Military Monday - Task Force Born 9/11 Still Guards NY

I came across this article today on Military.com. The New York National Guard has a task force that has guarded New York City since 9/11. It was actually formed on September 11th, 2001. Joint Task Force Empire Shield is an active-duty force of 280 and some of the people have been on the force since day one.

One of those soldiers is Staff Sgt. Michael Wilson, who joined the Army because of the tragic events on 9/11. He was 19 years old at the time. He has spent most of his career with Empire Shield which includes a deployment to Iraq. He is shown here outside of Penn Station.

Empire Shield's mission is to provide homeland security and to support civilian authorities, as needed. They patrol randomly to keep the enemy off guard. They perform missions, such as patrolling John F. Kennedy International Airport, La Guardia Airport, Penn Station and other mass transit hubs. They join New York State Naval Militia and Coast Guard reserve colleagues on boats bought with homeland security money released after 9/11. They also conduct foot patrols in and around airports and nuclear power facilities.

It is nice to know this special unit is watching out for us. Please read the full story of Empire Shield.

Military Monday - Great Idea for 9/11

I wish I could take credit for this idea but I am happy to pass it on. I actually received this in an email and thought it would be a great Military Monday post.

We have about two weeks and counting to get the word out all across this great land and into every community in the United States of America.

If you send this in an email, blog or twitter to least 11 people and each of those people do the same ... you get the idea.

 THE PROGRAM:

On Friday, September 11th, 2009, an American flag should be displayed outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States. Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this eighth anniversary of one of our country's worst tragedies. We do this to honor  those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.

In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in American flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism. Sadly, those flags have all but disappeared. Our patriotism pulled us through some tough times and it shouldn't take another attack to galvanize us in solidarity. Our American flag is the fabric of our country and together we can prevail over terrorism of all kinds

 Action Plan:

 So, here's what we need you to do .

 (1) Send this in an email, blog or Twitter about this program to everyone you know. Take a moment to think back to how you felt on 9/11 and let those sentiments guide you.

 (2) Fly an American flag of any size on 9/11. Honestly, Americans should fly the flag year-round, but if you don't, then at least make it a priority on this day.

Thank you for your participation. God Bless You and God Bless America!

 

My Daughter, My Soldier

When my daughter Cinderella came to me shortly after graduating high school and said she was going to join the Army I was only a little surprised. A few years prior as we sat in a high school gym watching her brother LCpl Honda compete in wrestling she turned to me and said, "I am going to do that next year mom." I thought, well ok. Needless to say she made good on her comment and even went on to pin a few boys during her wrestling career.

The day came and she left for boot camp and never looked back. Her reasons for joining were she did not really want to attend college right away because she was concerned about finances and knew she would probably be able to attain a better education after serving with her GI Bill.

Her goals were to do the best job for her country. Now this was pre 9/11 when people were not receiving the accolades for joining and serving that they do today. Not that we were not proud, but I for one was naive thinking the world would remain calm and war was not a possibility in the near future. Boy was I wrong.

Cinderalla says like any other job there are pros and cons. She cites job security, guaranteed paycheck, free health and dental insurance as pros for joining the military. For Cinderella the honor of serving her country was by far the biggest pro. She didn't cite two many cons but did say that nobody likes their job all the time and there were times she had rough days. She said it was tough working long hours on four hours of sleep but understood the job requirements.

Cinderella left the military because she had a young daughter at the time and thought it best to be a full-time mother to her. Would she join again? "In a minute!" she said. But Cinderella has chosen motherhood first. I have to agree with that decision.

Although she would still like to serve she has taken away a lifetime of experiences that a lot of people can't say they have. Cinderella spent three and a half years active duty as an MP attaining the rank of specialist in the US Army and one year as a specialist in the Army National Guard.

Thank you for your service Spec. Cinderella. We are proud of you!

This is my second post at Parent's Zone and was a special request. I was glad to oblige.

A 9/11 story

I was visiting Arkansas Army Mom's blog when I read this story about an event that occured on 9/11 that I had never heard about. Go here to read it. It demonstrates the quick thinking and actions of our military.

Thank you Arkansas Army Mom for bringing this story to our attention.