Research - Rehabilitation - Re-Employment

Sgt. Shaft 12/06/2004

Dear Sgt. Shaft,
I wanted to let you and your readers know about a great source of information for service members stationed in the U.S. or abroad: The Stars and Stripes.

Stars and Stripes is a daily newspaper authorized by the Department of Defense (DoD) for distribution to the U.S. military community overseas. It is headquartered in Washington DC, and it publishes three main editions; the European Stars and Stripes, in Griesheim, Germany, the Pacific Stars and Stripes, in Tokyo, Japan and its Middle East edition. This newspaper provides commercially available U.S. and world news, entertainment news, advertising and staff-generated stories focusing on the military community.

Four Union soldiers first put out this newspaper, in 1861. Production stopped after just one issue, returned during World War I and at last came back during World War II. After the combat, the newspaper was instructed by DoD to continue its publication as long as U.S. troops remained abroad. The Stripes' reporters and photographers have joined the troops in the field throughout the Korean, Vietnam wars, during Operation Desert Shield in 1990 and Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Papers were also delivered to the troops that deployed to Bosnia in 1995 and Kosovo in 1998. During the recent Iraq conflict, Stripes reporters were embedded with military units in Kuwait and Iraq, and a separate Middle East edition has started to print and deliver about 67,000 newspapers daily to deployed locations, including Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Iraq.

Today, the Stars and Stripes' daily editions are produced in Washington DC, and sent by satellite and Internet technology to print sites in Germany, Italy, Japan, Kuwait and South Korea. Between all the editions, Stripes services over 48 countries where there are bases, posts, service members, ships or embassies.

Stars and Stripes is also an award winning newspaper. In the last year it has been honored with the Scripps Howard Foundation National Journalism Award, the Excellence in Journalism Award by the American Legion, and an Honorable Citation by Editor and Publisher magazine among others.

Throughout all this, Stripes has never lost sight of its daily duty: to bring hometown news to the troops stationed overseas.

The good news: It is not necessary to be stationed overseas to have access to Stars and Stripes. Anyone can read this newspaper anywhere, thanks to the Internet. Every day, Stars and Stripes posts an exact electronic replica of the three main editions of its newspapers on its website www.estripes.osd.mil. Its other website, www.stripes.com, is packed with information relevant to the military stationed abroad and at home. "

Luisa Hernandez
Marketing Manager
Stars and Stripes

Dear Luisa
Thanks for your update on the Stars and Stripes. I am sure just seeing the name Stars and Stripes will bring back fond memories for my readers, so glad this great publication is still going strong and still serving.

Shaft Notes
The Sarge is looking forward to joining other members at the National Press Club and the general public at a Luncheon featuring the Honorable David Eisner.

Mr. Eisner, a former executive at AOL Time Warner and a nationally recognized expert on nonprofit capacity-building and organizational effectiveness, was confirmed last year by the Senate as the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service. The Corporation administers Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America and other domestic service initiatives that engage Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service to their communities and country.

"National and community service represents the best of American citizens' commitment to our civil society and democratic values," said Eisner. "

In his position, Eisner oversees an agency with 600 employees that supports more than 1.5 million Americans who serve the needs of their communities through schools, nonprofits, and faith-based and community organizations. For information and reservation for the luncheon, which will be held at 12:30 p.m. on December 14 contact Pat Nelson at (202) 662-7539 or e-mail: pnelson@press.org.

The Sarge was happy to join

Over 200 senior leaders in military and Federal health care as they heard plans for a new film on military medicine and its contribution to the nation’s health at a recent “Meet the Producers” evening at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU). The event was arranged by the non-profit, privately-funded “Friends of USU”, which is sponsoring the documentary.

The evening’s highlight was a presentation by the film’s producers, three-time Oscar winner Terry Sanders and his associate Christine Wiser, who has over 30 films to her credit. Sanders’ award-winning films include “Return With Honor”, “Maya Lin, A Strong Clear Vision”, “Slow Fires”, “Into The Future”, “The New Indians” and “War Hunt”. Sanders’ production company, American Film Foundation, has made over 70 motion pictures.

The evening’s guests included the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) Dr. William Winkenwerder, the Surgeon General of the United States Vice Admiral Richard Carmona, M.D., and the Surgeon General of the United States Army Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley, M.D. Representatives of a number of leading defense contractors also attended as did those of non-profit and veterans’ service organizations.

The evening’s program was hosted by Tammy Alvarez, president of the “Friends of USU” and wife of Everett Alvarez, Jr., chair of USU’s residentially-appointed Board of Regents.

The film is being produced using private funding raised by the “Friends of USU” and says Tammy Alvarez “it’s aimed at raising national awareness of the contributions of military medicine and the pivotal role that USU plays in training the military medical leaders of the future”. The movie will give support to our troops and their families.”

Send letters to Sgt. Shaft, c/o John Fales, P.O. Box 65900, Washington, D.C. 20035-5900; fax to 301-622-3330; call 202-462-4430 or email sgtshaft@bavf.org.

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