AROUND TOWN: Home Front Care's military salute

It was a script Hollywood could never have dreamed up. On a day when the president announced that all troops are coming home from Iraq and just minutes after Fort Carson’s commanding general David Perkins and his 4th ID troops touched down from deployment, almost 800 people were at The Broadmoor for the seventh annual The Home Front Cares “For the Love of the Troops” to raise funds for the hometown effort to help the families of deployed troops. And as the group's officers said, THFC doesn't let that support stop when the troops come home.

Year after year the community is there, “the epitome of support for the military,” said The Home Front Cares co-founder Bob Carlone.

It was also an opportunity to meet and hear retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey, former director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and internationally known head of his own consulting firm. He is a national security and terrorism analyst for NBC News. McCaffrey visited privately with a group of Purple Heart wounded troops and their families.

As with most THFC events, the highlights on Oct. 21 never stopped. It was Dennis McCormack receiving the President’s Award from the group president, retired Lt. Gen. Ed Anderson, and CW Conner being named winner of the Hero Award. Conner, a Navy vet, founded LifeQuest Transitions, military transitional solutions for more than 1,200 wounded, ill and injured soldiers, offering "functional fitness and holistic lifestyle solutions." Collaborating with The Home Front Cares it "has become a complete military transitional organization to also include future soldier and re-integration programs," said the award.

 Another highlight: supremely confident 7-year-old JD Malken singing the national anthem.

There were standing ovations and encores for “In the Stairwell,” a talented and energetic group of singers from the Air Force Academy who do all their practicing in, yes, the stairwell. Members of the audience asked if there's a CD in the works. Started in 2004 by AFA freshmen, the group now holds auditions for the wing and consists of 14 cadets "and the occasional graduated second lieutenant." They perform at generals' dinner parties and a few outside performances and practice for two hours each week - in the stairwell.

A touching highlight was a salute to uniformed veterans from every war and conflict, World War II through Iraq/Afghanistan.

Joining The Gazette for the special evening were readers Pam Aldrich-Clemens and Sgt. 1st Class Jason Clemens, who has a patriotic website, YourPatriotism.com; and Kim and Eric Shaffer, whose fathers had served in the military.

Online: thehomefrontcares.org
More photos: gazettephoto.mycapture.com