It's that time of year again, and Soldiers' Angels is fundraising for Project Valour IT, and I'll be helping - again. The goal is to raise $15,000 dollars (team Army's goal) and to - SHOCKINGLY! - beat the teams from the other services.

And I'm going to ask every other day for money from you folks, like I always do.

But here's a small story that might make it feel a little more relevant to each of us. This afternoon, I'm headed up to Pasadena and the home of one of the guys working on one of the projects I'm heading up. He just moved into his new house, and wile doing some homeowner fiddling, managed to shove his right arm through a window, cutting two tendons, an artery, and a nerve.

He had surgery Monday, and won't have use of the arm for a while. Because of Valor-IT, I suggested that he get Dragon Naturally Speaking and a good headset; he did and he spent yesterday working on documents for a contract we're trying to close on Monday.

He was wildly enthusiastic about using it, and so relieved that he could function with his arm in bandages and a sling.

This is happening in the comfort of his own home, supported by his wife, and secure that he'll heal and all will be OK.

Now transport him to Walter Reed; he's just been flown ten thousand miles (no frequent flyer points!), he's alone - isolated form his buddies, and probably from his family - and suddenly he can communicate, because someone gave him the use of a laptop that he could run while his hands and arms heal.

I've watched Chuck Z tear up as he explains what it meant to him to be able to connect and communicate without a nurse dialing for him and holding the phone to his ear.

So skip a few lunches, drink office coffee instead of Starbucks, and toss a few bucks into Team Army's Valour IT account. It's all for a massively good cause.

And if you know someone in Congress, get them to think about appropriating a few bucks to make this whole exercise unnecessary.


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