I am a US Army veteran. Over the course of my life I served for 26 years: 6 years of active duty and 20 years with the RI Army National Guards. I retired in September of 2012. It was then when I began to feel completely lost and worthless.
The majority of my life I have always been in service either as a Soldier or as a volunteer Firefighter. Without that community, my life drastically changed. However, when I deployed on an operation with Team Rubicon, I had the chance to help others again while they were also serving me.
It was when I was deployed on Operation Tridge and Operation Fox Yeah when I learned about perseverance and unconditional love. While these people were going through some of the worst time of their lives, they were teaching me that it is not okay to give up. They were teaching me you have to keep moving forward.
The team I had the privilege of working with was made up of some of the world’s finest people: veterans, first responders, and civilians. It is with them that I made lasting and life-altering relationships. It is with them that I learned how to conduct walk-throughs, submit operation reports. They helped me become a better person.
To all the members of the Team Rubicon team, I love you. You are my family. Thank you for your love, friendship, and support.
