My job at Lines for Life is to ensure that Oregon’s Service Members, Veterans, and their Families (SMVF) know how they can benefit from connecting to our Military Helpline, and why it’s important to reach out to us.
I come from a family with generations of veterans who have served this great country; it was my honor to continue this tradition. I am a 20-year retired Army Veteran.
While in the Army, I was assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment, 2nd Battalion – a highly-trained mobile force in Special Operations – at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. I served multiple deployments in Iraq, Iran, Colombia, and two tours in Haiti. Toward the end of my military service, I went into recruiting, and I achieved the highest award issued for recruiting by the Department of the Army, the Glen E. Morel Award.
Supporting Veteran communities is a true passion of mine. After my service, I held positions in the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Corrections, supporting work for Veterans and first responders.
To stay engaged with the veteran community after my service, I got involved with a community-building organization for veterans and first responders that connects me with community support throughout Central Oregon. I also serve two roles as the Commander of La Pine Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7242 and the President of their Veteran Outreach Program.
I am always finding ways to Start the Conversation – because I care deeply about connecting the SMVF community with supportive organizations like Lines for Life.
In my new role at Lines for Life, I recently began work on new Prevention and Training projects – creating presentations and training modules to help raise awareness of substance use and suicide within the SMVF community and helping better connect people to services.
Connecting with my community is the most important part of my role here. I have now been trained in QPR (Question Persuade Refer), Veteran Mental Health First Aid, and Military Cultural Awareness and Suicide Prevention. These are skills and training that prepare me to support others, and I’m excited to share them with my community.
