Military Officer - November 2007 - (Page 58)

C 58 MILITARY OFFICER NOVEMBER 2007 C A PT. E RINN SING MA N , A M I L I TA RY P O L I C E O F F I C E R serving in Iraq with the 759th Military Police Battalion, Fort Carson, Colo., is grateful for the packages she receives from family and friends. But it is the support from strangers that astounds her. their support for the military community with their time, ingenuity, and generosity. From writing letters and sending care packages to taking care of deployed troops’ pets and sending children whose parents are at war to summer camp, Americans on the home front are supporting servicemembers and their families in signiﬁcant ways. “It truly amazes me how much kindness has been sent our way,” the 26-year-old Fairfax, Va., native says in an e-mail from Iraq. “The support displayed by so many of our fellow Americans means the world to us. We receive so many packages from various companies and individuals from across the country who just want to say thank you for our commitment and duty to our country.” Bulk items are set up on a table at Singman’s battalion headquarters with a sign that says, “They’re thankful for our sacriﬁce, let’s not forget theirs.” “This is a reﬂection of our sincere gratitude,” says Singman, “and serves as a reminder to our soldiers that Americans on the home front — the ones who take care of us while we’re away — that they’re our heroes.” With the war on terrorism well into its sixth year, American corporations, nonproﬁt groups, and average citizens — unsung heroes in many ways — continue to show “How Can I Help?” “People call up and ask, ‘How can I help?’ ’’ says David Coker, president of the Fisher House Foundation, a nonproﬁt organization with headquarters in Rockville, Md. “We have received tremendous support from the public.” The 37 Fisher Houses, located on 18 military installations and at eight VA hospitals, provide free lodging for families of servicemembers receiving extended medical care. Fisher House has served more than 110,000 families since the program’s inception in 1990. In 2006 alone, Fisher House saved families more than $10 million in lodging, food, and transportation costs, and people donated enough frequent-ﬂier miles to allow Fisher House to buy 4,000 airline tickets for families of the ill and combat-injured. An additional 21 houses have been recognized as “immediate needs” and will be built over the next four years, says Coker.

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - November 2007

Military Officer - November 2007 Contents From the Editor President’s Page Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Chapters in Action Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Cover Story: Commanding the Corps With Love, From Home Financial Guidebook Financial Tuneups Banking on Your Time Pages of History MOAA Scholarship Recipients Faces of MOAA MOAA Scholarship Donors Member Books Advertising Index MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps MOAA Member Services Encore

Military Officer - November 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.