rapidfire
Never Stop Serving I
saura Ramirez’s first stand-up comedy routine “began R-rated and went from there, express- ing my outrageous opinions.” In April 2015,
Ramirez, a retired Army captain and decorated combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, gradu- ated from the first eight-week-long Comedy Boot- camp, a pilot program that became part of the Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP). Now a rising star in the Hampton Roads, Va., comedy scene, Ramirez also serves as a regional director for ASAP, a nonprofit offering free expressive arts programs to veterans and servicemembers and their families. Tell me a little bit about ASAP and Comedy Bootcamp and their impact on you. ASAP promotes expression through writing, music, and comedy. Many post- 9/11 vets suffering from PTSD or severe depression don’t seek traditional mental health support. My last year in the Army was a bit of a struggle. In 2014, I took a medical retirement. Trying out comedy was scary, but as an officer I [was] used to getting up in front of people. It was perfect timing, get- ting me back to where I used to be emotionally. It’s powerful
when you’re up on stage getting laughs. Things that once got me angry make great comedy material. What is your role as Comedy Bootcamp evolves? There were six of us in the first Bootcamp at William & Mary [Williams- burg, Va.]. I was feeling a sense of loss when the eight weeks ended, so I offered my help in building ASAP. Nine veterans participated in the fall 2015 Comedy Bootcamp, which involved more structure at the beginning — like how to write a joke. We conduct the Bootcamp each spring and fall, so I’m developing [a] curricu- lum and gathering feedback for future programs. I also handle logistics for the other expressive arts programs. It’s always great to bring back alumni. Bootcamp uses comedy to work through tough is- sues, so it’s nice to include people who can say, “I went through it, and I know how you feel.”
— David Sears For more information on ASAP and
Comedy Bootcamp, visit
www.asapa
sap.org/comedy.
Attention! Check out these military-related entertainment offerings.
BOOK BE SAFE, LOVE MOM: A MILITARY MOM’S STORIES OF COURAGE, COMFORT, AND SURVIVING LIFE ON THE HOME FRONT (PublicAffairs, 2015) Au- thor Elaine Brye shares stories from fellow par- ents and from her own
life as a military mom to help guide others on the long and bumpy road of having a child in uniform.
FILM THE SUBMARINE KID (MarVista Digital Entertainment, 2016) When a U.S. Marine (Finn Wittrock) returns home
24 MILITARY OFFICER MARCH 2016
from a horrific wartime experience, his mundane reality leads him toward a mysterious woman (Emilie de Ravin) on her own de- termined journey.
AUDIOBOOK EX- TREME OWNERSHIP: HOW U.S. NAVY
SEALS LEAD AND WIN (St. Martin’s Press, 2015) Read by authors and for- mer Navy SEALs Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, this audiobook details the mind-set and principles that enable SEAL units to accomplish difficult combat missions. MO
PHOTO: KELLY J. MIHALCOE
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