OpsLens Deck of 52 Most Wanted Post 9/11 Frontline Leaders
In 2018, as a spin-off and salute to the original 2003 deck of 52 Most Wanted playing cards, let’s honor post 9/11 frontline leaders here at home. Once a week, for 52 weeks this year, OpsLens will post a card highlighting one of the 52 Most Wanted Post 9/11 Frontline Leaders. You’ll learn the top facts about their business or organization, as well as why they made the list, which comes down to impact, scalability, health, and unique value proposition.
I encourage you to look for these weekly updates, share the card with your network, and support or buy the products and services they offer. See the 52 Most Wanted Post 9/11 Frontline Leaders launch story here.
Ace of Hearts | Team RWB
The Ace of Hearts can represent a yearning for relationships and love. For that, there’s no better veteran service organization to carry the flag (let’s say, across the country) than one of the fastest-growing in the nation—Team Red, White, and Blue (Team RWB). Founded in 2010 by U.S. Army veteran Mike Erwin, this all-American organization has won the hearts and minds of veterans and civilians alike. Their mission is to enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity. In just eight (albeit exceptional) years, they have over 132,000 members today (veterans and civilians) in 209 communities. Team RWB commands unprecedented engagement statistics, such as more than 346,000 total authentic interactions amongst veterans and civilians last year alone, which includes volunteer hours and events (social gatherings, exercise, races or athletic, to service projects). They organize this epic undertaking through two unique programs, the Chapter and Community Program (CCP) and the Eagle Leadership Development Program (ELDP), both of which are grounded on their enrichment equation of health + people + purpose.
As if all of this is not refreshing enough, Team RWB also holds the bar high in being good stewards of charitable donations. Their commitment to fiscal transparency and responsibility yields the following results: .86 cents out of every $1 donated to Team RWB goes directly to their life-changing programs.
How can you not love that, right? Yet the very roots of this movement (it’s not just a 501(c)3) appeal to more than those of us who want our donations used wisely. Mike launched this organization while studying positive psychology, identifying that veterans didn’t just need support for job placement or benefits questions; a sense of belonging and sincere connections once they left the military was essential for not only their well-being, but for the larger public. An avid runner, Mike started with what he knew, rallying his military network in this way, which rapidly evolved to include yoga, hiking, and a variety of other national events (Old Glory Relay, Eagle Charge, WOD for Warriors, and Run as One, which is April 7 this year—click here to learn more and register).
Team RWB is so much more than a patriotic running club primarily packed with veterans. Their members demonstrate an admirable ethos for the larger veteran tribe—and our country. An ethos is a set of guiding beliefs and ideals that characterize a community, and for Eagles (what Team RWB members call themselves), they are certainly contagious in theirs: passion, people, positivity, commitment, camaraderie, and community.
Team RWB is a frontline leader that should be on your list of most wanted nonprofits to support in 2018.
Frontline Leader (Founder(s)): Mike Erwin.
Name of Company/Organization: Team Red White & Blue (also called Team RWB), founded 2010.
Location: HQ in Tampa, Florida, with more than 209 chapters across seven regions.
Post 9/11 Service Connection: U.S. Army (Intelligence Officer, continues to serve in the Reserves). USMC 2002.
Tours of Duty: Three combat tours, which include Iraq 2004-2005 with First Cavalry Division and 3rd Special Forces Group (Battles of Fallujah and Najaf) and Afghanistan 2006–2007 and 2009.
One sentence tagline & mission statement: It’s Our Turn. Enriching the lives of America’s Veterans.
Website: https://www.teamrwb.org/
