Watson Studios 2020 Portfolio by Watson Studios

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Betty Watson Watson Studios 14230 Fisher Avenue Woodbridge, VA 22191 Phone: 703.494.6002 www.watsonstudios.net

concept, design, graphics, prepress, print Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Resource Guide To view the 2019 Guide, click this LINK. To view the current 2020 Guide, click this LINK.

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Design Illustration Graphics Packaging FOR VETERANS, ACTIVE MILITARY, AND THEIR FAMILIES

20-2021

RESOURCE GUIDE 20

COMPENSATION AND PENSION

A monetary benefit paid to veterans who are disabled by an injury or illness incurred or aggravated during active military service. These disabilities are considered to be service connected. DISABILIT Y COMPENSATION MILITARY RETIRED PAY Disability compensat

ion is paid monthly and varies with the degree of disability, the impairmen t to a veteran’s earning capacity and the number of dependents. Veterans with certain severe disabilities may be eligible for additional special monthly compensat ion. These benefits are not subject to federal or state income tax.

NATIONAL GUARD /SELECT RESERVE

World War II Memorial

844.NC4.VETS

.COM

NC4VETS

VA DISABILIT Y PENSION BENEFIT FOR WARTIME VETERANS A non-Service-Connected Disability VA Pension is a benefit paid to wartime veterans who have limited or no income, and who are age 65 or older, or under 65 and are permanently and totally disabled, a patient in a nursing home or are receiving Social Security disability payments. The amount that’s payable depends upon the type and amount of income the veteran and family members receive from other sources.

HALL

A MESSAGE FROM RY SECRETA HALL LARRY D.

Veterans who are more seriously disabled may qualify for Aid and Attendance or Houseboun d benefits. These benefits are paid in addition to the basic pension rate. Monthly payments are made to qualified veterans to bring their total income to a congressionally established support level (including other retirement and Social Security income).

AID AND ATTENDANCE ( A & A ) An A&A benefit is paid in addition to monthly pension. A&A is allowed if the veteran: requires the aid of another person in order to perform his or her daily living activities; is bedridden; is a patient in a nursing home due to mental or physical incapacity; or has corrected visual acuity of 5/200 or less, in both eyes, or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less.

HOUSEHOLD BENEFITS A&A may not be paid without eligibility for pension. Qualifying veterans must have a single permanent disability (rated 100 percent disabled), and need assistance, or have a single permanent disability (100 percent disabled) and another disability, or disabilities, evaluated as 60 percent or more disabling. A veteran cannot receive both A&A and Household Benefits at the same time.

lf and n behalf of myse , we our entire staff thank all of would like to net partners, cabi the community ions other organizat agencies, and ributed to the that have cont urce Guide this NCDMVA Reso g, y year. Every sprin year and ever prepares this our Department ary e for NC’s milit Resource Guid 2020 their families. , veterans and of us, but we service members lenges for all presented chal year edition obviously has publish a latetance still be able to have the assis are grateful to lies fami e ensure thos times. of this book to g these uncertain they need durin

Y D. ETARY LARR FROM SECR

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Reservists who serve on active duty establish veteran status and may be eligible for the full range of VA benefits, depending on the length of active military service and a discharge or release from active duty under conditions other than dishonorab le. In addition, reservists not activated may qualify for some VA benefits. National Guard members can establish eligibility for VA benefits if activated for federal service during ETS @NC4V a period of war or domestic emergency. Activation for other than federal service does not qualify guard members for all VA benefits. Claims for VA benefits based on federal service filed by National Guard members should include a copy of their military orders, presidentia l proclamation or executive order that clearly demonstra tes the nature of their federal service.

Historically, veterans have not been permitted to receive full military pay and VA compensat ion for benefits at the same time. Veterans who were entitled to both have had to either waive a portion of their retirement equaling the amount of awarded VA compensation or elect not to receive VA compensation at all. Receiving both benefits and retirement pay is commonly known as “concurrent receipt.” In 2004, Congress passed the Concurren t Retired and Disability Pay Act, allowing many veterans to receive 100 percent of the military retirement and VA compensation. Because of the complexity of this issue, visit www.dfas.mil for more informatio n.

WHAT CAN I DO IN eBenefits? Some of the features within eBenefits allow veterans and service members to access official military personnel documents, view the status of their disability compensation claim, transfer entitlemen t of Post-9/11 GI Bill to eligible dependents (service members only), and register for and update direct deposit information for certain benefits.

HOW DO I ACCESS eBenefits? eBenefits is located at www.ebenefits.va.go v. Before veterans or service members can access and use eBenefits they must be listed in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) and obtain a DS Logon. They can choose from two levels of registration, DS Logon Level 1 (Basic) and DS Logon Level 2 (Premium).

WHAT IS A DS LOGON? A DS Logon is a secure identity (username and password) that is used by various DoD and VA websites, including eBenefits. If you are already registered in DEERS, you are eligible for a DS Logon. Once you have a DS Logon, it is valid for the rest of your life.

inue to ID-19 will cont how long COV r change We don’t know that will neve , but one thing and veteran impact our lives NC’s military ent to serving end of this is our commitm to reaching the ard forw look e, and we community. We es that will com g the challeng together. crisis and facin state forward to moving our look forward families are their rans and members, vete community— Military service apart from the k you community, not t to that. Than a part of the e is a testamen Guid do for the urce you this Reso e, and for all est in this Guid Carolina. for your inter State of North the and s United State rds, Warmest Rega ston Angella Dun munications Director of Com

of N.C. Department ns Affairs Military and Vetera

ard, ce. Going forw in military servi ery I witnessed this to improve deliv ones in their life. we will continue lina growing up the resources he North Caro ly, to ss fami acce own and in my of services Military Bragg. Fort on their er Department of ans and son of a paratroop for all of our veter rs is the fices ing and Veterans Affai early age the sacri over, we are work I saw from an families. More rnment agency and learned rtment fully into families make, central state gove to bring our Depa lina’s military Caro h Nort ng members, ing the dedicated to servi military service century, moderniz that 21st the bers, ary service mem families are a part while at the same active duty milit veterans and their way we serve you, families. Since the ity, not a part from easier to navigate veterans, and their of our commun time making it er has been dedicated Governor Coop ity. ered the call to mun 2015, our staff answ com You the process. est levels hard high ing stand the we work are n, and now to providing and NCDMVA serve our natio you, state’s military gthen that bond the call to serve of service to our every day to stren ready to answer munity, with a er. and veteran com ing even furth keep rity integ ice, and Yours in Serv responsiveness to State this of we It is the mission iples and values with the princ of e the sacrifices h Carolinians. honor and salut and, hold dear as Nort father, wife, husb know every mother, of support we ered That’s the level answ has who that rve, and it’s in son, and daughter our veterans dese or is the loved ce, , Secretary al servi annu to this call ish Larry D. Hall the t spirit that we publ mus We ber. nt of Military mem and N.C. Departme one of a service e, to ensure you Resource Guid the ble to you for Veterans Affairs ss to the unta and acce acco be have your loved ones se of defen in e mad sacrifices you earned. support you’ve ed We aim to exce our freedoms. d the h Carolinian, prou ons, not just meet As a native Nort your expectati the of e, tary futur Secre near . In the Marine, and the bare minimum North firsthand the nearly 1 in 10 that NCDMVA, I know know we nd ce can grou servi ary back a milit have impact that Carolinians will idual and the loved have on an indiv

a tremendous COVID-19 has had of Since the Spring impact on our lives. ed crisis has transform 2020, this health the world live, over all le peop the way ies. famil their work, and raise Carolina is The State of North we continue no exception. As challenges to confront the daily l pandemic, posed by this globa committed to ins the NCDMVA rema

confront to cover costs and , to our struggling possible service ed by the pandemic providing the best the obstacles creat r bers s to make it easie duty service mem e want nt activ rtme ans, veter our Depa you ation inform the and their families. to connect you with most. when it matters you see this now, when need end, that To Resource long COVID-19 will SYMBOL in the We don’t know how ight a NCDMVA Guide, it’s to highl ct our lives, but continue to impa and your you rce with NC’s BOL resou SYM ated to standing during this is dedic bers and the family can utilize active duty mem ans, veter . As many long haul. public health crisis community for the l businesses are families and smal

VA BENEFITS

WHAT IS eBenefits? eBenefits is a joint VA/DoD web portal that provides resources and self-service capabilities to veterans, service members, and their families to research, access and manage their VA and military benefits and personal information. eBenefits uses secure credentials to allow access to personal information and gives users the ability to perform numerous self-service functions. It is an essential way for veterans, service members, and their families to receive access to and service from VA and DoD.

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Betty Watson Watson Studios 14230 Fisher Avenue Woodbridge, VA 22191 Phone: 703.494.6002 www.watsonstudios.net

concept, design, graphics, print U.S. Army, Fort Belvoir newspaper To view this issue, click this LINK. To view current issues, go to belvoireagleonline.com.

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Betty Watson Watson Studios 14230 Fisher Avenue Woodbridge, VA 22191 Phone: 703.494.6002 www.watsonstudios.net

concept, design, graphics, prepress, print Spreads from international publication, Diplomatic Connections

To view the below magazine, click this LINK. Other issues can be viewed at www.diplomaticconnections.com.

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During the Cold War, the Norwegians living on their side of the border and the Soviets on the other side had this cross-

Ambassador Aas: With the annexation of Crimea, a piece of land belonging to another European country, Russia has

bordering activity that amounted to some 10,000 border crossings every year — now it’s 400,000. So the people-

grossly violated international law and that is why sanctions will be continued. There is still some important international

to-people contact is an important element in our bilateral relations, and it works. All the northern countries, and

cooperation with Russia, such as on Iran. Diplomatic Connections: When they see the financial and other problems that roil the European Union, do Norwegians ever have a sense of “there but for the grace of God, go we?” You’re a northern country, with northern values, a northern work ethic, a northern philosophy, a sense of frugality, and you disengaged very early on through a referendum from this union which is suffering, at least partly, because its southern members had a not entirely logical approach towards the business of running their economies.

Russia, Canada, and the United States, we have a common understanding to maintain the Arctic as a stable region.

A Business,

Diplomatic Connections: But doesn’t the current situation with the Russians make Norwegians feel at all uneasy that, as some say here, another Cold War is starting up?

n y Publicatio Foreign Polic Diplomacy & • $7.95

– OCTOB SEPTEMBER

ER 2016

Anthony Behar-Pool/Getty Images

Diplomatic

(L-R, front row) President Obama, His Excellency Haider Al-Abadi, Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq, Her Excellency Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway, (2nd row) Susan Rice, United States Ambassador to the United Nations (behind President Obama), Secretary of State John Kerry and Samantha Power (pink), United States Ambassador to the United Nations, attend the ‘Leader’s Summit on Countering ISIL and Countering Violent Extremism’ at the United Nations Headquarters on September 29, 2015 in New York City. The Summit, hosted by Obama, addressed national, regional and global initiatives to counter ISIL and the spread of violent extremism.

AIN ME VEL • ENT ERT POL ITIC S • TRA BU SIN ESS •

E RY & DEFofENS buying oil from Russia, Norwegian oil would be preferred by ESS • MIL ITA NT • CON GR European countries?

SER, OR TIM GRO AMBASSAD D NEW ZEALAN EMBASSY OF

Ambassador Aas: There is a flexible world market for oil and Norway export most of our production of 1.9 million barrels per day to the world-market. The market for gas is different: most of the gas produced in Norway is exported by pipelines to European countries. Norway is the second largest gas exporter to Europe – next to Russia. Norway is an efficient and reliable exporter of gas to Europe and is an important supplier to the European energy market. Diplomatic Connections: The Norwegians are very active in their frozen north. There was ONrecently a conference on the Arctic.

MINISTERS

BAL COALITI OF THE GLO Ambassador Aas: The Arctic Dialogue, held every year, in

Bodø, in the High North. When Norway started the Arctic OR were interested. Now hundreds Dialogue, countries SAD BASfew AMvery , ELL of people come to the conference. It’s one of the largest S COR HAN R UNBut more recently the Obama addressing Arctic issues. ME FOR Y focusing on the region. There TARbeen administration has also CRE -SE DER UN FOR L was a conference in Alaska to raise awareness and to make ERA GEN AIRS the Arctic. Secretary Kerry the right decisions regarding AL AFF LEG attended, and President Obama was also there. In Norway, our message to other countries is that we have been able to

SPANISH NCE OR’S RESIDE AMBASSAD

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balance the climate issue with economic and social growth. We have a national consensus on that, which is why we have been gradually moving into the northern parts of Norway since we started the oil and gas venture in the late 1960s. Diplomatic Connections: Isn’t there also a security dimension as well? Doesn’t Norway, together with other Scandinavian countries, keep a watchful eye on Russian activity in the Arctic? Ambassador Aas: What I will say about that is that Norway has been living with Russia for 1,000 years — and living peacefully with Russia for 1,000 years. But we are very critical of what [the Russians] have been doing by annexing the Crimea, and what they are doing in the eastern parts of Ukraine; we are imposing the same sanctions as the U.S. and everybody else. We have postponed our military cooperation with Russia, but what is also important is that we maintain good cooperation with Russia, for instance, on administering the fishing in the Barents Sea, where there was overfishing in the 1970s and 1980s. Now fishing is based on harvesting, mostly because we have a bilateral understanding with Russia. We also have an understanding on what I would call nuclear spill from old Soviet nuclear submarines — so that also is working.

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Monica Frim heads out onto the Canadian tundra in search of polar bears,

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snorkels with beluga whales in sub-arctic waters and rides a dog-cart on the edge of a boreal forest. Her base is a rustic lodge in Churchill, Manitoba, an isolated flyin town known as “The Polar Bear Capital of the World;” her gateway, Winnipeg, a modern metropolis bustling with historic attractions and world-renowned museums, galleries and theaters. Photography by John and Monica Frim

Manitoba 34

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Betty Watson Watson Studios 14230 Fisher Avenue Woodbridge, VA 22191 Phone: 703.494.6002 www.watsonstudios.net

concept, design, graphics, prepress, print Spreads from international publication, Diplomatic Connections

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N Strait of Hormuz

H.E. DR. AHMED AWAD BIN MUBARAK AMBASSADOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF YEMEN TO THE UNITED STATES

iStock by Getty Images

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in His Country’s

SERVICE:

Ambassador Mubarak Seeks to Stabilize and Reconstruct War-Torn Yemen By James A. Winship, Ph.D.

What a difference a year makes!

H.E. Dr. Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak presented his credentials as Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen to the United States to President Obama in August 2015.

In January 2015, Dr. Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak was the Director of Yemeni President Hadi’s presidential office and custodian of a long

Acceptance of Mubarak’s credentials brought to an end a three-year hiatus in Yemen’s diplomatic representation in Washington caused by tumultuous political events in that country, which resulted in the resignation of the long-time Yemeni Ambassador in Washington. Still, the country’s diplomacy was left in the complicated position of having the internationally recognized government of President

national reconciliation process that sought to

Hadi, operating either from exile in Saudi Arabia or from

rebuild Yemen out of a pastiche of regional

his temporary Yemeni capital in Aden, representing it in Washington even as that government was being contested in Yemen.

fragments, traditional loyalties and dashed hopes of government reform. On January 17,

Ambassador Mubarak’s role in Washington assumes considerable importance because Yemen’s local conflict has become a proxy war between the major contesting regional powers – Iran and Saudi Arabia. Moreover, Yemen’s location in the southwest corner of the Arabian Peninsula

2015, Mubarak was kidnapped and held prisoner for 12 days by a rebel group opposed to a new

and astride international shipping routes passing from the Arabian Sea through the Bab el Mandeb Strait and into the Red Sea leading to the Suez Canal gives it outsized geostrategic importance to international energy supply lines and to developments in the Horn of Africa.

federal constitution for Yemen. He was kept

What was historically an internal conflict, characterized by deep fragmentation between communities and social

blindfolded and moved from place to place

groups with perceived cultural differences and conflicting territorial claims, created a power vacuum across Yemen

around the country before his release.

that provided fertile ground for extremist groups and terrorist activities, including the emergence of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Yemen’s corner of the Arabian Peninsula has now become a theater in the global

W W W. D I P L O M AT I C C O N N E C T I O N S . C O M

effort to resist Islamic extremism and the terrorist attacks it spawns. These factors have served to internationalize the conflict in Yemen: attracting the attention of the United States, which staged drone aircraft there; bringing Iran to the assistance of rebel forces known as the Houthis with heavy weapons and other resources. This, in turn, drew in a Saudi Arabian-led coalition of regional Arab states from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that has engaged in an extensive air war against the rebels and expanded to include forces on the ground. The multilayered civil conflict in Yemen is characterized by historical enmities between tribes, harsh and varied geography that ranges from isolated mountains to sea coasts, cultural differences, limited resources and disparate colonial histories between the country’s North and South. Yemen as a locale, as an idea in people’s minds – “I am Yemeni,” – preceded the idea of Yemen as a nation-state. Building a modern state on top of traditional structures

Diplomatic Connections: Yemen, is deeply torn by political strife and violence at the moment. The elected President of Yemen, President Abed Rabbo Mansur Hadi, has just returned to Yemen after being in exile for several months in Saudi Arabia. Given the terribly disrupted situation in your country, who do you represent here in Washington at this point? Ambassador Mubarak: I am representing the Republic and people of Yemen, and its leadership constituting the legitimate government of Yemen. President Hadi, the elected president of our country, represents legitimacy and also the interests of the people. Diplomatic Connections: You hold a Ph.D. in Business Administration and an MBA from the University of Baghdad. You began your career as an academic at Sana’a University. How did you make your way into politics and diplomacy work? Ambassador Mubarak: I must say that I miss the nice days of being an academician. But, at the same time I have been fascinated to link the realities of politics and diplomacy with the theoretical insights that I gained in my academic training.

of rule that involve primarily family, clan, tribe . . . and

In 2011, Yemenis, mainly the young people started voicing

regions is like trying to put together a puzzle on top of a puzzle. A graphic in a recent edition of a major international

their demands in the street. “Change Square,” where youth mounted their protest against the government of Yemen, was right next to the university. I could see it from my

news publication characterized Yemen as one of the

office. I found myself captivated, wanting to be a part of the

“failed states” in the Middle East and North Africa region. The other two are Syria and Libya. Ambassador Mubarak, however, is unwilling to accept that description. He still

revolution. Many of those young people were my students.

believes in the vision of a federal Yemen with a new constitution that tolerates substantial regional autonomy while preserving the historical heritage of Yemen, mending the political fabric of the country, rejecting extremism, limiting foreign interference and rebuilding a national economy that can be integrated into the global trading system. Ambassador Mubarak was kind enough to grant Diplomatic Connections his first formal interview in the United States. We explored with him the complexities of

Diplomatic Connections: Was that the beginning of the “Arab Spring” in Yemen? Ambassador Mubarak: Yemenis began voicing their concerns about the actions of their national government and calling for reform long before the Arab Spring began in Tunisia in 2011. In 2007, the Hirak Movement or Southern Mobility Movement began to voice a demand for regional autonomy, even secession from Yemen’s North. [NOTE: The northern and southern portions of Yemen were only united under a single national government in 1990. These areas had very different colonial histories and came to independence under very

the situation in Yemen, and he offered us insights into past events, into the ways those events have frequently been

different circumstances.] Our first dialogue about the future of

misunderstood in the international press, and possible future directions for his country. All leavened with persistent

I was on the university faculty, and found myself in sympathy

optimism and a measure of hope, tempered by realism.

our country began in 2008-2009. with many of the calls for change in my country. I understood and supported the calls for a new, modern state and for

D I P L O M AT I C C O N N E C T I O N S B U S I N E S S E D I T I O N | J A N U A R Y – F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6

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2008

Black History Calendar

JANUARY 2008 s

FEBRUARY 2008 s

MARCH 2008 s

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eam

MAY 2008 m

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THIRTEEN, 14, AND 20, that’s how old Monique Currie, Alana Beard, and Nakia

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Sanford of the Washington Mystics were when the Women’s National Basketball Association

DECEMBER 2008 s

(WNBA) was established in 1996. Old enough to dream that one day, they might play for a professional women’s basketball team in their home country – the United States of America.

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And for Currie, who plays the guard-forward position and started her pro career in 2007, being a Mystic is extra special, as she grew up a fan of the team. She said, “I am very fortunate to be from Washington, D.C. and able to play for my hometown team. It’s like I went from being in the stands to actually being on the court!” From their first season through 2007, the Mystics have made it to the playoffs four times and are determined to become a championship team. “I want to win a WNBA championship next season [1998] with the Mystics,” Currie said. Referring to the 2008 season, Sanford added, “As a team, I would like to see the Mystics finally bring our franchise to the level we know we deserve and have worked hard to be on. Next year, has to be that year.”

SEPTEMBER 2008 s

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“Before the league started, we were forced to go overseas to continue our dreams of playing,” said Beard who was drafted by the Mystics in 2004. Recalling the memory of when the league was created, she said, “I was a sophomore in high school, and I told my mother that I felt that I was in jail for another six years.” Officially, the WNBA was formed on April 24, 1996, making it the third professional women’s basketball league established in the U.S. The first was the now defunct Women’s Professional Basketball League (WBL), which existed from 1978-1981. Then, 15 years later, two leagues: the American Basketball League (ABL) and the WNBA were formed during the same year. ABL games started in ’96, but the league disbanded after two seasons. However, it has been different for the WNBA. Its first game took place on June 21, 1997, as the new league kicked off its inaugural season with eight teams: Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets, Los Angeles Sparks, New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs, and Utah Starzz. Expansion teams were added the following season and the Washington Mystics joined the league. Murriel Page, the “Original Mystic,” was the team’s first pick in the 1998 draft. At that time, Beard, Currie, and Sanford were excited about what the new league could mean for their futures. “It was a dream come true to be a WNBA player,” said Beard who was drafted by the Mystics in 2004 and plays the guard-forward position. Sanford joined the team in 2003 as a forwardcenter and clearly remembers the moment when she realized that her dream of becoming a professional basketball player had also come true. “The first time I saw my name on the back of my uniform . . it’s hard to describe that feeling. It’s like finally eating something you have been craving for a long time. It’s an elevated level of satisfaction, and I still get it every year,” she said. Sanford enjoys being able to play in front of her family and friends. “I am so far away from my loved ones when I’m overseas,” she noted. “Being able to play here in the United States is such a blessing.”

In addition to becoming a championship team, the front office wants the Mystics to become a profitable one. President and Managing Partner Shelia C. Johnson is focusing on increasing awareness about the team and filling up the seats in the MCI Center. Although the team has six “Attendance Champions” banners, fans are not clamoring to WNBA games as they do for the NBA. “People love sports. People will love women’s sports once they get to know it,” Johnson said. “It’s our job to expose the general population to it and get the public to realize that women’s sports are just as fun, just as exciting, and just as rewarding as what the public has come to expect from men’s sports.” So, to achieve their goals on and off the court, the Mystics reorganized at the end of the 2007 season. Greg Bibb was hired as the chief operating office and his top priorities include increasing corporate sponsorships and attendance. Interim coach Wayne “Tree” Rollins was named head coach, and Johnson said that as part of restructuring the organization, “Gregg is delivering a strategic plan and financial vision to the make the team profitable. Tree, as head coach, will work to focus the team and put the best on the court.” While improving their game is important, the Mystics also realize that as professional basketball players, young women look up to them. “These players are invaluable role modes for women and girls alike,” Johnson said. “The singular most important message is that women must take charge of their lives.” She is an example of her own words. Johnson is the first African American woman to have a controlling interest in a professional sports team. She accomplished this when she became a partner of Lincoln Holdings, LLC, which bought the Mystics in 2005. To give back to the community, the Mystics have food, clothes, toy, and blood drives. They partner with health organizations to promote healthy living by encouraging elementary school children to eat better and exercise more. The team has also hosted a fantasy camp where proceeds were donated to an organization that helps women and children who have survived relationship violence and abuse. And, they have worked with businesses to help foster children in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area find adoptive homes. The passion the Mystics bring to the court is the same passion that attracts them to causes that empower women and educate children. Now, after celebrating their 10th season, the Mystics have solidified their place in the Washington, D.C. community and longevity in the WNBA, an organization that has provided many women with the opportunity to become professional basketball players in the U.S. “Right now, we have the best of both worlds,” Beard said. “We can play in front of familiar faces and live in and experience other cultures.” Since the first season, the WNBA has expanded to 14 teams, a sign of its growing popularity. Johnson said she would like women’s professional basketball to achieve national success and be legitimately recognized as a major sport in America. As the WNBA and Mystics prepare for the upcoming season, Johnson said she sees the legacy of the Mystics and the league as one where “women’s sports are valuable and hold the same respect or better as men’s sports. This - the WNBA – is the purest form of the game.”

9/27/17 9:19 AM

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