Welcome

I am pleased to welcome you to my personal blog, which I started in March 2009. I first became interested in blogging about five years ago, using old "blogger.com", which was cumbersome to use and I never mastered. About a year ago I discovered that Google had bought "blogger.com" and had revised it considerably, making it fun to use, so much so that I have devised at least 15 blogs on various subjects and frequently add posts and Gadgets to them.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Being a Leader


While finding the article in the preceding post, I found this article by another child of a soldier that impressed me very much.

The time has come to present the winner of the 2010 Month of the Military Child Blog Submission Award.
And the winner is (drum roll, please)…Ms. Rebecca Sawler of Ft. Drum, NY. Below is Rebecca’s post about what it means to be a leader and how her father, SSG  Sawler (currently deployed to Afghanistan) displays those characteristics. 
The characteristics that I think an exceptional leader should have are responsibility, respect, and courage. The person that I believe has these characteristics is my Dad.
 Responsibility to me means to be accountable for your own actions. It also means that you trustworthy to others. My dad is responsible because he is a squad leader in the army. He is in charge of thirteen to fourteen soldiers that are divided into four groups or teams. Each of these teams have different missions and therefore he has to watch over and make sure that they know where, when, and how to do their job. As a squad leader he also is responsible for helping his soldiers with their problems as far as health, deployment, their safety and more. On top of him leading these soldiers, he also has a family. He takes care of us by providing for us. He helps pay for food, clothing and a home. When he is home he makes an effort to spend his time with us. I see my Dad as the leader of our family and he proves this by taking care of his responsibilities.
To be respectful is to respect other’s ideas and not look down on them. Respect means to listen to other’s ideas, opinions, and decisions. My father has to respect his leaders and commanding officers. He does this by obeying their decisions and any opinions they have that he needs to follow. He also respects the soldiers under him. As their leader, he listens to their ideas and opinions. He also respects their decisions for work and their life even if he doesn’t agree completely with them. I came across this quote that expresses respect perfectly. “You can have a certain arrogance, and I think that’s fine, but what you should never lose is the respect for others.” –Steffi Graf.
I think that the meaning of courage is to face dangers fearlessly for your beliefs. This means to stand up for what you believe and also to put yourself aside for others. I know my dad has courage because he represents his country. He stands proud for his ideas and beliefs because he serves in our military. He sets himself aside for his family and protects us. Not only does he protect us though, he protects the foreign citizens around the world. A leader shows and teaches courage when he can still lead and not let fear get in his way.
“A leader is someone who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way”- John C. Maxwell. Like my dad, I use these important traits, responsibility, respect, and courage at school. First of all, I use responsibility when I keep all my papers and homework in order. Homework is also a responsibility of mine because I have to make sure that I complete it correctly. In school I demonstrate respect in every class. I do this by making sure I call each teacher by Mrs., Mr., or Ms. I also do not talk when they are teaching or pass notes during class. The other students in my grade are also people I respect by not bothering them during class, distracting them, or messing their work up. Respecting my fellow students is very important to me, because they can hopefully look up to me as a good example. Ignoring bullies and trying new things despite my fears, is one way I show courage at school. I am very lucky to have my father to look up to and I hope one day I can use these traits to become a good leader.
Congratulations Rebecca!! It is you and all other Army Children that make us Army Strong!!


I am an Army Brat



Just now I realized that I have not published a post since early April. I've been very busy at my new job as secretary of the Washington Kiwanis Club, which is still in process of converting to online. It's been a lot of fun. I've spent all of my life in some form of military - the National Guard, the Army Reserve, active duty, Retired Reserve - so I appreciate the following article.

I was born in Germany, in 1987, on an Army medical facility, people
still ask me if I’m an American. I have moved more times than most
people can comprehend. I have watched more of my friends drive away,
 knowing full well that I will never see them again, than I care to
remember. But I would notthe trade it for anything.
I have lived in Germany, Arizona, North Carolina, Virginia, Rhode
Island, Florida, Indiana, and now, as an adult, I live in Virginia,
and work in Washington D.C., for the Army that I love, that I
trust…that has truly ke pt me agile in an ever changing world.
I was always taught that failure is never an option, quitting is
simply not an acceptable way out.
I feel safer when the city I’m in starts with the word Fort, and my
favorite statue is Iron Mike.
Some kids dressed like Power Rangers for Halloween, I dressed like a
Paratrooper.
Civilians like fighter jets and fast cars… I love C-130s and HMMWVs.
I understand the difference between BDUs, DCUs, and ACUs, and know
what color boots go with each.
I went to 3 high schools in Rhode Island, Florida, and Arizona, most
other kids would have been battered, bruised, and broken, I pushed myself
to excel.
I have watched my dad leave to fight the enemy whenever he is needed,
and it has taught me that there are leaders, and there are followers:
soldiers follow orders, so that everyone else can lead normal lives.
I am an Army brat.
I am the son of a Warrior, and my family is a team.
My father serves the people of the United States and we live the Army Values.
I am happy to sacrifice, Mission First!
I was taught to never accept defeat.
I will never quit, it is not in my blood.
I will be there whenever my family needs me.
I am disciplined, taught to adapt and overcome; proficient in
communication and perseverance.
I always understand who I am, and equip myself with skills to overcome.
I am an expert; I will not stand for less.
I stand ready to assist, defend, and protect all that my family unit stands for.
I am the son of a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.
I am an Army Brat.
Submitted by Alexander T. Miller


  1. Dawn Miller
    #1
    I am the mom of this Army brat, who has learned so much from our nomadic lifestyle. I am proud of him and our family and our values. This life is anything but easy. It is so difficult to say good-bye to friends every year or two. But all the factors that make up our life have made us stronger and better people. In the end, that is what life is all about.


  2. #2
    Thank you, everyone, for the support.


  3. Stacy Bathrick
    #3
    This is awesome! I want to frame this and put it in my children’s bedroom! Thank you for so articulately telling the story for other Army Brats!