FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Maj Marci Hodge ~ 15 January 2018

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | StarCMC and The Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

 

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday...
Thank the Veterans who served
in The United States Armed Forces.

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---

~ Hall of Heroes ~

Marci Hodge

Info from here.

           

"In this job, you find out what you're made of; if you can hack it or not."

Recently promoted to Major, Marci Hodge knows a thing or two about what she's made of. She's spent ten years in the Army; 5 years on Active duty and another 5 so far in the Reserve. She returned from Camp Victory in Iraq, her second deployment, a couple of years ago.

"I'm not interested in reliving traumatic events. The job is to create stability and win hearts and minds," expressed Hodge, who spent 8 months in theater this last time.

MAJ Hodge, who served as Division Humanitarian Assistance Officer as well as the Battalion Sustainment Chief for the 401st Civil Affairs Battalion, is a logistician and civil affairs officer; simply put, "I can move anything," she said, like thousands of fourth and fifth grade level books for school children that the Department of State had been previously trying to move from Jordan to Iraq for the last few years with no luck.

Or such as in Iskandiayh, one of the 14 different locations her battalion covered in Iraq, where she worked on a project with local government to get a completely staffed plant that had survived the war back to fully functioning capacity. Working with one of the facility's managers- one of the few who spoke English at the plant- MAJ Hodge's team on the ground even helped establish organizational practices and human resources, bringing in corporate mentors from the United States.

Her team worked to ensure that the plant would be in a position to operate without the U. S.'s assistance in the future. They brought in older generators to their Forward Operating Base that the Army no longer needed but had the potential to refurbished, and presented the plant with and its employees with their first large project post-war. Local Iraqi truck drivers were also employed to transport the refurbished generators.

"It put folks back to work," said MAJ Hodge, citing at least a thousand workers associated with the local Iraqi plant's operations.

And it's the "folks" she's interacted with that have made the most significant impression on MAJ Hodge, including the Iraqi locals.

"People matter regardless of where they are," she said slowly, emphasizing that people are the same despite miles of ocean and geographic boundaries.

MAJ Hodge, awarded the Bronze Star for her meritorious service in Iraq, identified it as a "human connection" one that allows people to relate and help one another.

And according to MAJ Hodge, one would be hard-pressed to find "more amazing people" to work with than the American troops she's served alongside while in the Army, able to overcome the inevitable obstacles and disappointments that occur while deployed with camaraderie and hard work.

"It's your duty to give back," said Hodge. "You give it everything you've got."

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission! 

[PROCON]

Hiya radu!

I did visit the pups today and the little guy is still rambunctious. I reached down to pick-up one of his toys to throw and he nipped me with those sharp puppy teeth in play but hard enough where it required a band-aid, sheesh.

But he's coming along and he soon mellowed out, just needs to get that puppyness out of him, LOL.

Did a bit of grocery shopping on the way home and been relaxing since.

Son will be over tomorrow.

Anything new with you?

[luvie]

Oy vey! THAT is cold!! Stoke the fire, Sis!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Mac...*HUGS*...are you ready to take of the new week?

Any break in the cold?

[luvie]

Howdy, radu! (((hugs)))

Hope you had a bit of warm weather this weekend!

Look at THE STARS there in WY the night sky! Amazing!

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Mr B has it all stoked up!
It’s very cozy in here!
How about some tea and Strawberry cheese strudel bites?
Sounds good?
Mmmmm.
Darjeeling tea for me!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, radu...any improvement in the weather?

My journey out to get gas today went well. Main roads were pretty good, except for the need of extreme caution at intersections and turning.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hi Luv.....lots of talent in our military.

[radu]

Howdy, MS.B

We’re heading into another deep freeze down here too. Warmish tomorrow (low 40s), snow tomorrow night, highs in the low 20s Tues. and Wed. with lows in single digits, then slowly up the rest of the week to highs around 50 this weekend.

Darn these weather roller coasters! Stop the ride! I wanna get off! LOL

[radu]

Aaaaaaah, the joys of playing with puppies. LOL! Sure will be nice when he stops the nipping, won’t it? But you still had fun with him and the others and that’s what counts.

I made a Wal Mart run this afternoon to load up on cat litter and other things and will do the Food Lion run tomorrow. We have no idea how much snow we’ll get here tomorrow night but whatever falls is here for a couple of days. That knocks out my regular Wed. shopping. I refuse to get out on the highway when the roads are slick. Too many idiots around here.

[radu]

Howdy, LUV.

It wasn’t exactly warm but felt almost civil today. High of 33 but the sun was shining and there was NO WIND! WOOHOO!
It’ll be windy again tomorrow, though, ahead of the cold front. At least the temp is supposed to be in the 40s.

Gorgeous skies in WY tonight!
Look at all the stars.

[radu]

Hey there, Kathy.

NO WIND today was definitely an improvement. LOL! Still cold but not too bad. Looking at getting snow tomorrow night.

Glad the streets aren’t as bad as they look on the cams. I wondered how badly the rain was going to slick them up.

[radu]

Howdy do, Conor. *HUGZ*

Hope all’s well with you!

[radu]

How about some tea and Strawberry cheese strudel bites?

If LUV isn't in the mood, I'll happily consume her share. Drooling here. LOL

[luvie]

Yummmmm....those sound so good!
I'll bet there are enough for all!
And...I'll have the tea you're having!

[Kathy in Alaska]

BUT....you were able to get out. This is good news.

[radu]

They DO sound yummy, don’t they?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Gorebull warming is just not happening, and this year the weather has no clue what it wants to do.

Stay warm, MS B, ((HUGS))

[mylife]

I was just crawling into bed but that looks pretty inviting LOL

[mylife]

Looks as good as Kimberlys killbilly Spiced cider

[mylife]

Sweet Dreams All