Post Notes Archives

Huntington Post Supports Wounded Warriors

In December, Staff Sgt. Robert Geer, a wounded veteran, returned to his hometown in Huntington, WV. He was stationed in Afghanistan for a 12-month tour of duty but ended his deployment early due to a land mine explosion.

The day after Christmas, Huntington Post members Bill Graham and Mark D. Kessinger visited Staff Sgt. Geer and his family. According to Graham, meeting with fallen soldiers is a great way to offer support in a personal way. “We got to know Staff Sgt. Geer and his family, learned about his service and the incident on Sept. 28th that caused his injuries.” At the end of the meeting, Graham presented Staff Sgt. Geer a $500 check on behalf of Huntington Post.

The explosion threw Staff Sgt. Geer 5 ft in the air, leaving his left leg, back and left arm severely injured and fracturing  his left hand and left leg. Commenting on his homecoming, Staff Sgt. Geer said "To have my family spend this Christmas together after having such a tragic moment for me is probably the best gift I could get for Christmas, that's for sure."

Staff Sgt. Robert Geer's homecoming was covered by the local news.

SAME has established the SAME Wounded Warriors Initiative that partners with Quality of Life + (QL+) to generate innovations to aid and improve the quality of life for those injured in the line of duty. By harnessing the exceptional creative and engineering skills of students and faculty at Cal Poly, QL+ succeeds in developing innovative solutions that help our nation’s heroes live, work and play.

Useful Links:

SAME Huntington Post

SAME Wounded Warriors Resources

South Central/South Atlantic Regional Conference Raises funds for Charities and Scholarships

The Emerald Coast and the Panama City Posts co-sponsored the 2011 South Central/ South Atlantic Regional Conference, Oct. 18-20 at the Sandestin Baytowne Wharf Conference Center in Sandestin, Fla.  The conference hosted various charity events, which received overflowing donations and support from more than 750 attendees.

One of the event's charities is Canstruction, a canned food drive that resulted in more than 3,600 lbs of canned goods that will benefit four local charities in Okaloosa and Walton Counties. The fishing and golf events raised more than $9,000 for the Wounded Warrior Program. The funds will support wounded warriors through their rehabilitation and transition to the civilian workforce. Proceeds from conference entry fees and other donations were collected for scholarships and other Post uses. Each post, Emerald Coast and Panama City, garnered a total of $89,000 for their scholarship and mentoring funds.

What's next? Emerald Coast and Panama City Posts are already gearing up for this year's conference. Mark your calendars for the 2012 South Central/ South Atlantic Regional Conference, to be held Oct. 2-4  in Tampa, Fla. For a full list of upcoming regional conferences and other events, visit www.same.org/calendar.

Useful Links:

SAME Wounded Warriors Initiative

SAME Emerald Coast Post

SAME Panama City Post

Omaha Post Promotes Engineering through the Student Mentoring Program

Since 2001, the SAME Omaha Post has been mentoring students interested in the A/E/C fields by being a part of the University of Nebraska's Student Mentoring Program (SMP). The program matches volunteer mentors with teams of students and teachers to participate in "real-world" projects led by actual practitioners. Approximately 300 middle and high school students from 20 schools participate annually in SMP. With a goal to inspire and assist young, aspiring engineers, the Omaha Post provides professional mentors while also lending support and participation in SMP workshops and demonstrations.

Each year, SMP engages students by holding orientation events, workshops and project submissions from competing teams made up of students, teachers and mentors. The teams will present their proposals as they vie for the winning project on Competition Day, to be held Mar. 29, 2012. Types of awards include the Post President's Awards, Awards of Distinction (sponsored by SAME sustaining members) and Gold and Silver Level of Achievement in Merit Categories.

The projects will be displayed at Omaha Post's Industry Day May 8-9, 2012. See the 2011-2012 SMP Schedule.

Useful Links:

SAME Omaha Post

Student Mentoring Program

SAME College Outreach Committee

Wichita Mountains Post Donates $3,365 to the "We Care" Campaign

On Dec. 14, 2011, the SAME Wichita Mountains Post presented Sheriff Kenny Stradley a $3,365 check for the Comanche County Sheriff's Office "We Care" Campaign in Fort Sill, Okla.  The Wichita Mountains Post, which covers southwestern Oklahoma and northern Texas, decided to donate the proceeds from their Dec. 9  50/50 raffle to the “We Care” Campaign in an effort to give back to the community. According to Mike Moe, Wichita Mountains Post Outreach and Communications Chair, "One Post member challenged to match the donation if another member would do the same." Many sustaining members rose to the challenge, raising the original $105 donation to $3,365 in just three working days.

The Comanche County Sheriff's Department has been collecting and distributing donations of money, canned goods and toys to impoverished families in southwestern Oklahoma for more than 20 years.  As part of its “We Care” Campaign, the Sheriff’s Department provides each family a food basket and a toy for each child in the home every holiday season. The local news covered Sheriff Stradley thanking SAME Wichita Mountains Post for the generous donation. The Sheriff also described how he reaches out to residents in many ways. "Yesterday I pulled over and saw this lady.  She thought I was going to arrest her.  I said, 'Here ma'am, let me give you a ham and a couple cards for your kids.'  She was amazed."

SAME Wichita Mountains Post Officers present a check to Comanche County Sheriff Kenny Stradley in support of the “We Care” Campaign. Left to Right: Winona Simmons, USACE Ft. Sill QAR/WM, SAME Wichita Mountains Post Vice Secretary; Dave Palmquist, USACE Ft. Sill Office Engineer, SAME Wichita Mountains Post Treasurer; Kenny Stradley, Comanche County Sheriff; Richard West, USACE Ft. Sill Area Engineer, SAME Wichita Mountains Post President; and Billy Tramel, USACE Project Engineer, SAME Wichita Mountains Post Programs Chair.

Useful Links:

SAME: Get Involved

LinkedIn: SAME Wichita Mountains Post

Texoma's Homepage: "We Care" Program Gets a Boost in Funds