TMS Rob Anders

Newtown is a marvelous place, a charming little New England town nestled among the rolling hills of western Connecticut. The center of the town boasts a 100-foot-tall flagpole in the middle of Main Street. At its top, the American flag waves high above the churches there, the General Store, the Old Inn, Proud Mary’s Tavern and the Edmond Town Hall, which shows $2 movies on Saturday nights. Just down the road is the town library, the Newtown Bee printing press and everyone’s favorite little ice cream parlor. Among the farms and tucked-away neighborhoods, the sprawling trees are old, stately and magnificent in autumn. The annual Labor Day Parade brings out the entire town in red, white and blue and everyone marches from the Veteran’s War Memorial down past the giant flagpole to the Ram Pasture, ending at the Middle School.

The parade is the only thing that ends at a school in Newtown; everything else begins there. The center of the community has forever been Newtown’s children. The community pours its heart and soul into its young people. The schools are excellent and the town is replete with athletic fields, playgrounds and opportunities to explore, learn and grow. The town thrives only because its children thrive, and they do so because it’s a place of strong values, virtue, faith and tolerance.

Newtown represents all that is good about America, stretching back to the Revolutionary War when Rochambeau’s troops camped there as they marched with General George Washington en route to Yorktown in 1781. Since then, it has become the home of Olympic athletes, Eagle Scouts, state champions (NHS Girls Soccer & U11 Little League in 2012), artists, businessmen, musicians, volunteers and public servants all who give back. It’s a place where you’re bound to bump into a friend at the grocery store, or where the barber will cheer your name when you walk in, even if it’s been 10 years since your last haircut there. It’s even the birthplace of Scrabble, where the first game of words with friends was played in 1948.

Newtown is America the way Norman Rockwell painted it. Not everyone is from Newtown, but there’s a little part of Newtown in every part of this country. The quilted community that Newtown has stitched so tight and with such great devotion has been desecrated in a way that tears at the very fabric of America.

Please consider making a donation (https://newtown.uwwesternct.org/), however small, to those most profoundly affected.

On Friday, October 26, 2012, 15 Tillman Military Scholars (TMS) converged in my hometown of Flint, Michigan to build group unity, network and perform community service. Flint is not the ideal community you think of when people discuss regional gatherings of any kind. It has received a gauntlet of negative media because of its violent crime, depressed economy, high unemployment rate and an even higher rate of poverty. However, Flint is slowly on the rebound and I was happy to be able to share its revitalization with my fellow TMS. We took them to one new local hangout in the redeveloped downtown area and spent some time on campus at the University of Michigan-Flint. If Flint were the “city on a hill”, the University of Michigan-Flint would definitely be the shining jewel at the hilltop. UM-Flint has experienced significant growth during and what many called have called ‘the hardest economic times Flint has ever had to endure’.  Chancellor Ruth Person and the University of Michigan-Flint are dedicated to providing the very best support to student Veterans.

Tillman Military Scholars met with UM-Flint Chancellor Ruth Person at last month's Regional Gathering on the campus.

On Saturday, we performed community service at Carriage Town Ministries (CTM), a local community service agency that has been providing free food, shelter and clothing to individuals and families in need since 1950. Words can’t express the level gratitude I have for my fellow TMS who took time out of their busy lives to come to my city and serve my community members who need it most. On the surface it would appear that the group of TMS had no solid connection to those they were helping; only a couple of us had historical ties to the Flint community. Yet as I sat in the van as we pulled away from the parking lot of CTM, it struck me that this service opportunity was about more than physical community connections.

Tillman Military Scholars performed a community service project at Carriage Town Ministries in Flint, MI.

It was about strengthening the human spirit of a community who would walk into CTM the next day for services. The actions of the TMS were an honest reflection of their integrity and selflessness. It spoke volumes of the impact that military servicemembers stand to make beyond their military service requirements. It is at THAT moment, riding away in that van, that I felt we collectively embodied the legacy of Pat Tillman and I was most proud to be a Tillman Military Scholar and a part of this unique community.

Many servicemembers who served in Iraq are eager to engage in building a positive partnership with the people of that country.

Last week at Phillips Academy,  the U.S. Cultural Affairs Office in Baghdad collaborated with Phillips to celebrate “Non Sibi Day” on October 6. “Non Sibi” – meaning “Not for Oneself” – is the school’s motto. Non Sibi Day is a day of global service at Phillips Academy, one of the top college-preparatory schools in the United States located in Andover, Massachusetts. Phillips Academy alumni, current students and parents representing the school’s diverse community gathered to support Baghdadi school kids.

The Harvard Club of Andover and Parents of Students at Phillips Academy (PSPA) teamed up to collect and donate school backpacks and other supplies to school kids in Baghdad. It was great to see parents and students writing letters to Iraqi kids they have never met!

Volunteers at Phillips Academy collected backpacks to donate to school children in Baghdad, Iraq.

A couple of veterans from the Iraq War were present, and the feedback from those who participated in the project was very positive. The past decade has formed a strong shared history between the U.S. and Iraq. Community and cross-cultural projects that encourage Iraqis and Americans to interact and work with each other can positively impact the future of two nation’s relationship.

Last week I participated in the 3rd annual Pat Tillman Leadership Summit, a three-day program designed to introduce new Tillman Military Scholars to the Tillman Community, in College Park, Maryland. The first day of the Summit allowed new Scholars to meet one another, as well as Network Scholars and the staff of the Pat Tillman Foundation. Marie Tillman welcomed us that first evening and shared with us her story of how Pat’s death while serving in Afghanistan inspired her to create the Pat Tillman Foundation. Day one was especially important to the new Scholars because we were able to get to know one another and learn each other’s stories of service, sacrifice and triumph. It was truly humbling to be among such a remarkable group of people, and each Scholar that I spoke with thought the same thing I did: how did they pick me from this group of amazing people?

The second day opened with a panel on the Community Blueprint Network, and then the group split between a Veteran Entrepreneurship Panel and a Career Marketing panel. I attended the Career Marketing Panel and learned how to tell the story of who I am and what the military taught me and how that can be translated onto a resume. In a chance set of events, one of the panelists at the Veteran Entrepreneurship Panel was a gentleman that I served with in the Army. It was great to see him again and do some networking with him and the other panelists. For the remainder of the second day, the Scholars volunteered in a Day of Service in the Washington, D.C. area. My group spent several hours with the residents of Vinson Hall discussing health care and technology. Vinson Hall is a retirement community supported by the Navy Marine Coast Guard Residence Foundation in McLean, VA. The residents we spoke to were great people, and I enjoyed hearing their life stories and learning their views on issues that we all face in today’s world.

The third day of the Summit was spent on Capitol Hill visiting Congressional leaders. I was lucky enough to lead the Arizona delegation on Capitol Hill in a meeting with Senator John McCain. Meeting Senator McCain was a lifelong dream come true. As an Arizona native, I have followed his political career since I was about 16. I have always admired war heroes and politicians, and Senator McCain is both. He served in the U.S. Navy as an aviator during the Vietnam War and was captured as a Prisoner of War in 1967. He remained a POW in Hanoi until 1973. He moved to Arizona in 1981 and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona’s First Congressional District in 1982, and then to the U.S. Senate in 1986. He is currently the senior United States Senator from Arizona and the ranking member of the Senate Armed Forces Committee.

Tillman Military Scholars from Arizona State University and University of Arizona with Senator John McCain.

The Arizona delegation met with Senator McCain for nearly an hour. Just being in his presence was awe inspiring; I was definitely star struck. Senator McCain invited us into his office, congratulated us on being chosen as Tillman Military Scholars and asked us to sit in the chairs and couches in his office. He spoke to us for 20 minutes about current policy and issues and then asked us to introduce ourselves. When I introduced myself and stated that I was studying law, I discovered that the Senator has a sense of humor. After jokingly stating that the world doesn’t need more lawyers, he asked what the difference is between a lawyer and a catfish. The answer, of course, is that one is a scum-sucking bottom feeder and the other is a fish. After introductions and brief discussions about our areas of study, Senator McCain invited us to ask questions of him. The immediate questions were about his stance on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and SB1070. Senator McCain spoke very candidly about both issues; he did not offer canned responses. I worked in the Arizona Legislature and I am very familiar with SB1070 and all of the issues surrounding it, but Senator McCain offered an explanation that included ideas I had never heard before. He also spoke about Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Sheriff Arpaio is usually a taboo subject in Arizona politics, but again, Senator McCain spoke openly about his thoughts on the Sheriff. All together, we spoke with the Senator for about an hour. That hour reinforced my confidence in him as a U.S. Senator, and as my hero.

This past weekend I was able to attend the Clinton Global Initiative University at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. While there, I was able to connect with Tillman Military Scholars Amanda Thomson, Elizabeth O’Herrin and Cameron Waites, and attend with fellow Tillman Scholar-ASU Tyler Eltringham.

TS-ASU Tyler Eltringham, TMS Amanda Thomson, TS-ASU Priya Nathan and TMS Cameron Waites arrive at GWU for CGI U.

The experience was beyond amazing and the Tillman Scholar presence was strong as it has been at the past four conferences. Over 1,000 students from all 50 states, 82 countries and more than 300 universities were in attendance this past weekend.

During the Saturday sessions, I attended a panel on Education Reform, which helped inform the direction I am heading next with a position in Teach for America. Other sessions followed the topics of climate change, poverty and global health. I also attended one of the offered skills session, this one on how to raise money for an idea/project.

Tillman Scholars-ASU Priya Nathan and Tyler Eltringham on campus at George Washington University.

CGIU is a great way for an individual who has an idea to turn that idea into action. All of the panels (featuring individuals such as Usher, Kristen Bell, Jon Stewart and Madeline Albright) were informative and helped to drive home the importance of any idea to change a community, no matter how big or how small. Plus, as attendees, we got to interact with President Clinton and learn about what he is doing to change the world after his service as our President.

TS-ASU Priya Nathan (left) serves alongside President Clinton at the CGI U Day of Service.

Not only did we attend the conference sessions, we snuck in some time for Georgetown Cupcakes and some sightseeing in our nation’s Capitol City. And participated in the CGI U Day of Service, where we had the opportunity to serve in D.C.’s Ward 7 alongside President Clinton, current NFL WRs and Rhodes Scholar and Army veteran Wes Moore.

Donté Stallworth (New England Patriots WR), Anthony Armstrong (Washington Redskins WR), TMS Elizabeth O'Herrin, Torrey Smith (Baltimore Ravens WR) and TS-ASU Priya Nathan at the CGI U Day of Service.

This weekend was an amazing trip with memorable experiences (I got to shake President Clinton’s hand and discuss his vegan diet!) and opportunities to connect with fellow Scholars around the country!

Visit the Pat Tillman Foundation Facebook page to see some more pictures.

Last weekend, a dozen Tillman Military Scholars met in Eugene, Oregon, on the campus of the University of Oregon for the Tillman Military Scholars Northwest Regional Gathering. The cool wet climate of the Pacific Northwest provided a change of pace for Scholars traveling from as far away as Texas and Arizona. In between workshops covering team building, leadership, career decisions and effective communication, Scholars worked hard to spruce up a low income housing complex, toured the first-class Oregon Duck athletic facilities, and spent time building the Tillman Community network.

Tillman Military Scholars take part in leadership training and team building activities at the University of Oregon.

To kick off the weekend, we met on Friday night for dinner in the atrium of the John Jaqua Academic Center and were introduced to leadership expert Bill Grace, who provided an illuminating experience as he helped us look within ourselves to find our core values – a theme that would continue throughout the weekend. Saturday morning we met for an incredible team building workshop with Nancy Heapes. Group juggling, flipping a parachute and placing a ball in a bucket seem like simple enough tasks; however, they proved difficult for a group of leaders. Some of us found our voice while others found our “mute button.” We all found friends and all of us left for lunch hungry. After dinning on Sy’s world famous pizza, we met with Bill Grace for a second time. Bill is an amazing speaker. It is impossible for me to accurately depict the intensity of our discussions. But, by the end of the afternoon we were all contemplating how we can use our core values in order to work towards the “common good.”

Later Saturday afternoon we had the opportunity to tour the un-paralleled Duck athletic facilities. Walking down the tunnel that my Ducks traverse prior to each game was, I hope, as exciting for everyone else as it was for me! However, the training tables covered in Maserati leather, the underwater treadmills and the 117,000 square-foot indoor football field all took a back seat to the 2012 Pac-12 and Rose Bowl trophies!

Tillman Military Scholars stop for a photo on the 50-yard line of Autzen Stadium during a tour the University of Oregon athletic facilities.

Sunday morning Scholars attended workshops on career development and effective communication. In the afternoon the Tillman Military Scholars teamed with approximately 25 volunteers from the UO Law School’s Public Interest Public Service program (PIPS) to serve a low-income housing complex operated by St. Vincent de Paul. Scholars and PIPS volunteers painted a community room and laundry facility, removed weeds and laid bark-mulch in playground areas and around buildings. They also began preparations for a raised community garden to be used in the near future by residents of the complex.

Tillman Military Scholars lead a service effort at St. Vincent de Paul's veterans housing.

Scholars ended the weekend with a tour of the Rogue Brewery in downtown Eugene. Dinner provided one last opportunity for Scholars to swap stories and build relationships. The weekend gathering was filled with fun engaging activities that provided, at least for me, plenty of life-defining moments. I can only hope to be a part of another Regional Gathering soon!

TMS Dane Parker and April Ellsworth working in Vet Court.

The University of Arizona Tillman Military Scholar law students also help the Vet Court’s presiding judge, Hon. Michael Pollard (a Vietnam vet), with the Tucson Stand Down and provide a continuing legal education session to Arizona’s attorneys in order to help lawyers understand veterans as clients.

TMS April Ellsworth with Judge Pollard at the Tucson Stand Down.

Next semester, they will begin appeals of denials of VA benefits and assist Arizona’s Native vet population with legal matters specific to the Tribes.

The veteran’s advocacy center is being directed by alumni TMS and recent Rogers College of Law graduate Kris Carlson.

Tillman Military Scholars April Ellsworth, Matt Randle, Kris Carlson and Dane Parker in the Vet Clinic office at Rogers College of Law.

Service and Awareness Events

New York City

New York City Tillman Military Scholars joined with MissionServe, Bank of America and HBO, along with PTF staff members, to prepare emergency packets for homeless veterans in the city. Before the project, they also braved the cold to talk about their efforts on Good Morning America.

TMS Rudy Rickner (right) joins fellow Veterans Day volunteers on Good Morning America.

People Magazine Photo Shoot

NYU TMS Korey Calloway and Lyndsey Anderson joined PTF President Marie Tillman for a People Magazine photo shoot for a “Heroes Among Us” article.

TMS Korey Calloway and Lyndsey Anderson with Marie Tillman.

Blue Bloods Set Visit

PTF Program Coordinator Cara Hammer joined Team Tillman and PTF partner veterans on set in Brooklyn with Donnie Wahlberg, Tom Selleck and Bridget Moynahan.

PTF Program Coordinator Cara Hammer with Tom Selleck and PTF veteran supporters.

San Diego

Robin, Yana and her husband Arthur prepared lunch and dinner for the residents of the Veterans Village of San Diego while they marched in the San Diego County Veterans Day Parade. When the residents returned, TMS served lunch to over 300 residents and family members alongside some of VVSD’s current residents. Later, there was a brief ceremony/celebration of the Marine Corps’ 236th Birthday with Arthur being asked to help cut the cake as he was the youngest Marine on site. For those not familiar with Marine Corps Birthday tradition, the oldest Marine and youngest Marine take part in cutting the birthday cake.

TMS Robin Williams (middle left) and Yana Mukvich (right) with Yana's husband Arthur.

Los Angeles

Along with other volunteers, TMS Nicole Hart, Peter Thomas and Tristan Dyer planted approximately 40 Valencia trees at the VA Westwood campus in Los Angeles. As Nicole states it, “The energy of the day was rich with the willingness to serve; to give back to those, past and present, who have given so much to this country. It was an honor to be a part of such a day!”

TMS Nicole Hart, Peter Thomas and Tristan Dyer (with friend).

Tampa Bay

A week prior to Veterans Day, TMS Dave Warden, Grey Leonard and Josiah Hill rehabbed stables and riding areas for the Quantum Leap Farms, an equine therapy center serving disabled children and military in the Tampa area.

TMS Dave Warden and Josiah Hill.

University of South Florida

TMS Grey Leonard was the Master of Ceremonies as members of the Special Operations Parachute Demonstration Team kicked off the second annual Veterans Week Celebration at the University of South Florida Tuesday with a drop on the green next to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza.

TMS Grey Leonard.

Michigan

University of Michigan-Flint TMS Kyle Caywood and Tiffany Johnson were recognized by their Chancellor at the Veterans Day program – where Kyle served as MC. Later the next week, they met up with University of Michigan TMS John Shriver and Lindsay Compton to discuss Pat’s Run in April 2012.

Michigan TMS Kyle Caywood, John Shriver, Tiffany Johnson and Lindsay Compton.

Baltimore

TMS Rich Blake spoke with WYPR – Baltimore’s local NPR station – about Veterans Day and the work he and fellow veterans are conducting in local Baltimore neighborhoods. Listen to Rich’s interview.

TMS Rick Blake (2nd from left) in studio at Baltimore's WYPR.

University of Maryland

TMS Shelly Burgoyne spoke at the University of Maryland’s annual Veterans Day celebration.

Look for her at the end of this video.

Harvard

Harvard Business School’s annual Veterans Day Ceremony, spearheaded by TMS Danny Cho, welcomed 300 people to the HBS’s Armed Forces Alumni Association “Leadership Through Service” celebration and reception. Danny gave the welcoming speech, followed by Ian Walsh, SVP of Textron Systems and the club’s founding member, and Charles Bolden, the current NASA Administrator spoke about their views on what it means to be a veteran and what value veterans bring to the workforce.

TMS Danny Cho.

San Jose

Pat Tillman Foundation board member Alex Garwood participated in an honorary puck drop when the San Jose Sharks hosted the Phoenix Coyotes over Veterans Day weekend.

PTF Board Member Alex Garwood drops the opening puck. Pictured here with team captains Joe Thornton and Shane Doan.

Public Recognitions

Tillman Military Scholars were publicly recognized for Veterans Day on campuses across the country:

PTF Program Coordinator (center) with University of Maryland TMS Roel Mora, Kevin Kim, Josie O’Regan and Louis Thorne at the 4th Annual Veterans Reception.

San Diego State University TMS Yana Mukvich and Robin Williams recognized during the SDSU vs. University of Wyoming football game.

University of Oregon TMS Jeff Meray, Bryan Boender, Ryan Williams and Kelly Christensen recognized at the Veterans Day Ceremony.

Texas A&M University TMS Susan Stallings, Marisela Spangler and Cameron McCoy are recognized at the Veterans Day Brunch.

PTF Director of Programs Hunter I Riley alongside Mississippi State University TMS Mark Edwards, Janice Cunningham, Trish Pohlhaus, Ryan Bear, Samantha Hill and Catherine Turner at Veterans Day Scholarship Dinner.

University of South Florida TMS Josiah Hill, Dave Warden and Grey Leonard are recognized on the field at the USF vs. University of Miami football game.

University of Arizona TMS April Ellsworth, Martin Stahl and Matt Randle are recognized on the field at the Arizona State vs. Arizona football game (standing next to the PT42 gate).

To top off Veterans Day celebrations and events, NFL-Tillman Military Scholar D’Onior Felton will be recognized on the field at the December 11 Washington Redskins game.

TMS Roel Mora, Brian Wotring and Caleb Lesselles support fellow TMS Liz O'Herrin during the 2011 Marine Corps Marathon.

Out on the courses to cheer them on were Tillman Military Scholars and Pat Tillman Foundation staff members – showing appreciation for the marathoners and carrying them through the race with encouragement. The following Tillman Military Scholars also joined the ranks of Team Tillman marathoners:

Steve Buchanan, Bank of America Chicago Marathon: 4:26:58

Elizabeth O’Herrin, Marine Corps Marathon: 5:29:31

Michael Trent, ING New York City Marathon: 3:06:41

This past weekend I attended the Pat Tillman Foundation’s first ever Tillman Military Scholar Regional Gathering held in breezy and bright Tampa, Florida. In all, 10 of my fellow Tillman Military Scholars joined me at this more intimate gathering which began on Friday evening with an inspirational discussion with Marie Tillman and three of my peers. At the height of the weekend, we spent an afternoon working on a service project at the local VA hospital.

Tillman Military Scholars at the James A. Haley VA Nursing Home where they beautified "Haley's Cove."

Our hosts, the veterans of the University of South Florida, made a positive impression on all of the Scholars and I am sure some of their stories will be retold alongside our own within our community for some time. I enjoyed the opportunity to act as a Tillman Community ambassador of sorts, encouraging these veterans to apply in February.

Some Scholars I had met previously at the Pat Tillman Legacy Summit in July and some were brand new to me; regardless, we were all fast friends sitting together in the end-zone while the Buccaneers chewed up the Saints’ backfield on our last evening in Tampa. Why were we all together? The Kurdish poet, Kahlil Gibran, once said, “you give but little when you give your possessions. It is when you give yourself that you truly give.”

Tillman Military Scholars enjoy the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game.

I really don’t know how it happens, if it is organic, or engineered, or both, but the sense of companionship and purpose that I find between myself and other Scholars is almost tangible. This weekend seemed just as much an idea incubator as it did a leadership and team building event. Interspersed between laughing myself to tears while suspended 40 feet in the air at the ropes course, being a fulcrum stabilizer on the balance challenge and learning some of the ingredients to effective face-to-face networking, I found myself working through problems with other Scholars as we all endeavor to serve. If we look to Gibran’s take on giving, the Scholars present this weekend, are the wealthiest givers that I know; they are giving themselves to service and I am proud to be in their number.