NEW - FRG NightHawk Relay to Iraq
A group of creative HHC families has started a new program to show support for our deployed soldiers while at the same time encouraging family health & fitness. The NightHawk Relay to Iraq blog will track our families and supporters as we attempt the goal of traveling the 6,450 miles between Indiana and Iraq by counting the miles each of us walks, runs, bikes, swims, etc during the deployment. We hope each of you will make an effort to set aside fun family time for exercise and be a part of our successfully reaching this goal.   Please Note: You must be registered to post your miles on this Web site and only comments related to the relay will be permitted. To request site privileges, please email rachel@hhc76brigadefrg.org.

FRG Meetings & Activities
Summer FRG Family Activity:  Held at Bouncertown on June 29th, this event offered a fun environment for family members of all ages to make new friends.  While the kids played, the adults gathered to discuss a range of questions related to the deployment and to share positive experiences each of us has had in the past six months. We are grateful for the continued support of our Chaplain Tim Childress for attending the meeting and for sharing some inspirational thoughts on the topic of marriage and deployment.  The HHC FRG would also like to thank Commander CPT Fantozzi, 1SG Honeycutt and the owners of Bouncertown for helping to organize this event. With their support and financial contributions, the HHC FRG was able to offer free admission and refreshments to everyone who attended this activity.

Winter FRG Family Meeting: Held at a family friendly location in Greenwood Indiana on March 8th following the unit's departure from Ft. Stewart, FRG Leaders worked with families to plan ways we can work to support each other during the deployment and provided updates from command about conditions overseas. If you were not able to attend, you can still Download the Agenda which includes information discussed during the meeting.

Fall FRG Family Meeting:   Held at the Tyndall Armory (711 North Pennsylvania Avenue - See Map) on November 17th, Company and FRG leadership offered details on the deployment as well as updates on departure ceremonies in Indianapolis and at Ft. Stewart, GA. If you were not able to attend, you can still Download the Agenda which includes information discussed during the meeting.

Book Club - The Literary Brigade
Due to limited interest, we are temporarily suspending the Book Club.  If you have any specific questions or are interested in leading a future discussion, please contact bookclub@hhc76brigadefrg.org.

Previous Topics

• December:  Educator's Guide to the Military Child During Deployment (11 pages).   We wanted to continue the focus of October's book club discussion related to the impact of deployment on our children by reviewing the Educator's Guide to the Military Child During Deployment. This free booklet covers a range of topics including stress reactions and interventions for students in the classroom.

• October:  A Paper Hug (by Stephanie Skolmoski, 36 pages).  This children's book about deployment covers a range of situations from late-night calls to mail delays and is recommended by the Military Writers Society of America.  We hope reading it together stimulated discussion about how each of us is preparing the young people in our families for extended separation.

• August:  The Good Good Pig (by Sy Montgomery, 272 pages)  Thanks to everyone who joined us to participate in our first teleconference meeting to discuss the lessons a loveable pet pig taught a family and community.  If you missed the call,  you can still read the Discussion Questions.

Reading List Recommendations from Family Members:

The Alchemist (by Paulo Coelho) One of the best selling books of all time, the fable follows Santiago, a shepherd boy as he pursues his dream of a distant treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. (176 pages)

The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional & Personal Life (by Rosamund Stone Zander & Benjamin Zander) This is a lively sensible manual for turning obstacles into possibilities through a collection of illustrations that offer real suggestions for how to change your outlook on life. (224 pages)

Breakfast at Tiffany's (by Truman Capote) The story of former starlet Holly Golightly, who floats lightly through life provides an exciting look at how human beings connect with one another, with a harder edge than the movie. (192 pages)

The Golden Notebook (by Doris Lessing) Anna Wulf is a writer who keeps four notebooks, each a different color, each reflecting a different part of her.  By viewing her life from these different angles, going over her experiences, gauging her responses, and carefully probing her intertwined layers of consciousness, Anna eventually manages to unify her identify in one final 'golden' notebook.  (672 pages)