We're so honored to have worked with the thousands of National Guardmembers who have sacrificed so much for their country.  Thank you for your service, National Guard!

Here's a sample of the article:

From New York to California, Puerto Rico to Maine, Oregon to Missouri, National Guard Commands across the country participated in a comprehensive effort to collect photos, video interviews, newsletters, and more to fully document their significant transition from a strategic reserve force to a fully operational force in the last 10 years.

After more than a year of collection, organization, production, and publication, more than 130,000 Guardmembers were each presented with an interactive DVD-ROM within a 6 x 8 hardbound book to recognize their volunteer service to the country. 

Read more:

http://www.virtual-strategy.com/2012/05/07/remember-my-service-rms-productions-completes-largest-national-guard-historical-effort-da

New camo uniforms

The new camo uniforms are awesome -- they make the soldiers blend right into the boulders!  Here's the Brigade Tactical Assault Command with the 1/25 Stryker Brigade Combat Team in Afghanistan:

Rangers Compete in Bataan Memorial Death March

On March 25, six Rangers from the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment competed in the annual Bataan Memorial Death March in White Sands, New Mexico.  The Bataan Memorial Death March is a grueling 26.2 mile race through the high desert terrain of White Sands Missile Range, conducted in honor of the service members who defended the Philippine Islands during World War II.  

The story of Bataan reflects one of the worst defeats in American military history: a four-month fight for the tiny peninsula of Bataan in the Philippine Islands; the first major land battle for America in World War II. On April 9, 1942, the American forces surrendered to their Japanese captors, who set them (including almost 12,000 American Soldiers) walking 66 miles to prison camp, a notorious walk that came to be known as "The Bataan Death March."  Over the years, this race has become quite a tribute to the survivors of Bataan and is popular among military units.  The Rangers competed in the Military “Heavy” category, requiring them to race in the desert with 35-pound packs over mountainous terrain.  

In true Ranger fashion, the team finished in 2^nd place, with a total time of 5 hours and 49 minutes!  If you’ve ever run a marathon (without a pack through the sand), you would appreciate how fast this is.  For more about the race, go to www.bataanmarch.com.

Above are pre- and post-race photos, courtesy of LTC Dave Hodne, commander of the 2nd Battalion.  From right to left in the Pre-Race photo are:

SPC Fernando Hernandez (C Co)

SPC Jacob Dahl (B Co)

CPT Ryan Tackett (HHC)

SFC Shaun Curry (HHC)

CPT Jacob Phillips (HHC)

SGT Charles Martinez (A Co) 

The Rangers accomplished this incredible result in the high desert after training in the “ideal” March conditions in the Pacific Northwest (sleet and rain), and while wrapping up a recent training exercise the Friday prior to the event.  These Rangers can accomplish anything! We are so proud of you!

Gold Star Miss Americas

I am chagrined to say that I didn’t think Hollywood cared at all about our troops and their families. I know -- it’s a stereotypical judgment.  I thought these big-time producers and stars, for the most part, were largely disconnected and often critical of anyone associated with our nation’s defense.  Well…I am incredibly encouraged by what I saw in Las Vegas last weekend.

Take a look at this photo:

This little girl’s daddy, Staff Sgt. Daniel Wagoner, was KIA on September 14, 2007, in Iraq when the little girl, Diana, was just 3 years old. Her mother left the scene soon after, leaving Diana in the care of her grandma, Daniel’s mom, Diane (far right in the picture). Well, Diana and Diane were two of the Gold Star Miss Americas in attendance at last week’s television broadcast. One of the judges, Mike Fleiss, producer of the hugely popular “The Bachelor” series (the guy in the photo), heard about this VIP group and immediately contacted us in December to make a generous donation for any of these families needing a better Christmas. It caught them by total surprise, and you can see how Diana felt when she got to meet Mike. 

The host of “The Bachelor,” Chris Harrison, was the MC for the Miss America broadcast, and he too went all out to welcome our VIPs to Miss America during rehearsals. This heartfelt support was evidenced throughout the week, and the most common sentiment I heard—from stars, contestants, producers, executives—was how humbled they felt to be around our Gold Star Miss Americas. That’s exactly right.


It's a tremendous and humbling honor to spend time with our Gold Star families.  I simply don't feel worthy.  For some, it had been a year since they received the tragic news, and others, more like four or five years.  This is an exclusive "club" that no one wants to join, and I felt intrusive as they started comparing notes on their visits to Arlington, and what their children leave at their Daddy's gravesite.  Their homes are truly "the home of the brave."  A great big salute to our Gold Star Miss Americas 2012!


If you would like to nominate moms, wives, or daughters for next year, please email me directly at shawkes@remembermyservice.com.  Thank you!

Happy Holidays!

From all of us at RMS, a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year!  To all of you in the armed forces, we remember you daily and thank you for your service, from the bottom of our hearts.

Go Army! Go Navy!

Two days before the Army-Navy game, I had the privilege of visiting the nation's Capitol with two outstanding soldiers: Army Soldier of the Year, Spc. Thomas Hauser (far left), and Army NCO of the Year winner, Sgt. Guy Mellor (far right).  My son, Jacob, is in front. SGT Mellor is from my home state of Utah and is with the Utah National Guard. Jacob and I will be attending the game as guests of the Army, so…GO ARMY! (But since my dad was in the Navy in World War II... GO NAVY too!)


And here we are with Utah Senator Mike Lee (right) and his chief of staff, Spencer Stokes, with a gorgeous view of the Washington Monument:

Missouri National Guard honors Troops with Interactive Service Record

We're proud to report that the Missouri National Guard is honoring their troops with RMS interactive service records in ceremonies across the state this week.  


"When you're living history like we are, it's too easy to forget about how important documenting it is," noted Capt. Alan Brown, Missouri National Guard command historian. "Through this project, we've literally written our own history. This project gives faces and voices to the thousands of Missouri National Guardsmen who have sacrificed for their countries."


Read the whole article here:  Missouri National Guard honors Troops

The Big E and Admiral Mullen

At the end of September, I had two exciting days.  First, on Sept. 29, Pat Hackbarth and I went aboard the Big E in Norfolk, Virginia! The grandaddy of all aircraft carriers, the USS Enterprise is the first nuclear-powered carrier, and she celebrates her 50th birthday next month.  We met with LCDR Sarah Self-Kyler, one of the best PAOs in the Navy, and hope to work with them on documenting their incredible, rich history.


The next day, I had the privilege of attending Admiral Mullen's farewell tribute!  Security there reminded me of the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, just months after 9/11.  President Obama, Vice President Biden, and Secretary of Defense Gates were all there, along with ADM Mullen and our new Chairman, GEN Dempsey.  It was a moving ceremony, and a fitting tribute to a great American.  What an honor to be present at both events!

Four wonderful groups we support!

• The Library of Congress Veterans History Project: Connect now to share your personal story of service in the U.S. Military.
• No Greater Sacrifice is a non-profit organization that raises funds to provide college education for the children of our wounded warriors and fallen heroes.  Please visit their site and see what you can do to show your gratitude.
• Soldier On brings homeless veterans into a community where they govern themselves, as they work and serve in the community around them.  Based in Massachusetts, Soldier On is a first-rate organization and making a difference—an ideal model for other states and cities to adopt.  They are very willing to share their entire plan with any community action team looking for a working model to help their homeless veterans.
• Sentinels of Freedom  is a non-profit organization that provides up to four years of “life scholarships” to help wounded veterans become self-sufficient.  Our vets are finding that once they're released from the hospital, they face the everyday hardships of finding a home, continuing their education, or going to work to support their families.  Every American faces the same difficulties, but in the vet’s case, the situation is made more difficult because of their sacrifice.  Sentinels of Freedom provides life-changing opportunities for men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who have suffered severe injuries and need the support of grateful communities to realize their dreams.

Meeting an American hero

Last week, I had the opportunity of attending the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) convention in San Antonio, Texas.  I spoke with General (ret.) Jim Conway and Governor Mitt Romney backstage, and then had the incredible experience of meeting SFC Leroy Petry, the Medal of Honor recipient.  On July 12, 2011, 32-year-old SFC Petry became only the second living recipient since the Vietnam War to receive America’s highest honor for heroic actions in combat. 

In May 2008, Petry was assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan. When an enemy threw a grenade just a few feet from Petry and two others in his Unit during a daylight raid on a high-value target, SFC Petry’s immediate reaction was purely selfless. He ran to the live grenade, picked it up, and threw it hard. As the grenade left his and, it exploded, completely severing his right hand.

Now three years later, I shook his hand, acutely aware of the amazing capability of today’s prosthetics, which allow him to shake my hand with the same pressure sensitivities of any usual handshake. I could see all the wiring and titanium inside the transparent, skin-like covering, and was in awe of not merely his hand, but the man it was attached to.

But here’s the really amazing part -- right before he headed into another media interview, I asked him about his future plans. “I’m going back to AFG!” he said, very excited about the prospect. Thinking that this was a quick visit, I asked him if it was part of Operation Proper Exit. “Oh no, I’m deploying again, I’ll be back with my Unit!”

Time Magazine got it right a couple of weeks ago when they featured veterans on their cover with this headline: “The New Greatest Generation.” And SFC Petry is one of many examples why. All you one-percenters serving America are great Americans—we can’t say “thank you” enough!

National Guard Convention in Milwaukee

The RMS team and I just got back from the National Guard convention (NGAUS) earlier this week. It was an incredible four days of meeting generals from most of the 50 states -- plus Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and DC -- and their amazing staffs. It was such an honor to meet with them and show them what we're doing to preserve the National Guard's rich legacy of service to our country!

The new addition to our booth was a big hit -- a giant map of the U.S., with red stars on the states we've worked with. Generals who hadn't worked with us would say, "Now let's see if we can get a star on our state!"

The second night there, we all ate dinner outside the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee... German food, of course, with brats and local beer. But they also offered Italian and Mexican, and two bands provided entertainment. It was very cool to hang out with so many great military leaders.

So far, we've worked with 23 State Commands -- we're planning on adding about 8 to that number after this last week!

First photo, L to R: Elayne Harmer (Senior Account Executive, West Coast), John Lund (CEO), Daryl Guiver (VP of Operation), Sharlene

Second photo: Sharlene, Gen. Antonio Vicens-Gonzalez of Puerto Rico, Elayne, Daryl

USS Bonhomme Richard and the USS Howard visits

While it was snowing in my hometown of Salt Lake City, I had the great pleasure to visit sunny San Diego where we (Elayne Harmer, our Sr. Marketing Executive for the West Coast) met the well-traveled Chief Kane on the USS Bonhomme Richard (with me at the dry dock as this gorgeous ship gets a lot of work done before heading out to Japan--notice Elayne and I doing our best to hold it up at the bow). I was so impressed with the massive amounts of documentation that Chief Kane and his team have already done on this preparation...can't wait to see the rest!

And then we got to board the USS Howard--a destroyer heading out on deployment this very week. LTJG Derr and Ensign Valanzola were great hosts and we wish them a very safe journey. By the way, we were told that 40% of the crew on board the USS Howard...are women. Very cool!

Georgia Army National Guard Kicks Off!

This morning we are thrilled to announce that the Georgia Army National Guard will be kicking off in a couple of weeks, with 12 projects covering every battalion in the state. The Georgia Army National Guard is the third largest guard in the United States, and has had extensive involvement in theater since 9/11. We at RMS look forward to working with Georgia, and are excited to see their historical service record develop under the direction of Retired COL. Dennis Brown.

Maryland Army National Guard Kicks Off New Project!

On March 3, 2011, the Maryland Army National Guard joined RMS in kicking off a new project covering the 2007 Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment of the 58th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (now organized as the 58th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade) . This single project, led by Major Daniel Collins, covers approximately 1100 Soldiers.

The Brigade traces its heritage back to some of the earliest battles of the Revolutionary War, and made headlines in 2007 when called to Iraq, where it more than quadrupled the MDARNG presence.

Major Collins has begun the process of established a very effective method of requesting, collecting, and organizing photos, video, and other documentation from those who deployed, including an RMS-dedicated email address, a Facebook page, and strong top-down leadership support. Starting with the kick-off, the Family Readiness Group leader, Jennifer, was on hand to support the project. We here at RMS are very optimistic to see what MDARNG's enthusiasm for their Historical Service Record will produce.

2011 Medal of Honor Commemorative Coins

I wanted to let you know about the release of the 2011 Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin Program on February 25, 2011. I just was made aware of this, and they are only available through 2011...here are some of the facts:

Authorized by Public Law 111-91 (The Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin Act of 2009), the U.S. Mint is issuing two coins in recognition and celebration of the establishment of the Medal of Honor in 1861.

Mintages for the Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin Program are limited to 100,000 gold $5 coins and 500,000 silver $1 coins, and are only available during 2011. Surcharges collected from coin sales – $35 for each gold coin and $10 for each silver coin – are authorized to be paid to the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation to help finance its educational, scholarship and outreach programs. After February 25, coins may be purchased directly from www.usmint.gov.

The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to perpetuate the Medal of Honor’s legacy of courage, sacrifice, and patriotism, and to support the public service activities of Medal of Honor recipients and the exclusive Society to which they belong.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of enactment of the Medal of Honor, and we are designing a number of national events and activities to honor the enactment of our nation’s highest award for military valor, which has been awarded fewer than 3,500 times since 1861. This monumental anniversary represents 150 years of courage and sacrifice on the part of the millions of men and women who have defended our freedoms in uniform.

Also, please visit www.medalofhonorcoin.com ...thanks!

So great to see the NY National Guard in the news for their RMS project!

Yes it has been awhile since I blogged, wow since Oct?? Anyway, it's not for a lack of stuff to write about...quite the opposite. I'm going crazy in a very great way! So this note is to link you to a cool article and broadcast media that just came out of the NY National Guard on their really big RMS project--this is going to be amazing!

3-ID, OKANG, and NVANG

I'm currently working on the 3rd Infantry Division's: 26 Brigade Support Battalion. The pictures I have received for their Historical Records, truly show how hard those men and women work while on deployment.

I've also been able to meet with the Oklahoma Army National Guard. While we won't begin our projects with them until early next year, I am excited to be working with our service members from OK.

This Friday I'll be kicking off our projects with the Nevada National Guard, and once again I can't wait to get started. It will be amazing for me to share in the experiences of all the states and units that I'm scheduled to help in making their memories into a legacy that they can share for years!

-Matt, Project Coordinator

Spending a weekend with heroes!

For the last 5 weeks, I think I have been home 2 days. Washington DC twice, Idaho twice, almost two weeks exploring England and Scotland with the family, and an incredible 4 days in the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana with veterans from the Army Wounded Warrior program (AW2). We navigated the rapids of the Salmon River, rode horses, ate a five star mess three times a day, and even eliminated a little over 200 pesky gophers and 3 badgers on the Shining Mountain Ranch (with a bunch of AR-15s and 8mm Magnums on hand, those critters didn’t stand a chance—the ranch owner was deeply grateful to these retired special ops and snipers). Before this group even arrived for the weekend, I emailed them and asked them to prioritize what they care about. It’s not healthcare—that was actually last. First on the list was JOBS, and second, EDUCATION/TRAINING.

So here’s my take-away from hanging out with 11 Soldiers and 7 of their wives--all heroes: We need to do more. We—the community—needs to do more to support them in the areas that matter most to them: Jobs. Careers. I’m not talking about more websites and more fundraisers, although those can be very helpful. I’m taking about bottom line, veteran-specific, veteran-priority channel to jobs. I really believe that if America’s private sector had an easy, clearly structured way to reach our veterans, they would. I just had a conference call with the President of Macy’s department stores and they eagerly committed to work with the National Center for Veterans Studies to have a place for student veterans to land into jobs. Macy’s isn’t the usual defense contractor, obviously—they’re "just" an American retail icon. And they see the huge asset that Veterans are—they were looking for a place to plug into, and get started. As of right now, it’s up to online searches, and employers have to wait for veterans to navigate through “the circle of death” (as one veteran at this Montana weekend called it) to find them. So whose job is it to link up veterans and employers? The Department of Defense can certainly cooperate, and in the Army Reserve there has been the biggest push with the Employer Partnership Initiative. What about VA? Well, their mission isn’t to help with jobs. What about Veterans Service Organizations? It’s no small task for any one group to accomplish, but it’s not a hard concept that can certainly be done within a cooperative effort of these organizations. And while this doesn’t necessarily relate to my “day job” with Remember My Service, it’s one that I’m completely engaged in as the National Center for Veterans Studies begins to coordinate, organize, structure, and execute for the sole purpose of better positioning our veterans for employment. We’ve taken it on.

Sharlene

In Arlington, surrounded by heroes

I finally got the pictures...so I wanted to share at least one. What a HUGE honor to go see the changing of the guard at Arlington's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with LTC Karcher, his family, and my friend COL David Sutherland...and new friends with UBS (big supporters of our country's heroes). David arranged for us to actually go in the chambers where the Honor Guard prepares to come out for duty...how many people get to do that??? Those guys really know how to pay tribute to our heroes. That night, we went to the Freedom Award dinner where LTC Karcher was recognized...my favorite quote was when he said that he could make the decision that the loss of both legs was either "life-ending or life-changing"...and he chose life-changing.

And some of us complain about losing...a job, a boyfriend, an iPhone...makes you think again, huh? No wonder soldiers can't relate when they come home from theater and someone's complaining about a referee's bad call...

Building momentum for the coming announcement of the National Center for Veterans Studies

What a day on Friday March 5th in Salt Lake City! (I know, I should have posted this on Saturday but we had fresh powder so I had to go skiing first) The National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah will be formally announced soon (date TBD) and in the coming weeks we have been building bridges with all the key players necessary to ensure that the Center meets the education and research needs of both the Department of Defense, and the State Department. I should back up...I'm on the Board, and Chairman of the National Advisory Board, and it has been my privilege to coordinate all our new Advisory Board members with such incredible backgrounds. And on Friday, we invited 3 DoD dignitaries to spend the day with us and see first-hand why the University of Utah is the perfect spot to create something completely unprecedented, and in fact, we intend to become THE most veteran-friendly campus in America.

Each of these 3 guests became our dear friends in one full day. MG Robert Kasulke, the Commanding General of the Army Reserve Medical Command; BG Loree Sutton, Director of the DoD Centers for Excellence for PTSD and TBI; COL David Sutherland, special assistant to the Joint Chiefs, Warrior and Family Support--all of them are uniquely talented and completely dedicated to Warrior care. First we met with the Governor of Utah, Gary Herbert, then met with the President of the U of Utah, Michael Young. We also toured the University's Orthopaedic Hospital which blew everyone away with the groundbreaking developments in improving prosthetics for amputees. We visited the VA hospital just a block away, driving right past Fort Douglas (bit of trivia, that's where the Olympic Village was staged for the 2002 Winter Olympics), and then spent a couple of hours with the Global Justice Think Tank at the College of Law--25 law students who have joined the Center's team to launch the National Service Academy that is part of the Center's mission. The ensuing dinner with our VIP guests was 100% an honor for me and the Board--what great people. We're so lucky to have them on our side!