2023 MF JUNE

Community is everything

When Navy veteran Paul Lachance completed his first Spartan Race, he knew it was for him. After crawling through mud and navigating barbed wire, he had a taste for the community and the atmosphere.

“As long as I’m healthy enough, I’m going to keep continue doing it,” Lachance said in our interview for this month’s cover story.

I had a similar experience when I completed my first Tough Mudder. Granted, I’ve only run in three Mudders and ultimately changed my fitness regimen over the years, and Lachance is angling for 200 Spartan runs this year alone.

Still, I know that feeling of pushing through obstacles you never thought you could accomplish. Helping others complete an obstacle that you breezed through (or in my case, being helped) and vice versa. That’s why when I first heard Lachance’s story, I knew it had to grace the pages of this off-duty themed issue.

Having seen veterans of a similar age and skillset as Lachance – and World War II veteran Monty Montgomery – telling their inspiring accolades was something I knew we needed to do. It’s important for the general public, as well as others in the military community, to see what these veterans are capable of after serving. And to see how you can build a separate community beyond the Armed Forces.

They are showing the grit, determination and warrior mindset that carried them through their service and has stayed with them in the years since.

If you’re not inspired to sign up for your first obstacle-course race after reading Lachance and Montgomery’s stories, I’m not sure you ever will be.

Until next time,

KARI WILLIAMS Associate Editor

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER

Todd Taranto

MANAGING EDITOR

Bianca Strzalkowski

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Kari Williams

PLEASE CALL 703-337-8100

VICE PRESIDENT, SALES

Julie Miller

Julie.Miller@AmeriForceMedia.com

PRODUCTION

DESIGN

Open Look Business Solutions

contributors

Laura Boycourt

Kristen DeDeynkirk

Taneika Duhaney

Elena Ferrarin

Liz Froment

Ben Greene

Crystal Kupper

Emily McNulty

Olaolu Ogunyemi

Emily Solberg

Rick Stedman

Donald Vaughan

Navy veteran Paul Lachance (center) and World War II veteran Monty Montgomery (at Lachance’s right) celebrate with other Spartan Racers following a race.

Photo courtesy Isaiah Downing for Spartan Race

by Kari Williams

by Rick Stedman by Laura Boycourt

Navy veteran Paul Lachance makes his way through an obstacle during one of several Spartan Races he has completed. Photo courtesy Josh Gibney for Spartan Race

USE YOUR EXCHANGE SHOPPING BENEFITS

The Army & Air Force Exchange Service provides tax-free savings with exclusive pricing for every member of the military community.

Veteran Shopping Benefits: Honorably discharged Veterans can shop tax free at shopmyexchange.com, and Veterans with service-connected disabilities enjoy in-store military exchange and commissary shopping privileges as well as access to select MWR resale facilities.

aafes.media/VeteransBenefits

It Matter Where You Shop: Tax-free shopping and military-exclusive pricing save you money while 100% of Exchange earnings goes back to support Soldiers, Airmen, Guardians and families. In the last 10 years, your Exchange benefit has provided $3.5 billion in earnings for critical military Quality-of-Life programs.

aafes.media/itmatters

MIL FAM

Air Force Reserve offers $10K enlistment bonus

Previously enlisted airmen could receive a $10,000 bonus if they join the Air Force Reserve for a three-year commitment.

“This bonus is one of many policies and incentive adjustments to help the Air Force Reserve ensure we can recruit the quality Airmen we need to safeguard our combat readiness,” Maj.

Gen. Ed Thomas, Air Force Recruiting Service commander, said in a news release. “The move is also important to encourage our airmen separating from active service to ‘stay blue’ and continue to use their skills and training for the nation as part of the Reserve.”

For more information, call 800-257-1212 or visit www.AFReserve.com.

Spec Ops group urges runs for office

The Special Operations Association of America is encouraging veterans to run for office. The initiative launched in April.

As part of the launch, SOAA’s executive director David Cook and founder Daniel Elkins released their DD-214s.

“In the spirit of transparency, we call on all veterans who are currently serving as elected officials, and those who we hope

will be soon announcing their candidacy, to release their DD-214 military service records,” Cook said in a news release.

“It is our hope that by being transparent we will encourage openness, trust, and cooperation across political divides.”

For more information, visit www.SOAA.org/veterans-public-office/.

matters

Golf tourney names charity partners

Team Rubicon and Warriors Ethos have been named charitable partners for the second annual Valiant Charity Golf Classic. “Valiant has a long-standing tradition of supporting the causes that our employees are passionate about, and we’re excited to partner with Team Rubicon and Warriors Ethos and support the incredible work both of these organizations are doing every day,” John Hart, Valiant’s chief growth officer and president of the Valiant Foundation, said in a news release. The fundraising event will be held Sept. 7 at Lansdowne Golf Resort in Leesburg, Virginia.

For more information, visit www.onevaliant.com/golf-classic or email golfclassic@onevaliant.com

Pacific Amphibious Leaders Symposium

The Pacific Amphibious Leaders Symposium will take place next month in Bali, Indonesia.

The event, which will run from July 1014, is an opportunity for senior Marine Corps, naval infantry and military leaders to discuss amphibious operations, modernization and multilateral interoperability. This year’s theme is “Multilateral amphibious contributions to maritime security in the Indo-Pacific.”

#ICYMI:

Car Crusher

A Marine Corps vehicle crushes a car during Gator Week at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in April. Gator Week is an annual field meet with physical team building events that increase unit cohesion. Photo by Lance Cpl. Ryan Ramsammy

Military Families Magazine regularly publishes exclusive content at militaryfamilies.com. You’ll find stories about a Navy veteran who’s defying the odds of an ALS diagnosis, what happens when a military homecoming isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and more.

Installation renamed to honor Black Army heroes

Fort Gregg Adams (nee Fort Lee) was recently renamed to honor Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams. Gregg was the first Black person to reach the rank of lieutenant general in the Army, and is the only living soldier

to have a post named in his honor, according to a news release.

Adams was the highest-ranking Black female officer during World War II. A redesignation ceremony was held April 27.

National 6888th Central Post Directory Battalion Day

Sept. 16 has been named National 6888th Central Post Directory Battalion Day to honor the all-female unit, according to VA.

The multi-ethnic unit was comprised of mostly Black women, along with women of Puerto Rican and Mexican descent. Its mission was to eliminate a two-year backlog of mail in the European Theater of Operations during World War II.

2023 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards

Several installations, teams and individuals recently were named as winners of the 2023 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards. A panel of more than 50 judges selected winners for their environmental-management strategies that aid in mission readiness, according to a news release.

Awardees include:

• Environmental Quality, Overseas Installation: Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea — Published a Hazardous Materials Management Program and Hazard Communication Execute Order that directed a review of all hazardous materials, hazardous material-using processes, and all HAZCOM programs.

• Sustainability, Non-Industrial Installation: Kadena Air Base, Japan — Contracted a private energy company to implement a fourpart Energy Savings Performance Contract to boost the installation’s energy resiliency.

The date honors Pvt. 1st Class Deloris L. Ruddock, who would have turned 100 on Sept. 16, 2023.

The battalion has received the following awards: The Army’s Meritorious Unit Commendation Award; The Blue Historical Unit Marker, Birmingham, England; and The Audie Murphy Award, American Veterans Center.

• Sustainability, Individual/ Team: 366th Environmental Management Team, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho — Overcame water challenges derived from a rapid decline in its regional aquifer by employing mitigation measures including utilizing 89 million gallons of reused water from the base wastewater treatment plant.

• Environmental Restoration, Installation: Naval Base Point Loma, California — Completed corrective action at underground storage tank 105, where there was a release from a former 7,500-gallon diesel fuel UST near San Diego Bay, ending ongoing investigations since 1995.

• Environmental Excellence in Weapon Systems Acquisition, Individual/Team: Acquisition and Logistics-Heavy Metals Working Group, Washington, DC — Promulgated a new Army Acquisition Executive policy, Elimination of Hexavalent Chromium in Army Acquisition and Sustainment, to reduce and/or eliminate the use of hexavalent chromium in weapon systems and maintenance processes.

For more information, or to view a full list of recipients, visit https://www. denix.osd.mil/awards/2023secdef/.

“We are committed to improving their quality of service and personal resilience, investing in initiatives such as quality housing and childcare, access to the full continuum of mental health care, improved education and an environment free of sexual harassment and sexual assault. In this 50th anniversary of the allvolunteer force, we continue to focus on recruiting, retention and reducing gaps in our billets at sea.”

–

Adm. Lisa

Franchetti,

vice chief of naval operations, speaking during a House Armed Services Subcommittee meeting in April

29 PALMS

MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER (MCAGCC)

STORY AND PHOTOS BY EMILY MCNULTY, MARINE CORPS SPOUSE

Where we are: Twentynine Palms, California

Twentynine Palms is located in the high desert of Southern California at an elevation of approximately 2,000 feet above sea level. The area surrounding the base is known as the Morongo Basin, with high mountains and low valleys. MCAGCC is the world’s largest Marine Corps training base.

Military population: 12,500 active duty, 25,000 family members, 21,000 DOD/Contractors, and about 1,200 retirees.

Joshua Tree National Park: The desert of Twentynine Palms offers a unique climate – 100 degrees or higher in the summer, up to five inches of rain per year and occasional colder weather and snow. It makes for the perfect outdoor oasis. Explore Joshua Tree National Park on one of 37 trails, ranging from easy to hard, short to long, to see beautiful views, crazy rock structures and Joshua Trees. While there, be on the lookout for lizards, tortoises, jack rabbits, coyotes, desert mice, rattlesnakes and more.

Popular areas include Skull Rock, Arch and Heart Rock, Barker Dam and Desert Queen Mine. The park also has several driving roads like Geology Tour Road and Bighorn Sheep Road. Or drive from the East to the West entrance to peruse the wonderland of rocks and magical Joshua Trees. Sunrise and sunset in the desert are unlike anywhere else. Catching sunrise at the Cholla Cactus Garden or sunset at Key’s View will be forever etched into your memories.

Enter Joshua Tree National Park through the entrance in Twentynine Palms or Joshua Tree. The Twentynine Palms entrance is always less crowded. Military members and dependents can get a free national park pass at the gates, good for one year, and veterans can receive a lifetime pass.

The best time to hike in the park is March to May and October to November, as the weather stays cool, under 85 degrees. Hiking in the summer months is recommended before 10 a.m., as temperatures can rise to more than 100 degrees. Sunscreen, a hat, snacks and several bottles of water should be brought when hiking in the park.

Explore: The Twentynine Palms and Joshua Tree Farmers markets occur every Saturday starting at 8 a.m. and feature fresh produce, art, metal works, soaps, food trucks, information booths and more. After shopping, stroll through downtown Twentynine Palms, adjacent to the market. Or jump in your car for a quick 20-minute drive to quirky Joshua Tree to browse the art galleries, rock shops and small museums, including the crochet and hair museums. Continue down Highway 62 until you arrive at the Morongo Basin Canyon Preserve, which has panoramic views of Morongo Basin along with bird watching and wildflowers.

Eat: Wake up early and head to Campbell Hill Bakery in downtown Twentynine Palms to skip the line for homemade breakfast sandwiches, bread, muffins, pastries, soup and more at this vegan bakery. Or head to Joshua Tree and eat at Boo’s Organic Oven, specializing in sweet and savory pies, cakes, breads, cookies and more. Both bakeries sell treats on a first-come, first-served basis and will close once sold out. Make sure to check their hours before heading over.

Grab breakfast, lunch or dinner at John’s Place, a local American fare restaurant in both Twentynine Palms and Yucca Valley, with large dining areas, quick service, friendly staff and no-fuss food. Feeling like Mexican instead? Drive through Castanada 24 hours a day at locations in Twentynine Palms, Joshua Tree and Yucca Valley, or sit down at Edchadas, a local Twentynine Palms dine-in casual Mexican restaurant.

Family activities: Grab your family and head to Knott Sky Park or Luckie Park, two playgrounds in Twentynine Palms that boast equipment for all ages, including monkey bars, slides, swings, rock walls and more. Pioneertown, a city 27 miles from Twentynine Palms, is an old western movie set still used for filming and production. It makes for a fun, family-friendly day in the desert, with old movie sets and props for pictures, art galleries, stores and restaurants.

Nightlife: Pappy & Harriets offers concerts year-round inside and outside, along with a restaurant, indoor bar and beer garden. Popular bands like Taking Back Sunday, the Lone Bellow, Hawthorne Heights and more have graced the stage at Pappy & Harriets. Buy tickets in advance or at the door in Pioneertown. Downtown Twentynine Palms has The Virginian, GRND SQRL, FANS Sports Bar & Grille, and the Cactus Bar open late for date nights and girls nights. Tortoise Rock Casino has dining, live music and events, as well as gaming, slots and table games.

As the sun starts to set, head into Joshua Tree National Park, or step outside to be blown away by the desert sunset as it fills the sky with bright colors. Once dark, an abundance of stars and the milky way are visible.

The closest cities to visit are Palm Springs, Amboy, Big Bear and Las Vegas - all fewer than three hours from Twentynine Palms.

Inspiring Spartans

Veterans Paul Lachance and Monty Montgomery are among a small percentage of obstacle-course racers who are 55 years old or older.

BY KARI WILLIAMS PHOTOS COURTESY OF TODD MARTI & ISAIAH DOWNING FOR SPARTAN RACE

Navy veteran Paul Lachance has a 100% success rate hitting his target while throwing a spear blindfolded. He plans to master the rope climb. And he travels the country ticking off Spartan Races –sometimes three or four in one weekend – on his mission to pass the finish line 200 times by the end of 2023.

“I like to say I’m just an old man having fun,” said the 81-year-old Lachance, who served in the Navy from July 7, 1959, to July 9, 1962.

He discovered Spartan Races in 2006 in the aftermath of a “major heart event” that led to a quintuple bypass and Lachance reaching 260 pounds. After getting back into a fitness routine that started with cardio and later included weightlifting, he came across “this crazy thing called ‘Spartan’” while surfing the internet.

“What I saw was the A-frame and somebody crawling underneath barbed wire, and I’m saying, ‘Hey, I can do that. No big deal,’” Lachance said.

So Lachance, his retired Air Force veteran son, a fellow college professor and a friend of Lachance’s son traveled to Fort Carson,

Colorado, for their first Spartan Sprint – a 5K course with 20 obstacles.

“Low and behold, it was the toughest sprint that they’ve ever had,” Lachance said. “I mean, the mud was nasty and cold. The Army had one obstacle. They had backpacks, which I’ve never seen backpacks as big as they had, full of rocks and that weigh way over 100 pounds, and we had to go uphill. But yet, when I finished, I said, ‘This is for me.’”

The bulk of obstacle-course racers are in their 30s, according to a 2021 data analysis completed by RunRepeat.

Meanwhile, data provided by Spartan Race shows that, on average, there are roughly 10,000 to 15,000 military-affiliated racers per season. Of those, the majority (40%) are between the ages of 25 and 34, and only 5% are 55 years old or older.

Overcoming obstacles

Lachance said his wife attended his first Spartan Race, watching from a spectator area near the obstacle that consisted of a mud crawl under barbed wire.

“The Army has some guy with a fire hose and he’s squirting us down,” Lachance said. “And the fire hose puts out a lot of water and it was cold water. So we’re getting sloppy wet. Anyhow, I spot my wife … I went up to her, and I was covered from head to toe in mud and she said she had never seen me so dirty.”

But Lachance still competes, navigating obstacles in the aftermath of a factory injury.

“I can’t do any hanging because I don’t have any muscle in my forearm because when I got caught in the machine, it took my wrist and put it back here in my elbow,” Lachance said. “It just folded the arm up. And so it just crushed that. So I use left hand for balance for the most part.”

One obstacle he gets some assistance with is the inverted wall.

“I’m still a little leery getting over,” Lachance said. “I’ll get there. I can do it and a lot of times what I do is I see two big guys, and say, ‘Hey guys, come on over here, push me over.’”

Finding community

After a while, a friend Lachance made

through the races started telling gate announcers to introduce him to the runners.

“I do like the fame and the notoriety, but it also goes to the fact that I’m inspiring so many of these young kids, these 15-, 16-, 17-year-old kids, and also I’m inspiring a lot of parents from these kids and some of these older people,” Lachance said. “ … So as long as I’m healthy enough, I’m going to continue doing it.”

But he’s not alone – World War II Army veteran Monty Montgomery joined the ranks a few years back. Montgomery, who jokingly said he thinks he stole Lachance’s thunder, completed his first Spartan Race at 92 years old.

“I think my whole life, when I had a challenge, it was like, ‘I’ll prove I can do it,’” he said. “And that was kind of the challenge [of the Spartan Race] … Sometimes I find things like that, I look at it and say, ‘Huh. I could do that,’ and then my body says, ‘Are you crazy?’ But I try anyway. That’s all anybody does is try.”

Montgomery was 93 when he and Lachance first met.

“One of these races here comes this big, tall lanky guy … and the guy is 100% gentleman,” Lachance said. “The nicest guy you’ll ever meet.”

After Montgomery’s first race, his daughter, Diane, attended and brought a sign acknowledging his age – 93 at the time – and military service.

“You’d think I was some big celebrity or something,” Montgomery said. “… Since then, I’ve met a lot of really great people and especially with this group that’s kind of adopted me, the Enduring Warriors.”

Operation Enduring Warrior (OEW) is a nonprofit that assists first responders and military members “through physical, mental and emotional rehabilitation,” according to its website.

Training and competing

Montgomery said he keeps going back because of the Spartan community.

“I met a lot of really great people,” he said. “And I thought, ‘Now that I know what it’s about, I’ll see if I can do better the next time.’ And I always had these aspirations. I got plenty of time left before the next race, I’m going to show these young 50-year-old whipper snaps how to do it. But then suddenly it’s time for the race again, and I haven’t really got in that great of shape or anything. But I’m always exercising and running and doing things, but I’ve been like that for most of my life.”

Montgomery said he used to compete in triathlons, but his workout regimen now includes running and going to the gym to work on specific movements like pull ups and chin ups. Still, it’s more about the relationships.

“[They’re] people that you just don’t meet in bars and places like that,” Montgomery said. “They’re all into health and exercise and stuff like that. And I just find that they’re super kind of people. The kind of people I like to be around.”

Montgomery also said other competitors – like those who are amputees – are “just unbelievable.”

“They come and think that what I’m doing, that’s something,” Montgomery said. “The

only reason that they think I’m doing anything special is just because of my age. And actually, it’s only a number. Some people are old at 30, and some are 100 years old still going strong.”

Lachance, who lives in Grand Junction, Colorado, said he jogs two to three miles daily – weather permitting – in preparation for Spartan races. He also practices spear throwing in his backyard.

For anyone considering their first obstacle course race, Lachance said they should have fun and not worry.

“You’re not going to podium. You’re not going to win any money,” he said. “But if you finish, you and I are going to get the same medal. We’re going to get the same banana. We’re going to get the same FitAid. And we’re going to get the same T-shirt.

“So if you want to run and set a personal record time, fine. But if you want to go and really enjoy the Spartan experience, talk to the people that are next to you, in front of you, behind you.”

To find a Spartan race near you, visit https://www.spartan.com/

“The only reason that they think I’m doing anything special is just because of my age. And actually, it’s only a number. Some people are old at 30, and some are 100 years old still going strong.”

– Monty Montgomery, World War II veteran

REVISITING VIETNAM

BY RICK STEDMAN PHOTOS COURTESY MELISSA NOVOTNY

Fifty-four years ago, Pfc. Virgle Howell spent seven months of his life manning a 4.2-inch mortar fighting communism in Vietnam.

The U.S. Army veteran was stationed at Dau Tieng Base Camp near the Cambodian border in 1968-69, during the height of the Vietnam War.

Revisiting Vietnam for the first time since his Army days, Howell recently joined a small group tour offered by the Road Scholar program. His daughter Melissa Novotny and ex-wife and still good friend Lisa Hill accompanied him on the trip.

“Lisa actually suggested the trip,” Howell said.

The 17-day tour – Walking Vietnam: Paths of Wonder from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City –featured numerous highlights, including a stop at Mai Chau, a city surrounded by breathtaking mountains and rice paddy fields.

“For scenery, this was probably the most enjoyable part of the trip,” Novotny said.

While the 15-member group started off as strangers when they first met in Hanoi, some left as kindred spirits. Others, like Howell, left Vietnam with a better understanding of himself and the demons he’s carried with him for more than 50 years.

The first visit to Vietnam

Howell, of Kellogg, Idaho, was drafted in July 1968 and completed basic training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Lewis, near Tacoma, Washington. He served as an indirect fire infantryman during his short stint in Southeast Asia.

Decades of time have done little to erase Howell’s recollection of that first flight into Saigon’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

“It was a commercial flight, though everyone onboard was military,” Howell said, “and the announcement set the tone for the remainder of my time in country.

“The stewardess, as they were called back then, announced the following: ‘As we approach our landing runway, we are experiencing incoming fire, so please feel free to use

the adjacent runway bunkers for cover.’ That was my welcome to Vietnam.”

Shortly upon arrival, Howell was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division and part of the Triple Deuce – 2nd Battalion (Mechanized), 22nd Infantry Regiment, Headquarters Battalion.

But after serving just seven months in Vietnam, Howell was sent stateside after his father died in a car wreck.

“As the sole surviving son, I was reassigned

Virgle Howell and Ong Nguyen meet during a Road Scholar trip to Vietnam. Howell and Nguyen served in the Vietnam War at the same time.

A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY, A JOURNEY OF HEALING

back to Fort Lewis, where I finished out my two-year military commitment,” he said.

Though he only served seven months in combat, the end result was a lifetime of internal battles often referred to as PTSD. Howell has a 70% PTSD disability rating.

A healing journey

When Howell joined Novotny, Hill and the other tourists for this walking tour through Vietnam, he knew the itinerary, but couldn’t imagine some of the experiences he would bring home.

One of those moments took place while in Hanoi. Many children throughout Vietnam enjoy practicing their English, especially with Americans like Howell, who they can spot in a heartbeat. His western attire and flag-adorned cap served as his calling card.

One day, a 4-year-old boy approached Howell, all smiles and ready to practice his English. This simple exchange sent Howell on a brief, but emotional, roller coaster.

Chaotic images of Vietnam from the 1960s flooded back. Vivid recollections of collateral damage had been a recurring theme in his mind, even 50 years later. Many of those images still contribute to his ongoing PTSD.

“Though I didn’t agree with communism, and I proudly served in Vietnam, I still felt bad for the innocent people who were inevitable collateral damage during the war,” Howell said.

But chatting with the boy, and seeing firsthand true happiness in the Vietnamese people today, provided a blanket of solace and comfort

the former infantryman never knew he was searching for.

“I could see that they were fine now, and in a way, so was I,” Howell said.

On a stop in the ancient city of Hue, Howell befriended a Vietnamese gentleman, Ong Nguyen, whose family descended from mandarins, or bureaucratic scholars. Nguyen also served during the Vietnam War, fighting for the South Vietnamese Army alongside Americans.

The two men shared a cup of sake and reflected on their experiences during the war.

“This was probably the most moving part of the trip for me,” Howell said. “It was also a really healing moment as well.”

Novotny summarized not only the trip, but this exchange her father experienced with Nguyen.

“I truly hope this inspires more veterans to return to their countries of deployment, and to find a way to make peace within, after experiencing some of the most turbulent times in their lives,” she said. “Even though it wasn’t always easy for my dad, I believe this revisit to Vietnam made a big difference in changing his outlook, and for that I am forever thankful.”

Road Scholar Program

Kelsey Knoedler Perri, director of public relations for the Road Scholar program, said the organization was founded in 1975 as Elderhostel.

“The original concept was to take older adults to college campuses during the summer when dormitories weren’t being used,” she said. “Participants would stay in the dorms and take classes from the professors in the lecture halls. Elderhostel ushered in a lifelong learning movement across the U.S., evolving into an educational travel organization that was rebranded Road Scholar in 2010.”

Today, Road Scholar programs serve more than 100,000 participants annually through 5,500 learning adventures. Programs combine travel and education that provide experiential learning opportunities, and feature an extraordinary range of topics, formats, and locations.

Road Scholar is offered in every state in the U.S., 150 countries worldwide, and aboard ships, on rivers, and oceans the world over.

“Though I didn’t agree with communism, and I proudly served in Vietnam, I still felt bad for the innocent people who were inevitable collateral damage during the war.”

– Virgle Howell, Vietnam War veteran

7 books for military children

BY LAURA BOYCOURT

Deployments. Moves. Ever-changing social circles. Military children know life in the service is often anything but ordinary. Here are seven books that reflect some of the unique feelings and scenarios military children face.

“The Peppered Sky” draws on her memories as it dives into the life of Haleigh and Mason, who find themselves in a world of aircraft, airborne drop zones and paratroopers.

well as accurately reflect on my emotions from every move and deployment that my family endured not so long ago. This book extracts important lessons from military upbringings and shows the reader how they can use those lessons to propel themselves into adulthood.”

“The Military Child Chronicles”

by Athens E. Pellegrino

In “Mission: My First PCS,” the inaugural installment in author Athens E. Pellegrino’s series for military families, young Atticus fields the wide range of emotions that accompany a PCS. Atticus’s story continues in “Mission: Mistletoe,” which finds him celebrating the holidays away from his grandparents.

Pellegrino, an Air Force spouse and mother who has completed eight PCS moves, said she wanted to provide a guide for military families on the move.

“I created ‘The Military Child Chronicles’ to serve as a resource for military families while they navigate through the many difficulties associated with our lifestyle,” she said. “My goal is to have families work together to overcome obstacles and ultimately become more resilient.”

“The Peppered Sky”

by Sarah Doran

An Army veteran, former military spouse and former military child, author Sarah Doran grew up watching her father perform airborne training operations.

“I knew I wanted to not only authentically represent highly under-represented military children in literature, but I also wanted to shed light on some of the exciting and positive experiences that military children may have,” Doran said.

Hyde also hosts a podcast for military teens, which can be found at theshanonshow.com

“When We Are Apart”

by Rebecca Johnsey

Engineer, project manager, and mother Becca Johnsey was searching for a way to help her children cope with the rollercoaster of emotions they experience when their father, an Army Reserve officer, is away. “When We Are Apart” features a young boy going through his daily routine while acutely feeling the absence of his father.

interview military families (parents and kids) and their quotes are featured in the back of the book,” the author said. “I loved hearing what the kids had to say.”

“Our Military Family”

by Suzan Johnson

“Dear Military Teen: Moving, Deployments and Winning the Game of High School”

by Shanon Hyde

A self-described Marine Corps brat now in college, Shanon Hyde wanted to write about his experience as a military teenager. He offers advice on everything from moving to the life lessons he gained from his teen years.

“When I released the book, I was only two years removed from my childhood as a military brat,” Hyde said. “This allowed me to be a voice that today’s military teens can relate to, as

The book helps children “name their feelings, cope with their emotions and navigate through them while reminding them they are loved unconditionally,” said Johnsey, who hopes “When We Are Apart” can be as helpful to other military children as it was for hers.

“Brave Like Me”

by Barbara Kerley

Based on conversations with military children and her own experience as the best friend of a military child, children’s author Barbara Kerley’s “Brave Like Me” tells the story, through photographs and poignant text, of what it’s like to serve at home while a beloved parent is deployed.

“One of the best things about writing this book is that I got to

In this touching children’s book, Harmony, Dominic and their father are at home while mom, who’s in the Army, serves abroad. “Our Military Family” speaks to the sacrifices that are made both by service members and their families on the homefront.

“Throughout my years as an educator, I met students who have had one or both parents in the military,” Johnson said. “I really felt the sacrifice of the family that stays home. I hope this book is a testament to those families who make many sacrifices at home and abroad so that we can enjoy the freedoms that we have.”

4 lessons from a deployed father

BY OLAOLU OGUNYEMI, MARINE CORPS OFFICER PHOTO COURTESY OLAOLU OGUNYEMI

Serving as a husband, father and officer in the United States Marine Corps is a tremendous honor. These intertwined responsibilities have taught me valuable lessons over the past several years, and I feel extremely blessed and fortunate to have the opportunity to serve.

Be that as it may, this call of duty is ripe with challenges and opportunities. One such opportunity has both stretched and strengthened my familial relationships – deployments.

Though technology has advanced over the years, I believe the challenges associated with a disaggregated family have persisted. Aside from missing each other’s affectionate touch, smile, laughs, physical presence and huge milestones, deployments present other oftenoverlooked challenges. One of which is the fact that many of us struggle to understand our role in the family while deployed and upon return.

Problem solver

I like to consider myself a problem solver. My confidence in my abilities and pride in my belonging directly correlate with the complexity of the problem. So what happens when I deploy or am away from home? Do problems go away? Have I fabricated chaos for “job security?” Of course not.

I’m sure my wife will agree that problems tend to increase when I am away from home. The children are often sick, there is usually a major appliance issue, the family’s work and extracurricular schedule becomes less tenable,

the time difference is inconvenient – or worse – the house is overrun by mice, then termites, requiring evacuation and fumigation (true story).

The military has taught us to position ourselves at the “point of friction.” So even when separated by thousands of miles, we try to develop and (remotely) implement solutions. This is when many of us realize how resilient our families are, and though they may not solve the problems exactly how we would, they find a resolution. So where does that leave us? I can speak for many when I say that sometimes it feels like I have been fired.

‘Have I been replaced?’

At face value, one would assume we are having a prolonged melodramatic episode by asking this question. Underneath the surface, it is not a fear of being replaced by a physical being; rather, it’s a newfound search for purpose in our own home. To overcome this challenge, we must first shift our perspective and acknowledge that life is constantly changing, which requires us to adapt.

Be willing to adapt to change

Adaptability was one of the first, and most important, skills I learned when I joined the Marine Corps. The reality is our job is ever-changing. Even so, I like to imagine that life as a husband and father should be steady and unchanging. Contrarily, many things change while we are separated from our families, and that’s OK. I had to learn to accept this fact as inevitable and use it as an opportunity to

sharpen my adaptability skills to become a better husband, father and leader.

Create open dialogue and be transparent

It is so easy to hide our true feelings and emotions, especially while deployed. I challenge you to conquer that urge. Be open and honest about how you feel, and work collaboratively with your family to develop a plan for you to remain connected and integrated in your family affairs. Being open and honest helps to identify challenges before they arise and capitalize on opportunities. It may not be comfortable, but it’ll be worth it.

Trust the process

Deployments present many challenges; however, for every challenge, there is an opportunity. One of my favorite metaphorical quotes that I use to prepare for any challenge is this: “Life is like a weight room – full of things that can either crush you or make you stronger. It all depends on your perspective.” Choose to view deployments and time away as an opportunity to grow your relationship with your family and become a better and more resilient leader.

Make the best out of every moment

Whether virtual or physical, let your presence be a gift to your family. Actively listen to your spouse as he or she talks about the day. Watch your children as they demonstrate the same newly learned skill for the 100th time. Buy souvenirs. Handwrite heartfelt letters for them to cherish. Most importantly, have fun, and remember that it is an honor and privilege to serve your family and this great country.

About Branson, Missouri

In Branson, we believe life should have more encores. Live music shows have been a staple of a Branson vacation for more than 60 years. From rock ‘n’ roll or country music to hilarious comedy and amazing acrobats, Branson has entertainment to suit everyone in your family.

Here’s some things to see in 2023:

• One of the Bible’s most riveting stories takes centerstage at Branson’s Sight & Sound Theatre. “Queen Esther” is a captivating tale of beauty, bravery and transformation. Her ordinary life changed forever when she entered the palace doors of royalty and risk. She faces incredible challenges and trusts that God’s plan will see her through the trials. Scriptures comes to life on a 300-foot panoramic stage with live animals, brilliant costumes and original music scores.

• This summer, visitors are cordially invited to a magical morning show opening at the Americana Theatre. “Once Upon a Fairytale” brings to life all your favorite storybook songs, including childhood classics and Broadway favorites. This show features a dazzling production design, and, of course, a happily ever after.

• Illusionist Rick Thomas presents Mansion of Dreams at the Mickey Gilley Theatre. It’s a journey never to be forgotten; people of all ages will experience amazing and magical things as they witness the beauty and mysteries behind the Mansion’s walls. There is no performance like it in the world... and it’s right here in Branson!

The family attraction options in Branson are endless. How about an historical journey through the world’s largest museum attraction or an allday adventure at an award-winning theme park:

• This year Titanic Museum Attraction will honor the 135 children on board the RMS Titanic, whose ages ranged from nine weeks to 15 years old. Each had an incredible story to tell, and the “Children of the RMS Titanic” exhibit will shine a light on their young lives and what happened to them. An iconic image of the children’s shoes serves to capture the spirit of this major event and prepare visitors for a powerful new look into Titanic’s final days through the eyes of children.

• Silver Dollar City is an internationally awarded 1880s-style theme park located in Branson, Missouri, which features over 40 thrilling rides and attractions, live shows and concerts, 100 resident craftsmen demonstrating America’s heritage crafts, 18 award-winning restaurants and 60 unique shops – all sitting atop one of Missouri’s deepest caves. World-class festivals and events are showcased from spring through Christmas when the park is illuminated with over 6.5 million lights!

For more information, visit www.ExploreBranson.com

One of the most riveting Bible stories of the Old Testament, Queen Esther is onstage at Sight & Sound Theatres.

Silver Dollar City’s Time Traveler is the world’s first spinning roller coaster.

too. "

A DIFFERENT KIND OF ‘RAT PACK’

Nevada veterans give back through Rail Auxiliary Team

BY ELENA FERRARIN

Do you know what to do if you see someone walking on railroad tracks with a train barreling down in the distance? Or if your car gets stuck on the tracks?

The Rail Auxiliary Team in Washoe County, Nevada, educates the public on such topics and monitors local railroads to report people who might be in danger on or near train tracks. They also ensure railroad crossings are safe. Team members also are trained by the Nevada Office of Suicide Prevention to deal with potentially suicidal individuals.

The team, informally known as the “Rat Pack,” has more than 120 volunteers, mostly retired veterans, said Richard Gent, a retired naval officer from Fallon, Nevada, who created the team about eight years ago.

In the United States, trains collide every three hours with either vehicles or pedestrians, Gent said.

“What we are trying to accomplish here is keep people safe and keep trained eyes near the railroad infrastructure,” he said. “Our guys and gals are out there looking at the railroad tracks, focusing on safety.”

Gent devised a curriculum of eight hours of classroom instruction for Rail Auxiliary Team volunteers. That includes basic railroading — such as how to identify different trains and box cars — reporting procedures, awareness of potential criminal activity and terrorist threats, and suicide awareness. Once part of the team, volunteers complete ongoing monthly classroom and online training, as well as field and tabletop exercises.

Railroad tracks, and the land immediately adjacent to them, belong to railroad companies like Norfolk Southern Railway, BSN Santa Fe Railway, Amtrak and more. Rail Auxiliary Team volunteers wear orange reflective vests and are careful not to go onto railroad property,

which constitutes trespassing, Gent said.

“The railroad has color codes for their personnel, and an orange vest signifies an individual on the ground,” he said. “A locomotive engineer will recognize it.”

Volunteers don’t operate in shifts, but rather check out railroads on their own time, whenever they are out and about, Gent said.

“What we say is, ‘Hey, if you’re going to Walmart, take a little side trip and go down by the railroad tracks and take a look,’” he said. “We found out it’s quite effective.”

Team members also use their own drones to survey railroad tracks from above, he said.

When team members spot something off, they alert the owners of the railroad, who in turn immediately contact train engineers, as well as law enforcement, for a quick response.

The team calls in three to four reportable events per month, more in spring and summer, along the 50 or so miles of tracks in Washoe County, Gent said.

That has saved lives, such as last summer, when a team member reported a family walking along railroad tracks near the Cherokee River. The railroad company alerted the incoming train engineer who sounded the horn to prompt the family to get off the tracks, Gent said. Team members usually refrain from directly addressing trespassing individuals in order to avoid confrontations, he said.

Reporting malfunctions at railroad crossings, such as non-working lights, is another task the volunteers take on. In fact, anyone can do that by calling the toll-free phone number listed on blue emergency notification system signs placed at crossings, he said.

Additionally, the Rat Pack offers railroad education to the public, such as school bus drivers, emergency responders and others. Volunteer Art O’Connor, a veteran who lives in Reno, Nevada, said he especially enjoys giving lectures about railroad safety, such as what to do when a vehicle gets stuck on the tracks.

“(911 operators) have no clue how to stop that train, but if you call the 1-800 number on the emergency notification system sign, they will immediately stop the train and you will not become a statistic,” O’Connor said.

Volunteers also know about “hot spots,” such as railroad bridges that people like to cross on foot despite the danger of incoming trains, O’ Connor said. People should always use pedestrian bridges, no matter how inconvenient, he said.

O’Connor’s interest in railroads dates back to his youth, when he traveled by train from his family’s home in South Carolina to boarding school in Massachusetts. Volunteering with the Rail Auxiliary Team is all about giving back, he said.

“It’s rewarding,” he said.

Gent also has loved trains since childhood. He used to watch VHS tapes of moving trains while stationed in an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea, and now has a railroad caboose in his yard that he uses as an office, he said.

“It’s a strange disease,” he said, chuckling. “I’ve talked to other individuals that like trains, and it’s just a passion.”

When he approached the Washoe County Sheriff’s office eight years ago with his idea

of creating the team, the reaction was immediately positive, Gent said. Now, he’d like to expand the Rail Auxiliary Team program throughout Nevada and across the country.

Joe Olaciregui, Citizen Corps Programs coordinator for the Washoe County Sheriff’s office, endorsed that.

“We are trying to grow the program so we can start getting it out to other counties and nationwide. It’s good for any place that has rail traffic that goes through it,” he said. “The bot-

tom line is responder safety and life safety.”

Rail Auxiliary Team volunteers first go through the community emergency response team academy, of which they are an integral part, Olaciregui said.

“That team is awesome,” he said. “They are absolutely killing it.”

For more information, visit https:// www.washoesheriff.com/volunteers/ rail-auxiliary-team-rat-pack.php

THE SURVIVOR BENEFIT PLAN: OR NOT TO OPT IN TO OPT IN

HOW RETIREES-TO-BE CAN DECIDE

BY KRISTEN DE DEYN KIRK – SPONSORED

When Heather Walrath’s husband retired from the Air Force in January, she knew they should consider the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP).

After all, she’s a financial educator and a military benefits liaison with Navy Mutual. The SBP, which allows a portion of a service member’s retirement pay to continue when they die, is typically only available at the time of retirement.

However, there is a a rare Open Enrollment Season occurring for 2023 that allows a second look at previous decisions.

The Survivor Benefit Plan is available to military retirees and allows them to preserve a portion of their income for their survivors after they pass away. The catch? Retirees must opt in by midnight on the night before they retire, and once they are opted in, there are few options to opt out. This year, though, retirees who did not opt in to SBP at the time of retirement are able to enroll in the program, and those who enrolled at retirement but would like to opt out are also able to do so. This is the first time retirees have had this ability for the past 17 years.

Consider only your circumstances

It’s a mistake to base your SBP decision on what someone else did, Walrath cautioned. Individuals instead need to determine a value for their potential SBP and explore how it might compare to – or complement – a life insurance plan, retirement savings and a spouse’s pension.

Walrath urged service members to answer the following questions when making a decision about their SBP election.

About opting in to SBP:

• What are my survivor’s/survivors’ income requirements?

• How will I meet those income needs?

• Do I have a child who is incapable of

self-support and would he or she benefit from a life-long benefit?

• What would be the value of my SBP benefit?

• How much will it cost?

• Am I willing to pay into SBP retroactively, including a small interest charge, if I retired before 2023 and didn’t opt in to SBP at the time?

About discontinuing SBP:

• Have my survivor’s/survivors’ income needs changed?

• Have I established other income sources to meet those needs?

• Is that income from inflation-protected sources?

• Am I willing to forfeit my payments so far? They will not be returned.

• Does my beneficiary agree to discontinue the benefit? Notarized consent may be required.

You decide the “elected amount” for your SBP up to the amount of your full retirement pay. The price is 6.5% of your elected amount if your beneficiary is a spouse. It’s lower if your beneficiary is “child only.” A qualifying child is up to age 18 (or 22 if in school), or one of any age who is incapable of self-support.

“A typical child-only premium is usually less than $20 depending on the amount elected and the age of the qualifying child at retirement,” Walrath said.

Adding your child as a beneficiary along with your spouse increases your premium by only a few cents per month. It’s also important to know the elected amount isn’t the amount your survivor would receive.

“The benefit is always going to be 55% of the elected amount,” Walrath said. “So even if you select your full retirement pay, the SBP benefit is still 55%.”

You pay premiums for 30 years and until you’re 70 – or until you no longer have an eligible beneficiary. The premums paid are not taxable. However the benefit is taxed. Cost of living increases are added to the benefit based on inflation.

“Every year that Congress authorizes retirees to get a pay increase,” Walrath said, “it also applies to all the survivors.”

She finds that some military retirees are comforted to know their survivors can have an inflation-protected income.

Talk to an expert

Walrath detailed the intricacies of SBP as easily as counting to 10. There are many nuances to the SBP program and understanding the

Fast Facts

• SBP provides an inflation-protected source of income for life for your spouse or your child incapable of self-support.

• SBP premiums are not taxable.

• SBP can be combined with life insurance. You don’t have to choose between them.

• Learn the possible value of your potential SBP. Don’t make your decision about SBP based on what someone else chose.

• Consider opting in to SBP after evaluating your family’s income needs and all your assets.

• Don’t assume there will be another SBP open enrollment season.

costs and benefits can be daunting. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation about the program circulating in various media.

“There’s so much confusion out there,” she said with concern.

Scrolling through social media, Walrath said she cringes when she sees “survivor’s benefit plan.”

“I’ll look at the posts and say, ‘That’s wrong, and that’s wrong, and that’s wrong’,” said Walrath, who is an accredited financial counselor with more than 14 years’ experience within the Department of Defense.

If a retiree or retiree-to-be is thinking about opting in to SBP, they should consult with an installation financial counselor or a financial planner who truly understands the potential value of military benefits, Walrath said.

“Talk with someone who can see the big picture for you,” she said. “I caution people to make sure that they’re talking to someone who truly understands the Survivor Benefit Plan and any other benefits that they might be entitled to.”

Walrath and her co-workers at Navy Mutual are also available to assist all service members, regardless of their branch.

“We work with everybody, and everything’s completely free,” she said. “We have a whole education of veteran services side at Navy Mutual. We’re the oldest federally recognized VSO, veteran’s service organization. You don’t have to be a member or have a policy.”

To learn more about Navy Mutual and SBP, email education@navymutual.org

BECOMING A HUMANITARIAN FORCE

Service members credit training for success in non-combat missions

BY BEN GREENE

Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Matthew Rose has seen many damaged communities through the windows of a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter.

During his nearly 20-year-career, he’s looked out at Egyptian, Afghan and Iraqi sites in varying states of hardship. Still, what he saw in the Hatay Province of Turkey after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Feb. 6 put his previous sights into perspective.

“There were parts of that city that suffered destruction on a level that I’d never seen,” said Rose, a standardization pilot for the 1st Armored Division’s combat aviation brigade. “It was very rare to arrive on scene to a place of such clear need.”

That’s why many American soldiers and airmen deployed to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey where American personnel were already serving. Together, they helped U.S. allies begin restoring lives after tens of thousands died in early February.

More than 4,000 sorties into Incirlik delivered 18,000 tons of cargo to support the country’s government, according to Capt. Keith Peden, public affairs

officer for the 39th Air Base Wing. He said the 39th Civil Engineering Squadron installed a 100-bed field hospital in Hatay Province while the 39th Force Support Squadron assisted nearly 1,500 relief personnel who arrived at Incirlik.

The Air Force’s 728th Air Mobility Squadron offloaded cargo and the 39th Logistics Readiness Squadron maintained vehicles that transported cargo around the base.

Staff Sgt. Karl Woltemath and Senior Airman Wyatt Dauer, of the 39th Logistics Readiness Squadron, had intense workdays as they repaired different vehicles and equipment involved in the cargo distribution.

Local contractors told both men they appreciated the U.S. military’s aid. Dauer said they unexpectedly became a listening ear for burdened, weary partners, even though they couldn’t learn Turkish as fast as they wanted to.

“A lot of the guys that were in the shop, a lot of their families were affected by the earthquake,” Dauer said of his Turkish coworkers. “It was wearing them down. It’s always good to talk that out.”

Showing such compassion alongside competent work was a highlight for Dauer as he considered the influence of military training on humanitarian missions.

“We train year-round to be able to be minutemen, to be able to go wherever we need,” Dauer said. “To work with our hands and to really push it forward to help people. It’s a great feeling.”

Helping people through a quick, coordinated U.S. response alongside a partner government is exactly what Sgt. Christopher Duran, of Joint Task Force Bravo, offered in Panama. From Jan. 24 to Feb. 4, the pharmacy tech with the medical group was part of a team that delivered 200,000 pounds of food and supplies to Panamanians.

“It was incredible to use what I learned from the military for the civilian population there,” Duran said. “It’s given me a different understanding of what the military can do and provide for other nations.”

At home, the U.S. military is just as ready to help civilians during crises. For example, Minnesota Army National Guard Sgt. Dustin Fischer drives a small unit support vehicle, or SUSV, nearly every winter when the state’s governor asks the National Guard to assist with severe winter storms.

In December alone, National Guardsmen from the Olivia, Minnesota, armory rescued six people. They have rescued 35 people in the past 10 years, including a 1-month-old child.

The full-time readiness noncommissioned officer for the 1324th Transportation Company enlisted in 2004 as the Guard readied for Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Our missions that we did conduct overseas immensely prepared me for dealing with these emergency missions here,” he said.

Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class David Flores applied his training in diverse water skills, stress management and communication for routine maritime enforcement and

humanitarian deployments along the Rio Grande River.

Last summer, on the night of June 6, the crew aboard a 29-foot response boat needed all those skills when a human smuggler saw the Coast Guard boat, Flores said. The coyote, as smugglers are known, overturned the inflatable raft with several women and children aboard. He started swimming toward Mexico with the raft, Flores said, abandoning the others in a remote, uncharted stretch of the river.

As a team, the crew started pulling everyone from the water. A 1-year-old boy wasn’t breathing when Flores found him under the surface. But one of Flores’ shipmates performed CPR and the boy survived like all the others.

“I work with a bunch of professionals,” Flores said. “I want to look back at my career and

be proud of my work and be proud that I was a part of an organization that makes a difference.”

That sense of purpose was clear to Rose, as he made flight after flight aboard a UH-60 delivering supplies into the Hatay Province during the past several weeks in Turkey. He said he sees how quickly the U.S. government can and will do something good for its partners.

Even more than that, he sees how military training equipped him for the need of every moment. He can pilot the utility helicopter to bring more soldiers alongside troops in a far-flung part of Afghanistan or he can deliver humanitarian supplies in a distant corner of Turkey.

“As long as you’re well trained in tasks, you can accomplish those tasks,” he said. “In the time of need, we will move vast amounts of resources and people and machinery to help.”

Members from Coast Guard Maritime Safety & Security Team Houston lift a child from the reeds on the U.S. riverbank of the Rio Grande, on July 7, 2022. Courtesy Maritime Safety & Security Team Houston

Maine nonprofit assists veterans in finding employment, community

BY LIZ FROMENT – SPONSORED

Georgette Bell usually feels a little nervous before job interviews. A dental hygienist and wife of a Navy command master chief, interviewing with a potential employer via a shaky Zoom connection while stationed in Japan could have added more anxiety to the mix.

But the interview was set up through Boots2Roots, a nonprofit that assists active-duty military members, veterans and their spouses in finding work and putting down roots in Maine. Bell’s future employer in Maine understood her unique situation, and even though the video only worked one way, she got the job.

“Boots2Roots helped me secure a job when we were stationed overseas, and my husband was deployed,” Bell said. “They contacted me, helped with my resume, interview preparation, and employer introductions.”

A helping hand during transitioning

From handling housing and new costs of living to creating a resume and starting a job hunt, navigating the military-to-civilian transition independently isn’t always easy.

That’s where Boots2Roots stands out, helping transitioning active-duty members, veterans and their families find good jobs quickly and become part of the community fabric in Maine. The nonprofit was founded in 2016 by retired Air Force colonel and Maine native Dave Hickey and a co-worker at Bath Iron Works, John Manganello.

Ruger Pearson, a former Army officer, knew he, his wife, and small children wanted to be in New England. While Pearson is from California, his wife’s family is from Massachusetts. So

being near family and nature was important.

“I was interested in working for a nonprofit. I applied to jobs all over New England and was striking out a lot. Then I found Boots2Roots,” Pearson said. “They were doing a hiring event with Live and Work in Maine. We connected, and they were so helpful in translating my military experience and resume to make sense in the civilian world.”

One of the biggest struggles for veterans is explaining the work they did in the military in a way that civilian employers can understand what they bring to the table.

“Boots2Roots first helped by providing a resume template. I put everything I did in the Army down, and then I worked with the team to get the military terms out and make it really clear for employers,” Pearson said.

But help didn’t end there.

“We went over my resume and did interview prep a couple of times per job I applied to, so everything was tailored to specific openings,” Pearson said.

Now, he’s working at a nature-focused nonprofit.

Building a broader community of veterans

Whether you’ve been a military family for more than two decades, such as the Bells, or served a single tour, finding assistance during transition can make all the difference.

Bell’s husband, Randy, grew up between Massachusetts and Canada, so being close to his family brought them back to New England. But, as parents, they had a few other requirements about where to settle.

“We wanted to find a place with a great school system that was also military-friendly and had strong VA hospitals,” Georgette said.

Boots2Roots helped the couple find jobs they loved while stationed more than 6,000 miles away in Japan. Now retired, Randy Bell serves as the program director.

Boots2Roots also assists with finding housing, VA loans, and introducing newly settled Mainers to others in the community.

“There are a lot of veterans here,” Pearson said. “And everyone knows everyone. You meet someone new and find out they already know one of your friends.”

“They helped us get a realtor, and she was amazing,” Georgette said.

Pearson agreed.

“They’re dedicated to helping veterans find housing and set up mortgages,” Pearson said.

Even before moving to Maine, the Bells connected with other families who previously went through the program, all of them offering advice and help to make transition smoother.

“These families understand how stressful the process of coming out of the military and entering civilian life is,” says Bell. “It’s not easy, so they want to let you know you’re not alone.”

As a native of Hawaii, Maine has another draw for Georgette; she loves the seasons. And for Pearson, who grew up in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Maine offers a little bit of everything.

“We can be snowboarding or at the ocean in less than an hour, and the restaurant scene in Portland is stellar,” Pearson said. “I’m trying to get my friends to move here.”

For more information, visit https://boots2roots.org/

Pearson family

Bell family

How to make military experience shine on civilian resumes

BY TANEIKA DUHANEY

The first task after enlisting in the military is to plan for your exit, according to one career expert. Effectively summarizing your experiences to highlight your strengths on a civilian resume can be the difference between landing your dream job and an extended job search.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re going to do two or 20 years,” said John Renken, an Army veteran and chief executive officer of Sales Platoon. “At some point, your time in the service ends.”

Renken said that starting with an exit plan prepares service members to approach their careers just as they approach a military mission. Service members should understand what they want in a job to plan ahead.

“It’s not until we decide what we want to do with our future that we can interpret our experience and reflect that on our resume,” Renken said. “If I hate sales, it doesn’t make any difference that I effectively recruited and led missions.”

Job descriptions and ChatGPT

As such, Renken recommended that service members take note of job descriptions and consider everything – including the tasks, conditions and standards required. Then think about how that military experience correlates with the job.

For example, Renken said, “I was a squad leader, team leader or company commander. Take what they’ve said [in the job description] and write that in [civilian] language but with your experience and what you did in the military.

Regardless of the duties a member may have had during their time in service, Renken stressed that “there’s no such thing as non-transferable skills.” For those who get stuck trying to translate military experience into civilian language, he suggested using the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT. Input any military occupation, and ChatGPT “will translate [your military job] into civilian language,” he said.

Artificial intelligence can rewrite your military work, but it cannot prevent the often-cited concern of age discrimination, according to Renken. Starting a civilian resume with “20+ years of experience” might be intended to demonstrate experience and value; however, it primarily highlights the applicant’s age.

For this reason, Renken suggested focusing on “the last three to five years in management.” However, he said if a position “requires 20 years of experience in project management, then the vast majority of your resume should be focused on fulfilling that 20 years, and you can do so in four or five lines.”

Highlight skills via bullet point

Renken highly recommended listing experience in a few short lines using a bulleted format. Each position should clearly explain responsibilities, quantifiable achievements and measurable results. Maintaining such a format ensures that the resume is easy to read and communicates accomplishments clearly.

Job recruiters spend only 7.4 seconds reviewing resumes, according to a 2018 study. Additionally, resumes should be no more than two pages in length.

“You want to highlight what’s most important.

The shorter, the better,” Renken said.

But Renken wants service members and veterans to be confident in their skills when deciding what to include on their resumes.

“As a veteran, you have skills that nobody else in the market has,” he said. “You’ve dealt with the duress of war, and every company needs people that can operate under pressure.”

Avoid resume templates

For these reasons and more, Renken discouraged the use of resume templates. According to several resume-building sites, resume templates might be outdated and are often not optimized for applicant tracking systems (ATS), thereby causing the resumes of very qualified applicants to be rejected by the ATS.

Outdated formats and outdated statements go hand in hand. Renken suggested avoiding dated phrases such as “seeking a position” or “looking for a position” and instead stating, “I’m applying for the position as a project manager because my experience in the military makes me your best candidate.”

Writing a civilian resume, like an annual evaluation or fitness report, takes time and requires due diligence. If the resume writing process is still challenging, connect with a professional resume writer. Many resume writers offer free consultations “because they’re trying to land your business. [Sometimes] they’ll tell you how to structure your resume,” said Renken.

To check if your resume conveys your intended message, you can seek feedback from friends, mentors, and non-profit organizations like Hire Heroes USA and hiring behemoth Indeed.

Military spouse transforms Alaska tundra into welcoming community

BY CRYSTAL KUPPER, AIR FORCE SPOUSE PHOTOS COURTESY JILLIAM BLUM

Military wife Jillian Blum learned a valuable lesson when she first PCSed to Alaska: “The tundra will kick your butt.”

Blum, whose husband is a Marine-turned-airman, had grown up in warm and sunny Arizona riding quads, shooting guns and building forts in the desert. So it was a rough introduction in 2019 when she had to spend her first two winters in the Final Frontier alone while her husband was overseas.

“When you’re in the military, everybody understands that you don’t get to pick where you’re at, and that the secret is making the best of where you’re at,” Blum said. “It’s clinically shown that getting outside and socializ-

ing with others who are supportive is beneficial for your mental and physical health.”

She tried to do just that. But Blum soon discovered that the arctic climate and topography aren’t the most rookie-friendly, especially when you’re a native desert dweller. Not to mention that most of the time, she had a toddler in tow and couldn’t find anyone who wanted to recreate with her outdoors.

Blum was lonely, cold, unsure of her harsh-weather skills and isolated. So she began brainstorming.

The result was Rove Co, an outdoor education and community group for anyone in the

Fairbanks or south-central Alaska areas.

“There was just this moment where I was like, ‘Screw it, there needs to be more accessible places for more people to find community and be outside,’ especially in a harsh place like where we live,” Blum said.

Adventure is out there

Rove Co officially started in 2022 with an apparel line and a schedule of community meet-ups. The goal was to get cooped-up Alaskans outdoors in a safe, connective, kid-friendly way. Attendees might snowshoe, cross-country ski or hike while hanging out together.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Summer Outdoor Challenge

Complete 20 out of 40 outdoor activities on a checklist provided by Rove Co, sharing your accomplishments on social media by tagging @roveco. outdoors. Checklists can be found at https://rovecooutdoors.com/adventures/ summer-outdoor-challenge and should be emailed to rovecooutdoors @gmail.com once completed.

Introductory Summer Backpacking

Adventure in Chugach — June 17-18 Rove Co will host an introductory, two-day, one-night backpacking trip in Chugach State Park. Participants will begin at a trailhead and end at Rabbit Lake to learn backpacking and safety skills. The event costs $325.

The groups quickly grew in popularity, so much so that Blum began offering meetups in multiple locations, alongside adults-only overnight trips in the Alaskan wilderness.

“I found my community and started to feel confident and in a good place myself as a mother taking my child into the outdoors,” she said. “I felt like I could be in a position where I could keep creating this community for others, too.”

Blum ensured that Rove Co’s multi-day adventures heavily emphasized outdoor education. Campers might learn about avalanche safety, backpacking in the backcountry, cold weather preparation, mountaineering or a host of other Alaska-specific topics. Thus far, it seems to be working; every trip Rove Co has offered has sold out.

– Jillian Blum, Rove Co founder

“I didn’t want people to not have opportunities to get outside with other people,” Blum said. “I’m not naïve. I definitely understand how dangerous Alaska is, so to be able to recreate safely is something that everyone here needs to understand.”

Military motivation

That group includes military families, many of whom Blum often heard complaining about their duty assignment. She also noticed many military members and their spouses appeared terrified to leave base, or even their houses. While open to everyone, including civilians, Rove Co has a vision of changing that attitude.

To reach that goal, the company has volunteer ambassadors who spread the word about Rove Co events, lend their outdoor expertise at meetups and on trips and create their own outdoor communities — even if they’re not living in Alaska.

Locally, Rove Co has ambassadors on both Eielson and Elmendorf Air Force bases who encourage their neighbors to get some fresh air.

“The whole reason I am trying so hard to get people outside is so they can have a better quality of life,” Blum said. “We have suicide rates

in Alaska I’m not comfortable with, and we’re advocating for ways to have better mental health through outdoor recreation with Rove Co.”

Suicide is among the Top 10 causes of death in Alaska, according to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data

In 2023, Blum would like to establish working relationships with the military bases in her adopted state. If more military families knew about Rove Co, she believes that more would come to meetups and even on adventures.

Perhaps then, she dreams, they will know the joy of hanging out with 40 friends on the winter solstice, the thermometer registering a chilly -37 degrees.

“It’s pretty cool knowing how many people continue their growth in whatever outdoor recreation area because of a Rove Co event,” Blum said. “I know nine people who came to one of our early winter meetups and now ski four times a week on their own.”

“That all started because of a Rove Co meetup.”

For more information on meetups and future adventures, visit rovecooutdoors.com

“I found my community and started to feel confident and in a good place myself as a mother taking my child into the outdoors. I felt like I could be in a position where I could keep creating this community for others, too.”

War-themed graphic novels keep military history alive

BY DON VAUGHAN COVER ART COURTESY USNI

War has been a popular comic-book genre since the birth of the uniquely American artform in the mid-1930s. Early efforts commonly featured costume-clad heroes taking on the Axis powers during World War II, with Captain America leading the way by dramatically punching Adolf Hitler on the nose on the cover of his premiere issue in March 1941.

Fictional stories featuring average (G.I.) Joes were extremely popular from the 1940s on, with Sgt. Rock, published by DC Comics, arguably the genre’s best-known poster boy. In recent years, however, fiction has given way to military fact via a growing new outlet: historically accurate graphic novels.

Dead Reckoning, the graphic novel imprint of the Naval Institute Press, is one of the leading publishers of historically accurate military-themed graphic novels, with more than two dozen titles that address combat from

World War I (“The Stretcher Bearers,” “Trench Dogs”) through the war in Afghanistan (“The ‘Stan,” “Machete Squad”).

Artist and writer Wayne Vansant is one of the most prolific creators of military-themed graphic novels. He started by illustrating the Marvel Comics series “The ‘Nam,” and later wrote and/or illustrated numerous war-focused graphic novels, including “Grant vs Lee,” “The Battle of the Bulge,” “Normandy: A Graphic Novel of D-Day” and “Bombing Nazi Germany,” all for Zenith Press.

For Dead Reckoning, Vansant wrote and illustrated an adaptation of Erich Marie Remarque’s “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “Katusha: Girl Soldier of the Great Patriotic War,” a fictional story based on fact about a Ukrainian girl who joins a Soviet tank unit during World War II.

Vansant does extensive research to guarantee the authenticity of his books, and Katusha was no exception.

“I’ve always had an interest in the Russian Front and its many points of view,” Vansant told Military Families Magazine. “I went to Ukraine in 1998 and once I heard the famous song ‘Katusha,’ I was hooked. Although I had already read a lot about the Eastern Front, I began reading everything I could get my hands on, historically, militarily and culturally.”

Vansant returned to Ukraine in 2005 and 2012, where he talked to numerous WWII veterans. They were eager to share their stories, and showed him the locations where certain events took place. In Ukraine, he also found books about the region, often with photographs, which helped inform his story and ensure that everything was accurate, from the color of the ground to uniforms and weapons.

“I was able to show buildings that are no longer standing, and a town just as the Red

Army tanks saw it when they entered it in the early winter of 1944.” Vansant said.

Vansant said he focuses on past conflicts in his work.

“I don’t like to get too close to modern times,” he said. “I think I understand the past better than I have the present. I’ve dealt with the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. But by far the most interesting to me is World War II. There is no end to something new to learn, or points of view to explore.”

Garth Ennis, who fell in love with comic books as a child in Northern Ireland, is another writer dedicated to telling stories as factually as he can. His “War Stories” series for Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics, and his “Battlefields”

series for

Dynamite

Enter-

tainment both explore important real-life events during wartime, though the characters themselves are often fictional.

“The Night Witches,” illustrated by Russ Braun, heralds the bravery of a squadron of female Soviet pilots who terrorized German troops by dropping bombs on them in the middle of the night from rickety biplanes.

In 2020, Ennis published “The Stringbags,” illustrated by P.J. Holden, through Dead Reckoning. Another David vs. Goliath tale, it tells the harrowing story of British Royal Navy squadrons forced to engage far more powerful German jets with Fairey Swordfish, an obsolete biplane torpedo bomber from an earlier era.

Vansant is a fan, noting, “Ennis’s stories grind down to the marrow of the person in the story, and are obviously perfectly researched.”

Many books touch on events little remembered, such as “The Photographer of Mauthausen” (Dead Reckoning) by Salva Rubio, Pedro J. Colombo and Aintzane Landa. It profiles Spanish press photographer Francisco Boix, who was sent to the Mauthausen Concentration Camp during World War II. Selected to work alongside an SS officer who is documenting prisoner deaths, Boix steals and attempts to smuggle out of the camp a selection of photographic negatives that prove Nazi war crimes.

Events that are ancient history to some are often important life experiences to others, as Vansant has found when approached by service members at comic book conventions and other events.

“The response I’ve had has been mostly positive,” he said. “They appreciate that I get the equipment right, or at least I try to. But for some veterans, my approach is a little alien to them. I gave a copy of my ‘Battle of the Bulge’ book to a veteran of the 99th Division, and realized that the book he was holding and his personal experiences did not match up. He didn’t remember the story, only the terror.”

Q&A WITH SERGEANT MAJOR KETTLEBELL STEVEN BURKETT

How did you find a niche with kettlebell workouts?

I deployed to Iraq in 2017 and brought a single 53-pound kettlebell with me. I began training with it every single day during the deployment and learned a lot about functional movement and kettlebell basics on my own.

What does a typical kettlebell workout look like for you?

Much of my training centers around building capacity for high repetition/volume kettlebell swings. I currently hold three world records for the most weight lifted via kettlebell swing in one minute, three minutes and one hour. A typical workout may be a one minute or three-minute effort with the heaviest bell I can swing for that timeframe. I call this workout a “max unbroken” – basically, the most swings you can do in a row before having to put the kettlebell down. I do these workouts with kettlebells ranging from 97 to 141 pounds.

A longer workout, when training to build longer capacity, involves doing a certain number of swings each minute for 20-30 minutes. Typically, 25-28 per minute with a 70-pound kettlebell for 30 minutes.

How do you react when people recognize you in the military community as Instagram’s Sergeant Major Kettlebell?

I enjoy creating content and putting forth a positive message but am cognizant to not become “Sergeant Major Kettlebell” to the Marines I work with day in and day out. They need a sergeant major, regardless of outside interests. Most of the Marines I work with know I am the kettlebell guy on Instagram, but I try to keep that in the background and not be the only thing they think of when they ever think of me.

What did it take to become a four-time kettlebell world record holder?

What I learned is that if you want to be the best at something, you must commit. Your time, effort, and a great deal of thought. I am 47 years old and weigh about 195 pounds. If you told me years ago that I would be a world record holder in kettlebell lifting, I would have thought you were crazy.

I have methodically built myself into an elite kettlebell swinger by relentlessly practicing, trying new things and dramatically revamping what is accepted as the correct form to perform the exercise. Sometimes, you must pick something and stick with it. Humans differentiate because it leads to better results.

What is the biggest benefit to kettlebell workouts?

Kettlebell workouts are incredibly efficient and build power, strength and endurance

simultaneously. With one kettlebell, I can work my entire body, taxing multiple systems in a relatively short period of time. Also, once someone buys a kettlebell, they have freedom in that they oversee their own fitness. They are not tied to the availability of a gym or a multitude of equipment and weights – one kettlebell and a basic bit of knowledge and gained experience gives someone freedom to workout when and where they choose.

What advice would you give to someone who’s new to kettlebell training?

Do not be afraid. A new apparatus may seem intimidating, but kettlebells are simple to use as you build your experience over time. I’d start with basic movements, such as goblet squats, lunges, swings and overhead presses. Add to your kettlebell collection over time, with various weights as you get stronger and more proficient, and you will never have to worry about fitness availability ever again. Finally, there are a few tenets of kettlebell training which are unique, such as tremendous grip strength and endurance. When someone begins, their limiting factor will often be their grip; this will improve greatly over time and will culminate with them having the strongest handshake out of their circle of friends.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I am not formally trained in kettlebells, but I have probably done more kettlebell training than anyone on the planet over the last few years. To me, if anyone wants to train and get better with kettlebells, I will help them, free of charge. If anyone has any questions or wants to talk further about kettlebells and what may be right for them, they can contact me @sergeantmajorkettlebell on Instagram.

Sgt. Maj. Steven Burkett joined the Marine Corps in November 1994. Little did he know at the time that he would gain some notoriety in military circles as Instagram’s Sergeant Major Kettlebell. He’s currently stationed at Camp Pendleton, California, and is the School of Infantry – West Sergeant Major.