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AUSA Fairfax-Lee Chapter is pleased to announce it’s scholarship program for 2010!  Go to this page to learn more about the program and apply.  Last year’s awards ranged from $500 to $2000. All applications must be postmarked prior to 23 April 2010.

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Mark your calendars now for the Fairfax-Lee Chapter’s annual golf tournament!  We’ve booked the Fort Belvoir golf course for 14 May 2010 and we are now taking reservations!    Aside from playing on this great course, there are also many opportunities for corporate and individual sponsorships available to our membership.  This event is our primary fundraiser allowing us to support wounded warriors, provide thousands in academic scholarships, and support soldiers, DA civilians and their families in many other ways. For more details and on-line sign-up, go here now!

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BuildASign.com™ has re-launched its banner giveaway to help 20,000 more Americans show their support for the US armed forces. With this donation, BuildASign.com™ will provide military families all over the country with personalized banners for their homecoming and holiday celebrations while encouraging businesses to create banners that show their support for our troops.

BuildASign.com™ is also giving away jumbo holiday cards to families whose service members won't be home in time for the holidays. These families can send personalized jumbo holiday cards to loved ones overseas for less than the cost of shipping a banner. Both free banners and free jumbo cards are available to everyone at www.BuildASign.com/Troops.

According to Andy Knopp, Sr.. Operations Manager, "We received such an amazing response from our original banner giveaway in July that we had to find a way to re-launch the campaign. Now, after making some capital improvements to our production process, we’re ready to give away twice as many banners as before. We're also giving away jumbo holiday cards that families can more easily ship to their loved ones overseas."

All products offered at www.BuildASign.com/Troops are 100% customizable. Users can simply choose from one of the 12 designs on the page, personalize their banner or jumbo card using BuildASign.com™'s proprietary online designer, and checkout securely.

Through the landing page, military families and friends can also enjoy heavy discounts on many of BuildASign.com™'s popular holiday gift products like magnetic bumper stickers, custom parking signs and personalized license plates. The offer is limited to one free product per order and does not include the cost of shipping. This donation cannot be combined with any of BuildASign.com™'s other promotional offers and will end when all 20,000 banners have been given away.

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AUSA is pleased to announce that it has entered into a partnership with Government Vacation Rewards to offer AUSA members discounts on cruises, partner resorts and trusted tour providers. If you are a member, log onto the members only site, click on benefits and services and then click on Government Vacation Rewards. If you are not a member, join today. The savings on your next vacation will pay your membership dues for years to come.

Current Members:>>Log in to the Members Only section for more information on these services.

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SANTA MAKES EARLY STOP AT FORT BELVOIR WTU
Santa Claus took time out from his busy December OPTEMPO schedule to spend an evening recently at Fort Bevoir, passing out gifts to 70 children and meeting with a number of the soldiers and their families during from the Warrior Transition Unit during a Christmas Party sponsored by the AUSA Fairfax-Lee Chapter.   Thanks to unprecedented support from corporate and individual members, Santa was also able to distribute gift cards to each WTU Member family,  provide a multi-course buffet dinner at the Fort Belvoir Club, and distribute a large number of door prizes including a 42” TV which was taken home by CW2 Walter Fretwell.

Aside from the senior dignitary from Northern-most USNORTHCOM, other dignitaries present included COL Jerry Blixt, and CSM Berhane, Garrison Commander and CSM respectively, COL Chuck Callahan, Hospital Commander, CSM Mark Dennis and CPT E. Travonte Moten, Commander, Warrior Transition Unit.

The recent party marked the third occurrence for this outstanding event which began in 2007 with fewer than 50 people present – compared with over 241 warriors and family members this year, according to Rick Morris, chapter VP who served as chairman for the event.  Morris was supported by the entire AUSA Fairfax-Lee  team who worked in the background, securing facilities, prizes, set-up, decorations, clean-up, and the many other details required to successfully manage and execute an operation of this magnitude. Photographic coverage of the event is available in our photogallery.

More on the WTU program can be found at http://www.army.mil/info/organization/offices/eoh/wtc/

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Overstock.com has launched a partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project, which raises awareness, enlists public aid and provides programs to meet the needs of severely injured service members and their caregivers. Every dollar counts. Overstock.com aims to collect $30,000 during the eleven days leading up to Veteran's Day. 83 cents of every dollar donated to Wounded Warrior Project goes to provide services and programs to wounded warriors and their families. You can contribute by patronizing Overstock.com and clicking on the $1 donation button when you checkout with your order. Learn more about Wounded Warrior Project at www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

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LTG Jeffrey Sorenson, U.S. Army CIO/G-6 was the guest speaker at the Fairfax-Lee Chapter's annual Corporate Member Appreciation Luncheon held on 25 Sept 2009 at the Springfield Hilton Hotel. Nearly 100 members and guests attended the event. LTG Sorenson spoke directly to ever-increasing Warfighter needs, the Army Enterprise Strategy, the complexities of the Global Network Enterprise Construct, ARCYBER -- and his vision for meeting these challenges. Generous with his time, Sorenson answered a number of audience questions. A copy of his presentation is available here and photographs from the event are available in our photogallery.

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The Fairfax-Lee Chapter was honored to sponsor the Army National Guard Readiness Center Enlisted Family Day which was on 17 July 2009 at Anderson Park, near Davidson Army Airfield. The Center expressed their appreciation by presenting a certificate to the Chapter. Shown here are (left to right) SGM John Edwards, COL Stanley Crow, AUS (Ret.) representing Fairfax-Lee Chapter, and MSG Manuel Almanza.

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AUSA Fairfax-Lee Chapter's annual Scholarship Luncheon was held on 30 June 2009 at Fort Belvoir. Over 130 people attended, including at least 60 soldiers from various units on Fort Belvoir. PM Soldier Equipment - COL John J. McGuiness, addressed the audience on work on-going within PEO Soldier and assisted Chapter President Mark Wise and Vice President Dave Barber hand out scholarship checks to 15 proud students and parents. The chapter distributed over $18,000 in scholarships to area scholars, among them soldiers and AUSA family members. Photographs from this event are available in our photogallery.

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The AUSA Fairfax Lee Chapter 2009 Golf Tournament was a great success! The chapter raised a sufficient amount of money to provide for continued support for student scholarships, the Ft. Belvoir Warrior Transition Unit, and numerous other activities supporting soldiers and soldier-families in the National Capital Region. Given the significant growth at the Fort Belvoir WTU, this year's tournament was of even greater significance to the chapter. Photographic coverage of this event is available in our photogallery.

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