Friday, July 29, 2011

A new success story by Dr. H S Bedi


Suwinder Singh; a 72 year old from Patiala was in severe pain in his right hand. He had an earlier fistula for dialysis as his kidneys had failed. He was seen at various hospitals in Chandigarh, Mohali , Delhi and Gurgaon . However his hand continued to become blue and he could not sleep because of the pain. He then came to Dr Harinder Singh Bedi - Head of Cardio Vascular Endovascular & Thoracic Surgery at the Christian Medical College & Hospital in Ludhiana. Dr Bedi realized that the hand was rapidly turning gangrenous and would have to be cut if nothing was done. The reason for the low flow of blood to the hand was the fact that the shunt for dialysis was stealing blood from the hand. The option of narrowing the shunt had already been tried but had failed and the pain was terrible. If the shunt was dismantled it left the problem of how to get the dialysis done.
Dr Bedi has had extensive experience during his work in Australia and he is credited with having a Limca World Record in vascular surgery to his name. He has also extensive experience with endovascular surgery (in fact the first hybrid redo endovascular operation was done by him in Punjab and was awarded the first prize at an International Conference). A high risk surgery was planned. The shunt was taken down and without any additional cut an endovascular procedure was done and a stent put in the narrowed artery. The hand colour improved dramatically and the pain disappeared. Now the issue was how to put in a new shunt so that the life saving dialysis could continue. There were no sites available on the hands which are the usual sites for a shunt. So a innovative method of putting a graft in the leg was used. A special imported tube was grafted between the artery and vein of the leg. It started functioning immediately – a hand shunt takes about 3-4 weeks to ‘mature’.
The patient and his family are very happy that they came to CMC. Mr Suwinder Singh is now totally pain free. The other members of the team are Dr A JosephDr Arun Gupta, Dr Neharika and Dr Arjin.
 Dr Abraham G Thomas – Director of CMC & H – said that Dr Bedi and his team had a good experience with the creation of dialysis shunts and this helped them to devise this innovative method.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

4 SSPs 13 SPs AND 16 DSPs TRANSFERRED


Chandigarh, July 28:  The Punjab government has today issued the transfer orders of 4 SSPs and 13 SPs and 16 DSPs  with immediate effect. 
According to a spokesman of Punjab government Mr. Balkar Singh Sidhu, PPS and Mr. Rajinder Kumar Shardha, PPS have been posted as SSPs of newly created districts Pathankot and Fazilka respectively. Mr. Manminder Singh, PPS has been posted as SSP Tarntaran and Mr. Surinder Kumar Kalia as SSP Gurdaspur.
          Besides this Mr.Gurmit Singh, PPS has been posted as SP (H) Ferozepur, Mr. Gurpreet Singh, PPS  as SP(D) Fatehgarh Sahib, Mr. Gagan Ajit Singh , PPS as additional DCP-II Jalandhar, Mr. Manmohan Singh PPS as SP (H), Tarntaran, Mr. Ranbir Singh, PPS as SP (Traffic) Tarntaran, Mr. Naresh Kumar, PPS as additional DCP-II Amritsar, Mr. Gursharan Singh Bedi, PPS as Zonal SP /Crime Bathinda, Mr. Jai Pal Singh, PPS as Zonal SP/Crime, Patiala, Mr. Harmohan Singh PPS as SP(H)/SBS Nagar , Mr. Satinder Singh, PPS as SP/Intelligence, Mr. Manjit Singh, PPS as additional DCP-I, Ludhiana, Mr. Ravinder Kumar Bakshi as Assistant Commandant, 2nd IRB /Ladda Kothi, Sangrur and Mr. Bhupinderjit Singh, PPS as  Assistant Commandant Ist/IRB Patiala.
The spokesman further said that Mrs. Gurmeet Kaur, PPS has been posted as  DSP/Jaito, Mr. Bikramjit Singh PPS as DSP/City Bathinda, Mr. Kesar Singh PPS as  DSP/City-I, Patiala, Mr. Surinderpal Singh, PPS as DSP/SD/Sardulgarh with additional charge of DSP/SD/Budhlada, Mr. Harjit Singh, PPS as DSP/SD/Fatehgarh Churian, Mr. Balwinder Singh PPS as DSP/Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, Mr. Narinder Singh, PPS  as ACP/Hqrs. Amritsar, Mr. Ranjit Singh, PPS as DSP/D, Batala, Mr. Kehar Singh, PPS as ACP/Focal Point, Ludhiana, Mr. Jaswant Singh, PPS as ACP/Traffic, Amritsar, Mr. Cheta Singh, PPS as DSP/Hqrs. Patiala and Mr. Gurpreet Singh, PPS as DSP/D, Tarntaran. Besides this, five DSPs namely Mr. Paramjit Singh, PPS, Mr. Tilak Raj, PPS, Mr. Nahar Singh, PPS, Mr. Ranjit Singh, PPS, Mr. Mohinder Singh, PPS and  Mr. Gurdarshan Singh, PPS have been posted  as DSPs in Chief Minister Security, Pb., Chandigarh.

Friday, July 22, 2011

First Lady Joins Navy Veteran on 'Extreme Makeover'


By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C., July 22, 2011 - With First Lady Michelle Obama at her side and hundreds of volunteers and well-wishers cheering behind her, Navy veteran Barbara Marshall and her family faced a giant bus emblazoned with "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" parked right in front of their home here yesterday.
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First Lady Michelle Obama surprises Navy veteran Barbara Marshall on the set of the ABC reality series "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" in Fayetteville, N.C., July 21, 2011. The first lady appeared on the show to promote her "Joining Forces" military support campaign and to pay tribute to Marshall, who has dedicated her time and resources to helping homeless female veterans. DOD photo by Elaine Sanchez 
"Move that bus! Move that bus!" the crowd chanted with increasing fervor, momentarily forgetting the scorching heat.
The bus pulled off, and Marshall's jaw dropped as she caught her first glimpse of the new Jubilee House, built courtesy of the ABC reality show. Tears flowed as she took in the two-story, 5,000-square-foot house that would serve as a home not only for her family, but also for the countless homeless female veterans she's dedicated her life to helping.
The first lady and the show's star designer, Ty Pennington, leaned in close to catch Marshall's first impression of the new house, but her words were lost among the crowd's cheers.
A highlight of the experience, the first lady said later, was "watching the faces of the families as they saw their beautiful new home for the first time."
After 15 years of Navy service and a growing passion for helping fellow veterans, Marshall used her own resources to establish the Steps-N-Stages Jubilee House while still maintaining a separate residence for her own family. The center offers shelter, support and services such as mentoring and life coaching to homeless female veterans. At any given time, Marshall housed up to three veterans and their families in the small, 1,500-square-foot house.
Once "Extreme Makeover" producers caught wind of Marshall's dedication, they knew it was time she had the additional space and resources she needed to carry out her personal mission.
"Barbara Marshall is my personal hero," said Diane Korman, an "Extreme Makeover" producer. "She saw there was a problem with homeless female veterans, and wanted to do something about it to help women get back on their feet."
Fresh off travels to promote her "Joining Forces" military support campaign, Obama said she felt compelled to appear on the reality show after hearing of Marshall's selfless service to others. Marshall is a powerful example of how veterans are continuing to serve even when they're no longer in uniform, she told American Forces Press Service yesterday.
"The fact that this woman has opened her home -- which she didn't have much -- to other women who are struggling, is just a powerful statement of the courage and the strength that our veterans show," she said.
This episode, the first lady said, is a perfect way to highlight a military family's efforts "and also give them something back, something more than they could have imagined, because they deserve it."
"Extreme Makeover" designer Sabrina Soto called Marshall an "angel from heaven" for her dedication to homeless veterans.
"It's not just about the women living here, it's about all the women veterans who will be helped in the future because of this build," she said. "The fact that we're going to give her double the space and more resources is amazing."
The new Jubilee House is a sprawling log-cabin style home with a front porch and second-story deck. Soto pointed out a few of the home's interior features, including a resource center with multiple computers and a dining hall. "It will help [veterans and their families] to be more comfortable in the space and to feel grounded, and I think that's what a lot of these ladies are missing," she said.
The other heroes of this build, Korman noted, are the volunteers. More than 3,000 military and civilian volunteers from the local community pitched in around the clock to build the house in a week. After the Marshall family -- and several female veterans and their families she supported -- were whisked away for a dream vacation at Disney World, volunteers braved the relentless heat, which topped out at over 100 degrees, to sweep, shovel, move rocks and carry out countless other tasks as instructed.
A day earlier, volunteer Cheryl Monette was out front shoveling, covered in dirt and sweat. She had worked two or three shifts a day since the build started and stayed on until the end.
"It's a wonderful positive to help the military," she said. "My husband just retired after 26 years, so for me to be able to give back as a military spouse is awesome."
Equally soaked fellow volunteer Sharon Davis said she'd done everything from passing out water to driving "gators" to the dumpsters. "It's amazing just to know what little part we play," she said. "There's nothing better than to give to someone who needs it."
It's always a race to the finish, said Chip Smith, president and owner of Blue Ridge Cabins, the builder of the home. But despite the hard work, Smith added, he knew his company had to get involved as soon as he heard Marshall's story.
"She came back and identified a need, used her own money, didn't ask for anything from anybody, and started making a difference in the lives of a lot of homeless female veterans," he said. "Just to see someone take that initiative is inspirational for all of us. We knew we had to do something to help."
Seemingly overnight, the house transformed from a dirt and gravel-filled expanse crawling with hundreds of volunteers to a spotless red-shingled home, complete with glossy white rocking chairs swaying on the sprawling front porch and brightly colored flowers sprouting across the lawn.
Many of the volunteers who had earlier been working on the home turned out for the "reveal," their blue "Extreme Makeover" shirts standing out in the crowd. Marshall's neighbors crowded onto shaded porches to see their friend gain a new home and to catch a glimpse of the first lady.
Marshall's next-door neighbor, Caroline Chambers, could have stayed at a hotel, courtesy of the show, but opted to stay in her home and watch the action. A VIP tent was parked on her front lawn and her grass was trampled into the dirt, but she didn't mind any of it, she said.
"I didn't want to miss it," she said. Earlier in the week, Chambers tried to gauge what her neighbor's reaction would be upon seeing the house. "She may faint," she said. "I almost did when I saw the house."
Another well-wisher, Valeria Hasan, also turned out to watch construction. The house is a "wonderful blessing," she said, for the family and for homeless veterans.
"You wouldn't believe there are really homeless vets," she said. "They served in the war, protected us, and ended up homeless. You never know what situation you're going to end up in."
Families like the Marshalls exist all over the country, the first lady noted, and "it's our responsibility to step up and make sure they get the support they need."
Not everyone can build a home in a week, she said, but everyone can do something.
"Home Edition stepped up," she said, "by taking care of these families and doing it in a huge, magnificent way."
The episode featuring the Marshall family is slated to air on ABC on Oct. 21.
Related Articles:
First Lady, Soldiers Welcome Home Makeover 

Click photo for screen-resolution imageFirst Lady Michelle Obama greets Navy veteran Barbara Marshall on the set of the ABC reality series "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" in Fayetteville, N.C., July 21, 2011. Obama appeared on the show to thank Marshall for her work to support homeless female veterans. DOD photo by Elaine Sanchez
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Click photo for screen-resolution imageDesigner Ty Pennington asks Barbara Marshall if she's ready to enter her new, 5,000-square-foot home July 21, 2011. The ABC reality series "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" selected Marshall to receive a new, custom-built home after hearing of her efforts to help homeless female veterans. DOD photo by Elaine Sanchez
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Click photo for screen-resolution imageBarbara Marshall and her family received a new, 5,000-square-foot home July 21, 2011, courtesy of the ABC reality series "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." The house in Fayetteville, N.C., will enable Marshall to continue her mission of housing and supporting homeless female veterans. DOD photo by Elaine Sanchez
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Thursday, July 07, 2011

who will save 10 year old boy Gulshan ?

Ludhiana: Gulshan S/o.Vishvanath (our hospital no.C7322437) a 10 year old boy admitted in CMC & Hospital from 19/06/2011. He has undergone surgery for traumatic perforation of small intestine cause due to fall from height. His general condition is serious and as he is septic and he is on the ventilator. His treatment can cost anywhere upto 1 lac rupees or more.  
The boy belongs to a very poor family and is financially handicapped and is in desperate need for help. His father is a daily wage migrant laborer earning upto Rs. 150- 160 a day. He is unable to meet the cost of his treatment and further surgery. 
We encourage you to come forward and help this child by contributing as much as you can. The parents would be eternally grateful for such help. The Department of Paediatric Surgery at the Christian Medical College & Hospital appeals to all well-meaning people to contribute towards this child’s treatment. 
Donations will be taken in cash / cheque / bank draft. Cheques/bank drafts should be made in favour of Christian Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana, Society’ with “Gulshan, C7322437 written at the back of all cheques and drafts.  All donations to this cause will have income tax exemption. For all cash donations please contact Dr. William Bhatti (+91 9876609924) or Dr. Dhruv Ghosh (+91 9915198894), Dr. Nandini K. Bedi (+91 9914360480) from the department of Paediatric Surgery. --Shalu Arora // Rector kathuria
Amnesty International Media Statement 
For Immediate Release 
Wednesday, July 6, 2011 


Amnesty International Welcomes Obama’s Decision to Hold Civilian Trial for Somali Terrorism Suspect but Very Concerned about Detention Aboard Ship

Washington, DC:Tom Parker, policy director for terrorism, (counter) and human rights for Amnesty International USA, issued the following statement in response to news reports that Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame, a Somali terrorism suspect, was captured in the Gulf of Aden by the U.S. military and interrogated for two months aboard a U.S. Navy ship: 

“Amnesty International welcomes the Obama administration’s decision to charge and prosecute Warsame’s case in U.S. federal court. The United States’ criminal justice system is the most appropriate and best-equipped venue to adjudicate such cases. 

“However, the organization is greatly concerned by reports that Warsame spent more than two months in military detention on a U.S. naval vessel undergoing extrajudicial interrogation before his transfer to the United States. 
  
“Warsame was not detained on a battlefield nor was he captured during combat. He should have been handed over to law enforcement officials at the earliest opportunity, not held as a military prisoner.   
  
“Warsame’s detention on board a U.S. naval vessel has unfortunate echoes of the Bush administration’s practice of using U.S. Navy ships as black sites in which to hold ghost detainees. That fact alone will inevitably cast a long shadow over this case.” 

Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied. 
# # # 

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Come and save a 2 ½ year old boy Dhani


This is to state that patient Dhani S/o  Ram Kumar (our hospital no. C7257304) a 2 ½ year old boy admitted in CMC & Hospital from 27/05/2011. He has undergone surgery for Intestinal tuberculosis with intestinal obstruction and perforation. His general condition is serious and he requires prolonged care, good nutrition and management, antituburcular drugs and further surgery. His prolonged treatment will cost anywhere upto a lac of rupees. The parents of this child are very poor. The father is the only earning member of the family and is a daily wage laborer earning upto Rs. 100 per day. He will not be able to meet the cost of surgery.

The Department of Paediatric Surgery at the Christian Medical College & Hospital appeals to all well-meaning people to contribute towards this child’s treatment as he is in desperate need.
Any help coming for his treatment would be welcome and the parents would be eternally grateful for such help. 
Donations will be taken in cash / cheque / bank draft. Cheques/bank drafts should be made in favour of ‘Christian Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana, Society’ with“Dhani, C7257304” written at the back of all cheques and drafts.  All donations to this cause will have income tax exemption. For all cash donations please contact Dr. William Bhatti (+91 9876609924) or Dr. Dhruv Ghosh (+91 9915198894), Dr. Nandini K. Bedi (+91 9914360480) from the department of Paediatric Surgery. 
--Shalu Arora

Brothers Devote 50 Years to Iowa Guard



By Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Matson 
Task Force Red Bulls

LAGHMAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan, July 5, 2011 - Army Sgt. 1st Class Tim Fiedler Jr., and his younger brother, Army Staff Sgt. Rich Fiedler, have put in more than 50 years of combined service in the Iowa National Guard's Company A, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment.
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Army Staff Sgt. Rich Fiedler, left, and his brother, Army Sgt. 1st Class Tim Fiedler, right, sit together June 14, 2011, on Combat Outpost Najil in Afghanistan's Laghman province. The Fiedler brothers have more than 50 years of combined service in the Iowa National Guard's Company A, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Jason Beck 
Tim said he joined the Guard 29 years ago for the college money. But regardless of their initial motivation, the brothers said, a sense of family has kept them in Company A.
"A Company is a pretty tight-knit group," Tim explained. "Some of the people have been here a long time. Working with the younger guys, for me, has been enjoyable. I could have retired before I came [to Afghanistan]. I didn't have to come, but this is something I wanted to do. I enjoy it."
Like Rich Fiedler, Army Sgt. David Tielbar, the company's senior radio telephone operator, has served in Company A for 22 years. "I met the Fiedlers through the Guard," he said. "I've had them both as team and squad leaders, but we're family – this company is a family. We've watched the company grow and shrink, but we always stuck together. They'll tell me like it is, and I respect their honesty. But above it all, they care about the company's soldiers."
Tim said he sold cars briefly after college. Rich said that aside from a few part-time jobs, he never has worked outside Company A and the Iowa National Guard.
The brothers said they never expected to serve for decades when they joined the Guard.
"I hated Camp Ripley," Tim said, referring to a military training center in Minnesota. "We went to our annual training there every year, and it rains, and it's horrible. In fact, when I re-enlisted, they offered a nice little bonus of $5,000 for six years.
"I wasn't going to re-enlist, and the recruiter asked why," he continued. "I told him, 'I don't want to go to Camp Ripley.' So they made me a deal – for two years I didn't have to go to Camp Ripley. One year I went to the primary leadership course, and one year I did recruiting duty instead."
Now Company A's acting first sergeant, Tim said he still wound up going back to Camp Ripley about 25 more times anyway.
A third Fiedler brother, Kenny, also served in Company A, but he left the National Guard after nine years of service.
Younger brother Rich said he has followed Tim's lead in the Iowa National Guard in many ways.
"I joined because Tim and Kenny joined, and they went to college, and I wanted to do the same things," he said. Both brothers enlisted as infantrymen and held some of the same positions within the unit.
"The Fiedler brothers have been the company's supply sergeants for the past 16 years," Rich noted.
Since 1988, Tim has served as a full-time active Guard/Reserve-component soldier, and Rich has served full-time since 2002. Tim served six years as the administrative clerk, then as the company's supply sergeant for the following 12 years. After Tim went on to become the readiness noncommissioned officer platoon sergeant, Rich stepped in to fill his brother's vacated position as supply sergeant, a role he has filled since 2007.
Before then, Rich served as an intelligence analyst for the state's counterdrug task force, an assignment he said he looks upon as the highlight of his military career thus far.
"It's a federally funded project; every state has one," Rich explained. "That was probably the most fun I've had in the Guard. I didn't have to wear a uniform or shave, and got to do a lot of neat operations," working with different agencies like the Drug Enforcement Agency and FBI.
Tim said he is living the highlight of his career now, serving as the company's first sergeant while on a combat deployment to Afghanistan. It is also the first time he has deployed with his brother.
"It's always been a dream to be the first sergeant, but my full-time AGR job prevented me from doing that," Tim said. "But being the acting first sergeant of an infantry company at Combat Outpost Najil is a pretty big accomplishment for me. With all the things we accomplished here, it was really rewarding.
"The guys all kid me a lot, and call me 'Dad,'" he added, "but in the two and a half years we spent training up to being here, I've seen a lot of them change and become more mature. It's been challenging, and also rewarding."
A big consideration in spending their service in the same company is the brother's love of their hometown, Dubuque, Iowa, Tim said.
"We were born and raised there, [and] went to high school there," he said. "In fact my oldest son, Tim Fielder III, goes there now, and my youngest son, Tyler, will be a freshman."
Tim still lives in Dubuque, and Rich lives in nearby Epworth, Iowa.
"You're limited in the jobs you can do once you get in the full-time system," Rich explained. "I could have gotten promoted and moved, but I don't want to move, I don't want to live anywhere else."
Tim said that although he could have also been promoted 15 years ago and would be at least a master sergeant by now, you can't put a price on living where you want to live and working with the people you want to work with.
"Staying and living in Dubuque is the tradeoff," he said. "But it's where I've always wanted to live and raise my family. That's where our family lives – my two brothers and sisters and in-laws."
Through more than 50 years and five combined deployments, the Fielders have been a staple of Company A, and they're still going strong.
"I've got a little over three more years I can still do to get 26 years full-time," Tim said.
With Rich still having some full-time service left, the Fiedlers are approaching six decades of combined service before both have finished their careers.


Related Sites:
NATO International Security Assistance Force 

Sunday, July 03, 2011

Song and Struggle : "There is power in a union"




joehill
The Industrial Workers of the World, or IWW, was founded in 1905 by a group of socialists, anarchists, and militant trade unionists. At the cutting edge of the labor radicalism, it allowed women, black, and immigrants to join the ranks of its members, who were called "Wobblies."
The preamble to the constitution set out the organization's premise:
"The working class and the employing class have nothing in common. There can be no peace so long as hunger and want are found among millions of working people, and the few, who make up the employing class, have all the good things of life...
"These sad conditions can be changed and the interests of the working class upheld only by an organization formed in such a way that all its members in any one industry, or in all industries, if necessary, cease work whenever a strike or lockout is on in any department thereof, thus making an injury to one an injury to all."
One Big Union was the idea. According to the theory, craft unions keep workers separate, but with OBU an injury to one can be responded to by all. Ultimately, OBU can organize the mass strike and seize the means of production for the working class. As a modern day Wobbly put it, "when the flight attendants, pilots, mechanics, and staff are in the same union, that's when we'll see an airline taken by workers."
The idea of OBU is not outside of Marxist tradition. For instance, Engels thought, "At the side of, or above, the unions of special trades there must spring up a general union, a political organization of the working class as a whole." Many IWW members went on to join the Communist Party founded after the Russian revolution, including Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and Big Bill Haywood. It was a natural transition, as Wobbly-turned-Communist, J. P. Cannon, explained:
"The IWW, while calling itself a union, was much nearer to Lenin's conception of a party of professional revolutionists than any other organization calling itself a party at that time. In their practice, and partly also in their theory, the Wobblies were closer to Lenin's Bolsheviks than any other group in this country."
Joe Hill's song "There is Power in a Union" is from the heyday of the IWW's OBU campaign. It is typical Hill - set to a religious tune, mocking religion, and urging workers to organize in the Big Union.
Lyrics:
Would you have freedom from wage slavery
Then join in the grand Industrial band;
Would you from mis'ry and hunger be free,
Then come! Do your share, like a man.

There is power, there is power
In a band of workingmen.
When they stand hand in hand,
That's a power, that's a power
That must rule in every land
One Industrial Union Grand.

Would you have mansions of gold in the sky,
And live in a shack, way in the back?
Would you have wings up in heaven to fly,
And starve here with rags on your back?

If you've had 'nuff of the blood of the lamb,
Then join in the grand Industrial band;
If, for a change, you would have eggs and ham.
Then come! Do your share, like a man.

If you like sluggers to beat off your head,
Then don't organize, all unions despise,
If you want nothing before you are dead,
Shake hands with your boss and look wise.

Come, all ye workers, from every land,
Come join in the grand Industrial band.
Then we our share of this earth shall demand.
Come on! Do your share, like a man.
Links:
By folk singer U. Utah Phillips:
Sung by a labor chorus:
Photo: Joe Hill, via Wikipedia
july 1 2011  tags: 
Courtesy: People's World

Friday, July 01, 2011

Spouses Praise New Employment Program


By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 30, 2011 - Yesterday, I attended the launch of the Defense Department's Military Spouse Employment Partnership at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. Through this new program, officials hope to expand career opportunities for military spouses worldwide, and to recognize the numerous job skills and talents they bring to the table.
Click photo for screen-resolution image
Dr. Jill Biden greets audience members at the Military Spouse Employment Partnership kick-off at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C., June 29, 2011. The partnership promotes meaningful, long-term employment opportunities between America's employers and military spouses. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley 
More than 70 employers already have signed on with the partnership, signifying their commitment to increase employment opportunities for military spouses, provide promotion opportunities to deserving spouse employees, ensure pay equity and spread the word about spousal support.
Partners also have pledged to post job opportunities on the Military Spouse Employment Partnership Web portal located on ourmilitary.mil.
After the ceremony, I spoke with several military spouses, who unanimously voiced their approval of this new program.
"We have very valuable skills to bring to the private sector, the public sector, the nonprofit sector," said Navy spouse Vivian Greentree. "This employment partnership is just opening a door where there wasn't one before, and the military spouses are going to rush through it.
"This is a very powerful message for military spouses who by and large feel mostly discriminated against because of their military spouse status," she added.
Pamela Stokes-Eggleston, spouse of wounded warrior retired Army Staff Sgt. Charles Eggleston, recalled when her husband was recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. She was laid off at the time, and had a tough time finding a job with a wounded warrior husband, she said, and also was considered overqualified for most available jobs.
"There wasn't this kind of support you see here today," she said. "I'm excited as a spouse of a wounded warrior that MSEP is actually going. This is a good step in the right direction."
Air Force spouse Sandy Cazares said she has changed careers several times during her husband's 10-year military career. "It's great to give military spouses the opportunity to actually be heard," she said, "to be given the chance to be able to be recognized for our accomplishments, our education level, and also take into account the fact that it's often out of our hands when we have to move."
Her husband, she added, is preparing to deploy and she will have to pursue yet another career to provide a better work-life balance for their children.
"I think this is a great opportunity for all military spouses -- a greatly underappreciated population in the military," Cazares' husband said. "Seeing that now, regardless of what base we move to around the world, she has opportunities is a great advancement for military spouses in general."
Kristi Hamrick, an Air Force spouse who has moved 11 times in 17 years, agreed. "It will make our lives as military spouses so much easier, because right before you move, there's that ramp up of getting that resume ready and all that on top of moving. If you can get a job where you have another job waiting on the other end ... that would reduce so much stress."
"I'm overwhelmed," added Jennifer Pilcher, wife of Navy Cmdr. Eddie Pilcher. "I truly think it's the first time in history that the military spouse has been recognized. To sit here and hear the program is for us is overwhelming and exciting."
Barbara Thompson, director of the Pentagon's office of family policy/children and youth, also lauded the new program. "We've had spouse employment programs over the years at family support centers, but this is the first organized program across the military services," she said. "It's leveraging all of the military services to get these corporations.
"This is just the opening for all America to step up to the plate to tap into this incredible work force."
For more on this program, read my American Forces Press Service article, DOD Launches Military Spouse Employment Partnership, or visit ourmilitary.mil.
Related Sites:
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Family Matters Blog
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