By James Fitzgerald, volunteer
I joined the US Army in September 2005, 12 years after “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) was signed, the military’s former policy in which lesbian, gay and bisexual members could serve only if they hid their sexuality.
Continue reading “The Bridge Between Communities”
By Bre Bregaudit, Service Leadership Corps member
In the military, being your authentic self can be a challenge, and identifying as queer can be even more challenging. I served during the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” I learned fast that even though the policy changed, the people didn’t change.
I joined the military because I wanted to follow in my cousin’s footsteps in the service. I served in the U.S Army as a medic. I studied, I worked hard, I deployed, and I have provided care to soldiers in Afghanistan and Garrison.
I was verbally harassed by other soldiers from basic training all the way to my first unit. A Sergeant would put an M4 in my face and threatened me to sound off like a man; Sergeants and Officers would make sexual advances at me to the point where I was even sexually assaulted. I received a lot of inappropriate questions about who or what I was intimate with, if I was sleeping with so-and-so, and I was called gay because queer was an identity my peers did not understand.
We need you to serve alongside us this June in celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Together, we’ll honor the service of LGBTQ+ veterans and show our support for LGBTQ+ communities across the country.
The number of LGBTQ+ individuals that have served and continue to serve in our military is uncertain, but their commitment to serve here at home is not. Despite many serving under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and other institutional challenges, their contribution to our country continues in TMC blue.
Veterans served in projects across the country for Earth Day. Protecting the environment is important to us as an extension of protecting the people who live in it. Clean air, clean water, and access to green spaces are all essential for current and future generations to thrive.
See what veterans and non-veteran community members accomplished for Earth Day!
Continue reading “Getting Rooted In Service: Earth Day 2019 in a Nutshell”
By Jeaniel Image, volunteer
This Mother’s Day I will be in my third trimester with my fourth child, who will be born while I am still serving in the reserves. In the 17 years I have served, the policy for pregnant women has changed dramatically for the better, though the demands of being a mother in the military was probably the greatest challenge I have faced.
Continue reading “My Military Motherhood”
We’re celebrating the 2019 Women Veterans Leadership Summit, which we’re developing into a new program for women veterans!
Continue reading “2019: The Last Women Veterans Leadership Summit”
The Arlington Service Platoon led its first project with Boys & Girls Club on Earth Day as we built a garden area and outdoor reading and play spaces to provide opportunities for the local youth to enjoy green space.
By Raul Juarez, Service Leadership Corps member
For over five years The Mission Continues has been an integral part of my life. Volunteering has always been important to me, but with TMC I found that sense of purpose I had lost when I separated from service. It seems that part of my life came full-circle once I joined The Mission Continues because it mirrored my decision to join the military.
Looking back, both experiences have taught me lessons which will always be a part of me, and these decisions came at critical moments in my life. In both circumstances I was lost, and I can honestly say I found my way back thanks to serving with The Mission Continues and the military.
Continue reading “Helping Others Drives Me Each Day”
By Quinton Goffinet, former platoon leader
The attacks of September 11, 2001 happened when I was a teenager. At the time, I believed our enemies had proved they were going to bring the fight to us. I wanted to bring the fight to them – on our terms, not theirs. This motivated me to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps.
I separated from the military in 2007. By that time my wife and I wanted to start a family, and I wanted to pursue a different career, one in which I could build and create. Chemistry, physics, engineering – I loved it all.
Continue reading “Planting the Seeds of Service”
The Mission Continues empowers veterans and communities to unify under a common mission, and today that mission is Earth Day. Veterans are motivated to serve, and some say it’s because we still care about the land – and the people – we once fought to protect.
The Mission Continues is taking action on Earth Day by holding service events throughout the country that help our communities conserve the environment and provide sustainable solutions to local challenges. Throughout the year, #RootedinService veterans support urban agriculture, national parks, rainwater collection, environmental education, and more. Earth Day is our chance to bring these efforts to the fore and galvanize even more support for long-term impact.
