Project Valour-IT: MEGEN Revisited

While our erstwhile Scribe (nee’ Bossman, slave-driver extraordinaire, chump, etc.) is doing his best to relive his (misspent) youth this weekend – and will probably require copious amounts of BenGay ™ and Tylenol afterwards (snicker), his apprentices have been unchained from their ink-stained benches and allowed to post in his absence.  Right.  So, he asked that we post something from one of the previous Valour-IT challenges and it occured to us that after Team Navy had taken MEGEN on quite a tour of the US in ’07, that after losing to (hack, spit) the green team we haven’t heard hide nor hair of MEGEN, so hey guys – where the h3ll is MEGEN and what have you done with (to?) it?…SJS’s Ink-Stained Wretches (aka Apprentices)

(2007 Valour-IT Post follows)

Team NAVY and MEGEN

While donations are taken year ’round, there is an annual fund raiser (two years old now) that runs from Halloween to Veteran’s Day (11 Nov). During this period teams of bloggers, formed along Service affiliation lines, compete with one another to drive fundraising efforts. Last year four teams sought to be the first to meet their goal of $45,000 – Team Navy was first across the line a few days before the competition was over and turned our efforts over to help the Marines’ team. In all, three of 4 teams exceeded their goal and over $200,000 raised in that very short timeframe.

As the first over the line, Team Navy was declared winner and hence, became the first possessor of MEGEN (Most Excellent GoldEn Notebook)
In preparation for defending our position (and to challenge other teams in the coming year) we are running MEGEN around the country getting pictures of it in any manner of Navy/sea-themed locale and/or with people of note (Service or VALOUR-IT connected).

Also hoping that in the process, general awareness of and support for VALOUR-IT will be increased.

What’s VALOUR-IT?

VALOUR-IT (Voice Activated Laptops for OUR Injured Troops)

What: Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, provides voice-controlled software and laptop computers to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand and arm injuries or amputations at major military medical centers. Operating laptops by speaking into a microphone, our wounded heroes are able to send and receive messages from friends and loved ones, surf the ‘Net, and communicate with buddies still in the field without having to press a key or move a mouse. The experience of CPT Charles “Chuck” Ziegenfuss, a partner in the project who suffered hand wounds while serving in Iraq, illustrates how important this voice-controlled software can be to a wounded servicemember’s recovery.

So where’d MEGEN go with the Scribe household? Thought you’d never ask…

From Milepost 0 in Washington DC:

To Bath Maine:

And New London, CT

..and back to Occupied Territory and our own 9/11 Memorial. From thence it has winged its way north for the next MEGEN escort in/around NYC about the time of remembering the 6th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Hopefully we’ll ge a few more from the heartland and Left Coast before the competion starts.

Other waypoints for MEGEN: Pinch has hosted; As has Fearless Leader and others.