In December of 2015, I was at home with my family enjoying the rest of the holiday season when multiple tornadoes hit the Dallas area. We later found out that some of our friends were impacted by one of the tornados. My natural instinct was to get in the car immediately to provide the support they needed. In all honesty, I did not have a plan. I just wanted to help. 

“If I had one thing to say to my fellow veterans, it would be this: continue to serve, even though we have taken off our uniforms.” — Clay Hunt, USMC

This is where Team Rubicon found me. Through social media, I kept getting notifications about the organization and the great work they were doing in the area. The more I read about Team Rubicon’s story, the more I was convinced I needed to get involved and use the skills I developed during my time in the service to help others during natural disasters. When I completed all the necessary requirements, I received my first deployment orders with Team Rubicon, and I have not looked back. It is a great honor working alongside fellow veterans, First Responders and motivated civilians.

Since I’ve joined, there have been other weather-related incidents. But Hurricane Harvey was different. Again, I had a strong feeling that I couldn’t sit on the sidelines. When I received my orders, I was sent to Katy, TX. A local church was more than willing to accommodate us, and the community accepted us with open arms. Sleeping in cots with fellow Americans, Norwegians, Canadians and Australians, we were ready to help. As I surveyed the room, I realized we all had diverse backgrounds and various skills that we could bring to the table. But we also all have one thing in common: we were built to serve. We were ready to rebuild the local community.