There is a moment in everyone's life that you have to face one's fears.  You have a choice, however, face it or walk away.  What will you do when the time comes?

911

Yesterday the flags flew at half mass, moments of silence were observed across the nation, and people remembered...

"I got a call from my mother, she said to turn on the TV a plane just flew into one of the twin towers.  I turned on the TV, and just as I did so I watched as the second plane flew into the other one.  A black speck hitting the building and a ball of fire.  I knew then it was an attack..."

"I was on my way into the city.  Crossing over the bridge and I happened to look up just as the first plane crashed into the building...."

"I hit the snooze button and fell back to sleep.  I woke up in a rush to get to work that morning, ended up missing my train, I was having a rough morning. (pause)  If I had gotten up on time I would have been in Tower 1..."

"I couldn't see anything.  Not my hand in front of me.  Dust, debris, smoke.  Screams coming from every direction.  The smells were horrific."

"It was like the end of the world."

"Watching the people jump from the buildings..."

"They (the news) were talking with someone inside the Pentagon before the plane crashed.  All of sudden you heard this noise in the broadcast and the person being interviewed started to scream they had just been hit."

"I just kept thinking, what is happening.  I just wanted to hold my children tight."

"Afterwards, the skies were silent except for the Air Force's jets - F-15's and F-16s circling above."

"George W. Bush saved this nation during that time.  I don't believe any other president could have handled this tragedy better."

The stories are told yearly.  We who tell these stories need to remind those who did not experience this about it.  We must not forget about the horrific things that these terrorists have done on OUR GREAT NATION.  And we must NOT allow this to happen again.  If we forget, if we put our guards down...

God Bless the United States of America, its citizens, all of the men and women who defend it daily and days in the past.

Memorial Day - I am here

You may not see me.... But I am here
You may not feel me.... But I am here
You may not know my name...  But I am here

I am your forefather
I am your brother
I am your sister
Your father your mother, aunt and uncle, niece and nephew
I am...

Guardian of the night while your head rests upon a pillow
Keeper of the peace while you roast marshmallows.
A spirit that lingers across the land,
The reason a child holds a small flag in his tiny hand.

My folded flag is encased in glass with my many medals
My photo sits proudly besides it.
My uniforms hang silently in a closet
My dog tags dangle from the corner of a mirror.

But I am here.
My spirit lives on among you
Fighting side by side with my brothers and sisters in uniform
Preserving your freedom, watching over you.

I am here...
I am a Soldier, a Seaman, an Airman
I am here

Soldier's Cry

I run into the darkness, the smoke filled air; listening and looking for the light that will take me back to where peace can be found.  I stumble slightly, on the debris that lies at my feet.  The debris that tries to bring me down to it's level, tries to stop me from the goal that lies ahead of me.  I move on among the pain and suffering, I move on through the stench and retched.  I move on, weight upon my back, weapon within my hand, I move on...

The sounds become more distinct, the light shines brighter with every step of my heavy feet.  Eventually I break through the death that surrounds me.  A soldier's cry for help echos through the remains of the shambles of a room.  I run to him...  I care for him...  I remove him from his near grave...  I take him to safety...

He goes home...

I walk through the dirt and smoke filled air, looking, looking, looking for the wounded.  I risk all that I know to be good, that others may live...

Vote for the charity that supports the PJs!

Charity Challenge: each month "Military One Click" holds a Give Back Charity Challenge. " That Others May Live Foundation " is featured among the three charities. Let us show our support for this great cause and VOTE for them! Follow the link and cast your vote; it's just one small way to show how your care for those that risk their lives...

http://militaryoneclick.com/give-back-military-charities/#challenge

Happy Thanksgiving!

To All of Our Military -

I am Thankful and our Country is Thankful for your commitment and patriotism to us. Whether you are home with your loved ones or far off in another country - you are remembered, and thought of.

God Bless our Men and Women who serve the United States of America, and thank you for all you do to allow our country to continue to be FREE!

Save Combat Rescue

The Sikorsky HH-60G - Pave Hawk Helicopters were designated as Air Force Search and Rescue officially in 1991.  The initial design of these HELOs was in 1981 - replacing the HH-3E Jolly Green Giant  with the UH-60A Black Hawk.  The Jolly Green Giant was used during the Vietnam era for Combat Search and Rescue (CSR) - thus the Air Force was allocated a number of the new Black Hawks for modifications for CSR.  Doing what they do best, the Air Force made modifications to the fueling system, and upgraded the machine guns to an M60.  82 of these modified HELOs were given to CSR, Air Force Special Operations, again in 1991.

The Pave Hawks are out of date...  on 22 October 2012 the Air Force put in a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a new Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH).  The mission of the CRH will remain the same; search and recover personnel in hostile and isolated territories.  Humanitarian missions, civil search and rescue, disaster relief, casualty and medical evacuations and non-combative medical evacuations will also be continued and considered apart of their missions.  The requirements for the CRH are as follows:

combat radius of 416 km
payload of 1,500 lbs
space for up to 4 stretchers

A request of 112 CRHs was requested, and proposals were submitted. Sikorsky is the only bidder to remain, with Lockhead Martin as a subcontractor.  This is a $6.8 billion dollar contract that has been delayed until the first quarter of 2014 FY, which begins October of 2013.  The new CSR would be known as the "CRH-60".

Government furlough, and in response to sequestration budget cuts require the Air Force's FY 2015 budget proposal to cut out the funding for this much needed new helicopter.

Okay... I hear you $6.8 BILLION DOLLARS???!!!!  Are you crazy??!!!  That's a lot of money.  I know that.  But can you really put a price on a life?  I'm sorry I meant to say 100, no 1,000's of lives that are saved during the missions that take place with the CRH.

Most civilians don't understand the impact of what Combat Search and Rescue (CSR) is and does.  In a nut shell, they bring our men and women in combat home - NO MAN LEFT BEHIND.  They risk their own lives with each mission, evacuation, rescue they go on, for the life of another.  Their motto "That Others May Live" is meant and in bedded deep in their souls.  The men who make up CSR are truly the unsung heroes of our military, little to no glory given or asked for.

Scenario for you:  you are driving in a convoy in Afghanistan... your vehicle is hit with a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG), you have insurgents coming down upon you and your trapped inside your vehicle with multiple injuries.  I hate to tell you this, but your local fire department or ambulance is not on its way.  Their will be no sounds of emergency crew sirens heading your way.  What you will hear is the "whoop whoop" of the Pave Hawk, what you will see is a Pararescue Jumper (PJ) leaning over you, risking his life to extract you from the mangled machine that was once your vehicle.  It's the PJ that will get you to the Pave Hawk and the CSR team that will get you back to base - fighting to keep you alive so you can go home to your loved ones.

Your loved ones - your mother, father, sister, brother, spouse, children, friends...  they are waiting day by day praying for your safe return.  They sit home shivering watching the news knowing that they may get that knock on the door, that call, that what they just viewed may have to do with you. The fear is real, the fear of knowing we may never see you again...

$6.8 billion dollars to bring you home....and all those after you.  Who can put a price on that?

Go to http://savecombatrescue.org/ to show your support.  Click on the tab "Take Action"  - a letter has already been written showing your support, you simply put your name, e-mail address at the bottom and hit "Submit".  Then, SHARE on Facebook, Twitter, Google+  let everyone know.  The more support the better.

For additional support of the Rescue Community visit : http://thatothersmaylive.org/  a non-profit organization helping the families of fallen Rescue Personnel.

Thank you, and God Bless You, our Military, and God Bless America!