Giving Thanks Program

With Roby being in the Air Force for almost six years now, we have been extremely lucky. He has only had to deploy once (and several short TDY's) and has never missed any major holiday's or birthdays. I am beyond thankful for this! Although we are not loving this base yet, we are very happy that the longest he will be leaving from here will probably be a month.

I don't usually like to write long, boring, annoying, or "preachy" posts...but this is a simple thing that I thought could make a difference for all those families who are not as lucky as us during this week of thanks.

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On Friday the kids' school sent home a note saying that:

• People can text a message of thanks to 8-9-2-7-9, beginning at 6am EST on Saturday, November 17, and ending at midnight, PDT on November 22, Thanksgiving Day. Within a matter of seconds, the sender will receive a reply on their cell phone from America Supports You. The reply message will come from a member of the Armed Forces or a family member of someone who is serving, who will express his/her appreciation for the support, both personally and on behalf of others who are serving.
• The goal is to get people to take a moment during the Thanksgiving Day holiday to think about those who are serving this nation, and take an action that signifies they appreciate their sacrifices. Giving Thanks is expected to be a unifying moment for the nation, during a time in which families traditionally come together and express gratitude for things large and small that contribute to their lives. The United States currently has troops serving in 177 countries. The troops and their families will be told how many people have texted in their thanks and will get to see many of the messages.
• All the major mobile wireless providers--AT&T Wireless (Cingular), Verizon, Sprint, Nextel, Qwest, and T-Mobile provide access to The America Supports You Text Message program.