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Warfighter Countdown – Tim Kennedy Presents “LEADERSHIP: Becoming The Sheepdog” At Warrior West

Wednesday, May 8th, 2019

We may mentioned once or twice that MMA Fighter and SF NCO Tim Kennedy will present training at next week’s Warrior West in San Diego, but thats because we anticipate this to be the best event ever presented at a Warrior Expo.

“Every time you train, train with the motivation and purpose that you will be the hardest person someone ever tries to kill.”

Tim Kennedy

UFC Middleweight Fighter | Army Ranger | Special Forces Sniper | Weapon Specialist | Actor

The premise behind the training is that there are three types of people in this world: the wolf, the sheep, and the sheepdog. The wolf is violent, the sheep is passive, and the sheepdog is there to protect one from the other.

The Details:

LEADERSHIP: Becoming the Sheep Dog, Featuring Celebrity Guest Speaker Tim Kennedy

Wednesday, May 15 @ 1130 – 1230, Classroom 5B

Featured celebrity speaker, Army Green Beret, and UFC ranked middleweight fighter, Tim Kennedy, will speak about how to overcome fear, how to get up and learn from losses, how to recognize strengths and weaknesses, and how to become the sheepdog.

Tim is well known for his support of those serving in uniform and will also hold a meet and greet, Wednesday, May 15 @ 1000 – 1100, in the Warrior Lounge.

Both events will be held at the San Diego Convention Center—Sails Pavilion and in both cases, valid Government ID is required for entry.

Posted in ADS, Advertiser, Training, Veterans, Warrior Athlete, Warrior Expo | 1 Comment »

One Lap America Features Veteran Grudge Race: Marcus Luttrell (Navy) vs. Jarred Taylor (Air Force)

Tuesday, May 7th, 2019

Who:

JARRED TAYLOR VS. MARCUS LUTTRELL

What:

TIRE RACK ONE LAP AMERICA 2019 WILL FEATURE THE FIRST EVER VETERAN GRUDGE MATCH FEATURING

JARRED TAYLOR (AirForce) VS. MARCUS LUTTRELL (Navy)

When:

May 4th – 11th

Where:

• May 4/May 11: Tire Rack Skid Pad, South Bend, Indiana

• May 4: Grissom Air Force Base, Peru, Indiana

• May 5: Nelson Ledges, Garrettville, Ohio

• May 6: Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

• May 7: Brainerd International Raceway, Brainerd, Minnesota

• May 8: Motorsports Park Hastings, Hastings, Nebraska

• May 9: Blackhawk Farms Raceway, South Beloit, Illinois

• May 10: NCM Motorsports Park, Bowling Green, Kentucky

Why:

Air Force veteran Jarred Taylor of Black Rifle Coffee teams with professional racer driver Steve Arpin to challenge Travis Pastrana and

Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell in this year’s One Lap America

Background: Loenbro Motorsports driver Steve Arpin will take his versatile racing skills across the United States in 2019, as he and cbdMD will team up with Black Rifle Coffee Company co-founder Jarred Taylor to take on this year’s Tire Rack One Lap of America. Arpin will share Taylor’s 2017 Ford Focus RS during the week-long trek across the United States, which will kick off on Saturday, May 4th and run through May 11th.

“I’m super excited to team up with cbdMD, Jarred Taylor and Black Rifle Coffee to make my One Lap of America debut,” said Steve Arpin. “It doesn’t get much cooler than getting to drive an awesome car like the Ford Focus RS across the country! But to be able to do it with the support of such an amazing group of partners and supporters will make it a downright incredible experience. Make no mistake; we’re in it to win it.

Arpin adds, “I know my longtime rally cross competitors Travis Pastrana and Blake “Bilko” Williams will be competing against us this year. They’re both great guys and fierce competitors, but I fully expect that Jarred and I will have everything it takes under the hood and behind the wheel to take them down!”

Jarrod Taylor of Black Rifle Coffee states, “Travis and Marcus Luttrell have no clue what is about to hit them; in terms of competition of course. Sure I have zero experience behind the wheel of a race car but I have years of Xbox experience playing racing video games and that’s pretty much the same. I have even packed the glove box full of tissues for Marcus for his post race tears.”

Arpin and Taylor’s Ford Focus RS has the support of some of the automotive industry’s premier brands behind them, including many that sponsor Arpin’s Americas Rally Cross exploits. The Ford Focus RF features a custom tune from SCT Performance to maximize its horsepower, ENEOS lubricants to keep it running strong through a grueling week of driving and Toyo Tires’ Proxes R1R tires designed to destroy the competition. Arpin and Taylor will also be equipped with Harris Radio equipment as they document and live stream the races; giving fans an inside look at what it takes to conquer one of America’s most fun and challenging events for street cars.

The 35th running of the One Lap of America promises to be an exciting one. With a packed field, some very talented drivers in the world’s most advanced street cars, and a great route packed with challenging tracks, the competition will be fierce and fun. If you are local to any of the venues please feel free to come on out. If you can’t make it out in person, be sure to follow all of the action on the One Lap of America Facebook page, featuring daily live streams, team interviews, behind the scenes moments and an abundance of trash talking.

Be sure to visit www.onelapofamerica.com for competition times and public viewing information

After the conclusion of One Lap of America, don’t miss Arpin and the Loenbro Motorsports team as they run for the 2019 Americas Rallycross championship, starting with the Cooper Tires ARX of Mid-Ohio at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on June 8-9. Tickets for selected rounds of the championship are on sale now via www.arxrallycross.com.

Be sure to follow Steve Arpin, Jarred Taylor, Loenbro Motorsports, and cbdMD on social media:

• Facebook: Steve Arpin, Jarred Taylor, Loenbro Motorsports, cbdMD, Black Rifle Coffee

• Twitter: @stevearpin, @loenbroracing, @jtarticle15, @cbdmd_usa, @Blackriflecoffee

• Instagram: @arpin00, @jtarticle15, @loenbromotorsports, @cbdmd.usa, @blackriflecoffee @marcusluttrell

Posted in Fundraising, Veterans | Comments Off on One Lap America Features Veteran Grudge Race: Marcus Luttrell (Navy) vs. Jarred Taylor (Air Force)

Eagles & Angels Limited Launch Custom Shop

Tuesday, April 9th, 2019

If you’ve been interested in Eagles & Angels’ custom patches, field note covers and hats, but you’ve wanted to commemorate your service or that of a loved one, rather than that of someone else, they’ve got you covered. E&A has opened a custom shop which allows you to take uniforms or remnants and repurpose them into mementos you can still wear and use out of uniform.

The process is pretty straight forward.

Check out www.eaglesandangelsltd.com and email them at info@eaglesandangelsltd.com.

Posted in Morale, Veterans | Comments Off on Eagles & Angels Limited Launch Custom Shop

Combat Flip Flops’ CEO, Matthew Griffin, Named Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellow

Tuesday, March 26th, 2019

Aspen Institute Mobilizes New Generation of Leaders

March 25, 2019 [SEATTLE, WA] –– The Aspen Institute has announced its 2019 Class of Henry Crown Fellows, including Combat Flip Flops’ CEO, Matthew ‘Griff’ Griffin. The Henry Crown Fellowship mobilizes a new breed of leaders, between 30-45 years, to tackle the world’s most intractable problems. All are proven entrepreneurial leaders, mostly from the world of business, who, having achieved professional success, are now ready to apply their creative talents and skill sets to building a better society.

Henry Crown Fellows explore their leadership, core values, vision for a Good Society and their desired legacies. But the Fellowship is not just about reflection. It is also about action: each Fellow launches a Leadership Venture that will stretch them and have a positive impact on their communities, their country, or the world.

“We are especially delighted with this year’s class of Henry Crown Fellows, the most politically and geographically diverse ever,” said Tonya Hinch, executive director of the program. “For society, they represent a potent force of talent, ready to focus their energies on some of the greatest challenges of our times. For them, they are embarking on a personal journey—a journey ‘from success to significance’—that will change their lives forever. I know. I’m a Henry Crown Fellow too.”

“It’s humbling to be nominated and selected as a Henry Crown Fellow,” state Griff. “This was made possible by the family and friends that supported the dream of Combat Flip flops and backed that support with relentless action. I look forward to the challenge of the fellowship and will endeavor to use the experience to positively contribute back to my communitity, country, and planet.”

2019 Henry Crown Fellows:

Yemi Dele Akinyemi, Creative Director, Founder & CEO, JAD Productions, Prague, CZ.

Sean Bielat, Chief Executive Officer, Endeavor Robotics, Carlisle, MA.

Sarah Bird, Chief Executive Officer, Moz, Seattle, WA.

Jewel Burks Solomon, Founder, Partpic (acquired by Amazon), Atlanta, GA.

Jerry Coleman, Founder, Offerpad, Gilbert, AZ.

Beau Ferrari, Executive Vice President, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, Miami, FL.

Jose Garcia-Aranda, President, Alberici Global Automotive Constructors, LLC., St. Louis, MO.

Max Goldberg, Co-Owner, Strategic Hospitality, Nashville, TN.

Matthew Griffin, Cofounder & CEO, Combat Flip Flops, Issaquah, WA.

Yvonne Hao, Chief Operating Officer, PillPack, Cambridge, MA.

Poppy Harlow, Anchor, CNN Newsroom, CNN, Brooklyn, NY.

Taavet Hinrikus, Chairman & Cofounder, TransferWise, London, UK.

Tara Hovey, President & COO, Optima, Chicago, IL.

Pete Kadens, Cofounder & Former CEO, Green Thumb Industries, Winnetka, IL.

Toni Ko, Founder, TKRP LLC & NYX Cosmetics, Los Angeles, CA.

Brit Morin, Founder & CEO, Brit + Co, Mill Valley, CA.

Shegun Otulana, Founder & CEO, Therapy Brands, Birmingham, AL.

Ruben Sigala, Former EVP & CMO, Caesars Entertainment, Denver, CO.

Stacey Tank, Vice President, Home Services, The Home Depot, Atlanta, GA. Amber Venz Box, Cofounder & President, rewardStyle, Dallas, TX.

Rodney Williams, Cofounder and Chief Commercial Officer, LISNR, Cincinnati, OH.

For more information on the Fellowship, please visit agln.aspeninstitute.org/fellowships/henrycrown.

Posted in Industry, Press Release, Veterans | Comments Off on Combat Flip Flops’ CEO, Matthew Griffin, Named Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellow

Distinguished Military and Business Leaders Join Global War on Terror (GWOT) Memorial Foundation Coalition

Sunday, March 17th, 2019

Ted Skokos, Lyla Kohistany and Vincent “Rocco” Vargas will bring insights and expertise to help guide the development of a D.C. memorial honoring those who served in the GWOT

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 26, 2019 – The Global War on Terror (GWOT) Memorial Foundation, the congressionally-designated non-profit foundation tasked with organizing, fundraising and coordinating efforts to build a new memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is welcoming two new ambassadors and adding a new member to its board of directors.

Over the course of their tenures, the new team members will lend their expertise and strategic insights in support of the Foundation’s mission to build a national memorial recognizing all those who have served, and continue to serve, in the GWOT. The new team members are:

• Ted Skokos (GWOT Memorial Foundation Board of Directors) is a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and an entrepreneur residing in Dallas, Texas. He served in the U.S. Army during all three Gulf War missions and retired in 1992 as a 21-year veteran. After successful tenures as a prosecutor and civil attorney, Skokos focused his energy on the business world, founding companies in the wireless communications and medical device industries. He and his wife Shannon founded The Ted and Shannon Skokos Foundation, which awards grants to public charities making a positive impact on society.

• Lyla Kohistany (GWOT Memorial Foundation Ambassador) is the president and co-founder of PROMOTE, a non-profit focused on creating inclusive national security teams. A native of Afghanistan, she served on active duty from 2001-2007 as a naval surface warfare and intelligence officer and deployed to Bagram in 2005. Since 2008, she has enabled and advised military operations in Afghanistan as a consultant for the Defense Intelligence Agency and U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). From 2013-2014, Kohistany deployed as the NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan’s cultural advisor. She currently consults for USSOCOM as a Cultural Advisor and the Cultural Intelligence Center as a Master Trainer.

• Vincent “Rocco” Vargas (GWOT Memorial Foundation Ambassador) is a writer and actor known for The Long Way Back (2016) and Dads in Parks (2016). He currently plays Gilberto ‘Gilly’ Lopez on Mayans M.C. on FX, and hosts the Vinny Roc Podcast. Vargas became an Army Ranger at 22 years old and completed three combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan with the 75th Ranger Regiment’s 2nd Battalion. He entered the Army Reserve following active duty, working in special operations for the Arizona Department of Corrections and U.S. Border Patrol before starting his entertainment career.

“Each of these accomplished individuals brings a unique set of skills, expertise and perspective to our mission, and we are honored to welcome them as valued new team members,” said Michael “Rod” Rodriguez, president and CEO of the GWOT Memorial Foundation. “As our team continues to grow, their leadership and continued selfless service will be invaluable as we seek to establish a memorial on the National Mall befitting all those who have served, continue to serve, and will serve in our nation’s longest conflict.”

“To be a part of this effort is a once in a lifetime opportunity to leave a legacy that will remind, educate and inspire future generations of the sacrifice of thousands of Americans that came before them to combat and defeat terrorism,” said Skokos.

Over the months ahead, the GWOT Memorial Foundation is focused on advocating for land within the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Winstanley Architects & Planners (WA&P), the Foundation’s executive architect, is managing and overseeing the 24-step process required by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) and National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission (NCMAC) to design and build the memorial in Washington, D.C.

WA&P has already surveyed groups around the country, gathering input from veterans, service members, military families and the American people about what the memorial should represent, the feelings it should evoke and the educational elements it should convey.

Once a site is selected and approved, the Foundation will oversee an invited memorial design competition which captures the themes discovered, including those of endurance and sacrifice on a global and multi-cultural scale in America’s longest war.

To learn more about the GWOT Memorial Foundation or to donate, visit gwotmf.org or follow the Foundation on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Posted in Charity, Veterans | Comments Off on Distinguished Military and Business Leaders Join Global War on Terror (GWOT) Memorial Foundation Coalition

Eagles and Angels Ltd – Andy Stumpf Limited Edition Notebook Cover

Wednesday, February 20th, 2019

A veteran owned business, Eagles and Angels takes uniforms from other Combat vets and creates cool items like this notebook cover. It’s made from heavy-duty leather, with two pockets for business cards as well as a pen holder. Additionally, it comes with a notebook.

in this case, the fabric inlay of the American flag cane from Andy Stumpf. Andy began his SEAL career attached to SEAL Team Five, in Coronado California. In 2002 he screened for and joined the most elite counter-terrorism unit in the military, SEAL Team Six. This unit is tasked with conducting the nation’s most critical missions, many of which have become the focus of Hollywood movies and books. While on a combat deployment an Iraqi insurgent shot Andy at close range with an AK-47.

Connect with Navy SEAL Combat Veteran, Andy Stumpf, on his Instagram page: HERE

A portion of the proceeds from sales will be donated to the Navy SEAL Foundation.

eaglesandangelsltd.com/shop/stumpf-fnc

Posted in Charity, Veterans | 2 Comments »

Help Marco Gonzalez’ Son Come Home

Wednesday, February 20th, 2019

Many of you may know Marco Gonzalez from his time as a SEAL or at the helm of Global Defense Initiatives. You may know his son Luke as well, who is also a veteran.

Unfortunately, Luke was accused of theft while traveling in Thailand by a fellow American he had recently met. He was arrested and initially spent two months in a Thai jail. He is currently out on bail, awaiting trial in April, but can’t leave Thailand.

As you can imagine, legal assistance in this case is very expensive, as is providing a place for Marco and Luke to stay while this drags out. Some of Marco’s friends have set up a GoFundMe to help out and I encourage you to do so.

www.gofundme.com/bring-their-son-home

Posted in Fundraising, Veterans | Comments Off on Help Marco Gonzalez’ Son Come Home

Fundraiser for Robert “RAT” Trivino

Tuesday, February 12th, 2019

Rob Trivino is a Retired US Army Special Operations Veteran and owner of Evergreen Mountain LLC. You may know him from training with him or reading his book, “A Warrior’s Path : Lessons In Leadership“.

Unfortunately, Rat recently suffered a stroke and cannot work. Some of his friends have set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for his family during his recovery.

Please donate at www.gofundme.com/robert-quotratquot-trivino.

Posted in Fundraising, Veterans | 3 Comments »