Wisconsin Service Member Support Division » Events

Author to Meet With 30 Female Wisconsin Veterans

webmaster — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:01:59 +0000

The Madelyn LaCanne American Legion Post 539 in Green Bay is looking for 30 female veterans to meet with author, Therese Hughes

We are in need of 30 Wisconsin female veterans willing to come to Green Bay on March 10th for a special champaign reception and interview session with author Therese Hughes. She will also be in Milwaukee on Friday March 9. Therese is currently working on a 2-year project entitled “I am a U. S. Veteran: Women in Wars & Conflicts [WWII - Current Conflicts].” The goal of her project is to honor women who served in defense of our nation. Participant interviews and photographs will be published in her completed book. At project end, each participant will receive a copy of their photo-journal page as a thank you from her.

Therese currently resides in California and will be in Washington D.C. the week prior to her engagement in Green Bay. She is also a guest speaker at our American Legion Birthday Luncheon that same day. However, if she does not have 30 participants from Wisconsin to interview, she will not come here! If interested in sharing their story in either Green Bay or Milwaukee, women vets should contact Tracy Steiner for more information no later than Friday Feb. 3! Tracy can be contacted by email at drtfrmrswife@yahoo.com or by phone at 920-487-3998. We greatly appreciate your cooperation!

Extreme Makeover’ Seeks Military Families for Holiday Episode

webmaster — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:55:34 +0000

By Elaine Sanchez
Nov. 28, 2011

The cast of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” would like to brighten the holidays for a deserving military family this year.

The reality show is seeking nominations for military families in desperate need of a home makeover. The selected family will be featured in an upcoming holiday episode.

“We want to do a holiday-themed episode that’s even bigger and more extreme than ever,” David Shumsky, the show’s casting director, said in an ABC news release. “In order to pull off such a huge venture, we need the support of the entire community. We know that the military communities will come out to help one of their own.”

The popular reality show features Ty Pennington, his design team and a host of volunteers performing a massive home makeover in just seven days. The show focuses on families whose home situation is a severe hindrance to their quality of life, Shumsky explained.

“We really want to help families whose homes present major problems for the family — those big issues that affect the family’s quality of life on a daily basis,” he said. “We want to find deserving people who just don’t have the resources, ability or time to fix those serious issues without our help.

“For this special episode we’d love it if the holiday season had some special significance to the family’s story,” he added. “Maybe they have unique holiday traditions or volunteer in an organization specifically geared toward the season. Ultimately, we want to give this family the best holiday they’ve ever had.”

Families in need of a makeover or community members who know of a deserving family are welcome to submit nominations. Nominations must include the names and ages of every household member, a description of the major challenges within the home, a short description of the family story, and a contact phone number.

People should also explain why the family is deserving, heroic or a great role model in their community and, if possible, include recent photos of the family and home. People can submit nominations via email to jax@emhe.tv.

For more information on how to apply, visit the show’s website at http://abc.go.com/primetime/xtremehome/index?pn=apply.

Trees for Troops Program

webmaster — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:45:31 +0000

The 2011 Trees for Troops program, sponsored by the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation and FedEx Corp., will be making a stop in Green Bay,WI to collect trees donated by Christmas Tree growers throughout the state of WI.

Volunteers will collect, prepare and load hundreds of donated trees onto FedEx Freight trucks to be delivered to U.S.military bases.

For the seventh consecutive year, Christmas Tree growers nationwide have donated Real Christmas Trees for military families. This year, 17,000 trees are expected to be delivered to U.S.military bases, as well as an international shipment to military bases overseas. This total will put the program at more than 100,000 trees delivered since the beginning of the program in 2005.

For more details click on the closest location:

Green Bay
Madison
Wausau
Press Release

Indian Summer Festival: Honoring our Veterans

webmaster — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:27:00 +0000

September 10-12
Click here for more info! Indian Summer Flyer

Email photos of Veterans and currently enlisted Servicemen and Servicewomen to be included on the WALL OF HONOR.
Be sure to include:
- Name of person in photo
- Tribe
- Branch of Service
- Year(s) Served

All photos will become part of the permanent exhibit and will not be returned.
• Participate in the VETERAN’S PARADE on the Festival grounds on Saturday.
For more information about the Exhibit or Parade, please contact Joy Logan at joylogan@uwm.edu or (414) 229-5880.

• Participate in the TRADITIONAL POW WOW all weekend honoring Veterans, current Servicemen & Servicewomen, and First Responders. Families may also Sponsor a Dance Special, Honor Song or Flagpole. For more info or to sponsor a Special, Honor Song or Flagpole, please contact Deanna Porter at opichikwe@hotmail.com.

Free Entry All Weekend for: Active Military, Veterans and First Responders with ID.
www.indiansummer.org

Soup’s Troops 2010

webmaster — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:59:49 +0000

The USO of Wisconsin is pleased to announce the third year of a special partnership with the Milwaukee Brewers and Brewers Community Foundation, Inc. and a program designed to honor active military personnel and their families at Miller Park. Beginning with the April 5, 2010 game and continuing through the September 26, 2010 game – a total of 81 games – pitcher Jeff Suppan, in partnership with the Milwaukee Brewers and Brewers Community Foundation Inc., will donate four excellent Field Level seats behind Home Plate for use by active military and their families. In 2008, these seats were specially outfitted with camouflage colors as a tribute to our service men and women and they have come to be known as the “Soup‟s Troops” seats. mailto:soups@usowisconsin.org

Serving our Armed Forces Since 1941

To add to this special package: Jeff Suppan will donate $200 in Miller Park certificates to the occupants of these seats – $50 per guest – so they can enjoy food and beverages or purchase a special souvenir while they are at the ballpark. The USO of Wisconsin is adding its support to the Soup‟s Troops seats by providing a parking pass for each recipient. Brewers Community Foundation will also be adding a special camouflage t-shirt to the package for the 81 seat recipients. Jeff„s gift has been made possible thorough a generous donation he makes each year to Brewers Community Foundation Inc., the club‟s charitable arm. Brewers Community Foundation Inc. works with Jeff to put his gift to use in our community and he has a special fondness for people serving our country and the families that await their return. In 2009, Jeff contributed nearly $61,000 to military causes including the Soup‟s Troops seats, the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight program and the costs of shipping holiday gifts to local troops serving in Afghanistan. As a result of Jeff Suppan‟s ongoing support for our military families, the Soup‟s Troops seats have quickly become a very sought-after package at Miller Park.

The USO of Wisconsin will coordinate the selection process for use of the Soup‟s Troops seats at Miller Park, which will be made available to all branches of the military and their families. The USO will work with military units in Wisconsin as well as other organizations with ties to military families to seek potential recipients for the Soup‟s Troops seats. Entry forms submitted to the USO will be entered into a drawing, held by the USO.

If you or someone you know wishes to take part in this special Soup‟s Troops seat package drawing, please complete and return the attached form to the USO of Wisconsin by Friday, March 12, 2010. All names submitted by this date will be eligible for the drawing which will occur shortly thereafter. Recipients will be notified by Brewers Community Foundation Inc. to arrange for coordination of game tickets, Miller Park certificates, parking pass and camouflage t-shirt.

The USO of Wisconsin is pleased to again partner with Milwaukee Brewers Pitcher Jeff Suppan and Brewers Community Foundation Inc. on this special package for our service men and women and their families. We recognize that only a limited number of people will be able to utilize this ticket package. Brewers Community Foundation Inc. will generously provide additional game tickets to the USO for use during the 2010 season to accommodate military personnel and their families. Please contact us for information on the additional block of 2010 Milwaukee Brewers‟ game tickets.

Registration Form

Sincerely,

Jessica Stice

Executive Director, USO of Wisconsin
750 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr, Suite # 303
Milwaukee, WI 53202-4018
414-271-3133 (Office)
414-271-9503 (Fax)

Understanding Emotional and Physical Issues of Veteran Reintegration

webmaster — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:35:32 +0000

A program of North Central Area Health Education Center in partnership with Northcentral Technical College.

Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Cynthia Rasmussen, RN, MSN, CANP, PN, Director Psychological Health, and Sexual Assault Response Coordinator will provide an overview of service member/veteran and family reintegration issues with the goal of informing communities, families, service members, employers, and health care providers of ways to support and assist in reintegration. She will describe differences between warrior skills and home skills together with a review of Combat Operational Stress Reaction, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury and other Behavioral Health issues.

LTC Rasmussen is an Adult Nurse Practitioner currently serving in the Army Reserve as a Mental Health Nurse in her fifth year, mobilized to support the Global War on Terrorism.

She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Nursing from Marquette University. She has represented the Department of Veterans’ Affairs at the National Polytrauma Convention, testified before the Senate Committee on Veteran’s affairs, and presented at numerous military and civilian organizations throughout the country.

Join us to learn more about the challenges people face who have served in the military as they return home.

Thursday, March 18, 2010
12:30 to 3:00 pm (registration check-in starts at 11:45)
at Northcentral Technical College

Room E101, Main Building
1000 W. Campus Dr., Wausau, WI
Cost is $35 for General Registration

$20 for Students with ID

Military Veterans are invited to attend at NO COST as our honored guests.
.2 CEU (2 hours) of UW-Extension Continuing Education Units will be awarded on request for full participation.

To register and for program information go to, https://www.ahecmanager.org/nahec/CurrentEvents.asp.

For additional assistance contact Bobbie Kolehouse at bkolehouse@nahec-wi.org or 715.340.9111.

Homecoming: Understanding Emotional and Physical Issues of Veteran Reintegration is a presentation of the North Central Wisconsin Area Health Education Center, affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, in partnership with Northcentral Technical College.

LZ Lambeau Welcome Home 2010

webmaster — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:11:38 +0000

In May of 2010, Vietnam Veterans and their families are invited to a special Welcome Home celebration at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The big event will include several days of concerts and reunions, and exhibits including The Moving Wall™.

During the showcase event at Lambeau Field on May 22 we will remember those who did not return from combat with music, readings, and a preview of the Wisconsin Public Television documentary, Wisconsin Vietnam War Stories.

The intention of the event is to provide Vietnam veterans with the Welcome Home that which was denied them 40 years ago. In this effort, Wisconsin Public Television, the Wisconsin Historical Society, and the Department of Veterans Affairs became partners in the Wisconsin Vietnam War Stories Project. But for the effort to create the event called LZ Lambeau, the partners are joined by the Green Bay Packers, the City of Green Bay, the State of Wisconsin, several of Wisconsin’s Indian Nations, and a growing group of veterans’ organizations.

Designed by the veterans and veterans service organizations, Wisconsin’s Vietnam War veterans and Vietnam Era veterans, and all their families, are invited to a weekend of activities that will include a motorcycle ride across the state from La Crosse to Green Bay, concerts, The Moving Wall™ exhibit, Vietnam War military exhibits, photo exhibits, vehicle and helicopter displays, and social get-togethers.

The Welcome Home Weekend will culminate with the veterans and their families filling Lambeau Field for an official Memorial Ceremony for their fallen colleagues. This presentation will feature music and spoken word performances, and screenings of excerpts from the Wisconsin Vietnam War Stories documentary on the Tundravision.

A special outreach effort is underway to encourage the participation of the families of the more than 1,200 Wisconsinites who did not return from the war, and the families of those returned veterans who did not live long enough to be welcomed home.

This event, certain to attract nation-wide attention, is a chance for our veterans to finally be able to take public pride in their service, and to receive the appreciation and recognition they deserve.

Operation Purple Family Retreats

webmaster — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:30:04 +0000

The National Military Family Association is happy to announce that we will offer Operation Purple Family Retreats during the winter of 2010. These free, four-day retreats are set in a National Park using nature’s classroom, where you and your family will have opportunities to strengthen and renew relationships, explore the natural surroundings, and participate in fun family-focused activities.

Participants will be paired with highly specialized field science educators and staff members who will guide families through various activities such as nature hikes, canoeing, campfires, beach exploration, snow shoe hikes, and more! In addition, the weekend includes structured activities which will highlight areas of strength and resilience in your family and promote family growth.

These retreats are open to service members and their families who have experienced deployment within the last 15 months. To be eligible to be considered for these retreats, service members must have returned from deployment no less than 3 months or no more than 15 months prior to the start date of each retreat. Families who attend will receive a $200 stipend per family upon arrival to the retreat site to cover cost of travel. The retreats are free thanks to support from the Sierra Club and the Sierra Club Foundation.

Location and Dates:

The Teton Science School, Jackson, Wyoming: March 19-23, 2010

Teton Science Schools are a private, 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization, operating year-round in Jackson Hole, Wyoming in partnership with Grand Teton National Park and as a permittee of the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
http://www.tetonscience.org

Eligibility Requirements

These retreats are available to service members and their families who have returned from deployment within the last 18 months. Service members must have been home for at least 3 months prior to the beginning of the retreat.

Service members from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard-active duty and reserve component-as well as families of the Commissioned Corps of the US Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are eligible to apply.