Salutes to Forged Clothing

In 2007 two former United States Navy SEALs founded ForgedClothing. Their company founded and fueled by the values of Brotherhood, Respect and Freedom as well as their belief in making products in the USA. Since Forged’s inception, they have operated with the utmost professionalism and integrity. They take great pride in being involved with their customers and giving them a top of the line product which has meaning behind it. While that in itself is unique to a company in this day and age, there is another reason behind my post. 

Some may not know this, but Forged Clothing donates a percentage of every sale to several military affiliated non-profit organizations to help wounded veterans and their families. They also have created some specific tribute shirts to honor their fallen brothers, and 100% of the profits from those shirts are donated to the Navy Special Warfare Foundation. This is all in addition to being involved with fundraisers for the families of friends who have made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf. 

While these reasons alone would be enough for Honor Them to stand behind a company such as Forged, there are so many more. Besides their efforts to give back on various levels, they also have supported my message and mission with Honor Them since the beginning. In doing so, Honor Them and Forged will be partnering up on a special project which also gives back while allowing you to show your patriotism and support of our troops and veterans. 

Also, be on the lookout for some exciting changes. In the next month Forged Clothing will be launching their new website which will include new tribute shirts and new merchandise which will benefit the customer as well as various charities.

On behalf on everyone who join me in Honoring Them, I say Bravo Zulu to Forged Clothing for never forgetting that All Gave Some, Some Gave All. 

Powerful Peace -

A Navy SEAL’s Lessons on Peace from a Lifetime at War

I first came across J. Robert DuBois by way of twitter in the early months of 2011. Being a huge supporter of our military both past and present I was drawn to not just his service, but rather his words.  Rob's thoughts and opinions on topics ranging from war to politics have many times left me feeling a sense of empowerment. One might ask why I would choose such a word, but the phrase 'Knowledge is Power' is lost on way too many. Being a former Navy SEAL is far from his only credit. Rob has a way of explaining things which gives others a different perspective, showing people the proverbial flip side of the coin. When I was given the honor of reading an advanced copy of Powerful Peace - A Navy SEAL’s Lessons on Peace from a Lifetime at War I couldn't wait to get started on it. If I was asked a year ago if I thought the book was a good premise I would have said that I was sure the book would be great. So, needless to say when I began reading Powerful Peace I didn't expect to be surprised by it's content.

Click HERE to purchase from Amazon

Rob wastes no time as the book begins and he takes us right to that horrific day, ten years ago on September 11, 2001. One of the first things that reached out from the pages and grabbed my heart in both sadness and pain was that this was not just a book written by an warrior, someone who spent years defending our nation and it's people by serving on one of the most elite special forces units around today, but rather it was written by a man. A man who has a family and sees the world the way it is, not through rose colored glasses. He sees its beauty and its flaws. 

Throughout the book Rob takes us on a journey of the years following the September 11th attacks. His ability to provide us with insight from the perspectives of a Navy SEAL, a husband, a father and even those who are considered our enemies is something that left me with moments of pause and self reflection. 

My notes on this book are lengthy and somewhat personal so I decided to try and keep my review of it brief. I would be genuinely surprised if there was a person out there who could say after reading this book, that they were not affected on a deep and personal level by it's content. Powerful Peace for me is no longer a coin phrase thought up by a former U.S. Navy SEAL. Nor is it merely the title of a book. It is something much more influential than that. A form of diplomacy, which when practiced could possibly shape the future of our nation and world so it sees less war, less death and more PEACE. It is, what I hope will some day be, a way of life.

I hope that everyone reading this takes the time to explore all that Powerful Peace could come to mean for them, their family and our future.  Applied "smart power" is a game changer for the future of humanity. 

Here's what other people had to say about Powerful Peace:

"If we do not teach our children the principals of peace 

someone will teach them the fundamentals of hate" 

Kimberly Wolfert, Demand Mgmt. & Sales Planning at Chiquita Brands Intl.

 
Mr. DuBois presents a compelling case, based on experiences he vividly shares with the reader, for a new type of Applied Smart Power. He takes you through the hearts, homes, and minds of allies - across the geopolitical and physical battlefield - and convinces you to join him in striving for his new doctrine of balanced peacemaking.

Ali-Reza Anghaie

It's been one year ~

One year ago today a man who brought pain to not just our nation, but the world as a whole left this earth. On a personal level I am a supporter of peace over violence and war on any day. It's an idea talked about greatly in Powerful Peace. However, Usama Bin Laden was someone who quite frankly just couldn't be reasoned with by any civilized means. He was a terrorist in every sense of the word. A diabolical entity who used his religion as a shield for his actions. All the while getting others to do his evil bidding. Today, I ask you all to not just be thankful that having him gone removes at least some of our worry in the global war on terror. I also ask you to say thank you to our United States Navy SEALs and ALL of our Armed Forces who helped rid the world of at least one of our threats. The removal of Bin Laden from this earth was a joint effort which stretched far between all branches of our military, as well as the invaluable assistance of our allies. Most importantly though, I ask you all to please take a moment to keep those who were affected by Bin Laden's reign of terror in your thoughts. Those who were lost and those who were left behind should never be forgotten.

God Bless those who have been touched by the unspeakable tragedies of the global war on terror. May our future hold only peace, compassion and a greater sense of humanity.