rapidfire

Never Stop Serving B

efore his retirement, retired Lt. Col. Gregory Gallup had 28 years of experience in the Army, which included two tours of duty in Korea. Now,

he is taking a very different kind of tour to help raise money for his fellow veterans. During his “Ski For Veterans Tour,” Gallup plans to take to the slopes at several locations around the country to raise funds for veterans’ organizations. Tell us about your event. I’m traveling to 39 states and snow skiing at 70 different areas. I’m also skiing indoors in Florida and at Mt. Aggie at Texas A&M [University], which is a fake snow hill, for a total of 72 venues. This trip will last ap- proximately 99 days and [include] over 17,000 miles of driving. I’m raising funds for the USO, DAV, Clear Path for Veterans, and the Snowball Express. Why did you decide to organize this event? Why did you choose skiing? How does it raise funds for veterans? As I approached the end of my second career as a New York state court officer, I was always asked what I was planning to do. For years, I had been think- ing about and mapping out skiing in each state that had snow ski- ing. I’ve been skiing since I was 6

years old, and I raced in college and still race in an amateur league — the American Ski Racing Alliance — today. Then one day when I was working on the plan, it hit me that not only could I do something I’ve been dreaming about, but that I could benefit others as well. That’s when a simple ski-in-every-state trip became a fundraiser for veterans. The “Ski For Veterans USA Tour” was not the first title I worked with. “Ski and Board Around the U.S.” was the [working] title. Ski For Veterans (SFV) aligned with me being a special forces vet (SFV). My connection with the 10th Mountain Division and special forces and their connection to skiing made for a natural match. Why is MOAA member- ship important to you? MOAA membership is important to me because I support [MOAA’s] mission statement. It’s also a way to stay connected with the military and updated on is- sues of the day. — Kenya McCullum

Attention! Check out these military-related entertainment offerings.

CONFERENCE SUN TZU’S ART OF WAR (Vanderbilt University, Feb. 27, 2016) The inaugural Sun Tzu’s Art of War con- ference* features a day of distinguished speakers on the application of Sun Tzu’s principles and is geared toward executives, profes-

sionals, and students who want to learn strategies for success based on integrity, purpose, and strength.

APP SPOUSELINK is a social community app de- signed for military spouses and their families to con- nect and engage with one

another. Users can upload their own content, create groups, and have conversa- tions with other spouses. The app is available for Apple mobile devices.

BOOK THE KNIFE (Blue Rider Press 2016) Former special operations soldier

*online: Learn more about the conference at www.sonshi.com/conference.html. 24 MILITARY OFFICER FEBRUARY 2016

Ross Ritchell’s debut novel takes you beneath the tes- tosterone-laced patter into the lonelier, more ambiva- lent world of military life in the Middle East. The result is a fast-paced journey into darkness, a quintessential novel of the American wars of the 21st century. MO

PHOTO: JOHN CARNESSALI PHOTOGRAPHY