Carissa Picard on NPR To The Point

Most of you know that Sancho Press has been taken over by Military Spouses for Change and it now Military Spouse Press. Tom Kole is staying on. Carissa is the president of Military Spouses for Change. Carissa is a dynamo! Her husband must be very proud of her for taking on the government for the sake of those who serve. What she has created with Military Spouses for Change is vital in order to really take care of those who serve as well as their families. Gone are the days when there used to be support groups in VA hospitals for the family members. Gone are the days when the all powerful groups like DAV, VFW, American Legion were providing the networking that was supporting the families by brining them together. While organizations like IAVA and Veterans for Common Sense, along with the new breed of veterans, has been filling the gap, it has taken the action of these fledgling operations to fill the void the government should have been serving. I am humbled by her dedication and the fact she wanted me to be a part of her group.

While wives connected to the Vietnam veterans have been dealing with all the issues facing them, we have much to offer the newest generation and Carissa embraced that. She thinks the years of living with it all may provide some hope to those suddenly finding it isn't their husband's war or their wife's war alone, it is also their's to fight when they come home. She is a true patriot!

The President, the War in Iraq and American Soldiers

THU APR 10, 2008



President Bush today gave General David Petraeus the pause in troop reductions he asked for. When the surge ends in July, American forces will remain 140,000 strong. We get the reactions of soldiers and families. Also, how does Bush measure up to his White House mentor?


Bush Speech Caps Week of Iraq Testimony 12:01P
President Bush today accepted the recommendations of General David Petraeus. The draw-down of troops from Iraq will stop when the "surge" ends in July. Democratic leaders of Congress said, "He's just dragging this out, leaving a failed war and a failed economy on the doorstep of the next president." Because of strains on the troops, Mr. Bush also reduced tours of duty from 15 months to 12, but that won't start until August. We talk with soldiers about the state of morale after six years of war. What do multiple tours on the front lines mean for their families? What about recruitment, retention and readiness to meet future contingencies?
Guests:
Mark Silva: White House Correspondent, Chicago Tribune
Carissa Picard: President, Military Spouses for Change
Sig Christenson: Military Reporter, San Antonio Express-News
Pete Hegseth: Executive Director, Vets for Freedom
Brandon Friedman: Editor, VetVoice.com
http://www.kcrw.com/news/programs/tp/tp080410the_president_the_wa

Military Wife Answers Her Own Call to Service
by: Lynda Waddington
Jun 28, 2007 at 15:27 PM
Carissa Picard openly admits she isn't comfortable speaking in front of groups. Corner her privately afterward and she'll confess to not eating anything beforehand for fear she might become physically ill. Publicly or privately, however, she'll also tell you the message she carries is so important that she plans to spend the next few weeks speaking in front of Iowa groups at every available opportunity.


"Military spouses, above all else, want to support the person they love," said Picard, president of Military Spouses for Change. "Our organization was founded on the belief that political awareness and involvement is a key way military spouses can honor and support our troops. We can have a voice."


Picard's husband, Chief Warrant Officer Caynan Picard, is an active-duty helicopter pilot who recently returned to their home at Fort Hood, Texas after serving a year in Central America. He is expected to redeploy to Iraq in early 2008. Their family includes two sons, ages 6 and 3.
"Basically, we think we'll have about nine months before he's deployed again," Picard said while simultaneously smiling and blinking back tears. "It wasn't an easy decision for me to come to Iowa. But when we talked about it, Caynan asked if I thought I could make a difference. I told him that I thought I could and he told me I should go -- that it was my turn to serve my country."


http://www.iowaindependent.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=447