2020 RNG SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

CYBER COMMAND TAKES ON ELECTION SECURITY

B1122-011789-06 ENT Print Adaptation

MAKE THE TIME TO CHECK IN

A report released late last year revealed the National Guard had the highest suicide rate among all military components, at 30.6 per 100,000 Guard members. The Bureau responded by expanding its initiatives, including synchronizing efforts across the Air and Army National Guard. It’s also important to recognize there is no cookie cutter approach to mental health care, and organizations recognize that.

Since 9/11, a number of formal and informal programs were designed around the unique and diverse needs of those who serve. From the formal counseling offered by the Military Crisis Line to the unorthodox programs that seek to get veterans outdoors, wellness looks different for everyone. And during a global pandemic, there is an extra layer of crises affecting Americans.

In the latest issue of Reserve & National Guard Magazine, we meet a special canine, Tech. Sgt. Cleo, who delivers his own brand of comfort to members of the Air Guard. You will also meet a soldier from the Army Reserve who found purpose in disaster relief for Team Rubicon — an organization that brings veterans together for missions around the world. In fact, research from the Mayo Clinic has shown volunteering leads to lower rates of depression.

The words “unprecedented” and “new normal” have been saturating descriptions of current times, but that’s because there is truth to those labels. Respect your individual needs and make the time to check in with yourself. In the end, you can’t have someone else’s six until you have your own.

Contributors

About the Cover

Tech. Sgt. Cleo takes a break from his duties at the Air National Guard Readiness Center aboard Joint Base Andrews. Cover photo shoot by Trish Alegre-Smith.

Jimmy Norris

Stephen Ruiz

Jessica Manfre

Crystal Kupper

Lila Quintiliani

Personnel take time out of their day to spend time with Tech. Sgt. Cleo.

CONTENTS

The Reserve & National Guard is published six times a year for reservists and members of the National Guard. Copies are available through participating Reserve and National Guard training centers at no cost.

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The Reserve & National Guard by AmeriForce Media is published by AmeriForce Media, LLC, Bloomington, Ind., a private company. Information and advertisements in this publication do not constitute endorsement by any branch of the military or the Department of Defense. No part of this publication may be copied without the express written permission of the publisher. AmeriForce Media, LLC, the publisher, and publisher’s agents make no endorsement of any advertised services or products and none should be inferred.

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COVID-19 RESPONSE AWARDS AUTHORIZED FOR

By Jimmy Norris

The Department of Defense approved the award of the Armed Forces Service Medal and Humanitarian Service Medal to recognize service members for participation in COVID-19 operations or activities June 30. Both Active and Reserve Component members are eligible for such recognition according to a DOD press release.

The period of award for both medals is from Jan. 31, 2020, to a future “to be determined” termination date. There is no designated “area of eligibility” for the awards because of the “global nature” of the pandemic. Instead award authorities, according to the release, determine eligibility based on participation in qualifying operations and activities.

Service secretaries determine eligibility based on DOD award criteria. The Chief of the National Guard Bureau determines eligibility for National Guard members who don’t fall under the purview of a service secretary.

Service members cannot receive both medals for the same activities. As an exception, the Armed Forces

Service Medal is authorized for award for 30 days of qualifying service.

The Armed Forces Service Medal deployment requirement is waived for non-deployed service members, provided the members were reassigned from their normal duties to primarily perform duties related to DOD COVID-19 operations or activities for 30 consecutive or nonconsecutive days.

The Armed Forces Service Medal is authorized for one day of qualifying service if that service resulted in the member contracting the virus.

According to the Naval History and Heritage Command website, the Armed Forces Service Medal was initially signed into law in 1996 by then-President Bill Clinton.

“The medal is awarded to members of the Armed Forces who, as a unit, participate in a United States military operation deemed to be a significant activity and who encounter no foreign armed opposition or imminent hostile action. In many respects, this provision makes the award a non-combat parallel of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal,” the site states.

The Humanitarian Service Medal, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command website, “is awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States who, after 1 April 1975 distinguished themselves by meritorious direct participation in a Department of Defense approved significant military act or operation of a humanitarian nature. It is not awarded for participation in domestic disturbances involving law enforcement, equal rights to citizens, or protection

properties”.

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Air Force Major Amber Macrae, medical provider, practices going over information with a notional patient that has just been “admitted” to the Alternate Healthcare Facility in Essex, VT earlier this year. Photo by Cpl. Gillian McCreedy.

WANTED: CYBER TALENT

By Stephen Ruiz

Air Force Special Master Sgt. Diallo Glover said the realm where a potential breach occurs does not change the approach to cybersecurity.

“In general — this isn’t specific to elections at all — I would say we trigger what’s not normal in whatever network we’re in,’’ said Glover, a cyber expert with the Maryland National Guard. “We’re not going to know what’s abnormal unless we are fully engaged.’’

With Americans set to vote in November, that level of engagement is ramping up in National Guard units nationwide.

Ongoing discussions between U.S. Cyber Command, National Guard cybersecurity units and state elections and information technology personnel seek to develop and refine best practices. Assessments try to identify weak spots in computer networks, and trial runs are standard operating procedure.

Out of more than 450,000 total members in the National Guard, 4,000 are assigned to 59 cyber operations units that handle a myriad of missions, including protecting elections from outside influences, usually foreign. Those teams are in every state, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.

Twenty-three are cyber protection units.

“We are always in recruiting mode to go and find the best talent,’’ said Air Force Col. George R. Haynes, the National Guard Bureau’s chief of cyberspace operations.

Some National Guard members join teams that are assigned a USCYBERCOM cyber mission, said Air Force Col. Sam Kinch, the National Guard adviser to U.S. Cyber Command.

They are recruited from inside and outside the military, he added.

“One example is when a guardsman recognizes the skillset of an individual and recruits [him] into a cyber unit,’’ Kinch said. “Another example is when a guardsman knows someone in industry with great cyber skills and recruits them into a [National Guard] cyber unit.”

In Michigan, the National Guard draws about 30% of its cybersecurity team from other states, Lt. Col. John Brady said. Members can come from other branches of service or the general public.

“The most important thing we are looking for is aptitude and desire,’’ said Brady, commander of the 272nd division of the Cyber Operations Squadron of the Michigan Air National Guard.

Lt. Col. Seth Barun of the North Carolina National Guard said candidates ideally would be knowledgeable about penetration testing, which simulates a cyber attack to assess the security of a computer network. One person on the state’s National Guard cybersecurity team owns a pen-testing company, Barun said.

Barring that, IT professionals who want to develop their cybersecurity skills are preferred.

“They don’t have to be cyber experts yet,’’ Barun said. “We’ll train them and get them to that point.’’

The timeline of the training process varies, because Glover said a candidate could be Bill Gates or someone with little or no IT experience. Initial training can last roughly six months, and then how much more is required depends largely on whether a candidate is interested in the two main types of cybersecurity, offensive or defensive.

Offensive cybersecurity involves attacking potential adversaries, disabling them before they do harm. Defensive cybersecurity aims to protect infrastructure and information from a possible attack.

Offensive cybersecurity requires more training, sometimes as long as two more years after the six-month introductory phase of training, Glover said.

“What we actively look for, in general, are exceptionally smart individuals,’’ Glover said.

Adopting a proactive approach to cybersecurity is crucial for two reasons, Brady said. One is that it limits the response time if an attack occurs. The other concerns possible flaws that can be uncovered and fixed before something happens, Brady said.

Because cybersecurity always can be improved, training never really ends, officials said. In fact, an annual event called Cyber Shield has been rescheduled virtually for September, less than two months before polls open.

Asked what he would tell a voter who is skeptical of the ability to eliminate or minimize the damage of a potential cyber attack, Glover relied on personal experience.

“I can say firsthand that I have seen nothing that would make me distrust this process,’’ Glover said.

Tech. Sgt. Cleo helps Air Guard manage stress, wellness

By Bianca M. Strzalkowski

Everybody knows Cleo.

The ANG Readiness Center is tackling the mental health care of its personnel through multiple fronts, including eliciting the help of a fullytrained canine who helps put people at ease one interaction at a time.

Tech. Sgt. Cleo is the center’s first therapy dog. The nearly 5-year-old black lab/golden retriever mix can be seen visiting with personnel throughout the week, promoting wellness and stress management in the demanding work environment. One of his handlers, Alexandra Mahr, Director of Psychological Health, describes how he adds an extra layer to her role.

“I utilize him as a therapy dog, wellness dog, resiliency dog, he can

go by so many different accolades and titles. My job here is to provide counseling and coaching and crisis intervention and consultation to the readiness center personnel regardless of whether they’re military, civilian or contractual. I’m here to foster the psychological health and wellness of our workforce — and Cleo now plays a very strong role in my role and responsibilities,” she said.

Cleo made his way to the center in 2018 when Teresa Fitzpatrick, Associate Director of Intelligence Surveillance and Recon Operations, received permission from ANGRC leadership to pursue a facility dog. She learned about a program through America’s VetDogs — an organization that trains and places service dogs for those with physical disabilities; guide dogs for individuals who are blind or have low vision; service dogs to help mitigate the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder;

and facility dogs as part of the rehabilitation process in military and VA hospitals, according to its website. After putting in an application, Fitzpatrick was matched 30 days later with Cleo, which she describes as “striking gold.”

It takes roughly two years of training to become a certified service dog. Cleo started basic obedience training when he was just eight weeks old, participating in a prison puppy program through America’s VetDogs, Fitzpatrick said. Volunteers also took him out on weekends in the general public so he could get acclimated with regular life scenarios.

In 2018, Cleo arrived at the ANG Readiness Center. When he initially started his work, it took some time for him to adapt to interacting with hundreds of people, Mahr says.

“He was a little overstimulated at first, and became exhausted at the end of the day. Then he learned

how to pace himself and take his naps during the day, so he really adjusted very quickly. But he definitely was like ‘wow’ when he first came on board,” she said. “But now he owns the joint.”

“He’s not exactly a boring dog, he’s very engaging. He’s like instant mister wiggles when he sees people,” Fitzpatrick added.

Cleo lives with Fitzpatrick so she is responsible for bringing him to the center so he can accompany Mahr for her work day. At the heart of what he does includes assisting Mahr on fostering relationships because humans tend to react in a relaxed manner when he is around. He also helps break down any reluctancies personnel may have when opening up.

A typical day for Cleo [prior to COVID] includes walk abouts, going to visit people in their offices, and attending retirement and promotion ceremonies. Whether it’s coaching appointments, counseling sessions or consultations with leadership, Cleo is among the initial sights people have when they meet with Mahr.

“Cleo goes wherever I go,” she said.

Fitzpatrick and Mahr are also mindful of those members who may be sensitive to interacting with a dog, though there have been instances where someone who isn’t a ‘dog person’ warms up to Cleo.

Cleo has also become somewhat of a dignitary around the center, receiving his own invites to special events like ugly sweater parties. And he can be seen playing outdoors on center grounds with his beloved red ball. But for all of his love of playing, he also brings a unique-to-him characteristic to the role he plays.

“What I professionally observe and experience with Cleo here is — the whole point of bringing Cleo on board is that he has the potential and opportunity to activate our human relaxation response and that very pleasant emotional state of well-being. He has those opportunities with his engagements with our members, and this ranges from instilling a sense of calm or comfort or warmth; or an excited or enthusiastic state of mind, cheerfulness,” Mahr said. “He’s a love machine so he can ignite that feeling of wellbeing in our members. I watch Cleo have a positive impact on our members’ morale and general heart state. He lifts their spirits and moods, and I see a shift in their mindset.”

Fitzpatrick describes Cleo as an innovative tool for helping others. He has developed a reputation for creating an environment of resiliency at the center by breaking down tough barriers of stigma that surround seeking any type of assistance. Both Fitzpatrick and Mahr agree he serves as a conduit for members to be more open to ask for help.

Want to learn more about Tech. Sgt. Cleo? Check out his Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/sgt_cleo .

*All photos by Trish Algre-Smith

By Stephen Ruiz

As primaries are held and the elections in November approach, Air Force Col. George R. Haynes is confident but not comfortable.

Haynes, the chief of cyberspace operations for the National Guard Bureau, is accustomed to dealing with the shifting sands of intentional misinformation spread across the internet. Because he understands how treacherous that landscape can be, he realizes cybersecurity is a dynamic process.

“You’ve got locks in your home,’’ Haynes said. “You’ve got alarms in your home. You feel mostly safe all the time, but there’s always a potential threat out there that you’re always prepared for.’’

U.S. Cyber Command and National Guard personnel in every state, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories approach election cybersecurity from several fronts.

The most promising is the Cyber 9-Line. Rolled out last December, it enables participating National Guard units to report an incident quickly to Cyber Command. Those details are shared with other states through the Big Data Platform.

Twenty-two states were participating in the Cyber 9-Line as of mid-July, but all states and territories are interested, said Air Force Col. Sam Kinch, the National Guard adviser to Cyber Command.

“Malicious cyber actors today maneuver around the cyberspace battlefield quickly and efficiently,’’ Kinch said. “If we don’t see information within 24 to 48 hours of an actual incident, by the time we respond to that incident, the actors already moved on, normally to other infrastructure.’’

Cybersecurity experts traditionally “put a Band-Aid on the wound that happened,’’ Kinch said.

The Cyber 9-Line improved that approach.

“It really tries to go after the source of the pain, go after that attacker wherever the source is from and stop them from doing harm to other

states or other locations within our nation,’’ Kinch said.

Maryland is one state that has benefited from the Cyber 9-Line. It enables cybersecurity personnel to see the broader picture for any security threat, Maryland National Guard Maj. Daniel Keffer said.

The National Guard works with the North Carolina State Board of Elections to monitor computer networks, check social media sites for abnormal activity and perform security assessments for the state’s 100 counties, Barun said.

He said the biggest challenge is awareness.

“When [agencies are] focused on just keeping a network up, sometimes security goes by the wayside,’’ Barun said. “The threat out there in 2016, a lot of it was bots on Twitter, Facebook and that sort of thing, so we’re focused a little bit on that but really on that integrity.’’

About 4,000 National Guard members comprise 59 cyber mission units that support Cyber Command, not counting information technology workers or contractors. Twenty-three of those units are cyber protection teams, Haynes said.

by about 35% from four years ago, when U.S. intelligence found Russia interfered in the elections, spokesman Wayne Hall said in an email.

“What I’ve seen since 2016 is, we have a much tighter, more open discussion and information flow,’’ Haynes said.

More than 131 million ballots were cast in the last presidential election. How many people will vote in November — and the method by which those ballots will be cast — is uncertain because of COVID-19. The pandemic has not lessened the resources that the National Guard has devoted to election cybersecurity, Haynes said.

Measures constantly are being tweaked, because in cybersecurity, one never can be overprepared.

Besides the Cyber 9-Line, a “wholeof-government’’ approach allows the National Guard to communicate with Cyber Command, as well as the Department of Homeland Security, secretaries of state and the National Governors Association, among other entities.

Tabletop exercises, which involve real-world scenarios to reveal possible risks, also are part of the cybersecurity strategy. National Guard units are set to participate in Tabletop the Vote, coordinated by Homeland Security, in late summer, at the time of reporting.

The threats are never-ending.

“There are millions of accounts out there that are fake and trying to drive public opinion,’’ Lt. Col. Seth Barun of the North Carolina National Guard.

The size of the National Guard’s cyber operations force has grown

“We’re not going to stop, so it’s not like, ‘We’re ready today, so we can sit back and relax until the elections,’’’ Haynes said.

Graphic depicting incident data flow and the use of the “Cyber 9-Line,” which is a template of questions that participating National Guard units use to quickly communicate a cyber incident to USCYBERCOM. The data provided enables USCYBERCOM’s Cyber National Mission Force to further diagnose a foreign attack and provide timely, unclassified feedback back to the unit, who shares with state and county governments to address the cyber incident.

“The more states that come onboard doing this, the better America is going to be,’’ Keffer said.

Sikh family balances faith, military service

By Jessica Manfre

Sikhism is the fifth largest world religion, according to the Sikh coalition, with 500,000 Sikhs living within the U.S. Among the core beliefs is service to humanity, a principle the Singh family hopes to be fulfilling through their military commitment across generations.

Air Force Reserve 2nd Lt. Naureen Singh, 26, grew up watching her father, retired Col. G.B. Singh, serve as an officer in the U.S. Army. Though he was stationed overseas in places like Korea and Germany, her parents made the decision to keep the family in Colorado Springs for stability.

When attending community group events for South Asians or Sikh, Naureen was confused about why her father was the only one in the military.

“It didn’t really click in my head that my dad is a really unique case until I got a lot older,” she said.

The distinctiveness comes into play because as a Sikh there are certain aspects to their faith that made a goal of military service difficult to obtain at the time. Those who identify as Sikh do not believe in cutting any hair on their bodies and most men wear a turban. In fact, the Sikh Coalition states 99% of the people

wearing turbans in America are Sikhs.

Both the turban and unshorn hair are considered articles of faith and a constant reminder to remember their values. These two articles in particular create a barrier to a military that prides itself on uniformity.

Singh’s father pursued a commissioning in 1979. Two years later the Department of Defense banned the turban and long hair. Although he was grandfathered in, Naureen says her father felt honor bound to fight for Sikhs to be able to serve while following their faith.

“It was not easy for him. Day in and day out he had an uphill battle trying to be an officer but then also be an officer with a certain faith,” Naureen explained.

She remembers going on base and listening to people question his rank, not believing he was an officer. Despite treatment like this, she said her father had an overwhelmingly positive experience which he credited to having supportive higher ups.

He went on to become one of the highest-ranking Sikhs to keep his turban and serve on active duty, retiring in 2007.

Practicing Sikhs have served in the U.S. military since World War I. Over 80,000 Sikhs died fighting for the allied forces during World War II. Few temporary religious accommodations were granted following the ban in the 1980s, preventing a whole generation of Sikhs from serving.

“I do think it is really important to recognize that when you are diverse of thought or of background, you bring a new voice to the table … that voice can help with mission accomplishment,” Naureen explained.

In 2017, a successful lawsuit opened the door for more Sikhs to join the military without issue, meaning they can file for a religious exemption to wear a turban and beard.

Naureen completed Air Force Officer Training School earlier this year. She began her journey in 2016, inspired by her father’s service. She is also pursuing a Master of Criminal Justice degree from the University of Colorado at Denver.

She shared that she didn’t always know what she wanted to do or that the military would be her path.

“I was born in the states and my parents, who immigrated from India, grew up with a different outlook than mine. I was always too American for my Indian friends and too Indian for my American friends. It was so hard to see where I belonged,” Naureen said.

There were also other struggles growing up that added to the difficulty of finding herself.

“I grew up in the shadows of 9/11. I think growing up after 9/11 and seeing how we equated the turban with terrorism in this country … Here I was trying to fit in, but in media I would see people who had turbans like my dad be projected in a very

certain light. That’s why I think I shoved my identity to the side, I didn’t want to make myself stand out,” Naureen said.

After finishing college, she realized thinking that way was detrimental and embraced her identity as a Sikh.

“If you look at Sikh history and especially Sikh soldiers, it makes me meant to be in this force. It took a

long time to get there though,” she said with a smile.

Naureen hopes her family’s story and journey will inspire others to serve, adding those aspiring to join the military should just go for it.

“Don’t ever doubt yourself or put restrictions on yourself … Keep pushing. If my dad could do it in the 1970s, anyone can do it.”

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By Bianca M. Strzalkowski

A Pennsylvania couple authored a new book documenting the lesser-talked about experiences of National Guard service.

Lt. Col. Kevin Dellicker and his wife, Susan, a high school German teacher, describe their life attached to the Air National Guard as occupying “a complicated space somewhere between military and civilian life without really feeling at home in either.” The couple wrote the book, “Twenty Percent Soldiers: Our Secret Life in the National Guard,” to give readers a glimpse into guard service in a post-9/11 era. It also sheds light on a lifestyle that means waking up in small-town America one day while having boots on the ground in Southwest Asia the next.

The Dellickers met over two decades ago while both working in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. At the time, Kevin served in the Army National Guard before later transitioning to become an Air Force intelligence officer. His decision to enlist at 25 years old followed

a long family history of military service, he says.

“My father was a fighter pilot in Vietnam. My grandfather was a fighter pilot in World War II. My great grandfather, who I never met, was an infantry gunner in World War I, so, I think we’ve had at one point — my father figured out that we’ve had 80 years or so of service in the military for Dellicker men,” Kevin said.

He describes the experience of being an enlisted soldier before the attacks of September 11 as vastly different than being an officer in the Air National Guard post-9/11.

“Pre-9/11 the Army National Guard wasn’t going many places. We had old equipment and we weren’t really integrated into anybody’s battle plans, and although I really enjoyed the training and the people, we all had this realization that things would really need to be bad before the Army National Guard would ever get called out,” he said. “And in a way I was OK with that, you know we were just in the reserves. Today it’s really different with the reserves or the National Guard, you’re now part of the operational force it seems.”

“Twenty Percent Soldiers: Our Secret Life in the National Guard” opens with readers following Susan on the morning of September 11, 2001 — a day she knew signaled an uncertain future ahead for her family.

“Soon, I had watched this terrible event unfold long enough. I knew that my life had just changed drastically. Today, I had become a wartime military wife,” Susan wrote in the book.

Husband, wife pen book about their ‘secret life in the National Guard’

She adds that even though there was confusion initially as to what was happening, she grasped in those moments that life was about to change for all military families.

“I immediately thought this was going to change the whole scope of our lives, not just our family but all the guard families, the reserve families, the active-duty families. This was going to change all of our lives; this was going to mean war,” she told Reserve & National Guard Magazine.

And it did. In fact, the Dellickers calculated they had spent roughly 20% of their life apart for military commitments.

“At times when he’s gone, it’s empowering. It leaves me to be in charge of the home front … I have to keep things running and on schedule and as normal as possible for our kids and for our household. Of course, it’s tough on a marriage when you’re separated — that part is a given, but we did have some problems then upon return and we pointed that out in the book. It’s not always easy to integrate back into having both of us at home again and getting back to ‘normal life,’” Susan said.

And she didn’t just have the household and couple’s children to care for, but the Dellickers were also running a new business together, Kevin says.

“So, when I disappeared, she was also responsible to keep the business afloat while I was gone, which wasn’t really what she bargained for,” Kevin said.

It is among the reasons they were prompted to write the book in the first place, with several goals in mind including:

• That other guard and reserve families know they aren’t alone,

• Help others better understand what the National Guard does, and

• Raise awareness of the family support challenges.

The latter point is especially personal for Susan who says people don’t realize how much life changes with a spouse gone.

“Everything changes from your monetary budget … we had two budgets: one for deployment and one for when Kevin was home because that was very important

TWENTY PERCENT

Soldiers

to our financial security. You don’t realize that you can’t talk to them when they’re gone — Kevin and I had no contact during his deployments, and you don’t have that sounding board as a parent or the sounding board as an employee or manager in a company. You don’t have that capability. That’s a huge thing that we experienced,” Susan explained.

The book switches between Susan and Kevin’s perspectives, with each author writing their portion separately until compiling the pages as one.

“Without a doubt there was definitely a therapeutic side to this. We saw that we could influence, hopefully, change in the guard and that we could potentially help other families see that they’re not alone and that the support system could perhaps be upgraded somehow or changed,” Susan said.

Kevin adds the most important part of the book for him comes in the final chapter when he shares stories of those he served with. He wants to help set expectations for new and future National Guardsmen, but also stress today’s reserve component requirement is not the same as it once was.

“I think what that (book) demonstrates is, this story that Susan and I tell about our lifelong experience of jumping back and forth between the military and civilian life might be really unique to normal people, but it’s pretty much what guard members experience all the time … it’s what you have to deal with in the modern guard and reserves. One weekend a month, two weeks a year — that’s a commercial from the 1980’s,” he said.

now available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes&Noble

GUAM NATIONAL GUARD MEMBER

LEADS AUTISM Parenting

By Stephen Ruiz

“As great as you plan to carry out a mission, there’s always going to be an obstacle,’’ Blas said. “Being able to deal with those obstacles definitely helps me deal with my son.’’

Joseph Blas celebrated his 12th birthday in May. He is nonverbal but full of hope, just like his mother. Blas, 52, is president of Autism Community Together in Guam, a U.S. territory in the western Pacific about one-fifth the size of Rhode Island.

About one in 54 children in America is diagnosed with a form of autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Jo made us come out and say, ‘Don’t be ashamed of your kids. Bring them out. Let everybody know there are different people here on Guam. Be proud of your kids,’’’ said Maj. Geneve Apuron, whose 10-year-old son, Bryce, is autistic.

Joseph was diagnosed shortly before his third birthday.

“With autism, you just never know what to expect, and that threw me for a loop,’’ Blas said.

Blas read books, surfed online and sought out other parents with autistic

When Maj. Jo Blas learned her son was autistic, she had scant knowledge of what that meant. She had strong familial support, though, as well as years of service in the Guam National Guard. That training instilled in Blas the belief that she would find a way.

children – anything to educate herself and help Joseph. A single parent, she went to a fair in 2011 that led to her joining Autism Community Together. The first event she attended was a Mother’s Day luncheon.

She became president in 2017. Autism Community Together, a nonprofit organization for any family touched by autism in Guam, has nearly 700 followers on Facebook.

“[The organization has] been helping me to stay calm and relaxed, knowing that I’m not doing anything wrong,’’ Blas said.

When Joseph is not watching YouTube videos on his iPad, he enjoys being pushed by his mother while she runs. He attends specialneeds and mainstream classes at a school on the naval base in Guam and undergoes physical, occupational and speech therapy.

Evelyn Claros, a former president of Autism Community Together has known Blas for a decade. At one point, Blas feared her son might not walk, Claros said.

Now he runs.

“We have challenges that sometimes you feel are overwhelming, and you feel like you don’t know how much more you can take of these challenges,’’ said Claros, whose 23-year-old son, Nicolas, is autistic.

“She is the best mom for Joseph.’’

Blas said she could not do it without the National Guard.

Her cousin’s husband was a recruiter and encouraged her to join. That was 19 years ago. Blas intends to retire in the next year.

Blas has spent most of her career in the National Guard in public affairs. That

training helps her handle the swirling dynamics of life with an autistic child.

“Sometimes I would feel like I was having my own meltdown, but in the past few years, I’ve organized myself, organized my thoughts better, just being able to adjust,’’ said Blas, who now serves as a special projects officer. “A lot of it, my mindset is, ‘It just happens, and we just deal with it and move on.’’’

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5 PANDEMIC-PROOF

ACTIVITIES

By Crystal Kupper

Though it may seem like the COVID-19 restrictions have sucked the fun out of 2020, military members and veterans across the country are proving that enjoyment during a pandemic is still possible.

Outdoor activities (running, hiking, biking, camping, paddleboarding, lawn games, etc.) are still on the docket, as well as video games, home gyms, niche virtual communities and more.

Esports

“Since the pandemic hit, we have seen an uptick in people actually engaging with each other and being more social,” says Travis Williams, co-founder of Military Gaming League (MGL) — an esports league specifically designed for active duty,

National Guard members, reservists and veterans. “We’re getting more and more games together, which is really cool. It’s one of the only things you can do if you’re sitting at home all day.”

Williams, a current Army reservist, started MGL in 2018 with Daniel Ball, a fellow former soldier. They wanted a way to stay connected with the military community while sharing their passion for gaming. Over 3,000 military members and veterans now hang out virtually via MGL — including a 50% upswing in month-to-month membership compared to last year.

Besides being able to compete in online tournaments and other gamingrelated events, Williams and Ball say their members can experience positive mental health and career benefits.

“What’s very powerful is communicating and getting outside of yourself,” says Ball. “They’re able to have that mental connection with folks who have that common ground. We hear story after story of people who have said this gaming has saved or changed their lives.”

Visit https://militarygamingleague. com to learn more about the Military Gaming League.

Phone a friend

Your phone can hook you up with far more than just Facebook. Consider downloading an app like REI’s “Hiking Project” that shows you all your local trails, “Yonder” for getting started with 25 outdoor activities, “WildLab Bird” for help birdwatching or “FishBrain” to join the world’s largest communitybased fishing group.

Nature needs

While the “people portion” of many outdoor amenities may be closed (think interpretive centers or staffed boat ramps), nature is always open. Warrior Expeditions is a nonprofit “outdoor therapy” program for veterans, taking more than 250 on long-distance nature expeditions since 2013. Sean Gobin, the program’s CEO, says he’s seen a huge surge of military interest in the outdoors since March.

“It’s so important to maintain your physical and mental health by getting outside, especially when a lot of us are working from home and getting sedentary,” he said. “Nature therapy is free and accessible everywhere.”

Though Gobin’s nonprofit had to cancel official hikes, bike rides and boat trips for 2020, he encourages all military members and their families to get outside anyway — and if you can safely do so in a group, even better.

“Endorphins from physical activity help combat depression and burns off anxiety. It’s multi-faceted,” Gobin said. “Also, to have your own close bubble of people you can connect with is very beneficial.”

Utilize base resources

Don’t forget about your base’s MWR office, as well as Outdoor Recreation and/or Information, Tickets & Travel. Besides helping with alwaysopen activities like camping, these resources offer up-to-date information on from-home basesponsored entertainment.

If you’re far from base, call anyway and ask what’s open in your area. There’s a good chance they’ll know.

At-home gym junkie

Before restrictions hit, Air Force Master Sgt. Merrissa Pough participated in in-person fitness competitions. When everything closed, she went online, switching to virtual competitions while also starting a Facebook-based exercise class geared toward military members preparing for annual Physical Training tests.

You can use whatever equipment you have to exercise from home, Pough says — even your children.

“You can incorporate them into your workout,” says the mother of three. “To sit at home and eat and gain weight, just lose yourself, you’re not putting yourself in the best position to fight off a virus.”

She recommends using this time to really focus on your nutrition.

“This is a good time to take a look at what you’re actually eating and learn to make better choices, make a game plan for when your schedule does pick up,” Pough says.

A pandemic game plan, if you will — and one that cannot be thwarted.

Warrior Rising helps vetrepreneurs build sustainable businesses

By Jimmy Norris

Almost every military career ends with the service member making a decision: find a job or start a business. For those in the National Guard or reserves, this choice parallels time in uniform.

Veterans who choose the path of entrepreneurship have an added resource to lean on. Jason Van Camp founded Warrior Rising — a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping veterans and their immediate family members start their own businesses.

“When you were getting out of the military you had a question, and that question was ‘now what? What am I going to do with myself?’” Van Camp said. “You probably thought to yourself ‘you know I could just sit back and collect my retirement or I could get a job or I could start a business.”

Starting a business after leaving the military is a journey Van Camp knows well. The former green beret left the Army after a seizure disorder forced him to medically retire. He founded Mission 6 Zero, a leadership development firm with high-profile clients including the NFL and Major League Baseball.

Warrior Rising was launched to help other veterans make the transition to business ownership. The resources provided by the organization are free to veterans and their immediate family members. It is funded by donations with 82.4% of every dollar going to veterans. The rest, Van Camp said, goes to overhead. He added that initially, 100% of donations went to veterans, but the company grew too large and he had to hire paid staff to keep up with demand.

In the five years since its founding, Warrior Rising has grown exponentially. In 2015 the company helped six veterans establish businesses. Last year the number was 1,016. This year, Van Camp said, Warrior Rising on pace to help 1,500 veterans start new businesses with about 40 signing up every two weeks.

Despite frequently saying during an online interview that “business is hard,” Van Camp said Warrior Rising already has some success stories.

Firebrand Flag Company, for example, recently sold out on a limited run of fireproof American flags.

“They’re ramping up business right now and I have no doubt this is going to be a multi-million-dollar company,” Van Camp said.

People interested in using Warrior Rising’s free services should first go to the organization’s website and sign up at https://www. warriorrising.org/apply. Van Camp said an intake specialist will call the applicant within 48 hours.

“So, you have an intimate one-onone conversation with someone about your business idea, what you’re trying to accomplish, why you’re trying to do it. Is it a good idea? Do you have the money for this? Does your spouse support you?” Van Camp said. “Questions about the actual journey you’re about to embark on.”

From there, applicants are sent to Warrior Rising’s education platform, Warrior Academy – online training that translates a military operations order into a business model. Van Camp said the training is designed to be difficult to prepare would-be entrepreneurs for the realities of owning a business.

“You can’t start out with $150,000 salary. That’s not how it works in business,” he said. “You’re going to have to grind and go without pay and suffer for a while before you start seeing revenue — before you start seeing everything start to pay off and you see a return on investment.”

After the training is complete, applicants are paired with mentors who are successful in the industry the veteran hopes to succeed in. Van Camp said the mentors are usually, but not always veterans.

Eventually, after the veteran has met all of the requirements, they can ask Warrior Rising for financial assistance and the organization will assist them in finding investors, loans or grants.

But that’s not the end of a veteran entrepreneur’s journey with Warrior Rising.

“What I realized is it wasn’t just about starting a business and finding your purpose through business ownership, it was also about creating a community and joining a community and joining a tribe of people that can support you and you can feel comfortable with like you’re part of the family with,” Van Camp said. “We have platoons all over the country.”

In the past, the organization hosted numerous in-person events, but the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has forced Warrior Rising to turn to online venues for events.

Van Camp described coronavirus as a game changer in many ways for those hoping to start businesses. First, he said, more people are applying for Warrior Rising’s assistance.

“It’s been even more prevalent because of COVID,” he said. “Because people are at home looking for that next step because they ask the question ‘now what’ and they come to Warrior Rising for help.”

He said the pandemic will continue to affect the business world for the foreseeable future. He said trucking and logistics, online services and recreational vehicle sales businesses are doing well. His outlook is equally optimistic for credit card processing companies, home security and solar sales.

The outlook is less rosy for commercial real estate.

“Clients of mine that have office space, they’re realizing right now that they don’t need office space. They can work from home,” Van Camp said. “They’re putting as much product out the door as they did before. Private equity firms, venture capitalist firms, the companies that basically control their finances are going to say ‘listen, anything that doesn’t affect the bottom line, get rid of’. They’re going say ‘we don’t need office space. We don’t need to pay rent.’ Coronavirus is going to change the game.”

Van Camp said it’s hard to predict what kind of businesses will be successful. The deciding factor usually has more to do with the would-be entrepreneur than the business itself. Even those with ideas others think are bad might succeed if they’re tenacious and adaptable, he added.

“We try to make it difficult for them and if they continue to try to move forward and if they say ‘I don’t care what you think. I don’t care if you laugh at me, I’m doing this no matter what’, those are the guys that succeed,” Van Camp said. “We try to make sure they understand all the risks. We try to help them understand there’s no guarantees and they’re probably going to fail. We give them all the stats. For some people it scares them off. That’s a good thing because they would have been scared off during their business endeavor anyway. I’ve seen some things that I thought ‘well that’s a dumb idea.’ Because they didn’t quit, they proved me wrong.”

Veterans interested in starting a business can find resources on the Warrior Rising website at https://www.warriorrising.org.

New suicide prevention efforts led by second lady

By Bianca M. Strzalkowski

Second lady Karen Pence is deploying a familiar tactic to learn about veteran suicide: listening.

Mrs. Pence was appointed lead ambassador earlier this year for a new nationwide strategy to raise awareness about mental health, connect veterans to federal and local resources and facilitate research about suicide. PREVENTS (President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide) is a three-year plan stemming from President Trump’s

signing of an executive order last year directing the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, Health and Human Services and others to develop a comprehensive strategy for addressing suicide. The order was signed as data reveals 132 Americans, including 20 service members, former never federally activated guard and reserve members, and veterans, die on average each day by suicide, according to a VA press release.

Taking the lead on military-related initiatives is nothing new for Mrs.

Pence, a Marine mom. At the onset of her role as second lady, she outlined priorities to focus on military families — including the spouse employment issue — and to promote the benefits of art therapy for healing. Her office has spent the last few years traveling the globe to hold listening sessions as part of a larger effort to understand challenges associated with military life and work with partners on solutions.

President Donald J. Trump and Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie pose for a photo with Second Lady Karen Pence and Terry Sharpe, the “Walking Marine,” outside the South Portico entrance of the White House.

Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian.

Mrs. Pence hosted key leaders of the PREVENTS public health campaign at the Vice President’s Residence.

Photo by Amy Rossetti.

She says that experience led to her appointment with PREVENTS.

“I think the reason that the president asked me to be the lead ambassador for PREVENTS is because of my work with art therapy and vets. And it was an honor for me to be asked to be part of that, because one thing I have learned is that suicide is preventable and so for me I thought, if there’s something I can do to elevate this, I definitely want to do it,” Mrs. Pence said.

She convened task force members, including Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, Executive Director of PREVENTS, earlier this year to gauge next steps.

“I felt like, again, just like I felt with the military spouses; I don’t come in here and act like I know everything about preventing suicide — I don’t know anything. And so what I did was, I hosted a meeting inviting as many people on that task force as could attend, to come to the Vice President Residence — it was right before all of the COVID hit — we went around the table, we spent a long time with everybody explaining what they saw their role as and what some of the things they were proposing were,” she said.

Her team also works with ambassadors to leverage their social media and influence to spread the word about how to prevent suicide, Mrs. Pence says, along with health care providers on devising the right messaging.

“We’re taking our cues from PREVENTS, we’re taking our cues from experts,” she said.

Other grassroots activities include meeting with military and veteran community members, like Terry Sharpe, a Vietnam veteran known as “The Walking Marine.”

He walked from Stokesdale, North Carolina to Washington D.C. to bring awareness to veteran suicide prevention. The 69-year-old walks 300 miles annually. Learn more about his cause at https://www.walkingmarine.com .

The PREVENTS Task Force has already connected with more than 150 known community boards, 27 statewide suicide prevention teams and Building Healthy Military Communities — a pilot initiative with seven partnering states.

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SOLDIER FINDS SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES OUTSIDE OF THE UNIFORM IN DISASTER RESPONSE

By Crystal Kupper

Army Reserve Lt. Col. Mike Gorham felt like he was in airborne school, standing in the door of a C-130 and knowing that he had to jump.

“There’s that fear, and you’re just frozen,” he said.

Except this time, Gorham wasn’t acting as an infantry platoon leader in Afghanistan or a company

commander in Iraq. He was participating in the Clay Hunt Fellows Program, a “peek behind the curtain” training program of Team Rubicon — a Los-Angeles based disaster response team whose 130,000 volunteers are almost entirely comprised of those with either military or first-responder experience.

Gorham, a former assistant military science professor and current Army

reservist, first learned of Team Rubicon in 2013 and was eventually accepted as a Clay Hunt Fellow.

The fellowship equips veterans with tools to redefine their purpose and self-identity out of uniform for a life of continued service through a six-month curriculum of personal growth and discovery, according to Team Rubicon’s website. After a series of “normal” corporate jobs following his active Army days, Gorham was on the hunt for an occupation with deep meaning and fulfillment.

“I was immediately drawn to the duel mission set [of Team Rubicon], which is helping communities during disasters while building camaraderie and giving that sense of purpose again to vets,” said Gorham, a former construction manager and professional sports executive. “That drew me as well.”

The program’s self-discovery component intrigued Gorham in particular, and he soon realized his passion for public service. When a job at Team Rubicon opened up in 2016, he pounced. Today, he holds the title of the organization’s deputy director of territory operations in the Southwest.

Gorham is in charge of a five-person staff overseeing disaster response coordination for California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. If there’s a wildfire in California or hurricane in Hawaii, Gorham’s team is tasked with coordinating objectives like damage assessments, debris management, home repair and even emergency medicine.

“I’m an infantry guy, so the idea of getting out into adverse situations, into these dynamic communities after an earthquake or hurricane

where chaos is reigning — that appeals to me,” he said.

Photos of Gorham’s time with Team Rubicon show him working with fellow “Greyshirts” (what Team Rubicon calls their staff and volunteers) as they travel to stricken locations, clear homesites, operate around heavy machinery, interact with locals and attend trainings.

“There are a lot of parallels between the military and Team Rubicon,” Gorham said. “It’s the same sort of structure and camaraderie and bias for action as the military, but we try to cut out as much red tape as we can. Our mantra is that everyone is a Greyshirt first, then after that you’re a strike team leader, or supervisor, or whatever.”

Gorham works full-time for Team Rubicon from his Northern California home, in addition to his position in a training unit with the Army Reserve. Each job knows that the other could need him at any moment, meaning that if it’s disaster season, he might be unavailable for the reserves. If it’s time for Annual Training, meanwhile, Team Rubicon takes a back seat.

Gorham appreciates how his two careers give his three children frontrow seats on the importance of service.

“The whole purpose of the military is similar to Team Rubicon; you’re there to assist others in their time of need,” he said. “My kids get to see that through my actions, but also through opportunities where they can actually participate [in Team Rubicon projects].”

Gorham regularly encourages veterans to join Team Rubicon’s

volunteer corps. Beyond mere social activity, he says, Team Rubicon provides something former military members still need: a continuation of their calling to serve others.

“[Veterans] are already suited for this sort of work, already trained and adaptable in chaotic situations,” he said. “The world is so crazy right now — if not us serving others, then who?”

For more information on volunteer opportunities with Team Rubicon, visit https://teamrubiconusa.org.

OUR MILITARY KIDS ANNOUNCES NEW PROGRAM THROUGH

VETERANS DAY

By Crystal Kupper

An organization that supports children of the Guard and reserves announced new activity grants through Veterans Day.

Our Military Kids (OMK), an organization that empowers military kids with sports, arts and other activities while their parents are deployed or recovering from severe injuries sustained in combat, celebrated 15 years of serving children of guardsmen, reservists, and wounded warriors in 2019. To date, it has awarded 69,000 grants totaling $28 million.

With quarantine restrictions in effect, however, virtually all in-person activities have been canceled, postponed or modified. Consequently, the number of OMK grant applications decreased, leading the organization to adapt criteria for the types of programs it funds.

“Since COVID-19 started, applications have dropped from 80 to 100 per week to maybe 20 to 30,” says Kara Dallman, OMK’s executive director. “But [these grants] are important; they’re an opportunity for National Guard and Reserve kids to be recognized and instill a sense of pride in being a military kid.”

As of mid-July, the charity expanded not only what it will now pay for (online enrichment activities) but for whom: children ages three through 18 and with parents activated stateside for at least 120 days on coronavirus-related or Southwest Border missions, not just outside the United States. Kids with deployed overseas parent(s), meanwhile, are now eligible for a second grant through Veterans Day.

The campaign, dubbed “ Honor-120 ,” aims to give away a million dollars in 2020. In the first week alone, OMK staff saw applications skyrocket to 179 for a total of $52,000 in grant monies. Funding comes from corporations, foundations and individual donors.

“One thing we’re very proud of is that the child gets to choose the extracurricular activity, so it’s something to show our gratitude for their service as a military child and to help them grow their self-esteem, because they’re doing something they love,” says Dallman, a Navy veteran and military spouse.

Michelle Criqui, OMK’s social media manager, says the Honor-120 applications thus far are gearing up for a variety of online and (withprecautions) in-person classes and camps — everything from computer programming and tutoring to gymnastics and music. As the previous recipient of an OMK grant, she knows firsthand the value they

Visit https://www.ourmilitarykids.org

provide to families of the reserve component.

“It’s a weight we can lift off these parents’ and kids’ shoulders — Lord knows they have a million other things to deal with right now!” she said. “But someone is out there looking out for you, helping you, lending a hand during this time.”

WHAT TO DO WITH THE SECOND ROUND OF STIMULUS

By Lila Quintiliani, AFC ®, Military Saves Program Manager

Stimulus checks hit bank accounts earlier this year, with a second round of economic income payments currently being hashed out by Congress. As with any windfall income, before you spend that money you should have a plan for it, especially in these uncertain times. Here are a few things to think about before you spend your check.

Cover your needs before your wants

A recent report shows 31 million Americans are receiving unemployment benefits, according to the Department of Labor, which likely includes those from the reserve component who work a civilian career or who have spouses impacted by joblessness. Right now, your first concern should be covering the basics: food, shelter, medicines, transportation.

For those struggling to make mortgage payments, the new Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economy Security (CARES) Act, establishes protection for homeowners with federally-backed mortgages — including loans guaranteed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. If you have a mortgage that isn’t backed by the federal government and can’t make your payments, your mortgage servicer or your state may be offering additional options.

The CARES Act provisions provide homeowners with protection from foreclosure as well as a right to forbearance. It’s important to note that if you can continue to pay your mortgage, you should do so. Forbearance simply puts payment off until a later date.

Initial provisions of the CARES act expired in August, but impacted homeowners can

request a forbearance for up to an additional 180 days for a total of 360 days.

Tenants may have some protection if the property they are renting is covered by a federally-backed mortgage. Otherwise, some local and state governments are providing further relief.

Continue to pay at least minimum payments on debt

If you have credit card bills, car notes, or a signature loan, you will still have payments due. If you don’t want your credit score — and your security clearance — to take a hit, you should keep paying on those debts. You should also continue paying premiums on auto, homeowners/renters, and medical insurance.

If you have a federal student loan, you will not accrue interest and loans are automatically put in forbearance through September 30, 2020. Private loans may still require payments. As always, if you think you will not be able to make minimum debt payments on time, you should contact your lender. Many creditors have more lenient policies in light of the pandemic.

Consider beefing up your emergency fund

Maybe you’ve had to dip into your emergency fund these past few months — there’s no shame, that’s what it’s there for. Or maybe your emergency fund isn’t as large as you want it to be. Regardless, the stimulus check may be a great way to jump start or replenish your emergency savings.

Keep in mind that your emergency fund should be in an FDIC (or NCUA) insured account at a financial institution. It should be easy to access, but ideally in a separate account, not in your main checking account.

Think about whether you want to keep saving for retirement

While looking at your TSP and other retirement accounts is a bit scary right now, it can make sense to continue to invest in

a down market because you are, in effect, getting stocks and funds on “sale” at a low price. And if you are getting a federal match in the TSP or your civilian employer is matching your contributions to your workplace retirement account, it may make sense to continue to contribute to get the full match.

But in these uncertain times it can also be frightening to tie up your funds in retirement accounts when you don’t know whether you will need that money way sooner than retirement age.

Fortunately, the CARES Act allows you to pull out funds from qualified retirement accounts if you’ve been impacted by COVID-19. You will have to pay taxes on what you take out, but there are no early withdrawal penalties. You then have three years to pay back the withdrawals.

While I typically cringe at the thought of “robbing” one’s retirement, these are unprecedented times, and the new provisions do give some peace of mind to those on the fence about continuing to save for retirement.

An opportunity to pursue other savings goals

If you feel that you have an adequate emergency fund, can meet all day-today expenses, can make minimum debt payments, and are getting your employer’s match in your retirement account, then you might consider using the stimulus check for other savings goals, such as paying down debt, building a college fund, or saving for a large purchase.

However, it is important to note that in a volatile economic situation, having a healthy savings account gives you flexibility, so you may just want to keep some of that Economic Impact Payment in your bank or credit union.

Want inspiration and motivation on your savings journey? Take the Military Saves Pledge today and create a simple personal savings plan that works!