News

Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard was struck and fatally wounded by a rocket-propelled grenade during a Taliban ambush August 14 in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan, and the AP's image shows Lance Cpl. Bernard being assisted by fellow Marines after sustaining these fatal injuries.

Welcome!  Things are buzzing in North Carolina as we, along with K.I.D.S., Governor Perdue, NASCAR driver Paulie Harraka and two Duke University athletes prepare to donate more than 4,000 children's books to 37 DODEA and military impacted schools on September 10th.  Read all about it, and many other cool things happening in the BSF world below. 

UPDATE: After we originally ran this post in July of this year, Dee Mills was inducted into the Energizer Keep Goin Hall of Fame!  Check out her appearances with Cal Ripken in St. Louis earlier this month and see video below the fold.

The University of Maryland University College, located in Adelphi, Maryland, has been ranked by Military Times Edge as the “the most popular college or university among active-duty service members!” UMUC topped 49 other colleges and universities because of its partnerships, locations in Europe, Asia, Iraq, and the United States and was lauded for its partnerships, selection of online courses, campuses on three continents -- Europe and Asia as well as in the United States -- and degrees designed to complement military training.

The Home Sweet Home Campaign was born from a genuine motivation, inspired by Tim and Nicole Little, who reside in Queen Creek AZ.  Tim, an Army reservist, has served two tours in this war, touring in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Like many soldiers returning home, he found himself unable to return to his pre-deployment job, due to his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). 

Blue Star Families (BSF) and Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc. (K.I.D.S.) joined forces with North Carolina Governor Bev Purdue to bring the healing power of books to military children and their schools through the national program, Books on Bases, Smiles on Faces. The program was launched at W.T. Brown Elementary School in Spring Lake, NC, which is just outside the gates of Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base, and 4,000 new books were given to 17 Department of Defense and 20 military impacted schools.