one in our country was able to escape September 11, 2001 unscathed in some way. In the 12 years since, we have become more acutely aware of our place in the world and of the fact that many people want to cause us harm solely for being American. We've changed how we view the world and how the world views us. Ensuring our national security became a national obsession (and for good reason) and saw our military engage in conflicts in two countries, first in Afghanistan, and then in Iraq, in an effort to do just that. In short, September 11 upset the balance of the country in a way not seen in decades.
However, despite the overwhelming sense of tragedy inflicted by the events on September 11, in the days and weeks after the attacks, around the country other emotions began to manifest themselves as well. Pride. Hope. Unity. Resilience. A desire to help our fellow man.
And while she didn't know it at the time, the combination of those same emotions and the tragic events of September 11 would go on to inspire one "Marine Mom" to make a difference in the lives of thousands.
The Day Her World Turned Upside Down
September 11, 2001, started like any other Tuesday for Marine Parents Founder and Executive Director Tracy Della Vecchia. She was on her way home from dropping her daughter off at school when the initial reports began coming in over the radio and, like so many of us, was unsure of what had happened. When she arrived home and turned on the TV, speculation was that American Airlines Flight 11 had crashed into World Trade center Tower 1 by accident. Shortly thereafter, United Airlines Flight 175 slammed into WTC Tower 2, and it became evident that we were under attack. Della Vecchia dropped to her knees and stared at the television in disbelief, tears streaming down her face, when she had a sudden realization--and one of every mothers' worst nightmares--"We're going to war," she thought, "my son is going to war."
To continue reading about how September 11 led to the foundation of MarineParents.com, Inc., please click here...
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Get to Know the Team
| | TMP Featured Participant: Sherry Canzano
Team Marine Parents™ is a group of individuals, generally parents, family, and friends of Marines, who participate in athletic events nationwide to support our troops. The mission is to raise funds and awareness of the organization's outreach programs. Currently, there are over 50 members of Team Marine Parents™ around the country.
This month's TMP featured participants is a very proud "Marine Mom" and Air Force veteran from Canandaigua, New York--TMP member Sherry Canzano
Sherry has already participated in one race, the Little Miami Half Marathon in Morrow, Ohio, on August 18 and is working up to "The" marathon, the 38th annual Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) on October 27, in Arlington, Virginia.
The MCM will be Sherry's first marathon and she jokingly said that her training is "...the first time [she] [has] done anything more than a brisk walk since 1977 while serving in the USAF" and that she doesn't "...have an athletic bone in [her] body."
When asked what her motivation to tackle such a lofty goal is, Sherry had this to say:
"Am I crazy...No, just very determined to show my support for my youngest of four sons who is a Marine. I support and pray for all the men and women whose commitment and sacrifices allow Americans the freedoms we enjoy."
Sherry is one of the more ambitious team members in terms of fundraising, and she decided that the standard $300 goal wasn't enough, so she's attempting to raise $1,000! So far Sherry has raised $330, but with your generous help, we know she can reach her goal of $1,000 in no time!
We would like to thank Sherry (and all of our other TMP members) for her hard work and dedication to supporting our Marines. Best of luck in October!
To read more about Sherry Canzano, or to donate to her fundraising campaign, please 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.
Banner Photo-- BRADSHAW FIELD TRAINING AREA, Northern Territory, Australia - Lance Cpl. John Ready, an M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle gunner for Company E., Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 31st Marines Expeditionary Unit, provides security as an MV-22 Osprey from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265 (Reinforced), 31st MEU, takes off after inserting a platoon of Marines during an integrated, live-fire exercise for Exercise Koolendong 13 here, Sept. 3. The 31st MEU moved a battalion-sized force more than 300 miles inland to conduct the training. The exercise demonstrates the operational reach of the 31st MEU and reinforces why the 31st MEU is the force of choice for the Asia-Pacific region. Also participating in the exercise is the Marine Rotational Force - Darwin and soldiers of the 5th Royal Australian Army. The 31st MEU brings what it needs to sustain itself to accomplish the mission or to pave the way for follow-on forces (Photo by Lance Cpl. Tyler Dietrich)
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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