COSF Executive Director, Kristina Kaufmann, is the subject of a feature story in today’s Martha’s Vineyard Times (mvtimes.com). The story covers her experiences as an Army wife, how she became an advocate for military families, and her expanded role as executive director of the Code of Support Foundation.
eWomenNetwork Foundation has launched a campaign to generate a million letters of gratitude to veterans on 11/11/11. After you have signed the Code of Support, we suggest you go to their pledge site and pledge to send your letter. This is one more way you can get involved in supporting our troops!
CNN’s Headline News (HLN) network aired a nice segment tonight on the Relay and the Code of Support. Watch it at this link:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2011/09/12/jvm-campaign-99.hln
MCLEAN, Va. – August 24, 2011–More than 25 special events will take place during the Code of Support Foundation’s “Patriots & Heroes: Pacific to Potomac Relay” that will enlist thousands of Americans across the nation. As part of “Campaign 99” which puts meaning to the phrase “Support Our Troops”, these events will recognize a number of individuals in the local areas for their contributions to members of the armed services, veterans and their families.
Maj. Gen. Alan Salisbury, USA, Ret., founder of the Code of Support Foundation, said, “We will be presenting certificates of appreciation from the Foundation to individuals chosen by event organizers and local community groups, civic organizations and clubs for their contributions to our effort. These “Home Town Heroes” are representatives of the thousands who have served their country quietly and proudly for generations.”
“Campaign 99” stands for the 99 percent of Americans who have no connection to the armed forces but want to reach out to the 1 percent, our men and women in uniform, who have pledged their lives, if necessary, to defend the nation.
The “Patriots & Heroes: Pacific to Potomac Relay,” begins September 3, 2011 in Oceanside, CA, with a rally that includes a “drop-in” by the United States Parachute Association. Nine days later, on September 11, 2011, the relay will conclude at the Pentagon in Arlington, VA.
The Patriot Guard Riders will ride in escort of the capsule holding the Code of Support during the Relay, which will be delivered to the Riders by the United States Parachute Association. At the end of the Relay, Foundation officials will present the capsule, representing thousands of signatures pledged during the stops along the relay, to Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States.
One of the largest local events will be in Richmond, Virginia, September 9 and 10 at the Richmond International Raceway (RIR). During the NASCAR Sprint Cup race, officials from NASCAR and the raceway will sign the Code of Support and encourage the 100,000 fans in attendance and visitors to the event’s Fan Fest to sign the Code of Support. NASCAR is a partner and a sponsor of the “Patriots & Heroes Pacific-to-Potomac Relay”, and RIR is a sponsor of the Code of Support Foundation.
“We see these local events as crucial in energizing the public to sign the Code of Support, which is patterned after the services’ Code of Conduct, and energizing them to become members of the Corps of Support for Our Troops by pledging to volunteer for or donate to organizations that help service members, veterans and their families,” says General Salisbury.
Foundation officials said the goal is to have 1 million Americans sign the Code of Support at events along the way or online at www.codeofsupport.org between now and Memorial Day, 2012. A Relay schedule that is being continually updated is also available on the Code of Support website. All events are free.
Cross-Country Motorcycle Relay to Put Meaning Into Phrase ‘Support Our Troops.’
MCLEAN, Va. — The Code of Support Foundation kicks off its “Campaign 99”on September 3rd with a nine-day cross-country motorcycle relay, the “Patriots & Heroes Pacific-to-Potomac Relay,” accumulating pledges from thousands of Americans who want to put meaning into the phrase, “Support Our Troops.”
The relay by the Patriot Guard Riders rolls from Oceanside, Calif., near Camp Pendleton, to the Pentagon where the signed pledges to the Code of Support will be delivered personally to Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Sunday, Sept. 11, the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States.
The relay will run through California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, stopping for pledge events in communities and near military installations along the way.
On the West Coast, the event will start with a skydiving team from the United States Parachute Association (USPA) dropping in to Oceanside and handing off the special scroll to the motorcyclists.
A highlight on the East Coast will be a special presentation of the Code at the NASCAR Sprint Cup race on the evening of Sept. 10 at the Richmond International Raceway before an expected crowd of more than 100,000.
The campaign by the not-for-profit educational association draws its name from the 99 percent of Americans who have no direct connection with the armed services, but are protected by the 1 percent who have pledged their lives, if necessary, to defend the United States.
Maj. Gen. Alan Salisbury, USA, Ret., and the foundation’s chief executive officer, said, “The Code of Support is modeled on the Code of Conduct that every service member swears to live by. What we are trying to do is build a Corps of Support for service members, veterans and their families. This is a goal of First Lady Michelle Obama’s and Doctor Jill Biden’s ‘Joining Forces’ initiatives.”
“The Code of Support Foundation is providing a mechanism where people who want to help can find selected organizations – some large, some small – to either contribute to or volunteer their time and talent.”
Principal partners in the campaign include the United States Chamber of Commerce, Red Cross and the USO. Sponsors include NASCAR and the Richmond International Raceway.
For more information on the foundation and to sign up in the “Campaign 99” program, go to www.codeofsupport.org. The foundation’s mailing address is: P.O. Box 1154, McLean, VA 22101.
Follow us online at facebook.com/CodeofSupport and twitter.com/CodeofSupport
AUGUST 14, 2011–FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ORGANIZATION OFFERS “MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE” OPPORTUNITY FOR AMERICA TO THANK FAMILIES OF THE FALLEN
Americans have long wanted to express their gratitude and their sympathies to the friends and families of fallen service members. Now they can.
A series of tragedies in Afghanistan over the last week has left forty families grieving the loss of a service member, and as the stories have played out on the news, Americans with no military connection have wondered how to express their deep condolences and sincere gratitude to the service members’ families and friends who have lost so much – not just over the last week, but over the last decade.
When people have thoughts or feelings too powerful or difficult to express to another individual, they sometimes write them down on paper, tuck them inside a bottle, and toss them into sea as a way of releasing them into the world – and possibly into the hands of someone who finds the bottle and becomes the recipient of the deepest heart of a stranger.
“‘Like’ it for TIME” (LIFT) (http://likeitfortime.com), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the military family experience in a decade of war, offers Americans something far better than a message in a bottle, because all messages will be received: LIFT invites the public to share their heartfelt messages with the loved ones of military by writing a message on a strip of paper and – rather than tossing it out to sea – mailing it to LIFT, where it will become a meaningful link in a global paper chain serving as a lasting tribute to military families.
“I think there are things people want to say to the families of the fallen, even if it’s just ‘I’m so sorry for your loss,’ or ‘Thank you for your sacrifice,’ but saying that to a stranger can feel awkward,” says LIFT founder Kristen Tsetsi (Conn.). “And how do you find the families? Do you track them down through a series of online searches? That would feel somehow wrong. And yet, people – even fellow military family members – really, really want to let the friends and family of fallen service members know they’re out there, that they care, and that they’re aware of the effects of these long wars.”
LIFT LINK LOVE (http://likeitfortime.com/lift-link-love/) will loop together the individual links mailed in by people from around the globe until they form one very long paper chain. The completed chain will be used in a special project to be announced at a later date.
“We just want to give people the opportunity to say what they’ve always wanted to say, and to know their words will be ‘heard,’ even if they don’t want to include their names on the links,” Tsetsi says. “We also want military friends and family to know these people are out there. I have a feeling there are more of them than we can possibly imagine, and I know the messages will mean far more than can be put into words.”
Those interested in mailing their messages to friends and families of the fallen should write their note on a piece of paper (about an inch wide, and the length of the end of a standard sheet of paper) and mail the flat, un-taped strip to
LIFT LINK LOVE
9435 Lorton Market St #206
Lorton VA 22079
For more information about LIFT LINK LOVE, please visit
LIFT LINK LOVE at http://liketifortime.com/lift-link-love
LIFT website: http://likeitfortime.com
LIFT on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LIFTNOW
Contact:
Kristen Tsetsi
http://www.kristentsetsi.com
ktsetsi@gmail.com
likeitfortime@gmail.com
The Code of Support (and the Corps of Support Campaign) recently received endorsements from both Business Executives for National Security (BENS) and the Council on Competitiveness. GEN Montgomery Meigs, President and CEO of BENS, said that “BENS is pleased to add our endorsement to the Code of Support.” BENS applies pro bono, best business practice solutions to the most difficult national security management challenges. In endorsing the Code of Support, Council on Competitiveness President & CEO Deborah Wince-Smith commented, “The Council on Competitiveness is pleased to endorse this powerful initiative.” The council is a non-partisan and non-governmental organization whose membership includes CEOs, university presidents and labor leaders who are working to ensure U.S. prosperity.
Under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Army Warrior Transition Command, Operation Homefront has created and will administer the “Army Homefront Fund” that will provide emergency financial and other support to Soldiers and their families, with a focus on Wounded Warrior care and transition assistance. On June 13, at the Ronald Reagan Building Pavilion in Washington DC, the Army Homefront fund will be publicly launched.
Wounded Soldiers and their families face many challenges – physical, psychological, emotional, and even financial. They have to define a new normal for the Warrior and the family. Many in transition have to go back to school, get job training and placement, or spouses have to become primary wage earners. The Army Homefront Fund provides emergency assistance, sometimes just to put food on the table or keep a family from homelessness. The Fund helps them get the resources they need to weather the storms, and find the safe harbors for their futures.
At a recent meeting at the White House, the Corps of Support “Campaign 99″ was welcomed as a partner under the recently announced “Joining Forces” initiative led by the First Lady, Michelle Obama, and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of the Vice President. The objectives of Campaign 99 align perfectly with the objectives of Joining Forces and the Corps of Support will play a significant role in furthering the Joining Forces initiative.
GEN (Ret) Peter Pace, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the latest addition to our growing list of honorary National Campaign Committee members. General Pace continues to be extremely active in supporting our troops and military families. With his participation, the committee now includes senior membership from all five of our Armed Forces services.
Mike Krzyzewski, known to many as simply “Coach K”, head basketball coach at Duke University, has added his name to the growing list of members of the Corps of Support honorary National Campaign Committee. The legendary coach commented, “The Code of Support lets our Men & Women in our Armed Forces know that we are committed to them and support them. The care we pledge is forever! What a great idea!”
Vice Admiral (Ret) Dan Cooper has joined the honorary National Campaign Committee for the Corps of Support for our troops. Cooper recently stepped down from his position as Under Secretary of the Veterans Administration.
Jan Scruggs, president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, has joined the honorary National Campaign Committee for the Corps of Support. Scruggs is widely credited with being the driving force behind “The Wall” on the Mall in Washington, DC, honoring the thousands of service members who gave their lives during the Vietnam War.
Detailed planning is underway for a “Creative Media Design Contest” in conjunction with the upcoming Corps of Support “Campaign 99.” The contest will feature multiple categories such as Best Video, Best Essay and Best Poster, with cash prizes to be awarded for each category. Preliminary information is now available on the web site (www.corpsofsupport.org). Campaign 99 gets its name from its target audience, the 99% of Americans who are NOT in our Armed Forces (who represent less than 1% of the population).
Brigadier General (Ret) Jack Nicholson, former Secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), has joined the honorary National Campaign Committee for the Corps of Support campaign. The ABMC was established by Congress in 1923 to commemorate the service, achievements, and sacrifice of U.S. armed forces where they have served overseas since 1917, and within the U.S. when directed by public law. The ABMC commemorative mission is reflected in 24 overseas military cemeteries that serve as resting places for almost 125,000 American war dead; on Tablets of the Missing that memorialize more than 94,000 U.S. servicemen and women; and through 25 memorials, monuments and markers.
Admiral (Ret) Tom Hayward, former Chief of Naval Operations, has joined the honorary National Campaign Committee for the Corps of Support. As the highest ranking naval officer, the CNO is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Vince Patton, Ed.D., former Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, is the most recent addition to the COS National Campaign Committee. The MCPOCG is the highest ranking (E-10) enlisted member of the Coast Guard. We are honored to have him support our campaign.
RADM (Ret) T. McCreary has now joined the COS National Campaign Committee. Admiral McCreary is president of Military.com.
HP’s Snapfish division is supporting the Corps of Support campaign by featuring a new line of greeting cards and note cards for sending to service personnel and veterans. Most of the designs can be personalized by the sender, including adding photographs. These cards were made possible in part through the generosity of several professional designers who created designs incorporating the Corps of Support yellow ribbon logo. All sales of these cards will benefit the Code of Support Foundation and the Corps of Support campaign. Click HERE to see the Snapfish Military Families page, and then click on the “Cards Supporting Our Troops” graphic to see the full line of available cards.
The Honorable Norman Augustine today joined the National Committee for the Corps of Support Campaign which is currently in its final planning stages. Augustine, a former Under Secretary of the Army and Chairman of Lockheed Martin, was enthusiastic in his support. ”This is a wonderful, long overdue undertaking and I applaud your leadership, ” he commented.
