Robin Williams Urges 2010 Tax-Deductible Gift to USO to Support Our Deployed Troops

Here's an email from Robin Williams that the USO has asked to be shared with as many people as possible:

I'm writing today with a renewed sense of commitment to our troops serving in Afghanistan, Iraq and around the world. I've just come back from a tour with the USO that has once again inspired me to do everything I can for those brave men and women -- men and women of all ages and all nationalities doing some extraordinary things for us and our country.

And let me tell you, they truly deserve it. They deserve to have someone come over there and say "you rock -- you're the best." And, especially as they spend the holiday season thousands of miles away from their loved ones, they deserve to have all of us keep them at home in our hearts.

Make your At Home In Our Hearts gift today and help the USO bring support and comfort to our troops all around the world.

The USO's At Home In Our Hearts campaign is about bringing a touch of home to our troops and our wounded warriors all around the world. And it's all made possible thanks to the support of passionate Americans like yourself.

With your gift today, you and the USO can help our troops make a holiday phone call back home for free, help bring all the things that remind them of home to the front lines thanks to USO2GO and give them some much-needed comfort and a place to relax at USO centers right there in the war zone.

I've seen firsthand how much these services mean to our troops and I can't thank you enough for your past support of the USO. I hope you will lend your generosity once again as part of the USO's At Home In Our Hearts campaign.

Please make your gift today and keep our troops At Home In Our Hearts.

Thanks again for all you do for our troops. And thanks for joining with me and the USO in this critical campaign.

Robin Williams

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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

USO Asks for Donations for "At Home in Our Hearts" Holiday Campaign

Here is an email from the USO:

Imagine for a moment you're far away from your loved ones at this special time of year. You might know when you will be home again, but that date is so distant it's hard to picture. You're cold, tired and really miss the simple things -- like talking to your kids on the phone.

That's what it is like for our troops spending this holiday season in Afghanistan, Iraq and at outposts around the world.

But through the USO's At Home In Our Hearts holiday campaign, supporters like you have the chance to give our troops something really special: the opportunity to make a phone call home.

Whether it's the sound of your daughter's voice, hearing your son talk about his football game, or the opportunity to tell your parents you're alright -- when you're deployed during the holidays, it's a phone call you'll treasure.

Will you join me in giving our troops the chance to phone home for the holidays?

Give our troops a phone call home this holiday: make your tax-deductible donation today.

Operation Phone Home goes the extra mile to connect our troops with their families, and it's a vital part of the USO's At Home In Our Hearts campaign. At centers across the world, staff and volunteers are going all-out to give our troops invaluable moments with their families that bridge the miles.

There's nothing we can ever really do to thank our troops enough for the sacrifices they make. But we owe it to them to try and right now that means helping them make personal connections with loved ones to brighten their holiday.

Every dollar you give to "Operation Phone Home" can provide twenty minutes of talk time for our troops. With your help, we can bring them all a few minutes of holiday warmth with family.

You can make sure that this holiday, home is just a phone call away for our troops.

No matter where they're stationed or deployed, our troops are spending this time of year At Home In Our Hearts. Please help them bridge the distance by making a special gift today.

Thanks for all you do,

Kelli Seely
USO Chief Development Officer
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

Watch a Heartwarming Video of Holiday Messages From Our Troops All Over the World

This video link was accompanied by the following email from LT Jennifer Cragg of the Defense Media Activity Emerging Media Directorate:

I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you Happy Holidays and to share a special video that we at the Defense Media Activity Emerging Media Directorate produced, with the participation of more than 40 commands worldwide.

Service members from each of the services, stationed everywhere from Afghanistan to Antarctica, helped make "Twas a Night in December," a variation of the popular holiday story rewritten with a military twist. Country music singer and active military supporter Toby Keith introduces our holiday video.

Please feel free to share this video with your friends and family. And if you'd like to share it on your Facebook pages, blogs, and other social media, we'd be grateful!

You can link to the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j_icz3ZEHw

And, you can view the entire blog post: http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/2010/12/twas-a-night-in-december/

Please take a few minutes to watch this video -- you will be so glad that you did! And then share it with others.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

Show Support for Our Troops Now

While any time is a good time to show gratitude for our troops, this month is an especially good time to remember our troops.

Here are a few of my recommendations:

Vietnam Veterans of America:

This organization needs donations, especially clothing, and will pick up from your home or office. You can schedule a pickup through the website at http://www.pickupplease.org/

Cell Phones for Soldiers:

This organization’s goal is to help deployed military personnel call home. Learn how you can help now at www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/

Operation Gratitude:

This organization sends care packages to soldiers and needs your help – see http://www.opgratitude.com/

USA Together:

This organization bills itself the Craigslist for wounded warriors – check out the site now at http://usatogether.org/

And for help with recognizing and treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder:

Here’s info at my site www.FilmsThatSupportOurTroops.com –
http://www.insupportofourtroops.com/ptsd-info/

And here’s a FREE ebook written while Ken Jones was recovering from his own combat-induced PTSD – bit.ly/c3gQDr
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

Show Gratitude to Our Troops: Support Reach Out and Read's Military Initiative

Thanks to Penny Sansevieri's www.amarketingexpert.com ezine, I learned about Reach Out and Read's military initiative.

To support the program you can donate a book or sponsor a child -- one of the 90,000 children on 44 U.S. military bases served by the program:

"In addition to promoting school readiness, Reach Out and Read also helps build routines and strengthens bonds, which are especially important for military families who are tested by separation and deployment."

Go here now to say thanks to our troops by supporting this program.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

“Stand Up for Heroes” Benefit Aids Wounded Veterans

Tad Friend in the November 22nd issue of The New Yorker wrote a short piece entitled “Hero Worship” about the benefit “Stand Up for Heroes” for Bob Woodruff's foundation to aid wounded veterans.

As Friend reminds the reader, “Woodruff, an ABC News correspondent, was himself badly wounded in Iraq in 2006.”

This short piece is both heartbreaking and uplifting -- and I recommend you read it now.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

Watch Live on November 19 "The Human Stories" of the U.S. Army

Here is an email I received about a live event featuring "The Human Stories" of the U.S. Army:

When some people hear the word “military”, they automatically think of guns, tanks, and planes – the awe-inspiring technology that makes America’s military a superior force above all others. What is often overlooked, however, is the common thread that unites our talks and remains America’s strongest military asset: its people.

I am writing you on behalf of the U.S. Army's Online & Social Media Division to tell you about an event that you may be interested in that features some of our people.

Tomorrow, Nov. 19, the Department of Defense is hosting a TEDxPentagon series and we'd love to have you watch the speeches LIVE as they are delivered at http://www.livestream.com/TEDxPentagon. The sessions start at 10 a.m.

“The Human Stories” series includes Mrs. Sarah Hertig’s perspective as an Army spouse whose husband was injured in Iraq. She will shed light about why she’d gladly see her daughter marry to also become an Army wife.

In addition to Mrs. Hertig, U.S. Army Accessions Commander Lt. Gen. Benjamin Freakley’s will provide insight about why “Technology Without People is Just (Really Cool) Stuff”. His TEDxPentagon talk will focus on the modern military service member and the future of recruiting.

Also scheduled to participate in TEDxPentagon is Commanding General of the U.S. Africa Command, Gen. William “Kip” Ward. His Legacy Lecture on “The Footprints We Leave” will include personal accounts on a lifetime of military service, cultural growth, and personal development.

Read more about the event now!
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

For Veterans Day: A Celebration of Social Media Tools to Help Vets

The Mashable.com post today by Lisa Waananen on "How Social Media Is Making Veteran Service Organizations Better" is a compelling piece on veterans as well as on how social media can be used to reach out to targeted audiences. (Lisa is @liswaananen on Twitter.)

As the co-founder of a social media marketing company and a supporter of our troops (#sot on Twitter), I loved this "mashing" of my two main Twitter interests as seen in my tweets. (I'm @ZimblerMiller on Twitter.)

In fact, at the request of Ken Jones (@akvet on Twitter) I have been tweeting about the FREE ebook he wrote while recovering from his own combat-induced PTSD. (Download this FREE ebook now at http://t.co/NC5mPmR )

And I got this terrific DM (private tweet) from Ken:

As of 0900 PST Thurs -- 2,084 people have read our two PTSD ebooks. What a great start!

The Mashable post talks about World War II vets who are now on social media sites. And in honor of my own father -- Albert Zimbler, who served during WWII, I'd like to share the link to his website www.AlZimComedy.com as well as his photo (above) taken during WWII.

Read the entire Mashable post now.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

Volunteer Finds Homes for Fallen Heroes Posters

Here is the email I received from Bobbi Baker, who has granted permission to share this here:

I simply must tell you how uplifting my experience with Operation Gratitude has been.

As you know, I have recently become involved with sending letters to our courageous young men and women in uniform.

I'm positive that the appreciation they will get from receiving letters of thanks will not compare to the feeling of giving that I get from writing those letters.

However one may feel about the wars in which we are now engaged, support of our troops is, in my opinion, our American duty. They put their lives in danger daily to ensure our safety and security and deserve no less than our never-ending gratitude.

Michael Reagan, the renowned artist who graciously provides portraits of fallen heroes to family members, provided six posters which are collages of the portraits he created from photos sent by the families.

Should someone want further information on the artist or the fantastic portraits he creates, the link is www.fallenheroesproject.org/

For the past several weeks it has been my pleasure to find "homes" for these posters.

You'll be pleased to know that West Point requested two of them and our local Southern California Army Reserve unit asked me for one that they intended to frame immediately and hang in a place of honor.

I visited the John Kennedy Memorial Armory (was not aware that Operation Gratitude had a presence in this facility) and spoke with the recruiter. He absolutely fell in love with the posters -- looked over so carefully the three I had left -- he simply could not make a decision.

Finally, he rather shyly asked if he could hang two in the main building and the third in his office. He selected the one with the poem for his office and said he would go out that very day to purchase frames.

I just could not say no to him, so all six posters now have permanent homes where they will be given the respect so well deserved.

God bless our troops,
Bobbi Baker

Blog note: Michael Reagan has a foundation to help with the costs for this project. (He has created 2,200 portraits to date.) Consider donating whatever you can to this compelling project -- www.fallenheroesproject.org/

And you can download copies of the posters directly from the site at http://www.fallenheroesproject.org/posters/

Here is a quote from this page of the site:

The posters are a compilation of the digital images of the individual fallen hero portraits completed by Michael Reagan for the Gold Star families. The portraits contain Fallen Heroes from the United States up to poster number six; posters seven and upward include Fallen Heroes from the United Kingdom and Canada.

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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

USA Together Needs Help With Requests From Wounded Warriors

Below is the text of an email I received:

Friends of USA Together,

We would like to give you an update on USA Together (www.usatogether.org) and ask for your help on something. This is the first time we have sent you email, other than the normal notifications of new requests, as we appreciate the amount of information we all receive each day.

USA Together really started meeting requests [of wounded warriors] in early 2009. Since then, due to the generosity of subscribers and donors like yourself, over 430 individual requests for assistance have been met. They range from help with bills to baby items to help modifying a home to ease access for a wounded service member.

You made that happen and the difference you made in the lives of those families is reflected in the thoughts they have shared with us and with many of you individually in private messages of thanks.

Veterans Day is coming up in just a few weeks, on November 11th. We currently have more open requests on our site than we have ever had in our history — and yet it is still just a few dozen items.

We are asking for your help in telling others about USA Together and encouraging them to help meet the need of one service member between now and Veterans Day.

We know the economy is challenging all of us these days. We believe that in spite of it, the respect we all share for those who have been injured or died because they stood up for our country will cause us to act as citizens -- in the best sense -- and reach out to help. This is what Americans do.

Thank you again for your help in the past and please feel free to contact us directly with your thoughts and suggestions.

The USA Together Team
Info@USAtogether.org
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

Interview About Novel MRS. LIEUTENANT

Louise Wise at her site Wise Words interviewed me about my novel MRS. LIEUTENANT. Below is one part of the interview -- and after this part is the link to the entire interview:

Do you have a favorite scene in the book? Can we have a snippet?

Some of my favorite scenes would give away important plot points revealed later in the book. Instead I’d like to share the opening because it represents the beginning of the military life journey:

President Nixon announces he is sending U.S. troops into Cambodia ... April 30, 1970

“It has been said that when a man acquires a commission, the government has gained not one, but two – the officer and his wife.” Mrs. Lieutenant booklet

SHARON – I – May 4, 1970

They drive around the western edge of Lake Michigan, past the industrial suburbs of Chicago, down into the flat farmland of Indiana, their tiny convertible a bright yellow bug boring through the cornfields.

Sharon Gold moves her cramped right foot, and the Farberware coffeepot bangs against her shin. Then the brown paper grocery bag with its open boxes of cereal and crackers shifts across her seatbelted lap. For the 10th time in the last two hours she glances around the densely packed interior of the Fiat Spider, a car that seemed truly wonderful when Robert bought it last summer, before they had to rely on it as a moving van.

It certainly can't be said that they have all their earthly possessions with them. When you have a car as small as a Fiat, you take only the barest necessities: Suitcases with summer clothes and bedding tied atop the luggage rack. A few pots and pans and shoes in the minuscule trunk. In the well behind the two seats are stashed a tiny black and white television, already several years old when her parents passed it on to them, and the Singer sewing machine presented in the hope that she might someday learn domestic skills.

Their wedding gifts, their books and her stereo and albums, and the rest of their clothes remain at her parents' home, moved there from Robert's one-room apartment on Sheridan Drive they shared after their wedding.

The branch transfer to military intelligence from infantry has come through! Robert's orders are to report to Ft. Knox, Kentucky, for nine weeks of Armor Officers Basic to fulfill the requirement of a combat arms course before military intelligence training. "Why combat arms training?" she asked him when he received his new orders. "Surely you'll have a desk job. That's the whole point of getting the branch transfer." Robert didn’t answer.

Read the entire interview now.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

A Return to the Personal: A Kick in the Pants From Books to Help Preserve History

For those of you who regularly read this blog, you may remember that I started out writing posts related to my 2008 novel MRS. LIEUTENANT that takes place in the spring of 1970 during the Vietnam War. But in the past two years I’ve almost written entirely on topics supporting our troops now.

Now I’m reading David Meerman Scott’s 2007 nonfiction book THE NEW RULES OF MARKETING & PR” and he talks about how he “blogged the book, section by section.”

Suddenly I realized that this could be the commitment I need to finish MRS. LIEUTENANT IN EUROPE, the sequel to MRS. LT.

Here is my dilemma:

The story of MRS. LT IN EUROPE is missing a compelling element that is provided in MRS. LT by the point of view of four different women. In MRS. LT IN EUROPE there is only one viewpoint.

A few days ago I read Joseph Kanon’s 1998 novel THE PRODIGAL SPY that takes place mainly in Prague and Washington D.C. The book begins in 1950 during the U.S. government’s Communist witch hunts.

Then the book quickly moves on to April of 1969, when I was a few months away from marrying Mitch, who had orders to report to Fort Benning, Georgia, in October for Infantry Officers Basic training before having an “unaccompanied” tour to Vietnam.

Kanon’s novel harps on the theme that people do not remember history, and I know this to be true.

After all, less than 20 years after the Germans had suffered heavy losses during the trench warfare of World War I, they were eagerly gearing up to start another world war, albeit one this time they intended on winning.

Because of the outcome of that Second World War, in September 1970 Mitch and I arrived in Munich to be part of the American occupying forces in West Germany.

This was only 25 years after the end of the war, and we came in contact with army personnel and army civilians who had their own experiences of this war.

It happens that here are the other books connected to WWII that I read during the last few weeks:

• Alan Furst’s 2008 novel THE SPIES OF WARSAW that takes place in 1937, mainly in Warsaw and Paris.

• Helen MacInnes’ 1941 novel ABOVE SUSPICION that takes place in 1939 mainly in England, Germany and Austria.

• Alan Furst’s 1991 novel DARK STAR that takes place in 1937 and 1938 in Prague, Berlin, Paris and other European locations.

• Tatiana de Rosnay’s 2007 novel SARAH’S KEY that takes place mainly in Paris in two parallel stories – in 1942 starting with the French police roundup and subsequent deportation to their deaths at Auschwitz of Parisian Jews and in 2002 and 2005.

And I also read two Young Adult novels that in their own ways are very connected to my reading about WWII:

• Eric P. Kelly’s 1928 novel THE TRUMPETER OF KRAKOW that (except for the first chapter in the year 1241) takes place in 1461 in the city we know today as Cracow, Poland.

(The marauding bands that threatened Cracow in these early years are paralleled by the forces of destruction amassed on the border of Poland in the years leading up to WWII.)

• David Kherdian’s 1979 novel THE ROAD FROM HOME: THE STORY OF AN ARMENIAN GIRL that takes place in 1907-1924, focusing on the years including the First World War during which the Armenians living in Turkey were subject to massacres and then forced on a horrendous death march.

(The Germans had a hand in what happened to the Armenians and, from hindsight of what happened, this should have been a HUGE warning to the future Allies that the Nazis meant to carry out their announced intention to slaughter all Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, undesirable clerics, Communists, and anyone else the Nazis could get their hands on who they considered untermenschen.)

What I plan to do now on this blog:

A lot of recent news events – including the re-discovery of the original copies of the 1935 Nuremberg Laws – connect to the story I’m telling in MRS. LT IN EUROPE.

Therefore, I plan to write blog posts about these news events that are happening now in 2010 and connect them to the first-hand experiences of people during WWII and the time that Mitch and I were stationed in Munich in the early ‘70s.

I will still use the fictional character of Sharon Gold, although she may be closer to me in these 2010 chapters than she is in MRS. LT. Then I’ll revise the posts and see if I can fit them into the mostly completed first draft of MRS. LT IN EUROPE.

My goal is to help prevent history from being forgotten, and there are many true stories that live within me.

These include:

• The first-hand accounts written by Holocaust survivors I published in the 1970s as editor of the literary supplement of a weekly Jewish newspaper in Philadelphia.

• The story of the dangerous work behind enemy lines in WWII that my husband’s civilian boss at the 18th had done for the Americans after his release as a German political prisoner from Dachau.

• Meeting Tuviah Friedman here in Beverly Hills, California – the Nazi hunter whose obsession lead to the capture of Adolph Eichmann, the architect of the Final Solution.

• Knowing here in Los Angeles the Czech Jew who incredibly survived WWII through a series of incidents of which action movies are made, entered Prague on the first tank to reach the liberated city, and only a few years later was warned by a righteous gentile that the Communists were coming for him and once more he had to escape.

I hope you will read the coming blog posts (now I just have to write them) and do give me feedback in the blog post comments section.

The history I plan to share belongs to all of us.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

Reminder Regarding Donating to Cell Phones for Soldiers

As I printed out the free shipping label to send an old cell phone to Cell Phones for Soldiers, I realized it's been a while since I've written about this very worthwhile project.

Here's the link for you to learn more -- http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/ -- and donate your old cell phones now.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

National Depression Screening Day Is Thursday, October 7

Announcement from Trilogy Integrated Resources Inc. (www.trilogyir.com):

Not all wounds are physical. Depression, PTSD and related mood disorders cannot be seen on an X-ray.

Yet a mental-health disorder is just as painful. And the stigma associated with a diagnosis often prevents many from seeking help and getting treated.

National Depression Screening Day gives people access to an anonymous, validated screening questionnaire and provides referral information for treatment.

Visit www.networkofcare.org to find a local organization offering depression and anxiety screenings or take a screening online today.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

Marine Dog Suffers From PTSD

The October 6th Wall Street Journal article by Michael M. Phillips is a must-read article both because of the heroism of Marine Jason Dunham and the story of Gunner, a Marine dog with PTSD.

The full title of the article is:

"Shell-Shocked Dog of War Finds a Home With the Family of a Fallen Hero: Jason's Death in Iraq Left Room for a Marine at the Dunhams' House; Gunner Fit the Bill"

Read the article now and share it with others.

And for a compelling story of Marine dogs and their handlers in the jungles of the Pacific during World War II, see information on the documentary "War Dogs of the Pacific."
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

Businesses Can Make Accommodations for Vets With PTSD

The LA Times article "Many Veterans With PTSD Struggle to Find Supportive Employment" by Alexandra Zavis first details the problems that vets who suffer from PTSD have with getting or holding down a job.

But in my opinion the most important part of the article follows this first segment. This second part describes how organizations and companies are making accommodations for vets suffering from PTSD.

Here's an example from the LA Times article of a vet and the employer who is helping him:

Joshua Stout is one of 80 people recruited through Northrop Grumman's hiring program for severely wounded veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. A former Marine who served in both wars, he now works as a project manager at a plant in San Diego that is developing an unmanned surveillance plane for the Navy.

The company consulted occupational nurses on how to help the 27-year-old manage PTSD and a brain injury. They showed him how to set reminders on his computer and arranged his cubicle so co-workers could not come up from behind and startle him.(My boldface)

Stout said he struggled to learn how to manage databases, but his supervisor worked with him until he could remember the steps.

This is just one example of how accommodations can be made to "pay back" the men and women who have served in defending our country.

Read the entire article now and then, if you have hiring responsibility at a company, consider how you can accommodate hiring a vet with PTSD.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

DoD Encouraging Military Personnel and Their Family Members to Vote

Courtesy of DoDLive.mil:

The Department of Defense is working with the Federal Voting Assistance Program to encourage military personnel and their family members to exercise their right to vote.

Absentee Voting Week is held from Sept. 27 - Oct. 4. During Absentee Voting Week, voter assistance officers will encourage voters to complete and mail their absentee ballots so that they are received by local election offices in time to be counted for the November general election.

In addition, voters may use the new electronic absentee ballot form if they didn't receive one from their state.

Learn more now.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

“My Loved One Went to War – Someone Else Came Back”

This is a guest post by Ken Jones, PhD:

Nations go to war. Human beings go into combat. War is a media event. Combat is savagely personal.

War will eventually recede. The media will move on. The memories of combat will remain with our troops for a lifetime.

The families and loved ones of those now returning from combat want desperately to understand what has happened to their returning warriors.

Why are the warriors that they waited, longed, and prayed for now so seemingly distant and unapproachable?

It was the same for me 40 years ago. In January of 1968 I turned 20. I had been in Vietnam for 10 months. My unit of the 11th Cavalry was operating on the Cambodian border.

In March of 1968 I returned to the world; I felt 100 years old. I quickly learned never to talk about Vietnam, or admit that I had been there.

There was no such thing as post-traumatic stress back then, and I never heard of traumatic brain injury.

The anguish of what I had seen and done and heard and smelled played over and over in my nightmares and intrusive thoughts. Combat survivors do not remember their experience. They relive it.

For 13 years I sucked up the pain. I got married, had a family, and went into business.

On the outside I was successful. On the inside I had only two alternatives left – insanity or suicide.

I began to write, first on 3x5 note cards and then on yellow tablets.

I also got very lucky. On a business trip to Anchorage, Alaska, I stopped by the Vet Center.

There I found someone who understood what I said, and assured me that I was not going insane. He was a former combat Marine who had also been in Vietnam. Now he was the Vet Center team leader.

Finally, there was someone I could talk to.

The notes I had scribbled to myself became the book WHEN OUR TROOPS CAME HOME.

Working with other combat vets we found that there was a very similar pattern of experiences that resulted in our combat-induced post-traumatic stress.

This pattern, this progression to becoming combat survivors, is described in a second book, LIFE AFTER COMBAT.

Both of these e-books are offered FREE, as a gift to the families and friends who desperately want to understand what has happened to their returning warriors.

These e-books are also offered FREE to our warriors as one more voice reminding them that they are not alone.

Get WHEN OUR TROOPS CAME HOME.

Get LIFE AFTER COMBAT.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

Help Our Deployed Troops With Their College Education

Here is a message sent by Storm Williams to the members of the Facebook group Books For Soldiers (reprinted with permission):

This week's mission is to support our troops by helping them with their college education while deployed overseas.

Books For Soldiers has a sister site -- http://collegeforsoldiers.com

This site was built because soldiers, especially younger ones who enlisted right after 9-11, cannot get a college education because of irregular deployment periods, lack of access to the web, stop loss policies and, most importantly, MULTIPLE rotations.

These conflicting schedules mean that most of our troops serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hardship duty cannot continue their education.

We came up with a solution to help them with college, allowing them to earn a lot of college credit or even complete their college education while siting in a ditch in the harsh wilderness of Afghanistan.

The site has online guides that soldiers can use to get real, REGIONALLY ACCREDITED college degrees using several credit earning methods.

The guides are available on the site or can be downloaded as a single PDF. Here is the 15-page "Guide To Rapid Graduation"

The guide contains step-by-step instructions on what to do, plus recommended colleges that are excellent choices for our men and women in uniform.

The other feature of the site is the textbook request feature. Soldiers can request a college textbook from us and we will do our best to find a copy and ship it to them.

Lastly, if you always wanted to get your college degree but got sidetracked by life, our "Guide To Rapid Graduation" works the same and yields the same results for civilians back home.

Your job this week is to download the PDF and tweet about it, post to your wall about it, tell every soldier you know about it or families you know that have loved ones serving our country.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

“The Big Uneasy” Documentary – Shown Only on August 30th – Should Be Compulsory Viewing

I had the privilege of seeing the 2010 documentary “The Big Uneasy” at the 7:00 p.m. showing at the Grove in Los Angeles at which the two producers (Karen Murphy and Christine O’Malley), the cinematographer and the Army Corps of Engineers whistleblower were introduced before the documentary unspooled.

And the only reason the documentary didn’t shock the hell out of me, with its overwhelming evidence that Hurricane Katrina’s devastation of New Orleans was not a natural disaster but a man-made disaster, was because I’ve been reading the 2007 book “The Storm: What Went Wrong and Why During Hurricane Katrina – The Inside Story From One Louisiana Scientist” by Ivor Van Heerden (who lost his job due to his commitment to revealing the truth) and Mike Bryan.

Harry Shearer, the writer/director of the documentary, was in New Orleans at the one-night screening there. (The documentary was shown only on August 30th across the country in select theaters.)

Here’s my unscientific recounting of the man-made disaster in New Orleans:

• The Army Corps of Engineers knew since a 1988 report that the restraining walls of the levees and of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet canal were not sufficient.

• Hurricane Katrina’s surge did NOT cause the immense devastation of human life and property (the levees were NOT overtopped). The breached levees were caused by the insufficiency of the depth and strength of those levees. (Water worked itself under the levees and caused the breaches).

• The most upsetting part of the documentary is the ongoing cover-up being undertaken by the Army Corps of Engineers as well as the compelling portrayal that, while the levee breaches are being fixed, the weak levees that were not damaged in Katrina are NOT being re-engineered to withstand the next big hurricane. In other words, the insufficient levees are being left as they are to be breached next time.

If this documentary were to be compulsory viewing by all U.S. politicians (the documentary makes clear why this is such a political matter), perhaps a few courageous members of both houses of Congress would actually demand that the hurricane protection of New Orleans and the surrounding areas be built to the standards of Amsterdam.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

DoD Announces on Twitter: Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

I retweeted this tweet today:

@DeptofDefense: #Suicide Prevention Awareness month starts today. Follow @DCoEPage for info shared daily http://bit.ly/ddYVY2 #sot #ptsd

And I hope everyone will click through on the link to learn more.

FYI -- For those of you not active on Twitter, the sot stands for support our troops and the # in front of words on Twitter indicates a topic.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

Wall Street Journal Reports on Long-Term Care Veterans Benefit

The August 21-22 Wall Street Journal article "War: One Thing It's Good For" by Kelly Greene reported:

Millions of families of wartime veterans are failing to take advantage of a little-known benefit that could help pay for long-term care.

The Department of Veterans Affairs' so-called aid-and-attendance benefit pays a maximum of $1,949 a month to married veterans who qualify. Single veterans and surviving spouses may be eligible for smaller payments.

To qualify, veterans must have served at least 90 days of active military service, including at least one day during a war, and not have been discharged dishonorably. (The rules are stricter for wartime veterans who entered active duty starting Sept. 8, 1980.) They also must meet certain thresholds for medical need and financial need.

Read the entire article now to learn more.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

Piper Perabo in New TV Series COVERT AFFAIRS Plays a Realistic CIA Field Agent

In the new drama series “Covert Affairs” on USA Network, Piper Perabo stars as Annie Walker, a 28-year-old CIA trainee yanked from her training at “The Farm” for a critical mission in D.C. and then kept at CIA headquarters rather than finishing her training.

What makes this spy thriller believable (as a TV drama) starting with the first episode is the scene in which Annie is hauled in to speak with a trainer and she believes she is about to be cut from training.

She blabbers that she’ll take retake the exercise. She asks if it was the driving course or the deception training.

The reply is that she was better on the driving course than any woman they’ve ever had and better on the deception training than anyone in a decade.

Then she is told she is being yanked from training to immediately report to Langley – CIA headquarters.

And, yes, she does silly newcomer things and is then introduced to her new secret world by Auggie Anderson (played by Christopher Gorham), a Langley analyst blinded on a special ops mission. (His computer has a Braille keyboard.)

What I like best about this new series is that it is relatively realistic. Perabo is not Angelina Jolie in the new movie “Salt,” a CIA operative who functions more like Spider Man than a real CIA field operative.

Perabo’s Annie Walker is an active field agent but she doesn’t do any superhuman feats.

What’s more, during her polygraph exam in the first episode it is established that she speaks six languages. (Thanks to having traveled around the world in search of herself.) And this language ability is integrally woven into the episodes.

Although “Covert Affairs” takes the usual TV dramatic license with the realities of jurisdiction between the CIA, the FBI and local police, it does provide an interesting insider’s look into CIA covert operations.

I highly recommend this show for its entertaining plots and for its realistic portrayal of a female action heroine. And the show rightly takes its place alongside a sister show on USA Network that I also highly recommend – “Burn Notice” – in which a female operative is also realistically portrayed.

Learn more at www.usanetwork.com/series/covertaffairs/
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

Army Vet Starts Portable iPhone Charger Business From Afghanistan

The April 2010 issue of Inc. magazine carried an article by Jason Del Rey titled "Report From the War Zone: On the frontline in Afghanistan, an Army vet launches his start up."

The article tells the story of Bill McNeely, a former Army logistics officer who served in Iraq and then took a job with a defense contractor in the southern Afghan province of Helmand.

McNeely realized there was a need for a solution to the iPhone's short battery life, and he found a way to solve this problem by creating a portable iPhone charger called the 3GPower2.

McNeely started his company from Afghanistan, and you can order his battery at www.3GPower2.com. (His wife handles shipping from their home in Temple, Texas.)
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

Staying in Touch Can Sometimes Hurt Deployed Personnel

The July 30th Wall Street Journal article "Soldiers' Suicide Rate Tied to Access to Problems at Home" by Julian E. Barnes provided this very important information:

Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the vice-chief of staff of the Army who has led the effort to reduce suicides, said that 79% of suicides were soldiers who had one deployment or had yet to be deployed.

But Gen. Chiarelli said it wasn't just the stress of war that weighed heavily on soldiers, but also stresses from back home.

"For us to blame this just on the war would be wrong," he said.

Because deployed soldiers can stay in touch daily with family, they are often asked to help handle issues involving money, children and personal relationships.

I hope that the military is addressing this realization by repeatedly briefing families of deployed personnel on how they can help their deployed family members by not sharing too much and how the families can instead get help for themselves.

The article also states:

U.S. Army data also show the suicide rate is higher on forward-operating bases where soldiers have easy access to phones and computers with which to call home, and lower in more primitive outposts.

"We need to help families understand the importance when their soldiers are deployed of not dragging them back into a life at home that they have very little ability to try and fix," Gen. Chiarelli said.

While reading this article I had the unsettling feeling of knowing about this. Then I realized that my husband and I had used this situation as a subplot in our screenplay "Lt. Commander Mollie Sanders." We had imagined how powerless a sailor on a submarine might feel if he misinterpreted the message that his wife sends him.

It's not enough for the military to tell family members not to burden their deployed personnel. The military must make sure that help for families is readily available without any negative impact on the personnel.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

Sponsor a Fort Hood Soldier or Wounded Warrior to a CTS Concert

CTS - Consider The Source
Mesa, AZ | Alternative / Rock
Members: Jeff Senour, Eric Hansen, Dave LeGassey, Joe McGinnity

A new contact of mine emailed me this announcement and I told him I would share it with others:

Dear CTS Fans:

How would you like to touch a real hero's life in a big way? Well here's your chance to do something great without much expense.

On Saturday, Sept. 11th, 2010, rock band CTS will headline the National Gathering of the Guard 2010 for Patriot Guard Riders at Killeen, Texas. Killeen is right next to Fort Hood, Texas, where the tragic shootings took place last year.

CTS will headline this amazing event with its "Freedom Rock Experience" multi-media concert honoring our "Real American Heroes." Killeen Convention Center holds 1,400 people and CTS along with Urban Quartet will rock this heroic town.

The concert will also feature the local Harker Heights High School Orchestra performing our original song "Snowball Express," honoring the widows and children who have lost a loved one in the military.

Your support of this event even if you can't make it will touch a lot of people who give it all for our country.

Tickets are now on sale and we would love to have you there but know a lot of our CTS fans can't attend. So now we invite you to sponsor your very own Fort Hood soldier or wounded warrior to the concert. You can sponsor one or as many as you like. You can sponsor a whole platoon if your heart desires.

It's as easy as a mouse click away on the following link. Our soldiers give it all for our freedom and how awesome it would be to send your own American hero to a concert night out at Fort Hood.

Log onto: http://gotg2010.eventbrite.com/

The Fort Hood base and Patriot Guard Riders will give your sponsorship tickets to the Fort Hood soldiers and various wounded warriors to attend the concert. By sponsoring your own unique American hero you will be present in a way at the concert and a part of the CTS journey to touch lives with good music.

Thank you for your support of CTS music and our nation's finest heroes.

Your Friends,

Jeff, Joe, Dave and Eric / CTS
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

The PTSD Walk Has Hit a Snag and Needs Your Help

Dan Stepel, the 47-year-old U.S. Marine veteran who was determined to walk the 12,000 miles, has finally bowed to the inevitable.

A bug bite in Ghana when he was there on business led to surgery that left one leg less than whole. And while Dan truly thought he could walk those miles each day with this bad leg, he has had to admit defeat for his own plans.

But he is not admitting defeat with this planned walk.

The response on the walk’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/PTSDWalk) has demonstrated how important it is to get the media exposure that such a walk would bring to the PTSD suffering of active-duty military personnel and veterans.

THE MISSION NOW:

How to have the walk without Dan doing the walking.

There are a few veterans who suffer from PTSD who could each, perhaps, walk for a week. Under this plan these veterans would need to meet up on the walk itinerary with the previous walker and take over for a week.

In other words, a relay walk, which could be quite powerful from a media exposure perspective.

Would you or anyone you know possibly be interested in participating in a relay walk?

Do you have other ideas of how this project might go forward?

Leave comments here or email Dan at danstepel@gmail.com

As Dan learned in the Marines, Semper Fi!
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

Navy Introduces New Ideas to the Realities of Sea Life

I had the privilege to be on the Department of Defense Bloggers Roundtable featuring Captain Carl Conti, Director of Experimentation, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, and Commander Dave Varnes, Director, Trident Warrior 2010.

Captain Conti explained:

What we're trying to do every year when we do Trident Warrior is to go out and find things that are out there -- it might be a technology, it might be a process, it might be a procedure -- but different ways to do business -- and take that information out to sea and see how it works in the hands of the folks that are going to be using it.

The example of this that I liked best is this one given by Captain Conti:

We had one technology one time, the engineers were planning it out, they had done it in pencil work in the lab, everything was good to go. They packaged their box up and they sent it out to the ship to get installed, and then it was inside of a big Pelican case, and then they realized that Pelican case doesn't fit through the hatch on the ship.

Listen to the half-hour interview now -- it's very informative.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. Her newest military-related project is supporting the upcoming PTSD Walk Across America.Phyllis' social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing combines traditional marketing principles and Internet marketing strategies to put power in your hands. Read her social media marketing blog.

My Russian Spy Recruitment Story

The July 5th Wall Street Journal carried a story by Sean Gardiner titled “A Cold-War Spy Story.” In the story, Gardiner features Paul Browne, now deputy New York City police commissioner.

Gardiner describes Paul Browne’s “firsthand experience being recruited by a Russian agent – a Soviet spy betting a relationship with a small-town newspaper reporter would one day bear fruit.”

This recruitment attempt began in 1973 -- two years after the recruitment attempt of my husband and myself in an inexpensive eatery in Copenhagen in September 1971.

At that time my husband Mitch and I had been stationed since September 1970 in Munich, where Mitch was a U.S. Army intelligence officer at the 18th Military Battalion. I had spent the time fighting the U.S. Civil Service and finally had a GS rating and a security clearance.

Upon our return from Copenhagen I would start working as a GS-3 at the 66th Military Intelligence Group. And I had already signed documents telling me what to expect from a Soviet recruitment pickup effort.

Now picture Copenhagen in September 1971:

All the tourists have gone home. Mitch has a very short haircut (in 1971 a dead giveaway that he is military) and we’re sitting in an inexpensive eatery listed in Frommer’s “Europe on $5 and $10 a Day.”

The middle-aged man sitting next to us says, “These Danes are so frivolous. I’ve just been to Russia and they’re much more serious there.”

My husband and I touch knees under the table. This is a classic recruitment pickup line – extolling the virtues of the Russians.

But this classic line so shakes us that we immediately get up from our table and run – yes run – all the way to Tivoli Gardens and halfway through before we stop running.

Then we look at each other. Incredible! Just as we had been warned.

And, yes, one day when I came to work at the 66th, my GS-12 boss was very agitated. A U.S. soldier stationed on the border with East Germany had “gone over to the other side.” My boss surmised that the Russians had gotten the lonely solder in a compromising position.

That was the Cold War 40 years ago. We were taught to be vigilant against Soviet agents. And we even laughed at the Russian spy standing outside in the cold as we arrived to attend the post commander’s New Year’s Day reception at the officers’ club.

Now it’s 2010 – and there are Russian sleeper agents arrested in the U.S. The past has come forward 40 years.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. Her newest military-related project is supporting the upcoming PTSD Walk Across America.Phyllis' social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing combines traditional marketing principles and Internet marketing strategies to put power in your hands. Read her social media marketing blog.

THE DRY LAND Movie: Part II

As I wrote in my previous blog post about the new movie THE DRY LAND I thought the movie a very compelling story of one soldier's return home.

I actually got a very interesting question on Twitter from @FreeRangeMom (Peggy Dolane):

@ZimblerMiller Do you think #thedryland would be of interest to currently enlisted personnel? Or is it too close to home?

And here is what I replied in the limitation of characters on Twitter:

@FreeRangeMom Important for current enlisted personnel & officers to see #thedryland to know they are not "crazy" - it's a medical condition

Now I want to share with you part of an email I sent THE DRY LAND's writer/director Ryan Piers Williams after attending the press screening of the film:

I have only one comment. Although I know that end credits are usually contractual, is there any way the important info about getting help for PTSD can be before the end credits? I'm concerned that many people don't stay for the credits and that message is so very, very important.

Ryan's reply to me was so sensitive to the emotions of people that I asked his permission to share that response here:

The decision to put the PTSD message where it is was a very important one. I found, through many test audiences, that people needed the time between the end of picture to the PTSD message to settle their emotions.

I timed out the message to come when I felt the audience would be ready for it. It was a creative decision. We tried to place it after the picture ended and it felt wrong. It was a tough decision, but one I had to make.

There was not one actor that wasn't willing to sign a waiver to have the message above their names. That was not the issue. The decision was made by me in considering the emotional state the audience should be in by the end of the film and when they might be ready to read the message.

FYI -- See July 7th New York Times article by James Dao headlined "V.A. Is Easing Rules to Cover Stress Disorder"
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. Her newest military-related project is supporting the upcoming PTSD Walk Across America.Phyllis' social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing combines traditional marketing principles and Internet marketing strategies to put power in your hands. Read her social media marketing blog.

Introducing the New Movie THE DRY LAND: A Compelling Story of One Soldier's Return Home

I had the privilege to attend a press screening for the movie THE DRY LAND before it appears in theaters July 30th.

Writer/director Ryan Piers Williams and the actors, starting with the central character played by Ryan O'Nan, and including everyone involved in the film have created an incredibly compelling story of a soldier's return from Iraq to the "peace" of West Texas.

The film focuses on the impact of undiagnosed PTSD on the soldier, his wife and his community although the words Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are never uttered in the film.

What's so amazing about this film is that the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense gave support for the film. In fact, here's a quote from the press notes from U.S. Army entertainment industry liaison Lt. Colonel Gregory W. Bishop:

The biggest barrier to a soldier getting help is the perceived stigma .. we want troops to know it's okay to seek help for any challenges they may face, especially PTSD. It's critical that we lead by example, and as an institution, that we're encouraging opening dialogue on PTSD and mental health. I'm proud of our participation in this film. It's an honest, open exploration of a struggle that many of our troops go through. I think it will help soldiers.

I'll be writing more about this film in later blog posts, so for this post I want to end by quoting film writer/director Ryan Piers Williams from the press notes:

The most important feeling I want the audience to leave with is hope. This film explores many of the dark aspects of coming home from war, but the message I want to leave people with is that there is hope for a life after the war.

The film's end credits include this message:

If you, or someone you know, is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), help is available:

www.realwarriors.net
www.militaryonesource.com
800.342.9647

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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. Her newest military-related project is supporting the upcoming PTSD Walk Across America.Phyllis' social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing combines traditional marketing principles and Internet marketing strategies to put power in your hands. Read her social media marketing blog.

Coffee Bean Supports Our Deployed Troops

I had a meeting at the Coffee Bean on South Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills. When I ordered my decaf coffee I was asked if I wanted to buy a pound of coffee to be donated to deployed troops with $1 of the purchase price going to Fisher House. I said yes.

And then here's the really cool thing. I got to write a message on the back of the pound of coffee I donated.

In my message I wrote about the upcoming PTSD Walk Across America and gave the URL for the walk's Facebook page -- www.facebook.com/PTSDWalk

This purchase today was especially poignant as earlier in the day I had been contacted by a soldier with PTSD who is having a difficult time because his chain of command is not supportive of soldiers with PTSD.

If you don't have a Coffee Bean near you, you can order the pound of coffee online and either get it shipped to you with $1 going to Fisher House or you can donate the purchase through Soldiers' Angels.

Here is the description of the project from the Coffee Bean website:

Support from Home Blend

This blend was created as a tribute to the brave men and women of our Armed forces serving around the world. It was designed to be bold, yet smooth in flavor. The Support from Home Blend has a medium body, a fruity aroma and a black cherry flavor with a dark chocolate finish.

One dollar from your purchase of Support From Home coffee will be donated to the Fisher House™.If you wish to donate your purchase of Support from Home Blend to our troops, please contact your local Soldier’s Angels.

The Support From Home Blend is pre-ground.

I hope you'll join Coffee Bean in supporting our troops.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. Her newest military-related project is supporting the upcoming PTSD Walk Across America.Phyllis' social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing combines traditional marketing principles and Internet marketing strategies to put power in your hands. Read her social media marketing blog.

This July 4th Support the PTSD Walk Across America

This Fourth of July show your support to our troops by one simple click on Facebook.

Join the Facebook page of the upcoming PTSD Walk Across America, whose purpose is to raise awareness of and funds for PTSD help for active-duty military personnel and veterans.

While the Fourth of July celebrates the birth of our nation, it's vital that we remember that the men and women serving in today's Armed Forces are the first line of defense for our democratic way of life.

Join the PTSD Walk Across America Facebook page now -- www.facebook.com/PTSDWalk
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. Her newest military-related project is supporting the upcoming PTSD Walk Across America.Phyllis' social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing combines traditional marketing principles and Internet marketing strategies to put power in your hands. Read her social media marketing blog.

PTSD Walk Banner LIVE on 40 Bizymoms City Pages

Nina Amerasinghe – Director of Experts Relations for the Bizymoms' Expert Advice Section & Small Business Advisors Center – emailed me to let me know that the PTSD Walk banner (designed by Nina -- see above on right-hand side of this blog) is live on all these city pages - cities that Dan Stepel will visit during his 12,000 mile walk to raise awareness of and funds for PTSD.

Nina emailed:

There were only a couple cities on Dan's route document that Bizymoms did not have the city page of. I hope this makes a difference at a local U.S. city level to your wonderful event.

1. http://www.bizymoms.com/los-angeles/

2. http://www.bizymoms.com/portland/

3. http://www.bizymoms.com/manchester/

4. http://www.bizymoms.com/boston/

5. http://www.bizymoms.com/new-york/

6. http://www.bizymoms.com/philadelphia/

7. http://www.bizymoms.com/baltimore/

8. http://www.bizymoms.com/washington/

9. http://www.bizymoms.com/richmond/

10. http://www.bizymoms.com/virginia-beach/

11. http://www.bizymoms.com/jacksonville/

12. http://www.bizymoms.com/raleigh/

13. http://www.bizymoms.com/fayetteville/

14. http://www.bizymoms.com/charlotte/

15. http://www.bizymoms.com/columbia/

16. http://www.bizymoms.com/atlanta/

17. http://www.bizymoms.com/montgomery/

18. http://www.bizymoms.com/pensacola/

19. http://www.bizymoms.com/mobile/

20. http://www.bizymoms.com/gulfport/

21. http://www.bizymoms.com/new-orleans/

22. http://www.bizymoms.com/baton-rouge/

23. http://www.bizymoms.com/beaumont/

24. http://www.bizymoms.com/houston/

25. http://www.bizymoms.com/san-antonio/

26. http://www.bizymoms.com/austin/

27. http://www.bizymoms.com/killeen/

28. http://www.bizymoms.com/dallas/

29. http://www.bizymoms.com/oklahoma-city/

30. http://www.bizymoms.com/wichita/

31. http://www.bizymoms.com/lincoln/

32. http://www.bizymoms.com/cheyenne/

33. http://www.bizymoms.com/denver/

34. http://www.bizymoms.com/colorado-springs/

35. http://www.bizymoms.com/albuquerque/

36. http://www.bizymoms.com/flagstaff/

37. http://www.bizymoms.com/las-vegas/

38. http://www.bizymoms.com/san-bernardino/

39. http://www.bizymoms.com/riverside/

40. http://www.bizymoms.com/long-beach/

FYI -- If you'd like a banner for your website, email me at pzmiller@millermosaicllc.com -- and do join the walk's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PTSDWalk
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. Her newest military-related project is supporting the upcoming PTSD Walk Across America.Phyllis' social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing combines traditional marketing principles and Internet marketing strategies to put power in your hands. Read her social media marketing blog.

Peggy Noonan of The Wall Street Journal Needs to Learn That Women Are Also Deployed

I usually appreciate the opinion pieces of Peggy Noonan in The Wall Street Journal and the one this weekend was no exception -- except for her total non-mention of women serving deployments.

Here is the letter to the editor that I emailed The Wall Street Journal and which I hope will be printed:

Peggy Noonan's June 26-27 Declarations "McChrystal Forces Us to Focus" was an excellent opinion piece except for her failure to include women in her references to active-duty military personnel repeatedly deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Ms. Noonan wrote "Their sons and nephews have come back from repeat tours ..." while failing to include daughters and nieces. She also wrote "... children reaching 12 and 13 without a father at home" that should have said "without a father or mother at home."

Perhaps Ms. Noonan should be briefed on how many women now serve repeated deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq, and how many of these women have also paid the ultimate price, leaving their children without a mother.

Our country needs to acknowledge the sacrifices of both the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces.

Phyllis Zimbler Miller
Los Angeles, CA
PTSD Walk Across America
www.facebook.com/PTSDWalk
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. Her newest military-related project is supporting the upcoming PTSD Walk Across America.Phyllis' social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing combines traditional marketing principles and Internet marketing strategies to put power in your hands. Read her social media marketing blog.

Thanks to Bizymoms.com for Supporting the PTSD Walk Across America

Bizymoms.com has placed a banner for the PTSD Walk Across America on its home page with a link to the walk’s Facebook page.

And Nina Amerasinghe – Director of Experts Relations for the Bizymoms' Expert Advice Section & Small Business Advisors Center – has even offered to include the info in the next month BizyNews newsletter that goes to subscribed readers under the Special Community Announcement with a link to the pdf PTSD info document from www.FilmsThatSupportOurTroops.com

In addition, Nina has offered to place the PTSD Walk banner on Bizymoms’ relevant U.S. city pages. Nina said:

"When it comes to something that will help others, Bizymoms.com likes to support it. So it's our pleasure, Phyllis, because you are right your event would help save lives and there are so many who need something like this to come their way and for them to know about it is important."

If you have a website and would like to carry the banner that Nina created (and has graciously allowed us to use for others -- it's the one shown in this blog post), email pzmiller@millermosaicllc.com and I’ll email you the banner.

And on a related PTSD subject, I got a DM on Twitter from @VetsPrevail (http://www.vetsprevail.com/): 18 Vets commit suicide every day. We need your help to spread the word about this powerful video: http://t.co/vxsyPDa Please pass it on.

I watched the brief video – now you watch it too: http://t.co/vxsyPDa
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. Her newest military-related project is supporting the upcoming PTSD Walk Across America.Phyllis' social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing combines traditional marketing principles and Internet marketing strategies to put power in your hands. Read her social media marketing blog.

Looking for a Few Good Sponsors for the PTSD Walk Across America

The PTSD Walk Across America is looking for a few good sponsors who want to benefit from the social media marketing campaign to promote the walk and their own businesses. Check out this brief video now for more information.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. Her newest military-related project is supporting the upcoming PTSD Walk Across America.Phyllis' social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing combines traditional marketing principles and Internet marketing strategies to put power in your hands. Read her social media marketing blog.

Interesting Results From Studies on PTSD

A June 7, 2010, Los Angeles Times article reported some interesting findings on studies done about PTSD.

Read the article now.

And have you joined the Facebook page for the PTSD Walk Across America? If not, join now at www.facebook.com/PTSDWalk
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Pyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. Her newest military-related project is supporting the upcoming PTSD Walk Across America.Phyllis' social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing combines traditional marketing principles and Internet marketing strategies to put power in your hands. Read her social media marketing blog.

The Vital Question of the Public’s Perception of Combat-Related PTSD

During the last few days I’ve been cced on a series of emails between Dan Stepel, the 47-year-old U.S. Marine veteran who will be undertaking the 12,000 mile PTSD Walk Across America, and someone who has designed a clothing item that features a humorous slogan about PTSD.

We’ll call the person George, and I won’t mention the slogan except to say that in Dan’s perception (and mine, I admit) the joke slogan denigrates the seriousness of PTSD.

Dan emailed George explaining why this particular humorous slogan could be detrimental to the public perception of PTSD, and George responded by saying veterans to whom he has shown the clothing item think the slogan funny.

Here’s what I then wrote to George with a cc to Dan:

I believe the two of you are speaking about apples and oranges.

This belief is based on the last two years in which I have interviewed people on BlogTalkRadio and written numerous blog posts about PTSD and the horrible statistics related to it, including terrible wife abuse, high numbers of suicide, withdrawal from loved ones, etc.

(Do a search for PTSD on my site www.mrslieutenant.blogspot.com)

Here are the apples and oranges:

The apples are veterans that you [George] come in contact with who, I suspect, either do not personally know the terrible ravages of PTSD or who, luckily, have been able to get adequate treatment for it. These are veterans who can indeed laugh at the sentiment on your [clothing item].

The oranges are the active-duty military personnel and their families plus the veterans and their families who are currently living with the terribleness of PTSD either because they can't or don't get treatment or because the treatment they are getting is not effective.

I believe that, if you took a survey among all the PTSD-support organizations that I have come across in the last two years, you would find that most people would agree with Dan's sentiment for one very simple reason:

Every time a joke is made of PTSD -- thus possibly convincing a military person that he/she should be able to take care of the devastating symptoms himself/herself (the macho factor plus fear of military career reprisal) -- the joke may be consigning a military personnel to killing himself/herself or irreparably harming his/her spouse, children or other loved ones.

I strong urge you to read some of my blog posts before you so lightly dismiss what Dan wrote you. I am convinced that, after reading these blog posts, you will consider seriously the ramifications of making light about the brutal reality of PTSD.

Unfortunately, what veterans at the VA can laugh about does not extend to people grappling day-to-day with the terrible turmoil of PTSD. And when those veterans who can laugh wear your proposed [clothing item] out into the rest of the world, the stage is set for some truly terrible consequences.

Why not, instead, come up with a saying on the [clothing item] that could encourage people to get the help that they so desperately need?

How about:

PTSD

Got treatment?

[This was the end of my email response. If you have an opinion on this subject, please share it in the comments below. And for information on the symptoms of PTSD, see www.FilmsThatSupportOurTroops.com]
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. Her newest military-related project is supporting the upcoming PTSD Walk Across America.Phyllis' social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing combines traditional marketing principles and Internet marketing strategies to put power in your hands. Read her social media marketing blog.