Frank, this is the other one

Check these out Paul

Korea, Hawaii and Disney sound nice. Also one in Germany. And the rates are GREAT!


If you’d like to take the family to see Disney World and the many other attractions offered in the Orlando area, you should know about a special place exclusively for the military that can help make your visit a memorable and less costly one — at a facility far superior to any you normally might use.

It is called SHADES OF GREEN and is one of four Armed Forces Recreation Centers world-wide, but the only one in the Continental U.S. The others are AFRC Europe at Garmisch and Chiemsee, Dragon Hill Lodge at Seoul, Korea, and Hale Koa at Waikiki in Honolulu.

SHADES OF GREEN is available to all branches of military active duty, retired, reserve and guard personnel, DOD civilians, and family members. Located inside Disney World near the Magic Kingdom, this 287-room hotel is now in its sixth year of operation. If this is the first you’ve heard about it, don’t be surprised. It may be one of the unintentionally best-kept secrets in the military — except to those who’ve been there and have told everybody they know.

Having just returned from my own first visit there, I’m sharing the secret with you here on the net. Obviously, with a year-round occupancy rate of 99 percent, a lot of military folks do know about it and are telling others, so make your reservation well in advance. But even if you can’t get reservations there to coincide with your travel dates, don’t despair. They will locate lodging accommodations for you elsewhere in the area at a greatly-discounted rate. It won’t be as outstanding as SHADES OF GREEN (nothing else is) but likely will be as good or better than anything you might find on your own, and will save you a lot of time and effort.

To date, the most frequent visitors have been active duty members (48%), followed by retirees (28%), reservists and guard members (13%), and qualified DOD civilians (11%). The average stay has been about five days.

The name SHADES OF GREEN is symbolic of the color of a military uniform in each branch of service, the color of money you’ll save by going there, and the color of its environment — all different shades of green. Its lush tropical 29-acre setting is completely surrounded by golf courses, providing a quiet atmosphere that seems far removed from the usual cacophony of traffic and crowds. In reality it is just a few minutes via hotel courtesy busses to Disney’s Transportation Center, where free monorail trains or busses take you to Disney World attractions. So, leave your car in the safe hotel lot and save time, money and temper tantrums. Purchase your military discounted tickets to all area attractions at the hotel’s guest services before you start out and also save money on Disney souvenirs at the hotel’s gift shops when you return. The staff also can assist you on travel arrangements.

There are no room taxes or parking fees, which means additional savings to go along with the reasonable room rates (based on your military rank). The cost will vary, depending on where you are on the pay scale, but the accommodations are the same. Every room is alike — large (about 15×30), and well appointed (two queen beds, a sleeping couch, iron and board, large TV and a VTR, table and chairs, etc.). And every room has a private balcony with a view of pools, or landscaping, or other green areas, but not of parking lots or dumpsters! You and your family will enjoy a smoke-free environment throughout the interior areas.

Food costs, notoriously high inside Disney World, are more reasonable at SHADES OF GREEN. They feature a tasteful variety on their breakfast and dinner buffets in the Garden Gallery dining room, and popular fast fare in the Back Porch Lounge and Evergreen Sports Bar. We’re not talking about a military cafeteria and gedunk here! We’re talking about food, service and decor that compares with or exceeds that of the area’s best hotels.

Amenities include two PGA Championship golf courses (operated by Disney World), an exercise room, lighted tennis courts, two heated swimming pools, children’s pool and play area, video arcade, laundry facilities, vending machines, ice machines, and room service.

Disney built the hotel and used it originally as a luxury golf resort. The Army leased the hotel property in 1994 and purchased it two years later, at no cost to taxpayers through non-appropriated funds. Although AFRC is under central control of the Army, each facility is managed and staffed by civilian professionals who continually seek ways and means to keep costs down while maintaining high quality services and reasonable prices for the military families. Most of them are former military who understand the needs and problems. They truly want to help you.

SHADES OF GREEN always has met or exceeded Disney’s demanding standards of quality. It is totally self-supporting. Revenues generated pay costs of operation, upkeep, maintenance, and debt service. Profits are recycled into the property for capital improvements to serve its military clientele even better in the future. I hope that you will have an opportunity to be a part of that future.

Pictures of Paul

This is either a pic of Paul on the range in gear or maybe Boba Fett, you be the judge. I added another photo album for pictures of Paul. I'm adding a few he sent me and will keep adding and try to keep them dated from this point on.

Paul got a medal today

Today Paul received a Meritorious Service Medal. Not sure what the details are but here is a picture.

Photo Albums

My link to photo albums is on the right side in, tada, LINKS. I added lots of photos. I paid for the service so if anyone wants to send me stuff to put in, feel free. Check out the family stuff.

Something PJ learned at school

A little late but . . .

WTF? Patricia Arquette got the emmy for lead actress, are they kidding? And William Shatner for supporting actor, I mean, he has ... im-proved ... over the last ... several years BUT ...

Just my two cents.

U.S. Soldiers Find Comfort Food in Iraq

By CHRIS TOMLINSON
The Associated Press

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq - Pass the ammunition and a slice of pizza. U.S. soldiers in Iraq spend hours - sometimes days - on patrol hunting insurgents and dodging roadside bombs. But when they get back to base, they can pick up a case of Dr Pepper, buy the latest DVD and take a Pizza Hut meal back to the room to relax after a hard day at war.

A soldier's life isn't what it used to be.

Commanders say providing a good quality of life is essential to keeping volunteer troops in the military. Having a chance to skip the mess hall and go to Pizza Hut, Burger King or Subway - Popeye's Fried Chicken and Taco Bell will be added this month - makes a big difference, soldiers say.

"I think it's great. The dining facility gets old after a while," said Spc. William Oates, 25, a 1st Cavalry Division soldier from Asheboro, N.C., after finishing a Whopper at Camp Liberty, just outside Baghdad.

The Army & Air Force Exchange Service operates 23 fast food franchises at 16 U.S. bases in Iraq, with 25 more approved and under construction. They also have Seattle's Best and Green Beans coffee shops.

Terry McCoy, the food program manager for Iraq, opened the first Burger King at Baghdad's airport in May 2003, before the military even set up its first mess hall.

"This generation of soldiers has grown up with name-brand fast food," McCoy said. "It's the taste from home that they're missing. It not only gives them that little moment of comfort, I like to think it ... takes them back home for just the 15 minutes they are enjoying a Whopper."

The staff is a mix of American AAFES employees who volunteer for combat duty and workers from third countries hired through a labor company in Kuwait. Part of the base is set aside for their living quarters.


Armed convoys deliver the fast-food ingredients to the bases along with regular military supplies, McCoy said. Making sure the stores have enough stock for those times when the supply convoys don't run for security reasons is the biggest challenge, he added.

While the fast food is extremely popular, AAFES' main mission is to operate 3,150 retail stores for troops on bases in 35 countries. Their motto is "We go where you go," and stores range from medium-size tents on remote fire bases to large department stores at the main camps.

At Camp Liberty's post exchange, or PX, soldiers can buy anything from a 50-cent granola bar to a $3,499 42-inch, plasma-screen television. AAFES sells everything at prices comparable to those in the United States, with profits going toward troop morale programs.

Through its Web site, www.aafes.com, AAFES lets people donate phone cards and gift certificates to wounded troops overseas.

The Camp Liberty PX is on track to sell $80 million worth of goods this year, said Rick Mora, the general manager for Baghdad. The store is second in sales only to a larger facility at Kadena Air Base in Japan, he added.

AAFES also operates a phone service with AT&T so soldiers can call home cheaply. Troops can buy new cars and motorcycles that can be picked up when they get home. Iraqi vendors are rented space so they can sell souvenirs, art and other things to the troops.

Spc. Rakesh Pal, 23, from Modesto, Calif., said he likes to walk through the PX when he has free time, even if doesn't intend to buy anything.

"It reminds me of being back home at the mall," he said. "It doesn't feel like I'm in Iraq when I'm in the PX."

Lunch time

Nothing is more fun than ramen noodles and chopsticks.
I posted a couple of new photos to the photo album. I'll try to start adding a few a week as stuff happens. I'll need to start putting dates on them I guess too. Anyway, we miss you Paul.

Banachek

If anyone hears from The Houston Shaws please let me know. Left a message but haven't heard from either Heidi or Steven. That Rita is a nasty one.

Okay, I'm in to the test thing

The commonly misused words test

English Genius
You scored 100% Beginner, 92% Intermediate, 93% Advanced, and 100% Expert!
You did so extremely well, even I can't find a word to describe your excellence! You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don't. You have an extensive vocabulary, and you're not afraid to use it properly! Way to go!

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
You scored higher than 57% on Beginner
You scored higher than 15% on Intermediate
You scored higher than 35% on Advanced
You scored higher than 93% on Expert

Careful on number 5 or 6 Robin, it's a tough one. :o)

I took the Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test

Yes, it's true. I am a nerd, but apparently a cool one. What about you?

Nerd? Dork? or Geek?

Modern, Cool Nerd 78 % Nerd, 56% Geek, 34% Dork
For The Record:A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.You scored better than half in Nerd and Geek, earning you the title of: Modern, Cool Nerd. Nerds didn't use to be cool, but in the 90's that all changed. It used to be that, if you were a computer expert, you had to wear plaid or a pocket protector or suspenders or something that announced to the world that you couldn't quite fit in. Not anymore. Now, the intelligent and geeky have eked out for themselves a modicum of respect at the very least, and "geek is chic." The Modern, Cool Nerd is intelligent, knowledgable and always the person to call in a crisis (needing computer advice/an arcane bit of trivia knowledge). They are the one you want as your lifeline in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (or the one up there, winning the million bucks)!

Update From Paul

I want to thank everyone that's taken time to show their support.

I'm with a great team and am confident that we'll exceed all standards in accomplishment of our missions.

As time allows, I'll provide updates to my status.

Tomorrow, we'll be transported to our training station to begin final preparation for our overseas deployment.

Paul