Whenever we meet folks who take the time to show their appreciation to our brothers and sisters in uniform for all the sacrifices they have made and continue to make for freedom’s sake, we take an instant liking to them… especially when they turn out to be extraordinarily talented and are using that talent to support our troops.

That is exactly what singer-songwriter-musician and owner of Guilty Dog Studios Joe Merrick is doing.

Fellow BigDawg’er Chris Ross, who we spotlighted a few months back, first introduced us to Joe’s music when he shared the video “Just In Case” at our site.  We insisted Chris talk his friend into joining us, and we’re so glad that he did!

When I approached Joe about spotlighting him, I learned that he had donated his great song, “Just In Case,” to Soldiers’ Angels, a nonprofit organization that provides aid and comfort to our military members and their families, for their Pocket Angel initiative.  How very cool.

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I got a phone call yesterday from my buddy who is currently commanding a combat arms battalion in Iraq.  Things are calm – at least, they were yesterday.  He’ll be coming home in the next few months just as a bunch of other folks I know will be going over themselves.  And I know there’s another ungodly hot and shooty place in my future too. 

Just because our fighting men and women disappeared from the nightly news and off the front pages does not mean that the war is over.  Far from it – there are hundreds of thousands of Americans out there right now, and that’s easy to forget when all the media is talking about are cheating governors and Perez Hilton beatdowns. 

That’s why supporting Troopathon 2009 is key.  Every package is a loud and clear message to our people that we remember them, we honor them, and that we will not forget them.  (more…)

Thank you.

My buddy Dave came back from Iraq without his leg. He was willing to die to keep my family and the rest of America safe. I can never thank him enough for his sacrifice. All he ever says is: “I was just doing my job.”

Just doing my job? My kids sleep safely every night because hundreds of thousands of  men and women like Dave stand watch for us every night. 

Last week a bunch of us helped out at “Operation Gratitude.” Operation Gratitude puts together care packages for the troops. They are approaching the 500,000 package mark. They aren’t just sending gifts. They are sending their love and appreciation to those who would protect us. It was an honor to be a part of their project. I wish that I could bottle the emotion and love that was in that building and share it with every serviceman, women and veteran in America. To you guys over there, we love and appreciate what you are doing for us, to our core. To us at home, if you love our troops, please let them know.  (more…)