Habitat For Heroes

If you've been following us for awhile, you know how much we appreciate American Heroes... people like Brad Snyder (US Navy), Randy Regan (NYFD), Kevin Killian (SoCal Police), Melissa Stockwell (US Army), Rob Jones (US Marines) and many more!!

US Military Veterans are American Heroes who make tremendous sacrifices and take on extraordinary risks for the benefit of the American public.  It only makes sense that when their service is complete, these Military Veterans should have a place to call home.

And apparently, the SCV Habitat For Heroes agrees!

Habitat For Heroes is a non-profit organization in the city of Santa Clarita (in north Los Angeles County).  Their goal is to "address the needs of those heroes who have served our nation, and all of us, with courage and honor."  The Habitat For Heroes does this specifically in the area of housing.

According to the Habitat For Heroes, roughly 80,000 US Military Veterans who served after 9/11 are spending more than 50% of their income on housing.  This situation, along with a challenging economy, has created financial hardship for many veterans, especially in the city of Santa Clarita.  Per capita, Santa Clarita has one of highest concentrations of Military Veterans.  Of the city's 250,000 residents, over 10,000 are war veterans.

So Habitat For Heroes recently announced an exciting project, in coordination with the California Department of Veteran Affairs (CalVet).

CalVet will provide $21 million for Habitat For Heroes to develop and build 87 new homes in a village dedicated to veterans.  Local veterans will then be able to apply to purchase one of these affordable homes!

This is a terrific program.  And ought to be a model for other communities to follow!

Veterans Day is coming up... on Nov 11th.  For the independence and freedom we all enjoy, our US Military Veterans deserve to be remembered and honored!!

Check out this AWESOME video about the program...

Warrior Games

Once on the battlefield, now on the playing field!

This is the motto of the Warrior Games, and the motto goes on to say...

Celebrate the achievement and abilities of wounded, ill and injured service members through athletic competition.

This event is put on annually by the US Department of Defense and all branches of the US military: US Army, US Marine Corps, US Navy, US Air Force, National Guard and US Coast Guard.  The event includes seven sports and 200+ athletes.

This is another exciting athletic competition where Public Safety personnel exhibit their athletic skills!  In this case the athletes are American Warriors who have been wounded, injured or fallen ill as a result of their public service.

In the past we have also talked about other athletic events where Public Safety personnel excel, such as the 2012 London Olympics, 2012 London Paralympics, Police & Fire Games and Hero Rush!

We tip our hats and thank the competitors at the Warrior Games for their service, perseverance and endurance!!  They deserve our respect and their status as American Warriors!!

Check out this video of US Air Force Warriors training for the Games...

2010 & 2011 Para-Triathlete of the Year - Melissa Stockwell

Melissa Stockwell is one of the (many) people who have served our country bravely and courageously!

As a Freshman at the University of Colorado, Boulder Melissa joined the US Army ROTC and committed to 4 years of active duty with the US Army.  She started as a US Army officer in 2002, and was deployed to Iraq.

In 2004 Melissa was leading a convoy through Baghdad when a roadside bomb exploded and blew her unarmored Humvee into a guardrail and then a house.  The result was that she lost her left leg.

Melissa is now an above-the-knee amputee on her left side.  In fact, Melissa is the first woman soldier to lose a limb in the Iraq War.  And for her honorable service, Melissa received a Bronze Star plus a Purple Heart.

But that's not the end of the story!  Melissa is now a world class Para-Triathlete!!

After spending a year of recovery at the Walter Reed Medical Center, Melissa took up swimming (for the first time in her life!).  She even became a member of Team USA Swimming at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.

Following this event, she chose to pursue Para-Triathlons.  This is what she has to show for it:

• 2011 USA Female Para-Triathlete of the Year
• 1st Place -- 2011 ITU Para-Triathlon World Championship Beijing (TRI-2)
• 1st Place -- 2011 ITU Para-Triathlon National Championship NYC (TRI-2)
• 2010 USA Female Para-Triathlete of the Year
• 1st Place -- 2010 ITU Para-Triathlon World Championship Budapest (TRI-2)
• 2nd Place -- 2010 ITU Para-Triathlon National Championship (TRI-1)
• 1st Place -- 2009 Olympic Distance Triathlon Chicago (her division)

Melissa is not participating in the 2012 London Paralympics, only because her sport is not an event.  But that will change soon!  Para-Triathlon will make its debut at the 2016 Rio Paralympics!!!

This is another story of an American Hero!  We owe our deepest gratitude to Melissa Stockwell, Rob Jones, Brad Snyder, Ryan McIntosh and many others!!

Melissa is one of 4 veterans featured in a documentary called Warrior Champions.  Check out this movie trailer...

US Army Hero In Action - Ryan McIntosh

His name is Ryan McIntosh.  He's 23-years old.  Married.  Has a 16-month old son.

In this photo he's a ballboy in a tennis tournament - the 2012 US Open.  But you may notice his right leg is a C-shaped prosthesis.


Ryan grew up in Colorado as a high school track star.  He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds.  He planned to run track and play football at Graceland College (in Iowa).  But he changed his mind and enlisted in the US Army to become a soldier.  He then went off to Fort Benning, GA for basic training.


He was deployed to Afghanistan in October 2010, and two months later he lost his leg when he stepped on a land mine near Kandahar.  He and his unit were walking through the very dangerous Arghandab River Valley when he stepped on the mine which launched him 10 feet in the air.  As a result, his leg was amputated just below the knee.

Since then he has bravely moved forward with life.  His wife gave birth to their first child in April 2011!  He works for the US Army at Fort Sam Houston (in San Antonio) as the Adaptive Sports Coordinator - helping other wounded soldiers rehab and recover.

Out of 600 people who applied to be ballboys at this year's US Open, Ryan was 1 of 250 chosen.  Next year he plans to compete in the Warrior Games for wounded US Military soldiers.  And his ultimate goal is to compete in the 2016 Paralympics in Rio De Janeiro!

His physical strength and overall story are inspiring.  But Ryan says the most challenging aspect of his recovery is the psychological trauma.  Nightmares often haunt him.  And blasts, like the opening ceremony fireworks, are "gut-wrenching."

But he presses on.  Ryan says, "When I was growing up, my dad was always my coach, always right by my side.  That's what I want to do with my son."

This young man is a US Army Hero In Action!

Public Safety Professionals who were London Olympians - Final Results

 

The 2012 London Olympics have come to a close, and Team USA won the Overall Medal Count.

Over the last two weeks we have mentioned many athletes from the Public Safety community -- Police, Fire, EMS and Military personnel -- who were London Olympians.

Two of them earned GOLD MEDALS -- Kayla Harrison and Vincent Hancock!!!

Today we give you the results of everyone we mentioned, and many more we did not have a chance to mention.  Proudly enjoy what these world class athletes (22 total) achieved for Team USA and the Public Safety community!!!

Dennis Bowsher - US Army
Modern Pentathlon - 32nd place

Dremiel Byers - US Army
Wrestling - Quarterfinals

Glenn Eller - US Army
Shooting - 22nd place

Joe Guzman - US Army
Boxing Coach - Various

Vincent Hancock - US Army
Shooting - GOLD MEDAL!!!

Kayla Harrison - EMT and Firefighter to-be
Womens Judo - GOLD MEDAL!!!

Jamel Herring - US Marines
Boxing - Round of 32

David Johnson - US Army
Shooting Coach - Various

Weston Seth Kelsey - US Air Force
Fencing - 4th Place

Ben Lee - Palo Alto, CA Police Department
Badminton Coach - Various

Justin Lester - US Army
Wrestling - Quarterfinal

Charles Leverette - US Army
Boxing Coach - Various

Spenser Mango - US Army
Wrestling - 9th Place

Michael McPhail - US Army
Shooting - 9th Place

John Nunn - US Army
Race Walk - 43rd Place

Jason Parker - US Army
Shooting - 30th Place

Joshua Richmond - US Army
Shooting - 16th Place

Keith Sanderson - US Army
Shooting - 14th Place

Daryl Szarenski - US Army
Shooting - 23rd Place and 28th Place

Eric Uptagrafft - US Army
Shooting - 16th Place

Sandra Uptagrafft - US Navy
Shooting - 28th Place

Jimmy Watkins - Kern County Fire Station #55 (in Bakersfield, CA)
Cycling - 6th Place


And one more time for the grand finale ... GO TEAM USA!!!

Army Sergeant and Pistol Champ - Daryl Szarenski

US Army Sergeant Daryl Szarenski is a top performing Pistol Shooter and part of the US Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP).  Dennis has a long history of representing Team USA Shooting.  In fact, this is his 4th trip to the Olympics!!

Dennis' accomplishments include:

• 2-time Pan Am Games Champion
• 3-time USA Shooting Pistol Shooter of the Year
• 3-time All American
• 4-time Olympic Team Member
• 5-time World Championship Team Member
• 7-time USA National Champion

As an expert marksman for the US Army, Dennis has proven his enduring skill over many years.  It's even a family thing - his wife (Amy) is a former member of the USA Shooting team!

Dennis started shooting as a youngster in the late 1970s when his father entered him in a junior shooting program.  He went on to Tennessee Tech University as a pistol and rifle shooter on scholarship.

Dennis' competitions in the 2012 London Olympics have been completed.  He shot in the Mens 50m Pistol event and the Mens 10m Air Pistol event.  He represented Team USA, and the US Army, proudly!

Hats off to Dennis!  Go Team USA!!

And check out this video of Dennis earning a Gold medal at the ISSF World Cup 2010...

US Army World Class Athlete - Race Walker John Nunn

John Nunn is a sergeant in the US Army and member of Team USA Track and Field.

John is competing in the 2012 London Olympics in the 50 km Race Walk.  50 km = 31.1 miles.  The Race Walk has been an Olympic event since 1904.  And the rules of Race Walking are this...

• One foot must be on the ground at all times
• As one foot hits the ground, the knee above it must be straight

At first it sounds simple enough... walk 31 miles.  But remember, that's 5 miles longer than a marathon and "fast walking" is often considered as much (or more) of a challenge than running.  Try it sometime and you'll see what we mean!!

When he was a kid, back home in Indiana, John was first introduced to Race Walking by family members.  This led him to compete on a full ride scholarship at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.  Like many others, John is now part of the US Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) in Colorado Springs.

This is John's 2nd Olympics (1st was the 2004 Athens Olympics).  And this Olympic trip follows a long list of accomplishments:

• 2003 USATF Indoor National Championships - Silver medal
• 2003 USATF Outdoor National Championships - Bronze medal
• 2004 USATF Indoor National Championships - Silver medal
• 2004 US Olympic Trials - Silver medal
• 2006 USATF Outdoor National Championships - Silver medal
• 2010 USATF National 20 km - Champion
• 2011 USATF Outdoor National 20 km - Champion
• 2011 Pan Am Cup 20 km Team - Silver medal
• 2011 Pam Am Cup 20 km Trials - Bronze medal
• 2012 US 50 km Olympic Trials - Champion

John's personal best in the 20 km (12.4 mile) Race Walk is 1:22:31.  Those are 6 minute 36 second miles.  Pretty fast for walking!!

John has said his training in the Army (from basic training onward) has taught him the skill of discipline and helped him focus on benchmarks.  He plans to continue his service in the Army after these Olympics!

The 50 km Race Walk event takes place on Saturday, Aug 11th

Check out this video of John talking about his training and preparation...

Army Sergeant Shoots to Olympic Gold - Vincent Hancock

We have mentioned several members from the Public Safety community who are competing in the 2012 London Olympics - an EMT, Firefighter, Police Officer and Army Soldiers.  One has already earned a Gold medal - Kayla Harrison.  Here's another Gold medal winner!!

Vincent Hancock won his first World Championship in Skeet Shooting when he was 16 years old (in 2005)!  Now at 23 years old he has 2 Olympic Gold medals!!  Here's a look at his history of Gold medals, this does not include the long list of additional medals he has earned:

• 2005 Championship of the Americas - Gold (tied World Record)
• 2005 World Cup Changwon - Gold (set World Record)
• 2005 World Championship - Gold
• 2006 Spring Selection - Gold
• 2007 Fall Selection - Gold
• 2007 World Cup Italy - Gold (set World Record)
• 2007 Pan Am Games - Gold
• 2008 World Cup Suhl - Gold
• 2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS - GOLD (set Olympic Record)
• 2009 National Championship - Gold
• 2009 World Championship - Gold
• 2010 National Championship - Gold
• 2010 Fall Selection - Gold
• 2011 Pan Am Games - Gold
• 2012 National Championship - Gold
• 2012 LONDON OLYMPICS - GOLD (set Olympic Record)

Vincent is the first Olympian to win back-to-back Gold medals in the Skeet Shooting event.  He broke his own Olympic Record to win this Gold by hitting 123 of 125 targets in Qualifying, and nearly achieved overall perfection by hitting all 25 targets in the Final for a total score = 148 of 150.

Vincent is stationed in Fort Benning, GA where he is a Sergeant with the US Army Marksmanship Unit.  He is also married with two children.

CONGRATS to Vincent and Go Team USA!!

Celebrate with Vincent and watch this video of him talk about winning Olympic Gold (again!) for Team USA!!

Pentathlete and US Army Soldier - Dennis Bowsher

If you don't know about the Modern Pentathlon, here's a quick lesson.

The Modern Pentathlon has 5 events:

• Fencing
• Shooting
• Equestrian
• Swimming
• Running

It was created in 1912 for the Olympics that year.  At the time it represented the skills of an ideal soldier - one who could fight with a sword, fight with a pistol, ride a horse, swim and run.  This year, the Modern Pentathlon celebrates 100 years of continuous competition in the Olympic Games!

Team USA is sending an Army soldier and accomplished Pentathlete to represent us - Dennis Bowsher.  Dennis has several medals in national competition:

• Gold - 2005 US National Championships
• Bronze - 2006 US National Championships
• Gold - 2007 US National Championships
• Gold - 2009 US National Championships
• Bronze - 2010 US National Championships
• Gold - 2011 US National Championships

Dennis lives in Colorado Springs where he trains at the US Olympic Complex.  His dream has always been to qualify for the Olympics, and this year he did!!

As a soldier, Dennis is part of the Army's World Class Athlete Program - which sent 11 athletes to the 2012 London Olympics!  Dennis first enlisted in the US Army in 2005, and currently serves as a Specialist (SPC).

To support his community in Colorado Springs, Dennis took time last month to join other athletes who were visiting victims of the devastating Colorado Wildfires.

Go Dennis and Go Team USA!!!

The Modern Pentathlon gets going Saturday, Aug 11th

Check out this personal video from Dennis about his sport...

Army Sergeant Wrestling for Team USA - Spenser Mango

As you know, from our prior postings, the US Army sent 11 soldiers to the 2012 London Olympics!  We've looked at Dremiel Byers and Keith Sanderson.  This time we'll talk about an Army soldier and Greco-Roman wrestler, Spenser Mango.

Spenser wrestles in the 55 kg category (to save you the calculation, 55 kg = 121 lbs).  Going into these Olympics, Spenser is Team USA's #1 ranked wrestler in his weight class.

After being a two-time All American wrestler for Stanford, he transferred to Northern Michigan University where he enrolled in the US Olympic Education Center.  He graduated from Northern Michigan and has been wrestling for Team USA for 6 years.  He has also served in the US Army for 2 years.

Spenser's wrestling career includes:

• 2006 World Championship, Bronze
• 2006 University World Championship, 1st Place
• 2008 National Championship, 1st Place
• 2008 Olympics, 8th Place
• 2009 World Championship, 9th Place
• 2010, 2011 and 2012 US Open Championship, 1st Place

So given his dominance of the American field, let's cheer Spenser on to dominate the International field at these London Olympics!

Go Spenser and Team USA Wrestling!!

The Olympic Wrestling competition starts Sunday, Aug 5th

Here's a video of Spenser wrestling at the New York Athletic Club...

Army Soldier is Pistol Shooting for Team USA - Keith Sanderson

We have talked before about the US Army's World Class Athlete Program (WCAP).  They sent 11 soldiers to the 2012 London Olympics!  And here's one of them - sharp shooter Keith Sanderson.

Keith joined the Marine Corps just after high school, where he competed for the Marine Shooting Team in rifle matches.  After eight years with the Marines he joined the Army Reserves and started college.  In 2005, after four years in the Reserves, he transferred to Active Duty as an Army soldier.

Along the way Keith has sharpened his shooting skills, primarily in the Rapid Fire Pistol program, and his results prove it.  Keith has medaled in multiple events:

• Gold - National Championship (2004)
• Gold - National Championship (2005)
• Bronze - Championships of the Americas (2005)
• Silver - Pan American Games (2006)
• Bronze - World Cup Munich (2007)
• Gold - World Cup Beijing (2009)
• Bronze - World Cup Munich (2009)
• Silver - World Cup Chagnwon (2009)
• Bronze - World Championship (2010)
• Bronze - World Cup Final Wroclaw (2011)
• Silver - World Cup Chagnwon (2011)

This year his sights are set on medaling at the London Olympics!

Go Keith and Team USA Shooting!!

The Shooting competition started a few days ago, but Keith's portion starts today (Aug 2nd) and continues for the next few days

Check out this video where Keith talks about going to his 2nd Olympics!!

US Army Soldier and Olympic Wrestler - Dremiel Byers

Dremiel Byers has an impressive resume, both for his service in the US Army and for his career as a wrestler.  He is an amateur wrestler who competes in the Greco-Roman discipline.

Dremiel grew up wrestling in high school and won the North Carolina State Championship in 1993.  He opted to attend college on a football scholarship, but that lasted just one year.  He then joined the Army as a soldier and was quickly placed in the Army's World Class Athlete Program (WCAP).

Over the years Dremiel has achieved several things in the super heavyweight category:

• US Armed Forced Champion (9 times)
• US National Champion (10 times)
• World Military Champion (2005)
• World Champion (2001)

This will be his second trip to the Olympics, following his previous trip to Beijing in 2008.

At the 2012 London Olympics, Dremiel has his sights set on Gold.  Before his grandfather passed away he promised his grandfather he would bring home an Olympic Gold medal.  He wants to fulfill that promise!

As a Sergeant 1st Class Army soldier, Dremiel is based in Fort Carson, CO.  And he is on Active Duty in the Quartermaster Corps.

The Olympic Wrestling schedule starts on Sunday, August 5th

Check out this video from the US Army and Dremiel Byers!

And Go Team USA!!