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MarineParents.com Newsletter
a Place to Connect & Share 
In This Issue
Deployment Learning Center
Homecoming Learning Center
Bootcamp Learning Center
Marine Corps T-Shirts & Gifts
$1 Campaign Progress
Families Gathering in the Midwest
Absentee Voting Assistance
The Battle at Home
Turn Your Vacations into Donations
Marketplace Back in Business
Article Headline
Savings for Recruit Families
Volunteer Positions Available
Bumper Sticker Blitz
$5 Off Coupon Hurry, Expires July 31!
Support Our Marines!
 
 
Purple Heart Hero Support™ an Outreach Program of Marine Parents.com
 
 
Team Marine Parents, an Outreach Program of Marine Parents.com 
Team Marine Parents™
 
Show your support of our Marines and their families at home! Participate in one of the MarineParents.com Outreach Programs today!  Our Marines need YOU!
Support for You:
a Place to
Connect & Share™
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Learning Center:
Operations Security
Operations Security OPSEC

NOTE: When communicating online, your Marine's privacy is as important as Operations Security. Please respect YOUR Marine's privacy!

Learning Center:
About Deployment
 
 
(from your Marine, with the USMC, and with other families)
 
(tips, tricks and money savers for mailing to YOUR Marine)
 
(bills, taxes, legal issues, injuries, notification from the Marine Corps)
 
 
Learning Center:
About Homecoming
 
 
 
 
 
(Tip: While in our store, check in your Marine's unit store for more homecoming shirts!)
Learning Center:
Bootcamp
 
 
 
 
Unit Chat Nights 

Unit Chat Night Schedule:

2nd Sunday Each Month: 5/11   
Sunday: 3/4, 2/7, 1/9
Monday: 2/5
Tuesday: 24th MEU, 2nd LAR, 1/6, 3/1
Wednesday: 2/24
Thursday: 3/6
Friday: 2/3

For additional information about the Chat Room and Unit Chat Nights for your Marine's Unit, please see:
MarineParents.com Chat Gif 
Local Support Groups in Your Area
NEWEST SUPPORT GOUPS:
 
Dallas/Ft Worth, TX
(Dallas and Tarrant)
 
Redding, CA
(Shasta)
Click here... 
 
Holland, MI
(Ottawa)
Click here... 
 
Sylacauga, AL
(Talladega)
 
For a list of all support groups in our database or to find one in your area, see:
 
If you are interested in starting a local support group in your area, please visit the "Support Groups" section of our website:
 
Marine Corps Spirit
T-shirts, Gifts & More
Show your Marine Corps spirit and pride!  Proceeds from sales support MarineParents.com, an IRS approved 501(c)(3) public charity.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Marines The Few The Proud
For July 4th:
Celebrate! Land of the free because of the brave!
Visit Our Sponsors
Sign Up for the Newsletter
Join Our Mailing List
July 24, 2008
Dear Marine Families,
 
If this is the first edition of the MarineParents.com Newsletter you have received, WELCOME! If you are a returning reader we are glad you have joined us.
 
Our twice-monthly newsletter includes information and tools for families in bootcamp, active duty, deployment, and those who are transitioning out of the Corps. We add new information and services to MarineParents.com continually in order to meet the changing needs of our families.
 
If you have questions about warrior transitioning or combat stress, please join us this evening, Thursday, July 24 in the chat room with expert Dr. Bridget Cantrell. See the article below titled "The Battle at Home" for more information.
 
This newsletter includes final information for the Conference in Kansas City on Saturday, August 9 as well as information to share with your Marine about voting via absentee ballot during the November election. Deadlines for both are looming, so be sure to check out the information.
$1 Campaign for Our Troops
UPDATE! Progress Report: $8,657! 
Dollar Campaign for Shipping Care Packages OverseasThanks to our readers, we're at 88% of our goal in five short weeks!  The annual $1 Campaign has been extremely successful because of you, our members and readers! Thank you for your support.
 
We're just under $1200 short of our goal for shipping 1000 care packages to the Marines in overseas combat locations this August 23.  Our total cost for shipping will be $9800. We need your help today! 
 
We're asking every web site visitor to send a $1 bill to MarineParents.com to help us raise the funds needed to ship 1000 care packages to our Marines. Put a dollar bill in an envelope and mail it to the post office box below. Our goal is to raise $9800 by the packing date of Saturday, August 23, 2007. 
MarineParents.com
$1 Care Package Campaign 
PO Box 1115
Military Family Gathering
Midwest Event on August 9 for families to Connect & Share and Learn 
Our fourth conference will be held in Kansas City, MO on Saturday, August 9, 2008. Marines from both Headquarters Company 24th Marines and Marine Corps Mobilization Command from Kansas City will be at the conference to share their expertise and answer your questions. 

Please join the Marine Corps family in Kansas City for a one-day event packed with opportunities for posing questions to the experts about family readiness, warrior transitioning, combat stress, veteran benefits and more. This is your chance to ask your questions first-hand, meet with Marines, and meet with other families that understand the roller coaster of emotions you're experiencing with a son or daughter in the Marine Corps during these challenging times.
 
Kansas City Regional Conference August 9 2008
Please register now for the conference. We're three weeks out. The $100 fee covers the cost of meals and meeting rooms and includes the conference plus the evening dinner and program. You can register for all or part of the events.  
 
The conference will be held at the Hilton Kansas City Airport with rooms available at $89/night for conference attendees. Free shuttle service is provided back and forth to the Kansas City airport.
 
For additional information and to register online, please visit the web site.
 
Absentee Voting Assistance
Encourage Your Marine to Vote in the 2008 Presidential Election
Voting-2008Election
 
Election Countdown:
         103 Days! 
 
The November 4th Presidential Election is quickly approaching and our deployed Marines will need to request an absentee ballot to vote for the 44th President of the United States.
 
The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) offers voting help for uniformed service members, their families, and citizens living outside the U.S.
 
Marines can register and request an absentee ballot with a single form: The Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). The FVAP recommends mailing the Federal Post Card Application to your local Election Official at least 45 days prior to the election so now is the time.
 
The Battle at Home
From Our Columnist Dr. Bridget Cantrell
Columnist Bridget CantrellOur Marines are being subjected to the daily rigors of being in a combat zone, where emotionally, physically and spiritually they are being stretched beyond what they perhaps thought was humanly possible.  Due to the multiple deployments and the daily exposure to events that are potentially very traumatizing we are seeing more disruption in their sleep cycles, poor anger management, escalation in domestic violence and alcohol consumption when they return to home life.  They are literally on sometimes 18-20 hours a day, or even longer depending on the mission and what is required to accomplish the mission. 
 
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Combat Operational Stress (COS) is a situation that evolves out of the dangerous duties involved with being a warrior. It is something that our minds, body and spirit experiences as a means of attempting to cope with the situation at hand.   
Click here to read full article...
 
Please Join Dr. Cantrell for an online chat tonight, Thurs. July 24:
Have questions? Ask Dr. Cantrell in person during the online chat night with Dr. Cantrell. She answers questions in person for any military family member or personnel one evening each month. Invite your friends and family to join us this evening, Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 8:00 Central Time. For more information on chat night, click here.
Turn Your Vacations into Donations
Book with MarineParentsTravel.com
 
YTB articleQuite often, what distinguishes one travel site from another is simply which one has the lowest price. As long as they can find a great deal, most travelers don't care where they book their travel. But what if you could take advantage of great low prices while lending your support to Marine Parents? By visiting MarineParentsTravel.com, you can do just that.
 
For everything you book on our site a generous portion of the travel commissions you generate will be given directly to Marine Parents.

Click here to read more or book now...

Marketplace Back in Business
Back in Business24th MEU- Marines Watch City Come Back to Life 
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan -The sound of children playing and merchants price haggling fills the bustling Garmsir district bazaar, a stark contrast from what was here two months ago.

When Marines rolled through 70 days ago, the city center looked more like a ghost town than a place of commerce, but with insurgents no longer lurking in the shadows, shop keepers returned; eager to conduct business.

As of July 11, approximately 70 stores are now open, providing goods ranging from food and convenience store items to livestock auctions with cows, hundreds of sheep and goats and other animals for sale or trade, for more than 600 people daily.
 
Planning for Bootcamp Graduation
Helpful Information for Recruit Parents 
 
PIgateAs planning for bootcamp graduation begins, many recruit parents find themselves overwhelmed by an extensive list of questions and concerns: What do I wear to graduation? What do I need for base access? Can I take photos on The Depot?
 
We know the list of questions can seem never-ending, but RecruitParents.com is here to help as you plan for graduation.   
 
Savings for Recruit Families
We Have T-shirts for Every Bootcamp Graduating Class 
Bootcamp Recruit Parent Tshirt DesignsDid you know we've got T-shirts and Gifts for every current bootcamp graduation class? Wear your new Marines battalion and graduation date with pride! All proceeds from purchases in the MarineParents.com Cafe Press stores go back to support the projects and services of MarineParents.com, Inc.  
 
Take a look at our custom designs. Be sure to check out the graduation announcements customized with the graduation date as well. 
 
COUPON SAVINGS!
From now until July 31, enjoy $5 off your order of $50 or more using the coupon code PONIESCHALKY.
 
Volunteer Positions Available
Two Part-Time Managers Needed 
The organization is growing daily, and our need for additional volunteers is growing as well. 
We currently have two new volunteer Information Manager positions for which we are accepting applications. Applications are accepted ongoing for chat room and message board moderators and email correspondence.  
 
Volunteering at MarineParents.com, Inc. is a rewarding experience and opens many doors to new friendships, levels of support, and provides you an opportunity to lend support to other Marine Corps families as well as our Marines and Sailors.  
 
 
Bumper Sticker Blitz
Bumper Sticker Blitz
Show Support For Your Marine... 
...and support MarineParents.com at the same time! Our new bumper stickers are $4.99 each with ALL proceeds going back to MarineParents.com to support the organization and our outreach projects.
 
We need your support and you can show your support of your Marine with new and fun designs.
 
COUPON SAVINGS! From now until July 31, enjoy $5 off your order of $50 or more using the coupon code PONIESCHALKY.

We hope this week's edition of our email newsletter has been useful for you and your family. If there are topics you would like us to address, or if you have other suggestions for the newsletter, please contact us.

The banner used at the top of this newsletter is a July, 2008 USMC Photo by Cpl Alex C. Guerra of Marines with 24th MEU leading Afghanistan National Police members on a patrol from the Civil Military Operations Center in the Garmsir city district. These intergrated patrols demonstrate the transfer of responsibility in the region from the Marines to ISAF and Afghan forces. Click here to read accompanying story. 
  
MarineParents.com, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity. MarineParents.com, Inc. was founded in January, 2003 in response to parents' needs to find information and to have a Place to Connect & Share™ with one another during deployments. Our free online services and connections have expanded to support and educate Marine moms & dads, spouses, families and friends and we'll be offering the 4th National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri on August 9, 2008. We've helped over 40,000 Marine and recruit families during bootcamp, training, active duty and deployments. We've shipped thousands of care packages overseas to our Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan, sent thousands of prayers and letters to injured Marines and served hundreds of lunches to families caring for their Marines at Bethesda Hospital. You've found a Place to Connect & Share™. 

God Bless and Semper Fidelis,
 

Tracy Della Vecchia
Founder and Executive Director
MarineParents.com, Inc.
 
Neither the United States Marine Corps nor any other component of the Department of Defense has approved, endorsed, or authorized this service.
$5 Off Coupon
Receive $5 off any order of $50 or more. Enter coupon code PONIESCHALKY at checkout. Restrictions apply. Limited time only. Visit the web site for more details.
 
HURRY! Offer expires July 31!
 
NOTE: All proceeds are used in support of MarineParents.com, Inc., an IRS approved 501(c)(3) public charity.
New "Heart USMC" Design! Check these out!