Join Forces to Support Military Families

Go here for more information.

I've heard from reliable sources just how committed Michelle Obama is to providing support to America's military families, people we should never forget, people who make extraordinary sacrifices each and every day.

During our congregation's Sunday worship services, we have a group of military personnel we frequently hold up in prayer and we encourage our members to pray for them by name each day. That's a good start.

But there's so much more that all of us can do to support military families. Go to the linked site to learn more about what we can do.

Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan Leave Many in Military Advocating Equality for Women in Combat

This past week, I spent time visiting with a woman who worked at the Curtis-Wright airplane plant in Columbus during World War Two. She wasn't a Rosie the Riveter, but Blanche the Solderer. (I know the designation isn't alliterative. But her name really is Blanche.)

The World War Two experience no doubt planted seeds for the modern Women's Movement, which took off in the 1970s and has resulted in opening so many professions previously closed to women. (Although we have a long way to go in US society, especially in terms of paying women as well as their male colleagues doing the same jobs.)

This article says that the US military's experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq have seen women taking on more combat roles. For traditionalists, especially those outside of the military, this may seem inappropriate. But if a woman can do the job, why shouldn't she be in combat? Our military leaders seem to agree with that sentiment.