Tattoo reality competition show seeking veterans in the New York City area who are interested in a free tattoo on the show.

Please email the Casting Producer for more details.

missygreen5@gmail.com.

©2009 Transitioning Veteran Blog. All Rights Reserved.

April is the Month of the Military Child

Founded by a great friend of mine, Matthew J. Barbis after his 11-year-old cousin, Carlie Brucia, was abducted and murdered in Sarasota, FL in 2004. The Rose Brucia Educational Foundation’s goal is to reduce the number of child abductions in the U.S. by educating and empowering young minds with the knowledge necessary to avoid abduction. Utilizing puppets and a formalized educational curriculum, the foundation provides elementary-aged children with the Stranger Safety Awareness Program, free of charge. The Rose Brucia Educational Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Visit their free curriculum page to download each video complete with it’s own lesson plan.

Stranger Safety Awareness – PSA with Mike Bossy – Rose Brucia Foundation

The Rose Brucia Educational Foundation – PIX 11 Interview

©2009 Transitioning Veteran Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Her name is Laura, a veteran of the Afghan war and soon to be a veteran of the Iraq war. Laura is on stage sharing her story of war to an audience, the very war that haunts her on a daily basis. Laura is just one of the 24 veterans that we  hear from in the Independent Film “The Welcome“, a film by Kim Shelton and Bill McMillan that brings together veterans and their family members to Ashland Oregon to be welcomed home. Though this welcome is not a parade or celebration, instead these veterans will take part in a five day retreat, where the healing begins.

The veterans and family members will come together to share their stories of war and express their thoughts; while being guided by Michael Meade and his knowledge of spiritual healing and poetry to bring some peace to their minds. Within moments of the first meeting, the veterans are given the floor and they waste no time expressing the pain they brought back with them from war. For some of these veterans, this pain has lingered since returning home from Vietnam, but they now  find themselves sharing their stories pain with a new generation of war veterans.

This is a very powerful and deep film, a film that brings us (viewers) another way of healing without the potent, addictive medications that has many times caused more harm than help for our combat veterans. This is a film that shows what can happen when veterans from past and present wars and their family members come together, share their traumatic experiences, put it on paper, and share it with the civilian population. Their stories are real, their pain can be felt, their experiences are different, but they will capture the ears of any audience.

“The Welcome” is a film with so many powerful moments, moments that brought chills to me. One moment is when the group goes into singing after veteran Eli experiences a difficult moment trying to be heard. How about when veterans share their experiences, you can see the struggle in the faces of the others listening as they fight to hold back images of their traumatic time in combat. However, one of the greatest moments is when these veterans and family members who have gone through so much during this retreat, come out to stage singing to the sold out audience at the Angus Bowmer Theatre.

“The Welcome” is a very powerful film that all viewers must open their hearts and minds to. While watching this film I felt as if I was there with them all, but in my case I was there to learn more. I am not a combat veteran, though I know that being a veteran and a good listener, I can still help a fellow vet. Vietnam veteran Bob Eaton said something that was so important 25 minutes into the film. He said “We as Vietnam veterans understand what you are going through and we are here to help. You should let it out, don’t worry about it, you guys are young  and so you have a lot more years to work it out and get through it”.

What better people to help guide our combat veterans today, than those who have experienced combat   in past wars. Your guidance and wisdom can truly help veterans who struggle to find someone that understands.

Special Thanks to Producer Bill McMillan

©2009 Transitioning Veteran Blog. All Rights Reserved.

If I could hand out a Military Times Edge magazine to every veteran I speak to, I would. This is how much I believe that this little magazine is a great resource to helping us veterans as we transition from military to civilian life. There are resources everywhere to help us, but what this magazine does is share the stories of veterans using these resources, and finding success.

Til this day I still subscribe to the Air Force Times Newspaper, keeping up to date with military news is beneficial for someone like myself who now counsels veterans. Though what I learn from reading the Air Force Times is not as beneficial as what I learn from Military Times Edge. You see, this magazine will bring you articles on veterans using the GI Bill or the Post 9/11 to accomplish educational goals, but we’ll also learn about the struggles they deal with and how they overcame by finding support from other veterans who created a veterans student group on campus. We will learn about the struggles of veterans who were laid off, but used small business benefits to turn their lives around and now run their own successful company. The Edge is the only magazine that will bring you these stories of veterans using the resources created by Federal, State, Non and For-Profit organizations to make a positive impact in their lives.

Education and employment are just a couple of subjects you will read about in the Edge, but this magazine talks about everything from small business, strategies, career fairs, personal stories, and the list goes on. This magazine provides  readers with positive, very informative articles that can help any veteran looking not only for information, but how other veterans used this information to take advantage of the many benefits out there. Not only can this magazine be found packaged with the Military Times at any base shoppette or online, it now can be found displayed on my desk at work, since I recently transitioned from working in the security field to now working as a veterans employment counselor after six years of college.

The Military Times Edge magazine is not to be overlooked, especially if you are making a  transition in  life. You may transition from the military to civilian life once, but you will transition all throughout life whether that be making a career change, going back to school, starting a family, or moving. This magazine is there to help you get over thoughts of contemplating and instead give you a boost in confidence knowing that great rewards lie ahead if you take advantage of the resources and benefits out there setup for us veterans.

©2009 Transitioning Veteran Blog. All Rights Reserved.

When it comes to military gear, PX Supply is a true competitor carrying top quality name brand military gear and gifts. PX Supply recently supplied me with the Flyers Intermediate Jacket made by Rothco.

I’m a huge fan of sporting a hoodie, though sometimes I’m in need of something a bit more, something with the same type of feel with a little more insulation. Thanks to this jacket not only do I still get that hoodie feel, but I also get the added insulation inside to keep me extremely warm during low temperatures here in New York. The inside lining is throughout the entire jacket, sleeves and all. What I thought would be a great jacket for working around the house, has also turned into a jacket I sport wherever, thanks to the military green color, softness like a hoodie, and of course the overall look of the jacket,.

So take a look at PX Supply, they have a ton of military gifts and gear, from stuffed baby camels for the kids, to a great selection of Combat boots, military backpacks and bags and much more. All items ship FREE, and be sure to join PX Supply Facebook to keep posted on new items and a chance to win Free gear.

©2009 Transitioning Veteran Blog. All Rights Reserved.

It was summer of 2009 and Echo Company 2nd Battalion 8th Regiment was given new orders, to go deep into enemy lines to assault on a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan. We learn about this in the beginning of the film “Hell and Back Again” by Danfung Dennis, and we also learn that this will be no easy task as we (the viewers) are immediately thrown into the middle of the fire fight, fighting alongside Echo Company. For one Sergeant leading his unit, these images and sounds of combat will be a constant reminder of the battle when he returns home, but so will his wounds.

After more than eight years of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, there have been more than 6000 U.S. casualties, over 32,000 physically wounded, and no telling how many psychologically wounded suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder who have yet to come forward. For Nathan Harris of Echo Company, he is one of the accounted who suffers from physical and psychological wounds (PTSD), but is receiving help. What I mean by help, is the several prescription drugs he takes daily to help with the pain from psychological and physical trauma, a Continuous Passive Movement machine for physical therapy, but most importantly the love and support from his wife Ashley.

“Hell and Back Again” is a film that will take the viewer on and off the battlefield, and It will not hide any secrets. We will witness the devastation of war, from the sounds of artillery fire and explosions, to Lance Corporal Sharp struggling to stay alive after being seriously wounded in battle. Sgt. Harris’ unit is attacked from all sides by the Taliban, as his unit moves about to return fire and press forward, the camera is right there to capture it all. “Hell and Back Again” is a film that was created to show the truth behind war and the struggles our soldiers endure when they return home.

Though this film is based on Sgt. Nathan  Harris and his struggles on and off the battlefield, another story arises. Sgt. Harris’ wife Ashley also struggles with the effects of war, as her love and support will be greatly needed more than ever in her relationship. Ashley will take on a new role when her husband returns home once again from deployment, but this time with physical and psychological wounds. All too often the caregiver is overlooked in these stories,  but as the transitioning soldier is in need of support, so too are the dependents. You will see what I mean as Ashley is by her husbands side at all times, and it’s because of this love and support that gives Sgt. Harris hope he will overcome his injuries.

“Hell and Back Again” is a real film captured by filmmaker/photojournalist Danfung Dennis as he takes his camera and puts himself in the middle of the war zone alongside Echo Company. This is a reason why I will always promote these Independent Films, because you will be given the real footage and real story of what our men and women go through in  combat and back home. 52 minutes into the film, and you will see how emotionally torn up these Marines are when they return home and lay to rest their 13 fellow veterans.

In Memory of Lance Corporal Sharp, R.I.P

Special Thanks to Michael Cinelli

©2009 Transitioning Veteran Blog. All Rights Reserved.

A question every veteran including myself  has been asked at some point in their lives is, “What made you join the military”? In the case of Dom, Cole and their close friends who follow them into the military, it’s for similar reasons that my friends and I joined as well. In the Independent Film “Where Soldiers Come From” by Heather Courtney, we learn what the lives were like back in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for these childhood friends who take the oath and soon find themselves searching for I.E.D’s in a volatile Afghanistan.

In the film “Where Soldiers Come From” by Heather Courtney, childhood friends Dom Fredianelli, Cole Smith, Bodi Beaudoin, and their High School friends don’t have to many choices growing up in the Upper Peninsula of  Michigan. For these young men, serving in the military may not have been their first choice after High school, but growing up in a cold, snowy distant part of the country with scarce employment opportunities helps to influence their decision to raise their right hand and take the oath together.

“Where Soldiers Come From” will take you through the everyday lives of these young men back home in Michigan and overseas in Afghanistan serving their country. We hear first hand from Dom, Cole and Bodi, about growing up in the U.P. and their reasons for joining the Michigan National Guard. The film follows the young men as they train at the Michigan National Guard firing grounds preparing for combat, and preparing for what they may witness in combat someday. For them, training is somewhat taken lightly and during breaks we see the occasional clowning around with one another. However, when the boys finally do receive orders to deploy to Afghanistan to conduct I.E.D removal utilizing (MRAP) Mined Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles, their behavior changes.

As the camera’s follow Dom, Cole, Bodi and their other High School friends on their deployment in a very dangerous region of Afghanistan, we learn that they aren’t the only ones who begin to battle with emotions and thoughts about their decision to serve. Back home in Michigan is where their families go on about their lives, but a life that has gotten much more difficult having to worry everyday about their boy’s in a combat zone. All too often we hear the stories of soldiers out in the war zone, but many times we overlook the families that are left behind having to battle their own war worrying everyday about their loved ones deployed.

In the film “Where Soldiers Come From“, we watch these young soldiers develop as they begin to learn so much more about themselves and their choices in life. We learn not only about their personal struggles and their views on war, but we also learn about the personal struggles and views on war from their families as well. We learn that without the support system these soldiers have back home in Michigan, transitioning would be an even greater challenge. Lastly we learn once again that for any combat soldier returning home from the battle field is no easy transition as we find Dom, Cole and Bodi all battling symptoms of PTSD and finding it difficult to get their lives back to normal.

I would highly recommend this film to everyone in and out of uniform, because this is a film that once again shows the impact war has on not only the combat veteran, but also the family he or she leaves behind. We find that when the combat veteran returns home, a new war begins as they work towards getting their lives back to normal and defeating the images of war they return home with.

Special Thanks to Director/Producer Heather Courtney.

©2009 Transitioning Veteran Blog. All Rights Reserved.

With the creation of shows such as American Pickers, Pawn Stars, and American Restoration, I find myself sucking up every bit of memory my DVR supplies me. I’ve grown up in a family that always embraced the past, whether that be talking about the past, looking at old photos or using the hand made tools my grandfather left behind. I was always a kid that wanted to experience life back in the old days when my parents were kids, times as Rick Dale (American Restoration) says “when things were built by hand, and people took pride in what they built”.

It should be of no surprise that when I stumbled upon what looks to be a military artifact, I was blown away. Digging through a draw looking for something led me to a small white box filled with little parts for a sewing kit. Though in the mix of parts I found what at first I thought were pieces to a sewing kit, so I just closed the box back up and forgot about it for the next 3 months. During the next 3 months I began getting into these TV shows and even began searching on Ebay just to take a look at what antiques were for sale, because I realized getting something that reminded my father of the early days would be a perfect gift for him for the holidays, though also knowing antique shopping online isn’t the safest route.

I began coming across some very interesting items on Ebay, stuff called trench art dating back to the World War era. After looking at a few items, I decided to dig that white box back up and look closer at the two pieces of what I thought were parts to a sewing machine. After finding these 2 items again and this time closely inspecting them, I realized what I had actually found were 2 lighters, one dated 1912 and the other 1917. I was baffled to have found these, because for one my grandfather was not a smoker, and two one of them was actually a bullet that was hollowed out.

Having now know what they were I started to research for the stories behind these items. My father had no answer for me and was just as baffled as to why these items would have been laying around in storage. Looking at what is called Trench Art online, I thought these lighters could possibly be just that. So after all of this you may be waiting for the whole answer to what I have found, but unfortunately the search for the answer goes on, but figured someone out there can help.

I’m on a mission to learn about the history of these items and find out why my grandfather may have had them laying around. I will definitely be sharing more on this and hope to have the full story in the end.

************ UPDATE *************
I have recently emailed two NY State Historians and got a reply back from Thomas Duclos Assoc. Curator of the N.Y. State Military Museum  in Saratoga Springs N.Y. Below is the email I received from Mr. Duclos.

Hello,
What you have researched so far seems correct. WWI era trench lighters.
Easy to use, very little or no flame. Commercial items, most likely post war.
The lighters were produced after the war for both nostalgia reasons,( the
Veterans ) and for outdoor use.

The lighters have been reproduced over the years and as time goes by, the
repros have developed a patina of their own. If your lighters have been
passed down to you by your grandfather, you are lucky indeed.
Regards,
Tom Duclos, Assoc. Curator
N.Y. State Military Museum

Special Thanks to Thomas Duclos and the N.Y. State Military Museum.

Pretty awesome to now have the history of these lighters that were passed down from my grandfather, and forever will be in my possession. -Steve

©2009 Transitioning Veteran Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Doing my part as a Blogger -Steve

WordPress.org Protests The Protect IP Act

Many websites are blacked out today to protest proposed U.S. legislation that threatens internet freedom: the Stop Internet Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA). From personal blogs to Wikipedia, sites all over the web — including this one — are asking you to help stop this dangerous legislation from being passed. Please watch the video below to learn how this legislation will affect internet freedom, then go to WordPress.org to take action.

 Go to http://wordpress.org/ to learn more

“End Piracy, Not Liberty” – Google

©2009 Transitioning Veteran Blog. All Rights Reserved.

It was October 2009 when I first learned about The Telling Project, an organization that found a different approach to connecting to the civilian population. The Telling Project gives Veterans a chance to take the stage and tell their stories of serving in and out of uniform. This past year The Telling Project decided to begin work on an Independent Film titled “In The Telling“, giving their audience the chance to learn the complete story of  “Telling”.

“Telling” is defined by  The Telling Project as an innovative performance in which military veterans and their family members, after interviews and subsequent  training and rehearsal, stage the “telling” of their stories for their communities. In the film, “In The Telling“, we not only learn about the veterans who volunteered to share their stories, but we see how this all started in the summer of 2007 by Jonathan Wei (Creator). With the help of Director John Schmor and Co-author Max Rayneard, the University of Oregon would become the staging ground for the beginning of  “Telling, Eugene”. After preparing for nearly a year, the 8 chosen veterans took to the stage and in 2008 “Telling, Eugene” was born.

In the film, we hear from Creator Jonathan Wei about the reason for creating The Telling Project, the steps taken to prepare veterans for the stage, and the importance of creating an opportunity for veterans to speak and their communities to listen. Co-author Max Rayneard digs deep with interview questions, to learn every bit he can about the veterans. Using his classroom at University of Oregon, Director Schmor takes the veterans under his wings, getting them to open up, relax and even make a fool of themselves as they work on taking the stage and perform in a way that would capture the audiences attention, and that they did.

“In The Telling” is an Independent Film that gives us a behind the scenes look at how The Telling Project was created. We learn about the veterans that make up “Telling, Eugene”, and today The Telling Project has performed through out 10 cities and even took the stage with 1st Lady Michelle Obama.

The Telling Project is an incredible organization that is helping to close the gap between the military and civilian community in a unique way. In the film “In The Telling” ,we get a behind the scenes look at how these veterans are using a different approach to share their stories with America. The Telling Project is performing all across America and has also teamed up with Veterans Artist Program to help propel veterans into the mainstream creative arts community.

Special Thanks to creator Jonathan Wei.

Transitioning Veteran Wiki – Performing Arts/Art

©2009 Transitioning Veteran Blog. All Rights Reserved.