United We Roll at Stardust Radio

United We Roll World Tour Show
Stardust Radio www.stardustradio.com
Tuesday 7/27/10 2:00pm – 4:30pm Central (Live)
Wednesday 7/28/10 6:30pm – 9:00pm Central (Repeat)

Welcome Stardust Listeners and thank you for joining us on United We Roll this Tuesday, the 27th day of July, as we take time to honor those who serve our country and who protect our freedom!! It is amazing to realize that this is already our last show for the month of July in this year of 2010!

For those of you who are planning to make cards or small gifts for Christmas Care Packages for our troops, you should have your list of materials made out and be ready to go, unless you are waiting for school to start and are going to make this a class project. In that case, you should try to have your class projects completed by the end of October to allow adequate mailing time.

Now on to our show for this week. We have three fresh new visits with four of our deployed Heroes of Freedom. The show today will actually end at our usual time of 4:00pm Central, which puts us within our usual two hour period. Remember, if you are not able to stay with us through the show this afternoon, it will repeat again tomorrow evening, Wednesday, July 28th at 6:30pm Central. In addition, an MP3 copy will be placed on our show archive site for listening and downloading. You can reach our archive site at www.stardustradio.info or on the United We Roll page at www.stardustradio.com.

(2:07) During our first visit, we will be talking with Air Force members TSgt John Holloman & SrA Jonathan Killebrew who are currently deployed with the 532nd ESFS (Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron). Unlike many iof the other security members with whom we have spoken, these airmen work mostly off base or "outside the wire" as the term goes. Though they carry snacks and water with them, they are currently in temperatures of 120+ degrees and wearing 75 pounds of gear, which leaves feeling little like eating until they get back and cool off. This is a great visit with two very dedicated service members who ask only that we keep them in our prayers.

(2:48) Our next visit is with Army CPT Robert Leonard who is currently on deployment as the Signal Company Commander with B Co, 1-3 BTSB, 3rd ID. The Signal Company, as you will hear, is in charge of all communications within the Brigade and, as the commander, CPT Leonard manages the personnel and equipment that support the Brigade communications network. This job keeps everyone busy, including the commander and all of the "excellent soldiers" (as CPT Leonard proudly refers to his unit members). This is a very inspirational visit and one that I hope you all will not miss.

(3:27pm) Our third and final visit is with another Army member who is on deployment. We will be speaking with Army SPC Nicholas Piere of D Co, 2-7 IN, 3rd ID, where he continues his work as a CBRNE
Specialist and as a COIST Assistant. SPC Piere trains soldiers in his unit as on how to react to and handle chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosives. As a COIST Assistant, he also works with Iraqi Intelligence in preparation for the draw down. This young Hero of Freedom expresses his True American Pride and military family heritage as reasons that encouraged his service and protection of our freedom.
We would also like to thank some folks without whom these visits today would not be possible. Our deepest appreciation goes to TSG Jennifer Buzanowski, Mr Tom Conning and Capt Curt Schultheis.

We want to acknowledge Talking Communities, the Veteran owned service that brings us our Chat Star Teleconference Facility with state of the art private rooms and audio visual supports. If you need a place to host business seminars, display products or have a craft demo, or maybe you need to have a family celebration with members who are scattered around the US or the world. This is the place to see, hear, speak, show and text each other. For more information, contact the Stardust Radio business office at 319-648-3201.

Ladies & Gentlemen, we wish to thank all of you for joining us and we hope that you will be with us again next week when we will have more great visits from our Heroes of Freedom.

To all of our Veterans and all military family members who are listening, thank you for your service and for our freedom. To all of our First Responders and family members, thank you for watching over our families, homes and communities.

Once again, we would like to remind any of our listeners who are interested in health and legislative issues that affect those who protect our freedom to tune in to our other broadcasts – OFFE with Gene Simes and Jere Berry at 8pm Central on Tuesday nights ...... and also with Rick Townsend and Firebase Network Sundays at 6:00pm Central.

Please remember, it is up to us at home to help our troops, not only with letters and care packages, but also by being aware of legislation in our states and in DC that will impact them and their families. We must do our part to insure that our Heroes of Freedom receive the benefits and health care that they deserve for keeping our country safe and free. It is the least that we can do for them and it is part of what we must do to help insure freedom for our children.

We wish you all a good, safe and healthy week.
May God Bless You All And May God Bless America!

United We Roll World Tour Show
Stardust Radio www.stardustradio.com
Tuesday 7/20/10 2:00pm – 4:30pm Central (Live)
Wednesday 7/21/10 6:30pm – 9:00pm Central (Repeat)

Welcome Stardust Listeners and thank you for joining us on United We Roll this Tuesday, the 20th day of July, 2010 as we take time to honor those who serve our country and who protect our freedom!!

We do have the final news from the Chase Bank contest on Facebook where we asked for your help to vote for the Hugs project. The number of votes did jump by a large margin, and this group who provides care packages and so much customized assistance to our deployed troops will receive a donation of $20,000. This will certainly help with the Christmas packages as the shipping for those last year alone ran almost double that - over $40,000! Wouldn't it be great if we could find a way to make the postage more affordable, especially around the holidays when so many are being sent.

Unfortunately, I did receive a link to a distressing news story about a convoy that was destroyed upon attack as it was carrying mail and packages to units in Afghanistan. The article goes on to say that, now some of the items are for sale in a market in Pakistan "A photo album. A personal letter. A bravery reward for a U.S. Army captain. All were intended for U.S. service members stationed in Afghanistan, but instead are for sale in a Peshawar market". I will place the link to this article in our blog. This breaks my heart, but it also makes me even more resolved to get my packages going and to help the organizations to send out holiday packages this year. I hope you all might think about this, and see what you can do to help, too.

Now on to our show for this week. We have three in depth and interesting visits with three of our deployed Heros of Freedom. The show will actually end around 4:15pm Central, which puts us about 15 minutes over our usual two hour period today. Remember, if you are not able to stay with us through the show this afternoon, it will repeat again tomorrow evening, Wednesday, July 21st at 6:30pm Central. In addition, an MP3 copy will be placed on our show archive site for listening and downloading. You can reach our archive site at www.stardustradio.info or on the United We Roll page at www.stardustradio.com.

(2:09pm) During our first visit, we will be talking with CPT Carl McBurnett , who is currently on deployment with the 376th AEW at Transit Center Manas in Kyrgyzstan. A C-17 pilot, Capt McBurnett is on duty as the Flight Safety Officer, which involves many areas on and above the flightline, as you will hear. Remember the airliner that had to land on the Hudson due to what is called a "bird strike"? That often means that birds either fly into or get too close and are pulled into an engine which will disable the plane. Well that can happen at most any airfield and Capt McBurnett will talk about how they handle the bird problem at TC Manas among many other interesting topics. Hopefully, you will understand just how busy the flightline is and how critical it is that everyone out there knows exactly where they should be and should not be while they do their job.

(2:51) Our next visit is with Army CPT Meegan Kelley, currently deployed with C Co, 3rd BSB (Brigade Support Battalion) in the 1st Advice and Assist Brigade of the 3rd ID. CPT Kelley serves as the Medical Company Commander, where she is in charge of the soldiers who make up the various medical services from the MedEvac Platoon, to those who handle sick call in the clinic or watch over soldiers who may be overnight patients, to ordering supplies and more. When you hear the dedication in CPT Kelley's voice, it is again no surprise that the survival and recovery rates are so high among our wounded troops. Thank Heavens for people like CPT Kelley whose career really started in high school with her desire to serve in the military and with her volunteer services through high school and college. Thank you, CPT Kelley, for looking after our loved ones when they need some medical help and maybe a bit of TLC.

(3:20pm) Our third and final visit is with an member who has been protecting our freedom for 26 years. Air Force Command Chief MSgt James Dowell is currently deployed with the 376th AEW at Transit Center Manas, where he also has many areas of responsibility. He puts his priority on the men and women who serve in his units and who look to him for counseling for both personal and professional reasons and much more. Although most Air Force deployments are scheduled for 4-6 months, Command Chief MSgt Dowell is on a one year deployment because his job does carry a strong liaison between the enlisted men and women and the commander, where consistency is a key factor. The Diamond Insignia of the Chief or Command Chief MSgt is not given out lightly - you have to be pretty special to earn these. You will clearly hear the dedication, pride and concern that makes James Dowell a great Command Chief MSgt.
We would also like to thank some folks without whom these visits today would not be possible. Our deepest appreciation goes to TSG Jennifer Buzanowski, and Mr Tom Conning. And, of course, we thank our wonderful guests.

Before we wrap up today, we want to acknowledge and thank Talking Communities, the Veteran owned service that brings us our Chat Star Teleconference Facility with state of the art private rooms and audio visual supports. If you need a place to host business seminars, display products or have a craft demo, or maybe you need to have a family celebration with members who are scattered around the US or the world. This is the place to see, hear, speak, show and text each other. For more information, contact the Stardust Radio business office at 319-648-3201.

Ladies & Gentlemen, we wish to thank all of you for joining us and we hope that you will be with us again next week when we will have more great visits from our Heroes of Freedom.

To all of our Veterans and all military family members who are listening, thank you for your service and for our freedom. To all of our First Responders and family members, thank you for watching over our families, homes and communities.

Once again, we would like to remind any of our listeners who are interested in health and legislative issues that affect those who protect our freedom to tune in to our other broadcasts – OFFE with Gene Simes and Jere Berry at 8pm Central on Tuesday nights ...... and also with Rick Townsend and Firebase Network Sundays at 6:00pm Central.

Please remember, it is up to us at home to help our troops, not only with letters and care packages, but also by being aware of legislation in our states and in DC that will impact them and their families. We must do our part to insure that our Heroes of Freedom receive the benefits and health care that they deserve for keeping our country safe and free. It is the least that we can do for them and it is part of what we must do to help insure freedom for our children.

We wish you all a good, safe and healthy week.
May God Bless You All And May God Bless America!

United We Roll World Tour Show
Stardust Radio www.stardustradio.com
Tuesday 7/13/10 2:00pm – 4:30pm Central (Live)
Wednesday 7/14/10 6:30pm – 9:00pm Central (Repeat)

Welcome Stardust Listeners and thank you for joining us on United We Roll this Tuesday, the 13th day of July, 2010 as we take time to honor those who serve our country and who protect our freedom!! We hope you all have been handling the hot temperatures that have been dominating a lot of our country - but then think of our troops in Iraq who are dealing with 118 degree and higher temps while wearing 65 pounds of uniform and gear, or working on a hot flightline, etc. Yikes!

I wish to thank all of our listeners who helped The Hugs Project by voting for them in the Chase Bank contest on Facebook. Their vote total more than doubled, unfortunately not enough to put them at the top of the list of 200 organizations. But they are still eligible for a donation which will help them in their efforts to keep care packages going out to our troops. The Chase Bank contest is an annual event. The Hugs Project is a daily event as they are constantly packing, mailing and answering requests from deployed troops. If you would like to learn more about this organization and possibly see if you can participate with them or help, you can go to their website at www.TheHugsProject.com.

We have another great show for you all today - as are they all. We have three in depth and interesting visits with three of our deployed heros of Freedom. The show will actually end around 4:30pm Central, which puts us about 30 minutes over our usual two hour period today. Remember, if you are not able to stay with us through the show this afternoon, it will repeat again tomorrow evening, Wednesday, July 14th at 6:30pm Central. In addition, an MP3 copy will be placed on our show archive site for listening and downloading. You can reach our archive site at www.stardustradio.info or on the United We Roll page at www.stardustradio.com.

(2:08pm) During our first visit, we will be talking with Capt Thomas Bittick who is currently deployed as the XO or Executive Officer to the Mission Support Group Commander with the 376th Expeditionary Mission Suppport Group. If you think about the "community" part of a base (the lodging, dining, recreation, fitness, entertainment and so on), it is this unit that keeps all of these facilities and services in fine operating order for the many troops living on base and serving in their part of the mission whether it be transportation (air and ground), air refueling or any of the many other units that ultimately form the 376th AEW (Air Expeditionary Wing). We truly appreciate the time that Capt Bittick was able to spend with us and all the great information he was able to share, increasing our understanding and knowledge of the important duties our military members perform every day.

(3:19pm) Our next visit is with Army 1LT Maria Castro who is deployed with C Co 2-7 IN 3rd ID and just recently changed jobs from the Ambulance Platoon Leader to Medical Supply officer. You will hear that this job which encompasses a lot more than ordering supplies. 1LT Castro is still heavily involved in the operations of the medical facility at this Army base and making sure that all unit members have what they need, whether it is for the clinic, ambulance calls, medevacs and more. Though the clinic is open fior sick call from 9-5, you can well imagine that this is a 24 hour job, so duty shifts run appropriately. 1LT Castro comes from a family of military members and it is no wonder this young officer is so dedicated. This is another great visit and you will not want to miss a minute.

(4:00pm) Our third and final visit is with Air Force Capt Christine Carr, who is deployed with the 332nd AEW (Air Expeditionary Wing) and assigned to the JBB Redistribution Property Assistance Team or RPAT for short. This team is heavily involved with the Draw Down as they are charged with collecting and relocating equipment from the many military bases and camps in Iraq that are closing or being turned over to the Iraqi government. Now, figure in that this includes everything from vehicles to dental chairs that need to be accounted for and then relocated, this is one huge job. Our regular listeners may recall that some months back, we spoke with some Red Horse members who were constructing storage buildings for this very purpose. Capt Carr also carries on a family tradition as her father retired from service in the Air Force. We thank you both and your family for all of your service!

We would also like to thank some folks without whom these visits today would not be possible. Our deepest appreciation goes to TSG Jennifer Buzanowski, Mr Tom Conning and MSgt Mike Hamill.

Ladies & Gentlemen, we wish to thank all of you for joining us and we hope that you will be with us again next week when we will have more great visits from our Heroes of Freedom.

To all of our Veterans and all military family members who are listening, thank you for your service and for our freedom. To all of our First Responders and family members, thank you for watching over our families, homes and communities.

Once again, we would like to remind any of our listeners who are interested in health and legislative issues that affect those who protect our freedom to tune in to our other broadcasts – OFFE with Gene Simes and Jere Berry at 8pm Central on Tuesday nights ...... and also with Rick Townsend and Firebase Network Sundays at 6:00pm Central.

Please remember, it is up to us at home to help our troops, not only with letters and care packages, but also by being aware of legislation in our states and in DC that will impact them and their families. We must do our part to insure that our Heroes of Freedom receive the benefits and health care that they deserve for keeping our country safe and free. It is the least that we can do for them and it is what we must do to help insure freedom for our children.

We wish you all a good, safe and healthy week.

May God Bless You All And May God Bless America!

It is a good thing that typing does not require speaking, for I am afraid that I would never get past the lump in my throat. You see, no matter how many Heroes of Freedom we speak with on United We Roll or how many I am blessed to meet in person, I am forever awed by their inner strength, courage, dedication, perseverance and determination. We lightheartedly refer to this incredible ability to keep moving forward as being like the "Energizer Bunny". This is only because there are no words to accurately describe the true spirit that lies within most every military member and ultimately in their family as well.

If I could transform myself into other forms, I would like very much to be a gentle breeze, so I could follow behind these most special Americans on their ride and hope to bring them some relief from the pedaling and comfort from the heat.

From Sea To Shining Sea - What an appropriate name for this valiant ride. May God bring you all safely along the way and to your finish in Virginia Beach.

July 9, 2010
Release No. 124

Air Force wounded warrior rides from coast to coast
By Maj. Belinda Petersen
Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs

RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – A combat controller who last year was laying in a hospital fighting for his life is now riding his bicycle across America as part of his rehabilitation and to inspire other wounded warriors.

Along with 19 of his teammates, Staff Sgt. Marc Esposito from the 21st Special Tactics Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C, is participating in the Sea to Shining Sea ride hosted by World T.E.A.M. Sports and sponsored by State Farm. It is their longest bike trek across America that started at the Golden Gate Bridge and will end at Virginia Beach, Va., July 24.

“The goal of the ride is to honor the courage of [servicemembers], recognize the strength of the American spirit and challenge perceptions of how we view athletes,” said Melissa McKinley, State Farm’s public relations specialist for the team.

But before Sergeant Esposito could even get back on his bike, he spent almost a year in hospitals where he underwent several surgeries and extensive rehabilitation.

“In May 2009, I was operating in Afghanistan as a combat controller in support of an Army special operations team,” Sergeant Esposito said. “We were going after the bad guys when we hit an IED – everyone in the vehicle was thrown out. I was in the rear of the vehicle, where the concentrated blast came from. I was instantly left unconscious and catapulted from the vehicle.

“When the special operations medical technician found me, he said I was on fire, had no heart beat and wasn’t breathing,” he said. “My legs and back were broken, and a lot of my teeth were smashed. I also suffered a traumatic brain injury.”

And now thanks to the tremendous care and support he received from the medical community and his squadron, Sergeant Esposito is riding his bicycle 4,000 miles through deserts, mountain passes, big cities and small towns.

“It is so inspirational to see Marc and his teammates helping each other all along the way,” Ms. McKinley said. “After conquering a hill, Marc will ride back down so he can ride along with someone who needs the encouragement to make it up the hill. That’s how Marc is; he always wants to help others.”

“I want to help others understand that there is life after an injury or illness,” Sergeant Esposito said. “When something traumatic happens, you feel like your life has been turned upside down. Everything is at a standstill. But you have to get back into life by doing what you love and loving what you do.”

That’s the message he and his teammates are inspiring in others as they ride across America, meeting people at water stops, restaurants, historical landmarks and military bases.

“They are changing people’s lives as they go through small towns,” Ms. McKinley said.

When the team reaches Washington, Sergeant Esposito wants to visit servicemembers at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the same place where he spent several months enduring painful surgeries and not knowing what his future held.

Sergeant Esposito remembers how wonderful it was to have visitors when he was a patient at WRAMC.

“I want to give back by talking to the young troops and letting them know to never give up,” Sergeant Esposito said. “I want to inspire in them that they can do it as long as they put their minds to it.”

“And an inspiration he is,” said Senior Airman Brian Petras from Little Rock AFB, Ark., and who is also participating in the Sea to Shining Sea ride. “We met at the Center for the Intrepid while we were both going through rehabilitation, and we have inspired each other.”

“By doing the Sea to Shining Sea ride, we want to prove that we are still an asset to our great country, that we are still very capable and can continue to serve,” Airman Petras said.

Along with Sergeant Esposito and Airman Petras, other Air Force riders include Christopher Frost, Kevin Sullivan and Scott Bilyeu.

The team rides anywhere from 30 miles to 120 miles in one day, averaging 77 miles in a day. In two months, team members will only rest 11 days. They will enter Sergeant Esposito’s home state today.

Editor's Note: This is part one of a two-part feature on the Sea to Shining Sea ride currently taking place.