rapidfire

Never Stop Serving R

ear Adm. Dick Young, USN (Ret), has devoted over 8,700 volunteer hours since be- coming the Colorado State Employer Sup-

port of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) chair in 2009. Today, Colorado’s is the largest state ESGR in the nation, with more than 220 volunteers. A Korean War veteran, Young left active duty

in 1957. He pursued a legal career in Denver while active in the Navy Reserve. In 1992, he left law to become vice president of two dif- ferent publicly held inter- national corporations. In May, PBS televised

Young’s receipt of the 2015 Lincoln Standard Bearer Award for outstanding life- time achievement, which he received at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. What do you enjoy most about lead- ing Colorado’s ESGR? Young veterans, both active and reserve, just coming off active duty oftentimes have never held a civilian job. They do need help and don’t know where to get it. I think they resist it. Even though we’re a Department of De- fense agency, we’re all volunteers. We don’t

wear uniforms. It’s very fulfilling, and I get a lot of satisfaction in accomplishing something that’s worthwhile. What is your greatest concern for veter- ans? There’s a great deal of homelessness. You see it every day in those on the street corner. Many have real mental problems and aren’t getting the help they need. … What we try to do is get them to the right source. Do you think the current generation of young veterans has different challenges or issues than your generation? What we’re seeing now are people coming out of the ser- vice who don’t want to get out of the service. An E-9 comes out at about $107,000 a year. Many civilian companies will not hire someone at that rate. Veterans get very frustrated. They know they’re worth it and have done unbeliev- able things. It’s hard to get them to lower their sights, which many have to do, and find a good compa- ny that will appreciate them, even if they have to start at a lower level. — Heidi Lynn Russell

Attention! Check out these military-related entertainment offerings.

BOOK AWESOME SH*T MY DRILL SERGEANT SAID (HarperCollins) After a deployment, Sgt. 1st Class Dan Caddy, ARNG, began swapping stories of infamous drill sergeants with his fellow veterans. The book in- troduces an onslaught of

insights into the grueling world of military training.

AUDIOBOOK AMONG HEROES: A U.S. NAVY SEAL’S TRUE STORY OF FRIENDSHIP, HEROISM, AND THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE (Audible) Charlie Ray nar-

24 MILITARY OFFICER SEPTEMBER 2015

rates Chief Petty Officer Brandon Webb’s account of eight friends and fellow Navy SEALs who died on the battlefield.

BOOK LIZARD BITES & STREET RIOTS: TRAVEL EMERGENCIES AND YOUR HEALTH,

SAFETY & SECURITY (WindRush) MOAA Ask the Doctor columnist Rear Adm. Joyce M. Johnson, USPHS (Ret), D.O., M.A., and her coauthors cover health concerns and even health-related legal guid- ance to keep travelers safe and informed. MO

PHOTO: JERRY DE LA CRUZ