Emily Dieruf, Wife of a Fallen Soldier

Outreach Director, USA Cares, Inc.

www.usacares.us

This is a love story about a woman who had her whole life ahead of her. She was beautiful, successful and wanted to make a difference. She met Nich, they fell in love, and “He became the love of her life”. They had a storybook wedding with family and friends in Lexington in January, she then moved with him to California to a Marine Base, where she settled into the life of a Marine Wife. He deployed in February, on a tour he could have gotten out of because of a back injury, but chose to go anyway.

It was his second tour in Iraq. He was in a word, a picture poster of a United States Marine. His dream was to finish his tour with the Marines that fall and enter the University of Kentucky. He was proud of being a Marine, and dreamed about their future. It was not to be. He was buried with full military honors in Lexington. His funeral was attended by thousands.

After Nich’s death, the family wanted to make something positive out of their loss. They began to collect money, thinking they could help other Marine families in the Bluegrass areas. In an odd twist of fate, Emilys’ dad, Scott, was talking to a friend Skip and when Skip realized the objective of the families wishes, mentioned what he knew about USA Cares, which he had learned from his friend Bob Manning. Emily is now the Outreach Director for USA Cares.

Three years ago a team of passionate individuals had a great idea to provide financial support for our troops. Hence USA Cares, with headquarters in Radcliff, Kentucky, was created.  USA Cares strives to provide military families of all branches and services with financial support, while offering direction and advice along with a caring attitude to those family members who stay behind while their loved ones are deployed for months on end. 

Support is typically provided by way of insuring that the utilities stay connected, a roof remains overhead and the family vehicle is operational. Resource Coordinators speak with each family to help resolve the issue and ensure that very little money is actually given to the family but rather goes straight to the service providers. USA Cares is funded through the generous contributions of corporations, organizations and individuals and proudly continues to sustain a 92 percent plus ratio of mission dollars. To date the organization has received over 2100 requests from across the nation and provided or located over $1.2 million in financial support for families of uniformed services. USA Cares has assisted families in 48 states, in 7 areas overseas and has saved 27 homes from foreclosure with an additional 20 foreclosure cases pending. 

For more information, please visit www.usacares.us. 

Emily, Nich and family dog

Nich at his Wedding with Best Friend

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Matthew Zimmerman

Served in Operation Iraqi Freedom

 

Matt grew up in Meeker, Oklahoma a small farm town east of Oklahoma City.  After high school, he graduated from West Point and was commissioned as an Armor Officer.  He was deployed to Iraq as a scout platoon leader in the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment in Spring, 2003 as a part of the original phases of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  He and his unit conducted operations throughout the majority of western Iraq.  After returning home, he temporary left Active Duty to attend Seminary and will return to serve our soldiers as a chaplain after he graduates.  He currently serves as the Military Pastor for New Life Church in Colorado Springs, CO.

 

In my deployment to Iraq, my service in Korea, and the many hours spent out training with soldiers, one thing truly stands out to me.  When a soldier is introduced to a tough situation, they almost without fail make it better.  Whether it is to the children and people of the Middle East or to the orphanages in Korea, a service member’s presence seems to be a ray of hope.

 

In Iraq, not only did we conduct raids, establish search and check points, and seize countless numbers of weapons, explosives, and contraband, our platoon, troop, and regiment reopened schools, built clinics, opened a hospital, trained and equipped police and security forces, and reestablished the water supply to several cities.  I was consistently amazed at the willingness of my soldiers to invest themselves in the lives of those around them.  These men, the guys I led, are my heroes.

 

I encourage each of us to not only offer to send packages to the men and women deployed in the service of our nation, but to also reach out to the families around us.  We can and should become a safety net, a source of strength.  As our soldiers protect us, we should be ready to serve as their allies and the guardians of their families.

 

Matthew Zimmerman

 

 

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Michael Yon
Reporting from Iraq

 

We are honored for Michael to be a guest on Talking with Heroes. The following is taken from his http://www.michaelyon-online.com/ website:

 

"Getting these dispatches right is challenging. Iraq multiplies the challenge. The chaos of combat has already claimed two pairs of eye-glasses, a video camera, and two digital still cameras; the environment is merciless, with 117 degree days beating down over land and people. I was in the Army some years ago and maintained close contact with many friends who made a career of military service. Naturally, I had an interest in what was happening in Iraq–I had friends in harm’s way.

 

But what spurred me to drop what I was doing, get on a plane and fly halfway around the world, to a war zone, was a growing sense that what I was seeing reported on television, as well as in newspapers and magazines, was inconsistent with the reality my friends were describing. I wanted to see the truth, first hand, for myself.

 

I saw American and Coalition soldiers putting everything on the line to accomplish their mission.So that Iraqi children can have the chance to grow up in freedom and fulfill their potential. I saw resolve steel the jaw of a military leader.I saw hope light the eyes of a young girl.I saw a parent’s anguishI saw a village elder’s wisdomI saw a soldier’s compassion. And what I saw changed how I thought about this war. The “truth” of this experience is too complex to capture in a body count or a thirty-second sound byte. It’s chaotic, dynamic and evolving. It’s unwieldy, wasteful and we have made mistakes. It’s a struggle of epic proportions that ultimately relies on the strength of a people about whom most Americans seem to know very little.

 

The longer I stayed, the better I understood things. And I began to realize that Americans need to see these things in order to understand what is happening here and come to a more informed judgment of whether this struggle is “worth” the cost, in money and lives. No one can make that determination without a balanced set of facts. To me, one look in the face of any of the children tips the scales one way.

 

More and more people read my dispatches every day, and thousands are taking the time to contact me. Some are kind enough to hit the support button which funds my operations. I am especially humbled by comments from the families and loved ones of the soldiers with whom I live and about whom I write. While the dollars helped me replace my damaged equipment, comments from readers are really what has kept me going for the past seven months."

 

Michael Yon

 

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George Bernloehr
Director of Operations
www.militaryresumes.com

 

George Bernloehr joined Bradley-Morris, Inc in 1999 and has served as a Candidate Recruiter, Branch Manager and Regional Operations Manager. He was recognized as BMI’s top recruiter in 2002 and 2003.   He moved into the Operations Officer role at MilitaryResumes.com in February of 2005. George is a former Naval Aviation Maintenance Duty Officer who dedicated 20 years to the US Navy. He launched his naval career as an avionics technician and was promoted through the rank of
Chief Petty Officer.   He received a commission via the Navy’s Limited Duty Officer Program. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree, Electrical Engineering Technology in 1993 from the University of the State of New York. He resides in Acworth, GA, with his wife and two daughters.

 

MilitaryResumes.com was created to offer an online recruiting solution for candidates that are currently transitioning out of the Military as well as military veterans with varying amounts of business experience. MilitaryResumes.com was formed by the owners of Bradley-Morris, Inc. to expand the scope of their business by offering an alternative and cost-effective means to recruiting military candidates. Since 1991 Bradley-Morris has specialized in placing military candidates in technical fields at fortune 500 companies and is currently the largest placement firm specializing in placing military candidates.

 

MilitaryResumes.com is dedicated to providing unequaled customer service to our clients and our candidates. For our clients, our experienced team will help in every phase of the online recruiting experience. For our candidates, we are military veterans also, and we will provide information to assist you in your career search and provide feedback on a regular basis. Although we are a job board, we are a job board with a human presence; we’re standing by to offer advice and help as needed.  We work for you and our team is ready to show employers how efficient and cost-effective online recruiting for military candidates can be.

 

MilitaryResumes.com provides a proprietary system that pre-screens resumes, measures performance and evaluates candidates. This ensures that employers will be able to quickly target, find, and hire the candidates with the skills and qualifications that they are looking for.

 

The MilitaryResumes.com online-recruiting team along with the experienced permanent placement recruiters at Bradley-Morris, Inc. offers a level of military recruiting experience not available anywhere else. We offer several solutions to meet an employer’s hiring needs that include online solutions, professional assistance, and unique marketing initiatives.

 

* Job Postings and Resume database access
* Pre-Screening of Resumes service
* Permanent placement in technical positions
* Advertising online and with niche publication Civilian Job News
* Targeted E-Mail campaigns to market your company and positions

 

Civilian Job News is a tabloid style newspaper that features practical information for the military person transitioning from the military and seeking a civilian job. Civilian Job News is distributed throughout all of the Military Transition Offices worldwide and via military job fairs throughout the country. Subscriptions are available at a minimal cost to cover postage and handling only.

 

Editorial content includes articles on what to expect during the transition process,
considering the needs of the individuals as well as their families. Articles also provide advice on planning and implementing an effective civilian job search.

 

Civilianjobsnews.com, provides online access to the editorial content in current and past issues of Civilian Job News. Actual job listings can be accessed online as well as job search capabilities are offered. Job resources include; Transition Tools, Transition Coach, Job fair schedules, a listing of the Transition offices, and ability to submit questions and receive answers from experienced recruiters.

 

Civilian Job News and www.civilianjobsnews.com is a wholly owned and operated subsidiary of Militaryresumes.com, a veteran-owned and managed company. Militaryresumes.com is FREE to job seekers and provides extensive career resources for transition assistance when exiting the military as well as resources for veterans seeking a career change. Candidates with a military background are provided an easy and effective way for their experience and skills to be presented to potential employers.

 

George R. Bernloehr, Jr.
Director of Operations
(t/f) 866-801-4418
(l) 678-819-4161
(f) 678-819-5161
www.militaryresumes.com
www.civilianjobnews.com