Stories in Uniform
A Look at the Heroics, Laughs, Sorrows, and Tragedies of Our Soldiers
By Editors of Reader’s Digest
Published by Reader’s Digest
Hardcover: 224 pages
May 2, 2013; $15.99 US/$16.29 CAN; 9781621450634

Description
From boot camp to combat, a collection of Reader’s Digest’s unique, emotional, and wide-ranging coverage of military life.

Stories in Uniform is a chronological retrospective of the best military pieces Reader’s Digest has run; pieces that will make you weep, make your heart sing, inspire you, enrage you, and make you laugh. Beginning in World War I and continuing though to the war in Iraq, readers will follow soldiers into the trenches, peer in on emergency surgery taking place in the depths of the ocean, watch heroes carry the bodies of fallen brethren, trail Eisenhower for the three days leading up to D-Day, and be inspired as men and women rise above and beyond normal human limits to preserve our rights and save their friends.

Stories include:

• A moving memorial to D-Day
• A tribute to one of the first African-Americans to serve as a Naval Officer • A pilot rescued after his F-16 is shot down
• A soldier returns to the front after losing his foot in action
• An American soldier who takes a big risk to save a dying Afghan girl

This book gives a complete perspective on the hell that is war, the love that grows from camaraderie, the pride from accomplishing the impossible, the humor that springs from the military bureaucracy, and more.

About Reader’s Digest
RDA is a global media and direct marketing company that educates, entertains and connects more than 130 million consumers around the world with products and services from trusted brands. With offices in 43 countries, the company reaches customers in 78 countries, publishes 91 magazines, including 50 editions ofReader’s Digest, the world’s largest-circulation magazine, operates 78 branded websites and sells 40 million books, music and video products across the world each year. Further information about the company can be found at www.rda.com.

For more information please visit http://www.rda.com, and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Stories-Uniform-Heroics-Sacrifices-Soldiers/dp/1621450635

Link to Reader’s Digest Store: http://www.rdtradepublishing.com/book_display.php?isbn13=9781621450634

Julie’s Thoughts: I am a big fan of books like this. I love to read the stories and learn more what it was like in previous wars. I like that the stories come from different points of view. They are not all told from someone who went to war but from the family members too. Each of the stories in the book is short which is nice if you only have a few minutes to read each day. Make sure to keep a tissue by you when you read this book, you will need it.

Giveaway: I will be giving away TWO copies of this book to a couple of my readers. Just enter using the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* I was provided a review company for this post.

When deployment is staring you in the face, you can’t help but think of the time your husband is going to be away. I am already thinking about my kids and how much they will change. When my husband gets back my oldest will be working his way to 10-years-old. Wow! That is a weird thought. My now 6-year-old will be 7 and in the middle of his 1st grade year. My now 2.5 year old will be getting close to 3.5 and will be a completely different child.

When thinking of the upcoming deployment I am also thinking about how the kids will react. I am sad for my oldest. He is going to take it the hardest. He will also remember this time period. My middle son, I just don’t know. My 2.5 year old is going to have a hard time but being that he is so young I don’t think it will really affect him long-term. At least I hope not. You never really know about the little ones. The ones that can’t fully tell you how they are feeling about it.

We have been through deployments before but this one feels different. It will be different because all deployments are different. This is also the deployment that wasn’t supposed to happen for us but with the Army being the Army that changed. I am still trying to get over that but it is hard.

I have been thinking about the time that he will be away and how all of us will change. When he gets back our kids will be different. I will be different. We will not be doing the same things we are doing right now. There will never be another time like right now for our family. Where my 8, 6 and 2-year-old are getting ready to enjoy the summer. Where I am working hard to further my own career from home. Where I sit at the base of a deployment shaped hill and wonder how on earth I am going to get to the other side.

Maybe he just needs to leave. I know that statement is hard for people who have not gone through a deployment to understand. When you know they have to deploy, when there is nothing you can do to change that, you have to let it go and when you get to that point you are just ready for it to start. You want to start counting down.

When my husband went to JRTC earlier this year I had quite a few, “Oh my! How can I make it through a whole deployment if this is so hard” moments.  But then I started to think about it a little bit. Once the deployment starts and I have moments like that…the deployment will have an expiration date. It might change a few times but I will have a general idea about when it will be over. I will know it won’t last forever. Maybe that will make it a little easier than just having him away for pre-deployment training thinking about future fears.

On December 31, 2006 I stood on the balcony of my German stairwell apartment watching the fireworks with my husband. It was New Year’s Eve and I was not excited about 2007. I knew it was going to be a hard year. I had no idea how hard. My husband was home on R&R. I thought he would be gone for another five months and it ended up being 11. That is a little bit about how I feel right now. That I have something ahead of me that doesn’t look too good. Lonely nights, lonely days, missing him, missing all the little things our family does together that we won’t be able to do for a time. It isn’t fun. But it is what it is.

I know that time will pass and we will get through this deployment. I will be writing a homecoming post sometime in the future. I will get through it somehow. I know it will change me. I am not sure how.

All I can do is pray and find ways to stay busy. I am not looking at this deployment as a way to become a better person. Right now all I can do is figure out ways to survive it. Maybe that will change. Maybe one day I will wake up one morning in a few months and realize that this deployment can be more than that for me.

But for now…I am in survival mode. I just need to get through this. I just need the time to pass so our family can be whole again.

Are you also Staring The Big Fat Deployment Mountain In the Face?

In case you didn’t know, I am a huge fan of Outback. If you want to make me happy, buy me a gift card to Outback

If Ben and I can have a date night, we usually end up at Outback. I just love the food. When my husband is away at training or deployed I like to use the Take Away service. I can order online and go pick it up without having to get out of my car. Perfect for when I have all three kids with me.

I was thrilled the first time I heard that they support our troops. It is always nice when a place you already love gives you a reason to like it even more. As a Military family we appreciate any store or restaurant that gives us a discount. It is nice to feel appreciated in that way.

As you can see they are offering a discount from May 27th- July 4th! Yay!

10% off the entire check at Outback

You can also Join the @Outback conversation at #BestMates

What is your favorite thing to eat at Outback?

Content and/or other value provided by out partner, Outback Steakhouse.

My square foot garden is 5 weeks old. I have seen so much growth it is crazy! I have amazed myself and I really can’t believe that I have been able to grow stuff. I thought I had such a black thumb.

I keep wanting to plant more stuff. It is getting a little too much so I think I am good for a while.

I have 2 4×4 beds. I then added 2 more squares using some wood from Home Depot. Then, my neighbor offered me another box he was just going to throw away. So I added that. We also have a bunch of pots and I will have to get a few more for my flowers that I am growing.

I think I am good until it is time to get ready for a fall harvest. Yes I am going to be crazy and try to grow stuff past the summer. Been reading some blogs and some people have even been able to grow stuff through the snow. I figure it will be a fun project to work on, especially if my husband is deployed…which is totally up in the air right now but that is another post all together.

In the last week I planted some green beans which I saw popping up this morning I also went a little crazy with strawberries. I bought some transplants but not sure how good they were. I also bought some Alpine Strawberry seeds. I have some in the boxes and some in pots. We will see what happens.

Here are some photos of the garden 5 weeks in-

My carrots. I love watching them grow. I hope something is going on below.

My corn, which might not do so well. We will see.

I love my peas. They are so cute wrapping themseleves on the trellis I have provided.

My cute little garden helper.

Some of the strawberry transplants I bought. We will see. Not sure if they will do well or not.

My tomato plant. I bought this as a transplant back in April. We have about 10 tomatoes in various stages on this plant. I am so excited for them to be ready so we can eat them The ones I planted from seed are not doing too well. I started them too late and planted them in the ground too early. One of them died so I bought another transplant to take its place. I have 4 left that will hopefully grow.

My husband’s palm tree. He talked about wanting one and I saw one at Home Depot so I got it for him. He is happy.

I spend a little bit of time each day reading gardening blogs and forums. I feel like I learn a little bit more as time goes on. I have already made a few mistakes but that is okay. I have a lifetime to get it right.

What is growing in your garden?

I wanted to share with you all a new book I was able to review. It is called the The NIV Military Wives’ New Testament with Psalms & Proverbs by Zondervan.

Grand Rapids, Mich., March 25, 2013—When a woman’s husband serves in the military, she is required to sacrifice as well, adding a level of strain to everyday life that most people can’t understand. Frequent moves, unpredictable schedules, extended deployments, reintegration—and, in some cases, caregiving—all make a military spouse hungry for the stability and peace found in God’s Word.

 This month, Zondervan releases the special NIV Military Wives’ New Testament with Psalms & Proverbs, designed to address the unique needs, hopes, fears, struggles, and insecurities of military wives.

With 90 devotionals written by military wives and edited by Jocelyn Green, a former military wife who actively ministers to wives whose husbands are serving, this New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs is designed so that women in this unique situation feel as if they have a companion on their journey.

The NIV Military Wives’ New Testament with Psalms & Proverbs includes:

• Devotions that provide hope, encouragement, and spiritual growth
• Preface written by Jocelyn Greene
• Scripture from the New International Version
• Topical Index and other study helps

“The military wife fights battles of their own with unseen enemies: loneliness, weariness, fear, discouragement,” said Green. “The truth of God’s Word is both her weapon and her shield. With special devotions written by and for fellow military wives, this New Testament with Psalms & Proverbs serves as soul armor for the heroes at home.”

As military wives serve their country in their own way, the words of Green and other seasoned military wives bring help and hope, alongside God’s Word, to encourage and embolden them.

Jocelyn Green is an award-winning author of multiple books, including Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives, and Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front, which inspired her historical fiction series, Heroines Behind the Lines. Her passion for the military family was fueled by her own experience as a military wife, and by the dozens of interviews she has conducted with members of the military for her articles and books. Jocelyn lives in Cedar Falls, IA, with her incredibly supportive husband and two adorable children. Visit her website at: www.jocelyngreen.com, or at her site for military wives: www.faithdeployed.com

My Thoughts: This book is perfect for any Military wife. There are devotions that have to do with what we as Military spouses have to go through. It is a great way to read some of the Bible and learn from what others have learned. If I were putting together a deployment kit of some kind, this book would be in it.

Would you like to win a copy of this great book?

Enter the Rafflecopter Below

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Buy 1 Give 1 Free! With every purchase of the NIV Military Wives’ New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs, you will receive an additional copy to share with a friend for free!

To get your free copy:

Visit www.churchsource.com and create an account

Add 2 copies of NIV Military Wives’ New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs (9780310421078) to your cart

Enter promo code BD5W11 at checkout

Offer Valid 5/1/2013 through 5/31/2013

* I received a free copy of this book for review.

Yesterday was Mother’s Day and it was actually a really good day. This is not usually the case for me. Last year was good but the previous four or five were not good at all. No matter what I did I couldn’t make it into a good day for myself. My husband was gone and I missed him. It is really hard have a special day when you have young children who can’t quite pull anything together to make the day special for you.

And so it goes with deployments and holidays. A sense that you can never really make it right because your spouse is gone. Whether it is Mother’s Day or Christmas. It doesn’t matter. You feel let down. You see people posting about what they did that day. How they spent it with their  family. How no one was  missing. You feel jealous and wish it was you who was experiencing the holiday that way. Instead you might have spent it alone, you might have decided to not do typical celebrations. It might just feel too hard.

Holidays during a deployment can be a cruel reminder of what we are missing out on. It can be a frustrating thing. I usually find myself wanting to just rush through it. Wishing the day would end and that we could get back to “normal” life again soon. When you have children you do what you can to make that day special for them, even if it is hard. You don’t want them to miss out because you are feeling sad about it.

As hard as I have tried to make certain holidays nice when he is gone, I can never make it as nice as when he is home. Even if I have fun that day, even if we have some nice memories. And that is just the norm when it comes to deployments. It is something we Military spouses have to deal with.

The one thing to remember is that whatever holiday they are missing, they might be home to celebrate it with you the next year. This is something I can tell myself to get me through those hard holidays. That deployments don’t last forever and that we will have family time again in the future. That although one year will be hard, the next won’t be.

How do you deal with holidays during deployment? Do you find them to be sad on some level no matter what you do?

DUCK DYNASTY – Miss Kay’s Motherly Advice

Happy Mother’s Day!!!

Here is a post on Creative Care Packages

written By: Amanda Daniels

Amanda is a stay-at-home mom living in Detroit.

Care packages help your deployed spouse feel connected to you, your family and home. With the average deployment being about 9 months, you may quickly run out of ideas of things to send. While staples like deodorant and toothpaste are always needed—and anything from home is always appreciated—soldiers love creative care packages that show how much you care. Next time, try one of these themed care packages full of fun things.

Reading Package

There are a few different routes you can go when putting together a reading care package. One is to choose titles strictly from the New York Times best-seller list; another is to stick with a favorite author or genre. You can also select books that were made into movies that you saw together. This is a personal, loving trip down memory lane, especially if you put an inscription in each book reminding him of when and where you saw the movie. If brand-new books are too expensive, visit a second-hand book store to stock up on titles. If budget permits, you can include a book light, a few of his favorite magazines, word search or crossword puzzle books and a bookmark made by you or the kids.

Fruit Baskets

For occasions like his birthday, your anniversary or the holidays, you might want to send something different than a typical care package. The fruit baskets at FTD.com are a great idea—what soldier doesn’t like edible goodies from home? FTD has a wide array of specialty fruit baskets to choose from, including fresh fruit, nuts, chocolate-dipped fruits and kosher items. Baskets start around $35.

Movie Night Package

If your soldier has access to a DVD player, consider sending him a movie box. Choose either the latest action-adventure, comedy or mystery thriller, or pick up an oldie-but-goodie you know he loves. Throw in some bags of popcorn (microwavable, if he has access to one) or candy, and add some of his favorite soft drinks. Again, new DVDs will cost you about $20-$25 each, so pick up some at a thrift sore or pawn shop for cheaper options.

Beach Party Package

To send him a beach party in a box, start with a beach party CD (a store-bought one will run you about $15, or you can make one yourself). Then add powdered drink mixes in beach-inspired flavors (think fruit punch, mango and piña colada), canned pineapple, leis, inflatable beach balls, sunglasses, sun hat, and small water toys like squirt guns and soaker balls. Hit up a 99¢ only store to get these items on the cheap.

Toy Package

Toys can be a great way to help your soldier unwind and pass the time. Consider sending Nerf footballs, Frisbees, mini travel games, chess, checkers, jacks, yo-yos, dominoes, brain teaser games and handheld electronic games with extra batteries, and card games like Skip-Bo, Uno, Pit and Phase Ten. Many classic board games, like Monopoly and Scrabble, now have card versions as well. You can find most of these items for under $10 at the big-box superstores.

Finally, decorate the inside of the box to match the theme, and have the kids help. If you’re sending a night-at-the-movies care package, use movie-themed decorative paper to line the inside, and add stickers, printed photos of movie stars and personal messages to inside of the box flaps.

Don’t blink…because if you do…

This…

Grows into this…

And this…

Turns into this…

And no matter what you do or how hard you try, this…

Becomes this…

It really doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that I had two in diapers trying to survive a deployment alone in Germany. It goes by fast. It is true what they say, the days are long…sometimes way too long but the years are short. My oldest is going to be NINE in just a couple of months. NINE! How did that happen? We are almost to pre-teen years.

My baby is almost 2.5. He is slowly becoming a little boy. Before I know it he will be off to kindergarten himself.

There is nothing you can do to slow down time. Just make the best of the years that you have with your kids. They will grow up, faster than you think.

So if you are sitting there in the middle of the night with a little five month old who won’t sleep…just remember that 5 month old will be 5 years old before you know it.

If you are in the middle of the sixth toddler tantrum of the day, just remember that little toddler will be in 1st grade before you know it.

If you are struggling with potty training, don’t worry…your kid will get it and before you know it you won’t have anything to do with their bathroom needs.

As much as I want to get through certain stages, I have to remind myself that time moves quickly. That my children will never be little again. That someday my youngest will be 18 and leaving for college. So I try hard to cherish every stage, even the yucky ones. Because childhood goes by too fast. It really does.

I have been thinking about writing a post like this for a while. I want to try to put into words how I am feeling about our upcoming 4th deployment. Our 4th deployment since 2006. I have a lot of emotions when it comes to this deployment. It is interesting how different I feel this time. I felt a lot of fear right before our 3rd deployment. I just had such a horrible feeling about it. Luckily my husband went and came back without any injuries.

This upcoming deployment I don’t feel a lot of fear. Not the fear of him getting hurt or worse. I feel frustration and annoyance. I am worried that 9 months of solo parenting will change me. I know that might sound weird. All deployments change you. But this time I am just so worried that it will be so hard and frustrating that when he finally gets home, I will not be the happy Julie I once was. That I will be broken and way too burned out.

I have had people tell me after my husband gets back from a deployment that I look so much happier. That there is just something about my face that changes. I hate the thought of going through that dark period where I have a sad face.

I feel like I can’t give very much right now. I feel bad about that. I quit MOPS and I really don’t want to put myself out there for anything else. Last Wednesday was a very bad day. Very bad. My husband was in the field and my son got sent home from school early. All I could think about was that I would feel like that everyday for 9 months. Now that it is a week later, I can see that it was one bad day and not everyday will be like that. Still I hated that feeling and it just scares me to think that would be the norm for us.

Ever since my first deployment I have been praying for at least a two-year break. We still haven’t had that. When I thought my husband didn’t have to deploy, I was thinking we were finally going to get that. Nope. Not us. Not our family.

I guess I am just frustrated. Frustrated he has to go again.  Frustrated that it is our turn again. Frustrated that I have to handle a special needs kid all by myself. Frustrated with the way things are being handled.

And maybe once he leaves the frustration will lesson. Maybe it is just because we are in that horrible pre-deployment period of time.  It sucks you dry from all the different emotions you are feeling. Maybe once he leaves and we get into the routine of it, things will get better.

I remember when he left in February 2011. I needed to take the boys to get haircuts and it was the second day he had been gone. It was the first time I had ever taken all three out by myself. I was so scared. But after many days and then weeks and then months of doing that, it got a lot easier. What once seemed so scary to me was apart of my normal routine. I am hoping it will be the same way this time. That after he leaves and we get more used to it, it will feel better. That it won’t seem so frustrating and crazy. That is my hope.

The fact is, multiple deployments suck. And I can feel the weight of the last three pressing down on me. I need a break. I need a big long break from this.

And to be honest, writing all this out has been helpful.

Can anyone else relate?