Disaster Relief Organization & Support Squad | Team Rubicon
Day Six Mozambique Operations Update from Nancy Campa
Our last day was the most memorable for me. We were asked to bring our medical team to a “day center.” We woke up early and drove for a couple of hours to the town of Micuzi. Our truck turned off the main road and down a dirt track for another few miles – passing trees, bushes, and huts – before coming to a large clearing with a hut, a bamboo table with benches on 3 sides, and “men’s” and “women’s” bathroom stalls.
The center was run by Pastor Bongo, a Christian minister who served the people of the surrounding villages. Doc Glenn and Joe quickly set up the clinic on benches and a table in the hut. Andrew and Simon pulled Simon’s truck up alongside the table and tied a tarp from the truck to a nearby tree, providing shade to the area where we’d be spending most of the day. Dolores set up a triage station across the clearing where she assigned each person a corresponding number on their hand and on their history/assessment sheets. Each day in Mozambique we got more organized and figured out a better system to deliver care. By Day 2, I was in charge of the Pharmacy section and by Day 7, I knew where everything was and how to dispense it.
It was a beautiful day with blue skies and low-hanging cumulus clouds. We saw about 100 patients, who were split between the three medical personnel. 90% of them had to pass through pharmacy on their way out. I remember looking up one time and seeing about 15 people waiting for their medications and for a moment I felt a drop of panic that I was getting behind, but I when I looked in their faces, I saw only peace and placidity. This was a village in Africa – no clocks/no calendars – just local villagers coming for medical care and advice from some visiting Americans. I realized that I would ‘get done when I got done’ and nobody expected anything else.
The pharmacy was always the last station to close and when I finished up I discovered the team hanging out in the middle of a big group from the village – singing, dancing and drumming. The rhythms of Africa are like no other and my heart was bursting with happiness to experience first-hand the gift of the African people. As we left them they were still singing and laughing; and we were all waving and smiling from ear to ear. But the joys of Africa live alongside the hardships, and the day ended on a somber note.
One of the village women had asked if we could stop by her home on the way out and see her son, who couldn’t walk. We headed back on the same dirt road and after a few miles stopped the truck, gathered some supplies, and walked about 10 minutes down a narrow footpath. Their home was in a clearing; a hut, fire pit, clothes line, some pots. Her son was 36 years old, had a wife and 3 young children and he had AIDS. He scooted out of the hut, sitting on a mat where he removed his socks to show Glenn his feet. They were swollen and infected, covered with hard, raised, foul smelling lesions. The doctor diagnosed him with Kaposi’s sarcoma, one of the AIDS related cancers. Glenn and Joe washed and bandaged his feet, and I gave him a large dose of antibiotics in his wasted deltoid muscles, which made him cry. We gave him some oral antibiotics, anti-nausea medication, and instructions for his wife and children to protect them from catching the virus. It was light when we got there, but had become night while we were working; and we used our headlamps to find our way back to the truck. It was a quiet ride home and a strong reminder of the plight of so many of our African brothers and sisters. Thanks to all the donors and supporters of Team Rubicon for making it possible to share the gifts of those who have so much, with those who have so little.
Nancy Campa
Registered Nurse
Day Five Mozambique Operations Update from Andrew Stevens
After taking a logistical day off to resupply the pharmacy and to check with the provincial health department, the team geared up again, piling the medical bags into Simon’s pickup and heading out to another orphanage. Since our authority to practice medicine openly in the communities of Mozambique’s Manica province was being held up by governmental red tape, we extended the geographical scope of our original mission and headed east to Sofala province to the town of Nhamatanda. There we would meet with Pastor Daniel, a friend of Simons who ran an orphanage in the center of town, and whose children could definitely use our support. Working out of the former clinic at Maforga had somewhat spoiled the team, so I was almost relieved when we pulled into the Centro Orfanato de Nhamamtanda or “Home of the Sparrow” orphanage.
The conditions were what you would have expected from an impoverished rural African orphanage. The lack of proper sanitation was obvious by the stream of waste and sewage flowing through the center of the complex. The living quarters were bare and dirty, and opposite where we would be setting up our clinics massed a giant pile of refuse and discarded garbage. While some people may have been turned off by the conditions, I could see the eager anticipation in my team’s eyes as they surveyed the surroundings. This was the kind of environment where Team Rubicon volunteers thrive. While the creature comforts of Trish and Roy Perkin’s abandoned clinic were nice, it was great to see the team quickly claim territory for our clinic under an open sheet metal roof. The kids brought forth wooden benches and arranged an ad hoc patient waiting room and each station was assigned its own perspective interpreter. We wasted no time in triaging the children and staff, developing a medical record with each to document their visit. Over the past week the team had refined their roles and responsibilities and they each seemed extremely confident in the rural clinic settings.
Around midafternoon, Pastor Daniel invited each of the team members into his home/office where he treated us to a wonderful meal of potatoes and pigeons that were raised on site. Medically, we treated many of the common offenders that we had been seeing all week: parasites, skin disorders, malaria, and malnutrition. Conducting a urine analysis for blood was almost a moot point as it seemed that almost every child we saw tested positive. We encountered more cases of AIDS/HIV, and even some advanced cases of TB. Having been in Mozambique nearly a week none of us were surprised that even located within a city, the health care provided by the government was simply absent. The frequency of easily treatable yet debilitating illnesses was staggering. Had it not been for Pastor Daniel (and his ability to run a completely self-sustaining orphanage) we could only imagine what the fate of many of these children would have been.
We left the Home of the Sparrows after every child and staff member was seen. We took group pictures with the kids and headed out to explore the village. Earlier in the day while sourcing local supplies for the clinic I had encountered an open-air market that I planned to take the team to after clinic hours. While we did not have much time to explore, the sights and smells of the market were impressionable. Brightly colored textiles of every imaginable pattern adorned the market stalls, making for great and very indigenous souvenirs. Bicycles acted as mobile chicken markets, older gentlemen were hand rolling cigars, fruits and vegetables were displayed in stacked pyramids on laid out tarps. I could have spent days looking through the market. The people were friendly, often grabbing ahold of a team member for a photograph. It was a truly wonderful way to end the day. Knowing that it was going to be dark soon, we headed back to the pick-up to begin the long (and surprisingly cold) drive home.
Working through Pastor Daniel, we were able to locate our last clinic of the mission; a care center located far off of the main thoroughfare. The location was remote enough where we would not have to worry about confrontations with governmental officials.
Andrew Stevens USMC
Mozambique Team Leader
Day Three Mozambique Operations Update from Andrew Stevens
Having not received the authority to practice medicine and foreseeing only more bureaucratic red tape we decided to work within the network of orphanages that Simon knew and trusted. We loaded up into the back of Simon’s pickup and headed to the town of Maforga where we were to connect with Trish and Roy Perkins, a husband and wife missionary couple that ran a fairly large orphanage/school for over 100 kids.
Maforga Christian Mission was founded by Roy & Trish Perkins in 1986 as an interdenominational mission. It comprised a farm originally owned by a German baroness; the farm grew maize, soy beans, peanuts and citrus. In 1987, The Perkins were abducted by Renamo guerillas and forced to march for 3 months through the African bush to Malawi, where they were finally set free. They immediately returned to Maforga where they continue to support the community and the orphans they serve.
In years past, the Maforga Christian Mission actually had a medical clinic on site, however the woman who ran the clinic, “Nana,” eventually retired due to age, and the clinic has been closed ever since. Excited that our team would be working out of actual clinic and not under tarps, we wasted no time in wiping away the dust and cobwebs claiming the clinic.
Dr. Castaneda, Physician’s Assistant Joe Costa, and Retired Navy Corpsman Dave Pruschki each took up position in their own rooms, while Nurse Nancy Campa and Dolores Meehan set up shop in the front of the clinic running triage and pharmacy. No sooner had we begun to set up, did our first patients begin to arrive. Volunteer teachers at the Mission started to bring in their children, ten to twelve at a time. The kids and their staff were quickly triaged, medical records were started, and the patients were assigned to one of the benches outside one of the three clinic rooms. We were all impressed with the discipline of the children, as the older orphans looked after the toddlers and babies, and we were touched by the joy and innocence that each youth displayed.
Throughout the day we encountered many of the same medical issues. Bellies bloated with parasites, malnutrition, malaria, scabies, and even a small child with a prolapsed rectum. It was in some of the adult staff and family that we began to see and treat some less common issues. One woman in particular was plagued by a finger that was swollen with infection almost to the point of needing amputation. Doctor Castaneda worked with Nancy to clean, drain, and dress the swollen appendage. The successful treatment, combined with antibiotics, should allow the woman to regain use of her hand. Another first was a gentleman who had Hansen’s disease, also known as leprosy. Doc Castaneda walked us all through recognizing the signs and symptoms related to the illness. Due to the large number of children and staff at the mission we had originally planned to stay at the facility for two days, but the act of reopening up the clinic created unforeseen issues that would complicate the day’s work.
By midday, news of the clinic’s opening had reached beyond of the orphanage and now local populations seeking medical attention began to arrive. While the original intent of the Moz. mission was to provide medical care to all those who required it within our short timeframe, the problems with the local and provincial health departments made this impossible. The news of free health care would spread through the populations like wildfire, and eventually make its way back to the health officials. While I was not too concerned with the fact that we as volunteers would be punished (although this was a possibility), I was worried about any repercussions that our actions would have on Simon and the Mission for Youth Orphanage: getting caught would have possibly resulted in considerable problems for Simon, including the end of his orphanage. This was not a risk I was willing to take. With a heavy heart I was forced to turn away the majority of the village people that showed up, many of whom had walked for miles. Working with Dolores in triage, we worked out a plan to allow those individuals who required intense medical care to remain. They however, would wait until the end of the day to be seen. This would mitigate the risks of those treated returning to their villages and letting the rest of the population know that the clinic was running.
I agreed with Simon that we would not be able to continue to work out of the clinic the following day, as there was just too much exposure to the outside villages. The team decided that they would continue to work deep into the evening so that every child and staff member would be seen and treated. In all, nearly 150 children, staff, and villagers were seen. As we worked into the night the children of the orphanage gathered next door in the church and began singing some of the most angelic music I have ever heard. We finished up with the last of our patients and slowly packed up our gear into Simon’s truck. You could tell that seeing the clinic reopened had brought Trish and Roy considerable joy. I hoped as I turned off the last light and locked up the facility that it would not take years until the clinic was operational again.
Day Two Mozambique Operations Update from Andrew Stevens
Our morning began with a tour, led by our host Mr. Simon Mudiwa, of The Mission for Youth Orphanage, a facility called home by over 60 orphans. Simon showed us around the complex, walked us through the children’s dormitories, and introduced the staff. Everyone was extremely gracious for our arrival and made us feel like distant relatives who had finally returned home. During the staff introductions we met Liveson and Evelyn. Liveson was a governmental liaison who would accompany us throughout the entire deployment, aiding us wherever necessary. Evelyn was training to become the orphanage’s nurse and paired up with our volunteers to learn as much as she could throughout the ten days we would be in country.
After touring the orphanage grounds we loaded the team back into Simon’s truck and headed into the town of Gondola. Liveson had arranged a meeting with the Presidente of Gondola, a man of great vision and gravitas. After meeting each member of our team, he gave us his blessing and warmly welcomed us to be a part of his plan for a better life for his people. The other government officials we would soon meet however did not share his eagerness and welcoming nature. Prior to leaving the States, our chief concern was gaining the proper authorization to practice medicine and import pharmaceuticals into Mozambique. While we were able to pass through Customs without any fuss, I soon learned that we still required the approval of the local health official. Leaving the Presidente’s office, we headed across the street to meet with Gondola’s health minister. While Simon and Liveson had been pushing the issue of our approval with the minister for weeks with no avail, he hoped that a face-to-face meeting would resolve any roadblocks in our path. The minister’s office was dark and cramped, and the official himself seemed bothered by our presence. We introduced ourselves and briefed him on our objectives and then sat silently as the minister decided the fate of the mission. He turned to Simon and Liveson, and in Portuguese stated that he would refer our case up to the provincial health department. He called the provincial director and put him on speakerphone, as if to prove that he was actually trying to help. During the phone conversation, it became clear that the provincial office did not want our team to practice medicine in Mozambique and any further efforts to gain clearance would be lost in governmental red tape.
After having already seen the limited care available at the local medical clinic, we began forming contingency plans. We obviously would not be able to run medical clinics in the rural villages like we had originally planned. Word of free medical care would spread like wildfire and eventually make its way back to the district health office. This would not only put the volunteers of Team Rubicon in danger of arrest, but more importantly greatly affect our host. These were operational risks that we were not willing to take. However, we were in Mozambique, and we still had over a week until we departed. The gap in medical care still existed, and we had brought the medical expertise and supplies to help fill it. At this point not doing anything was not an option. Working with Simon, we created a plan to work within the network of orphanages that Simon knew and trusted. We would be able to run our operations within the orphanage compound, therefore limiting our exposure to the village populations. We knew we had at least a couple of days to refine the plan as we treated the population of Simon’s orphanage, which was more than enough time. The veterans of Team Rubicon are trained to respond to emergent global disaster, where the luxury of time is not afforded. For this mission to succeed we would just need a little on the fly creative thinking, Simon’s address book, and possibly a little luck.
Since we had work that could be accomplished at Simon’s orphanage, we headed back and began setting up the team stations. Doc Castaneda paired up with Evelyn, Joe and Dave grabbed a station, Nancy ran the pharmacy, and Dolores took over reception. With military discipline, we lined up the young orphans to be treated one by one. Having received little to no medical care their entire lives, all of the children were plagued with parasites. Many of their bellies were tight to the touch, filled with worms. During any given year, the average child in Mozambique deals with four to five bouts of malaria; we encountered and treated numerous cases of malaria in not only the children but the adult staff as well.
Doctor Castaneda diagnosed a child who previously had been confined to a wheelchair with a disorder treatable through physical therapy. We even worked with the staff to fashion a pair of crouches to aid in this process. For the rest of the day and the entirety of the next, the team saw and treated every child, volunteer, and staff of the orphanage. Through Simon’s personal contact we had made further plans to move onto an orphanage of over 100 children in Maforga, run by missionaries Trish and Roy Perkins.
Day One Mozambique Operations Update from Andrew Stevens
After what seemed like days of travel (or actual days if you traveled from Alaska like me), we arrived in Mozambique. Unlike the typical emergent missions of Team Rubicon, our group mainly consisted of professional medical personnel:
Andrew Stevens, Team Leader, EMT and Marine combat veteran
Dr. Glenn Castaneda, Chief Medical Officer, Air Force veteran, pediatric neurologist
Joe Costa, Army veteran and physician’s assistant
Dave Pruschki, retired Navy Corpsman
Nancy Campa, nurse
Dolores Meehan, nursing student and our operational liaison
We nervously unloaded our bags, packed full of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, anxious with the possibility that our government clearance to practice and distribute medicine in Mozambique had not been processed. As we inched forward in the Customs line, the thought of being forced to return to the States passed through our heads. Fortunately, the security officers who screened the bags at Customs decided to call it a day before our bags and passports were checked. We met Simon Mudiwa, the director of the clinic where we would work, and loaded our bags into his truck. Crisis averted.
We didn’t know what to expect on the 200-kilometer drive from the airport to the clinic in Gondola, but we were not disappointed from the view of our truck. The streets were filled with locals, balancing anything from firewood to buckets of grain on their heads. We passed modern buildings and traditional mud huts. Entire structures were repurposed as billboards; Coca-Cola advertisements were painted everywhere. The air was thick with the smell of smoke.
As we arrived at the clinic, we were surprised with the conditions. Our accommodations would rival many international hostels, complete with electricity and beds, a new brick building surely constructed in the hopes of attracting Western NGOs. Somewhat disappointed that the TR: MOZ team would not have the same conditions of traditional TR deployments (dirt floors, no roof), we claimed our beds. Within minutes, we had our first patient. An 11-month old girl had pulled a pot of boiling water off a table and had severely scalded her legs. The burns covered nearly one third of the small child’s body. Much of the scalded skin was already sloughing off, leaving the open wounds at risk of infection. Dr. Castaneda, Joe Costa, and Dave Pruschki treated the burns.
Seeing the severity of the burns, we knew the child would soon become dehydrated and would require IV fluids and further treatment. After dressing the burns, we decided the best course of action was to transport the child to the nearest medical center. Upon arrival however, the condition of the center only reinforced our beliefs that Team Rubicon was needed in the region. The sanitation of the clinic was extremely poor and the only aide we found to treat to the child took it as a huge inconvenience. Fortunately, an IV drip was administered and both the child and her mother were given a bed in the clinic for the night. Riding high on our successful treatment of the child and our good fortune at the airport, we felt confident that we would be able to bridge the gap in this country so fraught with poor medicine.
TR: Mozambique – Mission Overview
Mozambique Facts
Geography: roughly twice the size of California
Population: approx. 20 million
Life Expectancy: 40 years
After being ravaged by years of civil war, Mozambique is still victim to malnutrition, TB, and HIV/AIDS. It is estimated that 10% of the population has HIV. Lack of access to clean water only exacerbates health issues. 69% of Mozambicans live below the poverty line. The majority of the country lives in rural areas, far from medical care.
Mozambique is making strides towards rebuilding, but the issues it faces are staggering. The hurdles for humanitarian organizations and outside medical aid are overwhelming, and what little aid that comes into Mozambique is concentrated in the capital city of Maputo.
That’s where Team Rubicon came in. TR sent a team of U.S. Military veterans paired with highly skilled medical professions to provide much needed medical care to the numerous children’s clinics near Gondola. Beginning with a clinic in Bengo, Team Rubicon treated more than 60 patients. TR then headed to Maforga Christian Mission where the TR doctors saw more than 110 children and some staff members. TR: MOZ traveled to Sofala province to set up clinics in rural towns, treating over 180 patients.
Press Release: Team Rubicon partners with Habitat for Humanity for Veterans Day service initiative
Washington, D.C. (2/11/2011) – Mobilize.org is proud to announce that past Democracy 2.0 Award winner Team Rubicon is partnering with Habitat for Humanity on Nov. 11 to rebuild and repair the homes of wounded military veterans across America.
“Service members who join the military do so out of an altruistic desire to commit themselves to a cause larger than their own,” Team Rubicon co-founder and vice president William McNulty said. “That desire does not end with their military service. So on this Veteran’s Day, the former soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines of Team Rubicon are partnering with Habitat for Humanity to rebuild and repair the homes of our wounded warriors.”
Through these projects, Team Rubicon hopes to honor the strength and commitment to service that so many veterans feel, with tools that are constructive instead of destructive. Projects will take place in five cities including Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, Washington, D.C and Worcester, Mass.
“We’re showing the world that sometimes the law of unintended consequences pays off. There can be some good that comes out of ten years of war; a decade of service has given 2.2 million service members the talents and leadership to accomplish anything,“ co-founder and president Jake Wood said of the project.
Wood was recently named the winner of GQ magazine’s 4th annual Better Men Better World Search. Each year, GQ accepts hundreds of nominations from across the country in its search for men who dedicate their time and energy for the betterment of society.
Wood and McNulty will deliver a TED style Millennial talk on leadership development and strategy and discuss how support from donors and organizations like Mobilize.org have helped them in their work during the Millennial Leadership Summit in New York City, Nov. 10 at The City University of New York’s Macaulay Honors College.
“Jake and Will exemplify the incredible impact that members of the Millennial Generation are capable of achieving to implement and solve critical social issues in our society,” Mobilize.org CEO Maya Enista Smith said. “The work of Team Rubicon is a continuing inspiration in the field of civic entrepreneurship.”
Team Rubicon presents a new paradigm in disaster response by uniting the skills and experiences of military veterans with medical professionals to deploy vanguard teams that bridge the gap in disaster response.. The organization won a Democracy 2.0 Award from Mobilize.org during the 2010 Beyond the Welcome Home Summit, which helped them buy communications equipment and medical supplies that support their quick response ethos.
To learn more about Team Rubicon and its mission, visit www.Teamrubiconusa.org. For more information on the Millennial Leadership Summit, visit www.Mobilize.org/NYCSummit.
About Mobilize.org
Mobilize.org empowers and invests in Millennials to create and implement solutions to social problems. Utilizing technology and social networking to connect Millennials on and offline, Mobilize.org convenes Millennials from around the country to discuss issues impacting the Millennial Generation and to develop sustainable solutions to address them.
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Contact:
Andrew M. Scott, Communications Manager, 202.656.1031, Andrew@Mobilize.org
TR in New York Times: For Injured Veterans, Healing in Service to Others
For Injured Veterans, Healing in Service to Others
New York Times, November 1, 2011, By James Dao
WHILE working with refugees and landmine survivors in Rwanda, Bosnia and Cambodia in the 1990s, a Rhodes scholar named Eric Greitens had an epiphany about teenagers in traumatic circumstances: the ones who fared best were the ones who helped others.
Later, after he had served in the Navy Seals in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mr. Greitens had conversations with wounded troops, and a similar refrain emerged. If they could not return to active duty, they wanted to find a way to serve their communities.
“They didn’t use the word ‘serve,’ ” he said. “They talked about becoming teachers, police officers, coaches. But serving is what they meant.”
So in 2007, after he got out of the Navy, Mr. Greitens and some friends used their combat and disability pay to start a nonprofit group called The Mission Continues. Its goal was not to give veterans emergency funds, social services or family vacations, like many other charities, but to engage them in public service — as a way of helping them heal.
“Too many wounded veterans end up spending all day watching television, self-medicating, playing video games,” Mr. Greitens, 37, said. “That’s when many make their worst decisions.”
The Mission Continues, which provides stipends for veterans to work at nonprofit organizations, is one of an array of nonprofit groups created by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to help other veterans return to civilian life by engaging them in civic service. (More will probably need such services as the combat mission in Iraq comes to an end and troops withdraw this year.)
They include organizations like Tempered Steel, which recruits wounded veterans to give public talks about their injuries — whether amputations, blindness, severe burns or post-traumatic stress — as a way of breaking down stigmas concerning the disabled.
Or Purple Heart Homes, a group founded by two friends who were injured in Iraq while serving with the Army National Guard that builds or rehabilitates homes for disabled combat veterans.
Or Team Rubicon, a network of veterans and health professionals who travel to communities — from Haiti to Pakistan to Joplin, Mo. — devastated by natural disasters to provide emergency services.
Psychologists and veterans advocates say there is a natural progression from military service to community or humanitarian work in the civilian world. Many troops enlist for idealistic reasons, wanting “to serve and protect.” And even those who do not share those reasons still learn how to work in tightly bonded units to reach a common cause — a basic skill for community service.
“Veterans believe in a team environment,” said William McNulty, a former Marine who helped found Team Rubicon. “They want to be part of a team bigger than themselves.”
A 2009 survey by Civic Enterprises, a consulting firm to nonprofits, concluded that younger veterans feel a hunger for continued service. The survey found that 90 percent agreed that helping in their communities was important to them, yet nearly 7 in 10 said they had not been contacted by institutions that do such work.
“Veterans are untapped natural assets,” the survey said. Many psychologists and therapists say community work and volunteerism can also be deeply therapeutic for wounded veterans.
Barbara Van Dahlen, a clinical psychologist who is the president and founder of Give an Hour, a nonprofit that provides free mental health care to troops, veterans and their families, said veterans overwhelmed by the wounds of war tended “to get caught up” in themselves.
“To get the chance to do for others can be incredibly helpful in terms of providing perspective and giving meaning in life,” she said.
Jennifer Crane, 28, was a Navy veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder who became addicted to drugs and was homeless after leaving the Navy in 2003. Through Give an Hour, she started getting free therapy and improved so much that she e-mailed Ms. Van Dahlen to ask how she could help.
“Share your story,” Ms. Van Dahlen replied, and Ms. Crane became the group’s first representative giving talks about her experiences. Today she also volunteers for a social networking site for military families called Families of a Vet.
“It has been very therapeutic,” she said of the work. “When you live with it inside your head, it’s scary, it’s isolating, debilitating. But when you put it out there, someone will always say: you helped me today.”
The Mission Continues engages disabled veterans in public service by giving them $6,000 stipends to work in nonprofit organizations for seven months and no longer, to prevent them from viewing it as “permanent support,” Mr. Greitens said. Before they leave, they must develop “exit strategies” for postfellowship life.
A study by Washington University of the group’s first 52 fellows found that 7 in 10 continued their education after leaving the program and more than half volunteered at groups that provided social services or assisted veterans.
Amanda Heidenreiter was an Army captain who became a Mission Continues fellow after she was medically retired in 2009 for a range of disabilities, including traumatic brain injury caused by a mortar attack in Iraq and severe back problems from lifting sandbags.
During her fellowship, she worked with Paws for Purple Hearts, an organization that trains service dogs for disabled veterans. She found the work so fulfilling that she now volunteers as an outreach coordinator for the Mission Continues in the Washington area when she is not at her full-time job for an intelligence agency.
For Veterans Day, she is recruiting 50 veterans to help spruce up a public school in Baltimore. “When I’m the project leader, I’m in charge again,” she said. “I was afraid when I got out that I could not transition those skills.”
Jake Wood, a former Marine who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, got the idea for Team Rubicon while watching images of devastation in Haiti after the quake last year. “I realized I could handle myself in Port-au-Prince and they would be short on help,” he recalled.
Now he and Mr. McNulty want to expand the group by opening offices across the United States and dispatching its 600 volunteers to respond to domestic disasters. Its first office is scheduled to open in Kansas City, Mo., on Veterans Day.
“We have no intention of being an employment agency,” Mr. Wood said. “We’re trying to empower veterans by improving their transition back into civilian life, first by continuing service, which is incredibly valuable to their mental health. But also by creating a community.”
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