It’s not charity – It’s an investment in the future.

When a Service member is wounded in combat, in today’s conflict, the survival rate is many times higher than in previous wars, due mainly to much better and more timely medical care. However, the wounded can be left with the prospect of a long road of surgeries and rehabilitation.The cost to our military system in dollars is huge, and the cost to the individuals and their families is also gigantic.

I submit that, rather than a “cost” , a donation to Valour-IT is an investment. An investment in the future of our country and it’s people. Most of the injured are young, in the 19 – 25 year old bracket and otherwise healthy. With the technology available today, many of the injuries that would have relegated a person to a life as a dependent, shut-in,  the wounded are looking at a far different future.

Valour-IT is a program that provides appropriate technology to individual troops and also to hospitals and rehabilitation clinics. It is one of the many programs that Soldiers’ Angels supports and it provides voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries.  Technology supplied includes:

Join with us in raising funds for this amazing program as we kick off the 2011 Miliblog Valour-IT fund raiser!!  The contest runs from July 1 to July 14th and we are divided into teams by Military Branch. All funds raised go into the same pot to help our Wounded Warriors, but the team that raises the most, gets bragging rights for the year!! GO MARINES!!!!

Before I became involved in Soldiers’ Angels, I mostly never noticed the Veterans among us. My Father was a Navy Vet and I knew some of my Brothers’ friends had served, but I never thought much of it.

So, how did I wind up an active member of Soldiers’ Angels? Oddly enough, I started by reading an article in “Popular Mechanics” about the DustOff  Pilots and the Medivac operations in Iraq. That took me link by link around the internet until I landed on the Soldiers’ Angels site. And, I adopted my first soldier.

Today is Veterans Day.  Thank a Veteran, hug a Veteran, take a Veteran to lunch!! I did all three today!! Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!

1. Giving and receiving a bear hug from one of “my” Marines. (Thank You Justine – I really needed that hug!!)
2. Seeing a smile on a formerly grumpy face when I say “Thank You for Your Service”.
3. Getting a letter back from someone I don’t even know in response to a note I wrote them.  I know military personnel that are deployed are BUSY, and it means a lot to hear from them.
4. Having a whole houseful of people I don’t know show up to pack boxes to send overseas.
5. Getting offers of help from people I meet while standing in line at the Post Office.
6. People that, when I ask for one small thing for the troops, go over and above, not only giving what I ask, but more.
7. The community of bloggers that work so hard to promote the Valour-IT fundraiser and let me participate, even though I am nowhere near the caliber of writer that they are.
8. The great support from our whole community for our troops.
9. Knowing that the little things we do will have a positive affect on the morale and well-being of our deployed troops and their families.
10. Seeing the fund raising thermometer go UPPPPP!!!! Go Marine Team!!!!