Enjoy your patches of sunshine

Combat Yoga? Completely, awesomely, diametrically opposed-- yet somehow, somebody decided to put those two things together.

That’s how I feel about the past year. Events left me feeling that I had entered a world where anything—good or bad—could happen.

This time last year, I was battling insomnia as Daniel was deployed on his first MEU. My heart missed him every day, as I had to get up, make the bed, go to work and somehow be a productive person. I didn’t feel like I was living my life, I was getting through it.

As a sidebar, economic disasters, oil prices, the plummeting housing market, joblessness, just added to the incomprehension of my days. Good friends were losing their jobs—some lost homes. What do you do?

You put one foot in front of the other and keep on walking. You walk until you find yourself in a patch of sunlight. And when you do, you pause. You breathe deeply and hold onto it and make it last until you reach the next patch of sunlight.

Daniel’s return, home safe and sound, was a big patch of sunlight. I breathed in deeply, slept soundly, and thanked God for the blessing of having my children near. I reveled in hearing their laughter and seeing their smiles.

Over 4,000 of our loved ones will never come home, and many will come home with wounds, seen and unseen. Please God; let us not forget them, especially through the passage of time.

There will be another deployment for Daniel in the fall. I don’t know where he will go, or what he will do. I do feel that I will do a better job of dealing with it this time. I feel battle-tested and stamped with a seal of approval.

I am so proud of my son and all the sons and daughters who put boots on every day and go to work; they are our shining lights.

As I enjoy my patches of sunlight this year, I will not forget those who serve to allow us that freedom.

Happy New Year, and may the sun shine upon us all.

Tiffany

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Featured combat photographer:

Army Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika

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MANATEE'S OPERATION TROOP SUPPORT

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Please visit this site to learn about the Patriot Guard:



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Around the military:

U.S. Army soldiers pose for a group photo on the second floor of one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces on The Makhul, mountains in Bayji, Iraq, Dec. 22, 2008. The soldiers are assigned to 25th Infantry Division's Company A, 2nd Infantry Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kani Ronningen

A Belgian military F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft deploys flares during a combat patrol over Afghanistan, Dec. 12, 2008.
U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon




U.S. Army 1st Lt. Andrew Schlaf directs a Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicle onto a temporary bridge in the Jabour area, south of Baghdad, Dec. 15, 2008. The bridge enabled the vehicles involved in Operation Panda Garden to reach the staging area, by covering a canal that would have otherwise obstructed movement. Schlaf is the fire support officer for the 1st Armored Division's Company B, 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, Task Force 4-27 “Thunder”, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Scott Wolfe

Try a little peace -- you might love it

Peace on Earth; good will. We didn’t get it this year.

The Middle East has exploded once again, and India and Pakistan are making the rest of us nervous with their chest-beating antics.

Somehow, you can be sure it will affect us. The butterfly effect; ripples across the pond; pick your cliche, it will affect us.

I pray that our leaders will make wise decisions. I pray our military will not be called upon to step into another fight. I don’t understand all the politics involved in decisions for and against war; I just know that it’s our loved ones who have to pack up and go do the job.

It’s necessary sometimes, I know. I don’t want bombs dropping in my back yard or your back yard. I don’t want war anywhere. I just wish the world would take a break from war for a month and see how they like it. Ha.

I can dream.

Tiffany

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For insight on the Gaza violence, read "Checkpoint Jerusalem," written by Dion Nissenbaum, who covers the Middle East as the Jerusalem bureau chief for McClatchy Newspapers.

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Linda Craig of Manatee's Operation Troop Support visited Ssgt. Dwayne Newby's wife, here visiting home in Palmetto from Hawaii, on Christmas day to bring a special gift of daddy dolls to young sons, 2 and 5 years old. When asked "Who's this?" the 2 year-old answered "That's my daddy!" Linda also brought them MOTS t-shirts and a bag of gifts. "Priceless!" said Linda of her visit with the family. Below are two photos Linda took of the family with their dolls:

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Around the military:

Santa Claus made a surprise visit to the NORAD TRACKS SANTA battle cab, Dec. 23, 2008, at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. Santa received Federal Aviation Administration, weather and air mission briefings during the visit. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Desiree N. Palacios

Santa Claus salutes the national ensign aboard the Los-Angeles class attack submarine USS Boise 764 following the submarine's return after a six-month deployment to Naval Station Norfolk, Va., Dec. 23, 2008. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Todd A. Schaffer


A Victory Base Council volunteer leads Iraqi scouts to the next event at a holiday-themed meeting of the Victory Base Council scouting program on Victory Base Complex, Iraq, Dec. 20, 2008. The Victory Base Council is a group of volunteers who are working towards helping local Iraqis establish a scouting program of their own. Each week, the Council gathers and leads the children through a number of events including crafts, knot tying, sports and team building events. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Joy Pariante

Merry Christmas to all who make a difference

All around the world -- on mountains, in deserts, crossing the seas and skies -- are those devoted to a common good. They personify all we pray for, hope for, are thankful for. They do what we cannot. They sacrifice, they toil, they fight and bleed and die. For us, they leave their homes and families. Some may never return.

On this holy night, I feel hope for us all when I see the terrific selflessness of so many -- especially in these difficult times.

It’s easy to complain and so much harder to make a difference. There are many who I’ve had the joy of meeting who strive every day to remember our troops and to let them know we are here for them. Support groups and individuals too many to name; I am so grateful for your kindnesses.

To all who serve in the military, public safety services, volunteers and their families: I thank you.

This prayer from the Book of Common Prayer reminds us that our troops have the most powerful commander of all to watch over them:

O Almighty Lord God, who neither slumberest nor sleepest; Protect and assist, we beseech thee, all those who at home or abroad, by land, by sea, or in the air, are serving this country, that they, being armed with thy defense, may be preserved evermore in all perils; and being filled with wisdom and girded with strength, may do their duty to thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Merry Christmas!

Tiffany

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Merry Christmas to Tom Fielding's son, 2nd Lt. Ryan Fielding, with the Marine Wing Support Squadron in Iraq. Thanks for your service, Marines! Semper Fi!

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Around the military:

U.S. Army Sgt. Anthony Ward, dressed in the Santa suit, and 1st Lt. Philip Vrska, in the Christmas package, bring some holiday cheer to a 5K “Jingle” race sponsored on Camp Ramadi, Iraq, Dec. 20, 2008. Ward and Vrska are assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1. While the festive pair didn’t place in the field of 64, they did complete the entire run in costume. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Emily Suhr

American Idol contestant and country musician Kellie Pickler grants a Christmas wish for a kiss to U.S. Marine Sgt. Christopher Lambert at the 2008 USO Holiday Tour stop at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Dec. 19, 2008.
DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley




U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Chantel Saville (left) and Sgt. Jonathan Oaks cheer at the introduction of Grammy award-winning musician Kid Rock and Zac Brown during the 2008 USO Holiday Tour stop at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Dec, 19, 2008.
DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

Holiday Greetings from the President:

Share a "happy holidays" with our troops

Today we share more Holiday Greetings from our local troops stationed around the world.

Take a moment to see the faces and hear the voices of fellow Americans who are very much the same as those who are dear to our hearts -- the troops and loved ones who are not home with us this Christmas.

If you have an abundance of joy to spread around, please send an e-greeting to our troops via DVIDS, a service by the military that sends e-cards to deployed troops. Just go to the site, click the state where your service person is from, find them on the list, and click to create a card. If you don’t know anyone personally, pick anyone to send a happy note.

Thanks to all who have sent photos, updates or kind words this year. Please keep them coming, and we will all share in the happiness, joy and pride in those who serve our country and the families who support them.

Merry Christmas!

Tiffany
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MANATEE'S OPERATION TROOP SUPPORT

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Veteran Terry Bibbins offers free Tae Kwon Do classes
to families of service personnel
go to his website:

www.bibbinstaekwondo.com

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Welcome home!
Soldier Albert Bartholomew was welcomed home in style at King Middle School.
Well done soldier, welcome home!

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Around the military:

A CH-47 Chinook helicopter crew prepares the aircraft for an early morning departure at Buckley Air Force Base, in Aurora, Colo., Dec. 10, 2008. The helicopter crew is assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment, Colorado Army National Guard, and is flying to Fort Carson, Colo., to give paratroopers assigned to 10th Special Forces Group, Airborne, a platform to perform airborne operations.
U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Liesl Marelli

.S. Army Sgt. Jason Rex plays with an Iraqi boy during a neighborhood presence patrol in Malha, Iraq, Dec. 12, 2008. Rex is assigned to 25th Infantry Division's Company D, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kani Ronningen





A U.S. Marine holds onto a parachute attached to a supply of water and food dropped by a C-130 cargo transport aircraft during Operation Backstop in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Dec. 11, 2008. The Marines, assigned to Company I, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, are the ground combat element of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force – Afghanistan.
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brian D. Jones

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Holiday video greetings from our local troops
serving around the world:

Air Force Master Sgt. Kelly Barton
Wiesbaden, Germany
Venice, Fl

Air Force Master Sgt. Nancy Clegg
Al Udeid AB, Qatar
Sarasota, Fl

Army Capt. Erin Humelsine
Mannheim, Germany
Bradenton, Fl

Air Force Major David Koles
Misawa AB, Japan
Sarasota, Fl

Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Patrick McKracken
Manas, Kyrgystan
Venice, Fl

Videos of local troops posted here

Well, I finally found it – the Christmas spirit!

The tree is up; the presents are wrapped and merrily on their way to their destinations under myriad trees around the country. Truman has taken up his favorite spot directly under the tree where he will eye his present until Christmas morning, when he will grab it and drool on it until someone unwraps it and gives it to him.

Monday night brought the annual Marine parents' Christmas party at the Doughertys where we stuffed ourselves silly with all the foods that are on my ‘do not eat’ list -- I ate them all.

Theresa Hardin offered a thoughtful prayer for our troops and loved ones before we settled into a spot to watch and laugh over a DVD of the Marine Corps ball by Roni Carrington.

We caught up on deployments and homecomings, heartbreaks and engagements. We welcomed a new mom, and posed for pictures. It felt comfortable and homey to be with these friends, our extended family by circumstance.

We went home that night feeling content. The only improvement would be to have our sons and daughters home with us.

In our hearts, of course, they are always with us. Some are a phone call away, some seem a world away, but they are always here, in our hearts.

Tiffany

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Video Greetings!

Check below for video Holiday Greetings sent from the Army/Air Force Hometown News from local troops serving around the world. I've posted several of them today and the rest on Sunday. I will be calling all the families to let them know. Enjoy!

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Annual Marine Parents' Christmas party:

Moms

Dads

Annual Marine Moms on the Tour of Homes:

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Around the military:

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Anthony Proctor undergoes code of conduct continuation training as part of the survival, evasion, resistance, and escape program on Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., Dec. 5, 2008. Proctor is assigned to the 27th Special Operations Support Squadron.
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Danielle Martin

U.S. Airman 1st Class Chadley Williams uses marshaling paddles to direct a C-130 Hercules aircraft onto a taxiway on Joint Base Balad, Iraq, Dec. 6, 2008. Williams is assigned to the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron.
U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Erik Gudmundson



Woody Derby, a survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor, salutes the names of the deceased at the USS Arizona Memorial during a Prayer for Peace ceremony sponsored by the Japan Religious Committee for World Federation, Dec. 7, 2008. The prayer ceremony followed a joint U.S. Navy/National Park Service ceremony commemorating the 67th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jay C. Pugh

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Holiday Greetings from local troops:

Senior Airman Anthony Burton
Kunsab AB, Korea
St. Petersburg, FL

Army Chief Warrant Officer Derrick Edwards
Camp Asaliyah, Qatar
Riverview, FL

Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeff Hall

Osan AB, Korea
St. Petersburg, FL

Air Force Sr. Airman Leo Halley
Ramstein AB, Germany
Nokomis, Fl

The Hopkins Family
Ft. Richardson, Alaska
Bradenton, Fl

Navy Petty Officer Orthneil Kelley
Djibouti, Africa
St. Petersburg, Fl

Army 1st Lt. Laurel Miller
Kaiserslautern, Germany
Palmetto, Fl

Air Force Master Sgt. Yolanda Smalls
England
Riverside, Fl

Service civilian Todd Vernon
Southwest Asia
Brandon, Fl

Air Force Master Sgt. Julie Copeland
Southwest Asia
Palmetto, Fl

'Tis the season to remember

The only signs of Christmas at my home are the poinsettias hanging out front and the sad, unadorned wreath on the door. The holidays haven’t made it into my living room, or into my heart--yet.

Daniel is enjoying his first Christmas with his wife, Ashley, and I’m excited to see them creating their own traditions and building their future together — that’s what they’re supposed to do.

After coming over early to open presents each year, Erin joins her father’s family for the traditional ‘morning rip and tear’ under the tree as they munch on Turner’s donuts.

I’ll never forget the look of disbelief and surprise one year as Daniel and Erin discovered their ‘big’ present. We stumbled blearily from our beds to watch as they spent hours tooling around the neighborhood in their bright red Jeep, neighbors standing outside to laugh and wave as they drove proudly around tooting the horn. I don’t even know how we could afford that thing -- we were poor as dirt back then.

It seems that the joy of Christmas comes from the satisfaction of creating magic for the ones we love.

Today I’m going to ask Eric to pull down from the crawl space the huge, dusty tub of Christmas regalia. We’re going to get a little tree, and we are going to hang the ornaments that trigger the ghost of Christmases past; the "baby’s first Christmas" ornament; the sequined balls trimmed with rickrack; the pretty, shiny ones and the dusty old eyesores — they’re all going on the tree.

As I hang each one, I will remember that I am blessed, and I will pray for the troops who allow us all to celebrate our holidays -- big and small -- free from worry and danger.

Tiffany

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Featured combat photographer:

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Andrew Dunaway

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Marine mom Nanette sent this great photo of her son, local Marine, Vinnie:

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif., (Dec.5, 2008) -- Major Douglas Lemott, Communications Officer In-Charge, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, commands the 15th MEU Command Element Marines during the Change of Command of the 15th MEU at the Camp Del Mar parade deck here. Colonel Brian D. Beaudreault passed command of the 2,200 strong 15th MEU to Col. Ray A. Osborn during a command-wide formation on Friday Dec. 5, 2008. Beaudreault lead the 15th MEU for 40-months. During his tenure, Col. Beaudreault oversaw numerous training events, two deployment work-up cycles, and two successful Western Pacific deployments, including combat operations in Iraq. Colonel Osborn assumes command of the recently returned 15th MEU, which completed a six-month deployment which included training with the Kuwaiti and Jordanian Armies in the Gulf Region as well as numerous port calls throughout the Pacific aboard USS Peleliu (LHA 5). (Official U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Timothy T. Parish.) (RELEASED)

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Recently, local soldier Albert Bartholomew was welcomed home from Iraq by the students of King Middle School and Manatee's Operation Troop Support. Read about it in Bradenton Herald columnist Vin Mannix's Sunday story, and visit our partner, Bay News 9, for their video and story.

Welcome home!

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Around the military:

Navy Sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer conduct a foreign object damage walk-down before flight operations in the Pacific Ocean, Dec. 11, 2008. The USS Boxer is supporting the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit Certification Exercise to prepare for an upcoming deployment. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel Barker

U.S. Army soldiers prepare to board a C-130 Hercules aircraft during Operation Toy Drop on Fort Bragg, N.C., Dec. 6, 2008. The soldiers are assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division. Operation Toy Drop is an annual airborne jump on Fort Bragg, N.C, hosted by the U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command, Airborne, and supported by Fort Bragg's XVIII Airborne Corps and Pope Air Force Base's 43rd Airlift Wing. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Lock




Tangled together, two U.S. Army soldiers descend under a parachute canopy safely to earn their foreign jump wings during Operation Toy Drop at Ft. Bragg, N.C., Dec. 6, 2008. The soldiers are assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division. More than 1,200 soldiers donated toys for a chance to jump under a foreign jumpmaster, earning them their foreign jump wings. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Lock

“Mom, I’m fine.”

“Mom, I’m fine.”

Those are the words I heard after I hurriedly told a friend 'bye and clicked through to Daniel on my cell phone.

“I just wanted you to know before you looked at the news that I’m okay,” said Daniel. Every possible disaster went through my mind, earthquake, fire, flood…I didn’t think "plane crash," but that’s what it was.

An F-18 had lost power and the pilot had ejected from his aircraft, saving his life; but the plane went down in a neighborhood, killing four people. The thick plume of black smoke seen from off base sent my daughter-in-law, Ashley, into a panic until she got Daniel on the phone.

My heart goes out to those unfortunate souls who lost their lives, and the pilot who is recovering in a Navy hospital is in my prayers. I’m sure his mother’s heart dropped, too, when she got a call about her son’s crash.

There is nothing sweeter for a mother to hear, than “Mom, I’m fine.” Some mothers will not hear those words; for them, we pray.


Tiffany

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Welcome Home Spc. Albert Bartholomew!

From Margi Nanney:

SPC Albert Bartholomew has just completed his third tour in Iraq. Albert is a graduate of Southeast High School and his parents currently live in Bradenton.

Manatee's Operation Troop Support, headquarted at King Middle School, has provided support for him and his family during his latest fifteen month tour.

At the request of Albert and his family, he will be welcomed home at King Middle School on Wednesday, December 10th around 10:30 AM.

The Red Cross, American Legion Post 24 Honor Guard, Congressman Buchanan's Office, Manatee's OIF/OEF Veteran's Group, Manatee's Operation Troop Support and the entire student body, faculty and staff of King Middle School will be on hand to extend a warm welcome.

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Thanks:

I would like to thank Gunnery Sgt. Sergio Jimenez, Public Affairs Chief of the 11th MEU Command Element for all the help and support he provided during Daniel's deployment on the USS Tarawa, which will soon be decomissioned from the Navy. Jimenez wrote some wonderful stories and shot great photos for the 11th MEU's website, making me and all the other families feel connected while they were so far from home. Also, congratulations on his promotion to Gunnery Sgt! Well deserved!
Tiffany

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Support links:

MANATEE'S OPERATION TROOP SUPPORT

NAVY/MARINE CORPS RELIEF SOCIETY

AMERICA SUPPORTS YOU

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Air Force grad:

Air Force Airman Cory J. Holborn has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. During the six weeks of training, the airman studied the Air Force mission, organization, core values, and military customs and courtesies; performed drill and ceremony marches, and received physical training, rifle marksmanship, field training exercises, and special training in human relations. In addition, airmen who complete basic training earn credits toward an associate in applied science degree relating through the Community College of the Air Force. Holborn is the son of Michelle Krieg of Clubside Drive, Sarasota, Fla. In 2007, the airman graduated from the Sarasota Military Academy.

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Note from a proud mom:

Thanks for your continuing efforts with Manatee Military moms... I look forward to new posts. Attached is a photo of my son James... (center) happily playing football in after a rare Iraqi rain..

We were disappointed that James' Christmas leave was cancelled, but it now appears he'll be home briefly around mid-February. James is with the 515the Engineering Battalion.

Judy Miles Brown

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Holiday messages to Our Troops event:

(BRADENTON, FL) – Gettel Toyota/Kia of Bradenton invites members of the community to come in and create a “Holiday Message to Our Troops,” Saturday, Dec. 13, from 10 a.m. – noon. The messages will be packaged and sent to the Troops in time for the holidays.

Members of Manatee Operation Troop Support (MOTS) will be on hand to provide the names of Servicemen and Women from Manatee County who are stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan so that messages can be personalized to individual soldiers from our area.

Radio personalities from radio station 106.5 WCTQ will conduct a live remote and give away T-shirts. There will be also food, games and prizes, including tickets to Cincinnati Reds Spring Training games and gift certificates to some of the areas finest restaurants.

Gettel Toyota/Kia in conjunction with Clear Channel, Brighthouse and ABC7 is sponsoring this event as a way to show support for the men and women fighting for our nation overseas, and as a way to enable members of the community to show their support, too.

Gettel Toyota/Kia is located at 6423 14th Street W., Bradenton. For more information or to arrange interviews please call 941.359.0326 or email: mckanicandassociates@yahoo.com

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With a headline like this...

Bush greets Marines — with kisses

...you've got to read the story!

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Around the military:

U.S. Army soldiers descend from an aircraft during Operation Toy Drop on Fort Bragg, N.C., Dec. 6, 2008. The soldiers are assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division. Operation Toy Drop is an annual airborne jump on Fort Bragg, N.C. In support of the exercise, soldiers donate a toy for a lottery ticket giving them the chance to jump under a foreign jumpmaster to earn their foreign jump wings. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Lock

U.S. Army soldiers deployed in Baghdad, Iraq, recite the oath of enlistment, near the ring, as they re-enlist during the beginning of the World Wrestling Entertainment tour at Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq, Dec. 5, 2008. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Ken Bergman




Sailors assigned to V-1 Division on the forward deployed amphibious assault ship USS Essex, under way in the Sea of Japan, use aqueous film forming foam to perform a countermeasure wash down on the ship's flight deck, Dec. 3, 2008. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew A. Ebarb

Those are our tears of pride

It’s freezing here.

Running through the twisty, wooded trails with my stepmother, Amy, I wonder if the wad of tissues in my pocket is enough to get me through this "light workout." It’s not.

I love visiting my father and stepmother on their little island in North Florida, though it seems a lot colder here than just a few short hours south at home.

As Amy and I finished up our workout at the fitness center, I caught a glimpse of a uniform on the television mounted on the wall and stopped for a moment to see what was going on.

A small child dressed in a Santa hat leaped into an impossibly young soldier’s arms, hugging and laughing.

Amy and I looked at each other, saw the small tear in each other’s eye, and laughed. Geesh! “Don’t look, Amy, we’ll be sobbing in no time!”

Next week, one of our local soldiers, Danny Sklenicka, is coming home from Iraq. I can’t imagine his parents’ happiness to see their boy and spend the holidays with him.

I’ll bet they won’t care if anyone sees them cry.

Welcome home, Danny!

Tiffany

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MANATEE'S OPERATION TROOP SUPPORT

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Around the military:

SASEBO, Japan (Dec. 02, 2008) Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Arturo J. Adame holds his son during a homecoming celebration for the amphibious transport dock ship USS Denver (LPD 9)to Fleet Activities Sasebo. Denver is part of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group, which serves under Task Force 76, the Navy's only permanently forward-deployed amphibious force commander. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joshua J. Wahl (Released)

U.S. and coalition Forces rush to board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during Task Force Eagle Assault after it lands on a base in southern Afghanistan, Nov. 29, 2008.
U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Paul David Ondik





Soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division and 101st Airborne Division slingload a military vehicle to a Chinook on 30 Nov 08 on FOB Bostick Afghanistan. (Released)
(US Army Photo by SSG Carrie Fox-Gutierrez)

The real land of Nod is more ordinary

It seems a lifetime ago that Daniel was on his deployment with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit on their "cruise" through the Western Pacific.

It’s funny to think of how wrong I was about some events of Daniel’s deployment. Some of my mistakes were just because I’m not a Marine, ergo; I cannot fathom fully what they do. But adding to my misperceptions were Daniel’s attempt to protect me from undue worry, and the very real necessity for OpSec, or “Operational Security.”

Ashley and I used to scratch our heads in confusion as we pored over our weekly issue of Marine Times, which publishes a world map and corresponding information about what all the major components of the corps are doing at that time. The information was puzzling, completely different from what we heard from Daniel in his notes and calls.

Contributing to my misunderstanding is my chronic romanticism — everything looks different in my imaginings of Daniel’s adventures.

On one of Daniel’s few shore leaves, he had the chance to spend an evening in Singapore with his Marine buddies. In my mind, they were walking dimly lit, narrow cobbled streets as ladies of ill-repute called out to them with bottles of cheap whiskey hanging from their hands. Shady tattoo parlors with seedy men outlined in dark doorways attempted to lure them in to spend their hard-earned money on inky body art.

I guess I’ve listened to Tom Waits’ song “Singapore” too many times, his lyrics burning images of wharf rats and gambling sailors into my imagination:

We sail tonight for Singapore
We're all as mad as hatters here
I've fallen for tawny moor
Took off to the land of Nod
Drank with all the Chinamen
Walked the sewers of Paris
I danced along a colored wind
Dangled from a rope of sand
You must say goodbye to me

Actually, Daniel and his buddies had dinner and a few beers in a bar where one of them threw up in a potted plant, then went to a convenience store run by a tiny, ancient woman and bought calling cards and had just enough time to make it back to the ship without being late.

No pirates, no exotic women, no whiskey — we’ll find out if the story changes in a few years.

Tiffany

Tom Waits' song "Singapore"
featuring "Captain Jack Sparrow"

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Featured combat photographer
click name for slideshow:

U.S. Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Larson

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Air Force grad:

Air Force Airman Nicole A. Budd has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.

During the six weeks of training, the airman studied the Air Force mission, organization, core values, and military customs and courtesies; performed drill and ceremony marches, and received physical training, rifle marksmanship, field training exercises, and special training in human relations.

In addition, airmen who complete basic training earn credits toward an associate in applied science degree relating through the Community College of the Air Force.

She is the daughter of Timothy and Ginette Budd of Royal Birkdale Circle, Lakewood Ranch, Fla.
Budd is a 2007 graduate of Land O' Lakes High School, Fla.

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Around the military:

An amphibious assault vehicle assigned to the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit maneuvers towards the amphibious dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) while underway in the Persian Gulf on Nov. 28, 2008. The Carter Hall is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility with the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group. DoD photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Flordeliz Valerio, U.S. Navy. (Released)

U.S. Navy sailors bow their heads for the benediction during a burial at sea ceremony aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) while underway in the Pacific Ocean on Nov. 22, 2008. DoD photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Chelsea Kennedy, U.S. Navy. (Released)




U.S. Navy sailors bow their heads for the benediction during a burial at sea ceremony aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) while underway in the Pacific Ocean on Nov. 22, 2008. DoD photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Chelsea Kennedy, U.S. Navy. (Released)