John Larson’s Post

Community + Military + Trust = 😃 Often times, active duty service members will flag an issue to surrounding communities, which they could otherwise not discuss, for one reason or another. For instance, I was not initially tracking the proposed homeowners insurance rate hikes. A #marine, who lived along the coast, was told he couldn’t testify at the state capitol regarding the hikes and their impact on quality of life. So, I testified. Years back, I was quite vocal about concerns surrounding the COVID vaccine and its inconsistent implementation across the Marine Corps. Nearly every concern I voiced was merely an amplification of concerns from SEAs and COs in the greater 5 county area. Most recently, I sat through recruiting sessions which were objectively frustrating to the #Marines in the room. Politics abound, they felt they couldn’t speak up, so I took down their concerns. When we look at successful defense communities, there is one common thread across them all - they are the voice of the base. Whether it’s milcon, policy, or programming, no one knows better than the marines what is needed. But often times, no one can advocate for those things quite like their civilian counterparts. When communities listen to and effectively relay base concerns, you see success. Alternatively, when the trust between community and commands erodes, you see significant struggles. If at any point the bases cannot trust their surrounding community to properly advocate on their behalf, fissures will grow. In larger teams, like Allies for Cherry Point or NCMAC, you’ll find we tend to have passion projects, or areas we’re a bit more focused on than others. For instance, I track the budget and milcon, but solely to back-fill when someone else isn’t available in conversations. My specialty is “people.” If you need to know what the Marines are thinking about any given topic, at any given time, that’s where I come in. Whatever your passion is, identify it, lean in, and use it to support the base. #semperfi 📸: that’s my best friend ☺️ ____________ Association of Defense Communities (ADC) #marinecorps #2maw #2mef #northcarolina #militaryaffairs #milcon #defense #veteransstrengtheningamerica #betheone

All you need is 2 min in order to mobilize your lower back…. 🙆♀️ We have all felt some sort of low back discomfort and stiffness😥 whether it be from sitting a lot, injury, etc… 📣Try out this stretch with Dr. Theresa Larson DPT, CSCS, USMC, in the morning and even at night on both side to test out how your back feels before and after? ✋Comment below if you found this helpful?👇 #lowbackmobility #wellbeing #healthiswealth

Tonight, many in the States will be celebrating 248 years of independence. There will also be a cohort protecting themselves from the sounds of combat. It’s truly unfortunate that the sounds of fireworks used to celebrate mimic the sounds of mortars and bombs that not only veterans, but refugees associate with traumatic experiences. This is not to say: don’t celebrate with fireworks. Rather, be congnizant of your neighbors. Many vets are prepared for tonight wirh support groups, meds, alternative therapies, and meditation. But, they may not be prepared for a random Tuesday or Sunday. If you dont don’t care about people, then consider the many animals who are tormented by the sound. If you plan on having a fireworks extravaganza, meet with your neighbors, put up signs to help others plan. Also, be smart and be safe tonight, and Happy Fourth of July to those who celebrate. #safety #fireworks #veterans #awareness

If you recall a few months ago, the United States Marine Corps released their latest #DoDSkillBridge instruction which mirrored the Navy's. It was rescinded within a few days because it wasn't actually "approved". Well, now it is approved. Most of us think about #SkillBridge from the service member perspective. But there are other perspectives to consider... ✅ The military will remain the military, and each CO has a certain level of readiness to maintain with their Unit ✅ #SkillBridgeOpportunities are a luxury and not a right. Each service member should understand that they'll be transitioning at some point, and utilize the other programs available to them (i.e. COOL) in order to best prepare themselves for Life 2.0 ➡️➡️ While I won't ague against the need for transitioning resources for the military community, what other industry / job / or company do you know of that is willing to pay you full-time and not receive any immediate benefit from doing so❓❓ It's not cheap to keep a service member employed and not receive a direct benefit of their employment 💯 There's still a need for the DOD to narrow down who should be participating in the program. #SkillBridge wasn't designed to support 200K #TransitioningServiceMembers each year. It was originally designed to support service members who have MOS's that don't specifically translate into civilian work. If you do cyber, and want to continue doing cyber post military, consider your #SkillBridge approval a gift. If you're a tank driver, or Boatswain Mate, #SkillBridge was designed for you. Thoughts on the new instruction?

Did You Know... ...that Bross & Frankel, P.A. is proud to support local organizations dedicated to making our community a better place for all? For the upcoming 2024 year, we have selected to support the following three worthwhile organizations: Project Help, Inc - a support system for veterans and their families who need help during and after their transition from military to civilian life New Jersey Future - an organization promoting long-term sustainable growth and prosperity in New Jersey Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife - a local South Jersey rehabilitation center for injured and displaced wildlife We encourage you to visit their pages and learn more about supporting the missions important to their organizations. #brossandfrankel #brossfrankel #disabilitylawyers #disabilityattorneys #socialsecuritydisability #SSD #SSDI #longtermdisability #LTD #veteransdisability #veteransaffairs #veteransbenefits #workerscompensation #personalinjury #DidYouKnow #corporatesponsors #corporatesupporters #sponsors #supporters #proudtopartner

🦅🌎⚓ USMC Veteran Bill Lipke shares his transformative journey with Mind-Eye Institute's brain glasses, overcoming 20 years of injury-related challenges. Bill struggled for 20 years with the residual effects of head and left-eye injuries that he sustained during infantry field exercises at Camp Pendleton, California. He recalls thinking the symptoms would be his “new normal — the way life is going to be,” but that was before he learned about the work of the Mind-Eye Institute. "The Mind-Eye Institute has made me realize that one’s life does not have to remain in the ‘new normal’... You have alternatives... What they've done for me has transformed my life; it has [positively] changed my relationship with my wife, my children, my co-workers, my friends. I am actually becoming the person I once was before my [head] injury." 📖 Read his full story: https://lnkd.in/gziWv_ej 📞 If you or someone you know have suffered a brain injury or just feel "something is off," connect with one of our patient advocates today and see if coming to our clinic would be a good fit. https://lnkd.in/gisbdwFG or call 847-984-3156 ext. 1 #veterans #braininjury #braininjuryawareness #braininjuryawarenessmonth

False Equivalencies & Veteran Non Profits Going back to Cameron Cushman’s post from last week (which clearly gave me a weeks worth of journaling) I noticed a disturbing trend - the lumping of all veteran non profits into one category, only to compare them against each other. You cannot compare the VFW to The Fallen Outdoors. Similarly, you cannot compare The American Legion to Project Healing Waters and Patrol Base Abbate. While there may be some overlap, in that all of these organizations seek to enhance the lives of veterans and military, they each have vastly different approaches in achieving this goal. Rather than seeking to compare apples to oranges, I would challenge everyone to consider the purpose of the organization they are critiquing? Are they meeting their goals? Are they, to steal a line from Courtney Steffen, pursuing their purpose? This is not a zero-sum game. The success of one organization is not the detriment of another. 📸: TFO, PHWFF, and PBA exist to get #veterans outside and teach them new skills, enabling them to find healing in nature. I personally recommend each org, they’re amazing and do incredible things for veterans. I caught my first catfish with TFO Team VA! The VFW has some of *the best* advocates I have ever known. Lesson? Go join them all. ♥️ #veteransaffairs #veteransstrengtheningamerica #fishing #sempeefi

Build a brand is hard work. As leaders, we shape more than colors and font. We build heart, vision, and capacity to believe in the mission. Being involved with a de-novo npo has given this statement a whole new meaning. #Service #Healing #Hope #firstresponders #veterans #wheelchair #ChooseJoy #ArmedFroces #LawEnforcement #FireDepartment #EMS #nonprofit #firstrespondermentalhealth #veteranmentalhealth

Aside from the fact that this should be gender neutral since everyone in uniform can share these experiences, the image itself is a "shatter glass" moment for how I view a military "rack." As a brand new Airman, I would often go out of my way to collect them. I wanted a big rack because I thought it looked cool. Then I got older and amassed quite a few of them. The Air Force has a tendency to give ribbons for a lot of things. I then started to feel the burden of the cost. One set for the blues jacket, one for your blues shirt lest you take off your jacket and be labeled a dirt bag for not having one on both shirt and jacket (actual conversation with a Chief). Let's not forget your Mess Dress, which nearly doubles the cost for one rack because we all want the tiny medals. Ultimately, I was able to get a quick synopsis of a person by glancing at what was on their rack. How many years served, how many deployments, how often did you see combat, heck, even if you kept your nose clean. Thanks to this image, I don't think I'll read a rack the same way. The toll on my family after two decades is immeasurable. I know they are more resilient because of the moves and experiences, but I'm not sure it was worth the cost. While I'm proud of my service, I don't think I'll feel the same about that rack in my shadowbox going forward. What are your thoughts on this take of our decorations and ribbons?

Veterans, is your state on the list? Here are the top ten states for veteran benefits you need to know! ⬇️ #1. Texas #2. Florida #3. Alaska #4. Nevada #5. Illinois #6. Virginia #7. North Carolina #8. New York #9. Georgia #10. Pennsylvania 👉 For more information on veteran benefits by state, check out our blog! ⬇️ #beststatesforveterans #veteranbenefitsbystate #Veteranbenefits #Veteranresources #Veterans #disabledveteran