I have never been officially declared a Prisoner of War or POW but I have been detained against my will. Being a prisoner of war must certainly be one of the most terrifying conditions a service member must face. Most POWs are mistreated and certainly (in most cases) not treated as well as POW's held by the United States. As a POW, expect to be held in conditions that are trying both mentally and physically. You may be confined and restrained to a very small area and have your movements strictly controlled. You should also understand that even as a POW, you have a Code of Conduct that must be followed.
The Code of Conduct is the legal guide for the behavior of military members who are captured by hostile forces. The code itself is broken down into six Articles that address various situations that may arise. The military Code of Conduct is as follows:
Article I
I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense.
Article II
I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command, I will never surrender the members of my command while they still have the means to resist.
Article III
If I am captured I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and to aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.
Article IV
If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information or take part in any action which might be harmful to my comrades. If I am senior, I will take command. If not, I will obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me and will back them up in every way.
Article V
When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am required to give name, rank, service number, and date of birth. I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to their cause.
Article VI
I will never forget that I am an American, fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America.
As a POW, you may become sad, depressed and even suffer from anxiety attacks, you must always keep your wits about you! You are confined and possibly even separated from your other prisoners, you may never know what the future holds. Always know there are people and forces out there that are trying to reach you and set you free.
If you find yourself a Prisoner of War the following are some things that have helped me through my ordeal as a detainee.
1. Start a routine or an activity to keep your mind off your current condition and circumstance.
2. Exercise. Even in a confined environment, you can do activities to stay in shape.
3. To the extent possible eat as best as you can, there are actually certain foods that have stress lower properties. According do some nutrition experts, foods that help fight anxiety are:
a. Berries, any berries
b. Guacamole
c. Mixed nuts
d. Oranges
e. Asparagus
f. Chai tea
Understand as a POW you will only be able to eat what is offered, but at least now you have and idea of some good food choices.
4. Get as much fresh air as possible. Every opportunity you have should be a chance to take in some fresh air. When I was a detainee, I suffered an anxiety attack like non other I had surfered before. What helped me was taking in as much fresh air as possible.
5. If there are other POW's at your facility it may be helpful to build relationships . The company of others is a good thing during stressful times. When I was a detainee, I along with another detainee, shared a small space his name was Anthony Wright and he was from Chicago. While we had extremely different backgrounds, we both did a lot to keep each other's spirits up. We would tell each other jokes and share the limited supplies our detainers provided us. Anthony Wright helped me survive my ordeal as a detainee and for that, I am eternally grateful.
Lastly, you should never give up hope. You should pray to whatever power gives you strength as well as spiritual renewal. The power of prayer is real and should not be taken lightly or for granted. Remember your training. Remember you are not alone. Remember they may have your body but never your mind! Remember that your family, friends and country love you and will never forget you. Keep the faith. Pray and most of all, always remember that God will be with you...always!
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
DIC Payments to Surviving Spouse...
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) payments may be available for surviving spouses who have not remarried, unmarried children under 18, helpless children, those between the ages of 18 and 23 if attending a VA–approved school, and low income parents of deceased service members or Veterans. To be eligible, the deceased must have died from a disease or in...jury incurred or aggravated while on active duty or active duty for training, an injury incurred or aggravated in line of duty while on inactive duty training, or a disability compensable by VA.
DIC may be authorized for survivors of ex–POWs who died after September 30, 1999, and who were continuously rated totally disabled for a period of a least one–year immediately preceding death. Surviving spouses of Veterans who died after January 1, 1993 receive $881.00 per month. Plus, $191.00 if the Veteran received 100% service–connected compensation for at least eight continuous years prior to death and the surviving spouse had been married to the Veteran for those eight years. This is paid without regard to income from other sources. Additional amounts also are payable depending upon specific circumstances. Ischemic heart disease, or coronary artery disease, is one of the prisoner of war presumptive disabilities and often is a contributory cause of death, which may entitle survivors to DIC.
DIC may be authorized for survivors of ex–POWs who died after September 30, 1999, and who were continuously rated totally disabled for a period of a least one–year immediately preceding death. Surviving spouses of Veterans who died after January 1, 1993 receive $881.00 per month. Plus, $191.00 if the Veteran received 100% service–connected compensation for at least eight continuous years prior to death and the surviving spouse had been married to the Veteran for those eight years. This is paid without regard to income from other sources. Additional amounts also are payable depending upon specific circumstances. Ischemic heart disease, or coronary artery disease, is one of the prisoner of war presumptive disabilities and often is a contributory cause of death, which may entitle survivors to DIC.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Mailing Property During Your Deployment
From souvenirs to additional equipment, it is surprising just how much “stuff” service members acquire during their deployment. Most service members, after spending a year in a deployed environment, will accumulate a tremendous amount of property. I was surprised at how much “stuff” I had acquired after only being in Kuwait for 1 year. It should then come as no surprise that after spending two years in the desert, I pretty much amassed a small museum of artifacts and items that I had picked up along my travels throughout the Middle East.
The question that comes up often among service members deals with shipping personnel property back home. The answer is not as simple as one might think. Making a hasty decision could cost you hundred dollars in unnecessary packaging and shipping expenses at the post office. All too often service members will pay hundreds of dollars to ship their items home. However, there is an avenue of shipping your personnel property home that cost nothing.
The Central Receiving and Shipping Point or “CRSP Yard” as it has come to be known in some circles is a great opportunity for service members to ship large amounts of personnel property home at no cost. Well actually the items are not sent to your home but to a military center closet to your home. From there, you must retrieve the items.
You may ask yourself why do this when all you may want to do is put everything in your unit designated “conex”? That may be an option; however, most unit conexs have to be packed for shipment as much as 45 days prior to the unit departing from theater. Most importantly not all deployed service members will return to the home station of the unit they deployed with.
As an example, when I was deployed in 2006, I was considered an Individual Agmentee (IA). My Reserve Unit was a unit in Michigan but my deploying unit, with whom I had no previously relationship with, was in South Carolina. Sending my personnel items in the Unit conex of the South Carolina unit would make no sense as I live in Michigan and that is were I would return. Also, the unit I deployed with left a year prior to my redeployment in 2008.
Shipping my property through the Central Shipping and Receiving Point or “CRSP Yard” was the perfect choice for me. However, it is important to point out that you will still have the restriction on items sent in the mail in much the same way as you would at the post office. For example you will not be able to mail back hazardous material, weapons, or classified material in most cases.
Arrangements may have to be made for customs agents to inspect your shipment prior to mailing. However, if you are willing to undergo a few minor inconvenaces, the “CRSP Yard” may be the way to go when shipping personnel property home.
The question that comes up often among service members deals with shipping personnel property back home. The answer is not as simple as one might think. Making a hasty decision could cost you hundred dollars in unnecessary packaging and shipping expenses at the post office. All too often service members will pay hundreds of dollars to ship their items home. However, there is an avenue of shipping your personnel property home that cost nothing.
The Central Receiving and Shipping Point or “CRSP Yard” as it has come to be known in some circles is a great opportunity for service members to ship large amounts of personnel property home at no cost. Well actually the items are not sent to your home but to a military center closet to your home. From there, you must retrieve the items.
You may ask yourself why do this when all you may want to do is put everything in your unit designated “conex”? That may be an option; however, most unit conexs have to be packed for shipment as much as 45 days prior to the unit departing from theater. Most importantly not all deployed service members will return to the home station of the unit they deployed with.
As an example, when I was deployed in 2006, I was considered an Individual Agmentee (IA). My Reserve Unit was a unit in Michigan but my deploying unit, with whom I had no previously relationship with, was in South Carolina. Sending my personnel items in the Unit conex of the South Carolina unit would make no sense as I live in Michigan and that is were I would return. Also, the unit I deployed with left a year prior to my redeployment in 2008.
Shipping my property through the Central Shipping and Receiving Point or “CRSP Yard” was the perfect choice for me. However, it is important to point out that you will still have the restriction on items sent in the mail in much the same way as you would at the post office. For example you will not be able to mail back hazardous material, weapons, or classified material in most cases.
Arrangements may have to be made for customs agents to inspect your shipment prior to mailing. However, if you are willing to undergo a few minor inconvenaces, the “CRSP Yard” may be the way to go when shipping personnel property home.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Selecting a "Deployment Friendly" bank
One of the most important decision a service member can make prior to deployment is the selection of a financial institution. Selecting a good financial institution is very important as there are many things to consider relating to financial transaction during your deployment. Some things to consider include, ease of use, the ability to make wire transfer and accessing your bank account online just to name a few things.
It is important that you shop around for a financial institution that knows how the military functions and if possible provides benefits for servicemembers at reduced cost. There are quite a few such financial institutions out there. In my book I give examples of what to look for in selecting a financial institution to handle not only your financial matters and transactions but other money matters as well. These may include personal and property insurance as well as investing and setting up a brokerage account.
You will be certain to find ways to save money after reading the section of my book titled Selecting a Financial Institution. I will also give you my top pick!
It is important that you shop around for a financial institution that knows how the military functions and if possible provides benefits for servicemembers at reduced cost. There are quite a few such financial institutions out there. In my book I give examples of what to look for in selecting a financial institution to handle not only your financial matters and transactions but other money matters as well. These may include personal and property insurance as well as investing and setting up a brokerage account.
You will be certain to find ways to save money after reading the section of my book titled Selecting a Financial Institution. I will also give you my top pick!
Sunday, May 12, 2013
What happens when you receive your deployment orders...
The sequence of events on September 11, 2001 changed America forever. On this day, The United States of America lost its innocence. The land of the free was no longer as free as it once was. Open and free travel no longer seemed as open and free following the September 11 terrorist attacks. Subsequently, America soon found itself at war with Iraq and Afghanistan. The number of service members needed to adequately fight this war was tremendous. The number of service members on active duty was not enough to engage in effective combat. As such, the burden to pick up the slack fell upon the Reserve and National Guard forces of our military. Not in recent memory has there been a greater number of service members deployed conus or oconus. From a military development standpoint, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan provoked the number of deployments to grow substantially. Since September 11, 2001, over 1.7 million service members have been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Operation Enduring Freedom’s military focus is on securing the nation of Afghanistan, while as its name suggest, Operation Iraqi Freedom is concerned with securing the nation of Iraq. In addition to the service members deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, thousands of service members were deployed to Kuwait and Qatar in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Moreover, tens of thousands service members were deployed in support of contingency operations around the world.
So what happens when you receive your "orders" to go? Generally speaking your Unit, if you are deploying as a unit, will receive unit orders informing the Command that their unit will be deploying. If on the other hand you are an individual deployer as I was, you could receive your initial order via a phone call followed by orders requesting that you report for active duty. The amount of notice given to a service member ranges anywhere from several months in advance to only several days prior to the date ordered to active duty. I received my orders only three weeks before my scheduled day to report for duty.
There have been millions of Americans deployed to war zones around the world since this great country was founded over 230 years ago, however, recently it appears that many soldiers are deploying in greater frequency then ever before. In addition, some of those deployed are on their 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th deployment. In many cases, the deployment is involuntary and not knowing all of the information that will make the deployment less stressful creates a tremendous burden not only for the deploying service member but the family of that service member as well.
Deployment is much like a roller coaster ride at an amusement park. You first have the uncertainty of the entire event much like what you feel as you enter the gate to a roller coaster that you have never ridden before. You are unsure if you will make it. You may even attempt to get out of it at the very last minute. The roller coaster makes its climb and just as you begin the process of family planning and the actual deployment, you become anxious and nervous. After you’ve made it to the top of the roller coaster, you brace yourself for your quick decent, and at this point you realize there is no turning back. This is a similar feeling to what you may experience upon reaching your mobilization site but you brace yourself anyway and prepare for the many highs and lows this ride will offer.
Over the next several post, I will attempt to share some insights for service members and their families as to of what to expect during the time of deployment and the best way to minimize many difficulties sure to occur...
So what happens when you receive your "orders" to go? Generally speaking your Unit, if you are deploying as a unit, will receive unit orders informing the Command that their unit will be deploying. If on the other hand you are an individual deployer as I was, you could receive your initial order via a phone call followed by orders requesting that you report for active duty. The amount of notice given to a service member ranges anywhere from several months in advance to only several days prior to the date ordered to active duty. I received my orders only three weeks before my scheduled day to report for duty.
There have been millions of Americans deployed to war zones around the world since this great country was founded over 230 years ago, however, recently it appears that many soldiers are deploying in greater frequency then ever before. In addition, some of those deployed are on their 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th deployment. In many cases, the deployment is involuntary and not knowing all of the information that will make the deployment less stressful creates a tremendous burden not only for the deploying service member but the family of that service member as well.
Deployment is much like a roller coaster ride at an amusement park. You first have the uncertainty of the entire event much like what you feel as you enter the gate to a roller coaster that you have never ridden before. You are unsure if you will make it. You may even attempt to get out of it at the very last minute. The roller coaster makes its climb and just as you begin the process of family planning and the actual deployment, you become anxious and nervous. After you’ve made it to the top of the roller coaster, you brace yourself for your quick decent, and at this point you realize there is no turning back. This is a similar feeling to what you may experience upon reaching your mobilization site but you brace yourself anyway and prepare for the many highs and lows this ride will offer.
Over the next several post, I will attempt to share some insights for service members and their families as to of what to expect during the time of deployment and the best way to minimize many difficulties sure to occur...
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