2021 RNG SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER

LEAVING NO STORY, AND NO ONE, BEHIND

Over the last two decades I have listened as Gold Star family members shared stories of loved ones with a steadfast focus on how they lived rather than how they died. A common goal is always getting others to see and say their service member’s name as a means to keep their memory alive for future generations. That is the exact work of the soldier featured on this issue’s cover.

Retired Army Col. Franklin Childress was supposed to be at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. He had recently started a new position there days prior, but delivery of his household goods kept him at home that Tuesday morning — and likely saved his life. Since then, Childress has devoted his days to telling the stories of the men and women who were lost, including through a memorial setup within the halls of the Pentagon.

[Read his story on page 10]

The backdrop of the 20th anniversary coincided with horrific events playing out in Afghanistan. Before the Taliban’s takeover of key cities, we had already been in talks with advocates fighting to bring Afghan interpreters to safety ahead of the U.S. withdrawal, like Maj. Alea Nadeem. She shares the powerful truth that “They [interpreters] worked for us and with us because they believed in American values and principles.”

Her organization, No One Left Behind, began its work long before the headlines hit this August. Learn more about supporting its efforts on page 16.

contributors

Jennifer Barnhill

Jessica Manfre

Kristen De Deyn Kirk

Bryan Kirk

Crystal Kupper

Kari Williams

Teal Yost

Chris Adams

Kate Lewis

Shelbie Goulding

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@RNGmagazine

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EDITOR’S NOTE: In the JulAug issue, the Rapid Fire article on Staff Sgt. Jodi Johnson, an airman who appeared on “Botched” after 15 traumatic surgeries, should have included additional clarification on the reasoning behind her reconstructive surgery. The background on her journey can be found online at www.reservenationalguard.com/off-duty/botchedappearance-gives-airman-fresh-shot-happiness.

Bianca M. Strzalkowski Managing Editor

ABOUT THE COVER

Franklin Childress, a retired Army officer, currently works as the deputy director of Army Reserve Strategic Communications at the Pentagon. Photo by Trish Alegre-Smith.

by Bianca Strzalkowski

Hawaii congressman leads with ‘serve before self’ mentality

by Chris Adams

US Military WarDogs build baseball team with talent from all military branches

by Shelbie Goulding

by Jennifer Barnhill

by Crystal Kupper

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Editorial comments can be emailed to: managing.editor@ameriforcemedia.com

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SURVEY REVEALS SPOUSES’ SATISFACTION WITH MILITARY LIFE

BY JENNIFER BARNHILL

Information from the 2019 National Guard and Reserve Component Spouse survey revealed more than half of spouses are satisfied with the National Guard/ Reserve way of life. However, responses were captured prior to the global pandemic that set off an increased op tempo along with a number of activations for domestic issues, such as missions for civil unrest, vaccination distribution, election security, and natural disaster response. Still, Patty Barron, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy, says

surveying families is important because it “allows us to do a better job in supporting them.”

“There’s a misconception sometimes that we’ve forgotten completely about this reserve component, but we really truly haven’t. But sometimes as they [families] find it harder to access information, we find it hard to connect with them,” Barron said.

Air National Guard spouse Carolyn Chase with husband, Eric, sons Tyler, Jackson, and Evan, and daughter Ella. Although eligible, Carolyn has had issues accessing EFMP services for her children.

The Department of Defense released its findings from a survey intended to identify the needs of military spouses.

What does the survey say about military life pre-pandemic?

The DOD utilizes survey data to create and inform programmatic decisions. Key findings from the 2019 Survey of Reserve Component Spouses include:

• 61% of spouses were satisfied with the military way of life, steady since 2009 with 66% favoring staying in the National Guard/reserves.

• Four in 10 spouses reported their husband/wife had been activated in the past 24 months.

• A majority (63%) of spouses who interacted with a unit or service point of contact during their husband/ wife’s deployment were satisfied with the assistance they received.

• 15% of spouses rated their level of personal stress as higher than usual in 2019.

• Half of spouses (49%) reported their child’s behavior at home was impacted by their spouse’s deployment.

But it is unclear whether these findings still align with what families are currently experiencing.

“So that whole concept of the old-fashioned traditional reserves, really has gone away,” said Air Force Reserve Command spouse Paloma Greenwald. “The service member is very clearly working two jobs, and a 40-hour work week doesn’t exist. That has an enormous impact on families. So, the commitment to serve is a big sacrifice, not only to the service member but especially to their spouses and kids.”

COVID-19’s impact on the Guard and reserves

Greenwald’s story is not unfamiliar to leadership. Barron admitted that COVID-19 has amplified an already activated force, placing more strain on families.

“Did that spouse who had worked a job lose that job or choose not to work during COVID because they were trying to take care of kids at home and all that went along with it?”

Leadership is keenly aware the data doesn’t paint a complete picture and urges families to continue to share their stories through surveys. In addition to surveying families, Barron says the DOD is proactively monitoring reserve component family issues, like the stress levels and feelings of isolation

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felt by 2019 survey takers. In addition, they are also keeping an eye on newly-emerging issues like food insecurity.

In fact, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Duckworth sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin, III after a report from the U.S. Census Bureau emerged detailing “extreme food insecurity” among members of the National Guard and reserves. The senators are “requesting information regarding the scope of hunger among these service members, the extent to which widespread hunger among troops and their families presents national security concerns, and the Department of Defense’s plans to fix this indefensible situation,” according to the letter

Increased activation doesn’t equal increased programming

For some reserve component spouses, it seems irrelevant whether their spouses are activated under Title 10 or Title 32 orders, they just know they need help during sustained deployments. So, when Air National Guard spouse Carolyn Chase’s husband finally became entitled to receive Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) services, she was looking forward to utilizing respite care to lighten the load.

But simply being eligible meant she could apply for, but not immediately receive these services for her children. She was told that due to their remote location “no one else in your area has EFMP, there’s no provider for you,” Chase says. “We need you to go find a provider that is willing to do the Air Force background check.”

But the frustration is not limited to EFMP or remote locations.

“You have a timeline before you have to disenroll again,” said Brandie Berish, whose husband has previously served in the reserve components of the Air Force. “Right when you gain those programs and the ability to get your child or your spouse help that they need, whether it’s medical, or a therapist, you lose it.”

Barron urges spouses to continue to share their experiences, stating “we definitely use the information that we get from the surveys and adjust or create programs based on the findings.”

If you are a military spouse looking to utilize current programming for careers, education, and more, visit Military OneSource at www.militaryonesource.mil.

2021 CITIZEN SOLDIER AWARD COASTIE RECEIVES

BY JESSICA MANFRE

The Pritzker Military Museum and Library will present the award in October to retired Rear Adm. Dr. Richard W. Schneider, a career coastie and lifelong academic who attributes the honor to his roots.

Schneider’s story of service begins long before graduating from the Coast Guard Academy in 1968. In fact, his true journey to serving in America’s oldest seagoing service started over 100 years ago.

“My hero was my grandfather on my mother’s side. At 14 years old, he ran away to sea from Scotland with his brother in the early 1900s. He came to America for a better life,” he explained.

Schneider’s grandfather enlisted for six months in the Coast Guard. After just three months, the work was too much and he gave his uniform to his brother

in order to complete the obligation.

“In those days they didn’t care as long as they had an ablebodied seaman,” he laughed.

His grandfather eventually became a ship captain in the Merchant Marines. Though his grandfather loved being a “merchie,” he’d be called back to service.

“World War I broke out and the Navy grabbed him up, making him a lieutenant commander on the spot with a ship,” he said.

Following the Great War, he continued to serve with the Merchant Marines until World War II.

This time, the Navy made him a captain.

“They sent him to help plan the invasion of Normandy because

he was from Scotland and knew all the ins and outs of the harbors,” Schneider said.

His grandfather sank one of the first German U-Boats, earning the Navy Cross.

Schneider shared that at one point his grandfather was rescued by the Coast Guard.

“He told me that I wouldn’t be alive without them because your mother would have never been born. I was around 12 years old when he told me and it made a big impact.”

Growing up with these stories led him to apply for the Coast Guard Academy because, Schneider says, he owed his life to the service. He was initially listed as an alternate, but received a telegram acceptance a week before class started with 24 hours to decide. Since he’d been slated as an alternate, he’d

already accepted a spot in the Merchant Marine Academy.

“I told my dad to write a telegram to the Coast Guard that I was coming and write to the Merchant Marines that I wasn’t,” he said.

Schneider felt he had to work hard to earn his last minute spot and in 1968 he graduated at the top of his class and as a regimental commander.

A year later, Schneider was assigned to a ship as a gunnery officer. It was immediately deployed to the Vietnam War.

After his return, Schneider says he fell in love with academia and earned a Master of Liberal Studies. He was teaching physics at the academy until his wife, Beth, became gravely ill.

In those days, Coast Guard dependents were at the bottom

A retired Coast Guard Reserve rear admiral was named to receive an award that “honors a person who exemplifies the traditions of the citizen soldier set by George Washington.”

of the list for resources and care, especially where he was near Fort Eustis, he said.

Beth passed away at just 40 years old. With four young daughters to raise, he transitioned into the Coast Guard Reserve after eight years of active service.

“You can’t go to sea and just leave four little kids at home alone,” he said.

Schneider went to work for the University of Delaware, earning his PhD in public policy while he was a professor. From there he went to Drexel University as a vice president in 1986, all the while continuing his service in the Coast Guard Reserve.

One military academy took notice.

“Norwich University came looking for me because they found I was an academic with an earned PhD, had teaching experience and I also had military experience. They asked me to be their president and I loved it there for 28 years,” he said with a smile.

The nation’s oldest private military academy was founded over 200 years ago by a retired Army captain who was disappointed with the educational trajectory he was seeing. A West Point graduate himself, it was Alden Partridge that originated the “long grey line” we see today. Norwich is also the birthplace of ROTC.

So, what did everyone think of a coastie in charge of what was thought of as a soldier’s academy? Initially, it wasn’t well received.

“I got hate mail for the first three years from the Army guys. Now they all love me and it’s fine but it was not fine in the beginning,” Schneider laughed.

Not only did he grow on the alumni and ardent supporters of Norwich University but he himself discovered a second shot at love with his now wife of 22 years, Jamie. In 1998, he retired from service after 30 years of service.

In 2020, he was ready to say goodbye to his role as president, too. His retirement from Norwich University was a momentous occasion considering how fewer than 5% of the nation’s college presidents serve more than 20 years.

Schneider’s dedication to his students, education, and the military were noticed by the historic Pritzker Military Museum and Library. On Oct. 21, he’ll be recognized for a lifetime of service.

“What the Pritzker did to honor me with this national citizen soldier award, even though I’m a coastie, just wow,” he said.

“His tenure and dedication to sacrifice and service, both at this higher education institution, which is the birthplace of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), and as a member of the military community, showcases his embodiment of the citizen soldier ideals - duty, sacrifice, service before self, courage, and patriotism. We are proud to honor his legacy and achievements,” Susan Rifkin, Chief Operating Officer of Philanthropic Activities, stated in a press release.

The inaugural recipient of the award was former Sen. Bob Dole, a World War II veteran, who received the honor in 2020.

RETIRED ARMY OFFICER COMMITS

LIFE TO HONORING COLLEAGUES WHO DIED AT PENTAGON

BY BIANCA STRZALKOWSKI

Retired Army Col. Franklin Childress has spent the past two decades ensuring the legacies of soldiers never die. Childress was assigned to work at the Pentagon just days before the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. If delivery of his household goods had not been delayed, there is a good chance he would have been at his office that Tuesday morning.

Instead, he was sitting outside of temporary housing when he heard a “sonic boom.” He says he had no idea what had happened.

“I didn’t have a clue that the Pentagon had been hit; I didn’t have a clue that the World Trade Center had been hit. I was just sitting there, no TV, just journaling. At about 10:15 or so, my pastor

from Hawaii called me and said, ‘Franklin, are you alright?’” Childress said. “I felt like the world was ending… I put my uniform on and went down to the Pentagon.”

But the FBI wouldn’t let him in because it was deemed a crime scene. Childress said he felt useless as he watched smoke billowing from the building. Soon he would learn that many of the people who were his new colleagues — including his sponsor — had died that day.

“Immediately I kind of felt survivor’s guilt because I was supposed to be there, and it was a miracle that I wasn’t… I felt like, ‘Why am I here and so many people were killed?’”

But he later realized what his new purpose would be.

‘Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.’

PHOTOS BY TRISH ALEGRE-SMITH

The South Carolina native grew up in the small town of Laurens, where he was raised by a father who “never wanted to leave the county.” The concept of military service was introduced to Childress during his teen years when someone brought up the idea of ROTC.

“I kind of found my calling in the Army,” he said. “I went to Air Assault School while I was in college. I was the operations officer at the ROTC detachment. I basically just went whole hog Army… Everything I did in college, just about, was Army.”

He described himself as “one of those guys that is living the American dream,” with his career taking him all over the world. Childress says that because of his assignments and experiences, he was no stranger to death — but death happening at home was something new to process.

“An attack on the homeland. It was the seminal moment for a generation,” Childress said. “I was a lieutenant colonel; I had served as an airborne infantry ranger, doing all these things and then … as a soldier to have it happen in the homeland, it was really an enemy attacking us here. I felt very angry and on edge because what’s going to be the next thing that happens here?”

From Sept. 14, 2001, through Jan. 26, 2002, Childress attended funerals for those who died. The backdrop of the services at Arlington was the gash in the Pentagon. He recalled the eeriness of it and how depressed he felt.

His role at the Pentagon morphed because they needed somebody to handle media inquiries for what was going on with the heroes, victims, and survivors.

“I felt I helped by helping the victims’ survivors,” Childress said. “Telling their stories was very cathartic to me, and it gave

for my life.”

In the months and years that followed, Childress has remained committed to the singular phrase, “Never forget.” He advocated for soldier’s medals, organized a memorial service, and helped create a memorial within the Pentagon that showcases the names and images of those who died — a project he called a “labor of love.”

Childress went on to retire from the Army after 30 years, but today finds himself back at the Pentagon as the deputy director of Army Reserve Strategic Communications. He says that no matter how much time passes, that day never leaves him.

“It always stays with me, to be honest with you,” Childress said. “When I walk down that corridor, to see those faces brings back those memories. They’re never far from me. … I never forget those people. We don’t need to think about Sept. 11 as a thing that happened far back in history. We need to remember it and remember that it can happen again. We can never allow something that horrific to happen again.”

me a sense of purpose and a sense of meaning

Childress explains the path Flight 77 took when it hit the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.

On display within the halls of the Pentagon are memorial quilts that were sent by Americans after the attack. Among them is one showing Jim Lynch, who was known as the “Candy Man.”

FREEDOM AWARD WINNERS NAMED

BY KRISTEN DE DEYN KIRK

Eight years ago, Army National Guard Lt. Col. Dan O’Meara considered a job as a pilot with Marcus Construction in Willmar, Minnesota. Owner Ross Marcus needed someone to fly his company twin-engine German plane, and O’Meara pegged him as a supportive boss. After saying yes to the job, O’Meara had a conversation with Marcus that confirmed his hunch.

“Ross offered me the company plane,” O’Meara said, “to fly from my hometown to the Army Aviation Support Facility in St. Paul two hours away.”

Then, when O’Meara was deployed, his wife, Sheila, and their three boys got a surprise: Every Wednesday for four months, Marcus Construction provided dinner. The employees’ good nature and shared military connection – out of 60, 15 are veterans and two serve in the national guard — spurred them to donate the meals when Marcus Construction Marketing Director Sara Goebel floated the idea.

The two generous acts are part of the reason why O’Meara nominated Marcus Construction for the 2021 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the U.S. government’s highest honor to civilian employers of reservists and National Guardsmen.

“It is humbling to receive the outstanding support I do,” O’Meara said. “Without it, I simply would not be able to continue to serve.”

From 3,382 nominations, the Department of Defense chose Marcus Construction and 14 other organizations in July as winners. The complete honoree list of employers includes:

Arizona

Texas

Prudential Financial

Yankton School District

Wisconsin

South Dakota

Lt. Col. Dan O’Meara

“The award was established 25 years ago to provide high-level recognition to employers who go far beyond the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) requirements,” Marianne Downs, chief of public affairs at the Department of Defense, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, said. “There’s a lot of friendly competition among employers to achieve this distinction.”

Along with working disaster and overseas missions, members of the National Guard and reserves recently played a critical role in the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest responses, with tens of thousands mobilized. The employees’ absence, which can be prolonged, might create a financial and personnel hardship for employers, Downs noted.

“It’s more important than ever to recognize the sacrifices employers have made,” she said.

Employees mentioned the following when nominating their employers for the Freedom Award:

• Enhanced pay and benefit packages

• Flexible scheduling

• Generous leave policies

• Pre- and post-deployment support

• Robust training for human resource professionals and managers to support military-serving employees

• Sending care packages

• Assisting their families with home repairs

• Including their families in company functions

• Providing additional financial assistance to their families

Army Reserve Spc. Roxana “Karina” Banaduc nominated Freedom Award winner HCA Healthcare – Grand Strand Medical Center. She found her employer extraordinary from day one. As she was immigrating from Romania, HCA Healthcare opened its doors to Banaduc while she had a work permit as part of the federal government’s optional practical training initiative. The program allows foreign students to work in their field in the U.S.

Later officially hired by HCA Healthcare as a registered nurse, Banaduc was called to serve as a combat medic for a COVID-related assignment in Newark, New Jersey. She was in the middle of her orientation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

“I was granted more orientation time when I returned,” Banaduc shared. “My journey has

been a complicated one from the start, but I could always count on HCA Healthcare for anything I needed. My managers and supervisors are very understanding and support my military obligations, including drill, annual training, military schools, and deployments.”

Two of HCA Healthcare’s founders, Dr. Thomas Frist, Sr. and Dr. Thomas Frist, Jr., served in the Army and the Air Force. The healthcare system has hired more than 40,000 veterans, active-duty service members, and military spouses since 2012. Dedicated

departments recruit and assist militaryconnected employees.

“To be recognized nationally as an organization that supports our colleagues’ military service is an accomplishment our whole community can take pride in,” said Mark Sims, chief executive officer at HCA Healthcare’s Grand Strand Medical Center.

Visit www.esgr.mil/EmployerAwards/ESGR-Awards-Programs to learn more about nominating an outstanding civilian employer.

PROGRAM VITAL FOR INTERNATIONAL

RELATIONS

BY BRYAN KIRK

The State Partnership Program has expanded to include 83 partnerships with 90 nations around the globe, according to the National Guard Bureau.

Known as the SPP, the program is administered by the Bureau but executed by the state’s adjutant general in alignment with Department of Defense policy goals.

Many of these partnerships are with countries that were once part of the old Soviet Union or were among the Eastern Bloc countries allied with the Soviet regime. North Carolina National Guard, as an example, is partnered with Moldova, Tennessee National Guard partners with Bulgaria, and Illinois National Guard has a partnership with Poland.

Earlier this year, Minnesota National Guard celebrated the 25th anniversary of its partnership with Croatia, a former Eastern Bloc country that became a member of NATO in 2009, according to a press release.

Senior Croatian military leadership visited Camp Riley last month where they met with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and were able to become familiar with the UH-60 Black Hawk.

Adm. Robert Hranj, the Croatian Chief of Defense who was part of the delegation visiting Camp Riley, praised the SPP relationship, which he said has helped make them stronger.

“We came out of the war-torn country, we joined NATO, we joined the EU, we’ve participated in many international operations, many times with Minnesota National Guard units, making on some occasions joint units,” Hranj said. “And for all these changes in the Croatian military,

cooperation with the Minnesota National Guard played a huge role.”

Maj. Gen. Michael Wickman, commanding general of the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division, referred to the relationship between the two as a “bedrock of professionalism.” He said the partnership helped build a relationship of trust and cooperation between both countries, which included sending joint mentoring teams to Afghanistan in 2008.

“That was such a significant measure of operational success for this partnership program,” said Wickman. “It shows interoperability in a combat situation.”

Retired Lt. Col. Greg Scofield served as the bilateral affairs officer for the Minnesota National Guard from 2002 until his retirement in 2011 and was helping, early on, to build that relationship, shortly after the Croatian military joined the SPP.

“We helped lay the ground work for the Partnership for Peace Program, which helped them get admitted into NATO,” he said.

The California Army National Guard, which began partnering with Ukraine in 1993, has one of the longest relationships in the SPP. The partnership, which began just two years after the Soviet Union collapsed, has played a key role in enhanced soldier readiness and helped build an unbreakable spirit of cooperation between the two nations.

“The California National Guard partnership with Ukraine contributes to our military readiness by strengthening our individual service members’ knowledge of their military occupational specialty,” said Lt. Col. Brandon Hill, who serves as the director of Strategic Communications for the California Military Department. “It is one thing to know how to do your own job, but it develops core competencies by training a member of a foreign military that same skill set. This can be something as simple as a small team of our soldiers who trained some vehicle mechanics from the Armed Forces of Ukraine on how we do maintenance, order parts, and report vehicle maintenance, which sharpens the skills of those non-commissioned officers and enlisted soldiers by giving them real world training opportunities.”

In September 2006, members of California Air National Guard took part in a joint emergency readiness exercise with the Ukraine military, that also included Moldova, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, and in 2015 members of the CANG deployed to Ukraine to train their troops for a possible conflict with Russia.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, travel has completely stopped, which has resulted in the CANG and Ukrainian military relying on alternative means of training.

“In the past year, the State Partnership Program was able to execute multiple virtual engagements with our Ukrainian partners focusing on NATO staff functions, medical readiness, recruiting & retention, and officer career management,” Hill said. “The exchanging of best practices between CANG and Ukrainian military personnel has significant benefits for both parties. We each learn from each other, share experiences, and broaden our understanding of the topics being covered. At a minimum, our engagements serve as a physical representation of the United States’ unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty in the face of Russian aggression.”

Hill praised the nearly 30-year partnership with Ukraine, which he said has helped make both countries better prepared to meet international challenges — particularly those in Europe — adding that he’s hopeful that the partnership can last for many more years.

Maj. Gen. Johanna Clyborne, assistant adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard, speaks to troops completing the Croatian Armed Forces Best Soldier Competition at the Eugene Kvaternik Military Training Area in Slunj, Croatia. Photo by Sgt. Samantha Hircock.

AIRMAN PLEDGES TO LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND

BY CRYSTAL KUPPER

Maj. Alea Nadeem spent the first 12 years of her life in Mosul, Iraq. Her father was Iraqi, her mother American. She eventually moved to Ohio, got degrees in criminology and social work in New Mexico and California, joined the Air Force Reserve and began working as a congressional and budget liaison at the Pentagon.

Nadeem was an all-American success story, “one of the lucky ones,” she said, to escape the Saddam Hussein regime. So as the war on terrorism slogged on, Nadeem zeroed in on a very specific group of people to

help: interpreters who worked for the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last 18 years. She felt a kinship with them, she explains.

“I want Americans to realize what these people did to work with us. They didn’t just work for a paycheck,” Nadeem said. “They worked for us and with us because they believed in American values and principles.”

“Because of that, they have been and are being slaughtered. The terrorists are literally beheading interpreters.”

An Air Force reservist with personal ties to Iraq is rallying to ensure no Iraqi or Afghan interpreter who helped the U.S. military gets left behind.

Nadeem poses with Mike and (left) Fritz Sleigher, a retired Marine, and (right) Christopher Petkas, a Navy veteran.

SIV Mike is a Special Immigrant Visa holder from Iraq who joined the Marines and graduated this year.

Serving the SIVs

Nadeem is a board member and volunteer with No One Left Behind (NOLB), the world’s only nonprofit dedicated to serving Afghan and Iraqi interpreters who worked for the U.S. military. NOLB helps interpreters and their families escape the retaliatory violence of their home countries through special U.S. visas called SIVs (Special Immigrant Visa). They also greet the men and women at the airport, help them find housing and transportation, and do whatever else necessary for integration into their new country.

“We try to meet them where they’re at,” said Nadeem. “We know that if you can get off on the right footing, you’ll be a great member of society.”

Each interpreter’s situation is different. Sometimes they already have family or friends in the U.S. and a temporary place to stay, Nadeem said, but another might need an apartment and transportation to job interviews. NOLB has purchased groceries, used cars, furniture, and household items for their clients — spending anywhere from $100 up to $10,000.

Before that photogenic airport arrival, Nadeem and her NOLB colleagues help the interpreters navigate the arduous task of obtaining a SIV. The process can take years — but President Biden’s announcement of an American exit from Afghanistan has accelerated the urgency of NOLB’s mission. The charity, based in Washington, D.C., estimates there are still 18,000 interpreters especially vulnerable to terrorist violence once American forces completely withdraw.

“These folks have a bullseye on them,” Nadeem said. “Not only is helping them after they helped us the moral and right thing to do, but from a humanitarian perspective, how do you look away from that?”

The happy & hard

Since joining NOLB in 2019, Nadeem has spent about 10 hours a week working on approximately 20 cases. She loves greeting families at airports, especially when they have young children in tow.

“There was a family from Afghanistan with a young daughter, and she was holding the American flag,” Nadeem remembered. “It was just this moment, like, ‘Little girl, your life is going to be better, and you’re going to make it.’”

Nadeem occasionally keeps in contact with interpreters she has helped, such as a man who now goes by Mike. Their Iraqi hometowns are only 45 minutes apart, and Mike could not contain his excitement at a shared dinner over being in the states. Within a year, Mike joined the Marine Corps, and Nadeem attended his boot camp graduation at Parris Island.

“I’m just so proud of him!” Nadeem said. “He has done something most Americans don’t do, and it’s so humbling.”

Those are the happy endings Nadeem cherishes. But there are other cases — not just numbers, but real, human lives — that stick with her. In 2020 alone, NOLB assisted 636 SIV families in 93 cities across 20 states at a cost of $430,000. But Nadeem estimates that thousands of interpreters and their relatives have been murdered before NOLB could help them.

“The hardest moment is feeling like I’m not doing enough and not being to help everybody, because I know there is someone falling through the cracks,” she said.

NOLB hopes to someday cease operations — because there will be no more interpreters left to help.

“These people opened their doors to us when we were in their countries,” Nadeem said. “The least we can do is reciprocate.”

A little girl who was greeted by the No One Left Behind team after traveling to the U.S. with her family from Afghanistan.

team, and advocacy efforts.

Duckworth: ‘The cost for Afghanistan is not over’

BY JESSICA MANFRE

Before being elected to represent Illinois in the Senate, Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s roots ran deep within the U.S. military. She joined the Army Reserve Training Corps in 1990 after graduating from George Washington University, following a family tradition since her own father had served in both World War II and the Vietnam War.

In fact, her family had served in every major conflict dating back to the Revolutionary War.

She began a Ph.D. program when she was called to war. Duckworth was in the Army National Guard flying helicopters until her deployment in 2004 when she was shot down by Iraqi insurgents. She became the first female American amputee of the war, losing both legs due to the attack. She went on to serve in uniform until she retired in 2014 and successfully ran for Senate two years later.

As the country marks 20 years since the day that changed everything, Duckworth is reflective of how much it changed her life.

“I think that what 9/11 did was it just changed the trajectory of so many military careers and military families. The National Guard is a good example, the reserve forces. The op-tempo for the last 20 years has been crazy high,” she said.

Before the events of 9/11,

members of the reserve component maintained a predictable schedule and the opportunities for deployment were minimal. Duckworth acknowledged the good and bad, sharing how although it was a challenging time to maintain a civilian career it also absolutely proved the capabilities of reserve forces.

“It changed the dynamic between active duty and reserve forces. But on the other hand, it created this whole challenge for those families because now you have reserve families who aren’t on bases and don’t have wraparound services. Very often they were off by themselves,” she explained. “It added a level of complexity to the lives of our military families that just wasn’t there and it was sustained for the last 20 years.”

In 2020, the nation recorded 1 million guardsmen and reservists being called up to serve in the war on terrorism. President Joe Biden announced a troop withdrawal plan for Afghanistan earlier this year, and though news pundits have referenced the closing of a chapter, Duckworth says the aftermath of war will continue to reveal itself.

“You’ve got those, like me, who are wounded and will need long-term care for the rest of our lives ... That’s going to last for decades. But then we have these illnesses that will not manifest itself for 15 or 20 years. I think

we have an Agent Orange situation happening,” Duckworth explained.

She was adamant in her belief that the effects of the war conditions may not show up for decades, similar to what was experienced by Vietnam veterans.

“It’s going to hit ... we better be ready,” Duckworth said.

The burn pits and respiratory conditions of combat zones are already making waves. In April of 2021 the DOD estimated that around 3.5 million veterans had been exposed to the toxic fumes of burn pits. Despite this, 75% of veterans’ claims were denied by the VA.

“It behooves us and behooves advocates to make sure that the American people understand that there is potential for a situation where troops will not be taken care of because the price tag will be too high. I see

that in Congress all the time,” Duckworth said.

She also referenced the public not recognizing the true cost of war, with the majority thinking about the budget for maintaining bases or building things like new helicopters.

“We don’t think about the 40 years of health care support ... when we talk about the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and pulling our troops from Afghanistan. We need to have a real honest conversation with the American people that the cost for Afghanistan is not over,” Duckworth explained. “Let’s be honest about how much it costs to go to war.”

As Americans sit in remembrance for the lives lost to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and to the 20 years of war that followed, Duckworth hopes we’ll all be ready for what’s coming.

An Iraq War veteran who has served in the U.S. Senate since 2016 is raising awareness of the long-lasting effects of America’s two-decades-long conflict.

NAVY VETERANS

BREW UP BUSINESS

THE READY ROOM

BY KARI WILLIAMS

“Our style isn’t to ask our friends for money,” said McLaughlin, who joined the Navy in 2001 and served 10 years active duty and two years in the reserves.

But friends from their flying days approached the duo, at one point making the distillery 95% veteran owned.

“That only changed when we got a public company invested in us in 2018,” McLaughlin said.

Throughout their journey, McLaughlin and Watkins’ military background has been a “defining characteristic” of Old Line Spirits, according to McLaughlin.

“Our brand is built around the idea of bold stories,” said McLaughlin, who ended his Navy career as a lieutenant commander. “Our bold story is the Navy.”

Their background, according to McLaughlin, shows up in how they interact with customers and employees. For Watkins, it has been a “huge” benefit.

“Not just the fact that we’re veterans, but veterans of the same community so we speak the same language,” Watkins said. “We can tell allegorical stories that help drive home a point.”

While anchored in Navy culture, it was a Vietnam War-era Army veteran who helped catapult Watkins and McLaughlin into the whiskey industry.

McLaughlin met Bob Stilnovich, who owned Golden Distillery north of Seattle, at an American Distilling Institute conference in Seattle in 2015. Stilnovich was looking to sell the distillery

because his business partner had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

So, McLaughlin and Watkins raised the funds and later lived in Stilnovich’s guest house on Samish Island to learn how to make single-malt whiskey.

“The single malt thing fell in our lap,” McLaughlin said. “I didn’t realize at the time what a big opportunity that was … There was really a very, very small number of American single malts.”

Watkins, who was commissioned in 1998 and ended his Navy career as a commander, said partnering with McLaughlin felt like a “natural fit.” The two got to know each other in the Navy Reserve while stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island with the Electronic Attack Squadron 209.

Their friendship grew over time, from flying EA-6B Prowlers in the reserves to living in the same Baltimore neighborhood after active duty. McLaughlin said both he and Watkins received a “ton of satisfaction” serving in the military. But when McLaughlin shifted into the banking industry, it couldn’t fill the gap the Navy left.

“The Navy chapter of life was over, and this was a way to get back into something I thought I could love and hopefully make a living doing it,” McLaughlin said.

If he was going to make a change, McLaughlin said, he wanted it to be for something he was really interested in.

“There’s just this whole fascinating, wonderful, kind of romantic culture around [whiskey],” McLaughlin said.

Watkins, however, said he has become more interested in whiskey as he got older, and his interest lies more in the technical side of the business where he can apply his engineering skills.

In trying to secure a location for Old Line Spirits, McLaughlin said what should have taken three months turned into a two-year process that led to a partnership with Middle West Spirits in Ohio.

“In hindsight, it was a good thing,” McLaughlin said. “By being forced to go out there and work with them, we just learned so much.”

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, McLaughlin said, Old Line was able to grow, even as sales beyond their home market

“almost came to a complete halt.”

“Old Line is enough of a household name out here that we actually hit all of our target numbers for the year, actually exceeded them,” he said.

Old Line Spirits sells its products in its home market of Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C., as well as New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Colorado.

Some Navy exchanges in Maryland and Virginia also carry Old Line products.

Moving forward, McLaughlin said, they would like to expand to Illinois, Florida, and Texas, as well as expand their presence in Navy exchanges.

When Navy veterans Mark McLaughlin and Arch Watkins opened Old Line Spirits in 2017, they didn’t intend to have financial backing from fellow service members. But that’s exactly what happened.

The families are giving up so much. And when one of these service members is wounded, the families sometimes don’t have ample support. The Elizabeth Dole Foundation wants to bring more awareness to this, to elevate our Guard families with more recognition, support, and resources,” said Elizabeth Rotenberry, Fellows Program Manager for the Foundation.

Among those fellows is Jennifer Briest, of South Dakota, who cares for her husband, Corey. She says she was unfamiliar with military lingo and terminology 16 years ago.

“I didn’t consider myself a military spouse. My husband was in the National Guard. We weren’t living the military life day in and day out,” Briest said.

New fellows class gives voice to caregivers National Guard

BY TEAL YOST

The Elizabeth Dole Foundation announced its newest class of caregiver fellows, which includes two family members currently caring for loved ones who served in the National Guard.

The 11 fellows join the 225 past and present Dole Caregiver Fellows who represent all 50

states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia to bring attention to the tremendous challenges facing America’s 5.5 million hidden heroes, according to a press release. While the Foundation typically selects 2530 fellows each year, this smaller group is focused specifically on the military caregivers who may have been underrepresented

in past years. That included recognizing the unique challenges National Guard families experience as military caregivers.

“The reserve and Guard families don’t get the appreciation they deserve. Oftentimes, these individuals are activated and are doing long tours of service.

When Corey deployed to Iraq with the South Dakota National Guard for a second time, she didn’t have a Family Readiness Group or even live in a community with a military presence. Briest was just 23 when she went from being a wife, mother of two, and brand-new elementary school teacher to adding military caregiver to her list of titles.

“There was so much I didn’t understand,” Briest said.

Corey was injured in an IED blast on Dec. 4, 2005, that killed three of his fellow service members.

“When I got to his side, I saw how severe the injuries were, but it wasn’t until we got to the Minneapolis VA a month later that I realized caring for Corey was going to be my full-time job now. I needed to be there 24 hours a day.”

Briest said that day in December was life-altering in more ways than one, but she didn’t expect how much the event would change her.

“If a person would have met me before Corey’s injuries — they

The Briest family

would have described me as easy-going, very “go with the flow.” I’ve changed as a person. I’ve learned to be assertive and learned to speak up for the needs of Corey, and for the needs of other caregivers.”

While the road is not easy for anyone caring for a wounded warrior, Briest thinks their situation presented additional challenges.

“As a member of the National Guard, we feel like Corey fell through the cracks. The Guard felt like his care should fall under the Army and vice-versa,” Briest recalled.

As a 2021 Elizabeth Dole Fellow, she hopes to make things easier on reserve component families who may have to go down a similar road in the future.

“We can’t change what happened to us, but we can work to make this road a better one for the next family that has to go through this. There’s been so much red tape.”

Fellow Christine Hahn, who cares for her daughter in Wisconsin, agrees.

“You’re in a constant mental battle mode. You’re always on guard, always looking for answers, always advocating for your loved one,” Hahn said.

Her daughter, Angie, was serving in the Wisconsin National Guard and was activated by the Army in 2008. It was then that Angie fell and hit her head while stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. At 60, Hahn thought she was a few years from retirement when her daughter suffered a brain injury during surgery.

“We were bounced around constantly while the Army and Guard argued about who was responsible for Angie’s care,” she said.

That retirement came earlier than expected.

“I was missing too much work going to doctor’s appointments. Someone had to go with her that could ask and answer questions. Someone needed to be an advocate,” Hahn said.

She said it was other caregivers who told her she had a voice.

“Other patients’ families encouraged me to stand up for my daughter.”

As a fellow, Hahn says she hopes to help injured veterans get the physical and mental therapy they need.

“If I can accomplish that, I’ll be able to sleep at night. If you make the veteran’s life easier, life for the caregiver is easier,” she said.

The Elizabeth Dole Foundation hopes these National Guard caregiver voices bring about change.

“Our fellows are our advocates,” said Rotenberry. “Their stories helped shape the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and shape the work we’re doing every day through legislation, programming, and more.”

ADDITIONAL 2021 DOLE CAREGIVER FELLOWS INCLUDE:

Jose Alvarez-Santa Ana, California

Ilihia Gionson-Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Angelena Taylor-Detroit, Michigan

April Mulvey-Birdsboro, Pennsylvania

Georgette Wenton-Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

Debra Barker-Dayton, Texas

Linda Mais-El Paso, Texas

Candance Laguna-Temple, Texas

Kristin Christensen-Everett, Washington

HAWAII MENTALITY

BY CHRIS ADAMS

Many will argue that commitment is a character element absent in people these days. An example could be one choosing not to veer off their trajectory for the greater good. That’s recognizable. For first-term Congressman Kai Kahele (D-Hawaii), it’s the converse. Commitment is real. It’s a part of day-to-day living.

“To help the state of Hawaii. To bring all the skills and the experience I had to that air mobility COVID-19 operation that delivered supplies and equipment and eventually vaccines and PPEs all across the state.”

The native Hawaiian is a member of the Air National Guard who commissioned in 2001 and pledged to serve his community, state and country when he signed up. That commitment is like an attaché case cuffed to his wrist.

Kahele initially joined the Guard in 1999 and completed a year of Air Force pilot training in Mississippi in 2001. Ultimately, he was selected to fly F-15s by the Hawaii National Guard.

“So for me, for all of about eight or nine months of my military career as a commissioned officer

Someone said that there is only one type of commitment. Total. It’s a concept that’s applied to life’s endless situations or circumstances.

Kahele left the campaign trail last year to battle the pandemic with the National Guard.

leads with ‘serve before self’ CONGRESSMAN

… we’ve been a nation at war for 19 years of my military career,” he said.

Kahele soon found himself deployed to Afghanistan. His commission hit warp-speed pace, as he became an aircraft commander and C-17 instructor pilot leading multiple C-17 missions into combat.

In 2016, he was elected to the Hawaii State Senate and currently serves in the Air National Guard out of Hickam Air Force Base on Oahu.

This former University of Hawaii volleyball player brings a unique perspective to the District of Columbia: his military service.

“I’ve always been somebody who’s wanted to be … boots on the ground, walking with the soldiers and the airmen,” he said. “And I think that’s the only way you really understand what the reality is like for those soldiers, those airmen, their children, their husbands, their wives, their families that they leave to answer the call.”

Kahele said fighting the global war on terror comprised a demanding amount of logistics and flying. It required professional military education and high-level critical thinking. It also included the responsibility for a flight crew and payload. He feels the experience has served him well in his political career and sets him apart from his Congressional brethren.

“Those are things that I look back on that not just help me today in my current role in the Congress, but also to continue to me as a military officer in the Guard,” he said.

Only the second native Hawaiian to represent his state in Congress, Kahele said his motivation to become a U.S. lawmaker stems from his desire to be a young voice for the people of Hawaii, specifically its nativeHawaiian population.

“I firmly believe that the state of Hawaii should

have one member of the Congressional delegation that is of native Hawaiian ancestry because there are many issues that exist today between the federal government and the native Hawaiian indigenous community that’s still gone unresolved,” he said.

Hawaii has two histories: the textbook one and the one that reflects the continuing issues between the federal government and the indigenous population, Kahele said.

“That’s the Hawaii that I represent, and I think it’s one that has lacked that perspective

and leadership for quite some time.”

Performing his job via commitment and dedication is a defining characteristic that is very apparent.

“Serve before self was something that was always instilled in me,” he said. “Serving community and serving those less fortunate was always something that my dad — a U.S. Marine — instilled in myself and my brothers and sisters as young kids. Be a voice for the voiceless, helping those less fortunate.”

BY KATE LEWIS

When Sarajane Giere’s husband, Bernie, was diagnosed with ALS at the age of 72, she wanted to write down a family history so their grandchildren would know him as she did. A combat veteran, Bernie flew 214 missions during the Vietnam War and served 25 years in the Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing – and had countless stories to tell.

Giere wrote them all. Transcribing family stories from her husband’s dictation, she felt pulled to focus further on their story – intertwined as it was with Vietnam – after re-reading letters they had exchanged during that tumultuous time.

The resulting book, “My Pilot,” (out now) tells the story of their love, losses, and sacrifices as they confronted the difficulties of war and the joys of life.

“I could hear his voice through every word as if he were speaking

directly to me,” Giere said of her writing process. “I realized what a remarkable man I married, and this filled me with gratitude. I began to write about the Bernie I knew … and as I did so, I tasted love twice.”

Writing the book also helped Giere navigate her grief over the loss of her husband, who passed away in 2013. She delved into their letters and keepsakes, and played songs from their courtship which brought back countless memories. In researching the book, Giere also reached out

to former colleagues, pilots, and friends, reminiscing and fact-checking.

For Giere, a talented writer whose words have appeared in the New York Times, among other publications, telling the story of their lives also brought home just how much they had been challenged over their years in the military.

“I now look back with amazement, a sense of pride and bit of amusement at how I carried on alone: facing at least three hurricanes, when Bernie had to fly his plane safely out of state, leaving me to hold the fort; bearing the loss of my mother when I was 25, and pregnant, knowing Bernie was scheduled for

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Vietnam; or having a baby without his father at my side,” recalls Giere.

She credits those challenging years with forging an indomitable strength within her, which prepared her for facing the rest of life’s difficulties ahead.

“I hope readers will find inspiration in reading about how Bernie and I surmounted the triumphs and tragedies of our life together, the separations, the furloughs, and the joys,” she added. “I hope they can relate it to their own experiences and take heart. I would like them to walk away with a new realization and appreciation for the sacrifices the military makes for our country and learn one woman’s viewpoint of the ‘other side’ of the Vietnam War.”

After living through one of the most difficult times in our country’s history, Giere has sound advice for today’s service members and

spouses about handling difficult deployments and separations.

“Find a support group among your peers, whether it be other service spouses, your church, a prayer group, or family and friends. Nurture your faith. Work at something that gives you pleasure, a creative outlet, such as art, writing or being a volunteer. Don’t forget to nurture yourself while you nurture your children and soulmate,” she advised.

Giere found her written records – her letters with Bernie and her journals and diaries – of particular solace, both then and now, and recommends writing things down as you move through life.

“You can look back one day and see how strong you really were,” she said. “My pilot and I communicated by letters, 55 years ago. If it weren’t for those letters, I may have never told my story.”

To purchase “My Pilot” and learn more about Giere’s work, please visit sarajanegiere.com. Proceeds from the sale benefit ALS Ride for Life.

US Military WarDogs build baseball team with talent from all military branches

BY SHELBIE GOULDING

Dubbed America’s “most patriotic team,” the U.S. Military WarDogs offer baseball enthusiasts the chance to trade in boots for cleats.

Military members have different camaraderie within their own services, but once their feet hit the diamond, rank becomes nonexistent along with their branch affiliation. They are now U.S. WarDogs.

In 2018, the team was launched by taking the country’s best ball players to travel and play in minor and collegiate teams in order to raise money and awareness for veterans dealing with PTSD, suicide, unemployment, and disability.

“It’s truly unreal,” said Bruce Jazwinski, president of the U.S. Military WarDogs. “When we first started, we were showing up to batting practice with four people and wondering how in the hell are we going to do this. Then in two weeks, it became 15. Then in a month it became over 40.”

Jazwinski, who has served in the Navy since 2007, created the U.S. WarDogs as a “call to arms” for all men and women military academy ball players, active-duty service members, reservists, veterans, and military dependents who had a desire to play ball while helping veterans in need.

Although they started out with just four players in Japan, the team quickly grew with teams popping off across the country and in some places across the world.

To date, the volunteer-based nonprofit organization has 455 players total in the program, filling up seven teams located in Norfolk, Virginia; Denver, Colorado; an A and B team in San Diego, California; and teams overseas in Japan, Italy, and Spain.

The U.S. Military WarDogs do not have an official home base, but they make up for a lost home field by collaborating with teams from their communities.

According to Jazwinski, the teams have a personal goal to build relationships in its

community by volunteering with veteran organizations, veteran clinics, lending a helping hand at local schools and much more. All for the love of baseball while fundraising to help another veteran.

Jazwinski said they play many games to help provide service dogs to veterans in need. For example, the U.S. WarDogs just played in a 48-team tournament in Kansas in early August for a Marine who needed a service dog after serving three tours overseas.

“These guys connect with each other, and it’s a beautiful thing that happens naturally,” Jazwinski said.

With more than 400 players, military members of all branches are split amongst the seven teams playing in local games on Saturdays and Sundays between April and October, but when a tournament comes into play, six-year Army veteran and Head Coach Todd Nieuwenhuis will hand pick the best of the best 455 players to represent the organization.

“It’s kind of amazing,” Nieuwenhuis said. “It’s just a cool way to get this collage of different branches and different personalities, and in the way their military branch brings them up.”

According to Nieuwenhuis, the U.S. WarDogs has representation from each military branch, including one player from the Space Force. Both Nieuwenhuis and Jazwinski have a goal to get more players and teams formed across the world, especially stateside, so

active-duty players will have a U.S. WarDogs team waiting for them wherever they go.

“We like to give guys an opportunity to jump from one team to the next,” Nieuwenhuis said. “Once a WarDog, always a WarDog.”

The U.S. Military WarDogs is looking to expand its teams stateside in San Antonio, Texas, and Jacksonville, Florida, next year, according to Nieuwenhuis. However, they’re always searching for other locations as well.

If you’re looking to play or coach a team in or near your area, apply on the U.S. WarDogs website at www.wardogsbaseball.org

Who are reserve component spouses?

57%

have at least a bachelor’s degree

85%

are female

More than half are satisfied/very satisfied with their marriage

58%

have at least one child or legal dependent

80% of spouses took time off work due to activation/ deployments