Cambridge Welcomes Our Troops Home

Cambridge Welcomes Our Troops Home With Yellow Ribbons!

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Cambridge has shown great support and pride in honouring our troops home from Afghanistan. This week, Mayor Doug Craig was seen putting up bows himself! Taking a drive around the centre core of Galt, one can not help but not notice the yellow ribbons proudly tied onto the trees on both sides of the streets! In the evening when the trees are lit - the ribbons- Cambridge people, welcome our soldiers, our heroes home. We did not forget, we will not forget. Personally, I'd like to thank Mayor Craig and the Cambridge council for remembering our soldiers who are returning home from Afghanistan.

You have instilled a great sense of pride in our soldiers.

On behalf of military families and friends a big HUA!

and THANK YOU!

Report from the Cambridge Times:

Ray Martin, Cambridge

(Feb 20, 2007)
The City of Cambridge is welcoming troops returning from Afghanistan by adorning public buildings with yellow ribbons and bows.
"We started putting them out last week as a symbol of remembrance and hope," said Mayor Doug Craig.
The bows have gone up in front of the municipal offices, old city hall, local fire halls, and community centres.
Ten members of the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada (RHFC), the local militia regiment, have been serving with Canada's regular forces in Afghanistan since the fall. Those troops are now being rotated back to Canada and have been returning individually and in small groups. Seven have already returned and the final three are expected back in the next few weeks.
"I've had a number of calls from people in the community and we have a staff member whose daughter is serving over there, so it only seems right to honour these soldiers as they make their way home again," Craig said.
Officials with the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada say no special ceremonies are being planned to welcome the returning troops.
"They are decompressing right now, spending time away from the army with their families," said Major Jarrett McDonald.
Although the troops have served overseas and may have seen combat, this is simply another regular troop rotation as far as the regiment is concerned, McDonald explained.
"We've got nothing special planned for our people returning from Afghanistan," he said.

YELLOW BOWS!

CITY HALL IN KITCHENER IS ADORNED WITH YELLOW BOWS!

With much thanks to Mayor Carl Zehr and city council members, the fluttering of yellow bows can be heard and seen on Kitchener City Hall. After seeing Guelph's City Hall, I thought "why not ask council if they could do the same?" So I did. I asked Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge.
What a wonderful way to say "thank you" to our troops. It not only honours them, but it also honours their families and friends. Many soldiers will be returning to the Waterloo Region over the next couple of weeks... the ribbons await to welcome them.

"Thank you-City of Kitchener from the bottom of our hearts! "

Below is a news release from the City of Kitchener:

For Immediate Release
February 19, 2007

Kitchener Ties Yellow Ribbons to Honour Troops
KITCHENER – In honour of local soldiers returning from Afghanistan, the City of Kitchener has attached yellow ribbons to the front of City Hall. The ribbons are a sign of the community’s appreciation for our local servicemen and servicewomen.

They are also a “welcome home” gesture for the several area residents who will be returning from duty periodically for the next three weeks.

“We truly appreciate those who left friends and family behind and travelled so far from home in service to their country,” said Mayor Carl Zehr. “We want to warmly welcome them home.”

A growing number of people are showing their support for Canadian troops by tying yellow ribbons to their homes and businesses, and several area municipalities have followed suit.

The ribbons will be in place at Kitchener City Hall until approximately March 12th.

-30-

For more information:

Cathy Gravelle
Office of the Mayor and Council
City of Kitchener
519-741-2859
cathy.gravelle@kitchener.ca

Michael May
Director of Corporate Communications and Marketing
City of Kitchener
519-741-2935
michael.may@kitchener.ca

Afghanistan

To View Closer, Click on Map below:

Waiting for You

Note to family and friends:

___

Display a yellow ribbon today

for our soldiers.

To our soldiers -

Your family and friends will always be

"right here waiting for you."

Display Yellow Ribbons

It was a little more than 6 months ago today that I went to Trenton for a "dry run" ha ha ( a couple weeks before my son's deployment.) There at the fence, I met a mother of a soldier (who was being deployed that day.) I stood back, and took some pictures for her of her son's plane. I sobbed, knowing I would be that mother in 2 weeks. I could only imagine how she felt.. I too would be in her shoes.. seeing a son bravely leave for a land on the other side of the world, not knowing what he would encounter and what would present itself to them.
After seeing the dot of a plane and the noise of the engine disappear into the skies, she turned and we hugged, crying together. Since that date, we have been in contact with each other, supporting each other. It's hard to believe it was 6 months ago... now our sons are coming home. As with other military moms, "Section Moms", military families, and friends, our yellow ribbons are up awaiting their return home.

"Thank you C." ~from Military Mom.


Adams' plane departing Trenton

Waving and wiping tears as the plane taxis down the runway

His plane flies up into the clouds to a land so far away,
a destiny many brave soldiers have journeyed.

Display yellow ribbons,
February 13, 2007
By Times-Journal Staff

Carol Adams looks out the window of her Talbotville home and counts.“I have three … four … five … eight; one on each post of the front porch and the three trees, and the mailbox.”She is counting the yellow ribbons she has tied as a show of support for her son, Capt. Ryan Adams, operations officer for 31 CER (The Elgins), and for other Elgins in Afghanistan.Since summer, Ryan Adams has been one of 12 members of the unit serving overseas on Canada’s mission.
With their expected return beginning this week, Carol Adams is hoping the community will join in a salute of yellow ribbons throughout St. Thomas and Elgin.“I think it would be great for the community to show its support, to welcome the troops home with yellow ribbons,” says the Mary Kay area representative who is married to retired London, Ont., police detective Bill Adams. He’s also a past president of the Royal Canadian Legion Lord Elgin Branch 41, St. Thomas.An Elgin now serving in the regular armed force, Ryan Adams and the reservists he’s with come from communities across the region. And in Guelph, Ont., the city has tied yellow ribbons to city hall and other public buildings in their honour.The continued campaign is being promoted by a military mom, who has posted it to a blog at militarymomathome.blogspot.com.
Adams doesn’t speak directly about her concern for her son, 29, a mechanical engineering graduate of the University of Western Ontario. A younger brother is studying political science and economics at the school.Ryan Adams was home at Christmas on leave and Carol Adams said it was difficult to see him return to Afghanistan. She repeats, “We’ll be glad to have him home.”But she says she has been heartened by the yellow ribbons she has seen already in the community.She acknowledges -- and respects -- the debate about Canada’s place in Afghanistan but says she believes everyone, no matter what stand, still can support the individual men and women who are tasked with the mission.And says Bill Adams, “People are extremely supportive.”

Keep the Home Fires Burning

Keep the home fires burning,
While your hearts are yearning,
Though your lads are far away
They dream of home.
There's a silver lining
Through the dark cloud shining,
Turn the dark cloud inside out
'Til the boys come home.

A popular song in World War I.

The lyrics are by Lena Ford and the music by Ivor Novello.

1914

Story of Keeping the "Home Fires Burning" : During World War I, soldiers relied on their wives and sweethearts to keep the home fires burning (keeping the homes in order) when they marched off to war.

Relishing the Freedoms of Home
By: DEIRDRE HEALEY

GUELPH MERCURY

Master Bombardier Denis Bingham, left, and Master Bombardier Ryan Kenny sign a paper flag yesterday during Flag Day celebrations at St. Peter Catholic School.

GUELPH (Feb 16, 2007)
Ryan Kenny no longer feels the urge to keep looking over his shoulder.
It's a luxury he has enjoyed since he returned to his Guelph home last weekend after serving six months in Afghanistan.
But he didn't fully realize this new freedom until a few days ago while watching a woman walking through the mall, distracted and not paying attention to where she was going.
"In Afghanistan, everyone is always paying attention to what's going on. You are always on guard," said the 25-year-old. "But here it's safe. We really do have it made here."
Kenny is among a dozen reservists from Guelph's 11th Field Regiment who set aside their lives for a six-month mission in Afghanistan.
Local soldiers started to return one by one at the beginning of February and should all be home by the end of the month.
Kenny arrived home Saturday just before midnight and yesterday took part in the Flag Day celebration at St. Peter Catholic School along with fellow Guelph reservist Denis Bingham. They stood in the bitter cold in just their fatigues while students raised a flag in front of their Westwood Road school. It was a stark contrast to what the two men were doing just a week earlier.
Kenny, who temporarily left behind his wife and a job as a high school teacher in Mississauga, served with the artillery division in Afghanistan, operating massive guns that can launch shells at enemies as far as 24 kilometres away.
Bingham, now a reservist after serving 20 years with the regular force, was in charge of ensuring soldiers had enough supplies as well as acting as security for one of the command posts.
"You aren't so much scared as you are concerned when you are over there," said the 45-year-old Fergus man. "You are concerned that your team won't come back in one piece. Every time you go out, it's like rolling the dice."
Despite the dangers, Bingham has already signed up to return to Afghanistan in the summer of 2008.
Yesterday, he shared with the students the commitment soldiers like himself and Kenny make to their country and the important role the Canadian flag plays when you are fighting away from home.
He told them how soldiers have a flag stitched onto the left shoulder of their fatigues and flags are flown above every command post.
"For a soldier, the flag represents what we have left behind," he said.
"And everything we do when we are away reflects the values of the flag we have vowed to protect."

Welcome Home "A Company" of 2PPCLI

Soldiers Return

Makes for 'Best Valentine's Ever'

Cpl. Chartier Langrell of 2PPCLI

hugs wife Crystal and son Cyrus after

returning yesterday.

Expensive jewelry, chocolates and flowers were nothing compared with the long, warm embraces that greeted the troops at 17 Wing Winnipeg and later at Shilo, outside Brandon.
What made the moment even sweeter for Cpl. Dave Trevors was the baby girl his wife Nicole was holding in her arms when they hugged.
Trevors had not seen his four-month-old daughter, Hannah, since he came home on leave when she was born.
"It was great to see them," an overwhelmed Trevors said, holding his daughter.

"This is the best feeling in the world," Nicole said after her husband stepped off a plane in Winnipeg last night. "I'm just happy to have them home."
Based in Kandahar during their tour of duty, the soldiers are part of A Company, 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (2 PPCLI).
Trevors and his colleagues received a hero's welcome filled with applause and tears.
Exhausted by a long flight to Winnipeg from Germany, that included stops in Iqaluit and CFB Trenton, Ont., the soldiers' spirits soared when they saw their loved ones, some of them clutching homemade posters, balloons and digital cameras.
A military jazz band serenaded them.
Candace Weiss can attest to the strength and character it takes to be a military spouse with young children.
She cared for two kids, aged three years and nine months, while her husband and their father, Master Cpl. Jon Weiss, served overseas.
"It's the best Valentine's ever. I'm so happy to have my hero home," Candace said smiling.
"It's been very hard not knowing whether they are OK or not. Waiting up to three weeks at a time to hear from him."
After their plane touched down in Winnipeg, the soldiers boarded buses for an estimated two-hour trip to Shilo, about 35 kilometres east of Brandon, where they were reunited with their families and colleagues. Canadian troops are in Afghanistan as part of a UN-sanctioned mission. Canada is participating along with 36 other nations at the request of the Afghan government.

Personally, I'd like to welcome home Company A, 2nd Battalion of 2PPCLI, welcome home to Canada - and thank you for all you have done, all you have experienced - for us. ~M.M.

Happy Valentines Day

To your All our Soldiers, Military Moms, Dads, Sisters, Brothers, family and friends:

Happy Valentines Day!

A note to our soldiers: You are our true sweethearts. We always carry you in our hearts!

With our love from home,

Military Mom and families.

To my son: I am so proud of you. Congratulations! Thank you for your special note - it really made my day today - with smiles and tears of love - I love you very much. Mom ox

Mothers' Battlegroup

After hearing the latest news, mothers have decided to form

"The Mother's Battlegroup" or

"MATT" (Mothers Against Taliban and Terrorists).

With stresses within, we will look for

the biggest rock to stand on

and give them a harsh fingershaking.

___

Taliban..don't mess with mothers!

__________________________________________________

Taliban rockets slam into Kandahar Airfield

Feb 11, 2007 04:18 PM
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – The long period of calm at Kandahar Airfield was shattered Sunday night when two rebel rockets slammed into the base, injuring one NATO soldier.
The force of the explosion sprayed gravel into the face the injured man, causing minor lacerations, said Capt. Andre Salloum, a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force. "He was treated for minor injuries at the ISAF medical facility and will be released tonight," he said. Lt-Cmdr. Kris Phillips, a spokesman for the Canadian Forces, said the injured soldier was not a Canadian. No damage to buildings was reported and, for security reasons, Salloum refused to discuss where the rockets hit inside the camp.
The Taliban have been threatening to launch a so-called spring offensive against NATO forces, but for the last two weeks have mostly confined their attacks to positions manned by Afghan police. The lone exception came Saturday when a suicide car bomber went after a Canadian convoy, prematurely detonating his explosive-packed vehicle, killing only himself and causing just minor damage to an armoured patrol car. No Canadians were injured. Complete Story

Uxbridge Supports the Troops Day

Saturday, April 21st, 2007

The town of Uxbridge has proclaimed Sat. April 21st as "Uxbridge Supports The Troops Day", large parade through town beginning at 11:00am starting from the Legion on Franklin St. and making its way to Elgin Park, a mass rally of support to begin immediately after, entertainment and guest speakers from both the political and entertainment field to be confirmed later.
Appealing to all citizens of Uxbridge township and neighbouring communities to come out, dressed in red, waving homemade signs and Canadian flags in support of our troops. All proceeds to be donated to Sapper Mike McTeague Wounded Warriors Fund www.WoundedWarriors.ca to provide care and comfort to our troops and their families. the rally portion of the day is slated to begin at approx noon and last until approx. 4:00 pm

If Guelph can do it.....

Let's Decorate Our Cities with Yellow Ribbons for Our Soldiers

In the next couple weeks, soldiers from Rotation 2 in Afghanistan will be coming home. Are we ready? Recently, I read a write up in the Guelph Mercury. (see below) Yellow Ribbons will be adorning Guelph when the troops return home. Let's do the same! Let's share our pride, our support.. and welcome our Heroes Home!

Further note: I drove to Guelph this evening and witnessed a spectacular site. Many yellow ribbons fluttered in the breeze from the lamposts in front of Guelph's City Hall and to stand there and hear the ribbons fluttering in the wind, makes your heart melt. Thank you Guelph. It has has left me filled with pride and an overwhelming sense of appreciation- I can only imagine what it will do for our soldiers.

© m.m.

Picture taken by: Military Mom

©m.m.

Guelph's City Hall Feb. 10, 2007 ~Picture taken by Military Mom

© m.m.

Story published by the Guelph Mercury on February 9th, 2007:

Yellow ribbons on city buildings will greet troops
GUELPH (Feb 9, 2007)
The City of Guelph will attach yellow ribbons to municipal buildings this month as a show of support for troops returning from Afghanistan, says Mayor Karen Farbridge.
The ribbons, a symbol borrowed from military campaigns in the U.S., will be placed on the front doors of city hall. Managers at other city-owned buildings will be asked to do the same, Farbridge said.
By the end of this month, 12 soldiers from the 11th Field Artillery Regiment, a Guelph-based reserve unit, are expected back from their six-month tour of duty. Some regular forces soldiers currently in Afghanistan who call Guelph home will also be here on leave this month, the military said.
As the soldiers return, the Canadian Forces are asking citizens, businesses and municipalities to display yellow ribbons in prominent locations as a welcome home.
Although the military says any yellow ribbon will do, car magnets and the like can be bought through the Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency at http://www.cfpsa.com/supportourtroops

Yellow Ribbons Decorate Guelph

Many thanks to D.B., for directing me to The City of Guelph's website where I found this press release! :

City of Guelph welcomes soldiers home with yellow ribbons

Yellow ribbons are blowing nobly in front of City Hall and City facilities today to honour and recognize soldiers from Guelph’s 11th Field Regiment who are returning from Afghanistan.
“We acknowledge the dedication of Canadian troops abroad, and in particular we wholeheartedly welcome the returning members of Guelph’s 11th Regiment,” says Guelph’s Mayor, Karen Farbridge. “It’s wonderful to have them back at home, and we’re thankful they’ve returned uninjured.”
The yellow ribbons are a tribute to mark the community’s appreciation for the solders’ service. They are meant to show the City’s acknowledgement of and respect for the soldiers who left their civilian lives behind for six months to serve in Afghanistan. In other displays of support, staff in the City’s Revenue and Taxation Division wears red on Fridays as a symbol of encouragement towards Canadian troops. ‘Red Fridays’ is a national initiative that acknowledges the sacrifices of Canadian soldiers and their families.

For information contact:
Tara Sprigg(519) 822-1260 ext. 2610 tara.sprigg@guelph.ca

A further note:
MacKinnon Transport of Guelph is in the process of putting ribbons on their property and their trucks will have ribbons and many employees have the magnets and/or a ribbon on their personal vehicles as well.

A big "HUA" for The City of Guelph

and MacKinnon Transport!!

Our Wounded Warrior

Physiotherapists encourage Sapper Mike McTeague

to walk at St John's Hospital

To help other injured soldiers, his father Sean and family friend Captain Wayne Johnston have established the Sapper Mike McTeague Wounded Warriors Fund, their attempt to create something positive out of something terrible. The fund, started in October, has collected about $50,000. The goal is $250,000. The warriors fund would pay for hands-free phone sets, DVD players, iPods, laptop computers, whatever is needed. It could also help families defray smaller expenses, such as hospital parking, that add up during long recoveries back home. And, say the men, it would show the wounded they're not forgotten.
"It can aid in the healing," says Johnston, president of the fund. "It's an extremely effective way for Canadians, regardless of political leanings, to show they support the troops."
McTeague's hospital room is decorated with a poster and letter from grade school kids, and he's got plenty more cards stored away. One girl, nearly 8, wrote that for her birthday party she wanted donations to his fund instead of presents. And could he or a family member attend?
Shy and soft-spoken, McTeague reacts to the attention with a quick smile and a slight blush.
He was the kind of kid, he says, who liked playing with his army men and asking his father about his experiences in the reserves. "I'm following in his footsteps," says McTeague, who joined the reserves after high school and hopes to become a police officer.
He volunteered for Afghanistan, attracted by the money, experience and chance to travel. No regrets, says the 6-foot-1, rail-thin soldier, wearing a red T-shirt boasting an army logo.
His memories of the bombing are sketchy. He recalls being on patrol in a village, staring off into the desert, when he felt a wave hit him and he blacked out.
He woke up on a stretcher, hearing his name, feeling a tourniquet on his leg. Helicopters landed nearby. He woke up next in hospital in Kandahar with a breathing tube down his throat.
He woke up again in Germany. Doctors there removed part of his bowel. Shrapnel had entered his lower abdomen and exited on the side above his hip.
During all this, he never thought he'd die, he says. "I just kept thinking, `Now I'm on the way to recovery.'" He was upset, however, that he'd missed out – his unit had been promised two beers after the patrol.
"We were talking together before we got blown up," his buddy Denver Williams, 30, reminds him.
Williams, from the same unit, has dropped by to visit. His hand and lower legs were badly injured in the same attack. A toe was blown off, but was found in his boot and reattached. His dog tag, hanging over his heart, stopped a ball bearing. "I'd be a goner," he says.
On this day at St. John's, on Cummer Ave. in Willowdale, word spreads that a new guy has arrived. It's Master Corporal Jody Mitic from Brampton, who stepped on a land mine in Afghanistan and lost both his legs below the knees. McTeague and Williams will visit him.
The two buddies, both in Afghanistan for less than two months, talk about the trip to Europe they had planned for an upcoming leave. "We'll still make the trip, when we're healed," says McTeague.
There's a ways to go. At home in Orillia, he'll continue physiotherapy.
The extent of the nerve damage caused by the ball bearing through his neck is unknown. He can't have an MRI scan because of the metal fragments still in his body.
"We're working without a diagnosis," says physiotherapist Sydney Johnson.
Doctors at Sunnybrook hospital performed skin grafts and operated on his legs. His left leg, so shattered that a metal bar holds the bones together, can't yet fully bear his weight.
"There are days I'd get depressed," he says. "I'd think, `How much longer will I be here? When will I do things on my own?' It would feel like forever.
"Then, the next day, I'd wake up feeling better. When you make progress, it keeps you up."
A big milestone, he says, was feeding himself. Scratching himself was good, too, he remembers with a laugh.
It's time for physiotherapy and the long, lanky soldier looks like he's unwinding as he slowly stands up. Johnson has him climb stairs and come down using only one crutch. "The army mentality kicks in," she says. "He's not afraid to push hard."
Following behind, Tom Succamore, 77, pushes the wheelchair in case McTeague needs it. Succamore, a retired construction superintendent who served in the British army, heard about the injured soldiers and started visiting McTeague and Williams nearly every day.
"I leave here so enthused," Succamore says. "I rejoice in myself seeing their progress."
McTeague's therapy finished, he and Succamore head to the hospital cafeteria. A man in the cashier line sizes up McTeague – army T-shirt, wheelchair – and says, "Proud of you, bud."
"Thanks," says McTeague, quick smile, slight blush. Complete Story

For more information about the Wounded Warriors Fund click: www.woundedwarriors.ca

Spartacat Deployed With Next Roto?

Sens' Spartacat Scores a Hit


February 04, 2007
Ottawa's mascot, Spartacat, typically carries around a cannon-like contraption to shoot hot dogs into the crowd, but the weapon got him in hot water with a member of the Canadian armed services one night last week.
The Senators were hosting Canadian Forces Appreciation Night and Spartacat was pulling his usual antics, loading his weapon and firing blindly into the crowd. On one occasion, when he pulled the trigger without looking, he hit a soldier square in the face, drawing blood.
Mortified at what he had done, Spartacat rushed to the scene to apologize to the man, who was attending the game with his daughter, and returned with some team memorabilia to ease the pain.
At last report, Canadian authorities were looking into the possibility of sending along Spartacat when they dispatch their next round of reinforcements to Afghanistan.

Canada Goes Shopping

Boeing and Canada Sign C$3.4 Billion Deal for Four C-17s

Feb 2 -Boeing Co., the second-biggest U.S. defense contractor, signed a C$3.4 billion contract with the Canadian military for four C-17 Globemaster III's transport aircrafts for Canada's Department of National Defence to provide new strategic airlift mobility capabilities for the Canadian Forces. The first delivery will occur as soon as fall 2007. The Canadian C-17's will be based at Canadian Forces Base Trenton.
Public Works Minister Michael Fortier and National Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor made the announcement today in Ottawa. General Rick Hillier, Canada's top soldier, said the planes will help with military missions in the country's Arctic region and abroad in places such as in Afghanistan.
``It is going to enable us to be there, to be there with the right loads,'' Hillier said.
Boeing will deliver the aircraft from its Long Beach, Calif., factory where the advanced airlifters are assembled.

"Boeing is pleased that Canada joins its international partners -- the U.S. Air Force, the U.K. Royal Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force -- in selecting C-17, the world's leading airlifter to modernize its defense forces airlift fleet," said Dave Bowman, vice president and C-17 program manager. "We look forward to delivering C-17s and a new world-class airlift capability to Canada, with industry-leading safety, quality and reliability that all C-17 customers enjoy."
As the only tactical airlifter with strategic range, the C-17 has become the world's airlifter of choice. Boeing is on contract to design, build, deliver and support 190 U.S. Air Force C-17s. The new Canadian C-17s are already factored into the C-17 production plan and will not extend the Long Beach production line beyond mid-2009, when the last C-17 is scheduled for delivery. In addition to the 160 C-17s now in service with the U.S. Air Force, the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force operates four C-17s, and the Royal Australian Air Force in late 2006 took delivery of its first of four C-17s. With today's announcement, Canada will become the fourth nation to operate C-17s.

Wounded Warriors Benefit Concert

Benefit for the

Sapper Mike McTeague Wounded Warriors Fund

Saturday, February 3rd

8:00 P.M.

Fiddler's Green, Cambridge, Ontario

$25 per ticket

Julian Austin

Country singer Julian Austin may be coming to Cambridge for the first time on Saturday . . . but it will be for a farewell as he's going to close the bar he's playing. Literally.
After a decade on the scene, owner Nash Cohen has sold Fiddler's Green Irish Pub -- everything, including its longtime resident Emily, the oft reported ghost of the Green.
"It was an offer I couldn't refuse," says Cohen, of the closing that marks the second prominent live concert venue to disappear within six months following last year's abrupt relocation of the Lil Big Horn to Brantford.
Cohen, nevertheless, wants Fiddler's Green to go out in style, so he's organized a benefit for The Sapper Mike McTeague Wounded Warriors Fund featuring Canadian country star Julian Austin, bagpipe rockers The Mudmen and AC/DC tribute band For Those About To Rock.
Tickets are $25 and all door proceeds will go to the fund, which contributes quality of life items such as personal blankets and individual entertainment items designed to lift the morale of soldiers wounded on the front lines.
Country performer Austin will be donating $5 of each sale of his current Red & White CD to the fund, which is near and dear to his heart.
"I do a lot of stuff for the military and that's a rewarding passion for me as well, working alongside our men and women in uniform," said the New Brunswick-born Austin on Tuesday from the home he shares with wife Angela in Steinbach, Man.
"It's a great cause."
As for Austin, named Rising Star at the Canadian Country Music Awards in 1997, he's on the comeback trail, having led the kind of life worthy of an immortal country song.
In his rather frank MySpace.com posting, Austin writes about his previous life and arrest as a cocaine dealer and later, his rise and fall as one of this country's most promising country music stars.
Spawning an earthy likeability that captured the hearts of many Canadian country music lovers, Austin earned a platinum album for his 1996 debut What My Heart Already Knows and a big chart-topping hit with Little Ol' Kisses.
Even though his criminal days were behind him, Austin's substance abuse still remained a major bug-a-boo that the singer admits eventually derailed his career.
"Later on down the road I ran into problems with my record company BMG due to the fact that my half-a-tonne of cocaine I was blasting up my nose a day made me quite unmanageable to say the least and quite the insane madman to deal with, plain and simple," Austin writes.
Commenting on the posting, Austin says his life is an open book for a reason.
"I'm not ashamed to share my past for both good and bad," explains Austin, clean and sober since 2003.
"I receive a lot of e-mails and people come up to me time-to-time telling me they can relate with my story in that they've gone through the same thing or are going through the same thing, or they're doing better because of reading my story.
"We all have our struggles in life and we all have our demons. It's been quite a lot of time for me and my demons are at rest. And I must say, I like my life better a little toned down and not so reckless, wild and selfish."
Now living a life of "weight training, walking, jogging and eating healthy," Austin has taken two-and-a-half years to make his self-financed album Red & White, taking time wherever possible out of his schedule to entertain the troops.
"What NATO is doing and the Canadian soldiers are doing for the people of Afghanistan is pretty great," says Austin, currently working on a new album.
"I love them." .. story continued

For More information about The Wounded Warrior's Fund: http://www.woundedwarriors.ca/en/index.php

I'd like to share some information about a group I hold dear to my heart - a group of wonderful friends- a new family - I have journeyed through these past 6 months with:

FAMILIES OF CANADIAN SOLDIERS IN AFGHANISTAN

"It is our mission to provide ongoing support to extended families and friends of Canadian Forces personnel who are currently deployed, awaiting deployment, or have returned from Afghanistan and/or other overseas missions. Through meetings, special events, and community awareness programs, our group is committed to increase support for our troops as well as our members."

Goals and Objectives

• Provide emotional support for all members of the group and individuals connected to Canadian Forces
• Build the morale of those deployed through participation in community events
• Promote awareness of the men and women serving in all branches of the military
• Provide information via round table discussions and guest speakers
• Respond to requests for support materials such as yellow ribbon pins, t-shirts, etc.
  
  Who We Are
  
  We are a welcoming community of families and friends of Canadian military serving in Afghanistan including those who have returned or have yet to be deployed. A few parents and family members first met in the summer of 2006 to share their feelings and concerns for their loved ones overseas. Through information sharing, monthly meetings, guest speakers, community events, and the media, the number of members has grown to include nearly 40 family groups. The name officially became “Families of Canadian Soldiers in Afghanistan” in September, 2006.
  
  What We Do
  
  Meetings are normally held on the last Saturday of each month and often include guest speakers on such topics as stress, reunions, special events, and information about the mission. Commencing February 24, 2007, these meetings will be held at the Wing 404 in Waterloo. Special events such as Red Friday Rallies, Parades, and Talk shows on radio and T.V. have also been organized to garner support for our troops. For further information about our organization, ordering support materials, or becoming a member, please contact us at focsia@hotmail.com.

With Open Arms

A note written this morning says it all:

"Only a few more weeks until the tour's over

I'm comin' home, mom!

:) "

Soldiers' Best Friend

Explosives’ Dogs are a Soldier’s Best Friend

Sgt. Grady Bentley, 58th MP Co. a dog handler, instructs Britt to search a cement truck for explosives prior to the truck entering Bagram Air Base. The K-9s serve as an addition to the force protection efforts conducted daily by MPs. They are also trained to participate in combat patrols. Picture taken by: Staff Sgt. Monica R. Garreau

PATROL BASE WILSON, Afghanistan — Troy Herbst knew something was fishy when his partner Casio began scratching excitedly on the wall of an abandoned residential compound during a Canadian patrol earlier this month. For one, the empty home’s normally rock-hard building material consisting of mud and straw was peeling off with ease under Casio’s paws.It was a Taliban weapons cache — 900 rounds of armour-piercing .50-calibre bullets, hidden for future use by insurgents, possibly as part of a spring offensive feared by some. The crates of Russian-built rounds, capable of slicing through a LAV III troop carrier, were stacked up where a doorway had once been and then simply plastered over. “It would have been a bad day for Canada if those had been used,” said Herbst. Casio and his handler tag along on foot patrols with members of the Canadian Forces battle group operating in the former southern Afghan homeland of the Taliban. When confined to camp — a Canadian forward operating base plunked on a key route west of ambush alley leading out of Kandahar City — they do roadside sweeps, checking vehicles for any explosive contraband. As his reward for discovering lethal ordnance, Casio, a lovable German shepherd away from work, gets to play with his favourite tennis ball. Herbst and Casio make up one of several explosives-sniffing teams who work for American K9, which is contracted to the Canadians serving in Op Athena, Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan. Casio’s canine sidekick at Patrol Base Wilson, Sabat, has found a number of weapons caches since arriving here in late summer. He and his handler Dolf Niemand were called out after a convoy ambush in August that resulted in six Afghan drivers being killed. German shepherds are the preferred war-zone explosives dog because of their intelligence, good noses, longer concentration spans and ability to learn quickly, said Herbst, who lives in South Africa. Casio is “just an over-sized lapdog,” said Herbst. He’s frequently mauled by adoring soldiers. “Every Wednesday and Saturday we get steak — and the dogs get three. It’s very unfair,” said Herbst.

Troops Leave NB for Afghanistan

Latest Wave of Troops Leave New Brunswick for Afghanistan

January 29-07
Relatives of the latest group of soldiers heading to Afghanistan say they're proud of their loved ones, but they are deeply concerned about what awaits them in the war-weary country.
There were tears and hugs as 120 troops gathered in a drill hall at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown on Monday for a last goodbye before starting their six-month tour of duty. Some 1,200 soldiers from the New Brunswick base will be part of the current troop rotation, involving close to 2,500 soldiers.
Husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters told reporters they support the mission to restore peace and stability Afghanistan, but they are afraid for the soldiers' safety.
Parents are confident the troops have been well trained.

Verna Caul travelled from Newfoundland and Labrador to say goodbye to her 23-year-old son, Cpl. Stephen Drake. Caul said her son decided to join the Canadian military after the 9-11 attacks.
"I'm very proud of him," Caul said, as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I pray he comes back safe. We can only pray."

The soldiers are heading into uneasy times in the Kandahar area of southern Afghanistan.
There is speculation the Taliban is preparing a spring offensive against the NATO mission.
Lt.-Col. Robert Walker, who will assume command of the battle group in the Kandahar area, said he is guardedly optimistic about the mission.

"I really have no apprehensions about what we're going to do," Walker said in an interview.
"Yes, we are anticipating a spring offensive. To what extent, I'm not sure. They (the Taliban) took some hard defeats through the summer and fall." Walker said that although the situation in southern Afghanistan is fragile, he believes life there is improving and residents are feeling more secure. He said two weeks ago, 3,000 Afghan villagers returned to their homes.

Master Cpl. Stephen Mills, 33, said the possibility of a spring offensive by the Taliban is on the minds of the soldiers. But he said the troops are ready. "We've had numerous briefings on the threat there," Mills said in an interview. "It's no surprise what we're getting into. Everyone knows what to expect. As far as what we can expect from them, who is to say? ... But whatever they give us, we'll handle it the way we've been trained."

The fresh troops from Gagetown and other Canadian bases will be replacing soldiers who endured a gruelling tour of duty as the Taliban-led insurgency intensified its attacks.
Nearly 4,000 people were killed in Afghan violence in 2006, including 37 Canadians. It was the bloodiest period since the Taliban were overthrown by a U.S.-led coalition in 2001.
According to Gen. Rick Hillier's campaign plan for Afghanistan, success is defined as establishing and training Afghan security forces to the point where they can control their own borders with guidance from their own government. Complete Story

Soldiers Homecoming

Some of our sons, daughters, husbands, wives, dads, moms,family and friends - our heroes will be coming home soon.

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"Welcome home."

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"Thank you!

"We are very proud of you!"

_

I dedicate this video to you.

Soldiers Deploy

Medics up for challenge Soldiers eager to put skills to use in war zone

Bombardier Steven Gilby, 32, embraces his
six-month-old daughter Bevyn at CFB Petawawa, where troops held a departure
ceremony yesterday prior to their deployment to Kandahar. "It's hard to leave
her," the proud new dad confesses.

PETAWAWA -- A television in the corner of the field hospital canteen is on but nobody's watching.
It's somewhat ironic, since a live update is relaying news about U.S. operations in Afghanistan and a group of 42 Canadian medics are minutes away from leaving for the war-ravaged country.
These medics are a young, excited lot. They gather in small groups around the CFB Petawawa canteen, socializing before a long bus ride to Trenton and an even longer flight to Kandahar.
There is an undeniable sense of nervous anticipation.
"It's basically a roller coaster of emotions," Capt. Nori Bickwell confides while exchanging goodbyes. "The only thing that helps you get through it is this team. As a medical unit, we have to rely on each other."
These are Canada's military lifesavers, trained as medical specialists and combat-ready troopers.
Bickwell, 34, is a critical care nurse and one of a handful of Ottawa-based medics being deployed to Afghanistan on a six-month rotation. She joined the military to pursue a degree in nursing. Sixteen years later, she finds herself being catapulted into a war zone -- and it's at a time when critical care in the military is changing.
"The casualties we're seeing in this mission isn't like what we have seen in the past," Bickwell says, explaining that new enemy tactics, like suicide attacks, have altered how medics are trained.
Sadly, these medics predict a busy rotation.
Thankfully, patient care is what they live for.
"It's hard to refuse," Lieut. Luc Dionne says before grabbing his bag and reporting to roll call. Dionne, a 25-year-old health-care administrator based in Ottawa, only learned last month he was going to Afghanistan, but it's an opportunity he says many in the medical profession won't ever get. 'The pinnacle' Capt. Jacques Pinard agrees. "It's probably the pinnacle of my career," says Pinard, a 27-year-old health-care administrator based in Edmonton. The medics have been receiving advice from soldiers already in Afghanistan about preparation. They also received some tips on some "luxury items" to pack for the trip -- if "luxurious" constitutes running shoes, gloves and a toque. Complete Story at Ottawa Sun

MacKinnon Transport Supports Our Troops

Pictured here is one of our Canadian soldiers with the staff of MacKinnon Transport

A great big HUAAAA! for MacKinnon Transport in Guelph! Each Friday, the staff and drivers wear RED in support of our troops. A brother of a soldier currently serving in Afghanistan is kept busy with sales of troops merchandise - which has been overwhelming.

Thank you B. and thank you MacKinnon Transport - you're a true inspiration to all! HUA!!

If your company, school, office or neighbourhood is showing support for our troops, let us know. I'll post it here :)

Magnet Eating Carwashes

Here's a tip (or reminder for some): Before taking your car through the car wash, remember to remove your Support Our Troops Magnet before entering. Between the pressure from the water and/or the brushes, the magnets will come off. (it makes for a sad day)

If you don't have a magnet yet, and would like to order one .. or a few, here are a few sites and a support group that can help you out:

Contact: Canex , RCR, or Families of Canadian Soldiers in Afghanistan

To Our Troops of Roto 3

Please join me in wishing Roto 3, our next Battle Group, best wishes on their deployment.
I cannot imagine a greater compassion you have as you begin your mission to Afghanistan.
I will carry you in my heart. To friends and families, I understand your courage of letting your loved one leave. As husband, a wife, a father, a mother, a son sister, brother, a daughter a friend. I know that you have a great respect for the life your loved one has chosen and I stand beside you as together I support you and our troops.

"Godspeed my friends and thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Red Friday in Gagetown January 20, 2007

Red Friday Rally in Gagetown

Supported Canadian Troops

by forming the

Largest Human Canadian Flag

About 1,000 soldiers and their families braved a snowstorm for a patriotic pep rally at CFB Gagetown Friday that celebrated the military. Part of the festivities was to form the largest human Canadian flag in history.

It was a historic day at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown on Friday as thousands of people gathered to support 1,150 soldiers leaving for Afghanistan next week. The rally was the first of its kind in Canada.Despite Friday's snowstorm, everyone made sure they were on base early enough to be part of the human flag. "It's important to show support for your peers," said Capt. Lisa Compton, a nurse at CFB Gagetown. "It's important to show support for the families that are staying behind. Even though we're not going overseas, it's a big team and you have to show everybody that you're behind them." More than 3,000 people packed, squeezed and crammed together on a snow-covered soccer field across from the base gym to create the human flag, which measured 90 metres by 45 metres.The effort was part of Red Rally Friday, an event that attracted people from all over New Brunswick and Atlantic Canada.Because of the snow, the turnout was less than the 5,000 organizers had expected.It was also due to 1,000 school children who couldn't be bused to the location because of the decision earlier in the day to close schools.But that didn't dampen enthusiasm."It was great to see everybody come and show their support for the troops," Lisa Compton said. "The atmosphere was great. It was exciting. It was good to see that everybody had such good spirit and that, here in Oromocto and the surrounding area, we can be so patriotic."Within the next year, said Compton, either she or her husband will likely be making the trip to Afghanistan.Sgt. Danny Compton, with the artillery branch of the Forces, said he was impressed by the turnout.

Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor said Friday was a proud day to be a Canadian and was as much of a celebration as it was a farewell. He pledged to continue supporting the mission and the troops.Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier said the rally in red was a visible means of communities showing support for the soldiers."Equally, it is a tangible sign of support for those families who are left here in Canada and who also carry a very heavy burden on their shoulders," Hillier said in an interview. story
FACTS:

• there are 3300 people in this picture
• dignitaries included General Hillier and CFB Gagetown C.O. Colonel Jestin
• these people braved a vicious snowstorm to be participate
• all schools had been closed that day due to the storm
• HAVOC was wreaked on local roads
• it was taken around 2 pm
• some supporters waited eagerly since 9:30 that morning
• the picture was actually taken while the crowd thought they were in a "practice run"
• the picture was taken while the masses were singing the National Anthem
• the "red" effect is from red briston board placards
• placards were donated by "Hilroy Canada" and local buisiness "Covey Basics"
• all dignitaries and high-ranking officials are in the back red stripe

"Support Our Troops Snowman"

I decided to get creative with yesterday's snowfall.

Copyright Military Mom 2007. All rights reserved.

Ottawa Senators Dedicate Game to Troops

Canadian Forces Appreciation Night January 30 in Ottawa

CANADIAN FORCES APPRECIATION NIGHT: 30 JANUARY 2007
The Ottawa Senators Hockey Club dedicated 30 January 2007 as Canadian Forces Appreciation Night. The aim of CF Appreciation Night is to recognize CF members' contribution, dedication and commitment to excellence. 1100 tickets have already been given to select CF members.
Tuesday, January 30th, 2007at 7:30 p.m.
Ottawa Senators vs Washington Capitals

"GO .....SENATORS!"

__Thanks for the information JoAnne! :)

Support Our Troops Hockey Sticks

Support Our Troops Hockey Sticks

There's a hot new way to show your support for our Canadian troops - hockey sticks.
A hockey equipment company started making the sticks and donating a portion of the proceeds to military family resource centres across the country. Flarrow Hockey started nine years ago and since selling the first Support Our Troops Stick has raised about 6000 dollars for military families.
The sticks are available in regular size, junior size and a goalie model. They retail for about 25 dollars each. They are available at several different locations in the Ottawa region including:
Costco - Innes Rd.Rink Pro - StittsvilleGearhead Sports - PetawawaHome Hardware - various locations.
If you can't find one at a store near you, they are available for shipping anywhere in Canada courtesy of the Alexandria Home Hardware.

To order your Support Our Troops Stick just call 1-613-525-3151.

Thank you Alexandria Home Hardware!!

Reference Link

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A follow up story:
New Sticks Score Points Overseas:

What started out as a plan for one family to help their son serving in Afghanistan has turned into a way for the rest of the country to support the Canadian troops.
Flaro Hockey in Martintown, longtime makers of Flarrow hockey sticks, has made quite a splash creating and selling a red recreational hockey stick with the logo "S.O.T. Support our Troops."
Owner Denis Flaro says the venture started innocently enough, with an e-mail request from Cpl. Alan Billings, a technician with the Canadian Forces Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle unit in Afghanistan, asking mom Shannon and father Jamie, who works at Flaro, if they could send a couple of hockey sticks for the troops to use in their rough-and-tumble pick-up games.
Apparently, the plastic blades on the sticks they had just couldn't keep up with the action.
After the request was passed on to him, Flaro thought it was a good idea. "That night, I got to thinking that maybe we should send more," said Flaro.

HARDY DESIGN
And so 50 flame-red hardwood shaft sticks reinforced with fibreglass, graphite and Kevlar and carrying the S.O.T. logo were specially made and sent off on a cargo plane from Petawawa.
Once word of the sticks got out at home, Flaro said regular customers wanted to purchase them as a way to support the troops.
"It's something that just took off, it wasn't planned," said Flaro, still sounding a bit surprised by it all.
Now, more than 10,000 sticks have been produced, and can be purchased at select stores across the region, such as Home Hardware and Don Cherry's Grapevine Restaurants.
A percentage of the profits from sales of the sticks goes to the Canadian Forces' Military Family Resource Centre, which offers support services to families of soldiers fighting overseas. A senior stick retails for about $25, and a junior for about $21.
Back in Afghanistan, the hardy Canadian sticks are standing up to all the soldiers have to offer -- and giving the Canucks an advantage in the 13-team Kandahar-based Canadian and U.S. ball hockey league.
AFGHANISTAN REPORTS
"They've done very well," said Flaro. "Alan e-mails all the time."
The family company back home has also gotten a boost, although that was far from the goal, he added.
"It's kinda nice when you're not thinking of any good coming out of it for yourself," said Flaro.

Toronto Maple Leafs Honour the Military Jan 13th

Thank you Leafs!

Thank you for your support!

HONOURING THE MILITARY

The Leafs will honour Canada's armed forces during their game against the Vancouver Canucks tomorrow night at the Air Canada Centre. More than 100 Canadian armed forces personnel from CFB Borden, 8 Wing Trenton, HMCS York and Land Force Central Area who have served in Afghanistan have been invited to watch from the gondola. Prior to the start of the game, four Canadian armed forces personnel will rappel from the arena rafters down to centre ice.

Vice-Chief of Defence and Lieutenant-General Walter J. Natynczyk will be among those scheduled to participate in the ceremonial puck drop.

The Leafs have invited more than 100 Canadian Armed Forces personnel who have served in Afghanistan to watch from the Gondola on Canadian Armed Forces Appreciation Night Saturday.

Game time: Saturday, January 13th 7:00pm airing on CBC

Info from Friday, January 12, 2007 edition of The Toronto Sun

Care Packages

CARE PACKAGES

Items to send, what NOT to send and "getting creative"

HEY! Do you have any ideas, item requests, suggestions, etc.?

If so, please list them in the comment section below.

I will add them to the post.

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