Equipped in the USA

It can be hard to buy products made in the USA today. Everything in the store seems to be made in China. Also products that are American made can be more expensive. But before you make your decision, it is worth checking out the domestic product to see if will actually be the best value in the long run. You might just find the the companies with the determination to keep production in the USA are going the extra mile to find quality materials and solid construction.

Training for the marathon and bike commuting through four seasons has worn through some equipment, so as I replace it, I do my best to buy USA made. Nearly every time I search, I am rewarded with the surprise of an American made product better than the alternative. Here are a few examples:

J&G Bicycle clothing, Oregon

http://www.bicycleclothing.com/

J&G makes quality specialized bicycle gear. They outfit policemen and are used to building products that have to stand up to abuse. I picked up an incredible rain jacket that I can wear on and off the bike. It has a breathable liner, and a waterproof shell. There are reflective cuffs and a tab to hang a light.

Wickers Long Underwear

http://www.wickers.com/

The boys and I needed long underwear for biking and bus stops, and cold days in the snow. A little research and we were surprised to find Wickers, USA made breathable, comfy, and toasty long underwear.

Their mission statement is a clear perspective on why it is so important to you and your neighbors to buy American

http://www.wickers.com/valueAdd.cfm?pageId=32

I am 100% satisfied with the product, and it makes me feel like I'm helping a tiny bit every time I wear them.

Soark Running Apparel, Kansas


http://www.soark.com/soark.shtml

Soark has been making running gear in the USA since 1986. They have been the official sponsors of the Boston and Columbus marathons. Their recent initiative for green manufacturing and recycling has reduced the volume of trash they produce to only two barrels each week. Their split side shorts brought back vivid memories of the 70's and Bruce Jenner, but I opted for a longer legged style to leave a little more to the imagination. They are lightweight, solidly built, and even have three back pockets for change, keys, energy gel and stuff.

New Balance

http://www.shopnewbalance.com/men/collections/usa-collection

Perhaps the biggest surprise of all was to find that New Balance is still making sneakers in the USA. They have 7 factories in the USA employing my fellow citizens, and every year they try to bring more and more of their production back from overseas. On their website they label which models are made in the USA or assembled in the USA. When it was time to commit for the marathon, it was time to get a pair of shoes that could stand up to the miles and I was able to design a pair made here.

There are lots of good reasons to buy Made in USA. I do it because I want jobs in the USA, I want our neighbors, in our community and all the communities around the US to have jobs. I'm not saying that we should buy an inferior product just to buy American, I'm saying look at the US made options available, you might just find they are a better value in the long run, for all of us.

Mourning the loss of LTC Loftis, USAF Pashtun expert killed in Afghanistan

I'm sharing a sad painful loss related to me by my friend Clark. A little over a month ago, LTC John Loftis was shot in his office in Kabul, Afghanistan. His death struck me deeply, for several reasons. We are just about the same age. In the video below, it was apparent to me what a calm, thoughtful, and dedicated individual he was, one who believes in his mission, but also in a respectful caring approach to others the way a professional should. He was one of the military's most skillful experts in the Pashto language, and Afghan culture. He worked as a public relations officer, and was working on reconstruction teams, side by side with the Afghan police. He left behind a wife and two daughters. He is our modern US military in its best sense, educated, effective, humanitarian, proactive, fearlessly responsible to mission. His death is a great loss to us as a nation and horribly so to his family.

This New York Times video illustrates the man so clearly:


http://video.nytimes.com/video/2012/03/23/opinion/100000001448607/call-me-ehsaan.html?emc=eta1

 (images from Together we served)

This war continues. Our neighbors are longing for their loved ones who are far from home. Remember.

Help me support Fisher House through the Marine Corps Marathon

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hi to all after a long break of not writing anything on this blog. No worries, life has been good. I have participated in some very interesting forums with discussions of war medicine, and have a few talks coming up in the near future. I've been lucky enough to be included as an author in an upcoming review of care delivered at the military hospitals in Afghanistan and Iraq. Along with these activities I have been hustling at my day job as a pediatric surgeon at Geisinger Medical Center, and had a recent three day period where I slept a handful of hours between 12 operations. All in all it is good to have a job!

I'm writing today to report that Meredith and I have taken leave of our senses and committed to run the Marine Corps Marathon this fall. Ah yes, what better way to while away four (or five, or six) hours of a beautiful day than constant knee and pavement pounding abuse! The last time I ran a marathon, we had recently fought the first gulf war, and I can assure you that the intervening years have not yielded more cartilage in my knees.

I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that Meredith and I are hard charging and psyched for this feat, and much of the reason for this is that we are part of Team Fisher House. We will be dedicating our run to the many troops who have sustained injuries fufilling their military duties. We will be raising money to benefit Fisher House, which has provided an oasis of security and comfort to families of these same troops when they were receiving  medical care at military treatment facilities.

If you are able to give, please click here:

http://www.active.com/donate/FisherHouse2012MCM/honeybadger

to donate to "Team Honey Badger's" efforts to raise money for Fisher House in the Marine Corps Marathon.
No amount is too small. It all helps. Fisher House has an amazing track record with 95% of donations going directly to help troops, and over 50 family homes on bases across the country and even overseas.

If you cannot give, please think of us and send us your support as I try to keep up with Meredith shufflin' my decrepit body around central Pennsylvania in some semblance of training.

Best wishes,

Chris

(A picture from long ago when I had fewer grey hairs and better padding in my joints.)