Our veterans served America. They protected us and our way of life. We must stand by them. Our veterans know about patrolling land, sea, and air. Veterans in hospice are on their final fight and in their last patrol. And that’s where Veteran’s Last Patrol comes in.

Whether it goes by the name “battle buddy” or “shipmate” or “wingman” — all veterans understand that tough assignments are best faced together. Last Patrol tries to connect volunteers to veterans in their geographical area for friendships during end-of-life care. We encourage volunteerism, fellowship, and cooperation with hospice providers and nursing homes to bring new friendships when friendship matters most — so a veteran’s last patrol isn’t alone.  

Colonel (Ret) Claude Schmid served 31 years in the U.S. Army. Commissioned as an Armor officer, he served in combat units around the world. Believing that no veteran should depart this life without a friend nearby, Claude volunteers extensively for veterans in hospice. In 2019, he founded Veteran’s Last Patrol, a non-profit dedicated to befriending, honoring, and supporting veterans in end-of-life care. The non-profit seeks volunteers and supporters around the country and is presently active in 24 states.

Listeners, if you would like to learn more about Colonel (Ret) Claude Schmid, you can find our more by clicking here or connect with him on social media via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Resource Recon with Jolene and KateLynn

This week’s Resource Recon is all about our blog! On our blog, there was a recent post titled, Never Far Apart, written by one of our Band of Bloggers, Claire Schwartz. Here’s an excerpt, “When we think of being far apart, we often have our service member in mind. But our friendships in military spouse life may be far apart but not in our hearts.”

Empowerment Patrol Report with Amanda

Today we are spotlighting our MRE team winner, which by the way, MRE stands for Motivated and Ready to Empower, Annie Pearce!

A little about Annie is that she was born and raised outside of Pittsburgh, PA (Go Steelers & Penguins!). Annie met her husband Chris in Alexandria, VA, while he was assigned to The Old Guard. Three PCS’es later, they are living at Fort Drum, New York while preparing for their second baby and another PCS.

Annie’s passion for event planning has led her to volunteer for non-profit organizations, including the AMA Triangle and Innovate Raleigh. She has served in multiple roles for large events including Event Director for Fail Fest Raleigh, Trade Show Manager for High Five Conference, and has managed multiple events for an economic development organization. Annie holds a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communication from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Marketing Communication from Ithaca College.

Annie, we thank you for your service in honoring our mission and for doing your part to empower families around the world.

Moxie Minute with Amie

Time seems to start ramping up about now as many start to fill up their calendars with events, some may be getting orders, others may be getting just whispers of a future move. Either way, are we letting life just happen to us or are we living with Purpose, trying to make the most of each day?  

A passage from Richard Leider’s book The Power of Purpose says: Purpose is fundamental and gives life meaning. It is what moves us. It is the conscious choice of what, where, and how to make a positive contribution to our world. 

This week let’s look for that within ourselves and encourage others along the way. If you are struggling with finding your gifts or how to express them please reach out to us, I would love to share some resources with you. Message us on any platform and add somewhere ‘To Amie, purpose.’

News 6 with Emma

Here is this week’s News 6 mashup of stories for the week of January 30, 2023, straight from M:M News 6 Correspondent, Emma Tighe:

Surveys Out for DOD Schools

If your child attends a DODEA school anywhere in the world, you can now have your opinions heard thanks to the DODEA stakeholder feedback survey. This survey, open until February 4th, is voluntary, anonymous, and open to any parent of the approximately 67,000 students enrolled in DODEA schools in the continental United States and abroad. Make sure to check your DoDEA student information email address or find the survey at DODEA.edu/data center.

For more information please go to dodea.edu

VA Foots the Bill for Mental Health Emergencies

As of January 17, veterans have access to free mental health services through the Department of Veterans Affairs, whether they are enrolled in the VA or not and whether or not they seek help at VA hospitals or civilian. Through this new policy veterans can receive 90 days of outpatient care and 30 days inpatient. This new policy also takes care of copays and transportation costs and fees.

If a veteran in your life is struggling and needs immediate help, please dial 988 to call the veterans crisis line. Find out more at taskandpurpose.com

Frogmen Swim to Honor Seals

In Tampa Bay, Florida, for the 14th year in a row locals gathered to swim the frigid waters to honor fallen Navy Seals on January 15th. The Tampa Bay Frogman Swim involves a 3.4 mile watery trek from St. Petersburg to Tampa Bay. These 150 something  brave athletes are not just swimming for their health. Instead they devote their time and training to raise money for the Navy Seal Foundation. 

Find out more at wtsp.com and navysealfoundation.org

You can check out more of this week’s top stories here.

Thank You

Thank you for tuning into this week’s episode. Please leave a five-star rating and review on Apple podcasts, then send us a screenshot of your review to hello@missionmilspouse.org or DM us on Facebook or Instagram @missionmilspouse to receive a special in-real-life gift as a thank you on behalf of MM. We appreciate your engagement and support.

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