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Epoch Times
24-05-2025
- General
- Epoch Times
‘People You Should Know' Is a Love Letter to Bottom-Up Solutions
Commentary FREDERICKSBURG, Virginia—Steve Hotz started Black Horse Forge, a nonprofit organization that provides support for veterans, active-duty military personnel and first responders through the ancient art of blacksmithing. The retired sergeant, who served 17 years in the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army, said he started the endeavor to teach the arts of blacksmithing, toolmaking and bladesmithing first to heal himself and then others who had brought ghosts home from war. Hotz's decision to join the military happened in the heat of an I'll-show-my-boss moment: He was an interior designer, and she was giving him the business for reasons he cannot recall now. He walked across the street to get lunch, saw the Army recruiting office next door, went in and enlisted. Two weeks later, he was in Fort Benning. The military suited him well, Hotz said. It was when he was doing special work with the North Carolina Counterdrug Program on a counterterrorist team that he got hurt. He was left blind in one eye and required surgery on his back to fuse his spine. It also left him trying to cope with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder. Related Stories 5/2/2025 4/11/2025 Back in civilian life, he found that he was not unlike fellow retired military and first responders who struggled to regain the ideal of purpose. He went to a Wounded Warrior event where there was a blacksmith demonstration. 'When I came back, I made a hook,' he said. 'That is all I made that night. I was so excited about making this hook. My wife's like, 'Whatever you're doing, keep doing it,'' after seeing that thousand-yard stare ease from his face. It was an interaction with a Marine at another Wounded Warrior blacksmithing event not long after that that made him realize he had found not only his purpose but a way to help others struggling with depression and PTSD. 'We were just cutting up really hardcore together, and there was a girl crying in the corner. I was like, 'Oh, maybe that's his girlfriend or something.' I might've said something offensive,' he explained. So Hotz walked over to her and apologized if he had offended her. 'She tells me she was his therapist and that he was in such bad shape, he couldn't go anywhere without her. She said she was crying because the interaction between him and me was the first time he had talked in two years, and there he was talking to me like nothing was wrong,' he said. Within short order, Hotz opened the Black Horse Forge, a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching the craft to those who serve and come back looking for purpose. He says he has seen firsthand the transformation the craft has given veterans and active-duty service members. All classes are free for veterans, active military personnel and first responders. All funds raised from civilian classes go back into funding free courses. Since opening their doors, tens of thousands of veterans have participated in the free classes, with countless people saying it saved their lives. It is that kind of giving back and making the community better that caught the eye of television host, podcaster and bestselling author Mike Rowe. After the demise of his wildly popular Facebook show, 'Returning the Favor,' Rowe was in search of ordinary people doing extraordinary things for a new series. Rowe explained he had received a call from Facebook telling him there would be no fifth season. It was an announcement that had surprised both him and his many viewers. Feedback for the show had been overwhelmingly positive, and viewership was through the roof. Over 10,000 nominations were sent to Rowe for exceptional Americans in four years. The Baltimore native says he is thankful Facebook gave him the opportunity to do the 22-minute online show, equally grateful for the 100 'bloody do-gooders,' as he jokingly calls them, who were nominated by the people. However, the loss of the show and the community that formed around it wasn't just felt by Rowe. It left a void in viewers who begged—a lot—for it to return. So, after four years, he finally did something about it. Rowe said that because 'Returning the Favor' is owned by Facebook, he's not at liberty to simply reup the series under the same name. 'However, celebrating people who have impact, gratitude, and find solutions to society's biggest problems is not owned by anyone in particular,' he said, adding, 'So we are back.' The new moniker is 'People You Should Know,' and it premiered last Friday on Rowe's YouTube channel. Rowe is candid about not having the financial resources he had under the Facebook umbrella. So in terms of bells and whistles, the new show will be less grandiose. He is doing it on his own dime. But in truth, as an avid viewer of the show, the bells and whistles were nice, but they were never the reason I sat down to watch it. For most viewers and me, it was always about the heart and aspirations of fellow Americans. The first six honorees include Hotz, and all are extraordinary and command attention. The first episode showcases a single mother who not only overcame her addiction but also found a way to keep her family together and her kids out of the foster care system. The production scale is spectacular, the people real and driven to a life that exists outside of self. For Rowe, 'Dirty Jobs' worked for so long because it was one of the few topics that hadn't been completely owned by one side or the other. 'It's the dignity of work. It's the fun of making a buck. We had 2 million people on the 'Returning the Favor' page who were literally watching the show on the edge of their seat every single week. They programmed everything. It was the most engaged group I ever saw,' he said. When it was canceled, Rowe said it took him a while to accept that fact. But viewers let him know he needed to find a way to bring it back. 'I would receive calls constantly asking to please bring it back. Or ask what am I waiting for because the country needs it. So we changed the name, figured out a budget because there is no big sponsor or network or studio behind us, and I called my friend Sarah, who produced the show in the past, and now she's sort of my cohost on camera,' he said. Rowe describes her as Pollyanna meets Mary Poppins: 'She's fun and she's much nicer than me, not nearly as bitter or broken, and she's terrific to work with.' The show is a true love letter to the neighbors you wish you had: regular people with big ideas, whether they are taking on homelessness, the foster care system, PTSD or illiteracy. Rowe said of Hotz that there was something appealing about bending metal and making something useful out of something busted. 'I mean, the metaphor itself is huge, and he's so unassuming. He's a guy who literally saved himself by going in, figuring it out. And when he saw what it did for other people, it became his life's work,' he said. 'That's the show. Great big ideas, really modest individuals trying essentially to prove that they can move the needle. And they do. We've done it with foster care, we've done it with illiteracy, and we've done it with homelessness. So it's a micro-macro kind of approach. It's really a love letter to bottom-up solutions.' Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Monthly pay bump coming for Army paratroopers, Hegseth says
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a financial boost for U.S. Army paratroopers during a May 22 address at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. News of the pay raise came during the 82nd Airborne Division's All American Week, an event that brings active-duty and veteran paratroopers together over four days to celebrate the service of parachutists. 'For the first time in [decades], here [as] the secretary of defense, through the secretary of the Army, we are increasing jump pay,' Hegseth told soldiers, according to a DOD release. Hegseth's plan to trim top ranks could hit more than 120 officers Jump pay is considered hazardous duty incentive pay, which is paid to service members who engage in an activity that poses inherent dangers, the DOD website states. Rank-and-file paratroopers will now see their jump pay increase to $200 a month, up from the previous $150 each month. Additionally, jumpmasters, the senior paratroopers who train soldiers who jump from aircraft, will see their hazardous duty incentive pay climb from $150 to $300 a month. 'Here's to our paratroopers, our jumpmasters, who do the difficult things in difficult places that most Americans can never imagine,' Hegseth said. The defense secretary praised the 82nd Airborne Division for being a pivotal source of deterrence — a key tenet of his vision for the department — and promised continued investments in formations to ensure they remain equipped for the fights ahead. Hegseth concluded his address by emphasizing a commitment to peace through strength and thanked past and present paratroopers in attendance for their service. 'When I look out at this formation, the eyes of the men and women and these flags, I see the eyes of deterrence; I see the eyes of American strength; I see the eyes that will deter the wars that we don't want to fight,' he said. 'Those who long for peace must prepare for war.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
82nd Airborne Division inducts 7 into 2025 Hall of Fame: 'It makes you humble'
FORT BRAGG — The first time retired Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew McFowler arrived at the 82nd Airborne Division, he was a battalion sergeant major on the corner of Ardennes Street. Several years later, he was a brigade sergeant major for the 3rd Brigade Combat team when his team was pulled from conducting live fire exercises at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Johnson, Louisiana, and ordered to return to Fort Bragg to prepare for deployment. McFowler and his brigade were sent to the Middle East for combat operations in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. On May 21, McFowler again stood near Ardennes Street to become one of seven paratroopers inducted into the 82nd Airborne Division's Hall of Fame this year. 'There are so many great people in this division, and they picked a few and it makes you say, 'What did I do to get this,'' McFowler said ahead of the ceremony. 'It makes you humble.' McFowler said that during his 35 years in the Army, which ended in 2001 when he was the senior enlisted leader for the U.S. Army Forces Command, he considered his assignments in the 82nd among the best he ever had. The latest paratroopers inducted into the Hall of Fame are among 85 others in the division's 107-year history 'whose reputations will never decay among All Americans,' current division commander Maj. Gen. James 'Pat' Work said during the induction ceremony. 'They inspired leaders and led alike when the stakes were high,' Work said. This year's inductees served between 1975 and 2020 and led in roles from squad leader to division commander, Work said. Two were division commanders, one was a division command sereant major and three were brigade command sergeants major. 'Their journeys through Grenada, Panama, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan led to this Hall of Heroes. Each story is compelling in its own merits,' Work said. Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Cliff Burgyone is another inductee. Burgoyne was senior enlisted leader for the division from October 2019 to July 2020 and retired from the Army as the senior enlisted leader of III Corps after 37 years of service. Following the ceremony, Burgoyne said that when he first enlisted in the Army, his dream job was to be an airborne first sergeant. 'You serve in the division really to protect our nation. This is who we call, we call the 82nd Airborne Division when there's a problem in the world, and you have to be ready,' he said. Burgoyne said he is humbled to be part of the Hall Fame with others who helped develop him and others to be successful in the Army and life. 'If you take a look at the people in the crowd, they're the people and the legacy of this division,' he said. Paratroopers, Burgoyne said, are willing to do anything for their fellow paratrooper, regardless of the sacrifice. He said he is glad his son-in-law and daughter are now part of the division's legacy. 'What I'm proud of is just watching young paratroopers doing things without fear,' Burgoyne said. 'It's unique, because it's not taught.' Other paratroopers inducted into the division's Hall of Fame this year are: • Retired Gen. Richard D. Clarke, who was a a battalion commander in the division when he prepared and deployed his unit twice on short notices during the initial phases of the Global War on Terror. Clarke was commander of the 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, deploying from January-June 2003 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and from January-April 2004 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Eleven years later he commanded the division and deployed with the headquarters, which served the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command Headquarters during Operation Inherent Resolve. Clarke retired from the Army in October 2002 as commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. • Retired Lt. Gen. William Steele, who served in multiple roles in the division including battalion commander of the 2nd Battalion, 504th Infantry, and as division commander from 1993 to 1995, when he mobilized the division during Operation Uphold Democracy. The operation led to an airborne assault to oust Haiti dictator Raoul Cedras and restore democracy. Steele and the first wave of paratroopers were ready for combat assault when Cedras stepped down knowing that 61 C-130s were full of paratroopers en route. Steele retired from the Army as commander of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in 2001. • Retired Command Sgt. Maj. L. Barnard Basnight, who was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 325th Infantry not long after enlisting in 1975. Basnight rose through the ranks, becoming command sergeant major for the Combat Aviation Brigade. Since retiring in 2006 from the Victory Brigade at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Basnight has continued to contribute as a military and veteran advocate in the 82nd Airborne Division Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars and other organizations. • Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Rodger Blackwood, who was a leader in Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 73rd Armor. He helped integrate airborne armor for the division's rapid deployment capabilities and was part of the first Sheridan tank element from the 82nd to deploy during Operations Desert Shield and Storm, playing a critical role in the capture of Ali Al Salem Airfield in Kuwait. Blackwood retired from the Army in 2013 as the senior enlisted leader for the U.S. Army Cyber Command. • Retired Command Sgt. Maj. David C. Henderson, who served as first sergeant for the 4th Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment when it had a key role during the seizure of Omar Torrijos International Airport and Fort Cimarron in Panama during Operation Just Cause. Henderson also deployed with the division during Operation Desert Shield and spearheaded response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Henderson retired from the Army in 1999 as the senior enlisted leader for the division's 1st Brigade Combat Team. This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Who was inducted into the 82nd Airborne Division Hall of Fame 2025?
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'They risked it all': 82nd Airborne Division honors fallen paratroopers at memorial ceremony
FORT BRAGG — It's been nearly 20 years since Stan and Shirley White's son, Staff Sgt. Robert 'Bob' White, 34, was killed Sept. 26, 2005, in Afghanistan after his mounted patrol came under enemy fire. He served with the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment. White's older brother, William, served in the Navy, as did his World War II-era grandfather, his father said during an 82nd Airborne Division memorial ceremony May 20. 'He wanted to jump out of airplanes and that's what he did, and he was a good family man, Boy Scout, Scout master, swimmer and just a fun-loving guy,' Stan White said. 'We called him Red. He loved the Falcons, Atlanta Falcons, that was his team.' Shirley White said that in their home state of Virginia, a memorial bridge is named for their son. 'When our friends drive by like we do, they'll say, 'Hi Bob,'' she said. Stan White said that even though two decades have passed since their son's death, they and the 82nd Airborne Division haven't forgotten to remember him. 'Gold Star mothers has a motto — everyone dies twice, and one is a physical and another is when their name is no longer spoken,' he said. Maj. Gen. J. Patrick "Pat" Work, the division's commander, said aloud the names of a few paratroopers who were killed in combat or died during training in service to the U.S. The division's first combat casualty was Capt. Jewett Williams, who died in June 1918 during World War I in Albert, France, Work said. Williams was company commander of the 326th Infantry. A graduate of the University of Georgia, he was a Rhode's scholar and an ordained Episcopal priest, Work said. 'That soldier also left behind a wife and a 5-month-old daughter,' he said. The division's last paratrooper killed in combat was Sgt. Bryan Cooper Mount, who died July 21, 2020, while conducting reconnaissance operations in Syria. From among the division's 5,098 paratroopers who did not survive the wars, Work said, he personally wears a bracelet on his right wrist bearing the name of Spc. Thomas J. 'T.J.' Barbiere. Barbiere, Work said, was killed in action Aug. 23, 2006, at the age of 24 while in Baghdad. 'T.J. was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his final act of valor to protect another paratrooper during a gunfight,' Work said. During the ceremony, Work also recognized the family of Spc. Corey J. Kowall, 20, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, who died Sept. 20, 2009, from a vehicle rollover. Also killed was Spc. Damon G. Winkleman, 23, of Lakeville, Ohio. Also recognized was the family of Sgt. Matthew J. Sandri, 24, of Shamokin, Pennsylvania, who was killed March 20, 2004, when his quarters came under a rocket attack in Fallujah, Iraq. 'I hope that none of us can ever drive down Gruber Road again and pass the Sandri Medical Training Center without thinking about that family's commitment,' Work said. 'That's not a building. That's a memorial to Matt Sandri.' White, Kowall and Sandri's names are all engraved in stone on the division's memorials outside the 82nd Airborne Division's Hall of Heroes and Museum. Another five names were added to the division's training memorial this week: Staff Sgt. Joseph A. Little; Capt. Clinton F. MacFarland Jr.; Spc. Garry N. Antoine; Spc. Benjamin S. Freed; and Spc. Matthew Perez, who died Sept. 13, 2024, from injuries sustained at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Louisiana. Danielle Hackbarth, a museum specialist in the archives and library, said that some of the other names recently added date back to World War I. Line of duty deaths weren't always recorded as they are now, but further research has confirmed the deaths, Hackbarth said. 'It's just kind of been putting the pieces of the puzzle together,' she said. For example, officials became aware of Antoine's death after a veteran paratrooper who served with him called seeking information, she said. Public safety records confirmed the death was during a training accident, she said. Officials learned about another paratrooper earlier this year because a deployment yearbook is dedicated in his memory. He died during a deployment training exercise, Hackbarth said. 'We definitely want to acknowledge those individuals who were training in preparation to give their lives for their country,' she said. 'They're still part of the division, and they're a big part of the success of the 82nd and their missions during active times.' Work said that everyone on the division's memorial "paid the levies of liberty with their blood.' 'They risked it all doing their duty in distant lands, from North Africa to Berlin. They spilled their blood in Vietnam, the Dominican Republic, Grenada and Panama. They made the last full measure of devotion in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria,' he said. Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@ or 910-486-3528. This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: 82nd Airborne Division adds more names to memorials
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Women Have Served with Honor for Decades. This Administration Can't Erase That History.
The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@ for consideration. "Ma'am, you are really good at your job, and I've enjoyed working with you," a fellow soldier said to me on my way out of Afghanistan in 2010 after serving a year overseas as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. "You still don't belong here, but it's been good," he concluded. That, and much worse, is what I heard as a steady drumbeat during my service in the Army. Women put up with inappropriate and demeaning comments, the challenges and the intimidating moments as the only woman in the room or at the table, because they have grit, determination and -- most importantly -- a sense of patriotism and duty that our military needs. Attempts at erasing the history of military women -- along with people of color and the LGBTQ+ community, for that matter -- are already underway, as a result of an executive order purportedly aimed at eliminating efforts to promote diversity in the military. Erasing history has never made anyone stronger, and will undermine the ability of patriotic Americans to serve. Accounts of incredible, strong women influenced me to join the military. Stories of nurses from every conflict beginning with the Revolutionary War, the Women's Army Corps, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion and, certainly, those trailblazers who continue to pave the way by serving as Army Rangers and Special Forces are essential examples to women -- whether they serve in uniform or not -- that closed doors can be opened. This legacy of unstoppable women who have worn the cloth of our nation continues to guide me today and will for the rest of my life. From my very first assignment, I was fortunate to have female mentors and leaders whom I looked up to and aspired to emulate. These women not only paved the way for me and my peers, but their leadership shifted the culture in the military. Their leadership and competence helped male counterparts recognize that different perspectives are a strength that is crucial when analyzing situations to develop military strategy on the battlefield. Not only do our female service members make a difference, but they are mission-critical -- women Marines who served on female engagement teams were necessary when forming relationships with tribes in Afghanistan and procuring essential intelligence. Women who serve expand the capabilities of our military. The removal of female general and flag officers is a further setback. Eliminating role models and removing voices at the most senior levels of command jeopardize fair and equal treatment of military personnel. Female senior leaders, by their expertise, work ethic and gravitas, influence their male peers throughout the services and help ensure that every single military service member is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve for raising their right hand and swearing to defend the Constitution of the United States of America. I remember as a truck company commander, a unit that deployed three times to Kuwait and Iraq under my command, having my fellow company commanders (who were all men) literally turn their backs on me when I approached them. I was one of two female company commanders on the base, and I commanded the only deployable company on the installation. Despite the behavior of my peers, I persevered because female leaders I had in my previous assignments had demonstrated that there was a place for me as a leader in the military. So, where will our military be when military women's history is no longer told and female leaders are removed? While recruiting goals were met for the Army in 2024 before the recent purge, a larger percentage than ever before were women. By attempting to delete the inspiring stories, by reversing policies that have made the military a safer and more attractive career choice for women, and by removing senior female leaders who inspire and protect junior service members, not only will our military recruitment numbers decrease, but our military as a whole will suffer. For years and years, there have been efforts to make the military more attractive to women. Those marketing efforts, which used real examples of women serving and making an impact, will continue to drive women to the military, but as senior women are removed and examples of courageous women are erased, young female enlisted and officers most likely will no longer see women as valued members of the military. The number of women who feel empowered to join will decrease. Thankfully, there are organizations such as the Military Women's Memorial and the U.S. Army Women's Foundation that are dedicated to preserving what military women have done both on and off the battlefield, but they will be fighting against forces trying to erase the legacy of women in the military. Diversity does make us stronger, and it was a fundamental component of how the United States was founded. If we want to be more united, we should embrace the things that make us stronger because we are diverse, not use our differences to inflame tensions. We, female service members, must stick together and have our voices heard. We must tell our stories. And for those of us who no longer wear the uniform, we must speak even louder for those who still serve and could face repercussions for speaking up. We all need to reach out to our legislators and demand that they speak up, too. So, to the staff sergeant who told me I didn't belong and any other person who shares this opinion, I, along with every other woman who meets the military's standards, absolutely belong, and we give our great military a strength that can't come from training. It comes from our heart and drive to serve our country. Nothing anyone else says can take that from any of us, and we will not be erased. -- Retired Lt. Col. Michelle L. Horn served in the U.S. Army and now continues her commitment to service through her work at Fisher House Foundation and as a member of the board of directors for the U.S. Army Women's Foundation.
