If you are not familiar with Team Rubicon, it is an entirely volunteer emergency response organization made up of primarily veterans and first responders. They are your neighbors, Little League coaches, and PTO Moms who "used to be" soldiers. We donate our skills and time to the cause. For me, it might be fundraising, tech writing, project management, or the occasional clean up mission.

The Team provides great PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). If you live in Moore, they were here for you last year. They were in Haiti, they were helping after Hurricane Sandy and Branson/Joplin - the list goes on and on. These Veterans with PTSD are still choosing to fight for us and alongside us.

For the Vets that I advise that are 0300 or infantry, I suggest joining Team Rubicon. The disaster training you gain will make you a great addition to any workplace. For the clients and Human Resource Managers who cannot figure out how to staff infantry veterans, remember this: find something that needs DOING, by someone who continues to fight.

My story of coming to Team Rubicon is below.

Sincerely,
Amy Goley

How I Joined Team Rubicon

My friend Trevor and I met in Oklahoma City when he was on recruiting duty and I was getting ready to leave for boot camp training in Parris Island, South Carolina. Eleven days before I was due to leave, Trevor and I were getting ready to meet everyone after a basketball game. Suddenly, we looked up and saw what seemed like solid rock in liquid form swallow the sky. It was April 1995, the day of the Oklahoma City bombing.

It was mass chaos and babies were crying and Trevor knew we were no good to our men there. We set up a temporary HQ in City Office where I answered phones and he made calls to every hospital in the area asking about our Marines. We went to 4 hospitals, got status reports on the ones that were in surgery, picked up the CO, who left the hospital against medical advice and was standing in front waiting on us in a hospital gown and blue trousers. After those 11 days with "my Marines", there was very little that could shake me during basic training. I wanted to BE those guys. These guys were DOERS.

After Trevor left the Marines, he joined the National Guard. We continued to talk every every year in April. where I eventually left the Marines, Trevor could never "leave" for good. He continued to serve in the National Guard and deployed to Iraq.

On July 17th, Trev messaged me the link to Team Rubicon on Facebook:

TREVOR: I am joining this, have you heard of them?"
Me: I will check it out.
TREVOR: Join. Tell Billy too.

I joined. Eleven days after Trevor sent me the message, I looked on Facebook. I found out he was with Team Rubicon, fighting a wildfire in Washington state. He continues to be a man of action. I am hoping he makes it home safely for his wedding. It's three weeks away!