Falls Church, Woodbridge, Manassas, Arlington, and Franconia.
jim.normandin@adamspg.com
Eli Wohlenhaus ewohlenhaus@dcmilitary.com
Chad Campbell ccampbell@chespub.com Betsy Griffin bgriffin@chespub.com
Ryan Ebaugh rebaugh@dcmilitary.com
Steve Baird
Katie Melynn, Alice Swan, Matt Wynn, Michael Reid, Glenda C. Booth, Brie Burgett, Lt. Col. Paul McCullough
Executive Editor of At Ease
Eli Wohlenhaus
Fall in the DMV
It may be cliche, well it most certainly is, but the fall is my favorite season. The changing of the temperature, leaves, the activities, the atmosphere, the sports, the fun supernatural aspects and the eventual run into Christmas... Apple cider doughnuts, pumpkins and more. I could go on!
What also is happening this time of year is the Combined Federal Campaign, a very important season of giving to nonprofts who are working diligently to provide services and more to many. This is our chance to invest in our greater community at large.
Be sure to check out some of those nonprofts and charities inside these pages, whether in story or an advertisement. You will be able to fnd some way to get involved or give.
Tactical Treasures podcaster Tracy Flanagan uncovers the secret ingredient behind her guests’ success stories
Story by Alice Swan
provided by Tracy Flanagan
Whether it’s a military general ofcer, a veteran entrepreneur, military spouse or leader of a veteran support group, they all must be prepared to answer one question during their appearance on the Tactical Treasures podcast: “Is there an item, book, lesson or piece of advice that has greatly impacted your life?”
The purpose, podcaster Tracy Flanagan explained, is to fnd those ordinary objects or moments that her guests have turned into a “tactical treasure’ – something that positively afected their military career, business or helped them through a tough challenge — as a way to help inspire her listeners.
Flanagan shared that her favorite tactical treasure so far was the item Brig. Gen. Carol Eggert brought when appearing on the podcast. Eggert is the Assistant Adjutant General - Army, Joint Force Headquarters, Pennsylvania National Guard.
“She had a teddy bear named Axel that went everywhere with her, even on every deployment,” Flanagan said. “He had pins and decorations on him that reminded her of where she had been, shared memories and of the people back home who were thinking and praying for her.”
The idea of including ‘treasure’ on her podcast grew from the JDog Brands enterprise Flanagan and husband Jerry, a U.S. Army veteran, founded in 2011. Beginning as a junk removal business, JDog quickly fourished and the couple realized they had an opportunity to help other
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veterans by creating junk removal and carpet cleaning franchise opportunities for veterans or their immediate family members. Now there are 100+ JDog locations across the country, making it one of the largest veteran franchise systems in the U.S.
Flanagan shared that the growth of JDog Brands drew the attention of Hollywood producer, Jim Milio, known for Dog Whisperer and the flm My Big Fat Greek Wedding, in 2019. He thought they could create a tv show, similar to Storage Wars or American Pickers, about their business. The show, Operation Hidden Treasure, followed two of the JDog franchisees in Pennsylvania and Texas doing their everyday jobs. The series aired on the Discovery Channel and American Heroes Channel.
Interviewing Gen. (ret.) David Petraeus has been one of the hallmark episodes of the Tactical Treasures podcast.
“It’s been an amazing journey. I don’t think I’ve had one person say no about being on,” Flanagan noted. “I’ve had the honor and privilege of meeting so many men and women who have done wonderful things in service to our country. I mean, little Mrs. Tracy Flanagan is sitting down with Gen. David Petraeus. We talked about his military experience and his work in the military transition space. I’ve hosted the AAFMA Military Spouses of the Year and also Phyllis Wilson, president of the Military Women’s Memorial. There are more interesting guests already lined up for the coming year.” Flanagan said that it is an honor to be included on Wreaths Across America Radio.
“At the end of every show, I was the auctioneer, auctioning treasures featured in that episode,” said Flanagan. “Proceeds went to the JDog Foundation, which supports veteran organizations.”
The Tactical Treasures podcast started in 2021 to help promote the television series, with Flanagan as the podcaster. But while the series eventually ended, the podcast grew in popularity. Flanagan shared that she’s recorded more than 100 episodes with a wide variety of guests, and she’s become more comfortable behind the Tactical Treasures mic.
“I always tell people I get nervous with public speaking and that I would rather dance in front of a million people than talk in front of 10,” she admitted. “But being a business owner with my husband has pushed me in ways I never thought I would grow in.”
“As a civilian podcaster to be taken seriously by the veteran community means everything,” she said. “WAA’s mission is amazing and I had Karen Worcester, WAA executive director, on the podcast. To (learn) the WAA story was incredible. I am excited that they’ve made me a part of their broadcast family.”
When Flanagan isn’t behind the mic or taking care of her duties as JDog’s senior vice president, she can be found dancing, a creative outlet she’s been enjoying for more than 40 years.
“I belong to a studio in Westchester, Pennsylvania. I do jazz, modern ballet and lyrical. I take 3 classes a week and am a member of the studio’s performing company. I started at 18, and I’m 63 now and still dancing,” she shared.
You can listen to Tactical Treasures on Wreaths Across America Radio every Thursday at 7 p.m. eastern or at https://jdogpodcast.com/. You can also fnd the show on all the major podcast streaming sites. To learn more about JDog Brands and franchise opportunities, visit https://www.jdogbrands.com/.
Tracy Flanagan (center) performing with other dance troupe members.
The most interesting man in the ‘county’
Legion member is the ‘oil on the cogs in the machine’
Story by Michael Reid
Francis Gibson may not be the most interesting man in the world like the actor from the Dos Equis beer commercials, but there could be a strong argument made that he may be one of the most interesting men in the county.
The 81-year-old is involved with several organizations, including a motorcycle group, cemetery committee and the Seventh District Volunteer Rescue Squad.
“The Lord wakes me up and I go,” Gibson said when asked where he gets all his energy.
And much of that energy is spent at the Southern Maryland American Legion Post 221 in Avenue, Maryland.
“Francis is the type of person that would give you the shirt of his back if he felt you were in need,” Southern Maryland American Legion Post 221 Judge Advocate Mike Barbour said. “He’s always willing to lend a hand where needed and ready to get involved with community matters. He is the type of person who does not advertise his involvement with organizations; however, his behindthe-scenes contributions ensure the smooth operation of related activities.”
The Abell resident, who is a former three-term commander of the Southern Maryland American Legion Post 221 in Avenue, is the current frst vice commander and their president of the business corporation as well as its historian.
“Francis is the oil on the cogs in the machine here,” Barbour said.
Photos by Michael Reid and courtesy
He also mows the approximately two acres of grass.
“The worst part is weed whacking,” he said of the threehour job, “and not only that I have to keep my eyes on the road while I’m weed whacking the ditch because [passing motorists will] run me down.”
His eforts pull him into the kitchen where he makes the coleslaw for the Legion’s monthly sandwich sales.
“I just make it up,” Gibson said. “I’ve done it so many times I just do the same thing over and over.”
Gibson is involved with Post 221’s Flags for First-Graders program and its Color Guard Unit.
“It’s a wonderful group of people, and they’re all patriots,” Gibson said of being a member of the Legion.
“Everyone who joins the American Legion is a patriot, and I consider myself a patriot more than I do a veteran. I love this country, this is my country.”
Gibson is a longtime volunteer driver for the Seventh District Volunteer Rescue Squad, and in 2023 was named Top Runner for his almost 300 calls.
Several years back, he stopped by the Holy Angels and Sacred Heart combined cemetery and said it “looked shabby so I knew I had to do something about it.” He helped form a committee. Each Memorial Day, he places American fags at each of the grave markers of the approximately 215 veterans that are interred there.
He’s been a member of the D.C. Ramblers Motorcycle Club and current board member, while riding his 2015 Harley Davidson Firefghter Edition.
After graduating from Margaret Brent Middle School in 1960, Gibson spent eight years as a medic with the National Guard.
He later worked as a salesman and “debt collector” for Singer sewing machines before joining the D.C. Fire Department. He drove the wagon for Engine 6 and later for Engine 15 in Anacostia where he said there were “more shootings than fres.” Later, he worked alongside his brother.
He said the worst case he ever worked was in 1977 when nine men died in a fre at Cinema Follies, a gay movie theater. He said a fre bomb was thrown into a stairway and the exit doors were locked and when the frefghters broke down the door “the bodies rolled out.”
Legion rules state that members must have served in the armed forces since Dec. 7, 1941, and Gibson said he became a member “to help veterans, that’s what the organization is all about.”
Both Gibson and Barbour said the American Legion is often overlooked.
“It does and that’s why we put the [military-themed] murals on the side of the building,” said Barbour, who said current membership is at 213, but used to be in the 400s. “Any of the veterans organizations are overlooked.”
He added that “we’re competing with the soccer games, the recitals and the plays.”
Brie’s corner Romerberg, Germany
Our favorite world-traveler, Marine Corps Major Brie Burgett, will be taking At Ease on the road on her many travels. Be on the lookout for where in the world she is each month and follow along with her on Instagram at @thebrieadventure.
Wiesbaden, home to several U.S. military units on U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden, ofers service members a vibrant mix of culture and history. The region is renowned for its thermal spas and the scenic Rheingau wine region, perfect for weekend getaways. Nearby Frankfurt ofers beautiful medieval architecture like the Römerberg historic market square featured in the photo, or in winter, the famous Wiesbaden Christmas Market, or “Sternschnuppenmarkt,” which transforms the town into a festive wonderland. The city also hosts annual food festivals like the Rheingau Wine Festival, which showcases the local Riesling wines and gourmet foods.
For travel enthusiasts, Wiesbaden’s location is ideal for exploring Europe. It is within a few hours’ drive or train ride from major cities like Brussels, Paris and Amsterdam, making weekend trips to these international cultural hubs both convenient and exciting! — Brie
VOLUNTEERS & Drivers Needed!
Our mission at Cook For Vets is to provide food security for Veterans and their households through the distribution of healthy meals and groceries for balanced, sustained nutrition. Be part of the growing movement of
Souls Feeding Souls
Military community makes a mark in the arts world
Mia Klavon, an Army Veteran and professional artist, is the WMAI Artist in Residence. With dedicated studio space on campus, Klavon is able to hone her technique.
When you drive up to the historic buildings at the Workhouse in Lorton, Va., an eerie sense of awe and purpose falls over you. What began as a prisoner workhouse transformed into a vibrant arts center complete with studio spaces, galleries and performance venues.
For the military and Veteran community, this arts campus ofers a place to explore creativity — and their own experiences — in a whole new way.
Expression and healing through art
Opening in 1910, the Workhouse Arts Center campus originally housed convicted prisoners who built the many buildings themselves out of bricks they made on-site. When the prison closed in 2001, local ofcials along with community leaders designated the land for cultural activities and recreation. The Workhouse Arts Center opened its doors in 2008, welcoming artists, performers and students to explore creative expression within its walls.
The Workhouse Military in the Arts Initiative (WMAI) began to bring members of the military, Veterans and their families into a creative space to both express themselves and come together in community. With the help of community partners in Northern Virginia and beyond, WMAI provided a safe space for Active Duty members and Veterans to explore not only their military experiences but also their lives out of uniform.
“I am eternally grateful for this program,” she said. “It is helping me grow as an artist and creative professional.”
During the two year residency program, Klavon takes and teaches classes, paints in a studio at Workhouse, and displays her art for sale as part of the Center’s collection and exhibits. With a professional arts home in Building 10, Klavon draws on pop surrealism and fantasy for inspiration in her paintings of marine life.
Art exhibit brings together military community
Along with other Veteran artists, Klavon was in attendance at the reception celebrating the work of WMAI participants. The exhibit was on display at the Workhouse for six weeks.
“We are so pleased to have had this exhibit on display for the past six weeks,” said Beth Plemmons, Chief Operating Ofcer. “It’s a true testament to the power of creativity, resilience, and community.”
Walking around the exhibit, pieces in acrylics, glass, ceramic and more, the connection between attendees is clear.
“Art is therapeutic,” said Navy Veteran Cynthia Macri standing in front of her glass art as part of the exhibit. “When you’re sitting in a glass class talking it out, there’s no stigma.”
After serving for 35 years in Navy Medicine as a surgeon, Macri found something new. Hands that had previously held a scalpel became skilled at creating intricate shapes
Story and photos by Katie Melynn
and fgures out of glass.
Macri started taking classes two years ago and is now teaching fellow Veterans, military members, their families and other art students.
It’s not just military members and Veterans who beneft from all that WMAI has to ofer. Tobin Coolbaugh, a teen military family member, poses next to his ceramic piece “Frenemies” with a smile. Military families and caregivers are eligible to take certain classes and participate in “Make and Take” events at Workhouse.
Just in the last year, WMAI worked with 350 individual students and artists as well as over 100 military families. Events included subsidized classes, camps, access to art studios, make and take events, and specialized programming for military members and Veterans. Some classes are open to all members of the military community while others are specialized for Active Duty members and Veterans.
“To see that this program is going somewhere, to see this is so encouraging,” said Dani Figueroa, a former WMAI Artist in Residence. “That’s what it’s about. Art brings people together.”
Working with the community
The land where the Workhouse is located has a long history in the region, which is also home to numerous military installations.
Funding for WMAI events, classes, and special programs
“It’s a true testament to the power of creativity, resilience, and community.”
comes from grants and other funding thanks to community partners. The Potomac Health Foundation, the National Endowment of the Arts, Sentara Cares, and the Virginia Commission for the Arts serve those who served, their families, and caregivers through support of WMAI.
“We originally funded a microgrant,” said Michele Eckhardt, Director of Physician and Community Relations with Sentara Cares. Based on the success of WMAI, it expanded to include more programming and opportunities. “The value of the program to support military members and their dependents is clear. The signifcance of this program in this place is huge.”
You can learn more about the Workhouse Military in the Arts Initiative, including class schedules, upcoming exhibits, and more, at https://www.workhousearts.org/military-inthe-arts-initiative.
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Building bridges Cleaning up the Vietnam War’s legacy
Story by Glenda C. Booth
by Project RENEW
The Vietnam War ofcially ended in 1975, but its legacy lingers under the ground.
Unexploded ordnance (UXO) is still a threat to the Vietnamese people today. Experts estimate that between 10 and 20 percent of the ordnance did not detonate, which means the U.S. left behind dangerous and unstable munitions.
Some who were in Vietnam then are committed to making the most bombed place on Earth safe again. That place is primarily Vietnam’s Quang Tri Province, a region that experienced the heaviest bombing in the history of the world. The province was a major battleground on the border of the former North and South Vietnam, then-called the demilitarized zone. At 43 square miles, it is smaller than Delaware and has a population today of 613,000.
The American military dropped over fve million tons of bombs on Vietnam, more than twice as much tonnage as the U.S. Air Force dropped in World War II. B-52 aircraft carpet bombed Quang Tri. One B-52 could carry up to 108 bombs totaling 60,000 pounds. Since the war ended in 1975, wartime bombs have killed or injured over 105,000 people, one third of whom were children.
Estimates vary, but the U.S. military also dropped and sprayed at least 400,000 tons of napalm and 19 million gallons of herbicides. To bomb with more precision, the military sprayed toxic herbicides and defoliants, the most common called “Agent Orange,” across Vietnam to destroy vegetation from 1961 to 1971.
Quang Tri was also the scene of some of the fercest ground fghting of the war. Land battles left cluster bomblets,artillery shells, hand grenades, rockets, mortar rounds and mines.
Project RENEW
A group of Vietnam veterans and their Vietnamese partners were so disturbed by these hazards, they decided
Members of the all-women quick response team of RENEW-NPA are on their way to respond to an emergency callout from a local farmer who encountered a wartime ordnance while tending his paddy rice. Gio Chau Commune, Gio Linh District, Quang Tri Province. 03 March 2023.
Photos
Amputees who lost their limbs because of unexploded ordnance accidents are waiting to be ftted prostheses and other assistive devices by Project RENEW’s Prosthetics and Orthotics Mobile outreach van. Huong Tan Commune, Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province. 30 March 2023.
to act. They organized and called their efort Project RENEW.
“This history is still lying in the soil of Quang Tri, not just the large bombs, but also many thousands of cluster bomblets, artillery shells, rockets, grenades, mortar rounds, and mines are scattered over the landscape,” Vietnam veteran Chuck Searcy, a leader of and International Advisor for Project RENEW, said. “Although many of the large bombs are deep, most of these smaller infantry weapons lie near the surface, often becoming visible when the rains wash the soil away. They appear in the beaten earth of school playgrounds, in gardens, under houses, in village ponds, in rice paddies and forests, the deadly legacy of those long-ago battles that we must remove to make Vietnam safe.”
Lessons for today
This legacy has implications today, observes Jerry Ray, a Board Member of the Friends of Project RENEW. “The expertise, experience, and insight that we have gained in how to deal with this war legacy is invaluable. It behooves us to use this experience in other parts of the world, like Ukraine.
“It appears that the Russian ordnance has a dud rate many times that the ordnance used in Vietnam, due to corruption age, poor storage, and other factors. The legacy of dangerous unexploded ordinance will be with the Ukrainians for generations. Through our work in Vietnam, we’ve learned how to apply technology, people,
and policy that can speed the process of making Ukraine safe. There is no need to repeat mistakes. We’ve already paid the price. We must share what we’ve learned beyond Vietnam.”
Origin
Concerned veterans launched Project RENEW in 2001 after a Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) delegation visited Dong Ha in Quang Tri in 2000. The VVMF had raised funds to build Washington, D.C.’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
The delegation accepted the Quang Tri government’s challenge to tackle the threat of explosive ordnance.
VVMF got some funding from the U.S.-based Freeman Foundation and an American veteran, Christos Cotsakos, who had been wounded in Quang Tri Province.
The efort has two parts: Project RENEW and Friends of Project RENEW, the charitable arm. Project RENEW has a Vietnamese staf in Quang Tri of around 280 people.
“One of the unique qualities of Project RENEW is that it belongs to the Vietnamese and we are part of the team,” Searcy said.
In 2008, the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) became a partner. The governments of the U.S., Ireland, Japan and Taiwan have also provided some funds.
What they do
Project RENEW’s mission is to address multiple aspects of the war’s legacies.
Cleaning up
How do they fnd unexploded ordnance? Local people like farmers happen upon it in rice felds, ditches and soccer felds and report to local authorities.
“It happens several times a day on average,” Searcy said.
Trained teams conduct house-to-house surveys in suspected areas and seek local, on-the-ground knowledge. A typical response to the surveyors: “We’ve been waiting a long time for somebody to come here and clean them up.”
The project’s teams also study U.S. Department of Defense bombing run reports, including crew notes, and match this information with the surveys’ results. The information goes into a centralized database which is accessible on the Project Renew and Quang Tri Mine Action Center websites.
Once someone fnds unexploded ordnance, trained demining teams safely detonate it or move it to a demolition site.
Helping victims
The project also helps families with one or more bomb accident disabled survivors. They have provided rehabilitation services, customized prostheses and assistive devices to disabled people. They have provided vocational
training and home renovations. They gave more than 500,000 pairs of shoes to children, some to youngsters who had never had shoes.
They also provide loans and other income to people, for example, people without an income who are amputees or were blinded. Partnering with the National Women’s Union in Vietnam, they have given loans to help people make a living raising livestock.
Educating people
Project RENEW also collaborates with local governments, community organizations and teachers to help children and adults understand the risks of living with unexploded ordnance and how to reduce accidents. Children are especially vulnerable because they are naturally curious and might approach or trigger a strange object and trigger accidental damage.
Addressing agent orange
Up to four million Vietnamese people may have been exposed to herbicides and defoliants, chemicals like Agent Orange that led to serious medical problems for Vietnamese people and returning U.S. servicemen.
For years, U.S. government ofcials denied Agent Orange’s adverse health impacts, Searcy recounted, but in
Nguyen Thanh Phu, Project RENEW’s Mine Risk Education Ofcer, presents to young children typically found explosive remnants of war during a risk education session. Tinh Khe Commune, Quang Ngai City, Quang Ngai Province. 25 November 2013.
2015, they agreed to help American veterans, while still not helping the Vietnamese people who had sufered harm.
Finally, starting in 2012, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defense started decontaminating a hotspot at Da Nang airport where dioxin, a toxic byproduct of Agent Orange, was contaminating the soil. Today, they are cleaning up the former U.S. airbase at Bien Hoa, near Ho Chi Minh City, a previous chemical storage site.
Over the years, many veterans lobbied Congress and worked with the media to elevate their concerns. Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, now retired, led eforts to fund cleanups and medical assistance to Vietnamese victims. Going back, giving back
Louie Andre, a Friends of Project Renew Board member from Fairfax County, Va., helps raise funds to expand RENEW’s programs within Quang Tri and to extend eforts to other contaminated provinces, like Quang Ngai and Kon Tum Provinces. He’s proud that they funded an all-women UXO disposal team.
Andre and his wife, Dena, went to Vietnam in 2015 on a Veterans for Peace tour and was moved when learning about Project RENEW. He has a personal connection. In 1969-1970, he served as an Army Lieutenant on a Special Forces A-Team based in Quang Tri.
“I witnessed, up close and personal, bombs and defoliant falling from the sky, intense ground combat and the damage done to the land and people,” Andre said. He did not realize then “the decades-long staying power of that devastation,” he ofers.
Success
Numbers tell a story. As of August 2024, Project RENEW and its partners, including NPA, Mines Advisory Group, Peace Trees Vietnam and the Quang Tri provincial military, have destroyed 825,742 explosive items, cleared 363,256,683 square meters of land, and answered 14,889 emergency calls for help.
In 2001, there were 77 casualties in Quang Tri; in 2019, zero accidents, the frst time since the war ended. Accidents have been reduced from 70 or 80 casualties annually a decade ago to zero accidents, deaths, or injuries in 2019 and 2020. In subsequent years through September 2024, there have been fve accidents, with three fatalities and two injuries.
“The Vietnamese people are extremely appreciative,” Searcy said. “Especially that American veterans come back to help them deal with the consequences of the war. It’s bridge-building by American vets.”
“Cleanup of every bomb and mine in Vietnam is impossible,” he said. “It will never be 100 percent cleaned up. Unexploded ordnance will continue to surface because it is working its way up, but we hope to make Quang Tri safer, to identify hazardous areas, and help people where residual unexploded bombs are found.”
The military has an expression — “clean up your brass” — after fring a weapon. Searcy and his colleagues are on what they hope is one last mission, to clean up our brass.
Searcy’s story
In 1966, Chuck Searcy dropped out of the University of Georgia and joined the U.S. Army. In 1967, he was sent to Vietnam.
“I didn’t know where Vietnam was on a map,” he said in a 2014 television interview. “Serving there was a painful experience.”
“I came to hate the war and my role in it,” he said. “After three years in the Army, I joined the Vietnam Veterans against the War when I returned to the university. My parents saw me on television protesting the war, and they were upset and angry. My father was a prisoner of war in World War II, captured by the Germans. He survived that experience, but I could see why he did not understand my anti-war activities. Eventually, my parents came to oppose the war also and we reconciled.”
In 1992, he returned to Vietnam.
“We traveled the whole country for 30 days, welcomed by warm smiles from the Vietnamese people. No anger, no bitterness. I was astonished. I began to think about coming back and helping somehow with the country’s difcult post-war recovery.”
Searcy moved to Hanoi, lived there 20 years, and took on the unexploded ordnance problem as a full-time job and lifelong mission.
“When the fghting stopped, and the U.S. presence in Vietnam ended on April 30, 1975, it didn’t end for the Vietnamese,” he said. “The work is hard and dangerous, but we see positive results every day.”
Project RENEW and Friends of Project Renew, www.renewvn.org and www.landmines.org.vn
Quang Tri Mine Action Center, www.qtmac.vn/ en
Veterans for Peace, www.vfp160.org
Local veteran, business owner participates in reality TV show
Story by Matt Wynn
Despite not winning the $100,000 prize, one Charles County, Maryland, resident brought a good fght to a new, unique television show this year.
Tyrenna Tolbert, 54, of White Plains competed in the new competition-based TV show series “The Anonymous.”
The show is a strategic competition played in two worlds, the real world and in an “anonymous mode.”
The premise of the show is that 12 players have been invited to live together and work side-by-side to raise a prize fund of up to $100,000. Despite their close quarters, all players have their own private underground hideouts, where each is completely anonymous and can say anything and everything behind the mask of a unique digital handle, a release from USA Network said.
In their hideouts, players can provide raw, unfltered takes on their fellow contestants. They will scheme, connive and deceive to build infuence and advance their game.
The players must shield their real identity from the other contestants while they act on their digital platform.
Despite being voted of in an episode that aired Aug. 26, Tolbert told Southern Maryland News about her experience on the show and about her 20 years as a Charles County resident.
Living with 11 other contestants was one of the least jarring aspects of the show for Tolbert due to her 35 years of military service.
“I’ve been in a room up to 16 people,” she said. “So that wasn’t so bad, but this was defnitely more beautiful accommodations. In terms of meeting a whole bunch of diferent people, I thought it was really cool because everybody was from somewhere diferent, and everybody had something that they brought to the table.”
Photos by Rico Torres USA Network
In terms of why she was eliminated, Tolbert says that she was a “little bit late to the party.”
“People make alliances from the door,” Tolbert said. “If you’re in that type of atmosphere it’s important to build relationships immediately. Every second really does count, and people are defnitely who they claim to be at face value. For anybody who ends up in a situation, either by on purpose or by happenstance, is that they have to be ready to go on day one.”
Besides competing in the show, Tolbert also runs a fashion design business called TMAJOR. She up-cycles denim and old military uniforms into handbags.
“Recycling old army uniforms into handbags has inspired me to create something beautiful out of something that seems useless. This your own personalized handbag,” Tolbert’s site reads.
“No one had anything to do during COVID but watch TV, so I taught myself how to sew,” Tolbert said. “And I’m an online business. I do a lot of local events anywhere from P.G. County to even over in Waldorf mall.”
“Being a veteran-owned business, people have been extremely supportive,” she said. “It’s been really great to just create and make things from my own hand.
Paying it forward
Story by Lt. Col. Paul McCullough
We live in a busy world, full of hustle and bustle, and as a result, we are often consumed by the magnitude and weight of our own problems. We worry about issues like how we’re going to pay the bills this month, helping our kids get through college, performing well at our jobs, going out on dates, spending time with friends, the health of ourselves and our loved ones, saving for retirement, and countless other concerns. Although these are all valid issues, and need to be addressed, they can sometimes cause us to not see the problems in the world around us.
Before I became a pastor, I was of the mistaken belief that the homeless population was limited to people I see living on the street, most frequently near densely populated areas. I could not have been more wrong. With benevolence as one of my areas of responsibility in ministry, I quickly discovered the vast majority of the homeless population actually reside in local motels. They often live week by week, and sometimes day by day, trying to fgure out where their next meal is going to come from and where they are going to lay their head at night. Because of my role, I had the great honor and privilege of helping to provide food and temporary lodging to hundreds of people in the local area our church supports.
As I went out to help each person, what became abundantly clear to me is their humanity. Nobody wants to be poor. Nobody wakes up and says, “I think I’d like to be homeless. What can I do to make that happen?”
Each of the people I had the honor of helping had the same kinds of basic wants and desires as any other human being – a place to live, food on the table, and being able to care for their family. Despite their physical appearance and circumstances, homeless people need and deserve love and respect.
One of the most fulflling experiences for me was when a person that is housing or food insecure allowed me to pray for them. I didn’t just want to care for their physical bodies, I also wanted to help nourish their spiritual bodies. On several occasions, after I helped one of these people, they would give me a giant hug, a very warm smile,
Lt. Col. (Rev.) Paul McCullough, U.S. Army retred, is president of the Associaton of the U.S. Army’s Penn & Franklin-Greater Philadelphia Chapter and an Army Reserve Ambassador from Pennsylvania. He served 20 years in the Army, retring in 2018 as deputy director for supplier operatons, Defense Logistcs Agency. He deployed to Operaton Iraqi Freedom in 2005, and in 2017 as commander of the DLA Support Team-Kuwait. He holds a doctorate in business administraton from Walden University.
and a deeply heartfelt “thank you.” For me, each of these experiences was worth more than money can buy.
You may think that you can’t make a diference, since few people have the fnancial support of a church or other non-proft, to be able to go out and pay for motel rooms or food for people. But the truth is that each of us can pay it forward. Before I ever became a pastor, my daughter and I created “blessing bags,” which are large Ziploc bags that contain a Bible, personal hygiene items, socks, nonperishable food and water. Every single time I pass a person who is housing insecure, I open my car window and give them one of these bags, no questions asked. I would argue that every single person in the United States could practice this same gesture, or come up with something else creative that is more aligned to their talents and abilities.
Scripture actually encourages us multiple times to give to those who are less fortunate than us. In Proverbs 28:27 we read, “Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed.”
Similarly, Jesus says in Matthew 19:21, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” The catch is that no matter what we decide to do, we will only receive a blessing from it if we do it with a generous heart and a spirit of gladness.
2 Corinthians 9:7 states, “Each of you must give what you have decided in your heart, not with regret or under compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver.”
Let me encourage you today to fnd some way to give of your time, talent, or treasure to help others around you. Life happens, to all of us, in diferent ways, times, and circumstances. The real question for each of us is whether we will pay it forward and receive a blessing, or mistakenly believe that it is someone else’ job to care for the poor. I know what Jesus would say.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR and join usfor threefull days of informative and engaging keynote sessions, breakout discussions,and tech talks at AOC’sAnnual International Symposium & Convention. This leading event forelectronic warfare, electromagnetic spectrum operations, cyber-electromagnetic activities, and information operations professionals worldwide is taking placethisDecember
STRENGTHEN your knowledge and skills on current and relevant topics to theEMSO community with informativesessions led by subject-matterexperts.
ENGAGE AND CONNECT with hundreds of stakeholders,thoughtleaders, and experts in the industry to expand your global network
DISCOVER cutting-edge technologiesand solutionstohelp gain your advantage in thefieldwith apacked showfloorwith 150+exhibitingcompanies.
MEET THE KEY NO TES
Major General AnnMarie K. Anthony JECDirector, USSTRATCOM
General Thomas A. Bussiere Commander, AirForce GlobalStrikeCommand and Commander,Air Forces Strategic -Air,U.S. Strategic Command
Vice Admiral Craig A. “Clap” Clapperton Commander,U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U S TENTH Fleet /JointForce Headquarters-Cyber (Navy)
Major General Elisabeth G. Michelsen DeputyChiefof Staf Operations,Joint Force Command Norfolk
Walter Reed Society
Assisting theWounded, Ill, or Injured ServiceMembers and theirFamilies
TheWalterReed Societ yisanall-volunteer tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charitableorganization Its Mission is to provide financial or direct assistancetoser vice members and theirfamilies being treatedatWalter Reed National Militar yMedical Centerand at other militar yhealthcare facilities inthe DefenseHealth AgencyNational Capital Region Militar y Health System TheSociet yrespondstounmetneeds during their careand also providesassistance with treatment , education, research activities, travel and lodging, and hospital staf suppor t.
Sincethe Walter Reed Societ y ’sinception in1996, theMedical Centerand hundredsofser vice members and theirfamilieshavereceivedover$3 6 million in assistance.
Membership is accessibleand encouragedfor all whodesire to contribute to themission of theSociet ytosuppor tactive duty militar y, veterans, Wounded, Ill and Injured (WII)and theirfamilies, as well as the staf members of the Militar yHealth System whocarefor them in theirtime of need.
For membership application or donation information, please contact Hermalene Taylor at suppor t@walterreedsociety orgorcall (301) 57 1-1580.
VFW Post 3150 will be celebrating 90 years of service to local veterans. Read more next month!
by AJef Heeney; story by Alice Swan.
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