7/1/2011 By Lt. Gen. Kenneth J. Glueck Jr. , Marine Corps Bases Japan OKINAWA, Japan -- This year, we celebrate our nation’s 235th year of independence. The Declaration of Independence, signed July 4, 1776 in Philadelphia by the Continental Congress, is a document, written by patriots over 200 years ago, that continues to inspire us today. Independence Day is more than a … [Read more...]
How the Stars and Stripes Became the Symbol of America
From USFlag.org No one knows with absolute certainty who designed the first stars and stripes or who made it. Congressman Francis Hopkinson seems most likely to have designed it, and few historians believe that Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia seamstress, made the first one. Until the Executive Order of June 24, 1912, neither the order of the stars nor the proportions of the flag … [Read more...]
U.S Takes Top Rank in Mililtary Confidence
By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, June 28, 2011 -- Americans continue to express high confidence in the armed forces, with more than three-quarters of those surveyed in a recent Gallup poll reporting higher confidence in the military than in other national institutions for the 14th consecutive year. Seventy-eight percent of the 1,020 respondents in the … [Read more...]
Land of the free
Commentary by Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Shon Neyland 51st Fighter Wing Chaplain 6/27/2011 - OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- "He who is brave is free." Seneca, Roman Philosopher, 1st Century Did you know that it was in the city of brotherly love that the church bells rang and sounded the alarm for freedom? Yes, in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776 the bells rang signifying that the … [Read more...]
DeCA Officials Announce Commissary Gift Card Program
by Kevin L. Robinson Defense Commissary Agency Public Affairs 6/24/2011 - FORT LEE, Va. (AFNS) -- Extending the gift of groceries to authorized commissary patrons soon will be a lot easier thanks to the new Commissary Gift Card. The gift cards, available in denominations of $25 and $50, will be available June 30 for purchase in stateside stores or online through … [Read more...]