Tampa is linked to Cuba by more than early Spanish fishermen, migrating cigar workers and the 1960s missile crisis. Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders used the city to train and then launch their 1898 foray into Cuba during the Spanish American War.
But a sandwich became the most recent Cuban battleground between the communities in Tampa and Miami: The Cuban Sandwich Crisis.
As a result, Tampa City Council named the traditional Cuban Sandwich of sweet ham, mojo-marinated roast pork, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, mustard and Genoa salami as the city’s “signature sandwich” in April 2012.
Tampa’s Cuban Sandwich Festival on Saturday, March 30, features a taste from a 170 foot-long Cuban sandwich, music and a junior chef’s showdown. Sunday, March 31, is the 8th annual International Cuban Sandwich Festival where teams from South Korea, England and California will compete for the title of Best Cuban Sandwich.
Keystone View Company. Roosevelt’s “Rough Rider’s”sic arrival at Tampa, Fla., U.S.A. Florida Tampa, ca. 1898. Meadville, Pa.: Keystone View Company manufacturers and publishers.
And if you’d like some additional visuals, while munching on your Cuban sandwich, here’s a short film of Rough Riders at drill in Tampa on the Library of Congress website.
The Golden Knights fly a Federal Voting Assistance Program banner promoting absentee voting. Credit: FVAP
In 2000, the Florida ballots of overseas service members were a key point of controversy in the Bush vs. Gore election. Now, 16 years later, little has changed for most overseas troops, who still have to vote absentee mostly through international mail.
Florida lawmakers did create a task force this year to study developing an online voting system for military and overseas voters. But task for members aren’t expected to meet until after the 2016 November election.
However, a handful of other states are experimenting with more modern electronic ballot return.
If you’re active duty military on base, aboard ship or in a combat zone, absentee voting can be a complex process because each state has its own regulations.
So, the Department of Defense created the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) to simplify access. But director Matt Boehmer said many service members remain frustrated with the process.
“One of the things that our active duty military told us was the fact that 67 percent of them weren’t confident that their ballot was counted,” Boehmer said referring to a 2014 post-election survey. “Certainly that 67 percent number gets people’s attention and it certainly got my attention.”
Courtesy: Army.mil
All states are required to provide overseas voters an electronic ballot. All 50 do so by email and online. Most offer faxed ballots and paper ballots can still be requested.
For instance, Florida accepts overseas ballots only by mail or fax.
“If you’re in a Forward Operation Base in the middle of the mountains in Afghanistan there’s no option to fax,” said U.S. Army veteran Diego Echeverri. “And you’re not going to have a scanner, you’re not going to have these devices.”
Echeverri served in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2004 and is Florida director for the advocacy group, Concerned Veterans for America (CV4A).
Dan Caldwell, CV4A vice president of communications and policy, is an Iraq War veteran. He said their generation expects the ease of electronic voting.
“If troops can Skype overseas in most locations now with their family members, then they should be able to find a way to securely and secretly vote,” Caldwell said. “And I think that can work. I think we have the technology to do it. It just requires some government bureaucrats to get off their butts and actually do it.”
Courtesy: FVAP and MacDill Air Force Base
But it’s not just bureaucrats; state lawmakers decide their states’ election rules.
And it’s a balancing act between giving voters the convenience of online access versus protecting the integrity of their ballot.
“We’ve got legislators who are very interested in meeting the needs of military members,” said Wendy Underhill, program director for elections and redistricting with the National Conference of State Legislatures. “They are younger. They are used to using electronic interactions for every single thing in their life, and so, there is that push against the security.”
Four states do provide online voting to limited groups like military personnel in combat zones. Alaska is the first state to allow everyone to vote online. Yet, Underhill says the Alaska process is not all that simple.
“Not only do they cast their ballot online, they have to printout a voter identification certificate and something else and get it signed by themselves and a couple of witnesses. And then, scan that back in and send it too. And so it’s not that it’s an easy process,” Underhill said.
Looking at the bigger picture, 56 percent of active duty military, in the 2014 FVAP survey, said the process to get an absentee ballot was too complicated and confusing.
(March 22, 2013) Members of the joint U.S. Central Command stand at attention as Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey and CENTCOM commanders do the ceremonial “Passing of the Colors.”
Either a group or an individual claiming to be a part of the Islamic State (ISIS), hacked two social media accounts belonging to US Central Command, which oversees Department of Defense operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and the rest of the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia, according to Politico.
The first tweet following the hack read, “AMERICAN SOLDIERS, WE ARE COMING, WATCH YOUR BACK. ISIS,” and linked to a longer statement threatening American soldiers and their families. The hackers also targeted Centcom’s YouTube page, posting ISIS propaganda videos.
The attacks happened earlier in the day as President Barack Obama was emphasizing the importance of cyber security to keep citizens safe from identity theft. As of 1:15 p.m., Politico reports that Twitter has suspended the CENTCOM account. The YouTube account also is suspended.
Female Veterans in Iraq. A New Resource for Female Vet on VA health care and benefits: 1-855-VA-WOMEN. Credit Department of Veterans Affairs
What happens if you plan an event to honor women veterans and none of them come? That’s a real concern at the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 97 in Sarasota. The organization is planning a free event August 30th for the area’s women veterans, but so far, they’re having a tough time generating interest.
The Honoring Women Veterans in Sarasota event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the DAV Chapter building, 7177 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota. Veteran women from the Sarasota region can register for the event and day care by calling 941-580-0999.
“Our response, so far, has been lackluster,” said Michael Lannan, commander of DAV Chapter 97. “I’ll be honest with you, we’ve had only one person RSVP and we put out flyers and posters. The team that’s been putting this together has been going around to the different colleges. They’ve gone to the Vet Center. They’ve pretty much hit everywhere where there’s going to be women veterans.”
The chapter’s treasurer, Iris Johnson, is part of that team. She said a church group offering free school supplies to children of women veterans had the same problem.
“And they couldn’t find one single veteran woman with children and they had 25 slots that they couldn’t fill,” Johnson said. “They (women veterans) have to be somewhere. Somehow, we have to identify them.”
The Sarasota Disabled American Veterans Chapter 97 building on Bee Ridge Road.
The chapter commander is adjusting to reach the younger, female veterans. They recently started a Facebook page and are learning about social media.
Getting messages out to veterans is the job of Karen Collins, communications director at Tampa’s James A. Haley Veterans Hospital.
“You have to use social media. You have to come at them in multiple avenues,” Collins said.
But there are other issues at work too. Capturing the attention of women veterans is one of the biggest challenges for Pam Smith-Beatty, the women’s program manager at Haley.
“Part of the problem is that women don’t often think of themselves as veterans,” Smith-Beatty said. “I served for 22 years in the Air Force. But when I think of a veteran, I think of my dad, a Korean War Vet. I don’t necessarily think of myself.”
National statistics show that women make up 15 percent of active-duty and 18 percent of the Guard and Reserves but only 6 percent of the VA population.
“We’re finding that for the OEF/OIF/OND veterans, they’re actually doing a good job at capturing them. About 68% of those veterans are actually using the VA,” Smith-Beatty said.
Yet overall, she said the VA is serving only about 40 percent of eligible women veterans.
“So how do you get the other 60 percent? We look at any kind of recognition event,” Smith-Beatty said.
She started up educational sessions every other month called Pink Bag Lunch and Learns. Only 17 attended the first Pink Bag event, but as many as 120 have attended. So Smith-Beatty offered some advice to the Sarasota chapter of the DAV.
“If you only get 15 people, then be happy because you’re reaching that 15 people,” Smith-Beatty said.
You can listen to the story on WUSF 89.7 FM Public Radio.
The hashtag – #VetQ – will identify the question and allow the VA and partner organizations to answer it and promote their services. The idea is that more than one of the veteran service organizations will answer questions giving veterans a range of possible answers for their individual needs.
“I am excited at the prospect of using social networking to educate veterans, dependents, and caregivers on VA benefits,” Sherman Gillums, Jr., associate executive director of veterans benefits for Paralyzed Veterans of America, stated in the VA blog. “The #VetQ initiative will provide a dynamic forum to engage stakeholders in real time, which will help VA deliver timelier services. Additionally, it gives veterans service organizations like Paralyzed Veterans of America an opportunity to partner with VA in the effort to close transition gaps for Post-9/11 service members and their families.”
The VA digital team said over time, common questions and answers will likely be categorized on a frequently asked questions page.
The other VSOs collaborating on #VetQ are Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, the Home Depot Foundation, Student Veterans of America, Team Red, White & Blue, and the American Legion.
The cellist kicks off the concert by the U.S. Air Force Band Holiday Flash Mob at the National Air and Space Museum.
Okay, I’ll be the first to admit the “Bah! Humbug!” came out in me when I saw my first Christmas decorations at a retail store two weeks before Halloween. It’s kind of hard to “get in the spirit” when that “holidays” are commercially “in your face” for months at a time.
But, my joy of the season is restored thanks to the U.S. Air Force Band.
I wasn’t there for their Holiday Flash Mob concert at the National Air and Space Museum. Luckily, someone shot a video and put it on You Tube.
It’s worth the six minutes to watch. especially if you’re a little jaded by all the “holiday shopping” messages over the Thanksgiving Day weekend.
I can’t think of a better present to share than the joy of music. And I will admit, the fact that the Flash Mob started with a cello (my favorite instrument) certainly added to my new found happiness. Yet, what is truly mesmerizing are the photos of the children’s faces and even the adults as they watch the concert unfold. Give it a watch.
There’s still time to vote in the 2013 American Humane Association’s annual “Hero Dog” competition.
I confess. I have a bias in the military dog category for Honza “Bear.” I fell in love with Honza and his story the first time I read about him on Kevin Hanrahan’s blog which was long before the Labrador was up for this award.
If you need incentive, know that Honza completed over 250 combat missions in Afghanistan with 14 confirmed finds of explosives weighing over 400lbs.He is credited with saving the life of his handler and many others numerous times. But, Honza didn’t stop there. If he wasn’t taking the lead on combat missions, he was visiting wounded troops and lifting morale among all the soldiers.
Moments after receiving the Bronze Star, SGT Nolan knelt down and pinned the medal on Honza.
If you need some convincing, here’s what Hanrahan wrote after having lunch with Honza’s handler, SGT Nolan:
U.S. Army Sergeant John Nolan told me a great story. When he received his bronze star right before redeploying from Afghanistan he ripped it off his own chest and placed it on his military working dog, Specialized Search Dog Honza “Bear”.
He told me that Honza Bear had done all the work, he’s the one that found all those Improvised Explosives…….Honza Bear is the reason John Nolan and many of the Green Beret Team members are alive today.
Since military working dogs cannot receive military awards, Hanrahan and Nolan hope Honza Bear will receive the American Humane Society Hero Dog Award.
Transitioning into civilian life and a civilian career can require some major changes for military members.
Some are connecting to new jobs and career opportunities in the civilian world through LinkedIn, an online social media used primarily by professionals and business people.
“Wow!” was Julie McAdoo’s reaction when she first learned about LinkedIn at a South Tampa Chamber of Commerce presentation.
“LinkedIn is a very smart way to figure out who it is you need to talk to and what you can offer them versus walking into a room cold to a sea of faces you don’t know,” McAdoo said. Continue reading →
Moments after receiving the Bronze Star, SGT Nolan knelt down and pinned the medal on Honza.
Military dog advocate and author Kevin Hanrahan has shared his military dog of the week photos and blog entries with Off the Base readers. Now, he’s asking for your help.
He’s campaigning to make Specialized Search Dog (SSD) Honza – affectionally known as Honza “Bear” – the American Humane Society Hero Dog for 2013. To do that, he needs your support and that of your friends, family and followers on Facebook and Twitter.
One of the photos from SSD Honza’s Facebook page campaigning to make him the Hero Dog for 2013.
If you need convincing, here’s the lowdown on SSD Honza.
The yellow lab recently completed his first deployment to Afghanistan. While deployed, SSD Honza located 14 Improvised Explosive Devices weighing more than 400lbs.
Honza and SGT Nolan led over 250 combat patrols ensuring the safety of countless American and Coalition Troops following in his paw prints.
He has saved the lives of countless service members.
Hanrahan writes that he recently had lunch with Honza’s handler:
U.S. Army Sergeant John Nolan told me a great story. When he received his bronze star right before redeploying from Afghanistan he ripped it off his own chest and placed it on his military working dog, Specialized Search Dog Honza “Bear”.
He told me that Honza Bear had done all the work, he’s the one that found all those Improvised Explosives…….Honza Bear is the reason John Nolan and many of the Green Beret Team members are alive today.
Since military working dogs cannot receive military awards, Hanrahan and Nolan hope Honza Bear will receive the American Humane Society Hero Dog Award.
Here’s how you can help. You can support Honza by going to his Facebook Page and “Liking” the page. SGT John Nolan is going to post updates on Honza Bear as much as he can on this page.
Can you really turn down a face like the one below?
Sgt. Thomas James Brennan from the First Battallion Eighth Marines Alpha (Photo courtesy of the Dart Center)
It’s awards’ season and stories from a Marine recovering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) suffered while in Afghanistan and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have earned an Honorable Mention Dart Award from the Dart Center for Journalism.
Congratulations to writer Thomas James Brennan and James Dao, editor, for their work on the New York Times At War Blog:
Driving home, I am greeted by the sun as it sets across the farmland. I park my truck and then open the door to my house. Unbuttoning my uniform and slowly taking it off, the facade I wore all day fades away and relief washes over me. “Daddy, Daddy, you’re home!” my daughter yells. Most parents feel a sensation of happiness when greeted by their children. At this moment I am sad, empty. I give her a hug, but she feels far away. I lie on the couch, feeling lost.
There are 1.7 million Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, and at least a third of them suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, or P.T.S.D., according to the National Center for P.T.S.D.
I am one of them.
The award noted that Brennan offers a uniquely personal and clear-eyed account of military culture and life as a veteran.
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