I am frustrated, maddened and saddened to share again that suicides in the U.S. military increased in 2023, according to a Department of Defense (DoD) report released last month. The […]
Shelly Kirkland
Recent Headlines Spotlight Suicide Issue Among Active Duty Troops, Veterans
17. 22. 44. Those are three of the most notable numbers that have been floating around the Veteran suicide awareness space for at least a decade. They represent a range […]
2023 ANNUAL REPORT: A LETTER FROM OUR CEO
A Veteran friend of mine who served for 22 years lives by the mantra “Steady pressure.” In his words, steady pressure means “to be the immovable object against an unstoppable […]
Fully Committed: Finding Your Purpose Post-Service
Last week, Clint Trial, who served for more than 22 years, in our Armed Forces shared why he joined the military and what service meant to him. Read that article […]
Fully Committed: A Legacy and Life of Service
Clint Trial and I connected on social media over our penchant for witnessing sunrises, a deep love for our freedoms and the country we call home, and most importantly, those […]
My Conversation with U.S Navy Veteran on Military, Patriotism and YOU MATTER
More than a decade ago, I met Clint Bruce; if you know Clint, you know he is a connector, one who wants nothing more than for folks to find their […]
The Heartbeat of America
Do you feel your heartbeat? Is it racing? From fear? From joy? From exertion? From pain? Is it steady and slow and rejuvenating your blood flow? Twenty two years ago, […]
Why We Won’t Stop Saying “YOU MATTER”
For years, I’ve shared my point of view about the suicide rate in the Veteran and active duty military community. The theme has been the same every time: Struggles continue […]
2022 ANNUAL REPORT: A LETTER FROM OUR CEO
2022 marked five years of leadership for me at Boot Campaign. 60 months. 1,825 days. When I joined the organization in 2017, we had just launched a new Health & […]
Q&A with Level Yoga
For the last two years, yoga has become an integral part of my life; not only for the physical benefits, of which there are many, but the mental benefits most […]
The Weight of Freedom
Today and everyday I’m thinking about the freedom I’m afforded because of the more than 1.4 million service members killed in action at the hand of the enemy. The men […]
A Country United or a Country Divided?
No longer are we a country united. We are a country divided. The gap widening nearly every hour. The fabric of America has been strained, stretched and shredded, fraying from […]
The Truth About Change
I was asked recently, “Are you willing to change? Truly change?” It left me pondering not only my own personal situation, but our collective one. We often desire change, improvement, […]
Silence Isn’t Working
The holidays can be hard…hell, for some, every day feels hard. We’ve recently been reminded of the silent struggles, their far too often occurrence and ultimate, permanent and devastating end […]
2021 ANNUAL REPORT: A LETTER FROM OUR CEO
2021 was a year like no other for our veteran and military community. Continued isolation, stress and job loss caused by COVID-19, the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 and the formal […]