According to the National Military Family Association, 1 in 5 service members who served in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom is, has been, or will be affected by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  Of those affected by PTSD, up to 50% will not seek treatment and, of those who do seek treatment, only half will receive "minimally adequate" treatment.

In response to these alarming statistics,  the United States Senate designated June 27 as PTSD Awareness Day in 2010 and, since then, a number of military, veterans, and mental health organizations have asked the general public to spend the month of June raising awareness of PTSD.  We encourage you to click through the links below to learn more about PTSD and what you can do to raise awareness .

Click here to visit the National Military Family Association's PTSD page...

Click here to learn more about PTSD Awarenss Month...

Click here to learn how you can raise PTSD awareness...

Click here to view military veteran PTSD statistics...

Click here to read the Senate Resolution designating June 27 as PTSD Awareness Day...

Our wounded, ill, and injured troops need your support as they navigate the physical and emotional recovery processes. These processes can be, and often are, long and painful. Support from the public for these men and women who have sacrificed so much on our behalf is paramount to recovery.

 

One way to provide support is through participating in Operation Prayers and Letters, an outreach program of MarineParents.com that allows individuals in communities throughout the United States to send much needed prayers, hand-written cards, and hand-written letters to service members who have been wounded, injured, or become ill while serving in combat zones, as well as to service members that have recently served in combat zones and then became wounded, ill, or injured.

 

Since the beginning of this all-volunteer operation, over 90,000 cards and letters have been delivered to program members, providing them with additional motivation as they recover and letting them know that their sacrifices are appreciated. You can help make a difference in the lives of these young men and women. Send a "Thank You" today.  

 

For more information on how you can join Operation Prayers and Letters, please click here... 

• Last Original Navajo Code Talker Dies at 93      
                  
Chester Nez, the last surviving of the 29 original Navajo code talkers, died last Wednesday, June 4, 2014, of kidney failure in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Born in New Mexico in 1921, Nez enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1942 and, along with 28 other Navajo, helped develop the only oral military code to have never been broken.  During his time in the Corps, Nez served on Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Guam, and the islands Peleliu and Angaur.  Nez was 93 years old.
Click here to read more... 
   
• Arlington National Cemetery Celebrates Sesquicentennial       
2014 is the 150th anniversary of the founding of Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia.  To mark the occasion, the cemetery has been holding a series of events to commemorate this milestone. The first event took place on May 13, the anniversary of the first military burial in the cemetery, and involved the laying of a wreath on the grave of that first soldier interred there, Army Pvt. William Christman.  The final event, the laying of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, will take place next Monday, June 16, the day Arlington was established as a national cemetery.
To learn more about Arlington National Cemetery, please click here...

• Dunford Nominated as Next Commandant               
   
Thursday, June 5, 2014, President Obama nominated General Joseph "Fighting Joe" Dunford as the next commandant of the Marine Corps. Dunford, currently in command of coalition troops in Afghanistan, has served as an infantry officer for 37 years, since he was commissioned in 1977. Pending a Senate confirmation, Dunford will relieve current Commandant Gen. James F. Amos this fall, who will be retiring after 43 years in the Corps.
Click here to read more... 

Marine Parents would like to bid a fond farewell to one of our longest-serving supporters, Alan Cohen.  Alan is one of the co-founders of California Burrito (the other being Pam Felix), a burrito chain based in Bethesda, Maryland, and has been working with our various outreach programs to provide fresh, hot meals for wounded, ill, and injured service members and their family members at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for almost a decade.  After almost two decades of serving up fresh, tasty Mexican food, Alan is retiring to San Diego for some well deserved rest and relaxation.

We would like to take this opportunity thank Alan for his dedication to supporting our troops and wish him all the best in the future.  We would also like to take this opportunity to let everyone know that while Alan may be retiring, we look forward to continuing to work with Pam Felix and California Burrito.  Have a great retirement Alan!

Wounded, Ill, and Injured Warrior Support Team™ volunteers set up for the barbeque.

Our Marines have always carried on the tradition of never leaving a fellow Marine behind and are famous for their abilities to adapt and overcome. Sgt. A. was seriously wounded in Afghanistan during February of 2014 while serving as a Section Leader with the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines. He has been recovering at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) in Bethesda, Maryland for several months and was still not medically able to attend his unit's homecoming at Camp Lejeune recently, so his fellow Marines did the next best thing--approximately 50 members of his platoon and company made the long drive to WRNMMC to visit with him and his family.

Click here to read more...

Team Marine Parents™ (TMP) 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 are a husband and wife team from Annadale, New Jersey--Team Creech.

TMP members Linda and John Creech.

"Team Creech" is comprised of husband and wife John and Linda.  John and Linda have been married for 25 years and are the proud parents of 2 sons, one of whom is a full-time firefighter in Anne Arundel County, MD, the other of whom is currently serving at "A" school for Aviation Ordnance in Pensacola, FL. 

This is Team Creech's second year of running for Team Marine Parents and they are running in support of Purple Heart
Hero Support™ to raise money for those who sacrifice so much on our behalf.

John and Linda ran their first race of the year, a 15k, in April, and Linda has a half marathon scheduled for June.  Additionally, both are planning on running in the Marine Corps Marathon this October.

At this point, Team Creech has reached their $500 fundraising goal, but they'll gladly continue to accept more of your generous donations. 

Thanks for being a part of the team!

To read more about Team Creech, or to contribute to their campaign, please click here..

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