Veteran 2 2 2017

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VOL. 5/ISSUE 13

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2017

Port St. Lucie helps veteran-owned businesses get a leg up

POWER LIFTER

Patrick McCallister FOR VETERAN VOICE

pmccallister@veteranvoiceweekly.com

One of Mayor Greg Oravec’s favorite descriptions of Port St. Lucie is, “Hometown for Heroes.” That’s a reference to the city’s push to be veteran-friendly. On Thursday, Feb. 9, the city’s Business Tax Division will host a live webinar by the Florida Department of Management Services on how to become a Certified Business Enterprise. The webinar will be from 9 to 10 a.m. “The (Office of Supplier Diversity) has a state certification program for eligible veterans who want or have a business collaboration with the state,” said Yvonne White Grayson, the city’s business supervisor. “What we wanted to do is offer this class and outline the requirements and explain the benefits.” Ed Fry, the city’s finance director, said the Certified Business Enterprise program helps veterans and other qualifying groups get work or sales with some counties and municipalities as well as the state. “A lot of the local (government) entities have priority programs,” Fry said. Mack Sasser, president of the Space Coast chapter of the Florida Association of Veteran Owned Businesses, FAVOB, said some governmental bodies that have set-asides for veteran-owned businesses are Orlando, Orange County, the Orange County Schools, and the Orlando International Airport. FAVOB started efforts to get all Florida counties and cities to adopt veteran set asides — a percent of business they aim to do with veterans — in Central Florida with intentions to expand

See WEBINAR page 9

Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Katherine Spessa Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jason Caswell, the 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron C-130 Hercules debrief noncommissioned officer-in-charge, prepares to lift weights at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Jan. 4.

Airman proves leg loss can't stop deployment, competition Katherine Spessa

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

“Being here, you get treated like a normal person. Not like an amputee. Not like an injured guy,” said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jason Caswell, as he added more 45-pound plates to his barbell. In the crowded 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron gym at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, Caswell is outlifting most. He should be — he showed many of them the ropes. After a sports injury in 2010, Caswell underwent a year of surgeries, and two years of painful limb-recovery therapy followed by physical therapy. In October 2014, his limb still hadn’t healed and began to worsen. Caswell elected to amputate his injured leg. It has since been replaced with a prosthetic, which gives him the mobility he needs to get back to work and stay fit. Though he can now squat 405 pounds, his

deployment didn’t start out that way. “I was a chubby lumpkins,” he said, jokingly.

Keeping Fit Caswell weighed in at 272 pounds before leaving for his deployment in May 2016. He has dropped down to 226 pounds and has used his success to help others in the unit. As a group of lifters stands in front of a C-130 Hercules they share their workout area with. They encourage one another to deadlift the weight — 365 pounds. “I’ve seen Caswell do it and he’s just got one leg. You can do it,” one of them said. “The guys see it as motivation,” Caswell said. “I’ve been able to come in and show them how to do the lifts, give them tips and help them develop workouts.” “Jason has lifted not only more than 1,000

See LIFTER page 7


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