Checking in for a quick update here from General Sarge HQ. Did you know today is Armed Forces Day? While many are making plans for a big Memorial Day next weekend this is a day we salute all branches of the military and the brave men and women who serve.

In honor of this day I gathered some of my furry-friends from other branches of the military for a picture at Central Park in our area.

Not only was this an exciting time for a picture, but it was also the first time my new furry-friend sister-in-law helped with the picture too! Photo Lady Sadii Sarge is a photographer just like her human-owner – who also happens to be my human-owners brothers wife. If you look real close you will even see my furry-friend brother Rockin’ Sarge in this picture too. I think Photo Lady Sadii planned it that way so she could show off her furry-friend husband.  It’s always fun having an extra set of paws around General Sarge HQ to help out with picture taking!

BABW Behind The Seams Blog

I was also asked to do a special post on the Build-A-Bear Workshop official Blog called Behind The Seams for Armed Forces Day too! That was fun and I always love helping out my friends at BABW.

Behind the Seams – Armed Forces Day – Click Here!

I hope you enjoy what I wrote on the blog over there!

Two paws up!
General Sarge

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• General Sarge Celebrating Armed Forces Day

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It was Prom Night last Saturday for my human-owners “main squeeze”.

Before deploying to Afghanistan PFC Ben gave me a very important mission. It was labeled “Top Secret” as we wanted to make sure Meghan was surprised. I showed up at her house Saturday before she headed out for the night with a corsage for her.

I must admit I did have some help picking out the corsage. As a teddy bear and a military bear at that, I really don’t know much about colors since all I usually see is green. I’m glad I had some help from my human-owners Mom who picked out the colors. There are three roses in this arrangement and that is very important. (The number three that is. I guess it means something beary special. I think my human-owner is turning into a real romantic type guy).

Posing With Meghan and Lil’ Benny!

After presenting Meghan with the corsage – and getting some help to put it on her wrist as it’s hard with my bear paws to hold onto things really tight – we posed for some pictures before she headed out for her limo ride to the prom.

Doesn’t she look pretty!?

Not only am I there for the picture but there’s Lil’ Benny too! My human-owner gave Benny to Meghan at Christmastime when he was home on leave. He still has his beret on but decided to change out of his Army uniform and put on a tuxedo for the occasion. He’s looking very dapper too. We bears do look good dressed up.

Two paws up!
General Sarge

Image via CrunchBase

So I’ve had a YouTube channel for quite some time now. But I just didn’t really know what to do with it. Yes there were a few videos on the channel, but not a lot and I really wanted to broaden my horizons moving from the written word and still pictures to video. After all, who doesn’t like seeing a furry friend in video form right? I also have fun things to share and talk about too.

But now I’ve broadened to the app world too!

SocialCam Network

A few days ago my human-owners Dad found a really cool app called SocialCam. It’s pretty fun and very easy to use too. We have it on his iPhone but it’s also available for the Android market too.

What exactly is SocialCam?

It’s a quick and easy way to make videos and then upload them to a social network where the world can see them! But, not only does it link you with a really cool network of others using SocialCam the app also allows you to automatically upload your videos to YouTube and Facebook too!

So check it out! You can download the SocialCam app for your iPhone, iPad or other Android phone or keep track of my videos on my YouTube channel too.

See you in the movies!

• General Sarge Facebook Page
• General Sarge YouTube Channel
• General Sarge SocialCam via Website

Two paws up!
General Sarge

We love saluting military children here at General Sarge HQ and the month of April is especially special as it’s a month set aside to honor and salute military children! An entire month highlighting the lives of brave kids who are often forgotten in the midst of parent deployments.

This year we expanded our contest for three winners and also made it a video contest. Throughout the month of April we came across some wonderful video entries from military children and it was a beary hard choice to come up with just three winners! The entries ranged from songs to parent greetings from Afghanistan. But we did work through the process and are pleased to announce our three winners for the 2012 General Sarge Month of the Military Child Video Contest Salute. Thanks to everyone for your hard work on the videos and we give a big “Two paws up” to all our entrants.

We also want to thank our great sponsors for helping great prizes too! Two paws up to Build-A-Bear Workshop, Best Buy and Gymboree. 

Now onto our winners!

And The Winners Are…

First Place – Jazlyn Xochitl Torres – United States Marine Corp
Prizes include: Official General Sarge Build-A-Bear Workshop Teddy Bear, a teddy bear tent from BABW and a $40 gift card from Best Buy!

Second Place – The McSwain Girls – United States Air Force
Prizes include: Official General Sarge Build-A-Bear Workshop Teddy Bear and a BABW $50 gift card.

Third Place – Jack - Ramstein HS – Kaiserslautern Military Community
Prizes include: Official General Sarge Build-A-Bear Workshop Teddy Bear and $20 gift card from Gymboree.

Thanks again for the support of our great sponsors in helping us make this years Month of the Military Child Salute a great success!

Two paws up!
General Sarge

We knew the day was coming and now it’s very real. We just added a counter to the site here on the right hand side of the page. It’s counting the number of days my human-owner PFC Benjamin Jeffrey is deployed to Afghanistan.

(Photo credit: drrus2000)

This of course is very different than when we were counting the days of Basic Training at Fort Benning, GA. We knew he was still in country and we also knew the date of graduation.

This time around my human-owner is in Afghanistan and we don’t really know how long he will be there. So, we will count the days until we can announce his safe return home. Until then, we keep a candle burning in the window praying for a safe return.

“I will take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing, I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for”.
Jeremiah 29:10-11 – The Message

Staying Army Strong – Two Paws Up,
General Sarge

“About Benjamin He said – ‘Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders’” (Deuteronomy 33:12 NIV).

“ShowStopper” – Toby Mac

Staying Army Strong,
Dr. Rus

Today my human-owners Dad worked, though he says it’s not work if you’re having fun. He has a lot of fun building new furry friends. Of course, furry friends are the best because we give the best hugs!

As you can see in the picture below, I’m having a lot of fun helping my human-owners Dad build bears. It’s cool to see these furry friends come to life and faces light up with that first hug.

Two paws up!
General Sarge

There’s still time to get your video entry in for our April Month of the Military Child Video Contest. Last year our contest was on while my human-owner was finishing his Basic Training at Fort Benning, GA. That enabled him to pick the winner. This year we are praying for his protection and safe return home as he prepares to deploy which also explains the picture I’m using with the post today.

It’s really easy to enter this years contest. Head on over to my special General Sarge Contest YouTube channel, watch my video introduction and then submit your video entry for the contest.

You can even watch the video right here for details about the contest too!

Tell your military friends and spread the word about the contest!

Thanks To Our Great Sponsors!

The prizes include for this years contest include…

1. First Prize - Official General Sarge Build-A-Bear Workshop Teddy Bear, a teddy bear tent from Build-A-Bear Workshop and a $40 gift card from Best Buy.
2. Second Prize – Official General Sarge Build-A-Bear Workshop Teddy Bear and a Build-A-Bear Workshop $50 gift card.
3. Third Prize – Official General Sarge Build-A-Bear Workshop Teddy Bear and a $20 gift card from for kids clothing from Gymboree.

It’s time to get those video cameras rolling and tell us what it means to be a Military Child for our 2012 General Sarge Month of the Military Child Contest. Good luck to everyone!

Two paws up!
General Sarge

Do you have your camera ideas rolling for our great 2012 April Month of the Military Child Contest? We have great prizes and wonderful support for this years contest! We want to say a great big “Two paws up” to Build-A-Bear Workshop, Best Buy and Gymboree! They’ve supplied us with teddy bear accessories and gift cards for this years winners.

This year we’re looking for video entries telling us why you’re proud to be a military child! Of course parents can also include their story of why they are proud of their military kids too.

It’s true, not only are parents brave warriors, but their children are brave warriors too as they often are separated from them during times of deployment. For the post today I decided to slip back into my photo archives and use this picture of my human owner just after his graduation a year ago from Fort Benning, GA. We had a great time hanging out together and this picture was taken at a BABW in Atlanta, GA.

We called this picture “Three Warriors”.

How To Enter The Month of The Military Child Video Contest

We have one entry so far for our video contest. We are looking for more and the deadline for getting your video entry in is Friday, April 20th. It’s pretty easy to enter too! All the details are right here in this special video I did for the contest!

Get those cameras rolling and good luck!

Two paws up!
General Sarge

I’m here with my human-owner’s parents to watch the kids hunt Easter eggs. As you know, I love all kids and this is always a fun event. It starts at 1000 and is over by 10:01:30! The kids are good at finding the eggs!

Two paws up!

General Sarge