Banana Republic stores are doing a little something to honor our military and give them a break on clothes. If you are a military member, retired, veteran, or a military family member they are giving you 50% off of up to three full-price items through Sunday, January 22nd. Sorry for the late notice but tomorrow is the last day.

After that they are giving the same folks 15% off all items from January 23-31.

Please check out bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/info.do?cid=76923&mlink=5001,4470740,21&clink=4470740 to learn more.

Spread the word, tell your friends, family, family readiness groups and units about this awesome deal

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The House on Tuesday (Nov. 29th) voted unanimously to allow military travelers on official duty to get a special preference to move through airport security checks faster.
The bill, approved 404-0, would give the Homeland Security Department six months to devise a preference system for the armed forces. The legislation went to the Senate.

If the bill becomes law, the earliest beneficiaries would likely be troops returning from Afghanistan next year and their family members, who also would receive preferential treatment.
The government already has initiated, and is expanding, a more intelligence-driven trusted traveler program for civilians. Participants include travelers in American and Delta airlines’ frequent flier programs as well as people who are part of three other programs. These people volunteer more information about themselves so that the government can vet them before they arrive at airport security checkpoints.

Chief sponsor Chip Cravaack, R-Minn., said it takes longer for men and women in uniform to pass through security because of their gear, medals on their uniforms and boots that must be unlaced. Allowing them through security more quickly would speed up the waiting time for those not part of a preference program, he said.

Read the whole story at www.military.com/news/article/house-votes-to-ease-airport-screening-for-troops.html

Besides just getting soldiers through TSA checkpoints, there is also some legislation being considered to allow Government Employees and Contractors who have Security clearances to bypass some of the security checkpoints. Trust me, for what it takes to get a Secret or higher clearance there is no reason to have those people go through all the security checks that the general public has to go through. Personnel with clearances are vetted and checked not just once, but repeatedly while they hold the clearance.

There is a lot of pain at checkpoints already, mostly because of the number of people trying to go through. So any relief that can be given to the number of people there by allowing troops and those with security clearances to bypass the wait in line should really help out.

We trust them with our nation’s secrets and to fight our wars, I think we can trust them to get on a plane. Lord knows if someone tries something on a plane and if there is not an Air Marshall on-board then it will more than likely be troops sitting on the plane that will respond first.

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LAS VEGAS (Nov. 05, 2011) – British singing sensation Matt Goss, in conjunction with Bouhammer’s Afghan and Military Blog (www.bouhammer.com), is celebrating Veterans and honoring those who serve with complimentary tickets to his show Friday, Nov. 11 and Saturday, Nov. 12 in the Gossy Room at Caesars Palace.

“It’s important to raise awareness of the heroic acts these Veterans perform on a daily basis,” said Goss. “I’m honored to give this group a much deserved, enjoyable night out.”

Invited Veterans will receive complimentary entrance to the show for themselves and a guest, dinner and a meet and greet opportunity with Goss prior to the show.

Veterans Day (originally Remembrance Day) is a day remembered by countries all over the world, originally in recognition of the end of World War I. For additional information on Bouhammer’s Afghan and Military Blog, please visit Bouhammer.com.

All performances are held inside the Gossy Room at Caesars Palace and begin at 9:30 p.m. General admission tickets are priced at $40 (inclusive of entertainment tax). Tickets can be purchased in person at the Colosseum Box Office at Caesars Palace or by phone 1-800-745-3000 or on www.ticketmaster.com keyword: Matt Goss. A service charge applies to Ticketmaster purchases.

Presented by Robin Antin, creator of The Pussycat Dolls, Goss’s show offers a dynamic blend of musical talent; backed by a nine-piece band and sexy female dancers known as “The Dirty Virgins,” Goss entertains guests with a production featuring a mix of his career hits, songs from his new album and popular covers.

Goss has sold more than 17 million albums worldwide and is recognized for his appreciation of classic hits made famous by the Rat Pack. In his show at Caesars Palace, Goss performs “I’ve Got the World on a String” and “Luck be a Lady,” recorded by the legendary Frank Sinatra, who headlined numerous dates at Caesars Palace from 1968 to 1983.

About Matt Goss
Matt Goss reached international fame as the lead singer of ’80s British pop group Bros, enjoying more than a decade of success with more than 17 million records sold worldwide. Bros was the first band since Elvis to knock themselves off of the #1 spot in Australia and held a #1 spot in 19 countries simultaneously. In addition to his successful music career, Goss released an autobiography in 2005 achieving Best Seller status in the coveted London Sunday Times. Goss has gone on to focus on songwriting including writing the theme song for the #1 FOX program “So You Think You Can Dance” and writing the hit song “Change Me” for Keri Hilson and Akon which is featured on Hilson’s current chart-topping album In A Perfect World. Goss currently lives in Los Angeles where he is recording his next studio album. In September 2010, Goss released his first children’s book, “Bear Crimbo,” which is the first of a three-book deal. For more information about Matt Goss, visit www.mattgoss.biz.

About Caesars Palace
Reigning at the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, Caesars Palace features 3,300 hotel guest rooms and suites, including the 180-room Nobu Hotel set to open in 2012; and 25 diverse restaurants and cafes, including the 24-hour café Central by James Beard award-winning Chef Michel Richard. The 85-acre resort offers nearly 129,000 square-feet of casino space including a 14,000 square-foot poker room; a five-acre Garden of the Gods pool complex showcasing eight pools and two gardens; the 50,000 square-foot award-winning Qua Baths & Spa and Color Salon by renowned celebrity colorist Michael Boychuck; five elegant wedding chapels and outdoor gardens; 300,000 square-feet of premium meeting and convention space; and the acclaimed 683,000-square-foot Forum Shops offering more than 180 boutiques and dining establishments. Caesars guests enjoy Cascata, one of the world’s most exclusive golf courses; and the 4,300-seat Colosseum spotlighting world class entertainers such as Celine Dion, Jerry Seinfeld, Rod Stewart, Elton John and Shania Twain (beginning December 2012). For more information, please visit www.caesarspalace.com or caesars.thedigitalcenter.com to access media materials and request high-resolution images. Find Caesars Palace on Facebook and follow on Twitter.

Caesars Palace, along with all Caesars Entertainment Las Vegas resorts, including Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, Paris Las Vegas, Flamingo Las Vegas, Harrah’s, Bally’s, Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, Imperial Palace and Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon, proudly prohibit adding mandatory resort fees to hotel guest room rates. For information on No Resort Fees visit www.caesars.com/noresortfees or find details on Facebook at www.facebook.com/noresortfees.

About Bouhammer’s Afghan and Military Blog
The Bouhammer [boo-ham-er] blog was originally created by a 22-year retired First Sergeant of the U.S. Army. This blog started out as a way to write about military related issues. It turned into a way for Bouhammer to document his 16 month tour as an Embedded Training Team leader in Afghanistan for family and friends. It is now one of the leading and award-winning blogs written exclusively on operations in Afghanistan and other military related topics. Troy Steward from Bouhammer.com also writes for the Official Army Blog at Army Strong Stories (armystrongstories.com/) , the You Served Blog (www.youserved.com) and co-hosts the weekly You Served Radio show and podcast (www.youservedradio.com). The Bouhammer blog can be found on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bouhammer and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bouhammer.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Melanie Shafer
Public Relations Specialist
Caesars Entertainment – Las Vegas Region
Mshafer1@caesars.com
(702) 794-3137

Troy Steward
Owner
Bouhammer Enterprises, LLC
admin@bouhammer.com

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Troops in Afghanistan may have to wait 10 to 12 months for advanced medical machinery for treating concussions, raising concerns among top military leaders that the equipment will not be available for potentially hundreds of sevice members with mild brain injuries.

I read this story the other day and I was amazed that some of the top Service and Combat Commanders are asking for this common medical technology but some doctors in the services are disputing the effectiveness of these technologies,

Army surgeon-general Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker said that although an MRI is a helpful tool in battlefield care, it is not essential for diagnosis.

The Navy surgeon-general, Vice Adm. Adam Robinson, echoed the view that an MRI is primarily a research tool.

Rather than saying “no” and saying they don’t agree with the top Commanders, these medical professionals need to be presenting their cases to the Commanders and either showing they are right and the Commanders are wrong or they need to have their minds changed and support the Commanders’ request.

Without an urgent demand, the two machines for $9 million must be acquired through competitive bidding, the Navy says. They will not reach Afghanistan until August at the earliest, Robinson says.

More than 300 U.S. troops per month suffered concussions last year in Afghanistan. Mullen’s science adviser, Army Col. Christian Macedonia, said if purchased outright, without competitive bidding, MRI machines could go to the war zone in a period of weeks.

So because of acquisition rules and policies about the urgent need of these the MRI machines will take months to go forward and be used rather than weeks which is how fast it could be done.

I bet if some of our Representatives in Congress starting applying some pressure or if the mainstream media started talking about this then those machines would be on the next plane heading east. But until then, I guess it will fall on Army Times and MilBlogs to get the word out.

Read the whole story at www.armytimes.com/news/2011/04/gannett-no-mris-in-afghanistan-041511/

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Today, Thursday, October 28th, we will begin the annual Soldiers’ Angels Valour-IT competition. As you may or may not know, Bouhammer.com has been in the past a proud member of Team Army for Valour-IT competition. So once again Bouhammer.com is stepping up to the challenge and hoping that you do too.

WHAT IS VALOUR-IT?

Project Valour-IT began when Captain Charles “Chuck” Ziegenfuss was wounded by an IED while serving as commander of a tank company in Iraq in June 2005.

During his deployment he kept a blog (an online personal diary, opinion forum, or news analysis site-called a milblog or military weblog when written by a servicemember or about military subjects). Captivating writing, insightful stories of his experiences, and his self-deprecating humor won him many loyal readers. After he was wounded, his wife continued his blog, keeping his readers informed of his condition.

As he began to recover, CPT Ziegenfuss wanted to return to writing his blog, but serious hand injuries hampered his typing. When a loyal and generous reader gave him a copy of the Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred software, other readers began to realize how important such software could be to CPT Ziegenfuss’ fellow wounded soldiers and started cast about for a way to get it to them.

“At that time I had no use of either hand. I know how humbling it is, how humiliating it feels. And I know how much better I felt, how amazingly more functional I felt, after Soldiers’ Angels provided me with a laptop and a loyal reader provided me with the software. I can’t wait to do the same, to give that feeling to another soldier at Walter Reed.” -Captain Chuck Ziegenfuss at TC Override (wounded in Iraq)

Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss (Captain Chuck Ziegenfuss’ father), provides voice-controlled software and laptop computers to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand and arm injuries, amputations, eye or brain injuries, at major military medical centers. Operating laptops by speaking into a microphone, our wounded heroes are able to send and receive messages from friends and loved ones, surf the ‘Net, and communicate with buddies still in the field without having to press a key or move a mouse.

THE COMPETITION

In order to fund the thousands of laptops we have distributed and need to distribute, we have an annual competition.

Valour-IT’s online fundraising competition begins today! Let’s see who can raise the most money to help reconnect our wounded warriors with the world!

WHAT: Friendly fundraising competition for Valour-IT. WHEN: October 28th through Veterans Day, November 11th . WHERE: Based in the blogosphere, spreading everywhere else. WHY: Because giving wounded warriors with hand and arm injuries access to a computer supports their healing and puts them back in touch with the world. HOW: Blogger teams will be divided along military branches, with civilians “up for grabs.”

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

I need you to simply blog and email regularly about Valour-IT and the competition with links to the

Team Army donation page

. Tell your friends, family and neighbors about Valour-IT. I’ll be providing media, links, and talking points for your Tweets, Facebook posts and blog posts, etc.

The competition is military branch specific and you’ve been drafted to help TEAM ARMY. So click HERE and make your contribution today.

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At that dinner Gina and I talked about an idea she had to travel to all 50 states and to visit at least one VA hospital in every state. She wanted to make it a nation-wide tour. Now it seems she may have the chance to do that.

Pepsi-Cola corporation has an initiative called the Pepsi refresh project which will give $50,000 to a charity that works in the area of healthcare. Gina’s charity, pinupsforvets.com is in the running but she needs your help. She needs your votes. Watch the video below to learn more about what she plans to do with the money if she wins.

You can also head to www.refresheverything.com/votepinupsforvets and watch the video there and learn how you can vote. It can be done on the website or by texting 103020 to 73774 on your cell phone. Please help me out by helping Gina out. She is an awesome person with a heart of gold. I have been with her at Walter Reed and seen first-hand how she brings joy, smiles and high morale to our wounded warriors past and present.

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The huge Financial Services bill currently in the Senate aims to boost consumer protection and bring more openness and accountability to the mortgage industry. But in its current form, after a last-minute amendment from Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), the bill will ultimately hurt military families and deal a serious blow to their access to home lending.

Why does it always seem to be the amendments that cause the problems? The last thing Veterans need is to make it harder or more expensive to buy a home. Especially since it was not Veterans that caused the housing problem in this country that has led to these changes.

These new layers would likely end up breaking a program that doesn’t need fixing. Piling on needless guidelines will likely trigger at least two major problems for military families:

• Lending costs will rise because stricter underwriting will take up more time and resources. Veterans will pay more to exercise their VA entitlement, which was created to help make homeownership accessible to this deserving demographic.

• Some veterans who would have normally been cleared for a VA loan may now wind up unable to get one.

So please go over there and read the whole story. Then if you feel led to do something about this, contact your representative ASAP and let them know how you feel.

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Vision-Strike-Wear.Com and Hooahradio.Com supports the families of the recently lost at Fort Hood by donating proceeds from sales on its website until Christmas Eve when the total funds will be sent to the Chaplain’s Fund at Fort Hood. This is a season for giving and no families are more deserving than these families are at this tragic time. Let us all provide the warmth of support and let them know we all care.

VSW and and Hooah Radio are donating $.50 from the sale of every single item sold on Vision Strike Wear from now until Christmas Eve to the Chaplain’s Fund at Ft. Hood Tx. It does not matter if it is a sticker, T-shirt, Hat, or whatever, they will put aside $.50 for every item sold and then on Christmas Eve send a check to the Chaplain’s Fund to help the families of the fallen and wounded.

In addition, any item sold on Vision Strike Wear can have FREE SHIPPING by using the coupon code “HooahRadio1″ at checkout. Yes, that is right, FREE SHIPPING on ANY ITEM for sale on Vision Strike Wear. So you can buy something from the normal Vision Strike Wear Collection or something from the items in the Bouhammer Gear Store or from anywhere on the site and have $.50 go to the Families Fund and even get FREE SHIPPING.

If there is anything on the site you like, to include the famous and ever popular Twitter-Bird Shirt, ETT Venom Shirt, 9/11 Tribute Shirt, or any of the other popular items in the Bouhammer Gear Store Collection.

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