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Airborne and Special Operations Museum

It’s that time of the year again, it is time for Memorial Day. Memorial Day for many is the long awaited weekend that welcomes summer. A time to head to the beach, pool or fire up the grill for a BBQ. There are those who confuse Memorial and Veteran’s Day and for this I kindly ask please do not Thank a Veteran on Memorial Day. That’s not what Memorial Day is all about. Memorial day is the day to remember all of our soldiers that have fallen while in the line of duty. My husband has lost several brother’s at arms, I know those who lost their spouses, children who have lost their father. I don’t know many in the military community that do not know someone who gave all.

With Memorial Day on us I want to urge people to do something a little different this year. Find a way to remember those who gave their all so you do not have to. An easy way is to look and see if you have any military history museums in your area. Living in the Fort Bragg area we are blessed with several great museums but if I could only pick one it would be the Airborne and Special Operations Museum.

The Airborne and Special Operation’s Museum has been in Fayetteville since August of 2000 and tells the story of the Airborne and Special Operations Soldier from the 1940’s until present time. Since it opened in 2000 I have gone several times but it wasn’t until I went on the blogger familiarization tour with the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau that I was really able to get a deeper look into the museum. We have gone on our own and taken family in the past but I have always had a little one or two so while I was able to walk through the museum I never was able to really give it the full attention it deserves. Even with the blogger tour I would have loved more time. There is just so much to see and learn.

When exploring the museum there are two routes to go, explore the outside first or the inside. Outside you have the original Iron Mike statue from Fort Bragg. There are also memorial stones and pavers lining the walkways up to the museum. There is also something outside that you won’t find elsewhere, a memorial to the K-9 Soldier. On Memorial Day (Monday, May 25,2015) at noon they will be holding a special memorial day ceremony to honor the bravery and dedication of the special operations K-9 Soldier.

Since we were visiting on a rainy day we went straight inside. Upon entering you see 2 paratroopers hanging from the ceiling. Here is one of them:

Once you have signed in you are set to explore the museum. Inside they have a temporary exhibit, the main exhibit and a simulator ride. The current temporary exhibit is, Task Force Ranger And The Battle of Mogadishu. This is better known to many from the book and movie, BlackHawk Down.

This exhibit just received the John Wesley Powell Prize, an award that is typically given to museums such as the Smithsonian! It really is a great exhibit and thanks to receiving the award we get to keep the exhibit a bit longer than planned. You have until October 2016 to check it out.
Here are a couple highlights from the exhibit:

and this:

There are no words to describe this note.

Moving on we go onto enter the Main Exhibit hall.

Walking through there is something to look at at every turn.

I loved looking at the uniforms and how much they have changed but also have stayed the same. The unit patch for the 508th is exactly the same logo today!

There was honestly too much for me to include in this blog but here are some of the bigger exhibits:

You walk through the 1940’s to present day with close attention to detail in an attempt to not miss a thing. I saw pictures that were similar to those of my grandfathers from World War II, you can read about how the Pathfinders began and why they were important, learn about different weapons and gear that was used. The tour is self guided so you can spend as much time or as little as you would like!

When you finish looking at the exhibit there is one more experience waiting for you. The Airborne and Special Operations Museum also has a simulator ride! They just updated it and it was to debate during Armed Forces Weekend but I have something for you. Here is a sneak peak of the ride:

I’m sorry but if you want to see how it ends you will have to go to the museum!

The museum is located at:

100 Bragg Boulevard
Fayetteville, North Carolina

The museum Hours are:

Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm
Sunday 12pm-5pm
Closed Mondays and Federal Holidays.
The museum will be open on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veteran’s Day.
We are closed on Federal Holidays, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Day, and Easter.
The Exhibit Gallery closes at 4:45.
They recommend allowing 2-3 hours to tour the museum grounds.

Admission is free to the museum but they accept donations.
You do have to pay to ride the Motion Simulator, it is $5; half price for those under 36″. Tickets are available in the gift shop.

If you check out the museum from May 16 thru June 27th 2015 you will also have the opportunity to check out the North Carolina Field of Honor. Hundreds of American Flags are flying honoring those who serve, who have served and those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice. The Field of Honor You can read more information about the North Carolina Field of Honor HERE.

ALL GAVE SOME. SOME GAVE ALL.

9-11Reflections

September 12, 2014
Lil Bits of Life, military
0 comment

You know those mundane everyday things we do without thinking? For instance, for myself that includes the fight with daughter about school picture day clothes and hair, as I make 4 lunches and get my 4 monsters ready for a day of school, those things. Thirteen years ago today so many of us were doing those same things. We were going about our daily life without question or worry. I was getting ready for my first OB appointment with kid number 2. My husband was at work, doing Army guy things. Then in a moment, life changed.

Alike many, our life changed immensely on 9/11. My husband left less than a month later for desert training and was deployed to Afghanistan by January 2003. It was not his first deployment but a deployment with a new mission,war. It was a completely different mind process than his previous deployment. When he went to Kosovo in 1999 it was for a NATO mission and although it could happen the bad things we now know of deployment were not in the forefront of our minds. Every single bad thing you could think of was now on the minds of countless military spouses. When you heard a deployment was on the horizon a series of what ifs starting racking your mind. Like the big one, “what if something happens to my husband, how would I handle it”. It became a series of plans set up in the back of your head. With these changes others changes are made these changes to how you see life.

Life was no longer the just day to day, it became something more. It became looking at each and every day and just being thankful and living for the day. Yes, scary things happen in this thing called life and there are scary people out there but you can’t just stop and let them take over your life. You have to go on. You can’t stop because something bad may happen. When you do that you let the bad guys win. Life for my family became about spending time together. This is so important for us because we never know when Daddy may have to go away. Every birthday, anniversary and holiday we are together is extra special because we know the next one we may not be all together. Doing errands together, vacations, family fun nights it’s all about spending time together.

There is still worry about things that we cannot control but it is followed by what will be will be. Along with a sprinkling of how important is this in the big scheme of things, does it really matter? We have learned to live and let go. Well, at least the best that we can.

Government Shutdown Military Family 411

September 29, 2013
Lil Bits of Life, military, Uncategorized
1 Comment

It is coming. Well at least it looks that way, a government shutdown. Get ready to embrace the suck. Here are some tips to get through the coming weeks.

What is shutting down?

Many people don’t realize the bigger picture and what all a government shutdown may include. It is not just the military as many may think as they have been used as political and media pawns. This issue is big and has ripple down effects. It affects not only the Department of Defense but the National Park Service, various departments of Homeland Security, federal courts and more. You can look HERE for a list of agencies that will or could be affected.

There will be no going to White Sands if there is a government shutdown.

Money Matters

Being a military family this issue hits us hard as it does many other military and federal employee families. The number one issue that we worry about is not getting that paycheck on October 15th. That means for some dipping into their emergency fund something that I cannot stress the importance of. While yes it is for emergencies I know when we started our fund we thought about our trucks breaking down, major appliances breaking and things of that nature. Not a government shut down where my husband would not be getting a paycheck. Other families are not as lucky though as many families live pay check to paycheck. Thankfully some banks and credit unions such as USAA, Navy federal , Pacific Marine Credit Union, Marine Federal Credit Union, Service Credit Union, Belvoir Credit Union, Air Force Credit Union, First Command, Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union are offering payroll advances and zero or low interest loans to help at this time. If your bank is not listed here contact them and see if they offer any assistance. Some banks such as US Bank and First Light Credit Union offer programs for military families. I do suggest staying away from non-bank payday/cash advance locations. If needed Army Emergency Relief (AER), Air Force Aid Society (AFAS), Navy- Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) and Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA) will all be available if you need assistance. The Red Cross and Operation Homefront also offer financial assistance for military families.

Paying bills

It is what it is and figuring out what to do with your bills comes next.You need to figure out how to pay your rent/mortgage, electric bill, water and other bills. The best policy here is to be proactive and call and contact your creditors. They may be able to work with you they may not. You never know what they can offer unless you call. The worst thing they can do is say no. Remember the organizations listed above that can help you.

Gas Money

So your soldier still needs to go to work without getting paid, what can you do about gas money? Start a carpool with other families in your area. Yes it sucks that they have to go to work and not have the money to go but what are you going to do? You make it work. It’s all about rolling with the punches.

Feeding your Family

I am constantly looking for ways to feed my family for less and a looming government shutdown has me looking at where I can cut back especially since the commissary will be closed. A good place to start is to create a meal plan and stick to it. This helps you when it comes time to make a grocery list and when it comes time to shop. To help you meal plan use your grocery store ads and buy what is on sale. To save more money use coupons.

Here are a few healthy and economical foods:

Water, healthier and cheaper than soda and other sweetened drinks.

Eat Beans, they are economical, full of protein and fiber.

Brown Rice, whole grain and full of vitamins

Sweet Potatoes, low in calories and full of vitamins like Vitamin A and C.

Frozen Veggies, steam instead of boil to avoid nutrient loss.

Kale and other leafy greens (cabbage,spinach,collards), are nutrient rich and full of vitamins and can be prepared several different ways.

Plain Yogurt, you can mix in various things to change it up such as honey and fruits. If you use greek yogurt you will have added protein.

Peanut Butter and other nut butters, a great protein source and heart healthy unsaturated fats

Eggs, Great protein source and full of other nutrients.

Oatmeal (old fashioned oats) Heart healthy and helps lower bad cholesterol.

Final Thoughts on Money

It is time to prioritize what is important and to budget, budget,budget! There will be things that you cannot get around spending money on and you need to allow room in your budget for these expenses. Just as you need to remember to allow for emergencies. Be smart about your money choices. Ask yourself do I really need Starbucks or can I make it myself at home. Check out these copycat recipes to try it at home. Pinterest is a great place to look to find copycat recipes, handy household money saving tips and more. You can do this with style and grace. After all military families are special. We can take on any challenge that is sent our way.

Everything Else

Just a few final tid bits on a possible government shutdown that we currently know:

Quality of life will be affected. There is no way around it.

There will be reduced support services on post as many civilian employees are furloughed. These services will vary from installation to installation.

Your soldier will still be at work but PCS’s, TDY’s, schools and training may be disrupted.

Death gratuities to those who die on active duty during this time would not be paid.

There will be various effects to healthcare on installations that may vary from installation to installation.

As previously stated, stateside commissaries would be closed.

What else can be done?

The time is ticking down but your voice is important! Let your elected officials know how you feel!

Find your representative HERE

Find your senator HERE

Click HERE to contact the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services

Want to contact the president or vice president? Click HERE

A follow up to this blog is- Government Shutdown and Military Families: What you need to know