American Airlines lives up to its name!

I was so glad that AA called me and let me know when the "Snowball Express" was stopping in Salt Lake City today to pick up some of the families of fallen heroes in my home town. All day, all over the country, some 8 planes have been picking up these families (I heard there are about 3,000 people in all!), giving them the royal Santa treatment they deserve, and taking them to Dallas for a fun-filled, VIP event, over the next few days. Thank you AA for doing this for these families. Take a look at these amazing three brothers (the twins are 7 and their brother in the middle is 5) all wearing their "My Dad's a Hero!" shirt their Mom made for them. Our country owes these families everything. What a privilege to meet so many of them today, especially my friends from Salt Lake City: Riikka, Collette, Jackie and Sharon. Such courageous women, and they're all great moms, doing a fantastic job raising their children on their own. They're all heroes.

Just got back from one week in Afghanistan and Kuwait

Since I'm on serious jet lag after getting back on American soil this afternoon, I'll keep this quick and try to write more later. I've always loved our fighting men and women, but never have I been more overwhelmed with pride and gratitude than in the last few days spending time with them, specifically in the Regional Command East of Afghanistan, and at the Ali Al-Salem Base (the Rock) in Kuwait.

Six of us Miss Americas, plus my good friend Jill Stevens who was Miss Utah and a finalist at Miss America, but more importantly, a combat medic in AFG 2004-2005 made the trek. This photo above on the right was taken on the C17 as we loaded up with 150 soldiers to head into Bagram. The corkscrew, combat zone landing added quite a bit of excitement, I tell you what. And an almost 5 hour flight (from Kuwait to Bagram) with all these guys jammed in there with NO leg room. And that's just the start of the hardships they endure.

The photo on the left reminds me of a significant moment for all of us. We had the opportunity to visit FOB Bostik, the northernmost forward operating base in AFG. These guys were among the remaining 45 or so survivors from the ambush on their Command Outpost just 20 KM away, 2 weeks ago...they lost 8 Soldiers. SGT Breeding (right behind me in the photo) told us what happened. Very sobering. What a privilege to spend some time with them and give them hugs. There were many others at the FOB that afternoon who we were honored to meet and let them know how deeply we care.

At every turn, and with every individual in uniform that I met, I felt blessed and in debt for their service, and I recognize the contribution that each one is responsible for, no matter their duty.

Highlights of my first trip to AUSA

When I was invited by LTG (ret) Don Jones, the AUSA 4th Region President, to join the Ft. Hood chapter at AUSA, I figured there is no better way to go than with the award-winning (Best Chapter 2009!) chapter from deep in the heart of Texas! They have recruited me from as far away as Salt Lake City. It was a great pleasure to meet General Casey, General Chiarelli, Sec. McHugh, and one of my role models, General Ann Dunwoody over the Materiel Command. It was also a very pleasant surprise to see MG Tony Cucolo who is deploying to Iraq in the next couple of weeks with the 3ID, since RMS is beginning a major project to help them document the Command and their 3ID proud history and I didn't think I'd be able to check in with him in person before they left...I have a VTC with them tomorrow in fact, to make sure they're good to go on their historical documentation that they will be collecting. They are up to their helmets with everything that has to get done, for sure.

Yesterday, General Casey spoke at the luncheon, detailing the priorities of the Army. Most civilians might be surprised to find out that "training and equipment" is actually the number 2 priority, not no. 1. The number one priority of the Army is to "sustain our Soldiers, their families and the Army Family Covenant" ...."to raise the mental fitness of our soldiers to the level of physical fitness" . I also spent some time with Army MWR folks who are assisting with the funding of the 3ID/ RMS flagship program for the Army, as well as MG Bergner, Chief of Army Public Affairs, and LTG Stulz, Chief of USAR. Very helpful to have everyone in one place!

It was a quick 2 days for me out in DC, but I met a whole lot of new friends, and I even committed to running the Army 10 miler next year....what was I thinking??

Congratulations to SPC Guy Mellor, Army Guard Soldier of the Year!!

There's Specialist Mellor in the middle....what a huge accomplishment for him to make Soldier of the Year! Since he's right here in my backyard (the Utah National Guard is headquartered in Salt Lake City), I had the opportunity to meet him at the presentation ceremony where all the Soldiers of the 1st Battalion recieved their post 9/11 interactive historical records.

To earn this great achievement, SPC Mellor competed at Fort Benning with all other Guard representatives...the 3 day event pushed competitors with ruck marches, written tests, marksmanship events and other tasks...all back-to-back with few breaks and very little sleep...averaging about 3 hours a night! Great job to all of you competing!

Photo above, L to R: MG Brian Tarbet (TAG, NGUT), SPC Guy Mellor, Sharlene Hawkes

Check out the Washington Times' article on Remember My Service!

The word is getting around...tell me what you think!

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/13/preserving-our-troops-memories/?feat=article_top10_shared

Saving lives by "permanently shaping what they will remember"

When I received a letter from 2LT Liana Mayo last year after she completed some of the projects for the 96^th, I did not fully understand the importance of what she was saying at the time. “As an OEF/OIF veteran from the 244th EN BN, 96th RRC, I was the NCOIC for one of the first Remember My Service projects. I had no idea how much of a therapeutic experience it would turn out to be for my team and I. I was blown away at how much it helped us process our experiences overseas. At the time I was grief stricken over losing two of our comrades to suicide. I felt that if when we returned they could have undergone this experience that I literally stumbled upon, that perhaps they would not have been lost.”

Just last week, a local psychiatrist (Dr. Nathan Currier) who has spent 17 years working with veterans and is considered an expert in PTSD related issues, not only verified what 2LT Mayo wrote, but added his very compelling comments: “This project has the potential not only to save a great many lives by the prevention of suicide, but to also improve the quality of the lives of our active duty and veteran soldiers…the RMS program is integral to the success of mental health initiatives in the US Military to help Service members process their collective and individual legacy, and permanently shape what they will remember of their service for the rest of their lives.”

Click here to read full letter

We at RMS have always felt a sense of urgency to be the solution as Units struggle to figure out how to get their historical records organized, processed, duplicated, and ultimately shared; given the increasing messages from mental health professionals that it is critical to help troops process their experience from a factual, not emotional, context, we are more dedicated than ever. 

Army historian says war records 'just not kept'

This is something that every Commanding Officer needs to know. While the Army Historical Program manual states clearly that "educating the Soldier of the value and utility of history is vital to the future of the Army", this is not happening, as this article explains. Why? The simple answer is over-tasked warriors are given the additional assignment of historian out of necessity, and most are not historians by profession. For those Units who decide that their history is a very high priority, we proudly do the work for them so their legacy is not lost on generations to come.

COL Buck Sams of the 419th FW

Buck is the best F16 pilot in the world! He got me up and down safely so there you go...he's the best! Right off the bat, we head into a zoom climb and next thing I know, I'm upside down over the base, waving to my kids. Then of course we have to buzz the folks below before setting off for the famous West Desert of Utah with unmatched training territory anywhere in the world. There, I have to admit, I finally got sick. Rolls, 7.5 Gs, supersonic, well, for someone who gets ill on a swingset, I was fully expecting to feel green. But wow was it worth it!And then a landing so smooth, I was sure we were still in the air. I am now the proud owner of the 466th Fighter Squadron Diamondback patch, and my own new call sign..."Charlie".

We had a special guest who happened to be in town, and was there to see my reaction to this once-in-a-lifetime experience...recently retired LTG John Bradley, former Chief of the Air Force Reserve. So great to have my friend there!

I am especially proud of our Air Force Reserve Wing at Hill Air Force Base right in my backyard (about 10 minutes from my home)...my 11 year old son is already making plans to work with Buck someday! Huge thank you to all our Reservists in all branches for burning it at both ends so you can be fully operational in our defense, even while you hold down your "day" jobs.

Ohio National Guard's LTC Gregory Rogers recognized for his monumental work

I've talked about Ohio National Guard's really big collection of Unit histories before...and there's the man on the right who took the lead, along with SSG Mann (not pictured). LTC Gregory Rogers is being honored by Chief of Staff Colonel Al Faber for his role in making sure that each Soldier received their history. What an amazing job he and SSG Mann did collecting a TON of content in order to really preserve not just the history, but the legacy of the Guardsmen of Ohio. We're excited to start working with them again for other returning Units!

Watch the video for this FIRST EVER presentation, conducted by Utah National Guard

Click here to watch a 2 minute video (using my really great camcorder skills) of this historic presentation to the first of several ceremonies taking place around the state throughout June. MG Tarbet was there to help present each Soldier with their historical record, which especially emphasized how much value this Guard places on the role of each individual. Great job!

Remembering

Today, as my family visited the cemetary in Ashton, Idaho near the majestic Tetons to take flowers to the graves of both my mother-in-law and father-in-law, there are two cemetaries in particular that have been forever imprinted in the minds, hearts and souls of my family...Arlington of course, that we have visited a few times,  and the American Cemetary in Normandy. That's where I took this picture to the left when we spent a Sunday there last summer. I didn't even have to ask the children to behave like we were on sacred grounds...they felt it all on their own.

UT National Guard is the first to make official presentations!

What a privilege to be at Camp Williams, Utah as the UT National Guard begins the first in a huge series of presentation ceremonies around the state to present each Soldier and Airman with their interactive historical record (post 9/11)!  To the right is Brent Lawrence, the SrVP of Mountain America Credit Union--the sponsor that paid for the whole thing--and he is assisting with the distribution. Below, right before MG Tarbet addressed the Soldiers of the 1-145th Field Artillery (500 PAX), Brent spoke to the group and told them why MACU wanted to sponsor them...that a simple "thank you" wasn't enough in exchange for their willingness to protect our state and our country. I watched each of the Soldiers coming through the line and I could tell that they very much appreciated this recognition.  On June 6th, the rest of the units throughout the state will be receiving theirs right after drill. This is the first time that a major Command has decided to put this kind of emphasis on each Soldier/Airman receiving not just their history, but their legacy to share with children and grandchildren. This is a fantastic start. One of these days, I'd also like to try presenting these at a formal event where highlights from the DVD-ROM can be shown on the big screen right before they each receive their own.  It was such an honor to be present for this first big day!Below, MG Tarbet is a significant part of the recognition ceremony as he greeted, and thanked each one for their service. This is the way it should be done! To view the press release for this day, click on the link in the left hand column of this blog. 

Hill Air Force Base Sponsorship Alliance in the Works

Ever since the Senior Leadership of the Wings at Hill AFB thought it would be great to give every Airman and Civilian (all 16,500 of them!) their legacy of service, I've been thrilled to see the community start to get behind it. As we are working on the corporate sponsorship alliance to cover the cost, this project has now received full endorsement from the Odgen/Weber and Davis Chambers of Commerce, the Aerospace and Industry Associates, the Military Affairs Committee, and others, including key leaders such as past Chairman of the Air Force Association, MG (ret) Pat Condon. In this economy, it's no secret that it's hard to raise funds for anything, but I have confidence that this community can do it. We already have Boeing and ATK Thiokol on board, and I believe that others will soon follow. Why would they want to be part of this? Because this is a permanent record of their support for the men and women who serve our country, because each of these interactive DVD-ROMs for each Wing will be given to every school in the state to educate them about what Hill (the largest employer in the state of Utah) AFB does, and because it will send a permanent message (no one ever throws away their historical record!) to all recipients, their families, all state civic and military leadership, and schools, and all media outlets. Nothing else like it!

Fox News tomorrow morning

I will be on Fox and Friends tomorrow morning, April 29, at 7:45 AM EST to talk about my experience in Iraq. I'm not in NYC , but will be broadcasting out of a studio in SLC. Since that is 5:45 AM my time, it might be entertaining just to see if I can keep my eyes open.

My new PAO buddy from the 301st FW

This is Major Karl Lewis, PAO for the 301st FW down in Dallas and here we are right after we landed in Kuwait, on our way to Baghdad and Balad. Karl is an amazing PAO who is always right where help is needed the most. He's one of those great Americans who is making us look good worldwide, and is one of the Air Force's finest. I'll be going to Dallas soon to meet his Commander and their team. Can't wait!

Sharlene

With the troops in Baghdad and Balad

Well, I had really hoped to blog every single day I was in Iraq, but the schedule was so tight, and connectivity so hard to come by due to the logistics of where we were staying that I just couldn’t. Anyway, how do I put my trip into a nutshell? Bottom line, I saw firsthand that our troops and our strategy are working. Captain Garcia took us to a school in Balad (wow, I never thought I’d be in an MRAP convoy—those vehicles are HUGE…so glad the troops now have that protection!) where not only did we get loved by 400 little girls (about 6 years to 14 years old), but the Mayor of Balad and about 4 city council members were there(see photo above, the Mayor is to my left). I was impressed by Captain Garcia’s diplomacy skills as we talked with these men through an interpreter. They were grateful for the school supplies we brought…and then asked us point blank if we could help them build schools. I told them that if it weren’t for the monumental logistics of building right now, we’d be there. Hopefully soon. By the way, this was trip was sponsored by American Airlines, and Operation Iraqi Children in cooperation with the Department of Defense. The whole purpose is to “help the soldiers help the children” and in so doing, our efforts support the troops and their overall strategy to win the hearts and minds of the people. It sure seemed to me like they have succeeded. We took 20,000 tons of school supplies for the soldiers to distribute throughout Iraq…and from what I saw in Balad, those kids and teachers will be hugging our soldiers for a long time.  

In Baghdad and Balad this week

I'm not sure what to expect since this will be my first trip to Baghdad and Balad, but wow I'm looking forward to the adventure and to meeting all the great Americans over there. I have been told that I will have internet access, in which case, I anticipate posting blogs about my experience. This is not a trip directly related to my work with Remember My Service, but I certainly expect to learn a lot about how we can more effective. Would love to hear your comments!

Women's History Month at NCIS

What an honor to be asked to speak to the NCIS team at the Navy Yard in DC this past Tuesday! In celebration of Women's History Month, Ralph Blincoe (Dep. Director) asked me to speak about balance and service, and to prepare, I got the chance to meet some really amazing women. These women are really making the rest of us look good...they're smart, tough, fun, and really work hard at balancing their professional and personal lives. Special agents Cate Smith and Heather Baines told me about some of their more interesting undercover experiences...and they both couldn't say enough about the great work that JAG lawyer Mindy Siefer does to make sure they get all the support they need. My sister Janet happened to be in town so it was wonderful to have her there to experience the day at NCIS. Director Tom Betro has obviously established a workplace where not only professionalism is at the highest levels, but there's a strong sense of family, and unity, and a celebration of diversity. Kudos to NCIS! It's a privilege for Remember My Service to have been part of that event.

Lone Survivor Giveaway!

As you all know, we are dedicated to honoring and remembering those who serve as part of the U.S. Military. What better way to honor you (or your loved one) than allowing you to submit your favorite military story or experience for everyone to share. Once you submit your story, you will be instantly entered to win the AMAZING book by Marcus Luttrell, Lone Survivor: An Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10. Lone Survivor is a MUST read book as it takes you through a detailed description of real Navy SEAL training and the true story of fire team leader Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of Operation Redwing, and the desperate battle in the mountains of Afghanistan that led to the largest loss of life in Navy SEAL history.

How to Play:

Simply submit your favorite personal Military experience in the comment section (just below this post) by Friday, April 3rd. We will read all the submissions and pick the top 3 winners who will all receive a FREE copy of Lone Survivor. Please provide your email address in your comment in case you are one of the WINNERS!

Meeting with MAG-39 at Camp Pendleton

It's always a great day in San Diego, isn't it? I love having a reason to get there, so to be able to meet with both Navy and the Marines was a wonderful excuse. I've never been to Camp Pendleton before--it's huge! I had the privilege of meeting with all the representatives from each of the Squadrons of the Marine Aircraft Group 39. I spent a little extra time afterwards talking with these great Marines below:
From L to R: Captain Joe Troyan, Major Khieem Jackson, Sharlene Hawkes, Captain Chad Tyler, and Captain Brian Riva

You know, everytime I get to see our American defense personnel and capabilities up close...I'm in awe. Seriously. When I lived abroad as a teenager, anyone in uniform (I'd see the Marines at the US Embassy for instance) represented home to me. I am so proud of the great job you all do representing and defending us. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say this since I'm not a Marine...but....hooooah!


By the way, here's a link to our latest press release .

Aboard the USS Cape St. George in sunny San Diego

On Monday, I got my first peek at a Navy cruiser when I met with the very capable Captain Rabun and LT Grant Greenwell--true "Dragonslayers"! The rest of their team was just as sharp and I came away learning a lot about what they do to preserve their history. The biggest thing that surprised me was that I found out their PAO (right now it's ENS Cummings) has to do all the page layouts himself for their cruisebooks...wow that's a ton of work. I'm so used to RMS doing all that for the Units that I didn't think others were still doing it themselves. Anyway, it was a treat to spend some time with this great warship crew! America is in great hands!

Ohio Guard Completes Military Yearbook on DVD-ROM

We would like to send out a HUGE thank you and congratulations to the Ohio Army National Guard for completing the largest Remember My Service project to-date with over 8,000 military yearbooks being distributed to Guardsmen who have served since 9/11. As you can imagine, a project of this size was no easy task and we would like to recognize LTC Greg Rogers and SSG Joshua Mann for their continuous hard work and dedication in making sure that every Unit and every Soldier is both honored and remembered.

The BEST just got BETTER!

OK, we're bragging a little, but I think it's warranted. We're already the leading provider of interactive unit-specific historical records in the Military, but now we can take that content you send us...and create full color beautifully bound books for you as well. Until now, our main focus as been creating Unit Interactive Historical Records (UIHRs) on DVD-ROM, but due to the numerous requests from various Guard commands in particular, we have decided to include something else that our parent company StoryRock excels in, and offer a full color and text book option as either a supplement or replacement to our UIHRs (which already comes with a 6 x 8 hardbound journal). By providing a "yearbook" option, we have opened the door for all those smaller Units returning home from deployment who previously couldn't complete a UIHR as the minimum order was 500 Servicemembers (they can complete an RMS "yearbook" with a minimum order of 100). The ultimate historical record then is this book, together with the DVD-ROM that allows for everything from video interviews, to your complete archived newsletters, to every name in your Unit with a link to each individual bio page...and tons more! We really recommend a live demo of this so email me directly at jsolomon@remembermyservice.com and I'll set you up. Jake

Visiting the set of NCIS with the real NCIS!

For the last six years I've been an avid fan of the hit TV series NCIS (for those of you a little out of the loop, that's Naval Criminal Investigative Service). A couple of years ago, I first met Ralph Blincoe, the Deputy Director of the real NCIS, as part of my work with my company, and I joked with him about being the "original" Mark Harmon (he'd actually be closer to being Mark's boss on the show). Ralph is the ultimate friend...when he found out that I was going to be in LA to hang out with my sisters for a weekend, he coordinated a visit to the NCIS set--WOW, I could hardly contain myself. I'm a big fan of Mark Harmon too--he was the main reason I started watching in the first place (ah, confessions). Mark is not only a true professional, but a really great guy in person (what a relief! You just never know...) He spent quite a bit of time with all of us, and gave us the update on the new NCIS spinoff that will be starring Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J--should be really good. I offered my humble opinion that I think Mark and Chris should continually cross-promote their characters not just in the first two episodes, but throughout the whole season. Maybe cross-promote all the characters...it keeps us viewers guessing and tuned in to BOTH. Just my two cents.

As a note, I've been invited to speak to NCIS staff and agents on Mar. 31st...I'm really looking forward to it! Sharlene

PHOTO: On location in CA. From left to right, NCIS Assistant Director Jeff Edwards, NCIS Deputy Director Ralph Blincoe, RMS President Sharlene Hawkes, THE Mark Harmon (Special Agent Gibbs on the TV version of NCIS) and Special Agent Mike Browning.

Four books I'm getting ready to read

A good friend of mine lent me 4 books a couple of weeks ago, 3 of them are about the Doolittle Raiders from WWII. I decided to start with "Four Came Home" (it was gripping right from the start),then "Destination: Tokyo" to give me a straightforward historical background of the Raid, and "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" written by one of the Raiders himself, Captain Ted Lawson. And the last book is "Hell Hawks!" --great title! So I have a lot of reading ahead. So which one will make it into our Top 10 list of books (see the sidebars on this blog below)? Right now it's Top 5 while I do a lot of reading. Would love to hear about your favorites! Sharlene

Washington DC Reserve Officers Association in January

I tell anyone I can how absolutely critical it is that we, the public, recognize the Reserve as the key operational force it is, the backbone of our country's defense, and the reason why America's defense can remain an all-volunteer force. That's why, at the mid-winter ROA conference in DC, I really enjoyed getting to meet so many Reservists who do an amazing job juggling their Civilian with Military lives. I got to catch up with my friend LTG (ret) John Bradley who recently retired as Chief of the Air Reserve and is now working on an important foundation with his wife Jan... it's called the Lamia Afghan Foundation ...they're doing a great work. I'd love to hear from any of you who are Reservists! Hey, and send me a picture I can publish. Thanks!

The Home Stretch

We are one week away from completing the largest project to-date with the Ohio National Guard, distributing 10,000 Unit Interactive Historical Records.  A huge thank you goes out to LTC Greg Rogers and SSG Joshua Mann of the Ohio Guard for their continuous hard work and dedication to this project as well as all the individual project officers assigned to each of the 17 completed projects.  On the RMS side, we would like to recognize Nicole Anderson, Charles Adams, and Tom Jones for working many long hours to complete this massive project.

Thank you all for your hard work and we appreciate the various service's you continue to provide our Country.

New friends at the Texas National Guard

What a pleasure to host Colonel "Bo" Kenyon (far left) and Captain Randy Stillinger (far right) of the Texas National Guard at our Salt Lake City headquarters! StoryRock is the name of the parent company for Remember My Service, but hey, we had to take them to RedRock where they found out that yes, beer can be found in Utah. That's me (Sharlene) in the center with our StoryRock CEO John Lund. Thank you Bo and Randy for your service!