Our message on this 100th anniversary of Veterans Day is pretty simple and like Remembrance Day, it goes for our brothers and sisters both here in the United States as well as our allies.
Thank you for your service, and please keep it up.
For those of us who aren’t serving, support those that do.
AKRON, OH (Nov. 8, 2019) Metisentry, LLC, based in Akron, OH, has announced the acquisition of ScholarVets as of Nov. 1, 2019.
ScholarVets is based in Silver Spring, MD, and works to connect military veterans with academic partner schools more efficiently. Through the use of its patent-pending web platform and mobile application, ScholarVets is arming veterans with a powerful communication channel.
This, in turn, is increasing veteran graduation rates post-military service.
“Our vision has always been one where our platform would help 100% of military-connected students graduate and obtain meaningful employment post-military service,” stated John Lunardi, President of ScholarVets. “This acquisition will not only further our original vision but because of Metisentry’s strong ties to the military via MilitaryHire.com and Willco Technologies, will take ScholarVets to new heights.”
The acquisition of ScholarVets is happening on the heels of Metisentry’s recent acquisition of MilitaryHire, which works to connect veterans with employers seeking their unique skills.
According to Metisentry CEO, Marling Engle, “We see ScholarVets as a fantastic complement to our other military-related portfolio companies. These organizations are working to connect and help veterans realize their goals post-military service directly. We’re very proud and excited to be a part of that process for them.”
The acquisition was finalized on Nov. 1, 2019, and the ScholarVets staff will remain on— and grow. Metisentry will be acquiring the business through an investment from SaaS Factory, the related portfolio company.
BEAVERTON, Ore. — Leupold & Stevens, Inc., and Black Rifle Coffee Company have partnered to donate over $72,000 to the Boot Campaign, a non-profit organization that tirelessly works to support military veterans across the country. The funds were raised in conjunction with a group of personalities on the multimedia streaming platform, Twitch.tv. Popular Twitch personalities Eli_doubletap, Tweak, Klean, Matbest11x, Baddie, KiiNGS, Alex_Zedra, DonutOperator, and Drdemolitionmatt, streamed through the night on Saturday, Nov. 2, applying all crowd-sourced donations directly to the Boot Campaign. Leupold-sponsored product giveaways were a highlight of the special event, which ultimately raised $72,643.30.
“Leupold and Black Rifle Coffee Company conceived of the fundraiser, but it was the strength of community and dedication to the mission that made it as wildly successful as it was,” said Shane Meisel, Director of Marketing for Leupold & Stevens, Inc. “The Boot Campaign is one of the most dedicated veteran support programs in the country, and everyone – from the streamers to their fans on Twitch – showed up and backed the cause.”
Founded in 2009, the Boot Campaign has given more than $12 million in financial aid to service members, veterans, and their families. The organization’s programs assist with housing needs, career and education costs, PTSD/TBI treatment, and health and wellness programs. Funds are raised through general donations, corporate sponsorships, and the retail sale of combat boots and branded merchandise.
“Our mission, from the beginning, has been to support health and wellness, restore families, restart careers, reduce suicides, and reinforce communities,” said John Hughes, Board Member and Treasurer of the Boot Campaign. “We couldn’t do what we do for service members and veterans without the support of companies like Leupold and Black Rifle Coffee Company.”
For more information on Leupold® products, please visit us at Leupold.com.
Here at XGO, our garments are inspired by all of the branches of the United States Military. This November we would like to say thank you and recognize all our vets as well as active military. In honor of Veteran’s Day we will be giving away a $500 (MSRP) shopping spree on our website (proxgo.com). Simply head over to the link, bit.ly/31WRiX6, like our Facebook page, upload your favorite military photo while serving and your email address. You can also head enter via Instagram by simply adding a photo and hashtagging #XGOMilitaryPhotoContest to win. Winner must provide proof of service.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation today announced the finalists for the 9th annual Hiring Our Heroes awards. These 24 finalists have demonstrated leadership in addressing the challenges faced by veterans, transitioning service members, military spouses, and military caregivers in their search for meaningful employment.
“This year’s award finalists are recognized for their tremendous impact on the military community by leading innovative employment programs and initiatives for military-connected talent,” said Eric Eversole, a vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and president of Hiring Our Heroes. “They have demonstrated leadership in creating long-term economic opportunities for transitioning service members, veterans, military spouses, and caregivers.” The Hiring Our Heroes awards are presented in six categories: Veteran and Military Spouse Employment; Military Community Nonprofit Leadership; Post-9/11 Veteran Employment; Wounded Veteran and Military Caregiver Employment; Military Spouse Employment and Mentoring; and Individual Leadership. This year’s finalists are:
Lee Anderson Veteran and Military Spouse Employment Award, for overall excellence in hiring and retaining veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses: Accenture; DaVita; Prudential Financial; and Walmart.
Military Community Nonprofit Leadership Award, for demonstrated commitment to supporting veteran and military spouse employment and economic opportunity: PenFed Foundation; PsychArmor; NextOp; and Operation Gratitude.
Steve Robinson Post-9/11 Veteran Employment Award, for effective and sustained efforts to enhance the ability of post-9/11 veterans and transitioning service members to find meaningful employment: Cushman & Wakefield; LinkedIn; Salesforce; and Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.
Wounded Veteran and Military Caregiver Employment Award, for demonstrated leadership in addressing the unique challenges and demands for wounded, ill, and injured veterans as well as military caregivers in their search for meaningful employment: AARP; Amazon; Hilton Hotels; and Wounded Warrior Project.
Military Spouse Employment and Mentoring Award, for demonstrated hiring, mentorship, and support of military spouses in their search for meaningful employment: B.E.A.T. LLC; Lockheed Martin; Board of Veterans’ Appeals; and Walmart.
Colonel Michael Endres Leadership Award for Individual Excellence in Veteran Employment, for an individual who has gone above and beyond to make a difference in employment opportunities for veterans, transitioning service members, and spouses: Jim Beamesderfer, Prudential Financial; Danny Chung, Microsoft; Al Hanley, Troops Into Transportation; and Melissa Stirling, Hilton Worldwide.
The winner in each category will be announced during the 9th Annual Lee Anderson Hiring Our Heroes Awards Gala presented by Toyota at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on November 13, 2019. The Hiring Our Heroes Awards Committee will select the winners.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes initiative launched in March 2011 as a nationwide effort to connect veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses with meaningful employment opportunities. Working with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s vast network of state and local chambers and strategic partners from the public, private, and non-profit sectors, the goal of Hiring Our Heroes is to create a movement across America in hundreds of communities where veterans and military families return every day.
Early on, the organization adopted two strategies: (1) grassroots engagement and (2) public-private partnerships. Through its commitment-based engagement of the business community, more than 1,200 job fairs held across the country and on military installations overseas, and a suite of free online career tools, we’ve worked with our partners to help hundreds of thousands of veterans and military spouses find jobs.
October 18, 2019: Huntsville, AL: Little Orange Fish, a 501(c)(3) non-profit committed to furthering community mental health, announced the launch of its Inner Defense Research Initiative, which is a collaborative effort aimed at identifying markers in the immune system that indicate and possibly predict sensitivity to PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). This initiative, a collaboration including iXpressGenes Inc., Paragon Research Corporation, the University of Alabama at Huntsville and individual contributors is based on a breakthrough study reporting a strong correlation between the immune system and stress affliction. The analysis, which is based on a simple blood draw, might guide clinical approaches to PTSD diagnosis and treatment, possibly bringing a revolutionary solution to a crippling problem for many people.
The Inner Defense Research Initiative focuses on developing the diagnostic screen to inform solutions for prevention and treatment, to provide education and outreach and to influence policy change.
For Dr. Joe Ng, founder, and president of iXpressGenes, this mission is personal. Having survived the mass shooting at UAH in 2011, this research was born from the struggles and firsthand observations of the carnage- caused traumatic stress. “In honor of those who did not survive and those who did, but suffer terribly,” Dr. Ng said, “I want to find a path to resiliency. The immune system might be that path.”
Dr. Ng’s company, iXpressGenes, (iXG) is a synthetic biology company located at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, specializing in solutions based on molecular protein structures. iXG has conducted preliminary studies of T-cell receptor transcriptome sequences that offer an unprecedented analysis of linking an immune repertoire to sensitivity or resilience to PTSD, demonstrating that certain immune conditions are more common in people with PTSD. This knowledge opens up a wealth of preventative measures one can take as well as directed treatment options for long-term health.
“Approaching PTSD from the perspective of the immune system changes everything,” said Peggy Sammon, Director, iXG. “The neural-immune axis brings a new set of tools to those who are seeking solutions for PTSD and other debilitating stress conditions.”
While the preliminary findings are encouraging and provide strong support for the proposed study; the next step is to expand the size of their participant pool and validate the findings in a bigger study. The goal is to collect immune repertoire data for a thousand or more soldiers and first responders who have been exposed to trauma to help establish a secure and intelligent database for analyses and data mining in the search for predictive markers. Once the markers have been identified and verified, intervention strategies can be recommended. The team is seeking funding to perform a larger study.
“There is such promise in the science we’ve seen,” John Schmitt, Iraq war veteran and collaborating microbiologist added, “we have built a powerful team of technical experts and innovators in the field, but we will need the support from the wider community to accelerate this work and really make a difference in lives.”
To learn more about the Inner Defense Research Initiative, participate in the study or to donate, please visit www.innerdefense.org.
We’ve got a lot of veterans in my family. Not only is my father a veteran, but he’s also a retired Air Force maintenance guy. He recently ran across an announcement for “free tool boxes for veterans” and suggested that I share it with my readership. I thought it was a good idea, so here it is?:
REAch program has shipped more than 8,000 toolboxes to Veterans
In 1994, U.S. Army Air Corps WWII Veteran and former POW Clarence Robert “Bud” Shepherd opened a small warehouse in Burlington, North Carolina, to assist 501 (c) (3) non-profit organizations, like schools, churches and daycares.
Shepherd refocused his attention on Post-9/11 combat wounded Veterans in 2012 by creating the Veteran Toolbox Program. He provided them with free toolboxes to assist with their transition into civilian life. Although Post-9/11 Purple Heart Veterans are priority for the program, all Veterans can apply.
“I always wanted to do something for Veterans, and I came up with the toolbox program,” said Shepherd. “We talked to some tool companies, and they were interested in getting involved. We talked to Stanley and Black and Decker about what we wanted to do and they came back with one word – absolutely! APEX tools, Wooster paint brushes, and Johnson & Johnson are also great supporters.”
The REAch Veteran Toolbox Program has shipped more than 8,000 toolboxes to Veterans, which contains about $600 worth of tools.
“This is the most satisfying thing I’ve ever done in my lifetime,” said the 94-year-old.
Shepherd works six days a week, gets up at 5 a.m., and leaves work at 6 p.m. most days. But he’s no stranger to hard work.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943, when he was 18 years old. He served in the 8th Air Force in England as a tail-gunner on a B-17. Enemy forces shot down his plane six months before the end of WWII. Shepherd was captured and sent to a prisoner of war camp near Berth, Germany.
“Once we got settled down, things went along fairly smooth because there was 9,000 of us, all Air Force people,” Shepherd recalled. “About 7,500 Americans and a few Brits. We were liberated by the Russians and I made my way back home.”
“We hear from a lot of these guys and their families,” Shepherd said. “Last week we got an e-mail saying ‘You saved my husband’s life. He hasn’t been out of the house in three months but ever since he got his toolbox he’s been out in the garage or the backyard working on something.’”
REAch operates in Graham, North Carolina, but ships the toolboxes across the country.
“I go to the VA hospital in Durham, North Carolina, for yearly physicals, but my health is excellent,” he said. “These people down there that I deal with at the VA hospital, they are just good people… In my lifetime, I’ve been blessed, and I enjoy every minute of it.
Learn more about the Veteran Toolbox Program at: reainc.org
This article was written by Tim Hudak and published via blogs.va.gov.
Author Tim Hudak joined the VA in December 2013 and is on the Veterans Experience Office team. Tim, a Chicago-land native enlisted in the Marine Corps straight out of high school. As an intelligence analyst he deployed to Al Anbar province, Iraq with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 363 in 2006 and 2008. After the Marine Corps, Tim used the GI Bill to earn a degree in Intelligence Studies from Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pa., and co-founded the university’s first student Veteran organization. Tim is active in many Veteran organizations.
SAN DIEGO, CA, September 5, 2019 – Special Operations Care Fund (SOC-F), Tomahawk Charitable Solutions (TCS), and Brain Treatment Center San Diego (BTC San Diego) are pleased to announce their collaboration for BTC San Diego to offer an innovative and promising treatment modality for special operations military service members for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and Post-traumatic Stress (PTS).
The dynamic collaboration between SOC-F, TCS, and BTC San Diego offers a unique opportunity for service members struggling with symptoms such as lack of focus, chronic sleep disruption, and cognitive fog. Over the next 18 months, this collaboration will facilitate treatment by BTC San Diego of Special Operations Forces (SOF) veterans. SOC-F and TCS will bring valuable resources to support BTC San Diego’s pioneering work with the military community, and they are excited for the transformative opportunities the collaboration will bring to those who served.
Over the past six years, BTC San Diego has used Magnetic EEG/EKG-guided Resonance Therapy (MeRTSM) to help military service members and is conducting clinical trials with the Department of Defense and US Special Operations Command. MeRTSM is a patented process that uses computational neuroanalytics to build a personalized treatment protocol aimed at restoring each individuals neurological health. This process takes approximately 30 minutes per day over a 4-6 week period. MeRTSM was developed by Wave Neuroscience (Wave Neuro) – a leader in the non-invasive neuromodulation space.
Here is what service members who have completed MeRT at Brain Treatment Center say about the treatment:
SOF, USMC Veteran:
“Within 4 days of being treated, I was sleeping through the night. My anger had subsided significantly, and I was smiling and enjoying things again. I was able to focus and concentrate on information much more efficiently and easily, and did not get lost in conversation as I had prior to coming here. My chronic headaches had ceased, my balance was returning, and my ringing in my ears, (tinnitus) had also ceased.”
SOF, US Navy Veteran:
“Besides offering the most effective treatment I’ve experienced, the BTC and MeRT promise to accelerate results that might take months or years through traditional treatments. I feel like BTC reintroduced me to the person I can be, and put me back in control.”
SOF, US Army Veteran:
“After my 6th treatment, I slept 8 hours straight, I usually averaged 3-5 hours max. In the morning it felt like a light bulb turned on in my head… clarity of thought that I haven’t experienced in years.”
To make a donation in support of service members in need, please visit or www.soc-f.org (EIN: 46-3326489) or www.tomahawkcharitablesolutions.org (EIN: 82-1606687).
For inquires on becoming a participant, please visit www.braintreatmentcenter.com/SOF
