This notice is also on the front page of bouhammer.com

I want to let anyone know who regularly visits this site or reads blogs from here that you will probably see some changes happening over the next couple of weeks. I am currently working on a major re-design of this website, with a lot of help from my good friend Matt. He has helped me with some coding issues I have had on the re-design.

Anyway, you may notice some colors changing, fonts looking different, or other changes between now and the end of the year. My plan is to have the new site go live on January 1st, 2008. I am really excites about how the new site looks and I would love to start it up sooner, but I don’t think between everything I have going on in my life that I will be able to dedicate the time to the changeover and have it be 100% ready until the end of December.

So if you see some things looking different, don’t worry it is not that you are getting old and your eyes failing (even though that could be happening), it is probably me and the changes I am making to some of the content in order to get it ready for the new website look.

My dear Mom forwarded me this link that she found on the internet. It amazes me how tech savvy she has gotten in the last few years fixing computer problems for my Dad

Anyway, this is a link to a DOD news story about Admiral Mullen getting his award at the USO Gala last week. One of the pictures here is of the Admiral and I talking. Not the best picture of me, as I think they caught me standing at attention as he first walked up to me. Glad they did not get the crown and coke in the shot. There were lots of pictures being taken by several photographers, so I don’t even remember this happening.

JP over at milblogging.com also ran this picture and a summary of my blog entry pointing to my original entry from the other day.

The link is www.defenselink.mil/PhotoEssays/PhotoEssaySS.aspx?ID=538

I mean, this has to be just one continuing dream. What have I done to deserve this awesome year that I have had. Between attending the Army’s Birthday Ball this year back in June, Going on a two day book signing tour at Walter Reed, the VA HQ, and the Pentagon in October and now this I have been truly blessed and thankful for the year I have had.

Last Thursday, Christine and I were in New York City to attend the Metropolitan of NYC USOÂ’s 46th Annual Armed Forces Gala and Gold Star Banquet. We were invited to be there after the USO selected me to be the recipient of the George Van Cleave Leadership Award for the US Army Branch. There was one person from each branch selected to receive the award. My state had nominated me and I guess the USO decided that I would be the recipient.

There were many high points that I am having a hard time identifying one that stands out above the rest. My Brigade was kind enough to put me on orders so I would not have to pay for everything out of pocket, which helped out a lot just prior to Christmas. They did not have to do that, and I will forever be grateful for them taking the time to do it.

Prior to flying to NYC, I contacted my friend Garry Trudeau and let him know I would be in NYC. He and I had talked about linking up on Friday morning for breakfast. But, between that time and the night of the event, I was able to link Garry up with my contact at the USO. Garry has done a lot in support of the USO, so they were thrilled to talk with him and immediately invited him to the evening also. Since Garry could attend, we decided to just link up there. I was also glad to hear from him that his wife, Jane Pauley, would also be there.

So after both Christine and I flew into The City and arrived at the hotel, we started to get ready and then started our journey to the Grand Hyatt where the event was taking place. Little did we know that trying to catch a cab between 4-6PM was a hard thing to do in NYC. As our cab driver explained to us, all the cab drivers do shift changeover at 5pm and then again at 5am. So by the time we got a cab and then got to the Hyatt, we were “fashionably” late as our cabbie said we would be. Once Christine and I got upstairs to the ballroom we found several rooms full of people, both military and civilian. It seemed that the number of civilians far outnumbered the military. I guess the USO sold tickets to this eveningÂ’s event and many regular supporters and volunteers purchased them to come. After getting a crown and coke for me and a wine for Christine, we walked around looking for a familiar face. During our first few minutes there I found a display in honor of Navy Seal LT. Michael Murphy. LT Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor back in October for actions in Afghanistan. They had the actual certificate there and the framed Medal of Honor itself. I was pretty impressed, yet little did I know that would not be my only connection with LT. Murphy that night or with a Medal of Honor. We did not as much take 3 steps away from the LT. Murphy dedication display and I looked up to see a smiling Garry walking towards me. I gave him a big old hug and then turned to introduce him to Christine and have him introduce Jane to us. I must say that Jane Pauley is one fabulous woman and as down to earth as a next door neighbor. She was very outgoing and was very sweet from the first second. I was truly impressed with her and she has one heck of a sense of humor. After talking for a little while, a very nice lady named Diane came up to get me for rehearsals. Diane is the wife of LTC B. who would be presenting the award to me that night. After figuring out where we would be sitting and walking through the steps we would take to have the awards presented, someone walked up to ask us to follow him and meet the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen. The Admiral was there and wanted to meet all the recipients. The first thing the Admiral did was shake my hand and present me one of his coins (that coin trumps all now), and then we spent about 5-6 minutes discussing Afghanistan policy. What an opportunity that was and not one I ever thought I could imagine I would be in, especially with a Crown and Coke in my hand. He walked up and asked me, “So 1SG you were in Afghanistan huh?” As I looked at him perplexed he told me that he read all about me, including reading some entries from my blog…which just about floored me. He and I talked about the progress we are making on the ground with the Afghan Army and what the new Afghan National Police mission has done to the forces on the ground trying to stretch between the two. Anyone that knows me, knows that I pull no punches and will express my opinion when asked. I had the utmost tact and professionalism that would be expected when talking to the highest ranking member of the entire military and I feel we had a very good dialogue about the current situation in Afghanistan. It was refreshing to hear him acknowledge the strains that are placed on the current Task Force how the mission is progressing.

They sat each branch together and I was fortunate to have some great people at my table, to include the Commander and Command Sergeant Major of Ft. Hamilton sitting with me. After the USO presented an award to the Vice Chairman of Phizer for their support and one to Admiral Mike Mullen, dinner was served. The dinner was fantastic and included all the courses that you would have expected. This year the USO started a new award to the USO Volunteer of the Year, and this year it was presented to a wonder little lady (Ms. Rita) that has been a volunteer for 54 years, yes I said FIFTY-FOUR YEARS. I was asked, along with a SFC who is the MP 1SG for Ft. Hamilton, to help Ms. Rita up to the stage to receive her award. It was quite an honor to escort such an icon up to receive her award and back to her seat. I am not sure how old Rita is, but she still has wit and is funny. She was cracking me up as we walked back to her seat. It is still hard to imagine someone volunteering for that long. There is no doubt that the USO has been a main part of her life. Another very funny person that was there this night was the MC of the event, none other than Mr. Robert Wuhl, who is a famous comedian and actor. I always loved his show on HBO, called Arliss.

I was then called up to receive my award, which is a beautiful trophy with a huge eagle on it and a cased flag that was flown over Ground Zero specifically for me. Everything was somewhat of a blur at that point and I don’t really remember what was said or done. I think people gave me a standing ovation, but I truly don’t remember. The next think I remember was standing on the stage as they read the introductions for the other awardees and looking out and seeing Garry giving me a big smile. He was grinning ear to ear and I remember being flattered that he was so happy. I noticed behind him was a guy giving me a thumbs-up and waving at me. As the other citations were being read, I watched the guy step out and walk right in front of the stage over to the side where I walked up on stage. As he walked around I noticed that the guy was wearing a Congressional Medal of Honor and I was blown away. Here is a guy that is literally walking history and a rarity to see and he is giving me a thumbs up. As he walked in front of the stage, he was locked on me and I found myself following him with me eyes. I was thinking that “this guy is going to just walk right up here, but hey he probably can since he has a CMH”. I mean who is going to tell him that he can’t with that blue ribbon hanging around his neck.

After he went out of view and did not come on stage, I stood there as they called the rest of the awardees and they joined me on stage. The last awardee was the one for the Navy. Even though I was honored and flattered to be receiving this award at all, I was even more so to be lumped in the same category with the Navy winner, which was Navy Seal Lt. Michael Murphy. So needless to say, another highlight that I had was being able to meet and talk with the parents of Lt. Michael Murphy. Having the chance to look his mom and dad in their tear-filled eyes, express my sorrow for their loss and at the same time have them congratulate me was very humbling.

As we were departing the stage, Mr. Wuhl was back up there and I got the chance to joke with him a little bit. After we left the stage and started walking back to our seats, I saw this guy again with the CMH. He was shaking the other awardees hands, but as I was the last person coming off the stage he walked up with a grin as big as GarryÂ’s was earlier and with glassy eyes and threw his arms around me. He told me that a 1SG has saved his life in Vietnam, so they hold a special place in his heart. His name is Mr. Paul Bucha, and he was awarded the MoH for actions in Vietnam while he was a Company CDR with the 101st. ABN DIV. You can read his citation at www.mishalov.com/Bucha.html . Paul is a great guy and his wife is phenomenal too. Here was a guy with a CMH hanging around his neck hugging me and I would have been honored to just get him to shake my hand.

So again, a very impressive and flattering night that I cannot believe I was part of. I remember Admiral Mullen asking me what I did to get the award and me telling him “honestly sir, I have no idea…they just told me to be here” and him chuckling and saying that is the way it should be. I don’t think I did anything special or different than anyone else. I was just being me, just being a soldier, and just being a leader.

**NOTE, I have uploaded pictures of the event onto my website. You can get to it by clicking the Pictures sections on the left or going to bouhammer.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=23 **

There are some exciting things coming this week. I will be posting them under the military blog because they are all related to Christine and my trip to NYC Thursday through Saturday. Of course all the excitement happened on Thursday night while we were at the USO of Metropolitan NYC Armed Forces Gala where I received the George Van Cleave Military Leadership Award.

There will be much more on that later this week after I get some time to write the blog entries. So Stay Tuned this week and read the exciting posts and be ready to see some great pictures.