If someone comes to your door asking for donations for MarineParents.com™, Inc., it is a scam. MarineParent.com never solicits donations by going door-to-door -- ever. We only ask for donations via our websites or through fliers included in shipping products from the EGA Shop.

Or just text MARINEPARENTS  to 22828 to sign up!   

If this is the first edition of the Marine Parents newsletter you have received, WELCOME! If you are a returning reader we are glad you have joined us and thankful for your support.

In This Issue

We asked for your support to help us send Girl Scout Cookies to Marines deployed to combat zones in Afghanistan, and you came through like we knew you would. As of Sunday, April 8, we raised the $10,120 we need to send a little piece of home to our Marines -- nearly two weeks ahead of schedule. Thank you!

Also in this issue: If you have a recently deployed Marine, you'll want to check out all our services and information through a variety of MarineParents.com™ websites.

We're also promoting a study being conducted by two universities on post-traumatic stress disorder, high-risk behavior and impairment suffered by troops who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

We'll tell you about the latest Department of Defense handbook on compensation and benefits, and we're sending out a big thank you to the Walter Reed Society for their generosity in helping Marine Parents.

God bless and Semper Fi!

Tracy Della Vecchia

It began on March 7, and it took all of 32 days. Thirty-two days to be reminded of how generous, how caring, how supportive the MarineParents.com™ family is. It took 32 days to be reminded that the MarineParents.com™ family believes in what we do for our - your - Marines.

It began on March 7, and it took all of 32 days to reach our goal of $10,120 to pay for shipping so we can send Girl Scout Cookies® to Marines serving in Afghanistan combat zones. During our pack day on April 21 this year, we're shipping care packages containing 800 cases - that's 9,600 boxes - of cookies to our Marines. And since we enlisted you, every day donations came in; some days a trickle, other days a torrent: $5 here, $10 there, $12.65 here (the price to ship one case of cookies), $100 there.

Click here to read more ... 

Having your Marine deployed for the first time can be a nerve-racking time full of worry and doubt - and a lot of questions.

As "a place to connect and share®", MarineParents.com™, Inc., is here to help you find the information you need in an OPSEC-appropriate manner. On our Marine Family Network website (click here to access), you can find groups, start a blog, ask questions and find out how to take part in events around the country or online.

On our main MarineParents.com™ website (click here to access), we have links to deployment; links to your Marine's specific battalion and unit; links to unit-specific information pages; and links to information about the country in which your Marine is deployed.

You can also learn about operations security (OPSEC) procedures and ways in which to communicate with your Marine; about sending care packages; issues that arise during deployment such as identity theft, income tax filing and power of attorney; suggested reading and much more.

MarineParents.com™, Inc., thanks the Walter Reed Society for it generous late-March donation of $500, the sixth and final payment of a $3,000 grant the society approved in October 2011.

With the money, MarineParents.com™ can continue to supply injured Marines and their families with meals at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, California.

Said MarineParents.com™ founder and director Tracy Della Vecchia: "We appreciate the Walter Reed Society. On behalf of me and the hundreds of injured heroes and military family members you have touched through your donation, thank you." Click here to read more ...

Click here to visit the Walter Reed Society website ...  

Depending on which source you use, estimates of post-traumatic stress disorder among Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans range from 6 percent to more than 18 percent.

To learn more about the unique needs and concerns of these active-duty service members and veterans, the University of South Florida RESTORE Lives Center and the Anxiety Disorders Research Program at the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY) have joined together in a research project. The Assessment of Base Rates of PTSD, High-Risk Behavior, and Impairment Study is designed to gather accurate information and identify these needs.

Click here to read more ... 

Click here to sign up ... 

In late 2011, the Department of Defense published the "DoD Compensation and Benefits Handbook," a comprehensive resource guide for military service members and their families. It details what a service member would be entitled to after leaving the service, retirement or as a result of serious injury or illness.

The Handbook was designed to answer questions in the order in which they are most likely to arise, including chapters on:

• Recovery resources
• Medical care
• DoD pay and allowances
• Disability Evaluation System
• Compensation and benefits
• Reintegration into civilian life

The Handbook was compiled in cooperation with the departments of veterans affairs, labor, health and human services, education, the Social Security Administration and military services. It also provides references to assistance provided by other governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations. Click here to read more ...  

Lifetime wants you - especially if your family is in chaos. "America's Supernanny" is casting now for families that could use the services of Deborah Tillman's expertise on resolving problems to make families happier and healthier. Some of the challenges you may be struggling with are disrespectful behavior; tween and teen issues; mean girls or bullying boys; and blended families where both sides are seeking help. 

Rebecca Greenberg is the casting producer, and interested parents can call 877-NANNY TIME (1-877-626-6984) or email the California casting team at rgreenberg@shedmidiaus.com. Include your name, age, phone number, how many children you have and why you need help. Anonymous referrals also are accepted.

Click here for more information ...