FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Marci Hodge ~ 20 April 2020

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | 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.

Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States
Armed Forces Today!

---

~ 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]

Thanks Kathy!

[lightman]

Stay safe and watch your six!

[luvie]

Got it!

[radu]

Greetings to all at the Canteen!

To all our military men and women, past and present,

Yay! Perseverance pays off!

[Kathy in Alaska]

~ Hall of Heroes: Marci Hodge ~

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT

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[Kathy in Alaska]

Now I get the same error when using the ping list...so I just experimented with a really short list. *sigh*

Wonder what problems tomorrow will bring?

[The Mayor]

Freep mail me to be on or off the Daily Bread ping list

April 20

The Singing Revolution

Bible in a Year:

• 2 Samuel 9–11
• Luke 15:11–32

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Psalm 42:5

What does it take to ignite a revolution? Guns? Bombs? Guerrilla warfare? In late-1980s Estonia, it took songs. After the people had lived under the burden of Soviet occupation for decades, a movement began with the singing of a series of patriotic songs. These songs birthed the “Singing Revolution,” which played a key role in restoring Estonian independence in 1991.

“This was a non-violent revolution that overthrew a very violent occupation,” says a website describing the movement. “But singing had always been a major unifying force for Estonians while they endured fifty years of Soviet rule.”

Music can also play a significant part in helping us through our own hard times. I wonder if that’s why we so readily identify with the psalms. It was in a dark night of the soul that the psalmist sang, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:5). It was in a season of deep disillusionment that Asaph, the worship leader, reminded himself, “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart” (73:1).

In our own challenging times, may we join the psalmists with a singing revolution for our hearts. Such a revolution overwhelms the personal tyranny of despair and confusion with faith-fueled confidence in God’s great love and faithfulness.

By:  Bill Crowder

Reflect & Pray

How do you respond when life is overwhelming? What songs bring you the most comfort and why?

Father, I thank You that Your mercies are new every morning and Your faithfulness is great. Empower me to sing the song of Your great love—even when I must sing it through my tears.

[PROCON]

Great job, MAJ Hodge, you are an example of what makes America great!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hello Veterans, wherever you are!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

In first....ML grabs the gold!!

You were first during the mess to get a thread going.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Mayor, and thank you for today’s sustenance for body and soul.

Finally got a thread up...hope you have a good week. Working with your plasma cutter?

Stay warm!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

And in second....mountainlion snags the silver!!

[radu]

Howdy, PRO.

Were you and Robin able to get everything you went out for this afternoon?

I made a quick run to Wally World for cat litter, milk, and a few other things and walked out feeling like I’d struck gold. They had some TOILET PAPER! LOL! First time I’ve seen it in weeks. We have enough to get by for a little while but I went ahead and snagged a pack since it was there.

[Kathy in Alaska]

And rounding out the top three....The Mayor bags the bronze!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, lightman....took forever to get a thread posted. FR didn’t like the one I had ready.

How did your Easter service go?

[lightman]

Wonderful...exhausting....exhilarating, even in this strange new way of “live streaming”.

BTW PROCON, LuvW, and I were in long before the three prizewinners.

O well...in the Paschal Canon we sing:

It is the day of Resurrection
Be illumined for the feast
And forgive one another....

[Kathy in Alaska]

So it’s time for Blue to come home from her winter digs....spring must be here!

[PROCON]

Yo radu!

We did indeed get everything we needed, I'll be busy this week installing everything that she bought, but it gives me something to do so I'm happy.

Our grocery stores have everything in stock, TP is there but just not all varieties. Howz your weather?

[Kathy in Alaska]

You’re welcome, Pro...we have so many heroes. We must never forget!