WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2008 – As the Defense Department observes November as Warrior Care Month, officials have extended to Nov. 28 the deadline for wounded, ill and injured servicemembers and their families to respond to a survey designed to assess the programs and services they receive.

Dr. S. Ward Casscells, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, said the extension resulted from overwhelming response.

Two Military Health System questionnaires, one for servicemembers and another for their family members, solicit feedback about satisfaction with the care and services provided. All responses to the online surveys are anonymous to encourage honest assessments, officials said. (continue reading…)

BAGHDAD, Nov. 4, 2008 – On a day when Americans exercised their right to vote, 186 servicemembers deployed across Iraq became U.S. citizens today at Al Faw Palace on Camp Victory here.

Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, presided over the ceremony. He expressed his appreciation for each new citizen and expounded on the significance of the step they had taken.

“Diverse as your backgrounds may be, you all now have one thing in common: you are all Americans,” Odierno said. “You represent the very best of all that our nation stands for: freedom, opportunity, equality and service.” (continue reading…)

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2008 – As the holidays approach and military families start thinking about what they’re going to send loved ones serving overseas, there are a few dates to keep in mind.”The earliest deadline is for troops that are serving in the Iraq [and] Afghanistan area,” said Al DeSarro, spokesman for the western region of the U.S. Postal Service. “You want to send all your holiday mail and packages [to those areas] by Dec. 4.”

Holiday mail, including packages and cards, going to military bases in other parts of the world should be shipped by Dec. 11, he said.

“We do encourage people to closely follow these deadlines,” DeSarro said. “Of course, we make every attempt, even if you miss the deadline, to deliver the mail to our troops.”

Pseudo-Santas who can’t beat those dates have another option to get holiday goodies to their destinations in time: Express Mail. But it will cost a bit more and it’s not available for servicemembers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Priority Mail Flat-Rate boxes are the best value when shipping to military members serving at home or anywhere overseas, DeSarro said. The largest flat-rate box costs $10.95 to ship to an APO or FPO address. That’s a $2 discount, and the boxes are free. (continue reading…)