Mike Conklin

A Sentinel’s Journey – from Soldier to Entrepreneur

August 12, 2019 by Mike Conklin Leave a Comment

William “Prime” Hall served our nation for more than twelve years in the Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC), which took him to areas such as Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

During a combat deployment to Afghanistan, his unit suffered heavy fire from multiple rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). The attack left Prime with a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), migraine headaches, dizziness and vertigo, and loss of memory. The years of hard service also left him with debilitating back injuries. He was forced into medical retirement with no clear plans for his future.

Prime decided to pursue his Executive MBA from the University of Southern California which focuses on entrepreneurial strategies. It was then that Sentinels of Freedom stepped in with financial support to help him work his way through the program and attain his goal of becoming an entrepreneur.

Utilizing his education and MARSOC training, Prime attained his dream of founding two businesses: Underwater Torpedo League (UTL) and Deep End Fitness. SOF connected him with the proper mentorship and meaningful network which allowed him to successfully launch these endeavors, and to make plans to take them nationwide

“SOF has given me the support I needed so that I could focus on the strategic priorities and goals that I wanted to set getting out of the military. Can’t say enough about this organization!”

Prime recently was selected as one of the Top 100 Best and Brightest Executive MBAs in the country for 2019! If you would like to help more deserving wounded veterans like Prime, please donate today at www.sentinelsoffreedom.org.

Sentinel’s Success Story

June 11, 2019 by Mike Conklin Leave a Comment

There are all kinds of story tellers in the world. The great ones tell their stories from the heart, they make them personal and meaningful. Marlene Rodriguez, the first woman to join the Military Order of the Purple Heart, has a story to tell—a story about perseverance and dedication. A story with a happy ending.

Marlene completed three combat duty deployments to Iraq as a heavy-wheeled vehicle operator. During her first deployment, the vehicle she was driving took a direct hit from an improvised explosive device (IED). She was knocked unconscious and suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Marlene’s passenger died and she struggled with survivor’s guilt. On her third deployment to Iraq, Marlene’s vehicle again took a direct hit by an IED. This time she was left with shrapnel wounds throughout her body and suffered another TBI, which left her with a severe seizure disorder. Marlene spent over two years in the hospital recovering from her injuries and trying to get her seizures under control. The seizure disorder has been very challenging for her, but she has learned that staying active and sticking to a healthy diet help. That’s the idea that ignited Marlene’s passion for helping other veterans through recreation.

Sentinels of Freedom (SOF) assisted Marlene while she faced the hardships of her transition, providing financial and personal support and mentoring. “Since being a part of SOF, I was able to study more and stay much more focused without worrying about how I’m going to get through the months financially. Thank you SOF for the opportunity and the support,” Marlene gratefully acknowledges.

She used her resources to overcome the memorization issues the TBI caused. Despite the odds stacked against her, she completed her associate’s degree from Northwest Vista College and has just recently completed her bachelor’s degree in recreational administration from Texas State University.

Congratulations Marlene. It is an honor to have been a part of your journey. Your SOF family is so very proud of you.

If you would like to help other severely wounded veteran’s like Marlene, please support their dreams and goals by making a donation through sentinelsoffreedom.org today.

A Community Event You Don’t Want to Miss

March 12, 2019 by Mike Conklin Leave a Comment

Next month we will be hosting our Annual Sentinels of Freedom Gala. I invite our entire community to join together to support these wounded veterans; to give them the strength and encouragement they need to finish their educational journeys.

It is amazing what these self-motivated individuals have accomplished. To listen to their stories and understand who they are and want to become is such a source of inspiration for me in my own life.

This year, our Sentinel, Johnnie Yellock II, a retired staff sergeant from the US Air Force, will be sharing his journey. Johnnie served two combat tours in the Middle East as an Air Force Special Operations combat controller.

On his second deployment to Afghanistan Johnnie’s vehicle convoy detonated an improvised electronic device (IED). The blast propelled him up and over the vehicle. When he regained consciousness, the first thing he saw was the bottoms of his feet pointing at him, and a lot of blood loss. He sustained compound fractures to both lower extremities and endured more than 3 years of rehab, a year in a wheelchair and 31 surgeries to salvage his legs. He left the service with a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.

“SOF came into my life at a time of a lot of uncertainty to help bring clarity surrounding work, school and finances.”

Johnnie works part-time while completing his MBA from Southern Methodist University, but realizes the guidance and support provided by SOF has made all the difference in his successes. Johnnie lives in the Dallas area and gives back by volunteering for various organizations that support the underserved youth in his community.

Please join Johnnie and his fellow Sentinels on April 13, 2019, at the Blackhawk Museum in Danville. To learn more and purchase tickets and sponsorships, please visit www.sentinelsoffreedom.org/2019-GALA

We hope to see you there!

Sentinels of Freedom Gala

February 9, 2019 by Mike Conklin Leave a Comment

We would like to cordially invite you and your friends to spend an evening with Sentinels of Freedom at our Annual Gala. The evening is filled with inspiring and heartfelt stories of our Sentinels, great food, and community camaraderie.

The Gala is a wonderful way to honor our Sentinels, as well as other local veterans in attendance. Listening to their heroic journeys from their military careers to overcoming their injuries to their educational successes is something you don’t want to miss! We host the event to bring the community together to celebrate the achievements of our incredible Sentinels and your part in their journey from military to civilian life. Your help provides them with a way to complete their education and make new lives for themselves.

You will have the opportunity to meet Sentinels like Derek Abbey, a 23 year Marine Corps veteran, who will be graduating this spring with a PhD in Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego; Sentinel Chris Lamy, a 10 ½ year Air Force veteran, pursuing a law degree from Louisiana State University; and Sentinel Joshua Smith who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Services and Administration with a 4.0 GPA! The list continues with so many more journeys to hear—it truly is something special.

The Sentinels of Freedom Annual Gala will be held on April 13, 2019, at the Blackhawk Museum in Danville. To learn more and purchase tickets and sponsorships, please visit www.sentinelsoffreedom.org/2019-GALA

We hope to see you there!

New Year Fresh Start

January 9, 2019 by Mike Conklin Leave a Comment

Happy New Year 2019! A new year brings with it hope and fresh starts. Sentinels of Freedom brings both of those to the severely wounded veterans in our program.

One of our local Sentinels, Joshua Chinn, grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and joined the Army after high school. He served our country for eight years.

While in Iraq, his vehicle was attacked and struck by an improvised explosive device (IED). He suffered extensive injuries including multiple broken bones, a shattered hip, three gunshot wounds, over 75 pieces of shrapnel lodged in his legs, and a traumatic brain injury (TBI). His heart stopped beating twice before reaching the hospital in Germany. It took three months and over 50 surgeries before he could even get out of bed. Still, he considers himself lucky to be alive.

Joshua on a bike ride with President Bush

Joshua has found a new purpose in life through an internship with the HERO Corps (Human Exploitation and Rescue Operatives) where he hunts down child predators in cyberspace to stop child exploitation and abuse. It was during the first phase of the unpaid internship that Joshua connected with SOF. The financial assistance SOF provides has been invaluable to the survival of Joshua and his family.

In addition to the financial support, SOF connected Joshua with a local team of mentors to assist with getting him settled back into the Bay Area. He currently lives in the East Bay with his wife and their two young boys while he completes his internship with Homeland Security in San Francisco. The fresh start he received thanks to the generosity of our family of donors has given him and his family hope for the future.

Please help more wounded veterans get a fresh start and bring hope into their lives! Consider donating to Sentinels of Freedom today.

www.sentinelsoffreedom.org/donate

Thankful

December 10, 2018 by Mike Conklin Leave a Comment

During this holiday season, I am reminded of how very thankful I am for my family and friends, and my extended family in the Sentinels we serve.

Franchon Powell, one of our Sentinels, has much to be thankful for. After struggling to complete high school, she joined the army and trained to become a combat medic.

During Franchon’s initial deployment to Iraq her convoy was attacked. While tending to an injured solider, she was hit by a blast from a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) that violently threw her to the ground. The impact separated and broke her pelvis and left her with a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). The chronic pain is a constant reminder of the events ofthat fateful day.

Franchon, however, would not give up. She would refocus her goals and begin the educational journey she dreamed of. She knew it would not be easy. “The day SOF came into my life was a day that will always be in my heart. I was a single mother of five doing the best I could with what I had.”

Franchon completed her associate’s degree from Florida State College in occupational therapy. She is now at Columbia College working towards her bachelor’s degree in human services to pursue a career working with at risk youth; helping them to succeed in the mist of deficits and learning disabilities that are too often used as reasons to give up.

“The roads and journeys that I have taken would not have been possible without the Sentinels of Freedom program. I am not just a disabled veteran, someone who was too injured to finish out my term in the Army, I am now a strong woman with purpose and I owe it to the SOF program and to the donors who so graciously believe in me.”

Thank you for your support of wounded veterans like Franchon. We wish you and all your loved ones a wonderful holiday season!

Veteran’s Day Salute to Our Newest Sentinels

November 10, 2018 by Mike Conklin Leave a Comment

This Veteran’s Day, Sentinels of Freedom honors all veterans from every generation. We are forever grateful for the sacrifices they have made. I hope you will join us to salute the veterans who chose to serve our country with honor, courage, and commitment.

All veterans deserve a chance to succeed after their military careers. This is one of the main reasons that we started the Sentinels of Freedom program over ten years ago. It started with one Sentinel, one severely wounded veteran in need of assistance. Today, we have over 400 Sentinels in the program. We continue to assist severely wounded veterans as they complete their higher education and transition back into civilian life. This past fall we saw the number of applicants double! We welcomed over 30 new Sentinels into the program. The need is greater than ever.

Our unique, personalized program provides the Sentinels with living and housing assistance, mentoring, resume building, financial planning and counseling, networking, and so much more. We are in contact with our Sentinels throughout their educational journey. We get to know each and every one of our Sentinels on a personal level and continue to keep contact even after they graduate. They stay a part of the Sentinel family forever.

Please consider making a donation to the Sentinels of Freedom program today. These veterans need your help. www.sentinelsoffreedom.org/donate

A Veteran’s Journey

October 11, 2018 by Mike Conklin Leave a Comment

Sentinel Mark Robbins: Special Operator First Class, US Navy SEAL

People are inspired by many things. The events of 9/11 inspired Mark, like so many other young men and women, to join the US Navy right out of high school. His goal was to become a Navy SEAL.

Mark attained his goal, and as a Navy SEAL he completed two combat deployments to Iraq during his seven years of service. On his last deployment, he sustained a gunshot wound to the head from a bullet that went over his rifle through his right eye and out the back of his head, inches behind his right ear. The injury left him blind in his right eye.

During his first few years of recovery, mobility, endurance, awareness, and memory were significantly affected, but Mark was determined to enter a new career path in law enforcement. He did not want to let his injury define him or hold him back. Mark recalls, “I was done being hurt and just wanted to get on making a new life.”

Mark began working at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and shortly thereafter completed the Police Academy. Sentinels of Freedom was there to provide Mark housing and living support during this transition to allow him to focus on the Police Academy and embark on his new career. Rejoining a community and establishing family roots was so important to Mark, his wife Jessica, and their two young sons. With the help of the mentors Sentinels of Freedom introduced to him, Mark was able to do just that. “They were and are always there for me. They are such an important part of my transition and success,” Mark admits.

Since beginning employment, he has been to several law enforcement/investigations related qualification courses. Mark is continuing his career at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office as a detective in the Criminal Investigations Division. He is assigned to the Sheriff’s Office Tactical Response Team as an Assistant Team Leader and is a member of the community safety team.

Mark’s journey proves that with a little guidance from Sentinels of Freedom, a wounded veteran’s journey is not over after they leave the military.

You can make a difference in the lives of a wounded veteran like Mark, visit www.sentinelsoffreedom.org to find out how!

A Sentinel’s Journey

September 3, 2018 by Mike Conklin Leave a Comment

Sentinel Peter James Kiernan joined the United States Marine Corps as a result of the events of 9/11. While in service, Peter was reviewed through the arduous and highly selective Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC). He was selected and became the youngest Marine Raider in the history of MARSOC. Unfortunately, frost bite damage to both feet from cold weather training, and knee and back injuries from parachute jumping forced Peter to leave the military.

After receiving an honorable discharge, Peter’s quest for excellence led him to pursue a rigorous education at Columbia University where he was awarded a bachelor’s degree in political science. In addition to remaining on the Dean’s list at Columbia, Peter was a division 1 varsity athlete (rowing), and Founder/President/CEO of the Ivy League Veterans Council Inc., a non-profit dedicated to dissolving the barriers preventing veterans from admission to selective institutions.

Peter’s decision to pursue a Master’s degree in International Studies at Colombia University began his relationship with Sentinels of Freedom. Peter is completing his final year by studying abroad at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. Living within the culture has been an incredible experience for him, but not without its own set of hurdles. Sentinels of Freedom was there for Peter throughout his two-year journey to help him ease the financial burdens as well as providing him with mentoring and hugely beneficial networking connections.

Peter has been involved in multiple organizations and has had several public speaking engagements, including several appearances on MSNBC. His goal is to work on the National Security Council and implement reforms and revolutionize the process of democratic, strategic decision-making with regard to national security and American foreign policy. Peter hopes to affect change for veterans nationwide.

You can affect change for veterans today! Please visit our website at www.sentinelsoffreedom.org to find out how.

Sentinel Okechukwu “Oke” Dibia

August 5, 2018 by Mike Conklin Leave a Comment

Sergeant, United States Army (Ret)
Veteran Success Story – from Combat Medic to Pharmacist

Sentinel Okechukwu “Oke” Dibiar is no stranger to walking a tough path to attain his goals. He immigrated to the United States from Nigeria when he was eighteen years old. Oke’s dream was to help others and he chose to do this by serving his new country as a combat medic in the U.S. Army. He was forced to retire from the Army due to severe PTSD, but Oke knew he still wanted to continue to help people and serve others, especially veterans.

Before his enlistment, he had completed his bachelors’ degree in Biology from the Southern University at New Orleans, Louisiana, and he began building on his degree with his experience as a medic to become a pharmacist. His education benefits from his military service, however, would run out before he would be able to complete his Doctorate of Pharmacy from Appalachian College of Pharmacy.

With his wife in nursing school, and a two-year-old son, keeping a roof over their head while he finished his degree weighed heavily on Oke. As fate would have it, he found out about Sentinels of Freedom and was accepted into our program. With the support he received from SOF, including financial assistance and financial coaching, he was able to complete his degree. The program culminated in six clinical rotations, each six weeks long, all over the states of Kentucky and Virginia.

Oke is now preparing to take his licensing board exams and realize his goal of working as a pharmacist at a Department of Veterans Affairs facility. His new journey is finally beginning.