For those who constantly gripe about jobs being sent overseas, focus your anger on this. Read about how one of the most profitable companies prided by American citizens offshores the vast majority of its labor & is doing it unethically (no surprise to me). Might make you want to reconsider shelling out your hard-earned $$s for that new Apple product.

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/01/13/apple-factory-inspections-turn-up-scores-of-labor-violations/

An article of mine regarding the role of the Individual Augmentee in the military has been published on Blogging Authors. Read the article at:

http://bloggingauthors.com/blogging_authors/2012/1/12/the-lone-individual-augmentee.html

The
Lone Individual Augmentee

            At approximately the tender age of six, I remember sitting around the dinner table (when I only had two other siblings instead of four—my older brother and younger sister), and having my father tell us which colleges we would apply to and attend later in life.  I had set my sights on the University of Chicago, but being the daughter of a U.S. Army Officer, he had chosen for me to graduate from a prestigious U.S. service academy like West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, or the U.S. Air Force Academy.  In my little girl voice, I remember asking him what the chances were of being sent overseas to a war zone.  His reply was that I had nothing to worry about.  His belief, like many others during that period in time, was that Air Force members got cushy jobs in non-hazardous duty locations like Qatar.

Fast forward a couple of decades.  I graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy, became a U.S. Air Force Communications and Information Systems Officer, and married a fellow U.S Air Force Officer.  During my first assignment, our country was still heavily involved in sending troops to Afghanistan and Iraq.  As second lieutenants, my husband and I were both told that “Second Lieutenants never deploy.”  As a military member, I understood that if I was called upon to serve overseas, then it was my duty, and I would willing go wherever I was sent.  But never in my wildest dreams did I think it would happen the way it did.

In order for members of the Air Force to have some predictability and structure so that they can better plan for deployments and the training that accompanies it, they have Air and Space Expeditionary Force (AEF) rotations—actually it’s called something different now, but basically the same concept.  My large unit was given two rotations.  This meant that at least half of the military members in my unit were deployed during most of the year to various locations.  Also, my unit deployed its members as Individual Augmentees, as opposed to deploying the unit as a whole.  Individual Augmentees are assigned to single positions in TAD/TDY (Temporary Duty Assignment) locations as they are requested, especially when those positions require a special skill set.  I became one of these people.

It is common practice to notify military members well in advance of when they will be tasked with a specific deployment.  However, this is not always the case.  Even with AEF rotations, there may be required training that must take place several months in advance.  However, as a military member, you understand that you can be tasked to leave at a moment’s notice.  I was given three days.  Three days to get my finances, uniforms, and other gear in order, qualify with my assigned weapon, get my replacement up-to-speed, finish a final for my MBA program, and say goodbye to my new husband who had only recently moved duty locations to be with me.  Then I left on an airplane to Baghdad, Iraq—by myself.

Both my husband and a member of my unit’s Mobility Office were at the airport, but that was it.  My family wasn’t there, as they lived in a completely different state far away from my permanent station, I wasn’t in uniform, so no one at the airport had any idea I was about to go risk my life in a foreign country, and I didn’t have the camaraderie that goes along with deploying with the entire unit.

After six months of learning a completely new job, incoming mortar and rocket attack sirens, and my first wedding anniversary spent without my husband, I returned home.  It was very much like my departure, with the exception being the time of day (it was around midnight), my husband, a few friends, and members from my unit were at the airport when I arrived, and I was grimy after not having the opportunity to shower in two days.  As many would imagine upon the return of a military member, I wasn’t greeted by masses of people with signs, cameras, and smiles.  But I was thankful for the people who were there, especially my wonderful husband.  Most importantly, I wasn’t coming home in a casket.

I write this article, because there are many military members out there who are alone, deploying as Individual Augmentees.  Many of these brave soldiers, seamen, and airmen aren’t as lucky as I was during my deployment.  They don’t have family and friends there when they leave; they deploy to strange locations with people they have never seen or worked alongside; they are asked to willingly do things that the average Joe would utterly refuse to do and only have nightmares about; they miss birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, and their baby’s first words and steps; and they don’t always return home in one piece.  Please keep this in mind when considering the sacrifices our military members make on a daily basis.  Many of these military members do it alone, without blinking an eye, and because they do it alone, they’re easily forgotten.

Virginia Frazier graduated with a B.S. in Biology from the U.S. Air Force Academy and an MBA from the University of West Florida, and is an author, OIF veteran, military wife, and mother of two young boys.  Her novels include the Iron Sights series (Dance for Me and Dance for Revenge) and the teen novel, Wavering. http://www.virginiafrazier.webs.com/

Hey everyone,

Another article of mine is the article of the day on Blogging Authors!  This one is in reference to accountability.  It will be the main article for 24-hours, but remain a permalink at this website:
http://bloggingauthors.com/blogging_authors/2011/12/3/be-held-accountable-or-falter.html

Enjoy reading and have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Virginia

Be
Held Accountable, Or Falter

Recently, someone very close to me (who I will name Anne for sake of preserving her privacy) began her freshmen year of college at a top-ranked university, only to realize several months later, when faced with harassment, invasion of privacy, defamation of character, and death threats by other students, the college’s leadership did not uphold what they claim are their “principles of ethical conduct.”

Anne was accepted into the University of her first choice as a pre-med student, has excelled academically, and has become a member of their thespian club.  Since Anne’s family lives only a few short hours from the school, she frequently spends her weekends away from the dorm.  One night, after she was cast in a play, Anne was searching a social networking site on the internet for photos of her
performance, only to find herself utterly shocked and appalled that her three roommates had not only uploaded a picture of a man they dared to sleep naked in her bed while she was gone visiting family, but they also uploaded pictures of themselves rummaging through her personal belongings- bras, briefs, etc.  You name it, they took a picture of it.  If not invading her privacy was bad enough, the girls had made several pages’ worth of defamatory comments that spanned since the beginning of the school year.  The comments were so crude, tears were brought to my eyes.  Then, she was threatened to “sleep with one eye open,” and “we may just end up killing [Anne] after tonight.”

After viewing the document Anne saved as proof of this behavior, I told her to immediately contact her dorm’s Resident Advisor (RA) because I feared for her safety.  Both the RA and the director of the dorm hall immediately moved Anne from her room, but they also directed her to speak with the Dean.  They, too, were worried about her safety.  However, unlike the RA and dorm director, the Dean appeared as if his hands were tied.  After viewing the documents Anne presented to him, he told her there was nothing he could do.  One would think that with some of the ruthless murders at colleges around the country, such as those committed at the University of Arizona, Virginia Tech, and Northern Illinois University, he would’ve taken some punitive action against Anne’s three roommates, but instead he told her that nothing they did violated their principles of ethical conduct.  Stricken with dismay, I had to ask Anne to repeat herself.  So why did nothing happen to these three college students?  My best guess includes the words “legacy” and “money.”

Having been raised in a Catholic, military family, graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy, and formerly employed as an Officer of the active duty U.S. Air Force, I’ve been taught that without honor, you have nothing.  The U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Air
Force expects its members to internalize three core values:  integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all facets of life.  Violation of one of these core values isn’t taken lightly, and punitive action is most certainly implemented.

Many universities prize and uphold values like those core values of the Air Force, but sometimes position and financial matters cloud the leaderships’ better judgment at other colleges and universities.  Quite often citizens of this great country argue that our country is doomed to fail once placed in the hands of my generation and Anne’s generation.  However, people must look at themselves.  Are we holding people accountable?  If today’s leaders turn a blind eye and do not hold its people accountable for their actions, such as those committed by Anne’s roommates, then how can we blame them when they continue to make mistakes?  What will happen to our country if its future leaders have not been taught to internalize values similar to those expected by the U.S. service members?

Virginia Frazier graduated with a B.S. in Biology from the U.S. Air Force Academy and an MBA from the University of West Florida, and is an author, OIF veteran, military wife, and mother of two young boys. Her novels include the Iron Sights series and Wavering.
http://www.virginiafrazier.webs.com/

Alright, now I recently posted information about the first book to Iron Sights (which was released about a year ago), but the sequel was just recently released, and is titled, “Dance for Revenge.”  If you’ve read the first, you’re certain to read this one.  As usual, if you have any questions about why I wrote it, or any questions in general, please don’t hesitate to ask.  I’m actually pretty approachable:)  Thanks for reading!

After barely surviving her last mission, Victoria Schmitt is back with a vengeance and remains dead set on protecting her father by continuing to embrace unimaginable danger. As an agent for the Covert Intelligence Security Operatives (CISO)—an ultra top secret organization tasked with eliminating high profile human targets who interfere with national interests—Victoria will finally come face-to-face with One Shot, the mysterious and callous head of CISO who’s responsible for her continued moral demise. This encounter leads to a new mission in which Victoria finds herself highly motivated to exact revenge on the leader of the Carlucci crime syndicate whose nephew brutally raped her in college. Victoria’s ability to focus on the mission is further complicated by dramatic changes in her personal life and the arrival of a former nemesis that is now competing for glory within CISO. Her new found desire to maintain her status as an assassin and overwhelming lust for blood takes Victoria to the edge. If she’s not careful, Victoria’s passions could lead to her own destruction….

Although I have a blog with a link to information regarding writing and publishing, but I never actually blogged about my published books.  So, I will create a separate post for each of them.  Here’s a short about the first book in my “romantic” suspense series, Iron Sights, “Dance for Me”.  If you have any questions about why I wrote it, or anything in general (especially if you’ve read it), I’d be glad to  answer your questions.

Victoria thinks she has it all—beauty, intelligence, and loving parents who equipped her with the tools necessary to make it in life—until a series of painful events turn her life upside down, making her an easy target for a covert government agency that has been searching for someone with her special skills.

The Air Force Academy graduate separates from the military and returns home to Chicago, only to be blackmailed into accepting a job with life-altering consequences—on the table: her father’s freedom and reputation in exchange for her services as a contract killer.  Only her proficiency with weapons and uncanny survival instincts will be enough to overcome the perilous missions that lie ahead.  It is with her spotter, Marcello Ferrari—former Navy SEAL, Italian heartthrob, and the man whom she entrusts with her life—that she must assassinate a series of high profile and increasingly dangerous marks, before her cover as a professional dancer is blown and the safety of her family and friends are threatened.  As if her perilous new career and the associated psychological strain weren’t enough, Victoria will have to fight for love, and ultimately discover she herself has become the target of a relentless psychopath.

Although I have a blog with a link to information regarding writing and publishing, but I never actually blogged about my published books.  So, I will create a separate post for each of them.  Here’s a short about my young adult suspense, Wavering.  If you have any questions about why I wrote it, or anything in general (especially if you’ve read it), I’d be glad to  answer your questions.

After Joy’s father dies of an unexpected heart attack, she and her mother move to the small town of Wavering in hopes of regaining a relationship with the grandparents who disowned her mother years ago.  However, shortly after they arrive, she discovers her grandparents aren’t exactly idyllic, she meets a handsome stranger who gives her the creeps, and the town has been ripped by a murder.  Joy soon finds herself drawn to a mysterious boy from school and terrorized by a psychopath.  Only the young girl’s instincts can save her from a fate worse than death.

I know I’m a little late commenting on this article I came across, but late is better than never, right?  So, earlier this month I came across an article in CNN about how even in this dire economy, the Olsen Twins’ alligator backpack that sells for $39,000 (yes, you are reading it correctly…Thirty-nine THOUSAND), is sold out.  In matter of fact, it is so popular, they are having trouble meeting demands.  Now, I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time even considering shelling out that much for a car.  But to spend it on an accessory, sounds a little crazy to me.  Then again, if some people have that much to carelessly spend on a useless item, they have the right to do so.

So why do I gripe?  Because you have people in this country who are fed the belief that the rich are being sacrificed for the poor.  They made that money, so why should they have to give a little extra?  They made the money ALL ON THEIR OWN, so why should they sacrifice let’s say a few extra thousand that they won’t now be spending on a party for their sixteen-year-old or a pair of shoes?  Politicians (i.e., rich or those that the rich support)  in this country actually have the poor and middle class believing that no, they shouldn’t get a little tax break in order to lessen the burden on their family.  They tell the poor and middle class that they need to keep ALL their money because they are the people who invest.  They are the ones who stimulate the economy?  Really?  Because if anything, the middle class seem to do just fine stimulating the economy with things they actually need to live a somewhat comfortable (not so lavish) lifestyle, or to simply put food on the table and clothes on their bodies.  Also, who says the middle class don’t invest?

Some people sacrifice their lives for our country, so why is it so difficult to tell someone who really does have so much money they can afford, um, a $39,000 backpack, that we might just be increasing their taxes a little to help pay for things that our country needs like education, healthcare, adequate, safe infrastructure, etc. (um, the war that we are in debt over?).

Check it out for yourself…

http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/06/39000-olsen-twins-backpack-sells-out/

I’ve always been a major proponent of physical fitness, thanks to my former ballerina, cross country running, and military days, so it pains me when a little thing called tendonitis flares up.  I used to have problems with tendonitis while running cross country in high school, as five to eight miles a day puts a lot of wear and tear on the tendons, but back then it was mostly located in my hip.  While at the Air Force Academy, my knees also began giving me problems.  However, back then, my pain would be gone by the third or fourth day.

During my outprocessing appointment before separating from the military, I remember a doctor asking me if my husband realized that his wife was “broken.”  I laughed off his somewhat inappropriate comment, but since turning thirty, I swear I have begun to feel like my body is falling apart.  Sometimes I wonder if it is just me, but lately after running, my knees and feet kill me with every step I take.

It’s funny how as I’ve aged, I feel like I’ve learned about what makes me appear more attractive.  With this knowledge, I have felt more confident about my appearance.  No longer do I have a mother deciding what clothes and short hairstyle look best on me, and I’ve realized that the flat iron can work wonders.  However, now I need to learn how to avoid my joints from giving out on me.  There’s nothing less attractive than me whining to my husband about my aches and pains.  No matter what age, THAT will make anyone look and feel old.

I can’t say I’ve ever suffered from being addicted to any serious vices-or what many would consider as vices-but I do love my daily dose(s) of caffeine.  After my freshman year of college, when I was actually allowed to go to the coffee shop in Fairchild Hall, I spent what little money I had on fancy coffee.  While in the military, when I was working long hours and then driving an hour and a half out for nightly Master’s courses, I’d take a couple of quick trips over to the BX for venti-sized Starbucks.  Now that I have the privilege of being a mother and writer, I make my own-unless I’m out and about.  My coffee maker is great, but I recently broke out and dusted off an espresso machine my husband and I received as a wedding gift.  Never had the counter space to leave it out, so I left it sitting in the pantry.  After reading about the different things I could make with it, I finally made my first espresso.  Then, I tried something different and made a foamy latte.  They both turned out better than I’d expected for my first time, but the aftertaste just wasn’t right.  No, in matter of fact, the aftertaste from the cheap ground espresso my husband bought tasted like I just smoked a cig.  Not good.  The scent lingering in my home wasn’t the greatest either.  Looks like I’ll have to venture out and buy some better stuff, because it’s kind of nice having the luxury of  making my own, instead of spending $$$ to have someone else do it.  Plus, I might just be saving myself some calories in the process.