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U.S. Army Freedom Team Salute: Certificate of Appreciation

ByPhyllis Zimbler Miller

freedom team saluteI have Lindsey Brothers to thank for submitting me for the U.S. Army Freedom Team Salute Certificate of Appreciation.  The certificate reads:

For outstanding contributions to the United States Army.  The Army greatly appreciates your support of Soldiers fighting the Global War on Terrorism and is proud to recognize your personal sacrifices in preserving the freedom and security of our Nation.

And the certificate is signed by George W. Casey, Jr., General, United States Army, Chief of Staff and Pete Geren, Secretary of the Army.

This is the second army certificate I’ve received in my life.  The first certificate was at the graduation luncheon for the wives of AOB 21 in July of 1970.

This first certificate reads “U.S. Army Armor School” at the top.  Under the words “United Students Wives” are the words “check book, cook book, baby care.”  Then comes the formal “To all who shall see these presents greetings.”

Be it known that Phyllis Miller having successfully completed and survived the required course in the feeding, care, and coddling of her husband in
The U.S. Army Armor School
In testimony Whereof, and by authority vested in us, we do declare her a
GRADUMATE
Given at Fort Knox, Kentucky, this 1st day of July 1970

And it was signed by a brigadier general, a major general, and a lieutenant colonel.

And this first certificate, as silly as it may sound, actually led to this second certificate in March of 2009.  How?

When my novel MRS. LIEUTENANT (www.MrsLieutenant.com) — based on my own experiences as a new Mrs. Lieutenant in the spring of 1970 — was published last April, I included information on the book’s website about organizations that support U.S. military personnel and their families.  At the same time I started the blog www.MrsLieutenant.blogspot.com.

Then I started doing joint projects with Nancy Brown of www.YourMilitary.com, which led in November to Nancy asking me to be her co-host on the new BlogTalkRadio show www.YourMiltiaryLife.com.  And in January I started the website project www.OperationSupportJewsintheMilitary.com.

The book website, the blog, the BlogTalkRadio show and the website project all give me the opportunity of showcasing people and organizations that support our military personnel and their families.  And this is how that first silly certificate led to this second much-appreciated certificate.