Every day, I’m thankful for our military men and women.

Last week, our Cub Scout Pack visited the New York Army National Guard facility in Latham, NY. A pilot instructor gave a tour of the facility, including the helicopter hangar. The boys, both young and old, were fascinated by all the gadgets - Kevlar helmet, night vision goggles, and bullet proof vest - but the biggest attraction was the Black Hawk helicopter. Visiting a military facility is a great way to introduce kids to the people and technology that help protect our country.

Learn more about America’s Military and discover how you can help support our troops:

• Soldier Mom - This children’s book by Alice Mead is a fictional account of how a young girl and her baby brother fare while their mom serves with the Army Reserves during the Persian Gulf War. Recommended for ages 8-12.
• America Supports You - Homefront groups or individuals can find lots of ways to show support for our troops through this nationwide program launched by the Department of Defense. This resource lists 100+ ways to support our troops, including A Million Thanks, Sock Monkey Ministries, and Trees For Troops.
• Support Our Troops Girl Scout Patch Program - 10 Activities to learn about and show support for our troops.
• The Popcorn Project - Boy Scouts are collecting donations of popcorn for our troops.
• Operation Cookie Drop - Find out how Girl Scouts collected and delivered over 70,000 boxes of cookies for the military last year.
• Collection For Hospitalized Military Members - Read about a Girl Scout who earned her Gold Award service project by sending items for hospitalized military persons in Kuwait.
• New York National Guard Youth Program - The National Guard sponsors a variety of programs for youth including The Corps of Cadets, a year-round program for youth aged 11-17 that challenges members thru activities ranging from drill and ceremony to water survival and rappelling to community service and training in leadership and drug avoidance stratgies.
• Why We Serve - Read the stories of recent veterans or arrange to host a speaker. This program, created by the U.S. Armed Forces, was designed to give returning veterans the opportunity to share their personal military experiences with the American public, while answering the call for more first-hand accounting from the front lines.
• National Association for Uniformed Services - Advocacy group representing the interests of all servicemembers.
• Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America - Learn about the issues facing veterans; host a War Tapes Party; or find out how to take action online.
• US Department of Defense - Get all the current news from the front lines, visit the Blogger’s Roundtable, or read speeches such as Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates’ remarks on November 15, 2007 when receiving The Boy Scouts of America “Citizen of the Year” Award.

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