2021 MF NOVEMBER

Ready for

When I first assigned this month’s cover story on Combat Flip Flops CEO Matthew Griffin, Kabul had not yet fallen to the Taliban. I knew “Griff” was a stand-out example of a thriving veteran entrepreneur, perfect for a feature in our transition-themed issue. However, I didn’t predict he would go from running a business that assisted in educating Afghan girls to the front lines in Afghanistan, helping to evacuate interpreters, factory workers, and others connected to his e-commerce company.

As author Natalie Gross points out in the “Veteran with a purpose” article on page 8, Griff’s ties to Afghanistan run deep. So deep, in fact, that it became very difficult to nail him down for an interview. The former Army Ranger, who deployed to the country three times during his active-duty service, quickly transitioned into the role of a rescuer in the turmoil (Combat Flip Flops lost five employees in the Kabul airport bombing in August).

Considering how hard he was fighting to keep Afghans out of danger, we feel lucky he took the time to sit down and talk with us so candidly about his experience and projection on assisting 100,000 Afghan girls become literate (a lifetime objective).

Also on our pages this time around, new Military Families Magazine Associate Editor Teal Yost introduces us to two veterans who successfully transitioned in very different ways. Former Navy helicopter pilot Abe Kamarck founded a condiment company specializing in low-sugar sauces now sold in Major League ballparks. And Zachary Bell, the Marine behind #veteranwithasign, turned what started as an Instagram joke into 85,000plus followers wondering what he will use his Sharpies to write next. Take time to learn more about both and hear their interesting advice.

If you are a transitioning service member unsure of your next move, we also offer resource pieces on training opportunities, financial planning, and landing new employment. From ketchup to cardboard signs, the possibilities are endless. Good luck!

Melissa Stewart Content Editor

Chris Adams Barrett Baker

Kristen De Deyn Kirk

Natalie Gross Matthew Griffin, former Army Ranger and CEO of Combat Flip Flops.

Photo by Zach Doherty.

Matthew “Griff” Griffin, former Army Ranger and Combat Flip Flops CEO, on Fox News to discuss the effort to evacuate Americans and Afghans who assisted U.S. troops.

Ashton Kroner

Crystal Kupper

Rear Adm. Brian E. Luther, USN (Ret.)

A veteran with a purpose

by Natalie Gross

Steps every veteran should take to protect family finances

by Kristen De Deyn Kirk

Military Families Magazine by AmeriForce Media, LLC, is published 12 times a year for active duty service members and their families. Copies are available through participating family service centers, relocation offices, transition offices, base lodges, libraries, daycare centers, MWR activities and other locations by request. Unit requests can be made online at https://militaryfamilies.com/ print-magazines/

Individuals can order a free digital copy of this issue at https://militaryfamilies.com/digital-magazines/ Editorial comments can be emailed to managing.editor@ameriforcemedia.com

Military Families Magazine is published by AmeriForce Media, LLC, Bloomington, Indiana, 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 publishers. AmeriForce Media, LLC, the publishers, and publisher’s agents make no endorsement of any advertised services or products and none should be inferred.

by Teal Yost

by Crystal Kupper

by Chris Adams

President and Publisher: Todd Taranto

Managing Editor: Bianca Strzalkowski

Content Editor: Melissa Stewart

Associate Editors: Kari Williams and Teal Yost

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Veterans Day workout

Registration is currently open for Team RWB’s annual WOD for the Warriors. The workout of the day is held on or around Veterans Day through local chapters, gyms, and boxes around the country. Participation can include an in-person event or virtually. Additional details can be found at www.teamrwb.org/national-events/ wod-for-warriors.

FOR MILITARY FAMILIES

VA launches new resources for transitioning service members

The Department of Veterans Affairs launched a new initiative in September to assist service members as they exit the military. The Veteran Sponsor Partnership Network is a partnership between VHA regional offices and community organizations “to help transitioning service members and their families access VA services and community resources, such as employment opportunities, education benefits, housing assistance, and more,” according to a press release. The list of community partners can be found at www. va.gov/HEALTHPARTNERSHIPS/vspn.asp

Military OneSource offers FlexJobs to spouses for free

Military spouses are now eligible for a one-year membership to FlexJobs, a career platform specializing in vetted, flexible, and remote job openings. The offering is part of an effort by Military OneSource to reduce barriers to employability for spouses living the mobile military lifestyle. The number of memberships is limited, and spouses are encouraged to reach out to a Spouse Education and Career Opportunities counselor at 800-342-9647.

DOD releases Annual Suicide Report

A new report by the Department of Defense shows an increased suicide rate for the active component from CY 2015 to CY 2020. Additional findings reveal a continued risk for young and enlisted members. The DOD release states that it will focus efforts on reducing the stigma attached to seeking mental health resources, which will include a pilot program for those stationed in isolated areas. The Veterans/Military Crisis Line is available for support 24 hours a day, seven days a week at www.veteranscrisisline.net/ get-help/chat

A birthday celebration for the whole family

The National Museum of the Marine Corps will host a family day on Nov. 13 to celebrate its 15th anniversary and the birthday of the Marine Corps. The event will include themed crafts and is free and open to the public. Visit www.usmcmuseum.com/calendar.html for a full list of events.

‘Top Gun Maverick’ release delayed until 2022

Viewers with the need for speed are going to have to wait a little longer to satisfy the long-awaited release of Tom Cruise’s sequel to his 1986 movie. Paramount announced “Top Gun Maverick” will now be released May 27, 2022. View the official trailer online at www.topgunmovie.com/videos

A VETERAN WITH A PURPOSE

Combat Flip Flops CEO

Matthew Griffin opens up about entrepreneurship and his deep ties to Afghanistan

BY NATALIE GROSS

For years, Matthew Griffin has been meticulously writing down his goals. On the first page of his journal is a long list of things he’d like to achieve three months, one year, and three years from now.

There’s also a lifetime objective: Help 100,000 Afghan girls become literate.

These days, that’s looking “exceptionally difficult at best,” the veteran entrepreneur said in an interview during a break from his work trying to get interpreters, factory workers, and others connected to his company out of the Talibancontrolled country.

“We lost five in that bomb blast,” he said.

Griffin — who goes by “Griff” to everyone except telemarketers and the IRS — is CEO of Combat Flip Flops, a footwear and apparel company he co-founded with fellow Army Ranger Donald Lee and serial entrepreneur Andy Sewrey. Its ties to Afghanistan run deep.

PHOTO BY ZACH DOHERTY

Griffin served on active duty from 2001 to 2006 and deployed to Afghanistan three times. In 2009, he returned for his then-job as a manager of military sales for Remote Medical International and came up with the idea for his business inside a combat boot factory, where he’d been invited for coffee.

“I had never seen anything positive come from my time in service,” he said. “This was my very first experience to see people going to work, people becoming literate, people having jobs, people supporting their families. Because this economic opportunity was there, their kids could go to school and then start the next generation, right? That’s the hope that we have for these nations in nation-building.”

On a table, he saw the sole of a combat boot with a flip flop thong punched through it, and the image stuck.

Investing in flip flops and Afghanistan

Throughout his travels, Griffin “saw how countries and people that worked on a business standpoint and more of a relational standpoint without a gun on the table were doing better in these foreign countries than, say, the Americans,” he said. “What I found was the areas flourishing with small business were the most secure, so I started staying in local hotels, staying in the apartments above the grocery stores, hiring the local dudes to be my drivers, and just getting to see how business was a much more productive way of doing work, and this message kept smacking me in the face everywhere I went.”

After launching his business in January 2012, Griffin and his team sold 4,000 pairs in 72 hours. He and Lee appeared on ABC’s “Shark Tank” in 2016, and by that time, the company was outsourcing shoe production to a factory in Bogot á , Colombia. Combat Flip Flops was also selling scarves, sarongs,

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1st Lt. Matt Griffin, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regimen, 50 kilometers north of Nangalam, Afghanistan, during Operation Winter Strike.

Griffin with Andy Sewrey in Bogota, Colombia, with the first outsole to come out of the mold in Sept. 2019 for a Combat Flip Flops footwear redesign.

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and other accessories made by a womanowned company in Afghanistan, as well as jewelry made in Laos.

Through a partnership with the organization Afghanistan for Education, sales were helping send girls to school; one scarf equaled one day of secondary school.

“Our mission is to create badass products by skilled entrepreneurs surviving in

areas of conflict,” Lee said on the show. “Through our experiences in Afghanistan, we found that we wanted to do more for the country other than go over there and be soldiers.”

The duo ultimately obtained a $300,000 deal with investors Mark Cuban, Robert Herjavec, and Lori Greiner.

In the nearly 10 years since its founding,

Combat Flip Flops, now a team of five, has continually made progress toward Griffin’s life goal — a cause near to his heart as a single father of two teenage daughters. He theorizes that teaching women to read enables them to work and provide for their families, which leads to fewer children on the streets who end up joining terrorist groups because their families need money.

As of June, the company had raised enough funds to educate more than 1,000 Afghan girls.

“And now the rug got pulled out from under us,” Griffin said.

About 15% of the company’s products are made in Afghanistan, but finances aren’t a top concern right now.

“Our main focus is people,” he said. So for now, Griffin is focusing on more immediate goals, helping workers and their family members in danger of Taliban retaliation by helping get their paperwork in order, coordinating safe houses, or connecting them with people in charge of evacuation efforts.

“You can really only affect the next 90 days of your life. You can plan out further than that, but today, I can really only take actions that are going to affect things for the next 90 days,” he said.

Since he’s been goal setting, his team has “pulled off some major shit,” he said — even before helping people escape the Taliban.

“Most people are like, ‘How the hell do you get it done?’” he said. “I just write it all down … and I just spend two hours a day doing it, and that’s pretty much the secret to life.”

The chances of meeting his lifetime goal may look bleak — at least for now.

But his lifetime isn’t over yet.

Steps every veteran should take to protect family finances

BY KRISTEN DE DEYN KIRK – SPONSORED

When retired Army Brig. Gen Mike Meese, Ph.D., was a junior officer, he learned a financial lesson: Constrain yourself to get ahead. His car payment and credit cards were the teachers. At the end of the year, he’d review reports totaling his interest paid.

“Those dollars weren’t going to me,” Meese said.

Instead, a loan company and Visa® had his money. Better to save and buy outright, without interest, and pocket those dollars, Meese realized.

Now president of AAFMAA (American Armed Forces Mutual Aid Association), Meese shares this insight and more with fellow veterans. He hopes that they build a solid financial foundation for themselves and their families following these steps:

Learn and understand your military benefits

Make sure you’re aware of your benefits as a veteran, and share the details with your family. People leave the military and, in the final week, they might go through a transition class. However, they’re busy getting ready for their new life. Their attention is divided, and details are lost.

“They frequently don’t realize that they have a lot of benefits,” Meese has observed, “and then they may or may not ever tell their family.”

Establish a financial plan

A solid plan includes two parts: A short-term emergency fund and a long-term savings fund.

Meese’s rule of thumb: Stash four to six months of your living expenses.

That way, if your income suddenly decreases or disappears, you aren’t tempted to pay bills with credit cards.

For long-term savings, take advantage of programs available to you. While you’re still in the military, participate in the Thrift Savings Plan. Afterward, contribute to your employer’s 401(k) program. Save a minimum of 10% of your income.

You might also want to save for your children’s college tuition and living expenses. Meese notes that most states have tax-lowering savings plans called 529s.

Protect your income

To prepare for unexpected events, take one step: Buy term life insurance.

“The most valuable thing that a

veteran has is his or her ability to earn income from the time they leave the service through age 65 to 70, whenever they stop working,” Meese emphasized. “Say you unexpectedly passed away during that timeframe. Your family is not going to be able to fulfill all the objectives that you have for them, including college funds and retirement funds.”

In the military, you may have a $400,000 life insurance policy, but you lose that when you leave the service. Investigate and secure new coverage before you separate or retire.

Research your new home state

Many who are separating or retiring from the military choose to move. If that’s you, do your research first. Look at home prices, income taxes, property taxes, additional fees, and government services, such as public schools and local recreation. Ensure your budget and expectations match your new home.

Proceed with caution

“One of the mistakes I see,” Meese said, “is putting too much

money into one basket.”

Some people will find a get-richquick scheme and put a lot of money into it. Maybe through a hot stock tip, or in day trading or investing in GameStop or cryptocurrency, he noted.

“And although that might be worth doing with a very, very, very small amount of your assets, maybe 1% or 2%,” Meese continued, “you don’t ever want to put too much money into any one financial vehicle of any type.”

Over-communicate

Meese describes his fellow veterans as kind of individualistic. They sometimes don’t share all of their information with their spouse.

“They may have very good assets; there may be a very good plan. But that plan doesn’t do any good if the veteran spouse isn’t aware of what that plan is and what he or she should be doing.”

Learn more at aafmaa.com.

Former Marine Lioness learns that ‘weak is not getting help’

BY ASHTON KRONER, outreach coordinator for the Road Home Program – ADVERTISEMENT

As a 7-year-old in rural Texas, Ashton Kroner dreamed of becoming a United States Marine after seeing the iconic “The Climb” recruiting commercial where a determined rock climber becomes a Marine in a dress blue uniform the moment he reaches his goal.  When Kroner was 12, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks “set in stone” that her life would be one of military service for her country.

She joined the Marines at age 18 and within a year was on the front lines in Iraq as part the Lioness Program — a select group of female service members that served with the all-male infantry unit to perform the vital duty male Marines could not: searching Iraqi women. Because it is not culturally possible for men to search females in Muslim countries, locals determined to kill American troops would often use women and children to carry and detonate explosives.

“Being a Lioness was exciting and important,” Kroner recalled. “It was an incredible rush to know that I was not just part of history, but that I was a critical part of completing our mission and protecting lives.”

Kroner was often tasked with searching Iraqi women, but “most of our time was spent trying to build the trust of local women. We were vital to winning ‘hearts and minds’ by connecting on a personal level, not just military to civilian.”

Ashton Kroner with her family.

But what she saw and experienced while working with women and children came back to haunt her when she became a mother herself.

“Weak is not getting help”

Kroner served eight years on active duty, with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and three years as a recruiter for the Marines. After marrying another Marine who has a daughter from a previous marriage, Kroner left the military in 2015 and embraced civilian life and her role as a step mother. She then gave birth to a son.

Kroner thrived professionally, her skills and discipline leading to a series of promotions at a medical device company in suburban Chicago while also earning a master’s degree.

“In some ways, I was a stereotypical suburban mom,” she said. “I looked like many of the other moms I met at PTA meetings.”

But not only did she feel different and detached from the people she met in civilian life, she also began to understand she wasn’t the person she used to be. Quick to anger and agitated for extended periods of time, dayto-day life became an exhausting challenge — especially in her interactions within her family.

It was her husband, Casey, who first suggested that she get help. As a fellow Marine, he

understands the stresses that a military life brings, not just due to combat overseas, but also from travel and the uncertainty involved with military service when not deployed. The former frontline Lioness resisted seeking help at first.

“It was a struggle because I thought that I was weak,” Kroner said. “But I realize now that was the strongest thing I could have done for myself. Weak is not getting help.”

She was diagnosed with PTSD, with the therapy through the Department of Veterans Affairs of helping her to understand that what she saw, felt, and experienced was simply too much for her to process.

“I learned that PTSD is a natural reaction,” Kroner said. “Experiencing intense or sustained mental trauma is not natural and our mind and bodies

react in certain ways until we understand what is triggering these reactions. And that understanding makes PTSD treatable. Knowing what causes PTSD’s symptoms helps you control them.”

When a family member serves, the whole family serves PTSD can have a devastating effect on families, as veterans dealing with it often emotionally withdraw from loved ones. Kroner saw this occur in her own family, and happily, has seen how families can get the help they need.

She is currently an outreach coordinator at the Road Home Program in Chicago, which offers free counseling to service members’ families.

“The mantra at Road Home is that ‘when a family member serves, the whole family serves.”

And just as veterans have earned and deserve the care they need to beat PTSD and other ‘invisible wounds of war,’ their loved ones deserve to access the care and

tools to rebuild relationships.

The Road Home Program is available and part of the Warrior Care Network (WCN), which consists of four academic medical centers (including Road Home Program at Rush) that provide care and support to veterans and their families battling PTSD or other invisible wounds of war and life. To learn more go to www. roadhomeprogram.org and/or the www.woundedwarriorproject. org/programs/warrior-carenetwork

Despite the mental and emotional price she has paid, Kroner stresses that she’d do it all over again.

“I grew up very patriotic, being taught that this country is worth fighting for,” she said.

And she continues to fight for the men, women, and families whose military service has impacted them.  Now more than ever, “we need to check in on our ‘battle buddies’ to see how they are doing” and remind them that the help they earned and deserve is just a phone call away.

Ashton Kroner is a former Marine Lioness, mother, spouse, and outreach coordinator for the Road Home Program. See ad on page

BY TEAL YOST

It started as a joke. Marine veteran Zachary Bell posted a photo of himself to Instagram holding a cardboard sign that read “Take Motrin, drink water, change your socks,” the military cure-all for any discomfort. Now, more than a year, 250-plus Instagram posts, and 85,000-plus followers later, Bell aims to provide community and connection among veterans.

Bell created his first #veteranwithasign post in March 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning in the U.S.

“I’ve done a lot of writing, and I’ve always had a love for language,” he said.

Bell’s writing has appeared in the New York Times “At War” blog, but he says it’s the pithy phrases written in Sharpie on cardboard that have resonated more than any of his other articles and essays.

Bell joined the Marines in 2007.

“I didn’t have any opportunities where I was. The military changed that for me,” he said.

He served as an infantry rifleman, deploying twice to Afghanistan and getting promoted to sergeant before leaving activeduty service in 2011.

Early signs included “Low fades win wars” and “Chili Mac is the best MRE.”

“I just came up with something, took a picture, put it up, shared it with my friends, and I just kept doing that,” he said. “The military has its own language, and everyone takes it too seriously. We’re actually pretty funny to make fun of.”

A month after his first post, Bell posted a sign that wasn’t intended to be funny. It read, “Bring back Captain Crozier.”

Capt. Brett Crozier, the former commanding officer of the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, was relieved of command when he broke protocol by sending an e-mail that warned Navy leaders of a coronavirus outbreak onboard the aircraft carrier.

Bell thought it would be his last post.

“I had decided to shut it down. It was something fun I was doing during [the COVID] lockdown, and I figured it had run its course,” he explained.

But then —

“My phone just started buzzing, and there were a ton of responses. That’s when I thought — this might really be something.”

The Instagram account grew from 300 to more than 1,000 followers in one night.

Bell realized he had a platform. People were listening.

If you start following the @veteranwithasign Instagram account, you’ll notice the tone of Bell’s signs varies from day to day,

Marine veteran uses humor and cardboard to connect, build community

week to week. Some messages are crafted to evoke laughter from service members or veterans willing to poke fun at themselves.

But like a comedian, Bell says he never knows whether or not the joke will land.

“Sometimes I think a post will be received well and get a ton of engagement, and it falls flat, and sometimes I’m blown away by how many people connect to a post I didn’t put much thought into,” he said. “I never have any idea what will resonate with people.”

Other messages are intended to hit differently, such as “Some signs are obvious. Some aren’t.” and “Stay. You’re worth fighting for.”

Bell’s mission is advocating for access to mental healthcare and preventing suicide among the veteran community.

“Something’s shifted from where these posts were meant to be funny, and now it’s like I have a responsibility,” he said.

Bell says the balance is important.

“Come for the humor — stay for the community. I beg people to look for more than the jokes. I want veterans to feel like they’re connected. That’s my goal.”

In August and September, his tone shifted more than ever.

As the Taliban took control of Afghanistan and thousands of Afghans fled their home country, Bell posted a photo of himself in uniform with a young Afghan girl. The image was from 2008, during his first deployment there.

“It was a departure for me, really putting myself out there. It was an open, cathartic moment.”

Bell recalls giving the young girl candy from his MRE and extra bottles of water.

“She reminded me of my child.”

More than 10 years after that picture was taken, Bell, a father of two daughters, says he still thinks of that girl often.

“I think about what she’s doing, whether she’s alive, whether she made it out of Afghanistan,” he said.

Bell says his Instagram posts will continue. There are more jokes to tell and more important work to be done to help take care of veterans.

“I’m just kind of riffing and monologuing,” he said, “and if you follow me on the journey, I’m sharing something important.”

“Come for the humor — stay for the community. I beg people to look for more than the jokes. I want veterans to feel like they’re connected. That’s my goal.”

– Zachary Bell

NEW ADVANTAGES TO PLANNING LONG-TERM CARE

BY REAR ADM. BRIAN E. LUTHER, USN (RET.) — ADVERTISEMENT

Up to 69% of the people turning 65 years old this year will need some level of long-term care. Individuals who require a room in a nursing home can expect to pay over $7,000 per month for their care, and those in an assisted living facility may pay upwards of $4,000 monthly. Without proper planning, long-term care expenses have the potential to impact your life savings or put a financial burden on your family members. By establishing a long-term care plan early, you can enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing your financial future is secure.

Long-term care describes a range of services that help someone care for themselves. Often, it is provided by skilled caregivers either at home or in a facility devoted to helping people complete Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), of which there are six: eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring between a bed and chair, and caring for incontinence. While health insurance covers immediate medical conditions and ongoing treatment, few policies cover prolonged care at a residence or nursing home. As opposed to most medical care, long-term

care is not designed to cure a medical condition.

The cost of long-term care depends on various factors including your age, gender, health status, and living arrangements. Cost generally increases with age, the amount of care required, the duration of care, and the location where care is provided.

It’s important to note that most of these costs are not covered by health insurance, Medicare, or the VA. Health insurance and Medicare generally cover

long-term care costs that are rehabilitative, short in duration, and medically necessary, and are not designed to cover the custodial and personal care services provided by long-term care. VA long-term care services are available only to veterans enrolled in the VA health system.

Medicaid, however, will pay for a large share of long-term care services. To qualify, you must meet income and state eligibility requirements — based on the amount of assistance you need with ADLs.

There are a few different strategies to prepare for longterm care costs, so it’s important to consider which would be best for your family and financial situation.

1. Plan to self-fund the costs. Pay for the cost of long-term care yourself or ask family members to help you pay.

2. Purchase a traditional longterm care insurance policy. Most long-term care insurance policies cover your expenses in the event you are unable to perform two ADLs, or in the event of cognitive impairment. Many of these policies require a premium payment until death or qualified long-term care claim; premiums are not usually fixed and can increase. The number of insurers offering traditional long-term care policies has also fallen from 125 in the early 1990s to approximately 15 today.

Recent legislation known as the “WA Cares Fund” mandates that workers in Washington state have long-term care insurance – funded by a payroll tax. Employees may opt out of the mandatory program if they purchase their own long-term care insurance policy and are approved for an exemption.

The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program is open to active and retired servicemembers and their spouses. Note that with Federal Long Term Care and most other long-term care insurance options, there is medical underwriting, and not everyone who applies is approved. Once you leave the military, you can keep your Federal Long Term Care Insurance as long as you continue to pay the premiums. It is important to keep in mind that long-term care insurance only covers long-term care costs, so there is a chance you will never see a benefit from premium payments.

3. Purchase a life insurance policy with an accelerated death benefit. Some life insurance policies offer an accelerated death benefit that can be used to cover expenses traditionally associated with long-term care, such as costs related to serious, ongoing health conditions or disabilities or in the event you that are unable to perform two ADLs. The main advantage of this strategy is that premium payments result in a guaranteed death benefit even if you never need to use the accelerated death benefit feature. Fixed-

rate premiums are also possible with these types of insurance policies.

While not everyone will end up needing long-term care, everyone should plan for the possibility. Planning in advance

allows you to select a strategy that meets your specific needs and gives you more control over the type and quality of care you may receive. It also allows you to have less dependence on others, protecting both your assets and financial legacy.

See ad on page 9 >

Rear Admiral Brian E. Luther, USN, (Ret.) served as a naval aviator in the U.S. Navy. He is currently President and CEO of Navy Mutual.

Former Navy helicopter pilot

targets new enemy — sugar

BY TEAL YOST

Abe Kamarck knows the transition from Navy helicopter pilot to founder of a condiment company isn’t a typical one.

“I never thought I’d have a ketchup business — I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, but I never thought I’d be doing this,” he said.

But Kamarck said his four kids were dousing their meals with ketchup each day, making him cringe.

“As a parent, you want your kids to eat as healthy as possible,” he said. “And ounce for ounce, ketchup has more sugar than ice cream.”

Kamarck started True Made Foods in 2015. His first goal? Creating a healthier version of his kids’ favorite dinner companion.

“I figured if I was losing these battles at the dinner tables, I’d better win the war. And to do that, I needed to make a better

ketchup,” he said.

The kitchen wasn’t new territory for Kamarck. His Sicilian mother taught him to cook at an early age. Together, they’d make pasta sauce from scratch.

“My mom always said, “only lazy Italians use sugar.”

So instead, they used carrots to cut the acidity.

Years later, and using mom’s advice, Kamarck began experimenting with fruits and vegetables, including carrots, butternut squash, and apples to create a low-sugar ketchup, and eventually, a no-sugar ketchup.

His kids served as the ultimate taste-testers.

“You can’t fool a 5-year-old,”

Kamarck said. “They’re brutally honest when it comes to what they like and don’t like. So, when they liked it and couldn’t tell the difference between typical ketchup, that’s when I knew we had something.”

Kamarck had the product; next came manufacturing and selling.

“Being a Bravo [helicopter] pilot helped a ton,” he said. “When you’re a pilot, you’re a jack of all trades, master of none. You also learn to learn really quickly, and that helped me from a soft skills standpoint.”

Kamarck says you’re constantly in a state of emergency as an entrepreneur.

“You’re forced to prioritize your time and effort — and I always think back to flight school: aviate, navigate, communicate,” he said.

Kamarck looks to that flight training, even though he’s been out of the cockpit for several years.

“I think about it this way, with a business, you’re about to crash at any given time,” he said. “When it comes to keeping the business in the air, your sales are your airspeed, and your investment is your altitude. You need to keep both of those things going to keep the business going.”

After tackling ketchup, Kamarck moved on to barbecue sauce.

“In the last 30 years or so, barbecue sauce has become nothing but corn syrup and sugar,” he said. “Barbecue has become an unhealthy food, and it doesn’t have to be.”

But he didn’t have a background in barbecue.

“I didn’t want to launch a barbecue sauce on my own,” Kamarck explained. “I wanted to do it right.”

So, he enlisted some help from Ed Mitchell, a Vietnam veteran known as “The Pitmaster” in barbecue circles.

“He’d just been diagnosed as pre-diabetic and was worried about what was happening to him and his family health-wise,” Kamarck said.

Together, they created five low-sugar or nosugar barbecue sauces

In addition to True Made Foods breaking into major supermarkets, including Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, Kroger, and Sprouts, you

The Trust

supports

IN 2020

grants totaling $7.2 million were awarded throughout the United States

$ $ $ REHABILITATION CRISIS INTERVENTION HEALTH CARE EMPLOYMENT EDUCATION CAREGIVERS & FAMILIES RECREATION

Support Our Veterans

The DAV Charitable Service Trust helps fulfill a focused and noble purpose: empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. We support programs and initiatives that improve the quality of life for veterans, their caregivers and families.

can find Kamarck’s condiments at Major League ballparks as the official ketchup and barbecue sauce for the Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals.

“If you’re taking your kids to the ballpark, you know it’s not necessarily going to be a healthy day of eating … but this is a step in the right direction.”

From helicopter missions to the True Made Foods’ motto, Kamarck is focused on bringing nutrition back to American staples, cuisines, and traditions.

“I have four kids. I know how hard it can be to get them to eat a healthy, well-rounded diet. Face it, you’re going to give them chicken nuggets sometimes, but you’ll feel better if they’re dipping those nuggets in ketchup made of vegetables versus ketchup made from corn syrup,” Kamarck said.

Visit www.truemadefoods.com for more about True Made Foods.

VRRAP provides COVID relief, new training opportunities

BY CRYSTAL KUPPER

More than 17,000 veterans who found themselves unemployed because of COVID-19’s ripple effects now have access to a new rapid job retraining program through Veterans Affairs.

Dubbed the Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program (VRRAP), it educates veterans who lost jobs via layoffs, closures, or COVID health issues in 200 high-demand careers. The Department of Labor worked alongside VA to identify growing fields like construction, aesthetician services, and technology support that participants can study at hundreds of colleges and trade schools nationwide. Eligible veterans can receive education benefits equal to the Post-9/11 GI Bill (including tuition costs and housing stipends) for up to one year, with the aim of learning a new skill or

completing a certificate program during that time.

Air Force veteran Damien Cole Roy left the military in 2000 and eventually joined the mortgage industry as a loan officer. But 2020 changed all that, leaving Roy wondering how he was going to provide for his family. Thankfully, an email about VRRAP landed in his inbox.

“The program seemed like an ideal way to transition into a new career field because it provides BAH at an E-5 pay rate to cover expenses while taking the class,” said Roy. Applying and qualifying

for VRRAP, he said, “was supereasy.” He chose a four-month Electrician Technician Program in Rhode Island.

“It has been great. The hybrid program at [the trade school] allows me the flexibility of online learning as well as the real-world experience of hands-on training,” Roy said. “This enables me to learn at my own pace, while being supported by extremely knowledgeable instructors, which in turn can open up the option for additional specific certifications.”

As the Acting Executive Director of Education Service at the Veterans Benefits Administration, that’s music to James Ruhlman’s ears.

“Since the inception of the GI Bill of Rights in 1944, VA has furnished educational and

vocational support to America’s veterans to expand and enhance their economic opportunities,” he said. “Also, VA and [Department of Labor] have a long history of collaboration to provide assistance to transitioning service members and ongoing support for veterans. VRRAP is a continuation of that legacy.”

VRRAP’s benefits are limited to veterans between the ages of 22 and 66, those with an honorable or other-than-honorable discharge, and veterans ineligible for any other VA education benefits or government jobtraining programs. Additionally, VRRAP participants cannot be receiving disability compensation for reasons that have led to their unemployability, nor be receiving any unemployment benefit upon beginning training.

Air Force veteran Damien Cole Roy, pictured with his family, used VRRAP to enroll in an Electrician Technician Program.

To be eligible for this VRRAP, you must meet each of these requirements:

• At least 22 years old, but not older than 66

• Unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic

• Not rated as totally disabled because you can’t work

• Not enrolled in a federal or state jobs program

Note: You cannot receive VRRAP benefits while simultaneously receiving unemployment benefits (including CARES Act benefits).

When applying for VRRAP, you cannot be eligible for any of these other benefits:

• Post-9/11 GI Bill

• Montgomery GI Bill

• Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E)

• Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA)

• Veterans’ Educational Assistance Program (VEAP)

Note: You can get VRRAP benefits if you were at one time eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill but have transferred the entirety of your benefits to family members.

For a list of VRRAP’s occupations, check out benefits.va.gov/ GIBILL/docs/vrrap-highdemand-occupation-list. pdf. To find participating schools near you, see benefits. va.gov/gibill/docs/VRRAP_ ApprovedEducationalInstitutions. pdf.

The program, birthed from the last COVID-19 relief package, is limited to 17,250 participants. As of Sept. 2, Ruhlman says 1,394 veterans had enrolled, and at least one had already graduated and found employment in a related field.

“VRRAP is one more example of how we work hand-in-hand with our veterans, veteran service organizations, industry partners, and educational institutions to help men and women who served get training and skills in high-demand jobs,”

said Ricardo Da Silva of the Program Integration Office, Education Service, Veterans Benefits Administration. “That benefits their communities and benefits our men and women who served by helping them find and keep meaningful employment. We know veterans are dedicated employees who work hard, and VRRAP offers them an opportunity to gain skills that contribute to a vibrant economy.”

Roy is excited to soon be one of those contributors.

“Finding the

program … helped to determine a direction to proceed with specific goals to achieve,” he said. “This new course has impacted the path that my family is now on, and I am very appreciative of this opportunity.”

To apply for VRRAP, go to va.gov/ education/other-va-educationbenefits/veteran-rapid-retrainingassistance/apply-for-vrrap-form22-1990s/introduction.

VRRAP

Go to page 14 to read about how a former Marine Lioness learns that ‘weak is not getting help’ >

CERTIFICATIONS, INTERVIEW PRACTICE

POST-SERVICE EMPLOYMENT KEY TO LANDING

BY KARI WILLIAMS

A highly educated and trained, combat-wounded Marine veteran struggled to land a job with the United States Postal Service after returning stateside. He told Russell Levy that if it weren’t for his wife and daughter, “he’d put on his blues and eat a bullet.”

Levy, who founded Veterans Transition Support in 2014, said that the Iraq War veteran was the first service member he helped after they exited the military.

“Three weeks later, he had a six-figure job at an aerospace company,” Levy said.

When preparing to enter or reenter the civilian workforce, some service members might require “specific assistance based on their character of discharge and post-separation plans,” according to The Military to Civilian Transition 2018 report

The report states that roughly 25% of veterans, or 5.2 million, are in rural communities with limited opportunities for employment, education, or health care.

Several organizations offer guidance and interview tips to help in the employment process, including Hire Our Heroes and VeteransEmployment.net Both suggest researching the

company offering an interview and avoiding military jargon when speaking to the hiring manager.

Veteran-specific programs, like the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service’s Armed to Farm workshop that provides information on “sustainable small-scale farming practices,” also are available to help service members find post-military careers, according to the transition report, as well as an entrepreneurship bootcamp offered through Syracuse University.

Levy said VTS, a nonprofit based in California, helps “bridge the gap” between military and civilian worlds, focusing on career development, Veterans Affairs benefits, and education planning. VTS also provides, among other services, no-cost professional certification training for career match, OSHA, and LEAN certification.

Those certifications, he said, are vital to landing post-service

employment, as a common issue veterans face is translating military experience into civilian job skills.

“The easiest way to do that is through certifications in the industry you work in,” Levy said. “That’s how the job market works in general for everybody.”

For example, every veteran is trained in safety, according to Levy, but if they “don’t have the OSHA safety card, it doesn’t count.”

While Levy said he’s seen veterans have success in all industries, he noted “particularly good results” in the safety industry, as well as information insurance and cyber security. The key, he said, is to have “direction and purpose.”

“If you have direction and purpose, you can achieve anything,” Levy said.

In addition to helping veterans prepare for interviews as part of the courses VTS provides, Levy says they also have sample resumes and an interview packet to help them prepare.

“[We] might introduce them to other veterans to have sort of a mock interview,” Levy said. “I’ve always found once they’ve done it

once or twice, they’re fine.”

A 2019 Pew Research study found that roughly 48% of veterans didn’t have a job immediately after being discharged but were looking, while 21% sought employment “but not right away.”

The Department of Labor also has regional veteran employment coordinators in every state to assist transitioning service members. More information can be found at https:// www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/ employers/rvec.

VETERAN CAREER PODCASTS

1. Veterans on the Move: Released every Monday.

2. Lessons Learned for Vets: Released every Wednesday.

3. Beyond the Uniform: Released every Monday.

4. The FourBlock Podcast: Released every Monday.

5. The Veteran (Semi) Professional Podcast: Released every Thursday.

New Cold War book connects Polish spies and the CIA

BY CHRIS ADAMS

Six Americans are trapped in Saddam Hussein’s Baghdad during the invasion of Kuwait. They’re high-value targets. Two of them are U.S. Army officers, a third is a CIA station chief, another a traumatized crypto analyst. Their lives are in peril. Only one country can save them … Force who offered to find Hart, a retired U.S. Army major.

This scenario sounds like the plot of a compelling novel but describes the true dilemma of six men in peril, desperately needing a way out of a life-threatening situation.

Author John Pomfret, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and long-time Associated Press and Washington Post reporter, tells the gripping account of the Americans’ plight in his book, “From Warsaw with Love: Polish Spies, the CIA, and the Forging of an Unlikely Alliance.” Their story unfolds within the greater context of the historical relationship between U.S. and Polish intelligence.

Pomfret delves into the necessary, disappointing, and respectful — if not symbiotic — alliance that defined AmericanPolish intelligence relations before, during, and after the Cold War.

He maps out the relationship through several Polish spies, primarily Marian Zacharski, a Southern California-based sales rep for the Polish American Machine Company (POLAMCO).

POLAMCO was a Polish state-run firm that sold machinery to companies like Lockheed, who ironically used POLAMCO tools in its U.S. Department of Defense projects.

But at the heart of this work is the predicament of the Americans and how the Poles came to their rescue, highlighting the amiable connection, but one that sometimes dissolved, leaving Polish spies out in the cold.

The author describes it as “a meditation about alliances and what friends do for friends.”

Pomfret broke the story about Polish spies saving six American officers in Iraq while reporting for the Washington Post in Eastern Europe during the 1990s. The classified undertaking was called “Operation Friendly Saddam.”

Pomfret felt he had the basis for a good book. He just needed to find some of the actors.

He established an acquaintance with the man who ran the operation, Polish intelligence officer Gromosław Czempiński. Czempiński served as a Polish spy during the nation’s communist Cold War days.

“I found the CIA station chief, but he basically pretended he was dead … literally, he encouraged other people to kind of let me think that he was dead,” said Pomfret.

One of the crypto analysts, emotionally impacted by the ordeal, passed away from a heart attack. His family provided information to Pomfret. Another was still active in the field.

“But I really needed kind of a first-person narrative. And finally, one of the Poles — as I was kind of doing the research — gave me the name of one American: a guy named Fred Hart.”

While researching a different project in Alabama, Pomfret met a member of the Air

“Fred was more than open, and it turned out that Fred had written a report about this for the Army in which he doesn’t really say what happened, but he put a lot of great detail in it,” Pomfret shared.

Pomfret got the name of Maj. John Feeley from Hart. He spent several days with Feeley talking about the operation, saying that interviewing the Americans was important because “now I really had put names to faces, and they were incredibly helpful in telling their side of the story.”

Pomfret was fascinated by the idea of the operation’s backstory. “How did we get there? How did we actually ask them to do it? And why did we ask them to do it?”

He does a laudable job at answering his own questions, furnishing the reader with a dynamic analysis of the mission that is enjoyably digestible and absorbing.

“The CIA had already approached allied intelligence agencies, including the British and the Germans, for help, but they were busy trying to extract their own people,” he wrote. “The Americans couldn’t pull off the operation themselves.”

“From Warsaw With Love: Polish Spies, the CIA, and the Forging of an Unlikely Alliance,” released in late October, was published by Henry Holt and Company.

HELPING OTHERS CAN ENHANCE MENTAL

HEALTH

BY BARRETT BAKER

Why do people part ways with their hard-earned money to help others? Is it because it’s the right thing to do? Is it part of their beliefs to help those who are in need? Is it to help victims of natural disasters or terrible diseases that have been financially wiped out and have nowhere else to turn? Or is it just part of a culture to share the wealth? In many cases, it can be for all those reasons, but there’s also a physical and mental health benefit to giving to others.

A 2017 report from the Women’s Philanthropy Institute found  people are happier overall when they give to others  and the more they do or give, the happier they tend to be.

In fact, the science behind several studies shows giving money or volunteering time activates parts of the brain that secrete serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin, increasing feelings of pleasure, trust, and positive relationships with others. In other words, giving just makes people feel good. Giving to others provides a sense of satisfaction, making one feel they have a larger purpose. It also builds a level of gratitude, not just for the recipient of the gift, but for the person giving because it instills a sense of thankfulness when they see how fortunate they are versus how little others may have.

In many cases, the givers don’t even have a direct connection to the recipient. Crowdfunding campaigns like Kickstarter and GoFundMe generate approximately $17 billion annually in North America, and 63 million Americans volunteer close to 8 billion hours of their time to nonprofits each year.

The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC ) is an immense fundraising effort that allows people to choose from hundreds of nonprofits and charities that need help or to give in honor of someone they lost or who is fighting a debilitating disease. From animal rescues to cancer research, and saving the environment to helping disaster relief efforts, donations can be a one-time gift or an annual contribution collected monthly.

To celebrate its 60th anniversary, the CFC’s theme this year is that anyone can be “the face of change.” Elyse Sparks Jackson works for the Social Security Administration and contributes through the CFC to No Hungry Kids and the American Indian Cancer Foundation because she says that no child should ever go hungry or not be able to enjoy food.

“American Indians, the natives of this country are often overlooked for everything, medical needs included,” she said. “Both of these charities are ones that help to care for those who are often forgotten about at their most trying times to continue survival and living. If one cannot serve, then one cannot lead. We are a village, and it takes a village to care for one another.”

Are you ready to be the face of change, make an impact, and feel good about it in the process? Find a nonprofit or charity and do something good for someone else — and your mental and physical health — simultaneously.

OPERATION HEAL OUR PATRIOTS

Operation Heal Our Patriots® provides combat-wounded veterans and their spouses with a week of Biblically based marriage enrichment classes surrounded by the beauty of the Alaskan wilderness, as well as ongoing chaplain care. This Samaritan’s Purse ministry is just one example of how we are helping to meet the physical and spiritual needs of hurting people across the globe in Jesus’ Name. Support our work via https://cfcgiving.opm.gov/

CFC #10532

Samaritan’s Purse®, Franklin Graham, President P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607 | samaritanspurse.org

SamaritansPurse @SamaritansPurse @SamaritansPurse

© 2020 Samaritan’s Purse. All rights reserved.

WHERE DO I BEGIN?

First, answering a few questions can really narrow things down. Consider what sort of groups you’d like to assist. Do you enjoy working with animals, children, veterans, or the elderly? Once you’ve come up with a list of a few categories of giving, decide how you want to help, such as simply donating money or goods or spending a lot or a little time volunteering. Being honest with yourself about the level of commitment you are willing to invest will guarantee you have a fulfilling experience.

Next, seek out a few online resources to take your search even further. A few to try are:

• CharityNavigator.com: Search charities and get ideas based on several top 10 lists such as 10 Most Followed Charities or 10 of the Best Charities Everyone’s Heard Of.

• GiveWell.org: Ranks charities that “save or improve lives the most per dollar.” A helpful feature on the homepage allows a visitor to enter a donation amount and frequency and select a corresponding charity to find out a donation’s impact.

• CharityWatch.org: A self-described “charity watchdog and information service” that educates on wise giving and the wasteful or unethical practices of some nonprofits and also recommends highly effective and ethical charities.

• GuideStar.org: A huge searchable database with up-to-date data on every nonprofit registered with the IRS as tax exempt.

• Give.org: BB Wise Giving Alliance provides charity evaluation reports based on 20 standards that measure governance, results reporting, finances, and truthful and transparent communications.

Now that you know charitable work and giving have been proven to enhance happiness, you may be wondering where to start in finding the nonprofit that’s the best fit for you to help. The sheer number of volunteer opportunities available can be overwhelming, so we put together some quick resources to point you in the right direction.

Finally, once you’ve whittled your selections down to just a few nonprofits, contact them to schedule an interview, attend an event, or possibly shadow another volunteer. Putting time and effort into choosing how you donate your time and money will ensure you are giving back to a nonprofit as well as to your own mental health.