A Shout Out To The Quiet Heroes: Working so hard, it's time for another giveaway....

No books this time, but instead to celebrate all our hard work, dedication and general need for looniness, I'm having a giveaway on my blog. The reason for this is something I've observed for a very long time.

It's no secret the PR Team for the movie Restrepo asked me to help out a bit. I've also given away a few books. My role in this machine is pretty small. The PR machine is like an Assault Breacher Vehicle, only for film. For weeks, I've been phoning and writing to small organizations that support our both active duty and veterans to tell them about WAR and Restrepo. So many work tirelessly for free, to bring meaningful services to those who fight the wars or have fought them. They ask for nothing, and yet they do so much. And you know what else? No matter what else they've got going on, no matter how we might differ in politics, faith, or how we live, everything is dropped for the troops or veterans. These things are pushed aside in favor of a nice word, a handshake, supplies or even donations. This coming together is pretty incredible in a nation so divided and all too willing to harbor suspicions against one another.

People like Bob Calvert, who runs Talking With Heroes. Bob lives on a small shoestring and works very hard to raise funds so he can embed with the troops to places like Afghanistan and Iraq. The reason? He wants to make sure they have a chance to tell their story. If the troops ask him to come, he tries to get there. Right now he's trying to get to Kosovo in July.

There's also the incredible Leta Carruth. While constantly swatting away attention, Leta has raised funds for the 173rd ABN to send wounded warriors back to Italy from Walter Reed when their Battalion comes back from Afghanistan. She's been an incredible friend to many. She was even on hand at the Little Rock Film Festival to watch Restrepo and also witness Misha Pemble-Belkin and COL Ostlund accept the award for Best Documentary, pictured at left. (By the way, Misha has offered to wrestle Sebastian and Tim for the trophy).

You should also know about Mary Ann Phillips, who works behind the scenes at Landstuhl hospital for Soldier's Angels Germany. Mary Ann soothes, holds hands, comforts family members, and keeps the stockroom supplied with practical items for the wounded warriors medevac'd from Iraq and Afghanistan.

And who can forget the team at Fab Lab, a group of MIT graduate students that includes Keith Berkoben and Amy Sun, who work tirelessly traveling to dangerous hot spots to bring computer technology courses and WiFi to places like Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Haiti, and more.

Liberal, conservative --the troop supporter doesn't really care when it's the soldier in the combat zone or in the hospital. This is just a bit of the AWESOMENESS supporting the efforts. They manage to put aside politics and a whole host of other issues that could divide, to work for the common good of all those who serve. So to celebrate everyone's hard work, and to give us all a break, Ranger Up has agreed to give away a t-shirt, if you suffer ahemm..... watch, their funny workout video. (Really, I mean... just really.)