Fort McCoy
Army Community Service 
School House
"Information and Opportunities"

 

Military Appreciation

THANK YOU MILITARY FAMILIES
Men, Women, Children, numbering millions in souls. Who stay the course, finish the race. Emerging better for having done so. Military Spouses - UNITED - a steadfast whole.

MONTH OF NOVEMBER DEDICATED TO APPRECIATING MILITARY FAMILIES
 CONTEST FOR NOVEMBER - MILITARY FAMILY MONTH
Families were asked to describe in a 500 words or less essay what is special about being a Military Family.  Essays had to be submitted to Fort McCoy Army Community Service (ACS) by COB Nov 30, 2007. 

By random drawing on Dec 3 six family essays were selected. 
Click here to view the winning entries. 

The prizes that each entrant won is as follows:
1st prize: Gift basket to include 600 Family Focus Franks, Support our Soldiers red t-shirts for entire family, Family games/activities, Family books/videos and more.
2nd prize: Gift basket to include 400 Family Focus Franks, Support our Soldiers red t-shirts for entire family, Family games/activities, and Family books.
3rd prize:  300 Family Focus Franks, Support our Soldiers red t-shirts for entire family, a Family game and a Family video.
4th - 6th prizes: 250 Family Focus Franks and a Family activity.  
All essays must be submitted on official ACS form. Any essays submitted that are not on the official ACS form will be disqualified.   Forms can be obtained at ACS, 2111 South 8th Ave or can be emailed by calling 608-388-3505.  All submissions will become property of ACS.  Contest open to all AD, National Guard, Reserve, and retired Military Families with one or more Family member living in a 50 mile radius of Fort McCoy.  ACS employees not eligible for prizes

Click here to view the flyer
Click here for Entry Form (PDF)
Click here for Entry Form (MS Word)

MILITARY FAMILY ART CONTEST
For information on Military Family Art contest and other interesting information/contests check out the Armed Services YMCA

Month of May dedicated to appreciating Service members
 Click here for the National Military Appreciation Month Website

May is National Military Appreciation Month - a special time to recognize the sacrifices of our troops and their families. For ideas on how to support the troops, check out www.americasupportsyou.mil.

THE MILITARY SPOUSE
Author unknown

There he stands in camouflage…yet he cannot hide from you.
You can pick him out in a crowd, and eye his stride among a formation.
There he goes, away from you again, off to do his part and be his best,
leaving you in his wake - never behind, yet always longing for his return.
There you are, amidst boxes and paper and confusion, creating a home, designing a household, transforming a building into a loving nurturing, comfortable environment.
Memories will be made here. Events will be celebrated.
Children will be born, graduate, grow, change. Your family will evolve. Your love will increase. Your marriage will improve. And then you will be asked to leave it all…again.
There are those who do not understand…
Who cannot comprehend what it takes to fulfill your role, to fill your shoes, to be all that you need to be.
They marvel at times, criticize at others, seldom appreciate, cannot imagine. There are those moments when you are where they are.
When you marvel, criticize, lack comprehension and are unable to muster understanding.
And then he appears at the door, or on the phone, or through a rumpled letter addressed to “My Love” and suddenly there is comprehension and understanding, affirmation and conviction.
For by his presence, through his voice, in his message you KNOW that you’ve been beckoned to a noble calling, when asked to be a military spouse.
Invited to support a soldier who allows freedom, who guards democracy, who instills leadership. And in your role you see a slice of life that few others have the privilege to experience…
Flags appear more brilliant to you…
Parades draw out more emotion for you…
A patriotic song is a musical message played just for you…
A hand-over-the-heart is as stirring as an embrace for you…
A parting kiss can hold you for months…
A welcome back embrace can fill you up from lonely months…
A grave marker is a stark reminder of the meaning of devotion…
A tear shared is a stark statement on the meaning of sacrifice…
A duffel bag on a baggage claim gives you pause and connection…
An eagle’s soar gives you inspiration. There you are…
The military spouse, the one asked to be strong, the one willing to belong.
The one who is often required to do it all.
The one who is privileged to stand beside a true American - day in and day out.
There are military spouses around the world, beside soldiers, airmen, marines and sailors.
They share a bond, a unity and a duty to be there, always for their hero.
There.
Said.
Done.
There are no better…anywhere.

Military Spouse Appreciation Day
Article by Arlene H. Hull, copyright, LifeLines, all rights reserved.

"If the military had wanted you to have a spouse, they would have issued you one." Remember those words? Well, that was then and this is now. America's military has realized and acknowledged the significance of the military spouse. In 1984 President Reagan proclaimed the Friday before Mother's Day of each year to be Military Spouse Appreciation Day. It is your day to stand up and be honored.

For the times you've stood and watched a ship sail from the harbor, an aircraft disappear into the clouds, or a truck convoy pull out of sight, not sure when they would return, we thank you.

For the countless household moves you've made from a place you know to one that's strange and different - often by yourself - we thank you.

For the families you've held together, for the anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays you've celebrated alone, we thank you.

For the hand you've extended to another military spouse when the need was there, truly creating a military family, we thank you.

For the spirit and strength you've shown when your service member has gone into harm's way, we thank you.

For the pride you've displayed while serving as an ambassador of the military spouse to the rest of the world, we thank you.

Far too frequently, the sacrifices and dedication of the military spouse have gone unnoticed and unappreciated. In our nation's recent history, thousands of service members have been placed in harm's way as they stood watch as freedom's guardian. You too have stood watch at home, facing challenges alone. You have waved flags and held banners high to express your support. You have kept the candles burning on the home front as a reminder of our deployed military.

You have made difficult sacrifices of your own, and have called upon your inner reserves to nurture family life so your service member can focus on the business at hand.

Even in times of relaxed alert status for our military, you have stood ready and alert for the slightest of signs, perhaps overlooked or ignored by your civilian counterparts, signaling a potential change in the status of our military forces. As a military spouse, you have willingly packed up and relocated countless times, and may have been separated from your own parents and siblings for several years at a time.

Quite often, you have been placed in an unfamiliar ethnic or cultural setting, or a remote location. You have met this challenge with confidence and pride, making your nation proud of you. By the same token, you have extended your hand and hospitality to visitors to our country.

A country cannot count itself strong by its armed services alone, but must also depend on its civilians. With military wives and husbands setting a superior example through devotion, courage, and commitment, we are a nation of strength.

Military spouses … stand tall, stand proud … we salute you, you are truly our unsung heroes.