AVOW Magazine Summer 2021 : simplebooklet.com

Choose a Medicare plan designed to serve you You deserve a Medicare plan that has your back UnitedHealthcare has a wide range of Medicare Advantage plans designed to complement the health benefits you already receive for your service The AARP Medicare Advantage Patriot plan from UnitedHealthcare includes the freedom to visit doctors and hospitals in our large network for a 0 monthly premium Additional plan benefits may include Comprehensive dental services Allowance toward eyewear Routine hearing exam plus hearing aids 0 monthly premium It s time to take advantage Learn more about Medicare Advantage plans that complement your VA or TRICARE For Life benefits Laura Debuhr Licensed Sales Agent 844 430 6300 TTY 711 lauradebuhr2 gmail com Benefits features and or devices vary by plan area Limitations and exclusions apply You do not have to be a veteran to be eligible for this plan Plans are insured through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or one of its affiliated companies a Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract Enrollment in the plan depends on the plan s contract renewal with Medicare UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company pays royalty fees to AARP for the use of its intellectual property These fees are used for the general purposes of AARP AARP and its affiliates are not insurers You do not need to be an AARP member to enroll AARP encourages you to consider your needs when selecting products and does not make specific product recommendations for individuals AARP does not employ or endorse agents producers or brokers Other hearing exam providers are available in the UnitedHealthcare network The plan only covers hearing aids from a UnitedHealthcare Hearing network provider 2020 United HealthCare Services Inc All rights reserved Y0066_2000910_031245_M SPRJ57947 0032BD01

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AVOWMagazine com Christina Wilkinson USAF PUBLISHER Sheila L Holmes USAF EDITOR IN CHIEF A magazine for women veterans by women veterans and for the people who love them SPECIAL ADVISORS Genevieve Chase USA American Women Veterans Lindsay Church USN Minority Veterans of America Cassie Gabelt USN Minority Veterans of America Tracie Rosado USA WoVeN VR Small USN Women Veterans Enterprise Center Melissa Washington USN Women Veterans Alliance The name AVOW and the AVOW logo are trademarks of AVOW Magazine 2019 2020 2021 exclusively for the American Veteran Organization of Women Magazine which is published quarterly for women veterans of the United States of America AT LARGE Danielle Johnson USMC Pat White USMC CONTRIBUTORS Writers Deneen Thompson Akparorue Tonya Butler ED D Sheila L Holmes Doug Kelly Major Michelle Lunato Photography Anthony Tran Anna Schvets Jar Studio Photography Brandyn Wilkinson Zrelean com Copyright 2021 by AVOW Magazine All rights reserved Destiny Monroe Dr Ruth Moore Dr Chunita Vick Christina Wilkinson Vicko Mozara Sharon McCutcheon This is Engineering Artem Podrez Marcus Aurelius Alex Green Rodnae Productions National Cancer Institute Anastaysiya Lobanovskaya U S Dept of the Army CREATIVE TEAM No part of this publication may be reproduced distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means including photocopying recording or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher or in some instances with third party copyright holders For permission requests write to the publisher addressed Attention Permissions Coordinator at the address below Sabre Design Publishing 18737 Back Street 605 Groveland CA 95321 www sabredesign com Proudly published and produced in the United States of America SabreDesign com ART DIRECTION DESIGN LAYOUT chris sabredesign com Social Media Facebook com AVOWMagazine Instagram com avow_magazine Twitter com AVOWMagazine O 209 841 8866 Sabre Design E contact AVOWMagazine com 6 Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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AMERICAN VETERAN ORGANIZATION OF WOMEN MAGAZINE The summer edition of AVOW Magazine is a very special issue This is because it features multiple veteran women involved in different facets of sports fitness and health Of course our main feature has all eyes on those who are current Olympians We have been very fortunate to work closely with the Department of the Army in highlighting the four military women of the U S Olympic Shooting Team so we d like to give a big thank you to the Army for working with us A huge congratulations also goes to the shooting team themselves We look forward to watching you compete And I would personally like to say how proud I am of Sagen Maddalena Sagen not only grew up in my hometown of Groveland California population 1500 but my daughter and Sagen were in the same shooting club as teens so I was fortunate to witness Sagen s talents early on Along with all of the great athletic and sports related features we also have an informative article about traveling during Covid 19 transitioning from the military to become a civilian some Business Spotlights as well as our regular health feature from Dr Ruth Moore and Dr Richard Matthews In addition we are delighted to be able to share the beautiful artwork of several talented women veterans in a lengthy 10 page spread This feature is brought to us by the Veterans Art Project based in San Diego California As you can see we have a wide variety of articles this issue I d like to add that we at AVOW look forward to doing follow up articles on our Olympians to highlight their successes for our Fall issue I hope you all enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you Christina Wilkinson Publisher AVOW Magazine ON THE COVER BACK L TO R 1LT AMBER ENGLISH SSG SANDRA UPTAGRAFFT SPC ALISON WEISZ AND SPC SAGEN MADDALENA LOWER RIGHT LATICIA ACTION JACKSON Facebook com AVOWMagazine Summer 2021 7

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AVOW Magazine is proud and pleased to introduce a new special advisor to help guide us into the future We d like to welcome Tracie Rosado to AVOW Welcome to the team Tracie Tracie Rosado Rosado is an OIF OEF Army Combat Veteran In her Army career she served as an Aircraft Refueler With her attention to detail and dynamic organizational skills she quickly rose through the ranks Rosado came to the Battalion Command Sergeant Major as his assistant driver where she led the entire battalion through Baghdad Iraq to the Airbase of Balad Iraq Rosado s experiences while serving were not without sacrifice and once honorably discharged she knew she needed to address the effects of war She sought help through the Veterans Administration as well as outside resources all while raising her two children and using her GI Bill to earn a Healthcare Administration and Ultrasound technology degree Although beneficial and rewarding her true desire and passion is helping women veterans navigate back to better after service Rosado is now a National Consultant 8 for the Women Veterans Network WoVeN and the expansion program Building Reintegration from Dreams and Goals to Execution and Success BRIDGES In this role she manages communications within the WoVeN BRIDGES communities social media marketing provides outreach services and assists in the development of expansion materials and national training Through her work with WoVeN she was featured in the New York Times At War series article I Am Fearless Again She was also featured in O The Oprah Magazine s Health Heroes Joining Forces and has participated in numerous speaking engagements and podcasts with the message to empower women veterans everywhere When not hard at work advocating for change in the unique women veteran s space she loves to spend her time geeking out at a Comic Con and collecting everything Wonder Woman Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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ADAPTIVE for SPORTS WOMEN VETERANS WITH POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA BY TONYA BUTLER ED D U S ARMY 1990 1996 and U S ARMY RESERVE 1996 1998 J ohan Huizinga once said Play is a uniquely adaptive act not subordinate to some other adaptive act but with a special function of its own in human experience Huizinga 1948 Dreams passions journeys and purpose are what guide us to finding fulfillment in our lives Play sports and recreation are also integral components to finding fulfillment in our lives as they all are how we get to recreate who we are and work on who we want to become Huizinga describes play as being purposeful and a necessary part of how we learn to be well human There are many women who have answered that special call of duty to serve this country to preserve the ability for all to pursue our dreams be able to experience great adventures and become whatever and whomever we choose There is a cost to answering that call of duty For some it has been far greater than expected changing their dreams and aspirations and dampening their ability to pursue them Every veteran who has served in The U S Armed Forces has her own unique story There are stories of great achievements accomplishments of impossible measure as well as epic failures The most frequent stories are of bonds formed and comradery with fellow unit members The military transforms its forces to be fearless protect the weak and preserve freedom at all costs There are no reliable military statistics prior to World War I and little information beyond personal accounts to tell us what life might have been like for wounded and disabled veterans during the first hundred years of American history Most who served were men but women served as nurses laundresses cooks and in other supportive roles beginning with the Revolution CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 10 Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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ary War and the first woman Medal of Honor recipient Dr Mary Edwards Walker served as a surgeon in the Union Army http archive defense gov home features 2015 0315_womens history We can infer from death rate records from the Revolutionary War through the Civil War that because of insufficient medical care and the primitive state of the medical profession most severely wounded soldiers died unlike those surviving with disabilities today Puente Duany 2009 Transition back to the life of a veteran among civilians has proven to be difficult for some of our veterans both men and women Today counselors therapists and researchers are identifying a great increase in transition issues there are physical disabilities chronic pain emotional issues dealing with the aftermath of combat and other life stressors struggles to create a new identity and fit in with family and community and for those who remain employable the search for new employment after leaving active duty While participation in recreational and athletic opportunities helps maintain physical and emotional balance veterans with post traumatic 12 stress brain injury and or military sexual trauma are faced with finding a good fit in selecting a sport that they can adapt to special needs such as variable energy level pain management compromised mentation and safety Target Populations for Adaptive Sports The Research and Development RAND Center for Military Health Policy Research recently found that 31 of returning service members from Iraq and Afghanistan meet criteria for a mental health condition such as post traumat ic stress disorder PTSD depression or report experiencing a traumatic brain injury TBI Tanielian Jaycox 2008 In addition many service members are returning from combat with a wide variety of physical disabilities including amputations and visual impairments Researchers have suggested that service members are twice as likely to experience amputations in Operation Iraqi Freedom as a result of the improvised explosive device IED than in any other conflict in the past century Weisskopf 2007 Incidents of service members returning home with visual impairments have also increased significantly Zoroya 2007 Among Overseas Contingency Operations OCO veterans using veteran s health services through a Veteran s Affairs VA Hospital or care center between the years of 2001 and 2011 21 were diagnosed with a depressive disorder Congressional Budget Office 2013 As of January 2009 the VA estimates approximately 20 of Operation Enduring Freedom OEF and Operation Iraq Freedom OIF veterans screened positive for TBI In 2008 the VA reported that 21 of women screened positive Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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for military sexual trauma MST during intake and physical assessments Williamson 2009 Taken together the numbers of TBI PTSD and MST diagnoses among women veterans are staggering Just these three conditions let alone those including other physical and mental health diagnoses represent a huge number of women veterans in need of adaptive sports and recreation opportunities that can accommodate chronic pain trauma triggers and or avoidance reactions to new situations the latter secondary to perceived threats to one s health and safety At the same time these sports opportunities are essential to maintaining women veterans physical health optimizing weight rebuilding self confidence and offering supportive connections to others The Benefits and Implications of Adaptive Sports for Women Veterans skills and challenge each other in some friendly competition However sports offer more than an enjoyable activity to veterans The increase in self confidence and expanded perception of one s capacity to excel in physical activities provide much more important motives and outcomes for participation Cornett Puymbroek 2010 There are numerous programs emerging all over the United States that provide recreational opportunities for men and women veterans recovering or moving through issues related to PTSD TBI and or MST These programs are organized by individuals who share a common mission to See populations listed by state https www va gov womenvet docs WomenVeteransPopulationFactSheet pdf Women now represent 16 percent of all veterans and almost 20 percent of our current service members https download militaryonesource mil 12038 MOS Reports 2019 demographics report pdf We are now eligible for 90 of all assignments The increase in the number of women serving in combat and the increasing reports of MST result in more who file claims and seek treatment for injuries As these numbers rise there is an increasing need for adaptive sports for this population Team River Runner USA www teamriverrunner org offers a program designed for female veterans in collaboration with Adaptive Sports Association http asadurango com out of Durango Colorado The staff is made up of an all women crew of raft guides as well as all female veteran participants We began our journey in Durango Colorado and traveled down to the San Juan River in Utah We paddled 59 miles down the San Juan River in 5 days using rafts inflatable kayaks and hard shell kayaks This trip gave women veterans an opportunity to bond with each other and to talk through some of the unique issues of our military service and the transitions injuries and traumas we faced I took the opportunity one evening around the campfire to ask these ladies about programs they have participated in and wanted to know more about why they had not participated in other adaptive sports Adaptive sports were created for all veterans as an alternative or supplement to clinical treatment The benefits of physical activity and adaptive sports for injured veterans include reduced stress increased quality of life lower blood pressure weight management and enhancement of the rehabilitative process Adaptive sports are available for veterans with cognitive emotional physical and or social impairments They are meant to engage veterans in community based activities to help them overcome their injuries Through sports wounded veterans have the opportunity to create new friendships learn new help those who sacrificed for our freedoms Many of these programs are getting wounded warriors out of hospital beds and putting them in kayaks or out on the trails or on yoga mats Engaging Women Veterans The total Veteran population in the United States Puerto Rico and its territories domestic and foreign as of Sept 30 2015 was 21 680 534 The population of women veterans numbered 2 035 213 States with the largest number of women veterans were Texas California Florida Virginia and Georgia Department of Veterans Affairs 2015 CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE Team River Runner Leadership Facebook com AVOWMagazine Summer 2021 13

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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Organized sports for persons with physical disabilities existed as early as 1911 when the Cripples Olympiad was held in the United States One of the successful athletes was Walter William Francis a Welshman who won both the running and wrestling championships Thames Star 1913 Adaptive sports programs were expanded to meet the need to rehabilitate veterans from World War II as well as the Korean and Vietnam Wars and primarily served male veterans Jim Winthers a WWII veteran who was a member of the U S 10th Mountain Division The Skiing 10th an elite group specifically trained for alpine warfare was one of the early pioneers of adaptive sports In 1953 Winthers was director of the Donner Ski Ranch in Northern California Reunited with two buddies who lost legs in the war and using techniques he saw in Europe he taught them to ski on one leg Disabled Sports USA 2010 In 1967 the National Amputee Skiers Association NASA was founded with three chapters and later renamed as the National Handicapped Sports and Recreation Association NHSRA In 1994 NHSRA was renamed Disabled Sports USA it now includes 91 chapters in 36 states Disabled Sports USA 2010 Today opportunities for adaptive sports are available for both civilians and military personnel who have sustained permanent physically disabling injuries while in Iraq Afghanistan and across the globe The Veteran s Administration VA recognizes 30 different sports as a therapeutic addition to treatment The most recent publication of community based adaptive sports programs are posted at https www va gov adaptivesports docs Fact_Sheet_NVSPSE pdf Disability classification for sports exists in four categories physical mental permanent and temporary Disabled sports also called adaptive sports or para sports are sports played by persons with a disability including physical and intellectual disabilities Many disabled sports are based on existing able bodied sports modified to meet the needs of persons with a disability However not all disabled sports are adapted several sports that have been specifically created for persons with a disability have no equivalent in able bodied sports Some examples of sports developed for those with disabilities are roll ball wheelchair racing power soccer audio darts goal ball and beeper ball 14 and recreation programs There were many interesting points made but three consistent responses emerged a a lack of awareness of adaptive sports programs b erroneous impression that programs are exclusive to combat veterans only and c the lack of women s participation in programs e g no women in promotional photos or program descriptions no women only sessions no women guides or instructors etc This single adaptive sports experience was transformative It encouraged many of us who participated to self identify as veterans connect with other women veterans and take more risks in adaptive sports We encourage other women veterans to do the same Adaptive sports were created for all veterans as an alternative or supplement to clinical treatment Some of the roadblocks to participation are similar for both men and women reluctance to take risks or test physical capacities especially after injuries difficulty in identifying resources and for those with MST fear for one s safety in new situations Women have some additional roadblocks including finding resources exclusively for women single parenting issues including managing finances arranging for childcare in order to attend and fear that getting injured could have catastrophic effects on caretaking children and maintaining family functions Programs designed for women veterans only may alleviate some of these issues especially for those with MST who fear avoid participating in co ed programs There are many programs that offer opportunities to integrate the family unit in sports and recreation Several adaptive sports and recreation programs exclusively for women have been developed to encourage women to take the plunge in supervised experiences such as Team River Runner described above For example Challenge Aspen Military Opportunities CAMO retreats in Colorado offer co ed couple family and women veteran retreats with seasonal opportunities to ski snowboard skate fly fish raft and hike https challengeaspen org military Women Veteran Social Justice WVSJ based in Georgia offers half day programs for women veterans that introduce them to working with horses in equine therapy including horseback riding currying and painting horses It also sponsors meet ups that incorporate adaptive indoor rock wall climbing and weekend retreats in the mountains or at the beach with options for hiking swimming and walking http www wvsjnetwork org Boulder Crest Retreats in Virginia offer a variety of Warrior PATHH retreats for men and women veterans separately as well as veteran couples and families These programs incorporate group recreational activities including archery equine therapy and instruction in yoga and meditation http www bouldercrestretreat org While funding may pose a roadblock many of these programs including those described above are free to veterans These programs solicit support from their communities through fundraisers and grants to provide all the necessary resources available to provide the veteran the opportunity to participate For women with children some of these programs incorporate family experiences that help military and veteran children identify and connect with other children while their mothers connect to other veterans A message of we are not in this alone enhances a strong bonding experience for all participants For those women who have previous experience in individual or team sports are ready for a higher level of skill set development and or want to participate in competitive sports the U S Military Paralympics program offers local regional national and international competition As of 2014 the U S Olympic Committee USOC designated almost 200 local service providers as Paralympic Sport Clubs many of whom have programs specifically for veterans These opportunities are funded by the VA in partnership with the USOC and third party grants http www teamusa org US Paralympics Military Veterans Affairs Partnerships The VA has a website designated to assisting veterans in locating a Sports Club closest to them http www va gov adaptivesports va_clubFinder asp https download militaryonesource mil 12038 MOS Reports 2019 demographics report pdf While some women veterans may be interested in competitive adaptive sports many are not Regardless of skill level or experience we encourage more women to take a chance and find a program that can best accommodate personal and family needs Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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Summary and Recommendations Transition from military service to civilian life has proven to be difficult for many women who have spent time serving their country Research and personal statements from veterans have shown that besides police and fire services there are few jobs that can fill the loss of comradery that is longed for after one leaves military service The sense of belonging and trust that is earned among battle buddies and unit members is difficult to explain to those who have not had the same experience Service to country is not only a commitment to serve the people it is also a lifestyle There is an urgent need for more alternative recreation and adaptive sports in the toolbox for helping wounded women veterans on the road to recovery Women veterans have been asking for alternatives to drug therapy and adaptive sports and recreation opportunities are viable options It is now up to us to seek out information on these programs participate and encourage and invite other women to participate Women veterans need to take leadership roles to create expand and lead adaptive sports programs for other women veterans Participation in programs where few women are present opens the doors for more women veterans to feel comfortable knowing there is one of her own there to support her More women veterans are also needed in university and graduate programs offering sports and recreation degrees These programs have largely men instructors professors few veterans and almost no women veterans in teaching and research positions Women veterans need to be visible in their communities and become advocates for other women veterans Volunteering to serve as Advisors or Board Members for adaptive sports and recreation programs will increase the visibility of women veterans as well as offer opportunities to serve as advocates for more women veteran programs Finally there is a need for further research on the efficacy of offering adaptive sports to women veterans Those of us who have participated in these programs know from personal experience that they do change lives our perspectives on the world and our belief in ourselves however without scientific evidence to support this it is difficult to justify funding I personally have Facebook com AVOWMagazine Summer 2021 experienced how putting one veteran s butt in a boat saved her from taking her own life because of feelings of worthlessness It s vital that we commit to our fellow sisters and brothers to do our parts to support these programs with research based interventions to promote programs to veterans who have no knowledge of the resources available and to encourage all veterans to get back to nature the outdoors and physical fitness We may never be as fit as we were in basic training or while deployed but we all know what it means and how it feels to be moving marching the endorphins rush and the connection of heart body mind and spirit ARTICLE REFERENCES Congressional Budget Office 2013 Veterans health administration s treatment of PTSD and traumatic brain injury Lulu Com Corby Edwards A 2009 Traumatic Brain Injury Care and Treatment of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans Congressional Research Service Cornett A Puymbroeck M 2010 Self efficacy sports and rehabilitation Implications for therapeutic recreation American Journal of Recreation Therapy 9 2 33 39 Department of Veteran s Affairs 2015 Fact sheet Women veteran s population Retrieved from http www1 va gov WOMENVET docs WomenVeteransPopulationFactSheet pdf Disabled Sports USA 2010 Disabled Sports USA Wounded warrior disabled sports project Retrieved from http dsusa org programs wwdsp about html Institute of Medicine 2007 Gulf war and health deployment related stress and health outcomes National Academies Press 6 Lundberg N Bennett J Smith S 2011 Outcomes of Adaptive Sports and Recreation Participation among Veterans Returning from Combat with Acquired Disability Therapeutic Recreation Journal XLV 2 105 120 Tonya Butler EdD NSCA CPT CARSS LMT United States Army 1990 1996 United States Army Reserve 1996 1998 Tonya Butler is a Gulf War era veteran who served in the US Army Band as a flute piccolo player After a traumatic injury in the military Dr Butler was forced to change careers and later became an Assistant Professor of Health Physical Education and Recreation at the University of North Georgia Her research emphasis is on adaptive sports for veterans with traumatic brain injuries and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder She is a National Speaker and volunteers with a national organization called Team River Runners whose mission is simply to help veterans heal by getting butts in boats She has been an advocate and a faculty advisor for student veterans and a community activist for women veterans Dr Butler is a certified strength and conditioning specialist as well as a licensed medical massage therapist She is a certified kayak instructor through the American Canoe Association as well as a specialist in adaptive paddling for people with disabilities Butler is the owner of Dynamic Therapeutics and Sports Performance in Daphne Alabama You may reach her at tbutler lmt gmail com or mobile al teamriverrunner org Puent Duany M 2009 The American veterans disabled for life memorial A nation s debt of honor Retrieved from http www fehb org AVDLM 20 20Lesson 20Plans pdf Putzke J D Richards J S Hicken B L DeVivo M J 2002 Interference due to pain following spinal cord injury Important predictors and impact on quality of life Pain 100 3 231 242 Recreation Sports n d National resource directory An online partnership for wounded ill and injured service members veterans their families and those who support them Retrieved from http www va gov adaptivesports docs CBASP_web_spreads pdf Schiraldi G 2000 The post traumatic stress disorder sourcebook New York McGraw Hill Tanielian T Jaycox L H 2008 Invisible wounds of war Psychological and cognitive injuries their consequences and services to assist recovery Retrieved from http veterans rand org U S Department of Veteran s Affairs n d Women veteran s health care facts and statistics about women veterans Retrieved from http www womenshealth va gov WOMENSHEALTH latestinformation facts asp Williamson R 2009 VA health care Preliminary findings on VA s provision of health care services to women veterans United States Government Accountability Office Wise E Mathews C 2010 Impact of traumatic brain injury on participation in leisure activities Archive of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 91 9 Weisskopf M 2007 A grim milestone 500 amputees Retrieved from http content time com time nation article 0 8599 1580531 00 html Zoroya G 2007 Blinded by war Injuries send troops into darkness USA Today November 14 15

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ACCORDING TO THE OLYMPIC WEBSITE THESE SOLDIERS SHOULD BE COMPETING ON THIS SCHEDULE SATURDAY JULY 24 Spc Alison Weisz 10m Air Rifle Finals Awards Ceremony I do love to train I am obsessed with training and becoming a better marksman SUNDAY JULY 25 1st Lt Amber English Skeet Day 1 Staff Sgt Sandra Uptagrafft 10m Air Pistol SPC SAGEN MADDALENA U S ARMY MONDAY JULY 26 1st Lt Amber English Skeet Day 2 Finals Awards Ceremony Military Job Cannon Crewmember Instagram sagenmaddalena Facebook sagen maddalena TUESDAY JULY 27 Staff Sgt Sandra Uptagrafft 10m Mixed Team Air Pistol Spc Alison Weisz 10m Mixed Team Air Rifle THURSDAY JULY 29 Staff Sgt Sandra Uptagrafft 25m Sport Pistol Precision stage FRIDAY JULY 30 Staff Sgt Sandra Uptagrafft 25m Sport Pistol Rapid Fire stage Finals Awards Ceremony SATURDAY JULY 31 Spc Sagen Maddalena 50m Smallbore Three Position Rifle Finals Awards Ceremony 18 S pc Sagen Maddalena will compete in Women s Smallbore Rifle which is also referred to as 50m Three Position Rifle This soldier grew up in Groveland California and began shooting when her grandfather introduced her to gun safety and competition when she was about 12 years old From there she continued to shoot progressing from her local 4 H club to a statewide rifle team the California Grizzlies and eventually to the University of Alaska Rifle Team After completing her Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Management Maddalena decided to simultaneously pursue her rifle career and serve her nation as a marksmanship instructor competitive shooter with the U S Army Marksmanship Unit s International Rifle Team at Fort Benning Georgia As a marksmanship instructor this soldier shares her knowledge with both civilians and servicemembers looking to advance their marksmanship skills As a competitive shooter Maddalena earned an Olympic Alternate spot in the 10m Air Rifle event and an Olympic spot in the 50m Smallbore event so she knows a thing or two about marksmanship In fact this 27 year old said she loves the challenge of marksmanship and the constant progression of it I am definitely hooked on the chance to shoot to the best of my ability with others who are doing the same thing Now that Maddalena has taken the vital step of making the Olympic Team she said her next step is to earn a medal in Tokyo Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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SPC ALISON WEISZ U S ARMY Military Job Human Resources Instagram a_weisz7 Twitter a_weisz Facebook ali weisz 9 I honestly questioned if I was capable of being a Soldier if I had it in me S pc Alison Weisz will compete in the Women s 10m Air Rifle event This soldier grew up in Belgrade Montana and like Maddalena fell in love with marksmanship at a gun safety education program when she was a child What started off as something fun for the then nine year old Weisz led to earning a collegiate level spot on the Ole Miss Rifle Team After completing her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics Weisz still wanted to pursue her passion for marksmanship so she continued competing at national and international levels with the goal of making the Olympic Team During this time she was also considering joining the U S Army but she just wasn t sure she could be a soldier I honestly questioned if I was capable of being a soldier if I had it in me explained Weisz about the source of her doubts I hold soldiers to a very high standard in my mind just because they are the world s best and are protecting our country While Weisz mulled this decision over she was still competing and earned an Olympic berth at the USA Shooting Air Rifle Trials Facebook com AVOWMagazine Summer 2021 in Colorado Springs Colorado in February 2020 Then COVID 19 hit the world and everything stopped There were no competitions to attend no ranges open to train at and just a lot of time to think With essentially everything at a standstill Olympian Weisz decided to stop pondering seize the opportunity and signed up to be a Soldier with a direct assignment to the U S Army Marksmanship Unit s USAMU International Rifle Team and once she got out of Basic Combat Training and to the USAMU all her doubts faded away I questioned it I always questioned it but as soon as I stepped foot here and finally got into my job I knew this was the absolute best choice I could have made Now as the 26 year old prepares to head to Tokyo she is looking forward to representing the Army as well as the nation and she hopes her journey can be an inspiration to others Being in the Army I think I make a positive impact in the world because I get to represent my country in this uniform and also when I am competing I can act as a role model for all young girls CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 19

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1ST LT AMBER ENGLISH ARMY RESERVE Military Job Logistics Officer Twitter AmberEnglish18 Facebook amber english 35 Instagram amberenglish 1 st Lt Amber English will compete in the Women s Skeet event This soldier grew up in Colorado Springs Colorado as a member of a distinguished shooting family As a child she regularly participated in hunting and shooting activities for recreation however as a sport the young English competed in gymnastics By 17 years old English found herself becoming less interested in gymnastics so naturally she gravitated towards her family passion of shooting sports Everyone in my family has a shooting background English said When I left gymnastics in 2006 I was still looking to compete in something so I tried shotgun and that was the end of that In just a few years on the gun English was winning skeet titles such as 2007 Junior Olympic Championships Bronze Medalist 2009 Junior Olympic Champion 2012 World Cup Acapulco Silver Medalist and 2013 National Champion just to name a few This was all while she was earning and then putting her degree in Health Science to work by serving her community in Colorado as a paramedic On the competitive skeet circuit English was gaining momentum and in 2016 she just missed making the Olympic Skeet Team when she was named as an Olympic Alternate Between just missing her Olympic dream and the devastating death of her father the competitive athlete said she needed to adjust her plans and life So in February 2017 at the age of 27 English joined the U S Army Reserve As an international skeet shooter she was assigned to the U S Army World Class Athlete Program and attached to the U S Army Marksmanship Unit s Shotgun Team for training By March 2020 English was competing at another Olympic Skeet Trials but this time as a soldier and she was absolutely determined to make it on to Team USA Not only did she earn a ticket to the Tokyo Games but she did it by shooting a perfect score in six of the 10 rounds in the Trials In speaking with Team USA English said being at the USAMU with other national international champions and Olympians has proved to be a good decision I surrounded myself with a seriously winning atmosphere so it paid off Now this soldier is ready for the next step in her Olympic journey and that involves a medal My goal is to have a Gold Medal around my neck on the podium THEN 20 Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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STAFF SGT SANDRA UPTAGRAFFT U S ARMY RESERVE Military Job Medical Logistic Specialist Twitter UptaGold Instagram Sup201220 S taff Sgt Sandra Uptagrafft will compete in both the Women s 10m Air Pistol and 25m Sport Pistol events This Soldier was born in Singapore grew up in Los Angeles California and currently calls Phenix City Alabama her home for the past several years Unlike the other women soldier Olympians on Team USA s Shooting Team Uptagrafft did not grow up around firearms In fact prior to joining the California National Guard 1989 1992 the shooting sports Olympian had never even fired a weapon That introduction to firearms intrigued Uptagrafft so much that she and some others at the University of Southern California wanted to start a competitive shooting team Actually we wanted to start a rifle team at USC and we couldn t find a rifle coach But we found a pistol coach So that s how I wound up a pistol shooter even though that was the first time I had ever shot a pistol laughed the Olympic pistol competitor So I am still a rifle shooter wanna be on the inside The wanna be rifle shooter was just a natural at pistol though So much so that she was recruited to active service as a marksmanship instructor for the U S Army Marksmanship Unit 1992 to 1995 After serving on active duty for a few years Uptagrafft left active service to complete her Bachelor of Science degree graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1998 while also being awarded All American in air pistol and free pistol In 2001 Uptagrafft joined the Navy Reserve serving as an Information Systems Technician and competitive shooter on the Navy Pistol Team While a Seabee Uptagrafft deployed to Afghanistan 2010 and completed in her first Olympics London 2012 in the same events and alongside her two time Olympian husband Sgt 1st Class Eric Uptagrafft of the U S Army Marksmanship Unit who competed in the 50m Rifle Prone event Due to major drawdowns in the Navy Uptagrafft transferred into the U S Army Reserve and currently serves with the 98th Training Division with special orders to the U S Army World Class Athlete Program in preparation for the 2020 Olympic Summer Games For this Singapore native serving the nation as a servicemember and an Olympian is a privilege she takes very seriously It s just an honor to be able to serve your country Not having been born here I feel like being able to represent the United States as a Soldier and Olympian means a lot more to me personally said Uptagrafft who is going into her second Olympic Game at 50 years of age We came to the U S for opportunity the Land of the Free the Home of the Brave We kind of had this idea in our minds of what it was going to be like here and to actually live it you know to live the American Dream My being able to win an Olympic medal for the U S is part of that dream The first thing I ever shot was the M16 in Basic Training Each of these athletes have had different journeys into the U S Army and the Olympics but like any army team they have the same mission to represent their nation to the best of their abilities and bring home a medal To follow these women shooting sports warriors at the Olympics go to the International Shooting Sports Federation website at https www issf sports org Facebook com AVOWMagazine Summer 2021 MAJOR MICHELLE LUNATO PUBLIC AFFAIRS CHIEF Michelle Lunato is a Citizen Soldier As a Department of the Army civilian she serves as the Public Affairs Chief at the U S Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort Benning Georgia As a U S Army Reserve major she is the Public Affairs Officer for the 108ht Training Command IET in Charlotte North Carolina During her 20 years of service in uniform she has deployed three times to Bosnia Iraq and Afghanistan She holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Maryland and is a graduate of the Command and General Staff Officer Course 21

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LATICIA ACTION JACKSON SAMUEL DESCRIBED HERSELF IN HER INTRODUCTORY EMAIL AS A USAF VETERAN SURVIVOR OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FITNESS OLYMPIAN 13X AUTHOR GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED WOMEN S HEALTH AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXPERT AND CREATOR OF COURAGEOUS XPRESSIONS WOMEN S EMPOWERMENT PRODUCT LINE T he soon to be launched February 2021 August 2021 Courageous Xpressions brand in Jackson s words was birthed out of the courage it took me to rebuild my life after domestic abuse This brand will share stories of courage from women around the world and this brand will help women move from being fearless to being courageous There s courage inside of every woman and the world needs to hear her story Jackson uses her platform as an Olympian to show other women how to launch their courage as well Learn more about her brand story and the vision behind Courageous Xpressions at www courageousxpressions com and settle in to enjoy our interview below I was fortunate enough to share two separate evenings visiting with Action Jackson As we set up time for our actual interview we chatted for nearly an hour I admit I was reluctant to end the call as Jackson instantly imparts so much positive energy making you feel as if she s a long lost friend with your every best interest at heart I was curious about Jackson s military service as I didn t see much reference when I was researching her online presence She shared with me that it was time to share her courage During our interview Jackson started off by mentioning that women are so busy taking care of everybody else that we must ask ourselves if we re making time to listen to our own bodies with so much caretaking is there space to listen Jackson stated her own launch of Courageous Xpressions after everything she s been through has been a journey of courage Facebook com AVOWMagazine Summer 2021 from her own trauma in the military through her own experience of domestic violence When she arrived at Lackland for basic training the first week she was assigned as a trash monitor I loved it I had so much energy I talked to flowers and birds and talked to God about everything Her training instructor TI took her off trask monitor and made her the new Element Leader for the bay proclaiming You re responsible for everyone if anyone fails you get washed out and go back to your momma Her nickname Action Jackson came from that TI I d march our troops back and forth I was sharp and on time I took on that leadership roll What was beautiful was I was a natural leader I was told what to do and I did it I was leading a bay of 200 people I graduated basic training and technical school with honors God was developing me into what I would do now During her time serving in the military one of Jackson s Airmen experienced military sexual trauma and Jackson s efforts to assist her Airman left Jackson being retaliated against From being forced to come in at 4 or 5 a m to being expressly forbidden from speaking to the woman who was sexually traumatized This resulted in Jackson s report to the Inspector General however rather than address the situation they offered to remove her from her unit and send her to another base When I asked her thoughts on why we are moving women instead of addressing men s sexual harassment of women in the military she explained her feelings about it being a structural issue If you say it s zero tolerance against sexual harrassment but don t show it through policy changes that s a problem and it shows the importance of having women in the military in higher positions The woman who was raped all of her leadership were men on the base and the unit didn t want to deal with it and instead claimed she was a troublemaker when a woman in the military goes through abuse she s seen as the issue rather than determining what the report and retaliation rates are So why speak up Jackson was taking her Airman to doctor appointments and was told to stay away from her or be punished she was followed to the bathroom had to check in and check out when she d go to the bathroom she d report to the chaplain who would come by on a daily basis Once her command started to notice his presence they started backing off she was already marked as a troublemaker By that time she d been in her 1st Sergeant s office every week where he would call her the worst names possible One day she was called down to the office and broke down in tears to the woman checking her in telling her that every time she came to the First Sergeant s office so she was being cursed at and she refused to deal with verbal abuse any longer therefore she stated to the female staff worker I will not go in there She shared that the harassment became so bad that when a new commander arrived an appointment was made for Jackson to speak with him and a picture had already been painted that she was causing problems in the CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 23

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unit She d been blackballed and while she was offered to be moved to a base in Georgia she declined because she knew her records would precede her arrival She chose instead to take her honorable discharge and feels strongly When we send young women into the military without support and safety we risk ruining a woman s entire career I went in and had a lot to offer as I was a natural leader but I couldn t enjoy my military career We discussed how people don t want to hear uncomfortable stories and issues about the military and she pointed out that even in the historical context of being a woman unable to vote unable to join the military for so long or serve in all roles women s voices have not been honored or respected We aren t looking at policies if more women were a part of the correction process would rape domestic violence and sexual harrassments situations look differently To include a quote we discussed by Jackson Katz the use of the passive voice shifts the focus off of men and boys and onto girls and women Even the term violence against women is problematic It s a passive construction 24 there s no active agent in the sentence It s a bad thing that happens to women but when you look at that term violence against women nobody is doing it to them It just happens to them Men aren t even a part of it This is not only an erasure of women s experiences but an avoidance of responsibility Jackson expanded on these themes in how we raise our young girls If she is continuously told to be nice and when or if she speaks up or is assertive she s labeled as bossy then when someone touches her she questions whether she is being bossy for saying no Instead we should be telling boys to listen and respect boundaries nor does society encourage men to be chaste and care for their own sexual activities and indiscretions Society chooses rather to blame the girl or woman for not managing herself How do we change this Jackson suggests when young women are coming into the military they need mentoring immediately to determine how they are transitioning into the culture An example would be to offer a young female airmen in a predominantly male field like being a mechanic a female role model in the same field At one point when Jackson was working as a public health educator for the Navy she remembers having a full roster an extensive list of female flight students who came to her under the guise of stress management however It wasn t stress it was harassment yet if anyone knew what was going on they d lose their seat She explained that the school of pilots were more male than female this environment produced a lot of micro aggressive unwanted behaviors toward the female students and while every male is not a sexual predator not having an outlet or a mentor to share your experiences with is isolating and understandably stressful As a public educator and with privacy related concerns these women s stories could only be shared if they are suicidal I mentioned that this in its own way silences women s experiences and commented how valuable it would be to be able to completely randomize the women s accounts in order to bring their voices to light Of course trusting a problematic organization to do something like this comes with its own risks Jackson s Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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response was profound and shows insight into her own motivational speaking abilities In order for a woman to come forward and share her story a woman has to come forward and share her story by her speaking other women speak There s a stigma around military sexual trauma until we normalize the conversation around it Only when a woman speaks up and tells her truth does she give the courage for others to do so by taking away the fear There s no power in silence It s not enough to say Yes she told us but what did you do about it You are responsible for her overall well being how can she show up and do the work she s tasked to do if you don t put policies in place and develop an all women task force to protect her when she comes forward As we moved into her own domestic violence trauma Jackson shared that she herself felt she was living two lives part broken and then parts as a professional athlete veteran public speaker She described how it was not the military trauma she saw that led to her experience of domestic violence but rather her choosing of unhealthy relationships while operating from a state of brokenness Action was a 22 year old young woman who came from an unstable home life Her parents divorced when she was just 13 her sister and mother both experienced domestic violence and she learned a lot of unhealthy habits as she didn t see healthy relationships You become what you see and what your environment models for you As for her ex husband I was in a love deficit and chose to ignore the red flags When they met at a gym she was already an athlete and was traveling around the world competing he was jealous didn t want her going to the gym because of always being around other men there she had to call him during lunches he had to always be around her and she couldn t even go to the gym without her husband escorting her I asked what the moment was when she decided to leave and she shared it was the night he tried to kill her by choking her He stood in the closet with his hands around her neck while she almost died When he left the home she called the police Within five minutes a coworker came and got her and she stayed with her for two days while the police looked for and eventually found and arrested her attacker for attempted murder Before I left Boston I had to go to court The judge read off this long victim number and case number and I remember thinking I ve never been a victim nor will I ever be a victim Jackson shared that she left Boston and moved to Ohio with her family to start her healing process where her brother in law was living in Ohio serving in the U S Air Force It wasn t until she made the long drive to Ohio and made it safely to her sister s house that she finally cried asking herself How did I end up here I was broken I had a lot of issues my father leaving seeing my mother and sisters abused I was in a really bad place The constant outside of God was the gym I slept for two or three weeks and was getting depressed I knew I had to get up or I was going to die As I lay in bed I was allowing myself to be victimized I was in so much pain on the inside from emotional and mental abuse So she went back to what she knew the gym I took my power back Eight months after the attack she made it to the Fitness Olympia in Las Vegas Nevada I asked how she got past her trauma and she mentioned I was only 29 so I think for me in the beginning it was just move on but when I was in Ohio about eight or nine months after I d left my ex husband I found myself in another relationship with a different man but the same behaviors something inside of me was still broken After I left that relationship that guy was very temperamental he was also into bodybuilding and that was a way for me to connect because of things in common I realized after my second abusive relationship that I was attracting abusive men to me because I was broken I was looking for the love I d never got from my father safety I never got from childhood and the affirmation I needed Once I realized how broken I was I didn t date for seven years I took that time to get to know who I was separate myself from performance based validation from needing the approvals I had to go within myself I believe in God and going back to the original source asking Where did I get off track I had to unearth my pain and start the healing process from within It wasn t until a year ago I got into therapy CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE Facebook com AVOWMagazine Summer 2021 25

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I d encourage any woman who s experienced abuse to seek counselingI love it I m at my sessions before my therapist Her healing process has been a journey She shared that about 6 or 7 years ago her ex husband found her email and phone number from her public works and reached out to her by phone Stop telling people I tried to kill you I was just trying to scare you Even after being away from him that 26 long he was still trying to control her and it was retraumatizing at the time Still she states I believe God is real and nothing we go through in life is a mistake I surrendered to my truth and I was not running away any more from who I was If I ve been through this much pain how many other women have gone through or are still going through abuse and trauma I can remember the first time I spoke about my domestic vio lence experience it was healing for me when I opened my mouth it was like God said This is why you went through what you went through Purpose found me through the struggles of my life I remember going through the transition of leaving the corporate world and knowing God had something for me to do so I asked God What is it you want me to do While asking this question I was prompted to go look up the word empowerment which means to give authority to give power No one gives a woman her power No one gives authority Maybe authority is given to write contracts or hire people but when we look at the women s empowerment movement women were asking for permission to be powerful and impactful In that moment I realized it was time to help women learn how to activate their internal power One that day the women s N powerement movement for me was born I came up with a new business model as well as a new word N powerment is the courage to activate one s internal power in the face of adversity and thrive with confidence Whether it s a woman leaving domestic violence not getting into med school no one takes a woman s power It s within her and she has to be courageous enough to re activate it when life tries to kick her down Action Jackson has spoken at Mississippi s Joint Women s Leadership Conference teaching women how to go within identify their power and claim it It s with N you Hence the name N powerment Don t wait around women are afraid of their power because society has conditioned them to believe women aren t powerful Instead of telling women to be likeable we need to start telling them to accomplish their goals When did it become my job to have you like me In the presence of power and leadership doesn t mean there s no kindness or empathy We tell women to be confident but then when she is she s arrogant Then add being black a woman fit and highly educated Stop trying to fix us we are not broken We are whole within ourselves Give me space to do what I need to do Stop trying to correct me my speech my presence Jackson shared that the naming of her new Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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launch Courageous Xpressions was born out of conversations with her nephew who said Auntie you are so courageous When she asked why he said that he replied I ve seen everything that you ve gone through most people would have given up but you kept going She added I d always known I was strong gifted powerful but had not seen myself as courageous Therefore I wanted to create a brand that not only provided women with coffee mugs shirts fitness apparel and posters but a brand that would remind women of their own power through storytelling When you see a woman wearing a t shirt with the words I Earned My Confidence across it you ll wonder did she fight domestic violence Cancer Fight for the right to vote She expects a July or August launch and already has conversations ready to be started via her Facebook Live and IG social accounts Facebook Courageousxpressions and Instagram Courageousxpressions July Courageously Independent conversations about the independence of women who broke away from domestic violence or corporate America any courageous independence August Courageously Fought conversations surrounding the rights to vote around the 1920s September Courageously Built conversations around women business owners month October Conversations about women who have Courageously Survived Domestic Violence November Centered around women who Courageously Served in the Military A portion of all sales from Courageous Xpressions is donated back into the community to domestic violence programs Jackson is looking to partner with women veterans organizations to cobrand Courageous Xpressions cups t shirts and other merchandise Jackson shared how our internal should conversations hold us back and that these are often internal conversations should I have kids Should I have a certain job We are apologizing for leading at the table and selling ourselves short we are underpaid we stay with people who don t deserve us and it takes courage to walk away from the things that don t serve us Whether navigating low pay or racism women all need to be courageous enough to stand us As a black woman the world has told me I m not enough but I am We spoke about subtle and not so subtle microaggressions as she shared both in and out of the work place experiences Jackson feels We re often hindered in life as women not only for how we see ourselves but how others see us as well As a Black woman there s a preframe of how I m supposed to be and when I don t show up how society thinks I should you have to confront your own bias Black women and all women aren t the limits of society we re so much more I was never the issue I ve gone over a lot of the things I ve been through and asked myself if I could have approached these issues differently Yes but at the core value of who I am as a woman it has never been me I ve been told You re overdressed and my response is I don t show up in anything other than a state of excellence When I mentioned I recently went to an outing and was told I was overdressed and felt the same way about my appearance Jackson was quick to reply You weren t overdressed maybe the others in the room were underdressed She continued I only show up in excellence That s not something I flow in and out of I m always in a state of excellence My standards are never lower because someone else around me feels I am too much Always show up owning your own space always show up knowing you re enough Show up proud and know the world needs what you bring to it Every time we deny the world of our excellence we re denying the world something they need to solve a problem FROM HER SOON TO BE LAUNCHED COURAGEOUS XPRESSIONS After a domestic violence attack almost ended her life at the age of 29 Olympian 13x Author Globally Recognized Women s Health and Personal Development Expert U S A F Veteran and Dynamic Speaker Laticia Action Jackson realized that despite her external successes internally she was broken and needed to heal from within Desiring to heal from her brokenness Action Jackson went on a twelve year journey of emotional physical and spiritual healing Her journey of learning to love and value herself took courage and it required her to grow through her pain every step of the way www courageousxpressions com Watch Us On NBC News https youtu be yFFAp1UpZ1Q Website www npoweredcoaching com Let s Get Social Instagram Npowered Coaching Academy LinkedIn Npowered Coaching Academy YouTube Npowered Coaching Academy Facebook NpoweredCoachingAcademy www youtube com watch v yFFAp1UpZ1Q authuser 6

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IT S OFFICIAL WOMEN ARE BREAKING BARRIERS IN SPORTS BY DOUG KELLY BATTLEFIELDS2BALLFIELDS COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Service to country means different things to different people choose a career in one of the six military organizations Army Marine Corps Navy Air Force Space Force Coast Guard and others join for a specific amount of time then transition out to a private business endeavor A third group represents those who while out of the service still want to be part of a team F elicia Teeter and Raychel Channell achieved the best of all worlds Teeter retired from the Army 10 years ago and Channell is on active duty with the Air Force Each is making a name for herself as a sports official Sports officiating in the United States is at a crossroads There are simply not enough officials to work the thousands of games played every day the average age of officials is over 50 and younger candidates aren t as plentiful as hoped for Sports and the military have many parallels but in each you are a member of a team That camaraderie is the most important unifying factor for any military man or woman It is the same in sports be it professional amateur collegiate or youth The number one answer any former athlete will give you is that he or she misses being part of a team effort 28 This is where Battlefields2Ballfields B2B and other veteran inspired organizations come into play Founded in 2017 by current FOX Sports analyst Mike Pereira B2B has already offered scholarships to over 300 men and women acroaa the United States These newly minted officials in baseball football basketball volleyball softball and other sports rely on the training they received in the military as they call balls and strikes run up and down the basketball floor or football field or even ice skate to work a men or women s hockey game Last fall Felicia Teeter completed her second year as a Texas high school football official Sometimes Teeter says you have to wait until you are in your 50s to decide what you want to grow up and be for me that s a high school football coach She is well on her way In two separate chapters as a football official she has worked at both the varsity and sub varsity levels After my first year I was hired to teach high school government and economics and coach middle school football she says I currently coach both the offensive and defensive lines at an economically disadvantaged school in Lubbock Texas I plan to continue officiating even though I am not able to work as many games because of my coaching duties Officiating has given me a totally different appreciation of the game and it has also made me a better coach Besides football Teeter completed her certification to officiate USA Track and Field outdoor meets as well as NCAA indoor competition during the winter months Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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Above Felicia Teeter in the center Above Raychel Channell e military life meant Raychel ChanTh nell never seemed to spend much time in one place But when I finally got settled I decided to get involved in the sports scene again Now a high school basketball and softball official Channell said she felt an obligation I wanted to give back to the games that gave so much to me as I was growing up Starting anew my expectations for when I started were that I would enjoy being around the games yet Channell found a second purpose in the process I found a new sense of inclusion It was great that older veteran officials took me under their wings and helped me out when I needed it They were always there to offer advice on things that could help me better my skills The message I most want to share is this being an official is a very important role and is not something to be taken lightly I think Facebook com AVOWMagazine Summer 2021 Left Teeter in her officiating uniform it s also important to know the impact we have on the lives of young people while they are participating in this chapter of their lives Both Teeter and Channell realize the need to push the cause forward Officiating allowed me to find a whole new chapter in my life Teeter says I have met some amazing individuals people I would never have had the opportunity to interact with otherwise In the military no matter what your rank might be you are as much a part of the team as the person standing next to you or sharing a meal with you or a mission Officiating allows us to be a team member again said Channell There are so many parallels between what we have done and what we ll continue to do Perhaps Teeter puts it best I love my new career ABOUT BATTLEFIELDS 2 BALLFIELDS B2B Many veterans face an uphill battle when they return as they figure out how they will integrate back into society B2B provides scholarships to veterans who return from defending our country with an opportunity to get integrated back into their community through officiating Those who have been involved in officiating already have felt the joy of stepping out onto the field or a court and with it comes a great sense of value leaving one with a feeling of accomplishment For more information visit www Battlefields2Ballfields org 29

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If you ve never purchased travel insurance before you should now When you vacation during and after the coronavirus pandemic you never know what may occur during your travels COVID 19 is a known and evolving epidemic that is affecting travel worldwide with continued spread and impacts expected With the summer season on the horizon many travelers are looking to shake off the pandemic cabin fever and take a much needed summer vacation In addition a large percentage of travelers believe that receiving a COVID 19 vaccine will make them feel safe enough to travel again T herefore everyone should buy travel insurance Each day people go on trips that are affected by unfortunate events so it s best to always be prepared however some travelers as a result of their lack of interest in or knowledge of travel insurance don t even realize what it is and what kind of protection it provides What Is Travel Insurance Simply stated travel insurance is an insurance product for covering unforeseen losses in 30 VICKO MOZARA curred while travelling either internationally or domestically Such plans include trip cancellations or interruptions due to illness weather or any other conflicts such as jury duty as well as lost luggage and medical coverage Travelers with insurance will be reimbursed if any issues arise within their policy before or during their trip You ll be thankful you have it if a family member gets sick right before a trip and you need to cancel or if you get injured during a physical activity at a resort Types of Travel Insurance There are several types of travel insurance plans available Trip Cancellation and Interruption Travel Medical Medical Evacuation Baggage Delay Accidental Death and Dismemberment Flight Delay or Cancellation The Cancel for Any Reason Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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Policies tend to vary regarding domestic and international coverage as well as coverage for single or multiple trips Each plan is different and does not offer the same exact benefits so it s best to do research to see which plan offers you the best combination of benefits for your trip Who Should Buy Travel Insurance Considering a vacation could be a sizeable financial commitment Travel insurance makes sense if you want to protect the amount of money you ve paid out for lounging on the beach in Jamaica enjoying their famous Bob Marley drink Everyone should purchase travel insurance because unforeseen events could take place The facts are things happen Having travel insurance will help travelers deal with unexpected events both before and during a trip Especially during and after the coronavirus pandemic why take the chance of not being prepared Travel Protection Providers It s best to purchase travel insurance from a travel insurance provider rather than a cruise line or vacation company however travel insurance providers do not offer the same exact coverage plans This is where your research needs come into play as the first thing to do is find a great travel insurance provider Travel insurance providers offer incredible insurance packages with benefits that vary from state to state What a travel insurance provider will cover for a resident of California could be different for a resident of Maryland Thankfully reputable providers have 24 7 customer support so you can reach them if you ever have a question If my airline cancels my flight can I get reimbursed Yes if the airline cancels or changes your flight schedule to something too difficult to manage you are legally entitled to a refund from the airline However if you cancel you are only entitled to a credit or voucher I had insurance for a trip I didn t take Can I apply my coverage to the postponed trip Usually The travel insurer will re price the trip based on the new dates which means potentially you may have to pay a little more after the premium is adjusted or nothing at all Please be mindful that you will not get a refund If I get sick with COVID 19 and my insurer excludes pandemics does that mean I get no health coverage If your policy has pandemic coverage Most of the time you can still get health coverage If you get sick before your trip and don t take it because of that the Trip Cancellation rules will probably still cover the cost of your vacation Most pandemic exclusions concern monetary losses caused by a pandemic but if you get ill most policies that include health coverage will still cover your health expenses Remember each policy is different so you must do your research Will travel insurance cover my expenses if I am quarantined on vacation Probably not Quarantine is a blind spot in most policies however quarantines are explicitly covered by some trip insurance policies that automatically apply to credit card purchases If your credit card offers automatic trip protection you may be covered without knowing it My cruise changed its itinerary and now I don t want to go Am I covered Here are a few other questions that travelers Not with a standard policy Cruise lines are perhave about travel insurance particularly during mitted to change ports as part of the purchase the COVID 19 pandemic contract made with passengers and travel insurers won t reimburse you for itinerary changes If the U S State Department advises unless you purchased a premium level product against travel somewhere can I cancel that explicitly allows for reimbursement and get reimbursement Not generally for that reason alone If the travel operator you purchased your vacation from Travel Insurance won t give you a refund you will then need to get Is Always a Must your travel insurer involved Travel insurance is extremely important to look into before going on a trip Many people Facebook com AVOWMagazine Summer 2021 never consider investing in travel insurance whether that is because they do not think it is necessary or worth the money but compared to how much money they are spending on a trip spending a few more dollars for extra peace of mind is always the way to go Consider Using an Industry Expert Going through thousands of choices can take hours even days to sift through As industry experts we as travel agents are trained to know the vacation product that includes travel insurance well We can save you time on extensive research and give you the peace of mind that your trip has been planned by a professional DENEEN THOMPSON AKPARORUE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF BLISSFUL TOURS AND TRAVEL Deneen Thompson Akparorue is a wife full time mom and Retired United States Air Force veteran While serving active duty for more than 21 years Deneen developed her passion for travel and out of this passion Blissful Tours and Travel was created Deneen now travels the world on her own schedule versus her active duty schedule Deneen has traveled to dozens of states within the United States as well as the world over Between serving on active duty and her travel adventures with Blissful Tours and Travel she has traveled to nearly every continent Deneen is well versed on all tropical getaways and even once lived on a tropical island She is detailoriented will take your vision and match up a resort that fits your personality Deneen is a Certified Specialist with the Cayman Islands Jamaica Puerto Rico U S Virgin Islands Hawaiian Islands Costa Rica and is an African Travel Professional After speaking with her you ll be well on your way to your much needed Blissful Vacation BLISSFULTOURSANDTRAVEL COM 31

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT NEVADA WOMEN IN TRADES E velyn Pacheco made history as Nevada s first Black woman to be licensed as a plumber U S Army veteran mother and grandmother While working at Fitzgerald Casino in the Engineering Department a coworker told her about a Union Apprenticeship Training Program with the Plumbers Pipefitters HVAC UA Local Union 525 She applied for the apprenticeship and after five years of working as an apprentice while taking care of her family Pacheco finally made history as Nevada s first licensed Black woman plumber Pacheco started Women in the Trades she told us because I got tired of being told I couldn t do this and it wasn t going to work The Nonprofit Nevada Women In Trades NVWIT became official in Las Vegas on September 14 2018 Pacheco s goal is letting women know that it does not matter how hard your life is or was but that you can still make something of your life She has leveraged her experience to help all women through her nonprofit organization Nevada Women in Trades NVWIT formed specifically to increase the number of women in trades Nevada Women in Trades signature Pipelines program is a 190 hour pre apprenticeship training delivered in small group classes of 20 hours a week over a six week period and four Saturdays Pipeline Students receive their certification of completion in OSHA CPR First Aid Forklift Awareness and participate in trade facility visits and attend presentations by trade representatives When asked about NVWIT and what exactly it does Pacheco told us We prepare women in the state of Nevada for successful careers in high skilled blue collar trade occupations NVWIT is increasing the number of Women in the Nevada workforce specifically in highly skilled blue collar trades occupations January 28 2020 marked the first ever graduation ceremony for NVWIT North Las Vegas NLV Councilwoman Pamela GoynesBrown was the keynote speaker and presented the graduates with their certificates at the ceremony held at NLV City Hall December 17 2020 marked the first online class and our second graduating class with keynote speaker Senator Scott Hammond showing that even during the pandemic NWIT has helped the women in the community get into the blue collar workforce and become financially stable NVWIT Pipelines Comprehensive Program PCC initiatives increase career opportunities in the construction industry for low income re entry ex prisoners veterans minority groups aging out and disenfranchised women Individuals working with Pacheco at NVWIT include Ashlyn Algee Instructor Mueller Striping Tom Mueller Megan Collins Solar Safety A Cleaning Maintenance Leal M Gill Dumas Martin TheIdeaClub com and Consultant L U 525 Plumbers Pipefitters HVAC IBEW JATC Apprenticeship Director Madison Burnett IBEW Instructor and Journeyman Ashly Bell 872 Labors Apprenticeship Director Archie Welden Southern Nevada Operating Engineers Local 12 Apprenticeship Director Chris Trolson Tile and stone Robin Miller Fredrick Franklin CPR First Aid In regards to so few women choosing careers in trades and technology Pacheco said There is not enough marketing and information she continued Marketing is the toughest part of our work and NVWIT needs the Veteran community to put our information out there For more information about Nevada Women in Trades to apply or to refer women for the next Pipeline Comprehensive Course PCC EMAIL info nevadawit org Website www NevadaWIT org Google the trade that you are interested in find out what they do and find out how you can apply NVWIT also needs donations and sponsorships so contact them today UPCOMING EVENTS National Alliance Women In Trades Summit September 2021 in Las Vegas NV Website www NevadaWIT org Email Info NevadaWIT org 32 Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT RAW FITNESS ABOUT RAW FITNESS Destiny Monroe helps everyone no matter the age or levels of experience while transforming their bodies and minds and bringing out the best in them all at a cost of 30 Sign up online now at www rawfitness net or call 800 599 1632 Fitness Tips for Women who are ready to start their fitness journey Find your fitness goals and write them in a safe place like a journal Put affirmation notes on your bathroom mirror so that they can be the first positive visons you see when you wake up Find a trainer that helps you with your goals Be intentional with your training and know exactly what you are training for Take a walk every day Nutrition is key so be sure to eat for your goals Know that any journey is a marathon and not a race Always celebrate small accomplishments You are a winner no matter what Accomplishments within the fitness industry Featured as one of the top 10 in Essence Magazine Fitness Trainers to follow on Instagram Ranked in the top 10 in fitness of the week by SportsCenter Appeared on the Today Show twice NBC national local news appearance ABC local news feature Disney Plus workout partnership Ranked top 20 on Yahoo Sports BET Women s History month commercial Shape Magazine workouts feature Monroe is currently juggling several projects in 2021 She is recently engaged planning a wedding launching her fitness accessories in over 600 stores in the United States and recently opened a fitness studio in Dallas Texas with her fianc JD Iron 34 M eet 33 year old Destiny Nicole Monroe the owner of Raw Fitness a Black owned gym and fitness center located in the Dallas Texas area As a certified strength and conditioning specialist this former U S Army veteran and software engineer already has more than half a million followers on Instagram DNicoleMonroe and offers online tailored workout programs Monroe boasts a brand built on authenticity and a real fitness experience of living a healthy lifestyle that is second nature for her and she wants to make sure her clients live by that notion Her world class fitness center has a significant focus on helping clients online and prides itself in offering practical and efficient solutions She was recently featured on NBC s Today Show The dream Her dream and commitment go all the way back to high school when Monroe found her passion for track and field before joining the U S Army Monroe grew up in a Black community where health is a concern due to poor eating and dietary habits whether systemically not having access to healthy foods due to lack of resources because many were forced to live in section 8 housing with limited healthy food options in the area or other reasons Monroe herself agrees that her lifestyle was not any different coupled with the violent life she survived All these issues have over time influenced her decision and zeal to develop fitness and good health programs to help the people around her Monroe served eight years in the military and maintained a high level of fitness performance throughout She served in Military Occupational Specialty MOS 21C Bridge Crew Member where she learned lifelong skills trained to be a leader and gained knowledge in electrical engineering Monroe is more knowledgeable about health and fitness and ensures it is her main priority daily for the sake of both physical and mental wellbeing What makes her passion unique is her dream to share her knowledge and the benefits with the world Solving a common problem With the COVID 19 pandemic and lockdown related concerns it makes perfect sense that many people cannot keep to their regular fitness programs Many people can t access gyms while others have grown undesirable bodies while at home That is where Raw Fitness and its founder are here to help Actor Anthony Anderson was highly impressed with her skill set and discipline workouts Monroe s RAW Fitness app offers easy tofollow workout videos customized for individual fitness goals Developed by Monroe herself the app also lets users download videos for offline use and track their nutrition The programs that Monroe shares with her clients are certified and based on her experience training of hundreds of people The programs include the delivery of personalized workouts and nutrition programs that are catered to individual needs As an experienced trainer and online coach Monroe understands many online programs try to entice people to promise overnight results using quick fixes and diet fads Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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Identifying Pain Pain exists in many forms that vary from a sharp acute pain to a dull aching throb In the medical community these pains are identified as acute episodic or chronic Because everyone s pain tolerance differs it is really difficult to judge pain on the traditional pain scale used in most emergency rooms and medical clinics across the country What is Chronic Pain triptyline and Benzodiazepines are often prescribed sometimes in an off label use for depression or anxiety From a mind body perspective chronic pain and depressive symptoms go hand in hand to diminish a person s quality of life But there is more to the clinical depression diagnosis that most allopathic providers overlook Complementary providers are trained to look for quality of life indicators and can see less obvious patterns in cause and symptoms Chronic pain is defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain as a benign pain of a non threatening life nature that lasts and or increases in severity for more than 6 months People who live with REDUCED chronic pain live with a MOVEMENT vicious cycle of pain tension reduced circulation inflammation and reduced mobility which contributes to more pain agitation and frustration From a medical perspective this pain is looked at as MUSCLE a psychosomatic issue and psyINFLAMMATION chopharmaceuticals like Cymbalta Gabapentin Abilify Ami 38 PAIN FICTIONAL CASE Molly a 36 year old woman veteran has been seeking care from her Veteran s Administration VA hospital for 7 years Her record notes that she experiences pain on several soft tissue touch points has endured a significant weight gain has problems breathing endures headaches has a diminished kidney profile meaning her kidneys are near failure has a difficult blend of hypothyroid and hyperthyroid symptoms has developed a strange painful rash that comes and goes and has clinical depression She is becoming more limited in her mobility and is unable to stand or sit for long periods of time Her energy is drained usually before noon and she narrates that her sleep patterns are intermittent with her bedtime being around 2 am She also reports waking with considerable pain MUSCLE in her joints and difficulTENSION ty with mobility at around 10 30 am She was stationed in Iraq at her last duty station and was exposed to toxic chemicals military sexual trauma MST and multiple REDUCED repeat immunizations since CIRCULATION her medical records were lost in the transfer overseas Her tentative diagnosis based on a 2017 VA Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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The WELLNESS Pathway According to McGrady and Moss 2013 the Wellness Pathway is a way to isolate and work through challenges with complementary and integrative medicine rather than relying solely on the diagnostic and prescriptive approach that most physicians practice The main emphasis on the wellness pathway is that care is patient centric instead of provider led This means that the patient is in charge of her health and accepts responsibility for the choices she makes In the wellness pathway the patient and provider consult to discuss history past choices lifestyle choices external and internal stressors and goals study is fibromyalgia based on her history of MST weight gain and non localized pain Her primary provider is also considering a diagnosis of Hashimoto s Disease Over the years she has worked with multiple primary providers and each has recommended that she lose weight take thyroid medicine use antipsychotics and antidepressants engage in counseling and learn to deal with the pain it s not that bad At her initial examination the complementary provider noted her posture and balance was off her speech pattern was erratic and she was excessively emotional as she retold her case history Her provider asked more in detail about her exposure to fleas or other insects while in the desert and also assessed her reactions to vaccinations during overseas preparation Not unsurprisingly she was exposed to camel fleas and had a strong reaction to her vaccines which put her into three days of bed rest From a complementary medical model the main issue that stands out in Molly s profile is the fact that this situation has been ongoing for seven years with no relief or resolution This dynamic of not having support was enough to lead Molly to failFacebook com AVOWMagazine Summer 2021 ure as she tried to regain her health With the knowledge that Molly has been exposed to physical and mental trauma unknown chemicals with the burn pits experimental vaccines and possible insect bacterial exposure we understood that her wellness pathway would need to move away from pharmaceutical interventions that didn t work Instead we would need to focus on holistic and natural methods that could support her total person mind body and spirit rather than her body For many women veterans this fictional profile could be told from their perspective If it is eerily similar then this article is written to offer hope and new pathways to making empowered decisions for your health Exploring the Origins of Pain As we can see from Molly s case sometimes the pathway to healing from chronic pain requires looking beyond the obvious symptoms Most providers will look at the factors of the wellness pathway and monitor biostatistics blood pressure pulse heart rate variability etc to develop a baseline Afterwards they will physically evaluate a patient s intrinsics speech patterns cadence emotional stability balance coordination and working memory and order blood tests to develop an overall picture of the patient s level of physical and mental functioning This information as well as a thorough case history leads the provider to explore some of the main causes of chronic pain Chronic Pain with Autoimmune Disorders Autoimmune Disorders describes conditions in which your immune system mistakenly senses that your body is an enemy and attacks the body s cells The immune system normally guards against germs like bacteria and viruses and repairs injuries When it senses these foreign invaders it tags these germs for an immune response just like a laser target designator Then the immune system drops a bomb of proteins antibodies to attack them Sometimes this results in a friendly fire incident where the antibodies also react to the body In the case of autoimmune conditions the proteins are then called autoantibodies that attack healthy cells CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 39

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ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTINA WILKINSON VIRUS CARCINOGEN FUNGUS POLLUTION BACTERIA GERMS Autoimmune responses can occur because the germ s molecular structure was similar to the body s tissue in some way so the antibody cross reacts with the body s own tissue One example of this is antibodies to transglutaminase 6 in gluten which cross react with brain tissue In this way a person who is immune sensitized to gluten has a brain fog type of reaction when exposed to gluten In another example the immune system is chasing the invading germ and the antibody is formed to what is essentially the germ tissue combination This happens with some viral infections such as Epstein Barr Virus or EBV and the virus seeks out brain tissue When the immune system reacts it s also targeting the brain tissue and the patient ends up with neurologic autoimmunity Some autoimmune diseases target only one organ as in the case of Type 1 diabetes which damages the pancreas Other diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus SLE affect the whole body According to a 2014 study women get autoimmune diseases at a rate of about 2 to 1 40 TOXINS PARASITES compared to men 6 4 percent of women vs 2 7 percent of men Often the disease starts during a woman s childbearing years ages 15 through 44 Because the incidence of autoimmune diseases is rising researchers and complementary providers believe that environmental factors like infections poor diets that are high in gluten and sugar and exposure to chemicals or solvents might be factors Other possible contenders for autoimmune diseases are vaccine injuries With regard to vaccines the military is known for administering a complex and sometimes experimental battery of vaccines that can have long term adverse effects on the immune system and brain tissues Additionally a 2015 study also supported the theory of hygiene hypothesis Because of the frequency of vaccines that are given from birth through 18 years of age children today aren t exposed to as many germs as they were in the past The lack of exposure could make their immune system prone to overreact to harmless substances Chronic Pain and Tick or Insect Bite Coinfections When providers suspect an exposure to a tick or insect bite they will order tests to identify if there is active infection causing the pain Lyme disease for example is caused by bacteria from the Borrelia family most commonly Borrelia burgdorferi This bacteria is carried and transmitted by tick bites something that occurs to many people who may have worked or played outdoors where these bugs thrive Lyme disease can cause chronic pain in many people as it causes chronically elevated inflammation In fact the bacteria uses the inflammatory response of the human body to evade the human immune system But that s a different story If you have a history of tick bites with or without a rash and developed chronic pain in the weeks months or years following it may be a good idea to have a blood test to rule out Lyme disease There is a great deal of controversy about testing and Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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test interpretations however and it s a good idea to be well informed before seeking out testing and treatment In Molly s case the provider suspected that she had been exposed to camel fleas and a variant of Lyme based on her symptoms of kidney shut down her other symptoms and her geographic exposures Using a more sensitive test than the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay ELISA the provider s hunch was confirmed and a mideastern tick borne disease was found as an active case in her blood Sazmand Joachim Otranto 2019 Chronic Pain and the Brain Another big aspect to consider in the chronic pain picture is that the brain can normally inhibit pain When someone is suffering with chronic pain one of the questions we should be asking is why the brain can t inhibit pain properly To unpack this and understand it it s important to see that the brain has both inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters like a brake and gas pedal in a car Glutamate is the most common excitatory neurotransmitter while GABA gamma amino butyric acid is the most common inhibitory The tricky part is that our brain makes GABA out of glutamate The enzyme required for this Facebook com AVOWMagazine Summer 2021 conversion GAD glutamic acid decarboxylase is very susceptible to inflammation So more inflammation can mean your brain loses the ability to put the brakes on pain This swings us as complementary providers back to the topic of diet Sorting out causes of inflammation can include working to improve gut bacteria and also eliminating foods that trigger immune responses For example many people are immune sensitized to gluten or other food ingredients Eating these ingredients then triggers an immune response that causes inflammation This isn t the same as a food allergy which is immunoglobulin E but is mediated by the Immunoglobulin G system That s because the human immune system is like the U S Armed Forces several branches carry out slightly different roles Despite their differences they all have one overall purpose protect the human body Molly s Healing Pathway Molly s pathway to wellness begins with a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses her unique circumstances and symptoms To start we would ask Molly what she wanted for herself We know that she did not want to live with medicines for the rest of her life she wanted to feel like she was heard and she wanted to be pain free If she could lose weight and climb a set of stairs without feeling like she was going to pass out that would be a bonus And finally she wanted to be able to go to the bathroom without pain and try to get rid of the rash that crept in at the worst times i e stress related Increasing her quality of life is paramount to her success and it will allow her to invest herself into her therapies Her energy levels sleep patterns diminished mobility and waking with pain tell us that she has some brainbased and neurotransmitter issues along with physiological problems depressive symptoms and a defeated spirit With her military history we are able to see CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 41

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EFFECTIVE COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE MODALITIES When a person begins her wellness journey using complementary and integrative medicines she will focus on modalities that help her find a healthy balance between her mind body and spirit Providers will not guarantee a reduction of pain but they do know that when a patient is able to take control of her health the pain generally diminishes over time as new healthy habits develop Each of the modalities requires a commitment from a motivated patient to practice the various components of breathing progressive muscle relation and body awareness Some of the more effective modalities include the following ACUPRESSURE ACUPUNCTURE These Asian modalities work to open the energy meridians neural pathways to relieve stress in the tissues support healing and enhance the efficiency of the body s organs BIORESONANCE CYMATIC THERAPY This modality uses the various frequencies in sound therapy to match the frequencies in the brain and organs When resonance is achieved pain is reduced and the body can recover a healthy rhythm 42 CHIROPRACTIC CARE In chiropractic care the patient s form and the function of the body is evaluated and adjusted slowly over time to affect posture and relieve stress in the central nervous system CLINICAL AROMATHERAPY With clinical aromatherapy the essence of plants or the forerunner to synthetic drugs is used to affect changes relieve stress and support immunity in a natural way COACHING Coaching is a short term behavioral modality that helps patients learn to live in the present and develop personal goals rather than relieve the pain and trauma of the past through therapy CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY ANS BALANCING These modalities work together to balance the autonomic nervous system through the spine and connective tissues of the back neck and head EXERCISE Controlled exercise can reduce pain through multiple avenues The first is that muscles are strengthened and can support the body better Additionally studies show that when the body works out endorphins which elevate mood and reduce pain are produced FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE This modality teaches that food and proper diet can be the ultimate personalized medicine to restore gut health level neurotransmitters and support the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal HPA axis in the body MASSAGE THERAPY This is a form of body work that can release the toxins in the muscles stimulate endorphin production and support relaxation MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION These modalities help a person develop focus and new perspectives on how to live in the present QIGONG YOGA These breathing and energy systems help patients with stretching learning new postures controlled breathing and body awareness REIKI ENERGY WORK This modality uses a person s energy and the energy surrounding the person to affect the body and mind Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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multiple physical exposures to substances and insects and acute mental trauma that was not treated The potential diagnoses of Fibromyalgia and Hashimoto s Disease do not seem to be a strong fit as she exhibits some of the major symptoms but she had other causes that were not addressed This is supported by our observations of her initial examination We noted that she had posture challenges and gross motor instability suffered neurocognitive effects and had emotional dysregulation Dr Matthews would order a comprehensive tick borne disease panel to identify whether she had active infections and coinfections He would also recommend that she complete an hypothalamic pituitary adrenal HPA hormones neurotransmitter test and a food sensitivities test which could identify any challenges that could cause many of her cognitive dysfunction neurotransmitter issues weight gain and pain symptoms Because he is a chiropractic neurologist he would also assess her vestibular health make adjustments to areas that needed correction and make recommendations for exercises to increase mobility Dr Moore would work with Molly s behavioral and spiritual health cognitive function and quality of life issues with other complementary modalities She would help Molly score a lifestyle wellness inventory to identify her strengths and areas of weakness In addition to the wellness inventory she would gather biostatistics to develop a baseline of weight heart rate variability and blood pressure Then she would consult with Dr Matthews to discuss the test results whereby both providers would make the same recommendations for personalized diet and exercise Dr Moore also believes that Molly would benefit from short term 16 weeks coaching to help her learn how to practice mindfulness help her reduce her allostatic load stress effects on body and develop prioritization skills As part of this process Molly would also receive craniosacral therapy autonomic nervous system ANS balancing and bioresonance cymatic therapy Dr Moore would help her practice QiGong and would use clinical aromatherapy to help support her Facebook com AVOWMagazine Summer 2021 body and mind through the recovery process Disclaimer The fictitious Molly is a compilation of several veterans who live with chronic pain and the modalities presented in this article are evidenced based to be the most effective for the mitigation of pain rather than pain management Conclusion Pain management is a misnomer for simply settling in the aging process While initial and acute pain can be a good tool to identify problems in the body chronic pain is an entirely different creature People are not designed to live with chronic pain and if they do it is a clear indicator that something is very wrong with their overall health By exploring the causes and roots of chronic pain with complementary providers our veterans can take charge of their health and recover outside of a system that is designed to profit from their suffering Women veterans have the unique skill sets and internal discipline to effectively undertake their recoveries develop routines and instill healthy new habits When Dr Matthews and Dr Moore works with patients in their practices it is with the understanding that if a patient is not 100 committed to their therapies recovery will be slower or hindered Dr Moore borrows the old clich that what the mind perceives the body achieves For those military sisters who are experiencing these or similar challenges Dr Matthews and Dr Moore are available for private consultations and they do zoom presentations for groups to lecture and teach on stress neurobiological health and functional medicine ABOUT THE DOCTORS Dr Richard Matthews is a Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist who specializes in brain based vestibular health and functional medicine Dr Ruth Moore holds Fellow status with the Complementary Medical Association and is a Board Certified Clinical Aromatherapist and Integrative Practitioner who specializes in Cognitive Behaviorism and Holistic Health Together they are The Integrative Docs Each half of this professional team has their respective practices in Ellsworth Maine but as siblings they serve as medical advisors to AVOW Magazine and collaborate as consultants for organizations around the country Dr Richard Matthews fascinating book that teaches about Gut Health in a fun and interesting way www amazon com Symbiont Factor Microbiome Redefines Humanity dp 1500553948 Dr Matthews blog thesymbiontfactorblog com RESOURCES Freeman L 2016 Mosby s Complementary and Alternative Medicines Elsevior Mcgrady A and Moss D 2013 Pathways to Illness pathways to health Sage Publications Sazmand A Joachim A Otranto D 2019 Zoonotic parasites of dromedary camels so important so ignored Parasites Vectors 12 610 Dr Moore can be reached at www downeastwellness com Dr Matthews can be reached at www neurodoc4u com 43

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The Veterans Art Project The Veterans Art Project VETART is a community based arts organization serving veterans active duty spouses dependents their caregivers and the community through process driven Deep Arts Engagement D A E c and art therapy D A E c with art therapy options VETART provides a process intensive arts encounter proven to help veterans and active duty some with post traumatic stress traumatic brain injury TBI and military sexual trauma MST find their voice and work through the life changing process of transitioning from military to civilian life V ETART offers free classes in the process heavy art disciplines of Ceramics Glass Woodworking and Bronze Casting As a nonprofit they work tirelessly to connect military families and civilians through sharing art making in a safe welcoming relaxed and fun environment Their open enrollment access to free art classes not only takes place in state ofthe art facilities but courses are taught by artists of all cultural and social backgrounds with and without Master of Fine Arts MFA degrees In addition to the classes VETART offers artistic support development and dignified display of the artists completed pieces Dignified displays not only support the artists but allow the greater civilian community access to the artists with participant presentation Executive Director and founder of VETART Steven Dilley says Living in San Diego California with its prevalent military bases and cultures it is hard not to hear or connect with of the stories of combat Veterans He continues with Being a Freeway Flyer slang for people who teach at many different colleges I saw firsthand how many returning veterans who were using their G I Bill benefits to return to school were many times lost in the shuffle of passive classes and no direction in school The spaces provided by VETART allow veterans to connect with others and discover an outlet for expressing their experiences through the art making process College studio art courses in general offer more in depth interactions that promote a strong student and teacher connection This ability to create lasting and influential relationships is at the crux of why Dilley believes this classroom setting is ideal for returning service members It facilitates not only art making skills but fosters vital human connections and even a sense of community While VETART is located in San Diego Dilley told us that since its inception in 2009 they have also held and supported on site community arts classes demonstrations and exhibitions in various other locations in California as well as across the country to include instruction at multiple colleges In the past year VETART has promoted and produced seven different art shows including a major show in Sacramento California The promotion of artwork produced by veterans involved with the classes is and continues to be a high priority of the Veterans Art Project It starts at the top One can only look at the leadership the top of an organization to see why and how it is so successful In speaking with Dilley he tells us that his own sense of wonder was created through early art experiences provided by family and his scholastic experiences He says Having decided to study art at an early age 14 I was afforded the space and time to develop on my own terms as an artist This allowed me as an artist to always search out new mediums for continued investigation and experimentation From ceramics he was introduced to glass blowing and casting leading to the study of hot pour bronze casting CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE This article is supported in part by the The Veterans Art Project with funding provided by the MHSOAC Mental Health Services Oversight Accountability Commission a California State agency Facebook com AVOWMagazine Summer 2021 47

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Steve Dilley MFA Executive Director of VETART and Instructor Dilley has an M F A and is the director of the Veterans Art Project He was moved after 9 11 to help Veterans active duty and spouses through art making He says I have a profound weight of responsibility to reach out and help other people through Art and the process of art making Dilley s belief is that there is an urgency to help our contemporary military population and to share all the benefits that a life of art making gives In addition to running the day to day with VETART Dilley is an Associate Professor of Art Sculpture at Grossmont College in El Cajon CA Spread Love Reginald Green by Tonya Savice VETART Instructor US Navy Veteran Green was born and raised in Dallas Texas He is a 15 year medically retired Navy Veteran He got into art to heal explore his creativity and to do something positive and productive to shift his focus off his highly debilitating migraines headaches depression and lower back pain acquired from his active duty service Prior to finding VETART Green took it upon himself to learn the basics of molding painting and expressing himself through sculpting and various or types of art When I create art it allows me to get lost in the process and takes my mind off the pain he says Green is a VETART participant and after volunteering for a year and a half with the organization showing his dedication willingness passion for art and helping veterans he was hired as an VETART instructor and teaches classes at the ASPIRE Center The VA in La Jolla and at the VETART School of Foundry in Fallbrook California GLEN LUKENS Glen William Lukens 1887 1967 was a ceramicist glassmaker and jewelry designer born in Missouri He is best known for his innovative work with glazes and his contributions to modernist jewelry 1 Lukens helped pave the way for ceramics today as an awarding winning ceramicist and teacher 2 Lukens was influential in the Pottery Movement and challenged the American Pottery industry s traditions of design function and decoration in the 1930s 48 As an undergraduate and being enamored of the glazes and forms of Glen Lukens see sidebar lower left Dilley wrote a research paper on him During the research of that paper he was introduced to the idea that Lukens allowed shell shocked veterans from WWII to work with clay in his studio at University of Southern California USC Lukens also stated that he observed these veterans became better socialized eventually left the studio went on to earn degrees and lead healthy and productive lives For Dilley this was a fascinating and powerful insight It was A nugget of research that I did not fully understand at the time but one that I stored away in my brain like an acorn that would eventually sprout into a seedling that is now known as the Veterans Art Project or VETART for short Dilley said Cultural Equity From the very beginning VETART has been dedicated to promoting a spectrum of voices By amplifying these voices through promotion to instructor level while working with Veterans leadership is demonstrated and becomes a model for new participants To support a full creative life for all VETART has created THAT space one that promotes cultural equity supports all of their members and staff and provides an accessible facility in which veterans active duty family members and caregivers from all nationalities can create dignified displays of art Their cultural equity embodies the values policies and practices that ensure everyone is represented in the development of VETART programming the support of artists the nurturing of accessible thriving venues for expression and the fair distribution of programmatic financial and informational resources Cultural equity is critical to the longterm viability of the arts sector Dilley explains We must all hold ourselves accountable because acknowledging and challenging our inequities and working in partnership is how we will make change happen The Organization VETART just gets it because they feel strongly that everyone deserves equal access to a full vibrant creative life which is essential to a healthy and democratic society To continue to provide informed authentic leadership for cultural equity they Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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Jill Brenegan ATR BC LCAT Art Therapist and Instructor Brenegan has been an Art Therapist for over fifteen years She earned a Masters in Professional Studies in Art Therapy from Pratt Institute in New York She is a Registered Art Therapist ATR Board Certified ATR BC as well as a Licensed Art Therapist in the state of New York LCAT She also has a B A in psychology from C S U Northridge and several years of extensive coursework in ceramics painting and drawing at institutes such as School of Visual Arts and Art Students League in New York Over the last ten years she has been working with the military active duty and veterans suffering from PTSD and TBI Water Is Life by Phyllis T Miller Thalia Isen MFA Ceramics Instructor continue to strive in their pursuit of cultural consciousness throughout their organization through substantive learning and formal transparent policies Through their board staff and advisory bodies to those who are their to create and heal VETART dismantles any inequities within their policies systems programs and services and report organization progress They also proactively commit time and resources to expand a more diverse leadership The Super Power of Art Dilley excitedly shared with us All of this has gone into my decision to use my super powers as an artist and educator for good and not evil I have been fortunate to have taught the first VETART class at Grossmont College in Fall of 2009 VETART continues to engage the larger community through the promotion development display and amplification of many voices the people and experiences not readily visible in the contemporary art milieu The VETART model has always Facebook com AVOWMagazine Summer 2021 been and is the basis of their ecosystem as a See One Do One Teach One Organization Through participation students of the program have a clearly identified path that is easily followed for increasing arts engagement and discovery Their force impact is to create leadership opportunities to lead the arts wellness and community development at the local regional state and national level At VETART they not only listen to images but they lead by their actions Dilley says Ultimately I believe in the power of ART as a visual language that allows intense personal insight to be gained by the participant We as a society gain a vastly deepened network of visual psychological power and cohesion by cultivating an artistic language that can be shared by all people to all people Please enjoy the next six pages featuring three talented artists who are part of the VETART program ARTISTS FEATURE CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE Isen is making pots at VETART She recently placed about a hundred of her bisque fired porcelain bottles around the perimeter of VETART s Vista studio She has been a ceramic artist for 15 years and teaching renews her enthusiasm for the craft She says that the experience of interacting with the clay is the real payoff She finished her MFA in 2018 at Claremont Graduate University She earned a BA in philosophy in 2001 She served as project manager for the Saddleback College Veterans Memorial project which is an architectural ceramic landmark in Mission Viejo CA completed in 2010 Isen has been teaching ceramics since 2011 David Pirl MFA Ceramics Instructor Pirl first had the opportunity to work with clay before he was a teenager two of his older siblings were able to take a class from a local clay artist He watched his older brothers make pinch pots vases and owls which were pretty popular at that time so he emulated and copied some of the things they were doing adding little tidbits of my own inspiration Many years later Pirl decided to go for his MFA in Studio Arts In his many years of teaching since then Pirl says what continues to fascinate him is the human learning process people in general and social and group dynamics 49

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AMANDA SAINT CLAIRE What s your favorite artwork All time favorite artwork I think that s an impossible question to answer One thing I was very impressed by was the Matrix on the Japanese Island of Teshima It was a humbling and grounding experience being in that collaborative space created by artist Rei Naito and architect Ryue Nishizawa It is so simple yet so powerful as it captures the playful nature of water What jobs have you done other than being an artist I was a paralegal a lawyer and a tax accountant After becoming an artist I have driven kids for a service like Uber and I delivered groceries for Instacart whatever it takes to be able to buy art supplies and pay the rent at my art studio What themes do you pursue In my figurative work I explore themes of social justice as well as engaging in introspection while in my abstract work I primarily explore themes of spirituality Occasionally though there is just plain old fun happening My name is Amanda Saint Claire I am a Navy Veteran and spouse to an active duty Naval Officer a mother to three children all teens now am a professional artist meaning I have a studio and I paint have been working on my certification as an Expressive Arts Coach and Educator and I work as a mentor to Neurodiverse artists and artists requiring adaptive approaches due to disabilities What s your background I was an attorney in the Navy and established my own business doing taxes for expatriates in Singapore When we moved to San Diego in 2012 I had to find my new identity and after many rocky years I finally emerged as an artist I am self taught but I have also had many fabulous mentors and teachers that helped me get to this point and I m very grateful to them all What has been a seminal experience Being invited to have a show with an artist I greatly admired because the gallerist saw a synergy in our work I was so excited to know that someone had noticed I d been influenced by the other artist despite our art looking very different It was a subtle sense of spaciousness that we had both captured that brought the work together I knew then that I had grown tremendously as an artist Why art What memorable responses have you had to your work I have one large painting 15 feet long inspired by Thich Nhat s Hahn s poem Call Me By My True Names When this piece has been displayed the response has been that people have been moved to tears That was the experience I had when I created the piece and it s amazing to me that others can feel the compassion exuding from the painting I hope it finds it s forever home with someone special What do you dislike about the art world Can I just say that I don t understand the art world or who gives them any power I don t pay a lot of attention to something I don t even know how to come into contact with It seems to be who you know where you went to school etc Should art be funded Most definitely art should be funded Right now it seems like the entire system is set up so that artists make money off other artists and society as a whole is not supporting artists It s seen as a luxury to be able to dedicate your life to making art Luckily I have a pension as a veteran that pays for my studio and supplies but it s a very limited budget Name some artists you d like to be compared to Art saved my life and there is no walking away from it now My life journey has been a work of art and I m keen to continue creating my path Marlene Dumas this has already happened Cecily Brown I still have some work to do here and Alice Neel not just for her style but for the bravery in her freedom of subject matter What s your scariest experience What s the best piece of advice you ve been given Moving back to the U S after living in Southeast Asia for a decade The gun violence in this country is terrifying to me What wouldn t you do without A large art studio I need a lot of space time in nature to decompress and a plane ticket to an international destination 50 To always paint in series don t get attached to any piece of art and to make the art like pancakes Just make more and don t judge them Leave that for the Art World to busy itself with If you are making authentic work someone will notice eventually even if it s after your time here on earth Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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TONYA SAVICE My name is Tonya Savice I am a mother grandmother and a good friend to all those who allow me to be I m also a retired Air Force veteran and artist After struggling with chronic pain and military sexual trauma I got out of the military It s been a long road of recovery but in my late 50s I am blossoming again It s never too late to reinvent yourself be your best self and live your best life Why do you do what you do I have seen many of women struggling in silence with depression and sexual trauma I believe we can live a full life while learning to deal and cope with those struggles I enjoy helping women find their true authentic self not who others think they should be What s your background My background is my life story As a survivor of childhood and military sexual trauma throughout my life I have involved myself with things that cleared and relaxed my mind The arts have been very instrumental in my healing What s integral to the work of an artist I believe an integral part of the work of an artist is being true to oneself Making compromises to appeal to everyone can be an exhausting endeavor which can take away from your work What do you dislike about the art world I don t like that artwork can be so subjective It s easy to allow others to tell us what to think feel and believe but as an artist I believe it can be objective Should art be funded My role as an artist is to help people see the meaning in an art piece from their heart How does it make them feel and what does it make them think What looks good to me may look different to you There was a time when art was in schools It allows people to be creative and express themselves It has helped me deal with my depression PTSD and MST Art is as essential to mental health as water is to a flower I believe there should be more funding for the community to help people deal with mental illness Involvement in the arts can bring mental wellness What has been a seminal experience What do you dislike about your work What role does the artist have in society I have become involved with helping women heal from their depression and sexual trauma There are so many women struggling in silence I give them a safe place to talk to laugh and to feel comfortable by being themselves and start living again I feel blessed and privileged to be allowed into their lives and hear their stories as I share my story of recovery It s easy to become a victim of one s circumstances when the world keeps telling you to get over it I enjoy encouraging women to learn how to cope and heal The best place to start is by having a good ear and by being a good listener When you release what s inside of you nothing can hold you captive That s what talking and sharing does it s very freeing Why art Art to me has always been therapeutic Whether it s tending to the roses in the garden or rolling out a piece of slab the calming of the mind is the goal What comes out of it is the masterpiece My art is an expression of my heart I want my art to inspire other to get involved and create something to ease their mind What memorable responses have you had to your work I love when people tell me they see their story in my pieces and how it inspires them to be their best self I hope my pictures will inspire people to get involved to do something to ease their mind Art to me is not perfection it s about survival That s what creative art does for me Facebook com AVOWMagazine Summer 2021 What makes me sad or even sometimes angry is when people don t hear me I have a voice and my voice is not your voice my beliefs are not your beliefs We can agree to disagree and still get along without subjecting each other s opinions upon one another I can be my true authentic self without taking away from who you are and you should be too What is your dream project My dream project is to drive around in an RV reaching the women who are still afraid to express themselves and suffering in silence It starts with the starfish mentality one location at a time and one woman at a time One woman reached is one life saved What s the best piece of advice you ve been given The best piece of advice I have been given is always to treat others the way you would like to be treated I would add to that if you like to be treated like crap then stay away from me The misery who loves company can be isolated to themselves My funny sense of humor tends to come out Professionally what s your goal My prayer is that we can learn to be loving to one another despite our differences to treat others the way we each would like to be treated with respect and compassion Spread love one person at a time Remember your best is yet to come 53

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PHYLLIS T MILLER I create art series an emphasis on the elements of nature I formed The Veterans Art Venue a series of events and venues of therapeutic art sessions I take part in art exhibits where the mission to inspire and empower I promote and encourage the veteran and the civilian communities to embrace the healing benefits of Art I also formed Meroe Gallery to showcase my reproduction art series for the interiors and exteriors My target market is the commercial and private sectors Why do you do what you do I discovered the need for the healing realm of art as a child in the military and as a veteran who had the experience of the benefits of art and its impact on empowerment on many levels How do you work Any time of the day or night when the inspiration moves me to create that is how I work My art concepts and ideas are from the ever changing day to day climate of people and the internal energy of interpretation of how nature can move our society What s your background My early childhood consisted of challenges of seeing what the early days of the Vietnam war had impacted my small community in Watts now known as South Los Angeles I found the love of art at the age of seven and focus on perfecting it by following the great art legends of Andrew Wyeth Georgia O Keeffe Raphael Sanzio and Rembrandt I won a scholarship to Art Center College of Design while attending high school What role does the artist have in society I believe the role of an artist is to offer visual creations to expand society s perspective towards growth in reflection and thought and to raise a means of enlightenment Describe a real life situation that inspired you Discovering what my parents went through their harsh life What jobs have you had other than being an artist Art Investment consulting Why Art Art has been my calling since the age of seven An art teacher from The Juilliard School of Fine Art mentored me and inspired me as per his extensive and worldly known ventures A memorable response you ve had to your work A Vietnam veteran cried in front of my art The Price of Freedom and he said to me This makes me want to talk and to open up What do you dislike about the art world The art world is very closed off to women artists I have been criticized for my art is too strong for a woman to create What has been a seminal experience What do you dislike about your work Creating a series of art to give praise to nature and its elements upon our universe and lives I do not have any dislikes except that comes to my ideas and thoughts and being grateful to create What s your strongest memory of your childhood What research do you do My martial arts tournament of kickboxing and winning an art exhibit at the age of fourteen Nature and world culture What s your scariest experience To create an art mural at the wall facing The VA West Los Angeles Hospital Sking in Banff Canada I joined the advanced ski team when I thought I was on the beginners and when the helicopter picked us up and dropped us off at the top of Banff mountain I had to ski down while pretending to be as advanced as the rest of the members It turned out the advanced ski Canadian team was their Olympic ski team I made it down and was congratulated for making it down What s your favorite artwork of yours My favorite artwork is Man Energy 54 What is your dream project Name some artists you d like to be compared to Andrew Wyeth and Georgia Okeefe Best piece of advice you ve been given To never second guess yourself Professionally what s your goal As Claude Monet said To create to till my last day on this beautiful land Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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TRANSITION EXPERIENCE of VETERANS and SPOUSES DUE TO UNANTICIPATED MEDICAL RETIREMENT A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY BY DR CHUNITA VICK 1 INTRODUCTION Approximately 2 4 million active duty and reserve members of the military armed forces have transitioned from active duty military to civilian life since 2010 Thomas McDaniel Haring Albright Fletcher 2018 Researchers have anticipated that within the next 4 years over 1 million soldiers will have reentered their civilian lives Thomas et al 2018 Two different types of military service transitions exist internal and external Schlossberg Waters Goodman 1995 Internal transition involves a deliberate decision on the part of the individual External transition involves a transition forced on the person by a situation or other people The latter includes soldiers who due to being wounded ill or injured go through an external transition and their transitions are forced on them by the Integrated Disability Evaluation System IDES regardless of years served Military to civilian transition is an important moment in the lives of veterans Blackburn 2016 Two thirds of veterans surveyed in Prudential s 2012 study reported difficulty in transitioning to civilian lives specifically regarding the next steps after military service Injured veterans have a more difficult time transitioning to civilian lives Prudential 2012 Veterans may be coping with physical or mental disabilities because of injuries or traumas sustained during service along with social and familial issues that Facebook com AVOWMagazine Summer 2021 may accompany their transitions into non military lives Bonar Domenici 2011 Injured veterans also report a higher need for support and greater employment concerns than veterans who are not injured Prudential 2012 When transitioning from active duty to veteran statuses some veterans encounter barriers that make it more difficult to reach their education and employment goals due to experiencing social mental and physical challenges Faurer Rogers Broderson Ballie 2014 For married veterans the difficulties experienced during civilian transition are more severe According to the Pew Research Center 2011 married post 9 11 veterans had more difficulty adjusting to civilian lives than those who were not married In 2014 a Military Spouse Transition Survey was administered to spouses facing separation or retirement within the next 2 years The four key areas of concern for transitioning families included financial preparedness for transition service member employment postmilitary healthcare and understanding VA benefits The Pew Research Center reported that most families surveyed felt worried or stressed as a result of impending separation from the military Top concerns from military spouses facing transition were determined as service member employment and being financial preparation for transition National Military Family Association 2017 According to the Army Task Force on Behavioral Health ATFBH 2013 family plays a key role in the identification support and management of the soldier with a behavioral health condition Family is critical to both the soldier and family members during their transitions back to duty or civilian lives ATFBH 2013 The military family keeps family members engaged in the transition process ATFBH 2013 However while researchers have explored the experiences of veterans regarding the transition from military to civilian lives there was no research about the experiences of veterans and their spouses during the transition from military to civilian lives from due to unanticipated medical retirement UMR Ahern et al 2015 Wands 2013 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2 1 Theoretical Foundation Schlossberg s 2011 4 S transition model was adopted in the current study to form the theoretical foundation to explore how veterans and their spouses describe their lived experience of transition from the military to civilian life Through the 4 S transition model Schlossberg 1981 addressed the need for a systematic framework that could facilitate an understanding of adults in transition While noting that transition is different for each individual Schlossberg 1981 identified four main areas CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 57

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Financial preparedness common to the transition process These include a transition as a process that occurs over a span of time b environmental and individual characteristics that may impact the transition c one s resources and deficits that impact the transition and d a successful adaptation that is the goal of transition Robertson Brott 2013 Schlossberg 1981 Schlossberg 2011 identified different types of transitions that could be applied anticipated unanticipated and nonevents Anticipated transitions are major life events that are to be expected Schlossberg 2011 such as graduating from high school getting married starting a first job and having children Conversely unanticipated transitions are events that are not expected such as divorce surgery major diseases and unemployment A nonevent transition is an anticipated transition that does not take place Schlossberg 2011 such as not getting married not being promoted and not having children Individuals transitional experiences are managed differently according to individual experiences Schlossberg 2011 Commonly however these can lead to the altering of routines roles relationships and assumptions The transition applied to military veterans as they leave the military lifestyle and transition into civilian life due to UMR could be categorized under the unanticipated type of transition In the current study Schlossberg s 2011 mod 58 THIS IS ENGINEERING SHARON MCCUTCHEON Four key areas of concern for transitioning families Service member employment el helped understand the perceived experiences of transition from veteran s and their spouses and their ability to transition successfully to civilian life due to unanticipated transition The four features provided by the model which are situation self support and strategies were evaluated as the four possible resources used by married veteran couples as they transition to civilian life due to an UMR 2 2 Career Ending Injuries Following Operation Iraqi Freedom OIF Operation Enduring Freedom OEF and Operation New Dawn OND veterans have returned with invisible injuries such as post traumatic stress disorder mild traumatic brain injury and depression Eisen et al 2012 The number of men and women injured in action is currently 52 314 which includes OIR and OFS Fischer 2013 Among deployed soldiers those with Combat Arms Military Occupation Specialty MOS were substantially and significantly more likely to receive medical disability retirement than were other MOS and were more likely to be assessed for conditions compatible with combat exposures including post traumatic stress disorder residuals of traumatic brain injury and paralysis Gubata et al 2013 Fischer 2013 demonstrated that as of 2012 most OIF OND and OIF veterans with battle injuries were major limb amputations The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are dis tinct from the previous wars mentioned for several reasons First OIF OEF is the most sustained combat operations since the Vietnam War Litz 2007 Second most of the epidemiological studies of wars and veterans have been conducted years after the soldiers return Litz 2007 This is not the case with OIF OEF Thus one aim of research being undertaken as the war is ongoing is an increase in understanding of the risk and resilience of veterans exposed to combat Litz 2007 Third 37 of OIF OEF soldiers have been deployed multiple times Given that it has been shown that repeated exposure to threatening events is associated with high risk of developing PTSD this then becomes a significant fact when considering the study of PTSD Thus there is good reason to be concerned for the mental health of these veterans Litz 2007 The number of veterans diagnosed with PTSD in 2012 as provided by Fischer 2013 showed that this is on the rise since year 2000 Since September 11 2001 over 2 4 million men and women have served in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as of 2012 more than 1 5 million service members of this cohort had separated from the military Epidemiology Program Veterans Health Administration 2012 These veterans face a difficult transition to civilian life many of whom struggle with psychosocial adjustment problems Hoge 2011 Sayer et al 2010 Recent quantitative researchers have Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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suggested that anger is a substantial problem for Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans during this transition Pew Research Center 2011 Sayer et al 2010 While anger often co occurs with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries anger also appears to be a problem for about half of service members without these diagnoses Taft Creech Kachadourian 2012 PTSD can cause other problems such as poor physical health Hoge Terhakopian Castro Messer Engel 2007 Hoge et al 2008 Several researchers have examined combat deployments and subsequent disability in military research Bell Hunt Hartford Kay 2011 Cross Ficke Hsu Masini Wenke 2011 Gubata et al 2013 Niebuhr et al 2011 Sikorski Emerson Cowan Niebuhr 2012 Packnett Gubata Cowan Niebuhr 2012 Patzkowski Rivera Ficke Wenke 2012 Piccirillo et al 2015 Rivera Wenke Buckwalter Ficke Johnson 2012 Few researchers however have explored the lived experiences of veterans and their spouses as they transitioned to civilian lives from career ending injuries from a disability discharge 2 3 Transition Challenges Veterans encounter many transition issues Ahern et al 2015 Black Papile 2010 Previous researchers have identified higher levels of distress among retirees than non retirees Bosse Aldwin Levenson Ekerdt 1987 Facebook com AVOWMagazine Summer 2021 ARTEM PODREZ NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE Postmilitary healthcare Understanding VA benefits Some may encounter no effects or only weak effects of the retirement transition on various indicators of mental health Alpass Neville Flett 2000 Studies of recently retired U S Air Force officers and their wives regarding their adjustment to civilian life and their general well being have shown that military officers required considerable time for the transition to retirement Their personal identities were disrupted due to the loss of the work role and general well being was negatively affected by the transition to retirement Sahlstein Parcell Baker 2018 Williams Allen Collinson Hockey Evans 2018 Researchers have conducted analysis of employment statistics resources and benefits to identify possible disconnect in the service member to the postcombat veteran transition Findings often included recommendations for a better military transition program to eliminate barriers for veterans who have earned and deserve a smooth transition back to their civilian lives regardless of any temporary or long term limitations acquired during combat Castro Kintzle Hassan 2015 Elnitsky Blevins Fisher Magruder 2017 Edwards 2015 evaluated the recent overhauling of the U S Military Transitioning Program from 2012 to 2013 The results revealed a successful program is one that focuses on transition preparedness individual counseling and training In addition Ahern et al 2015 per formed a qualitative study to understand the nature of veterans transition to civilian life the challenges that they navigated and their approaches to reconnection The authors conducted in depth interviews with 24 veterans and analyzed the transcripts using an inductive thematic analysis approach Social support was known to be protective for veterans but these authors findings added the nuance of substantial obstacles veterans face in locating and accessing support due to disconnection and unsupportive institutions Ahern et al also noted that a larger scale work was needed to understand better how to foster peer connections build reconnection with families engage the broader community to understand and support veterans Leaders could use this knowledge to develop interventions to support reconnection for veterans Helmer 2011 identified that 2 3 million soldiers returned from different deployments making the transition process a major concern when soldiers separate from the military to civilian life Considering the length of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars along with the repeated deployments veterans face numerous and complex challenges when their military service ends Helmer 2011 Separating from the military to civilian life can be a complex and challenging transition for today s returning veterans Providing assistance with this transition is increasingly important with military personnel transitioning CONTINUED CONTINUED ON ON NEXT NEXT PAGE PAGE 59

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MY HISTORY RODNAE PRODUCTIONS As I work with soldiers transitioning from the U S Army I see the fear of the unknown in their faces I wasn t ready to leave the military but being a dual military service family one of us had to get out and since I had the least amount of time in I transitioned As I was doing so I felt like I was losing my family The bonds made are more reliable than family bonds and your identity becomes the soldier that you have grown into When I enlisted my goal was to complete 20 years and I ve been placed in a position to continue to help soldiers and their families through their transition to civilian life each year Davis Minnis 2017 Stern 2017 Wolpert 2000 stated If the family was heavily involved and reliant on the military community they too took on the status of the military member and they too may feel loss when they move into a community where that status has little or no meaning p 109 Polls conducted by Prudential Financial Inc 2012 revealed that military experience was not something that civilian employers looked for when they brought candidates to a position As high as 60 of the veterans claimed that they found it difficult to explain to their prospective employers what they could offer with their military experiences Up to 46 believed that competing with other candidates who worked longer in the workforce was a practical hurdle Around 25 believed that employers would avoid hiring veterans The veterans who participated in the poll believed that their prospective employers viewed them as having too many possible issues from their backgrounds in the military The difficulties of the U S military members in transitioning to the civilian lives are compounded by unsettling economic conditions in the United States Difficulties can be observed among the more than 2 3 million Americans who have served in the war of ter 60 ror since 2001 as they return from deployment Helmer 2011 The severity and sheer number of non fatal injuries sustained by service members in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has created a requirement substantially greater than in previous wars to reintegrate survivors back into society Snyder 2013 In response Black and Papile 2010 demonstrated the necessity of conducting research focused on veterans to understand and conceptualize their transitional experiences better 2 4 Transition Experiences Koenig Maguen Monroy Mayott and Seal 2014 described returning veterans transition experiences from military to civilian lives Their aim was to educate healthcare providers about culture centered communication that promotes readjustment to civilian life The authors used qualitative in depth semi structured interviews with 17 males and 14 female Iraq and Afghanistan veterans The veterans described disorientation when returning to civilian life after deployment The participants of the study described challenges and strategies for managing readjustment stress across three domains intrapersonal professional educational and interpersonal Burkhart and Hogan 2015 explored 20 female veterans who served post Gulf War The data were analyzed to generate a substantive theory of the process of women who entered served in and transitioned out of the military The results of this study provided a theoretical description of the process female veterans experience when transitioning from a civilian identity through military life stressors and adaptations toward gaining a dual identity of being a veteran civilian The findings from their study yielded that transitions are difficult in bridging these two worlds Values and lifestyles are different for women in the military and civilian sectors and the experiences of adapting and coping to life in the military and back to civilian life are stressful Burkhart Hogan 2015 Many qualitative studies have been designed to explore the resiliency factors veterans use when transitioning from military to community colleges and then on to 4 year academic institutions Interviewing veterans showed that most have difficulties upon returning from a combat zone and transitioning to life as a student Griffin Gilbert 2015 Medley et al 2017 Researchers discovered that there was insufficient help from resource centers a lack of veteran peer to peer interaction insufficient campus veteran clubs and low access to academic counselors with knowledge of military culture These issues made Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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ALEX GREEN MY FINDINGS their transitions difficult Griffin Gilbert 2015 Medley et al 2017 3 THE PRESENT STUDY It was not known how veterans and spouses described their lived experiences of transitioning from military to civilian lives due to unanticipated medical retirement Two thirds of veterans surveyed in Prudential s 2012 study reported difficulty in transitioning to civilian lives specifically regarding the next steps after military service Injured veterans have a more difficult time transitioning to civilian lives Prudential 2012 Injured veterans also report a higher need for support and greater employment concerns than veterans who are not injured Prudential 2012 The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how veterans and spouses described their lived experiences of transitioning from military to civilian life due to unanticipated medical retirement in the southwestern United States The overall aim of this study was to explore experiences of veterans and their spouses to identify their capacities to cope with challenges in transitioning to civilian lives from unanticipated medical retirement The phenomenon for the study was how Facebook com AVOWMagazine Summer 2021 veterans and spouses described their experiences of transitioning from military to civilian lives due to unanticipated medical retirement The findings of this study could be used to inform military communities and public organizations regarding transitional issues from married veteran couple s perspectives 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 4 1 Results Fifteen out of 20 75 participants described some form of anxiety including shock at the unexpected news worry about adapting to civilian life and uncertainty about the future when they or their spouses received notice of UMR Five participants were discrepant cases who described their initial reactions as acceptance Sixteen out of 20 participants 80 described their experiences of the IDES process using language that indicated feelings of being pushed through a complex process without sufficient information or consideration of their needs Four participants were discrepant cases who described the IDES process in positive terms Nine out of 20 45 participants stated that diminished income and the associated CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE While completing my doctorate my research focus was on transitioning military families with an unanticipated medical retirement The results from my study indicated that proactive use of resources and support was experienced as an effective strategy used by veterans and their spouses during transition to civilian life after unexpected medical retirement UMR Participants experienced a need to budget and cut spending while preparing for UMR Based on the literature and results of the study some military members did not prepare for transitioning to civilian lives they expressed shock unpreparedness worry anxiety and anger especially when they received the UMR Participants expressed the perception that if the U S Army had better prepared military members for civilian life the transition period would be easier for veterans and their families This research demonstrates the need for future studies to know more about the experiences of veterans while transitioning from the military to civilian lives in this aspect I encourage soldiers when they begin the transition process to have a plan and know that your plan will change Various resources are available to you while transitioning For example job fairs resume writing classes and the soldier and family assistance center have an abundance of resources available not only to the soldier but also the same resources are open to the spouses as well Always remember that you are not the only one transitioning it s you and your family The same fears you experience your family will experience as well If you need more information on the transition process or need assistance I can be reached at chunitav gmail com 61

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ANASTAYSIYA LOBANOVSKAYA financial insecurity had negatively affected their abilities to transition to civilian lives after the veteran s UMR Seven out of 10 couples 70 experienced factors associated with the injured veteran s medical condition as challenges during the transition to civilian life Eight out of 10 injured veteran participants 80 indicated that their spouses had been their primary or only source of support during their transitions to civilian lives due to UMR Seven out of 10 spouses 70 of injured veterans reported that they had needed more or had not received support from their spouses during the transitions Thirteen out of 20 65 participants indicated that military supports had been inadequate during their tran 62 sitions to civilian lives due to UMR Nineteen out of 20 participants 95 indicated that a strategy of being proactive in using resources and supports had aided their transitions to civilian lives after UMR 4 2 Discussion Veterans and spouses mostly experienced negative emotions such as shock anxiety uncertainty fear or anger when they or their spouses received notices of UMR This finding was consistent with the findings of Coll and Weiss 2016 and Villagran et al 2015 regarding the negative emotions that military members and their spouses went through when forced to make the transi tion from military to civilian lives Similarly Coll and Weiss 2016 described that the transition period was marked by confusion uncertainty culture shock and unmet expectations Furthermore the element of surprise also increased the anxiety related to the transition period Kato 2010 The IDES process might contribute to the difficulty of veterans and their spouses transitioning back to civilian lives which was consistent with the findings of Mortimer 2013 that the IDES process appeared to contribute to frustrations and complaints among soldiers which negatively impacted the soldier and family as they prepared to transition to civilian life Further the negative emotions experienced by the military veterans and their spouses as part of the transition process aligned with the situation feature of Schlossberg s 2011 4 S model Finance was found to be one of the personal situations that influenced the abilities of veterans and their spouses to transition effectively to civilian lives due to UMR This finding was consistent with those of Bertoni et al 2014 Blackburn 2016 Coll and Weiss 2016 the National Military Family Association 2017 the Pew Research Center 2011 and Simmelink 2004 who found that financial security was one of the challenges that veterans and spouses experienced during transition periods The National Military Family Association 2017 emphasized that married post 9 11 veterans had more difficulty adjusting to civilian life than those who were not married and found that military spouses were concerned about whether they were financially prepared for the transitions The medical condition of the injured veteran also served as a challenge during the transition to civilian life which is consistent with the conclusions of Bertoni et al 2014 the Pew Research Center 2011 and Blackburn 2016 Likewise the finding that veterans who were released for medical reasons might find the transition to be arduous was most closely related to the self of the 4 S model Schlossberg 2011 The veterans who participated in this study perceived their spouses as the primary or sole source of support as they transitioned into civilian lives after UMR The injured veterans spouses experienced a lack of adequate support This finding was consistent with Ahern et al 2015 and Black and Papile 2010 who focused on the Summer 2021 www AVOWMagazine com

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role of social support to injured veterans transitioning into civilian lives It was also consistent with the findings of Anderson et al 2012 Henkens 1999 and Smith and Moen 1998 who focused on the importance of spouses in the transition period Anderson et al 2012 noted that spouses help one another make important decisions during transitions Both Henkens 1999 and Smith and Moen 1998 investigated the concept of spousal influence on the retirement decision All spouses perceived that they did not have adequate support This finding was consistent with the findings of Flournoy 2014 Flournoy stated that the challenges during the transition period were aggravated by the Department of Veterans Affairs not providing support to the families continuously Further the support aspect of Schlossberg s 2011 4 S transition model was applicable to this finding Veterans and their spouses perceived proactive use of resources and supports as an effective strategy during their transition to their civilian lives after UMR This finding provided new knowledge about veterans transitioning to civilian lives The researcher could not identify any recent study about the experiences of both veterans and their spouse in their transitions to the civilian life because of early retirement due to injuries However strategies aspect of Schlossberg s 2011 4 S transition model was applicable to this finding From the findings of this study and previous studies it became clear that veterans have difficulty transitioning from military to civilian lives Rabadi Aston 2016 Veterans who suffer from injury experience a more difficult time transitioning to civilian life Rabadi Aston 2016 Villagran et al 2015 It is significant that the phenomenological essence of the experience of transitioning into civilian life after UMR included significant anxiety associated with finances and a perceived lack of adequate guidance and support The findings suggested that veterans and their spouses experience significant distress during their transition into civilian life after UMR Most participants experienced the support they received from their spouses as their only or primary support and spouses reports that they experienced a lack of any adequate support indicated that spouses did not feel able to manage the injured veteran s medical treatment Facebook com AVOWMagazine Summer 2021 while coping with the financial stressors they associated with reentry into civilian life 5 CONCLUSIONS The research problem to be studied was that it was not known how veterans and spouses described their lived experiences of transitioning from military to civilian lives due to unanticipated medical retirement The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how veterans and spouses described their lived experiences of transitioning from military to civilian life due to unanticipated medical retirement in the southwestern United States Data were collected from 10 married veteran couples where one partner was wounded ill or injured and had participated in the IDES of the U S Army living in or around the southwestern United States The data collection sources included semi structured interviews as the primary source along with the researcher journal and demographic questionnaire Data analysis was conducted through NVivo 12 software and three phases of coding including open coding axial coding and theoretical coding Salda a 2015 Findings showed that the majority of the participants described some form of anxiety about the future when they or their spouses received notice of UMR which was consistent with the findings of Coll and Weiss 2016 and Villagran et al 2015 They described their experiences of the IDES process using language that indicated feelings of being pushed through a complex process without sufficient information or consideration of their needs which was consistent with the findings of Mortimer 2013 Participants felt that diminished income and the associated financial insecurity had negatively affected their abilities to transition to civilian lives after the veteran s UMR which was consistent with the findings of Bertoni et al 2014 Blackburn 2016 Coll and Weiss 2016 the National Military Family Association 2017 the Pew Research Center 2011 and Simmelink 2004 Veterans felt their spouses had been their primary or only source of support during their transitions to civilian lives due to UMR which was consistent with the findings of Ahern et al 2015 Black and Papile 2010 Anderson et al 2012 Henkens 1999 and Smith and Moen 1998 Participants felt the military support had been inadequate during their transitions to civilian lives due to UMR in alignment with Flournoy 2014 but a strategy of being proactive in using resources and supports had aided their transition Based on the limitations identified a number of recommendations for future researchers were made including using a qualitative case study research design and exploring the experiences of spouses during transition periods Recommendations for practice included DOD considering the experiences shared by the participants in the current study to improve programs currently in place for service members and their families It was also recommended that leaders of DOD improve programs for service members and their spouses to provide adequate support for the couple DR CHUNITA VICK ED D LMSW Dr Chunita Vick is a native of Shreveport Louisiana currently residing in Liberty Hill Texas Dr Vick honorably served in the United States Army for four years as a 88M truck driver She obtained her bachelor s and master s degrees in social work She enrolled in the Grand Canyon University Doctoral program in 2012 and finished in December 2019 Her research focuses on the transition of veterans and families with an unexpected medical retirement resulting in her research entitled A Phenomenological Study of the Distress of the Army Medical Board Retirement Applying Schlossberg s Transition Model After four years of working with soldiers veterans and their families she was motivated to find a model that fits the needs of soldiers and their families while transitioning out of the Army Dr Vick currently works with wounded ill or injured soldiers veterans families and their caregivers with the recovery and processes needed to reach a state of independence and she teaches Sociology as an Adjunct Professor and is a published journal author of articles that focus on transition Learn more at chunitav gmail com 63

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