Month: November 2014

November 24, 2014
Mike Liguori

When you signed a piece of paper to join the armed forces, you knew there would be pain, countless hours of lost sleep, and a possible deployment to an unknown land against an unknown enemy. You wore a uniform that signified more than nametapes. You know that your life was on the line at all times and you embraced it. Because your country, and the core values and beliefs that it was built on coarse through your veins. Service is in your DNA. Continue reading “Veterans: Do Something More”

November 22, 2014
James Pinckney

My decision to leave my active duty family didn’t come lightly. I joined the Marine Corps at 17 and was in boot camp two weeks after my high school graduation. The Marine Corps has been all I’ve know my adult life. The friends, leadership styles and experiences have shaped me into the man and the father I am today.

Continue reading “It Feels Like Family”

November 20, 2014

 Photo from Joining Forces, November 27, 2014

Washington, D.C. 1st Platoon launched during the late summer months of 2013 with a mission to eradicate child hunger and improve nutrition for youth in the greater D.C. community. That same year, in November, they were called to lead a special service event with the First Family during the Thanksgiving holiday. Continue reading “#TBT: Washington, D.C. 1st Platoon Serves Alongside First Family”

November 18, 2014
Jeff Hensley

What do you do when you have all the puzzle pieces needed to serve veterans but not enough manpower to put them in place? Call The Mission Continues!

I’m the Program Counselor at Equest, a Dallas-area non-profit that has helped special needs children and adults through the power of equine therapy for over three decades. Two years ago, Equest began the “Hooves for Heroes” program, leveraging their expertise in equine therapy to help transitioning veterans and military families. We’ve accomplished much, but the need is great. Continue reading “Equest Gets a Hand from Dallas/Ft. Worth 1st Platoon”

November 12, 2014

November 11, 2014

There were countless words of wisdom and proactive discussions during our first annual Service Platoon Summit, but one sentence really wrapped it up:

“We’re proud to be stewards of our communities.”

That was Phoenix Service Platoon Leader Rachel Gutierrez speaking about the role and responsibility of service platoon leaders at The Mission Continues. Nearly 50 platoon and squad leaders represented all 30 service platoons in Boston for a weekend of leadership growth, best practice development and lessons learned from the first year of the program.

Gen. Dana Born addresses #ServiceSummit attendees.

Our veteran leaders came away with vital tools given by great leaders, including retired Air Force General Dana Born, a professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. The renowned school hosted our discussion panels capped with tour on campus.

The Service Platoon Summit couldn’t have been possible without the generous support of the Bob Woodruff Foundation, our lead sponsor for the event, as well as Southwest Airlines and Bain Capital. The Kennedy School was a great host for our learning lessons.

Washington, D.C. Service Platoon Leaders after at #ServiceSummit.

It’s Veterans Day today, when parades and concerts will end. But the platoon and squad leaders captured a sense of leadership, purpose, and camaraderie in Boston that they’ll take back to their communities across the country. We look forward to seeing their platoons grow.

When patriots gathered in Boston Harbor to protest taxation without representation, they set out against the unknown to change their conditions for a better future.

Nearly 50 platoon and squad leaders from The Mission Continues will carry that same spirit this weekend as we kick off the first annual Service Platoon Summit, hosted by Harvard’s Kennedy School.

Continue reading “Veteran Leaders on the Move for the First #ServiceSummit”