New Member & Free Army Commendation

[jimrudy]

My name is Jim Rudy. I flew slicks with the 170th AHC in 66/67 and Chinooks with the 180th ASHC in 1970. I later commanded the 173rd AHC at Fliegerhorst Kaserne near Hanau, Germany from Dec/75 to June/78.

I happen to be a volunteer "Ambassador" for the Army's Freedom Team Salute program. The Army will send any Army veteran (Active, Guard, or Army Reserve) the following and it is free:

1. A very nice Certificate of Appreciation with your name and former Army rank on it and it is signed by the Army Chief of Staff, General George Casey, Jr. and the Secretary of the Army, Pete Geren.

2. A letter of thanks and it is also signed by the two top Army officials.

3.. A lapel pin with the Army logo on it and "Veteran" across the top.

4. Two US Army decals.

All you need to do is send your name, address, and former Army rank to me at [e-mail] or if you prefer, call me at home at 864-972-2085.

Regards,


Jim Rudy
Freedom Team Salute Ambassador #382
Seneca, SC

[Jim Rudy]

Dear Fellow Veterans,

Bad news.

The Army Leadership abruptly pulled the funding for the Army Freedom Team Salute program and it dies as of the end of February. Abruptly in that I received an email from the FTS program office in Alexandria, VA on Feb 10th that no more commendation requests would be accepted after, get this, Feb. 11th and that the program would cease at the end of the month.

Through this guest book I have found and honored a whole bunch of Army veterans with the free FTS commendation (Certificate, Letter of Thanks, Army lapel pin, & 2 Army decals).

I and several others are mounting a nationwide campaign to get Army veterans and others to write letters send emails, and to make telephone calls to their Congressman, Senators, and to the senior Army leadership. Consider doing the same.

To date some 2.4 million Army veterans and Army supporters have been recognized through this program since it was initiated in May/2005. However, an estimated 15 to 17 million Army vets are in the USA at any given time. This number continually turns over as WW II Army veterans pass away and as our younger soldiers end their terms of service.

Write to:

Honorable John McHugh
Secretary of the Army
101 Army Pentagon
Washington, DC 20310-0101

General George W. Casey, Jr.
Chief of Staff, US Army
101 Pentagon
Washington, DC 20310-0101

Contact your Congressman through this below link:

www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml

Contact your Senators through this below link:
www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Contact me via email ([e-mail]) and I would be glad to share some copies of letters to give you a flavor of what to write.

Please help on this important effort and pass this information along to other contacts. We can get this decision reversed with your help.

Regards,


Jim Rudy
Seneca, SC
Cell 864-784-3836.