This Saturday will mark the three thousandth mile biked by record label exec, Jeff Castelaz, in memory of his six year old son, Pablo, who lost his life to cancer in June. For the past month Jeff and his friends - among them Lance Armstrong - have biked cross-country to celebrate Pablo's life and raise money for fighting childhood cancer.

The trip was documented with daily video diaries, interviews with cancer survivors and their loved ones, and Pablog entries on the Pablove campaign's progress. Supporters can purchase merchandise and donate to the cause on www.pablove.org, or bid on items in the Pablove eBay charity auction which include a personal bike ride with Lance Armstrong, and a tour of the new Batman movie set with director Chistopher Nolan.

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America has been at war for about eight years now. Over a million Americans have passed through multiple tours of combat in Iraq, Afghanistan, or both. The average age of today’s veterans is between 20-24 years old. Upon completion of their initial contract, the veterans who opt to not reenlist return quietly to their civilian lives.

At the completion of a year in Iraq, I too returned to society and entered the classrooms of college. I was twenty-one years old but I could have passed as a high school student. I sat in the back of the class, quiet, and usually wore a baseball cap over my long hair and unshaven face. I never made a point or remark that I was once in the service, nor the near mention of serving in Iraq. I desperately wanted to be like everyone else, but I was never once ashamed of what I did. I was very proud, but I did not want being an Iraq War veteran define me in the classroom or anywhere else.

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Coming to terms with being called back was not an easy task. It was something that I never thought would happen to me, but how many times have people said that in their own lives with things? It goes to show that thinking of any situation with naïve thoughts should be something we work on to never think like. Yeah, I got recalled, so what? I knew it could happen, and so it did. Time to accept the full decision of something you chose to do six years ago, Ryan.

Out of all the times I could have received the letter calling me back to Active Duty, I’ll never stop shouting how ironic it was that it happened while taping The Real World: Brooklyn...

Kevin Powell, one of The Real World's very first housemates, has released his new book, Open Letters To America.

The book addresses the current political climate in America and how young people can take action to influence it. Powell argues, "America is not the country it once was, but neither are we the country we can be." He tasks young people with helping the nation reach its full potential.

Read an exclusive excerpt from Open Letters To America here.

Visit www.kevinpowell.net to learn more.

I. Open Letter to Young America

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Dear Young America:

I’ve started and stopped this letter to you several times before. The magnitude of these times has been both my muse and my chief distraction. All these months since you, we, elected Barack Obama president of the United States, I have yet to rejoice the way many of you have. There has been great pride, no question, and a sense of relief at this new chapter in American history. But beneath my pride and sense of relief are both an element of shock, and, for sure, anxiety. Shock in the sense...

MTV research has revealed that 74 percent of us personally know someone who has fought in Iraq or Afghanistan.  MTV is partnering with Mobilize.org, the Goldhirsh Foundation, and the McCormick Foundation to bring attention to this generation of veterans who have been bravely serving our country overseas.

Mobilize.org will convene 100 Millennial veterans to work collaboratively to address the unique issues that they are facing in their communities and on their campuses. MTV will cover the summit and showcase some of the great ideas, as well as the personal stories of the veterans involved.

Young vets are facing many of the same challenges as the rest of our generation in these rough economic times, such as high unemployment, mounting debt, and lack of affordable health insurance. We need  to tap into our innovative and collaborative spirit to address these urgent conditions.

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MTV's Sway Calloway will host as  Michelle Obama and Jill Biden honor America's vets in a special ceremony at 2pm on November 11th. You can watch the event unfold LIVE right here.

Rich, a student veteran, talks openly about the challenges of adjusting to college life, and how civilian students can play a role in easing the transition.

Brothers Craig and Matt Clizbe with recording artist, Robin Thicke.

The Clizbe brothers, Craig, David and Matt, love music. So much so that they've dedicated the majority of their young lives to promoting it. They run www.clizbeats.com, a music blog covering the hottest emerging and established artists.

But Clizbeats.com isn't an ordinary music blog. And the Clizbes aren't your ordinary bloggers. At a young age, Craig and Matt Clizbe were diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, a neurological disability that permanently affects body movement and muscle coordination. Though this disability can present both physical and mental challenges to those who are diagnosed with it, the Clizbe family did their best to fight through this obstacle and carry on a normal day to day lifestyle.

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Almost 70% of college students know someone who has served in Iraq of Afghanistan.