June 2024 - Volume 2, Issue 6

Reproduction of, or use without written permission of the publisher, of editorial, pictorial, or design content in any manner is prohibited in the United States. Editorial, Advertising, and Business Offices (813) 489-4912. Periodicals postage Reaching a combined 25,000 + veterans and consumers every month per delivery zone

ART DIRECTOR

Stefanie Burlingame

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Sharon Perkins

Debra Williams

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Ken Smits

Toni Hedstrom, Military Spouse

Rich Corson

Keisha Marie Douglas, Air Force Veteran

Chris Gay

Chris “Ranger” Gay, Army Veteran

KeishaMarie Douglas

Kurt Waterstradt, Navy Veteran

Brett Roderick

Lou Patrazana, Health Insurance Broker

Steve Roderick

Kristy Verdi, Founder Learn & Serve Tampa

Kristy Verdi

Steve Roderick, Publisher

Stephen Del Castillo

Ken Smits, Air Force and Army Veteran

Toni Hedstrom

Josh Porthouse, Marine

This June we honor the heroism of D-Day, the incredible contributions of women in our armed services, and the strides to raise awareness for PTSD. Our feature story, Trailblazers, takes us on a memorable journey with Fern Kinion, a young woman from Kansas who becomes one of America’s very first female Air Force Officers. We spend time with John Ring, Founder of Walk For Vets as the team walks from Key West Florida to San Diego California to present an American Flag to a little boy who lost his father to suicide.

As always, it is a true honor to share the veteran story. Be sure to catch up with Team FireWatch each Thursday morning on Wreaths Across America Radio at 8:15 AM EST.

Sincerely,

Toni Hedstrom, Managing Editor FireWatch Magazine

D-DAY FACTS

The actions on D-Day, June 6, 1944, are some of the most incredible examples of human heroism in modern history. D-Day Remembrance Day 2024 will mark 80 years since the day of the invasion. The average age of American troops at Normandy was slightly less than 22. Today, their average age is 102.

Who planned D-Day?

Lieutenant General Frederick Morgan (1894-1967) was the principal planner of Operation “Overlord”.1

Who named the beaches?

At the moment when the operations were being named, a general asked the NCOs where they were from. The answers were Utah and Omaha. The British and Canadians named the others after fish: Gold (goldfish), Sword (swordfish), and Juno (jellyfish).2

Omaha Beach was the most heavily defended of the assault areas, and casualties were higher than on any other beach. Preliminary Allied air and naval bombardments failed to knock out strong defense points along the coast.3

Where Are They?

Unlike later wars, where combat fatalities were airlifted back to the United States for burial in family or national cemeteries, the Allied dead of the Normandy invasion were buried close to where they fell.4

Of the 405,399 Americans who lost their lives during World War II, 92,958 are interred at our overseas American military cemeteries, and 78,985 are commemorated on our Tablets of the Missing as missing in action, lost, or buried at sea.5

1 www.tinyurl.com/mrxkn5vk

2 www.tinyurl.com/4rxvpzma

3 www.tinyurl.com/ynunmpub

4 www.tinyurl.com/3wx7s5kk

5 www.abmc.gov (American Battle Monuments Commission)

By KeishaMarie Douglas

Unseen Battle Scars:

EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF PTSD ON WOMEN IN THE MILITARY

Before leaving the military, the term PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) was unfamiliar to me. I thought that was only for the guys on the front lines who saw drastic things during their time at war. What I didn’t know then were the many facets of PTSD. While serving, I experienced an MST (Military Sexual Trauma) situation in combination with other incidents, qualifying me as suffering from CPTSD (Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

I can identify 5 prominent ways PSTD has impacted my life. Can you relate?

1. Being alone is easy. I find peace in the quiet.

2. Working in an office is overwhelming, but work is unavoidable.

3. Everyday interactions feel uncomfortable. It’s like I share too much, or I don’t share enough at all.

4. Low confidence. I overthink many things, and it’s tough for me to make decisions.

5. Difficulty navigating relationships.

These are just a few of the effects of my experience with PTSD as a military woman. I appreciate the opportunity to share a part of me that I don’t share with anyone. Nevertheless, guided by my faith and surrounded by wonderful individuals, I am both a leader and a work in progress. This journey has inspired me to establish a community for veteran women facing challenges after leaving the service, offering support and connection for them to cultivate a vibrant and abundant life filled with love, joy, and happiness. If you find yourself in that category, we warmly invite you to join us.

Florida’s Most Trusted Gun Store

GUNS G R Women and Guns

By Chris “Ranger” Gay

The Meaning of Women’s Veterans Day

June 12 marks the anniversary of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948. Having served for many years in the Army, I can attest to the great and profound impact women in our armed forces have had. Women Warriors have overcome much over the past 30 years, both in and out of the military. Thankfully, the Armed Services has recognized the power of female contribution and opened female opportunities to all MOSs.

Annie Get Your Guns

As of 2022, women account for 21% of all firearm sales nationally, up from 12% in 2005. Women are making an enormous impact on the sport shooting

scene. A Girl & A Gun Women’s Shooting League, founder Julianna Crowder, firearms instructor and military spouse, has personally seen the incredible growth of women’s interest in firearms and competition shooting. The League, which began as three chapters in Texas back in 2011, is now a nationwide organization that generates opportunities for women and girls in shooting sports.

Female veterans have no doubt inspired a new generation of women with respect to firearms. Not only have sales of firearms to the female population grown but so has female attendance in gun safety classes and at firing ranges.

Female Veterans Making History

VNPS ROOFING

A U.S. Army Recruiting Command press release announced that Staff Sergeant Rachel Tozier of the U.S. Amry Marksmanship Unit has qualified in Olympic Trap for the 2024 Paris Games during the USA Shooting’s Shotgun Olympic Trials. Tozier beat 49 other competitors for her Olympic berth after winning the Olympic Trials Final.1

EDITOR’S NOTE: Chris “Ranger” Gay is the owner of 2nd Amendment Armory in Brandon, Florida.

1 tinyurl.com/3ed2m8nv

TRAIL

Fern Kinion was born in 1937 and will celebrate her 87th Birthday this year. Fern is the youngest of eight children. Her parents had survived the hard years of the Great Depression, and although she never went without, her parents remained frugal with the children’s upbringing. As a family, they all experienced the impact of World War II, where several of Fern’s brothers had served. Fern had always dreamt of seeing the world, and by 1947, she had graduated from high school and had her first job with Southwestern Bell Telephone in the big city of Kansas City. Fern also attended college, focusing on Court Reporting, which ultimately resulted in a job as a secretary. In 1948, while at her desk, Fern read in the newspaper about the United States Air Force becoming its own branch. Without any hesitation and with great excitement, she used her lunch hour to walk across the street from her office to the Federal Building to sign up. Before she knew it, she had passed the physical for enlistment and was on a train to Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas, for basic training. This would be only the second time Fern had left her home state of Kansas.

Fern became part of the first female class at basic training for the Air Force. She recalls, “When we arrived, I remember all of us women being loaded into the back of trucks to be taken to Lackland. There was a lot of media there. It felt like we were being presented to the media. Much attention was paid to us since we were the first females in the United States Air Force.”

After ninety days of training, there was an announcement of the opportunity to join Officer Candidate School as a Coed. Fern quickly took the exam, becoming part of Class 49-A, the first OCS class of the newly formed Air Force—the first Flight of the first Squadron of the first Group.

In the early years of the United States Air Force, there was a maximum percentage of female service members allowed at any given time. When Fern joined, there was a maximum of 4000 enlisted females and only 300 female officers. Fern became one of the 300. In 2020, the United States Air Force is reportedly 21% female.

After earning her 2nd Lieutenant commission, Fern was assigned to recruitment duty, and the doors to her dreams

of adventure and seeing the world became a reality. Her first two service stations were in Charleston, West Virginia, for one year, where she was part of a weekly radio program to promote enlistment into the Air Force and Army. She then went to Baltimore, Maryland, for another year. After Baltimore, Fern got an assignment to Europe and found herself in Rhine-Main in Frankfurt, Germany. Arriving in Frankfurt, Fern recalls the bombed-out buildings and the ghosts of WWII.

In Rhine-Main, an organization issued NOTAMs. In 1947, it was agreed to begin issuing NOTAMs via telecommunications. NOTAMs were modeled after Notice to Mariners, which advised ship captains of hazards in navigating the high seas. There were recruitment offices in Rhine-Main, London, Paris, Casablanca, and Rome. Fern’s job was to travel to each of these offices and review the records, making her dreams of seeing the world an incredible reality.

Fern not only found adventure serving with OCONUS, but she also found love. At her home base of Rhine-Main, Fern met a pilot she would marry later. During those years, female servicemembers could not remain in the military if they intended to have children. So it was, after more than six years of service, Fern had to be separated from service to start her family.

BLAZERS

by

After being discharged from military service and starting her family, Fern entered the Civil Service at the Air Force Academy in Colorado, where she served more than thirty years. She was placed as Director of Cadet Awards and Graduate Studies, working directly with Cadets who had excelled in the Academy and with those who had earned limited scholarship opportunities. Fern recalls one of the Cadets, now a retired Lieutenant General living in Lakeland, Florida.

Although Fern’s service took place many decades ago, her thoughts and opinions on transition remain true. “The values ingrained into you in military service stay with you. When you enter the civilian world, those attributes aren’t there in other people.”

Toni Hedstrom

BYWAYS

By Kurt Waterstradt

People in your life need you to be present, loving, and supportive. The mission has shifted from the technical skills you were trained for to intangibles like love, emotional understanding, presence, and empathy.

Now, selfless service is dependent on self. The way you think, talk, and treat yourself definitely reflects in the way you think, speak, and act towards others.

Selfless Service Requires Self

You joined the armed services for your own reasons, but once you swore the oath and stepped off the bus at boot camp, you were molded to put the mission and others first.

No matter which service you belonged to, selfless service was either in the motto or part of the core values. To be successful, the team had to be more important than any individual, especially yourself.

As active duty, you were a resource called to help the mission be successful. This required you to be available 24/7/365 because you were depended on. Anything related to self was moved to the back burner, but that was the norm since everyone else had the same commitment.

Now you’re a civilian. Whether separated or retired, your former branch, mission, and team press forward without you. As your life has changed, your idea of selfless service also needs to.

While components might be similar: family, a partner, a career, pets, the situation is different. You and those closest to you understood putting things on hold for the mission, but what now? Whether you’re in the corporate world or still looking for a new career, the civilian world doesn’t operate even remotely the same.

Proud to support the neighborhood

Being a good neighbor means being there for my community. As your local State Farm® agent, I’m ready to help whenever you need me. Give me a call.

I’m proud to support local veterans like me.

Jake Denney, Agent

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Bus: 813-333-9106 • jake@myjakewithsf.com www.myjakewithsf.com

How do you talk to yourself? Are your thoughts about you critical or negative? Do you hold yourself to unrealistic expectations? Can you compliment yourself without justifying how it helps others?

Pema Chodron, an American Tibetan-Buddhist and ordained nun, said, “Selfless help – helping others without an agenda – is the result of having helped ourselves. We feel loving towards ourselves, and therefore, we feel loving towards others.”

You are your next act of service. Learn to love and accept yourself as you are. Be grateful for your strengths and challenges (as they are opportunities to grow). Be courageous and honest with yourself. The more you welcome the multitudes you contain within, the more you and your relationships will thrive.

Compliment yourself. This is literally the first and possibly most challenging step. Make the compliment about you, but not something you provide for others. Don’t even attach “I am…” to it. Think about one positive trait from the ocean of good within you. Say that word aloud, in your head, write it down, whatever works for you.

Think about it every day. Embrace it when you wake up, brush your teeth, get stuck in traffic, or wash the dishes. Stay disciplined (you served, so I know you’re great at that), and watch how this little spark of self-love naturally lights up your relationships.

Selfless service is still part of you, recognize that self is the vital component.

VETTIPS

Veterans and the Medicare Part B Late Enrollment Penalty

By Lou Partazana

Medicare, the federal health insurance program primarily for individuals aged 65 and older, is vital in ensuring access to healthcare services for millions of Americans.

Part B of Medicare covers outpatient services, including doctor’s visits, preventive care, and durable medical equipment.

While enrollment in Part B is crucial for accessing these services, failure to enroll during the initial enrollment period can result in penalties.

Most veterans have access to healthcare through the VA; they have earned that entitlement by faithfully serving their country. In addition, most veterans have worked in the private sector paying taxes and earned an entitlement to Medicare.

The initial enrollment period for Medicare Part B typically spans seven months, beginning three months before an individual turns 65 and ending three months after.

Enrolling late can lead to a penalty that increases the monthly premium for Part B coverage. For each 12 months of delay in enrollment, the penalty may result in a 10% increase in the premium. This penalty persists for as long as the individual remains enrolled in Medicare, potentially leading to significant additional costs over time.

United States military veterans have made immense sacrifices in service to their country, demonstrating unwavering dedication and commitment. Upon retirement from military service, veterans transition to civilian life,

facing various challenges, including healthcare access. Medicare, the federal health insurance program, is crucial in providing healthcare coverage to millions of Americans, including veterans. However, imposing penalties for late enrollment in Medicare Part B can pose financial burdens on veterans. Additionally, veterans may face challenges such as mental health issues, substance abuse, and homelessness, further underscoring the importance of accessible and affordable healthcare services.

While many veterans are eligible for healthcare benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Medicare may complement VA coverage by providing access to a broader network of healthcare providers, specialty services, dental & vision, and prescription drug coverage.

The Late enrollment in Medicare Part B penalties may disproportionately affect veterans, especially those facing socioeconomic challenges or transitioning to civilian life.

We propose an exception to the Medicare Part B premium penalty for our veterans who have been subject to poor advice. Exempting veterans from late Medicare Part B premiums acknowledges their service, honors their contributions, and ensures they receive the healthcare coverage they need and deserve.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Lou Partazana is a licensed health insurance broker and President of President Family Benefit Services located in New Port Richie, Florida.

We Salute the Women of our Armed Services We Salute the Women of our Armed Services

In celebration of the contributions of women in the United States armed forces, FireWatch takes a look at some fascinating statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor1 relating to our women warriors.

THEY ARE RARE AND TREASURED

To meet 1 woman veteran, you may have to meet 69 women.

To meet just one woman under age 35 who has served in the military, you may have to meet 102 women of that age group.

The median age of male veterans is 65 years, while the median age of women veterans is 51 years, a difference of 14 years.

The total population of women veterans is expected to increase at an average rate of about 18,000 women per year for the next 10 years.

Women veterans are currently and will continue to be an important part of the veteran community and the VA.

THE CONSEQUENCE OF THEIR SERVICE

In 2015, 23.4 percent of all women veterans were currently divorced compared to 12.6 percent of nonveteran women.

Overall, women veterans were less likely than nonveteran women to be living in poverty in 2015. About 10 percent of all women veterans and 15 percent of

all non-veteran women had incomes below the poverty threshold.

PROJECTIONS

It is projected that 12% of veterans nationwide will be women by 2025.

In 1994, Congress established The Center for Women Veterans by Public Law 103-4462 to advocate for equitable outcomes and access to VA benefits, services, and opportunities for women veterans through education, outreach, and collaboration. Empowering women veterans to achieve their life goals through VA benefits and services in partnership with community stakeholders3.

1 U.S. Department of Labor www.tinyurl.com/42drc2jm

2 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs www.tinyurl.com/mpamu945

3 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs www.va.gov/womenvet/cwv/index.asp

By Kristy Verdi, Ph.D.

Family Fun IN THE SUMMER SUN

For many families, Florida is synonymous with “theme park.” Most Florida theme parks offer military, veteran, and sometimes First Responder discounts, making them affordable for families.

However, summer is a beautiful time to take advantage of our state’s hidden treasures, save money, entertain the kids, and even find some soul-soothing relaxation.

The Florida State Park system, under the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, offers a fantastic array of opportunities for the military community. Check out FloridaStateParks. org to learn everything from the Annual Pass Discounts currently available to a comprehensive list of Amenities and Experiences.

The Florida Park Service maintains one of the country’s best and largest park systems, with 175 state parks, trails, and historic sites spanning 800,000 acres and 100 miles of sandy white beach. With activities like swimming, birding, hiking, camping, biking, and paddling, a family can have endless fun with an annual pass. There are also opportunities to learn and serve in the parks. Some parks host battle reenactments, Native American festivals, art shows, museums, and lighthouses. Cleanup opportunities for volunteers of all ages are available year-round.

For kids, check out the Florida State Park Junior Ranger program! Youth can visit local parks to register and take the Junior Ranger pledge to receive an ID badge and Official Junior Ranger Badge. Complete six core activities to receive a special patch. Complete more activities to fill a passport and submit it for an official Junior Ranger pin! You can visit a local state park ranger station to get started or be a virtual ranger. Hillsborough River State Park, Alafia River State Park, Ybor City Museum State Park, and Honeymoon Island State Park all support the program and are within easy reach for Tampa Bay residents.

Fill your family’s summer with all the joy nature can provide. Explore FloridaStateParks.org to plan your fun!

6 Women In Military History

compiled by Steve Roderick

fun facts

Julia Childs

Famous for being a chef, author, and television personality, she is remembered most for bringing gourmet cooking to the domestic kitchen. However, feeling the need to serve her country in WW2, she tried to enter military service by enlisting in the Women’s Army Corps (WACs). She was rejected for service because she exceeded the height maximum at 6’ 2” tall.

Undeterred, she joined the Office of Strategic Services (OSS0, - the precursor to the current CIA. She started as a junior research assistant before being transferred to the OSS Emergency Sea Rescue Equipment Section. There, she worked on the team that developed shark repellant that was put on bombs and pilot life preservers.

Sarah Emma Edmonds

Sarah was one of the few women who served in the Civil War. Fleeing an abusive father and forced marriage, she landed in Flint, Michigan, where she assumed the persona of a man. Shortly thereafter, she enlisted as a male field nurse in the Union Army.

During her service, she participated in the Battle of Antietam, the Civil War’s bloodiest battle. She was also known to be a spy for the Union, infiltrating the Confederate army several times, although there are no official records of her efforts as a spy. She was a master of disguises, becoming a Southern sympathizer, a black man, and an Irish soap peddler as needed.

Upon contracting malaria, she was forced to resign for fear of being discovered as a female at a military hospital. She continued to serve at a soldier’s hospital in Washington, D.C, although now as a female.

6 Women In Military History

MILITARY WOMEN, FROM PG 19

Bernice Frankel

Better known for her stage name, Bea Arthur, and her hit television shows, “Maude” and “The Golden Girls,” Bea joined the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve in 1943 at the age of 21, becoming one of the first women members. She worked as a typist and a truck driver.

Her reputation in the military was not dissimilar from the characters she portrayed on television. She was known as argumentative, and her attitude and manner were “over-aggressive.” In fact, one note from an interview stated that she was “Officious- but probably a good worker- if she has her own way!”

Loretta Walsh

Loretta Walsh has the distinction in military history of being the first enlisted woman. Historical records reflect that on March 17, 1917, the first woman to enlist in the Navy was Loretta Perfectus Walsh. She was born on April 22, 1896, in Philadelphia and thus had the distinction of being the first woman to serve in any of the U.S. armed forces other than a nursing assignment.

Walsh, aged 20, was enlisted on March 17, 1917, as a Yeoman(F), all of whom were popularly referred to as “Yeomanettes.” On March 21, 1917, Walsh was sworn in as Chief Yeoman, becoming the first woman Chief Petty Officer in the Navy.1

Eileen Collins

Eileen is a retired NASA astronaut and Air Force Colonel. She has the honorable distinction of being the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle and the first to command a Space Shuttle Mission. Following a degree in Mathematics and Economics from Syracuse University, she was commissioned as an officer in the USAF through Syracuse’s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program. In 2005, following a fantastic career as an Air Force pilot and NASA astronaut, Colonel Collins retired to spend more time with her family. She had flown 6,751 hours in thirty different aircraft types and logged over 872 hours in space flights.

REFERENCES

1 The United States Navy Memorial

2 The United States Navy –www.navy.mil

Adm. Michelle Howard (Ret.)

A 1982 Naval Academy graduate, Adm. Michelle Howard became the first black woman to command a U.S. Navy combatant ship, USS Rushmore (LSD 47) (1999). She was the first woman promoted to the rank of four-star admiral (2014).

Upon her promotion, Howard became the highest-ranking woman in U.S. armed forces history and the highest-ranking black woman in Navy history. She served as VCNO from 2014 to 2016. Howard also became the first woman four-star admiral to command operational forces when she assumed command of both U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Naval Forces Africa and Allied Joint Forces Command Naples (NATO) from 2016 to 2017. Howard retired from the Navy in 2017 after nearly 36 years of service.2

6 Women

In Military History

WITHOUT GLORY

The members of A-Team sit around our open-bay barracks. Everyone but Billings is drinking. The mood is tense. It’s so thick that the air could be cut with a knife. No one has spoken more than a word or two in the last hour. We suffer within ourselves, unable to share our grief openly.

“Do you think he felt it?” Worm asks no one in particular in a weak, bitter voice. “No,” Doc replies, clearing his throat. “No, I think it was over before he knew what hit him.”

“I hope so; I really hope he didn’t feel it.” Worm chokes back the tears. “I’m really sorry I said all them stupid things to him. Really, guys, I liked him. He was my best friend.”

“Say his name, Worm,” Billings interrupts.

“What?” Worm glances up at Billings, his face twisted in anguish. “I can’t!”

“Look, Gentlemen,” Billings declares in a clear, controlled voice. “I want everyone to say his name. You have to face this. We’ve got to go back out there; you all knew this could happen. We have to face the fact that this is a war. Others in this group will die. That you can count on.” He pauses for a moment before clearing his throat. “You need to get past this. I need each of you with a clear head out there. Clint, give me a beer!”

I throw Billings a beer, knowing he doesn’t drink, but I don’t question the request. Billings opens the beer can with a P38 c-ration can opener. He stands before us, raising the beer in salute.

“To Willie, our fallen friend, may his death not be our downfall. Let Willie remind us of our duty and honor, and what our cost is!” Billings takes the first mouthful of beer I’ve ever seen him drink.

I stand across the small room from Billings. “To Willie,” I pronounce as I lift my beer can above my head. “Remembering is for those who’ve been forgotten. Willie, my friend, we’ll not forget you!”

Smitty is next to stand, offering a salute. “To Willie, a real American!” His voice is cold as death itself.

“Oui, to Willie,” utters Frenchie as he rises to join us. “Dieu vous garde! God keep you!”

BY: KEN SMITS

AFTERMATH

Gator stands with us. His eyes mist over. “To a dear pondna, Willie!”

“To Willie.” Tex pushes himself out of the chair. His voice quavering, he says, “I’ll remember ya, Jim.”

“To Willie, rest in peace, mate,” Stoney says.

“Willie,” Loverboy says, with haunted-looking eyes, “Your memory will guide us on our journey. May a thousand angles attend your every need.”

Doc stands, “To Willie. If you know what we feel for you, you’re happy in your new home!”

Worm slowly gets out of his bed. His body slouching, his chin sunk dejectedly into his chest, and he mumbles chokingly, “To Willie. I promise, my friend, they’ll pay.”

I watch as we stand united, an all for one and one for all A-Team. Then we drink a final toast, paying homage to our fallen hero.

The term posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has become a household name since its first appearance in 1980 in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-lll) published by the American Psychiatric Association, In the collective mind, this diagnosis is associated with the legacy of the Vietnam War disaster. Earlier conflicts had given birth to terms such as “soldier’s heart,” “shell shock,” and “war neurosis.” The latter diagnosis was equivalent to the névrose de guerre and Kriegsneurose of French and German scientific literature.1

1 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181586

Team FireWatch Events

There are two Tampa Bay area events happening on June 8, 2024, to raise awareness for the veteran suicide epidemic. Each event, in its way, brings together the military and civilian community to help raise funds to fight this epidemic. These are not solemn events. These are uplifting and empowering events whose purpose is to show resilience and hope, and for all of us to say out loud, “We will fight for you, stand with you, and support you.”

The Anthony Muhlstadt Defender Ruck

7700 16th Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702

OPENING CEREMONY • JUNE 8TH • 7:40 AM

Gold Star Mother, Tanya Mort, and the Sgt. Anthony P. Muhlstadt Foundation holds the 2nd Annual Anthony Muhlstadt Defender Ruck in St. Petersburg, Florida. The first annual event in 2023 successfully raised more than $20,000 for the Stop Soldier Suicide Organization, a mental health and counseling resource for active-duty service members and veterans.

Hockey Heals 22

Advent Health Center Ice 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd

Wesley Chapel, FL 33544

OPENING CEREMONY • JUNE 8TH • 2:00 PM

Lightening Warriors Hockey presents the 4th Annual Hockey Heals 22 event to fight against veteran suicide. The event includes various players from the Lightening Warriors Hockey team and others who play continuous hockey for 22 hours straight. Funds raised will support Jon’s Mission For 22, Inc. and Black Dagger Military Hunt Club, Inc.

THE HISTORY OF KRAV MAGA

By Stephen J. Del Castillo

Krav Maga is made to be simple. Any sound tactical system with a worthy goal, such as self-defense, should be. In a threatening situation, a person needs as few tactics as possible to protect themselves and evade danger, which are the goals of the Krav Maga practice.

Krav Maga’s history begins in the mid-1930s near Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, where antisemitism endangered the lives of the Jewish population. Imi Lichtenfeld, a Hungaryborn fighter, led a team of wrestlers and boxers to protect the Jews from the Nazi regime.

Litchtenfeld understood the difference between competition and street fighting and recognized that traditional fighting was insufficient. Thus began the Krav Maga martial arts practice as a clinically designed self-defense method.

The name Krav Maga means “contact combat” and became the fundamental self-defense method of the IDF (Israeli Defense Force).

Mindset

Mindset is essential to good Krav Maga and good selfdefense. My teacher, Eyal Yanilov, once told me that we must be able to go “from being the lamb to being the lion” as the predator already sees us as prey.

“But you must also be able to go back, or else you are a psychopath,” Yanilov went on to say.

I once asked him about a scenario in which a gunman demands my wallet. He taught me first to realize who I am dealing with in such a scenario. “If all the gunman wants is your wallet, perhaps you should give them your wallet,” he said.

Sometimes, the imminent threat is more dangerous, so we must adjust our mindset based on the aggressor. Sometimes, fighting is the best option, and sometimes it is not. Remember, there are no medals. The only objective is to get home alive.

Five Principles of Krav Maga

1. Identify and remove the immediate threat.

2. Have a simultaneous and violent counterattack.

3. Control the weapon.

4. Counterattack as necessary (until the threat is neutralized).

5. Disengage and assess.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Stephen J. Del Castillo is a Krav Maga Grand Master and Founding Master Instructor of Krav Maga Martial Arts (KMMA) school in Lutz, Florida.

Francisco H. Bezerra, DDS, PA

VETERAN VOICES

The most common mental health challenges faced by veterans, active duty, and reservists include PTSD, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and moral crises like suicide or homicide.

Triggering events, nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance, and emotional detachment often cause us to feel ostracized or stigmatized within our peer groups. Internal struggles with trauma, guilt, grief, identity, and purpose can lead us to question our sense of self.

Fighting demons and mental health challenges directly impacts our outlook, interpersonal relationships, and our place in society. Ironically, the same cognitive control we give our demons can be equal to the degree of ownership we can regain over time.

Compiled by Josh Porthouse

Here’s how these veterans consciously shift their post-traumatic stressors to help fuel their daily spiritual and mental journey.

The Question: How are post-traumatic stressors helping to fuel your hero’s journey?

It’s a journey, for sure. Initially, the anxiety, stressors, and PTSD (along with other disorders / learned behavior picked up during service) can be almost overwhelming.

Through constant and conscious introspection coupled with a self-driven desire to be happy and healthy, I think the experience helps make veterans more resilient and compassionate once through the initial crucible.

What initially begins as a journey through the seven circles of hell eventually leads to a more focused and conscious decision to “live” our lives. Pain and adversity can enhance our everyday experiences and truly assist us in not taking every day we have for granted. Instead, we learn to be thankful and excited, even during times of tribulation.

The same process impacts non-veterans, but statistically, it seems more prevalent within the veteran / active-duty communities.

– R. Lee, USMC

When I retired from the Marine Corps, I realized that there was a stimuli vacuum and that I had no traction forward.

One of the Marine Corps foundational ethos is “Esprit de Corps.” I realized that this concept of brotherhood kept my demons at bay. I was too busy making sure I cared for my Marines to worry about my emotional state, avoiding the opportunity for my mental troubles to solidify.

After I retired, I was depressed—a leaf in the wind. I needed to look at one day at a time and walk on. I avoided unhealthy coping mechanisms like drugs and alcohol and embraced using my energy to go back to school and work outside, building a small farm.

I wanted to be depressed, but going to college with my son was too fun; it was an adventure. I constructively used my nervous energy, not just starting new hobbies but also leveraging purpose.

– S. Gersley, USMC

EDITOR’S NOTE: Josh Porthouse is currently a Marine Corps Reservist with 14 years of active duty. As a Team FireWatch Veteran Voices contributor, Josh works alongside other veterans to bring a personal perspective to relevant topics for today’s active and veteran service members.

WALK FOR VETS:

Cross Country Walk from Key West, Florida to San Diego, California

Have you ever had a crazy idea and just went for it? On September 4th, 2019, John Ring had an idea. It was a bit crazy, but that never stopped the Infantry before.

“I’M GOING TO WALK ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR VETERANS.”

— JOHN RING

CHARACTER CORE & CHOICES

John had a self-confessed “trivial background.” He never really knew his father, who was already fifty years old when John was born.

His father was a Korean War veteran who had served in the Army and the Air Force and lived a somewhat nomadic lifestyle. John remembers his dad always on the move and hardly ever home.

John became a bit rebellious and nomadic, quitting school and becoming a “knucklehead” without much direction.

He was working on a construction crew when the world changed on September 11, 2001.

John didn’t run off and join the military after the attacks of 9/11. In hindsight, he contemplates his choice not to and feels he was always where he was supposed to be.

If he had joined the military, he says, “I probably wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing now, or I wouldn’t be in the mindset,” he explains, “Many veterans that went in between 2001-

PTSD WARRIOR’S WALK

2003 were deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, and after coming home, they’re just trying to live their lives.”

In 2002, John became a corrections officer in the state prison system. He found himself relating to many of the inmates and had firsthand encounters with human trauma.

“This experience also helped me relate to veterans. What I went through and witnessed at work wasn’t anything I would discuss at the dinner table with the family.”

After eight years as a corrections officer in Pennsylvania, John and his family packed up and moved to Georgia, where he ultimately joined the Georgia National Guard in 2013.

FINDING A PURPOSE AND A MISSION OF ADVOCACY

John never actually deployed to a combat zone, having had two deployments scheduled but canceled.

“It’s a running joke with some veterans I know,” says John. “They say, ‘Hell, you never even deployed,’ and I tell them, ‘Somebody has to understand just enough to help your dumb ass.’”

Looking back on how everything played out, John is certain things happened just as they were meant to. His life experiences and his service in the military brought together the tools he would need to help positively impact lives.

John began his advocacy when he met an Army veteran who had been raped while in service. The veteran became addicted to opioids after injuries she sustained. She was booted out of the Army, her husband filed for divorce, and her children were taken away.

“I met her while she was in a Chatham County treatment center,” John says, “I asked her why she wasn’t in the VA system. She claimed they had blocked her from going there even though she was one hundred percent disabled.

“I did a bit of digging and found out that some of the counselors didn’t like her. That really upset me. You don’t mess with a person’s life just because you don’t like them.

“I got her squared away and entered into the STAR program at the VA. Two years later, she is a fitness coach, sees her kids, and lives a good life.”

FIREWATCH FUN & GAMES

FUN & GAMES

NEWSFLASH!

by Toni Hedstrom

HOW THE NAR (NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®) SETTLEMENT IMPACTS VETERANS BUYING REAL ESTATE

The history of buyer agency

Before the 1990s, when the Buyer Agency was created, they had to contact the listing agent for a real estate buyer to see and potentially purchase a home.

If the buyer wanted to buy a house, they entered a purchase offer without representation since the listing agent represented the seller only.

Some buyers utilized attorneys to draw up purchase offers; this came with a cost.

Everyone has heard the term “buyer beware.” That was the environment in real estate before the development of the buyer agency. With a buyer agency, a licensed real estate broker would enter into an agreement with a buyer to represent them, pledging loyalty and fiduciary duty to that buyer.

The MLS (Multiple Listing Service) has been around since the 1960s. However, after the buyer agency launch, listing brokers could offer cooperative compensation to the buyer broker who brought the buyer and consummated the sale.

How those who brought the lawsuit hurt the consumer

In the past, sellers never paid the buyer’s agent. Instead, they paid the listing broker, and the listing broker offered cooperative compensation to the buyer’s agent. This compensation was disclosed on the MLS. Thus, buyer agents knew what they would be paid before showing a home.

Buyer agents still worked without guaranteed payment since they were compensated after a sale was consummated. Buyer agency agreements included a section to reference compensation to the buyer broker, but the agent would acquire that payment from the listing broker through cooperative compensation.

In some cases, buyer brokers would charge fees to the buyer, but this practice was not common outside of “marketing fees” or “transaction fees.”

For VA home buyers, any fee related to commission or marketing and transaction fees were forbidden to be charged to the buyer. In these cases, the buyer broker would waive fees on behalf of the VA buyer.

Looking to the future, we find ourselves in a real quagmire.

VA home buyers and other government loan product users like FHA are disadvantaged. The new ruling prohibits the listing broker from listing any offer of compensation on the MLS. Listing brokers will only negotiate for their fees when listing a home. Thus, listing commissions will be reduced.

This is what enticed the lawsuit.

The success of the lawsuit may, on the surface, seem like a good thing for home sellers in America, but for VA and FHA buyers, not so much.

Real estate brokerages are currently scrambling to establish new methods of representation and compensation. However, since the ruling has removed any obligation from the seller to compensate anyone on behalf of the buyer, these expenses have been passed to the buyer.

Whereas sellers typically pay their closing costs and commissions out of the equity in their property, buyers must now prepare to cover down payment obligations, closing costs, and real estate commissions if they intend to be represented. Buyer agents will now seek compensation from the seller, not the listing broker, and these requests will impact the value of a buyer’s offer.

If two buyers offer the same amount on a home and one includes a commission request but the other does not, you can see which one the seller is likely to accept.

CONTINUED ONLINE

Stuffed Bell Peppers

A Budget-Friendly Complete Meal

In today’s economy, we are all aware of the skyrocketing cost of... well, EVERYTHING! But the good news is that we can create exciting and beautiful meals on a tight budget. This month, I am presenting my recipe for sausage stuffed peppers. This recipe will keep you within your budget without sacrificing quality or presentation.

Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers have a wonderfully sweet taste once roasted. They are also beautiful on a plate alongside your favorite green vegetable or salad. But this recipe presents the stuffed pepper as a full meal without additional sides—your option. Let’s get started.

Prep Note: Taking a few minutes to prepare your ingredients BEFORE you start cooking will make the experience more enjoyable. This way, you can concentrate on the exact cooking steps without worrying about preparing an ingredient while frying or cooking your dish. Try it once this way. You, too, will believe in mise en place (translation: set up.)

Prep Time: Approx. 25 minutes

Baking Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4 with leftovers

PLEASE SCAN THE QR CODE TO FOLLOW THIS RECIPE STEP BY STEP.

FireWatch Business Classifieds

New for 2024 FireWatch

CLASSIFIEDS

FireWatch magazine will highlight local businesses supporting our area’s veteran community each month. Scan the QR code to learn more about each of the Team FireWatch classified advertisers.

REAL ESTATE SERVICES

ACKERMAN FAMILY ENTERPRISES

handles all your home inspection needs in the Tampa Bay area with a 10% discount on your home inspection. (813) 750-3644

jackerman@hometeam.com

REAL ESTATE FOR VETERANS Get Matched With AGENTS, LENDERS, INSPECTORS, & MORE! NO BULL –WE CAN HELP 
Toni Hedstrom, PA SL3240813 Compass Florida, LLC www.MOVE.VET

VETERAN SERVICES

VETERANS FUNERAL CARE

Serving the entire Tampa Bay area. Veteran family-owned. Crematory on premises. We help you with all VA claims. Clearwater (727) 524-9202.

HOME/BUSINESS SERVICES

MARTIN SECURITY SERVICES

Specializing in home/business complete security systems. No long-term contracts. Free consultation. 10% military & FR discount. (813) 352-6398

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

BARRACKS BRAWL

Secure Your Shelter & Future Keller Williams Realty New Tampa. Be a Real Estate professional today! FREE licensing prep course Josh Porthouse (352) 978-2265

FINANCIAL SERVICES

SARA B. & ASSOCIATES

High-quality financial products through A-rated companies. Life Insurance/Annuities. (813) 997-1947

info@iamsarab.com