Straight Outta Combat Radio-Honoring Combat Wisdom

Alexandria White is a dedicated individual with a diverse background and a passion for making a difference. As a US Army Medic veteran, Alexandria has served in Kuwait and various military bases including Ft. Hood, Ft. Sam Houston, and completed her basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood. Her military service has instilled in her a strong sense of discipline, resilience, and a commitment to serving others. As a survivor of military sexual trauma (MST), she has emerged from that experience as a beacon of strength and advocacy. Her personal journey has fueled her determination to raise awareness about MST and support fellow survivors in their healing process. In her present civilian life, Alexandria has pursued a career in real estate in Florida, leveraging her excellent communication skills, attention to detail, and dedication to client satisfaction. As a realtor, she assists veterans and their families in finding their dream homes and navigating the complexities of the real estate market. In addition to her work in real estate, Alexandria serves as an Associate Director at The Long Walk Home, an organization committed to providing support and resources to veterans transitioning into civilian life. In this role, she plays an instrumental part in developing and implementing programs that empower veterans to reclaim their lives and find healing after serving. With her unwavering determination and compassionate nature, Alexandria continues to make a positive impact in her community and beyond. She strives to be a voice for those who have endured trauma, offering support, empowerment, and hope to individuals on their journey towards healing and growth. #honor #freedom #veteranwisdom #transitioningveterans #honoringveteranwisdom #straightouttacombatradio For more information about The Long Walk Home VISIT: www.thelongwalkhome.org  

United States Marine Veteran Ron Zaleski is the Founder, President, and Executive Director of The Long Walk Home, a non-profit organization dedicated to healing and improving the lives of transitioning veterans. Ron served in the United states Marine Corps from 1970-1972. after his military service, he owned and operated a gym and scuba shop in the Hamptons in New York for 28 years.   After 9/11, Ron realized that he had to help transitioning veterans not to experience what his generation of veterans went through coming home from Vietnam, which was having little or no guidance at all. That lack of support was unacceptable to him. In 2006-7, Ron walked the Appalachian Trail barefoot to create awareness for transitioning and struggling veterans. In 2010-11, Ron walked barefoot across the Country carrying a petition which he brought to Washington D.C. His goal was to get mandatory counseling for all military personnel prior to their discharge from military. In 2014-16, Ron operated had a homeless shelter for veterans in the Florida Keys. Currently, The Long Walk Home organization has a veteran's mentorship program which started in 2020 and has been more effective in helping more people across the entire United States. Ron maintains a strong presence within the organization spending most of his  I’m involved in every aspect of the organization and spend most of my time doing events and mentoring. #honor #freedom #veteranwisdom #transitioningveterans #honoringveteranwisdom #straightouttacombatradio For more information about The Long Walk Home VISIT: www.thelongwalkhome.org

Terry Ford was born September 1980 on an Air Force Base in North Carolina. His dad was a parachute rigger in the US Navy and shortly after Terry was born received orders to Puerto Rico where the Ford family lived for the next 3 years. After that Terry's father took orders to NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach, VA where they would remain for the next 27 years, a feat almost unheard of in the Navy. That fact made Terry one of those rare Navy brats that got to live in the same house for essentially his whole life growing up. The only moving around they did was from an apartment that they moved into when they relocated from Puerto Rico to Virginia Beach. Terry didn’t quite know what he wanted to do with his life but ultimately decided to enlist in the Navy in March of 2003 as a Cryptologic Technician (Maintenance). He went to basic training in Great Lakes, IL followed by “A” school at Cory Station in Pensacola, FL. From there he received orders to Naval Security Group Detachment Potomac at the Naval Research Lab in Washington DC. That tour ended when the command was decommissioned in 2005. At that time, Terry chose to screen for an assignment to Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) and was subsequently selected. After 4 ½ years of service with DEVGRU, Terry chose not to re-enlist and jumped over to the contracting world and he has worked in various roles in IT. He presently works as a contactor for Illuminate in a position for the Defense Intelligence Agency. Terry's family resides in Tampa, FL with his wife and twin daughters. #honor #freedom #veteranwisdom #transitioningveterans #honoringveteranwisdom #straightouttacombatradio 

Kenneth Bender (In His Own Words): U.S. Army Air Corps -World War Two Senior Fire Control NCO, B-29 'Superfortress' I was born 95 years ago on September 7, 1925 in Cape Girardeau, Mo. located on the Mississippi river about halfway between St. Louis and Memphis.  I have lived here all my life except for time I spent in the service during WWII. My father was a banker and when I was eight years old in 1933, in the heart of the great depression, the bank in which he worked became bankrupt.  Except for odd jobs, such as working in the collector’s office during tax season or helping out in another bank during vacations, he was unemployed for about three years.  We were poor, but so were most of my friends, and I really did not realize what my parents were going through to provide for my three older siblings, me and themselves. When I was nine I got a job selling magazines on Tuesdays after school, making about twenty cents each week. It was spending money for a kid.  When I was 11, I got a job delivering papers after school making sixty cents a week.  After several months, the new social security law came into effect and you had to be at least twelve years old to get a social security card. I was laid off until my twelfth birthday.  I got a better route and in time I finally worked up to $2.70 a week.  I kept this job until I was in high school when I got a job setting pins in a bowling alley.  This was in the day before automatic pin setters.  On an average night working from about 6:00 pm to 9:00 or 10:00 pm I would make anywhere from sixty cents to a $1.20.  I was rich.  Somewhere about my junior or senior year I got a job working in a hardware store after school and on Saturday making thirty-five cents an hour.   In the middle of all this on December 7, 1941 the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.  This was a Sunday and in the early afternoon our family was getting ready to take a short drive around town. My Mother would not let me go along because I had not written a paper for school that was due the next day.   As they were getting ready to leave my uncle called and told my dad to turn on the radio. THE JAPANESE HAD BOMBED OUR NAVAL BASE AT PEARL HARBOR IN HWAII.  We were all glued to the radio for the rest of the day. The next day, Monday, at school our principal brought his big floor model radio from home.  He set it on a table in the cafeteria and let anyone who had a drop hour come in and listen to President Roosevelt address a joint session of congress asking them to declare that a state of war had existed since the bombing began the day before.  I was lucky enough to be in the room and hear this historic address. When I was seventeen years old and a senior in high school I knew that when I was eighteen I would be eligible for the draft, so a buddy of mine and I (with the principal’s approval) skipped a day of school and drove to the town of Sikeston, Mo. Which was about 30 miles away and had a small army air corps training base.  We spent all day taking tests and when we were told that we had passed we were sworn in to the Army Air Corps Reserves under a program in which we would not be called to active duty until after we were 18 years old.  We had chosen our branch of service and felt good about it.   A few months after my 18th birthday I was called to active duty and after a period of schooling I became as Central Fire Control gunner on a B-29 Superfortress.  The largest and longest- range aero plane that had entered the war.  I was sent from Lowery Field in Denver, (a great place to be assigned) to the air base at the tiny dusty town of Clovis, New Mexico.  In a large gymnasium, men were assembled in groups according to their job.  All pilots in one bunch, navigators in another, CFC gunners, etc.  A pilots name was called and he stepped to the center of the room, a co-pilot, a navigator, etc. until a crew of 11 men (boys mostly) had been assembled.  We introduced ourselves to each other and the next day began flying together.  We started in a B-17 because there were not enough B-29s available.  Our pilot had been trained on a B-17 and flew it well.  After a few weeks we got to move up to a B-29 which was a whole new world for our pilot and co-pilot.

Bill Quiqley is a former Army Psychological Operations 1SG who transitioned out of the service after 20+ years in the Special Operations community. He is currently the City Leader for Bunker Labs in Tampa, where he encourages Veterans and Military spouses to realize their dreams of financial independence through entrepreneurship. He is also the co-founder of Gorilla Gurus, a design and ad agency specializing in Gorilla Marketing.   Throughout his career as a Special Operations professional, Bill was the beneficiary of innovation that enabled him to deploy to remote locations and accomplish the missions assigned to him. He had the opportunity to travel professionally to over 15 countries, sharing his knowledge of information dissemination strategies with partner nations. Being able to identify new and creative ways to message select audiences that resulted in positive and long-lasting change was vital to his success while in uniform. Bill served two combat deployments in Iraq in addition to tours in Bosnia, Nigeria, Niger, and Qatar. It is because of those experiences that he is passionate about telling the story of Innovation and the Veteran Community.

Marvin Gonzalez  “Gonzo”   Born and raised in Long Island, NY. Family came from El Salvador escaping the civil war. Graduated from West Hempstead High School and following the attacks on the WTC 9/11. Enlisted in the U.S. Navy.  October 27, 2004 attended Navy Recruit Training in Great Lakes, Illinois.  Graduated Gunners Mate “A” School in June 2005 and assigned to amphibious assault ship USS OGDEN LPD-5 from March 2005 to March 2007. During this timeframe deployed to the Arabian Gulf with Navy’s Fifth Fleet and Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. After a successful WESPAC deployment and decommissioning of USS OGDEN LPD-5. Transferred to Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL Training Class 265 Coronado, California, from March 2007 to October 2007.  Successfully completed training and moved on to SEAL Qualification Training (SQT). Graduated SQT Class 270.Upon completion of SEAL Qualification Training, transferred to SEAL Team EIGHT in April 2009.  Completed 1 deployment to Yemen (Mar-Sept 2010), as well as 1 JCET deployment to Colombia (Nov 2010), and 1 deployment to Africa (Feb – July 2011). On June 15, 2012, was Honorably Discharged from active duty service. Worked in Private Sector for various security projects and conducted underwater construction projects in NY Tri-state area.  In Nov 2018, hired by the Department of State as a Method of Entry MOE Instructor. Charged with providing training to foreign law enforcement agents in the Middle East and Africa. Currently President and owner of OP5 Tactical.  Personal awards include Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, Battle E Ribbon, Navy Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, Sea Service Ribbon, , Expert Rifle Marksmanship Medal, Expert Pistol Marksmanship Medal, Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist Device, Military Freefall Parachutist     Currently holds a Commercial Deep Sea Diver Diploma, and is working towards completing a bachelor’s degree in Security Management through Bellevue University.  He is currently married to Joanna and has 3 children:  Gabriella (4), Joseph (2), Jeremy (4 months)

JayR McIntrye, CEO~Rat Pack Worldwide Security (Son of a Preacher Man)   During his tenure in the United States Army, JayR McIntyre served in the 1st Infantry Division in Germany from 2002-2005 with his First Deployment to Tikrit, Iraq from 2004-2005 Operation Iraqi Freedom and Served in the 1st Calvary Division from 2005-2008 with his Second Deployment to Mosul, Iraq from 2006-2008 for 15 months. JayR also served in the 1st Armor Division from 2009-2011 with his third deployment to Mosul, Iraq 2010-2011 for 9 Months.   JayR has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Combat action Badge and Numerous Army Achievement medals. Air Assault Qualified. JayR Holds a B.S in Sports Medicine and an Associates in Sports Medicine and is a Graduated of The EBV UConn School of Business 2019. He also serves as the President of Student Veterans of America at Keiser University in Tampa Florida; He also is a Veteran Treatment Court Mentor in Tampa Florida.

Our veteran guest for this episode of Straight Outta Combat (Radio-Medicine by GreenZone Hero) is Army veteran Kirby Ingles. Kirby is a 23-year veteran who now lives in Central Missouri with his wife and four children. Currently, Kirby is a leadership and transformation coach working with young professionals, transitioning veterans, and emerging leaders. Kirby’s passion is helping fatherless men live a more fulfilled life and to become pillars of their communities. His focus to bring positive light to the strengths of the men he works with so that they can become leaders who change the world.

Adam Bird is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Heroes Media Group LLC. Heroes Media Group (HMG) is a Digital Media Branding platform committed to providing a voice for our community heroes and those who support them. HMG is committed to providing education, entertainment and empowerment to: Active Duty Service Members, Veterans, Firefighters, First Responders, Law Enforcement, Educators, Medical Professionals, and Clergy. Adam earned his Bachelors Degree in Business Management in 2011. He is an experienced entrepreneur and leader in building companies, educating, training and mentoring and empowering teams to success. Ultimately, Adam founded HMG to create jobs and reorganize the way media is consumed, delivered and trusted on a global scale. Born in Wisconsin, Adam developed a love for the outdoors at a very young age. Fishing, hunting and playing sports was an everyday thing. After high school Adam enlisted the Army National Guard where he worked in various positions until mid 2007, when he left the Military to pursue greater opportunities and to be a full-time single parent to his son. Mr. Bird has recently changed his single status to married and we congratulate him.

Steve Breakstone grew up in Pennsylvania.  He was enlisted in the US Army Infantry stationed in Alaska from 1984-87 and earned the Expert Infantry Badge, Good Conduct Medal, and Meritorious Service Medal.  Steve was a police officer in the City of Sarasota from 1987-2011.  He was selected as the Police Officer of the Year in 1992. He investigated persons crimes and homicides.  He was a Detective Sergeant of Detectives and retired from the department as a Lieutenant. He is divorced and the father of 4 children, aged 35, 23, and 18. A son was deceased at 17.  Steve authored the book, "Redemption of Joe".  He speaks fluent Spanish and is very involved in personal development and mentoring.

Our guest for this episode of Straight Outta Combat Radio (Radio-Medicine by GreenZone Hero) is former Navy Seal Team SIX Commando, World-Class Adventure Competitor, and New York Times Best Selling Author, Mr. Don Mann. Don’s military biography is impressive-he’s a decorated combat veteran; Corpsman; SEAL Special Operations Technician; jungle, desert, and arctic-survival instructor; small arms weapons instructor; foreign arms weapons instructor, armed and unarmed defense tactics, advanced hand-to-hand combat instructor; and Survival, Evade, Resistance, and Escape Instructor; in addition to other credentials. He is the author of 20 books including the New York Times Best Selling autobiography “Inside SEAL Team SIX: My Life and Missions with America’s Elite Warriors.”  The members of SEAL Team Six are synonymous with heroism, duty, and justice. These are the same elite warriors who assassinated Osama bin Laden. As a member of this elite team of warriors, Don worked in countless dangerous operations around the world to include Somalia, Panama, El Salvador, Colombia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. He was even captured by the enemy once and lived to tell the tale. To become a SEAL, Don had to overcome his own troubled childhood and push his body to its breaking point and beyond. Don’s narrative is all about physical and mental toughness. He has over 40 years (1,000+ races) worth of competitive racing experience; and was once ranked 38th in the world as a triathlete. Mann received a Master’s in Management from Troy State University, in Troy, AL, a B.S. in International Relations & Criminal Justice, from Florida State University, in Tallahassee, FL, and a B.S. in Liberal Science, from State University of New York. He lives in Cape Charles, VA. Navy Seal Team SIX Commando, World-Class Adventure Competitor, and New York Times Best Selling Author, Mr. Don Mann. Don’s military biography is impressive-he’s a decorated combat veteran; Corpsman; SEAL Special Operations Technician; jungle, desert, and arctic-survival instructor; small arms weapons instructor; foreign arms weapons instructor, armed and unarmed defense tactics, advanced hand-to-hand combat instructor; and Survival, Evade, Resistance, and Escape Instructor; in addition to other credentials. He is the author of 11 books including the New York Times Best Selling autobiography “Inside SEAL Team SIX: My Life and Missions with America’s Elite Warriors.”  The members of SEAL Team Six are synonymous with heroism, duty, and justice. These are the same elite warriors who assassinated Osama bin Laden. As a member of this elite team of warriors, Don worked in countless dangerous operations around the world to include Somalia, Panama, El Salvador, Colombia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. He was even captured by the enemy once and lived to tell the tale. To become a SEAL, Don had to overcome his own troubled childhood and push his body to its breaking point and beyond. Don’s narrative is all about physical and mental toughness. He has over 40 years (1,000+ races) worth of competitive racing experience; and was once ranked 38th in the world as a triathlete. Mann received a Master’s in Management from Troy State University, in Troy, AL, a B.S. in International Relations & Criminal Justice, from Florida State University, in Tallahassee, FL, and a B.S. in Liberal Science, from State University of New York. He lives in Cape Charles, VA.

Jesse Gould is Founder and President of the Heroic Hearts Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit pioneering psychedelic therapies for military veterans. After being deployed in Afghanistan three times, he founded the Heroic Hearts Project in 2017 to spearhead the acceptance and use of ayahuasca therapy as a means of addressing the current mental health crisis among veterans. The Heroic Hearts Project has raised over $150,000 in scholarships from donors including Dr. Bronner’s and partnered with the world’s leading ayahuasca treatment centers, as well as sponsoring psychiatric applications with the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Georgia. Jesse helps shape treatment programs and spreads awareness of plant medicine as a therapeutic method. He has spoken globally about psychedelics and mental health, and received accolades including being recognized as one of the Social Entrepreneurs To Watch For In 2020 by Cause Artist. Driven by a mission to help military veterans struggling with mental trauma, he is best known for his own inspiring battle with PTSD and his recovery through ayahuasca therapy.  Jesse’s work can be seen and heard at NY Times, Breaking Convention, San Francisco Psychedelic Liberty Summit, People of Purchase, The Freq, Psychedelics Today Podcast, Kyle Kingsbury Podcast, Cause Artist, WAMU 88.5 and The GrowthOp. 

Ben Killoy is a Husband, Father, and Marine Veteran living in Milton, WI with my beautiful wife and kids.   He was an 1142 Electrical Equipment Repair Specialist in the Marine Corp (aka Generator Mechanic), served from 2003-2007, mostly in Okinawa. While there, he traveled to South Korea four times and stared down the North Korean in the DMZ. He also visited Australia, and wrapped up my time in the Corps with a trip to historical Iwo Jima. Ben was employed shortly after leaving the service, but was still not connected to his inner passion: leadership. He wandered without a clear path to follow.  It was only after he went to a seminar that changed everything and reignited his passion for Leadership.  Since then, Ben has been on a 4-year journey to master leadership principles and to understand his true capabilities to own his life and the choices he was making. When he left the Marines, he felt that he was not going to reach his full potential while serving and that it was going to hold him back. "That sounds funny saying it out loud as it not a reason most people give, but that was where my mindset was," says Ben. Currently, Ben uses his passion for leadership to help Military Veteran Dads understand who they are, develop the skills to overcome adversity and own their life and choices. He helps dads come home to their families and make the strongest legacy any of us can have, our families. Ben loves leadership because it allows him "to reach down and pull people up when others might have pushed them down."

Our guest for this episode of Straight Outta Combat radio (Audi-Medicine by GreenZone Hero) is US Army veteran and serious dog-training expert and sage, Mr. Ryan Matthews. I actually met Ryan a few weeks ago at the Podfest Multimedia Expo in Orlando. We were on the same discussion panel…and let me tell you, Ryan has a serious positive mojo going on. Ryan has been training dogs since 2002. He began his career in dog training with training and handling elite Military Workins Dogs (a.k.a. MWDs). While in the Army, he performed bite protection training, bomb threat sweeps, secret service missions, and combat deployment to Iraq (with his MWD, Zito) where he worked with Special Forces and Infantry units. After transitioning, Ryan Founded and is the Head Dog Trainer of the ‘World of Dog Training’.  Ryan takes a personalized approach with every sing dog he trains. He’s all heart and then some. He’s working on projects to incorporate some of his canine-training techniques into the corporate human world.

UPDATE: Jon Macaskill has RETIRED! We thank him for his commitment to America, professionalism, and sincere willingness to move into the civilian sector to help others. Keep going Jon! Jon Macaskill is a soon to be retiring Navy SEAL Commander transitioning to the private sector in August.  Jon has served as both an enlisted sailor and as a commissioned officer. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2001 and went straight to SEAL Training known as BUD/S (pronounced “buds”). He has served in various roles in the SEAL Teams and been deployed multiple times primarily to the Middle East.   However, now, as he looks toward military retirement, he is working as a mindfulness teacher and serves as the Deputy Executive Director for Veteran’s PATH, a nonprofit working to educate veterans and transitioning service members about the life changing and life-saving practices of meditation and mindfulness.  Jon is married with two young children and lives in Virginia but will be moving to Colorado this summer. 

WYLY GRAY FOUNDING DIRECTOR, VETERANS of WAR Wyly is a United States Marine, public speaker, the Founding Director of Veterans of War, and is deeply committed to changing the existing veteran narrative regarding service, transition, and veteran suicide. Wyly has survived a broken family, foster care, two deployments in support of the War on Terror, and Post Traumatic Stress (PTS). Through his work with Veterans of War, he experienced firsthand the strength of guided ayahuasca therapy in battles against treatment-resistant trauma, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and PTS. Thanks to ayahuasca, Wyly overcame suicidal thoughts and ideations, finally found sleep again, and cemented his purpose in this life to bring safe and effective tools for recovery for those suffering from the treatment-resistant after-effects of war. Wyly passionately believes that entheogenic plants and fungi offer a unique path towards healing from trauma, and he is part of ballot initiatives advocating for their decriminalization in the United States. Wyly strongly supports the guided use of entheogens to overcome trauma.

Tim joined the Marine Corps in 1993 when he was 17. His father was a retired police officer and his mother was a stay at home mom who raised three boys. His first job in the Marine Corps was aviation ordnance; he assembled bombs, missiles, and rockets. By the time he reached Corporal (E-4), he was an instructor at the 'Schoolhouse.' Upon reenlistment, he made the move to join Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD-bomb squad). The selection process for this job specialty remains rigorous; it is still the only MOS in the Marine Corps that is strictly voluntary, you can quit at any time. EOD school lasts nearly 2 years. Tim was in school when 9/11 occurred waiting on his security clearance to clear.  Receiving his clearance, he was assigned to The Marine Corps Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF). While in training there, he was stationed with his younger brother who was also a Marine. His very first mission was to decontaminate Anthrax from a Senator's office, definitely not what he had expected as an EOD specialist. Mr. Colomer was deployed to Iraq in 2006 to support Multinational Forces West. He was the SNCOIC of a small FOB. They had two EOD teams that responded to any situation around the clock. An average day consisted of 10-15 improvised explosive devices, car bombs, booby trapped buildings, and unexploded ordnance. They destroyed tons of enemy weapons and explosive stashes. Tim states, "We worked our asses off, but it felt good that we were keeping our brothers safe." On December 11, 2006, Tim was blown up while in route to an enemy weapons stash. It was was one of the most intense days of his life – it changing him, and his team team forever. He left the Marine Corps in 2007 and started his life as a civilian. As a government contractor, he trained EOD Technicians for almost 7 years. He became a Program Manager for the USMC EOD field and served nearly 2 years at the FBI Explosives United in Quantico, Virginia. When he finished graduate school at the George Washington University, Tim decided to try corporate America. He was recruited to be a Global Explosive Safety Officer for Halliburton Oil. When the oil market crashed, he purchased a franchise that he helped to expand to 8 locations across the US. They had 100 employees, a reality show, and embarked on a heavy Veteran-focused mission only to have his primary investor walk away. This left him to have managerial control over the managers at each location.  This experience gave him valuable skill sets which he has taken to the next stage of his life. Currently, Tim is helping businesses grow by implementing some time-tested business tools, called the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).  His company, Colomer Advisories, is helping corporate leaders and their teams find visionary and business success in today's fast-paced, technological business world. 

Vietnam veteran Kevin Connelly graduated with a bachelor’s in business administration in marketing from the University of Notre Dame in 1962 and immediately launched a 28-year career in the United States Army. Kevin joined the military after being commissioned as an Armor Officer from an ROTC Program. Fresh out of college, his first assignment was in Germany, where he served as a Tank Platoon leader, an Armored Cavalry Platoon leader and S-3Air for the First Battalion, 35th Armor, 4th Armored Division. In 1965, Kevin volunteered to join the Vietnam War efforts. He underwent special operations training and learned to speak Vietnamese at The Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA. From there, he served on a five-man advisory team to train South Vietnamese counterparts in combat in Mekong Delta. His team averaged over 150 combat missions during his tour in Vietnam. He was awarded a Combat Infantryman’s Badge for his service. Kevin remained in the U.S. Army Reserves, serving in several assignments including the Pentagon that culminated to his ultimate retirement as a Lieutenant Colonel.  Following his active duty in Vietnam, Kevin joined the U.S. Department of State’s Agency for International Development as an Area Development Director for the Go Cong Province of Vietnam. In that role, he was responsible for economic development efforts, including road and school construction and agricultural programs. He received several awards for this service. In 1981, Kevin was appointed the Administrative Director for Suffolk County’s Industrial Development Agency. In this role, he helped issue more than $500 million Industrial Revenue Bonds to assist hundreds of growing companies. This resulted in the creation and retention of more than 30,000 jobs in the New York county.   “One of the rules that military officers live by is the responsibility to accomplish the mission and take care of your people. At Apollo Sunguard, we take care of our customers. Every product we sell is backed by a team of professionals who care about your total satisfaction.”              – Kevin Connelly Kevin decided to relocate to Florida after entering Florida waters in his 43-foot fishing boat. He had traveled from New York. In 1997, Kevin founded Apollo Sunguard, which became one of the country’s leading shade solution providers. Apollo Sunguard is the only Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business shade manufacturer in the United States. Since he founded the company, Apollo Sunguard has received numerous awards for its state-of-the-art technology, including a small business award from NASA’s Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program. Apollo Sunguard also is the first manufacturer to receive a prestigious Gold Triangle from the American Academy of Dermatology for shade structures on playgrounds. Kevin continues to bring new economic opportunities to Apollo Sunguard, including the addition of EV charging stations and solar-powered Sunguard Solar Structures™. Kevin remains active within the business community and supporting veterans. He was president of the Sarasota-Manatee Manufacturers Association for five years and remains on the Board of Directors. He also is a member of the Board of Directors for the Sarasota Veterans Commission and a member of the Board of Directors for the Florida Veterans for Common Sense.

We posed the very important question: "Whats Does Freedom Mean To You?" A compilation of answers from our fellow veterans Lane Belone, Michael Hartford, Robert Garcia, Isaac Belden, Ethan Samuels, Scott Kinder, and Fazel Rahim Kaihan.   May God Bless America and all of you for your commitment, loyalty & sacrifices in the Support of Freedom!

We posed the very important question: "Whats Does Freedom Mean To You?" A compilation of answers from our fellow veterans Ben Knisely, Shawn Rhodes, Bob & Melissa Sebastian, Osee Fagan, Lani Hankins, Boone Cutler, Darrell Hernanadez, Stephen Colon, Annette Whittenberger and Anthony Maggert.   May God Bless America and all of you for your commitment, loyalty & sacrifices in the Support of Freedom!