PHOTO ALBUM: 43INC with Kristin Armstrong, Olympic Gold Medalist
Idaho’s 2017 September 11th Moving Tribute
2017 marked the 16th anniversary of the the September 11, 2001 attack on our nation. For those who recently served, it is the closest we can come to understanding what Pearl Harbor meant to our grandparents. This year in an effort to honor those we lost, we carried a flag bearing the names of all the first responders and civilians who were killed on 9.11.2001, over 40 miles on a route across the Treasure Valley. This event was called Idaho’s 9.11 Moving Tribute.
0846 Flight 11 Hit the North Tower
We began at 0846 at Lucky Peak Reservoir, the same time Flight 11 hit the North Tower. Over 60 people carried the flag throughout the day, stopping only to mark the times the planes struck and when the towers collapsed. At 0937, when the Pentagon was hit by Flight 77, we had the family of Brady Howell, one of two Idahoans killed in that moment, carrying the flag in his honor. Ten different police and fire departments provide escort throughout the entire nine-hour tribute, a great symbolism of the respect between first responders and the military.
The pillar organizations of Mission43 came together just like they do on a daily basis supporting the military community in Idaho. Each took responsibility for a leg of the relay by finding volunteers within their organizations to help carry the flag, and by ensuring they met the next pillar organization in time for the hand-off.
60 People Helped Carry the Flag Over 40 Miles.
At the end of the 40 miles, we arrived at the future home of a Mission43 Firebase, the Caldwell Veterans Memorial Hall. We had food, drinks, and brought closure to the day with a ceremony led by Noah Siple. We couldn’t have been more proud of the way 9.11 was honored by the leaders, volunteers, and public who took part in this tribute.
Keep an eye out for next year. We will be looking to do something bigger and bolder and will need even more people to help carry the flag in honor of September 11th.
CLICK BELOW TO SEE THE MOVING TRIBUTE PHOTO ALBUM
PHOTO ALBUM: 2017 9.11 MOVING TRIBUTE (Treasure Valley)
PHOTO ALBUM: 2017 Twilight Criterium VIP Tent
Sword & Plough On Stage at 43INC
Emily Núñez Cavness and Betsy Núñez, entrepreneurs who excel at using their military experience as business owners, shared incredible lessons they learned on their journey to create Sword & Plough. In 2013, they took a concept and turned it into a reality. They truly live by their company motto, "Repurposed for a Purpose," by taking surplus military materials and turning them into stylish handbags and accessories.
The Mission43 team was honored to bring Emily and Betsy to Boise and enjoy an evening with them at our June Mission43 INC (Innovate + Network + Connect) event.
Here are three key take-aways from their story that we can all use in our lives:
They raised $20,000 on Kickstarter in 2 hours, which was their 30-day goal. This didn't happen overnight, a year of planning went into the launch. Plan, prepare, and execute!
Betsy wished she learned more about supply chain management in school. She had to become an expert in acquiring thousands of yards of leather for their products just as Emily had started a 7-month Afghanistan deployment. Innovate and be persistent to get the results you need!
They sought out mentors and used free online resources to educate themselves on running their business. The resources are out there, but you need to go to them vs. thinking they will come to you!
VIDEO: 43INC with Sword & Plough
PHOTO ALBUM: 43INC with Sword & Plough
View fullsize
![]()
View fullsize
![]()
Mission43: A Year in Review
Mission43 didn’t even exist one year ago. Since then, we have grown to over 1500 members and are a building an organization that is having significant results for veterans and military spouses in Idaho.
Here are some of the things we are proud to hang our hat on:
Four of the best veteran service organizations in the country have united in Idaho to do what they do best.
Hires Heroes USA has helped 115 members find their next career. These are quality jobs averaging $55,500 across 24 different fields.That’s $6.3 million in economic impact for military families!
Guild Education has a 100% retention rate at four partner universities. Two of which are in the Top 20 of the Military Times higher education rankings.
Team Red, White, & Blue and Team Rubicon have both doubled in size. There is significantly more opportunity to be actively involved on a daily basis.
We hosted 4 Mission43 INC events with incredible guest speakers and set the conditions for members to network and create opportunities.
Bottom line, the results machine is in motion and we aren’t stopping to take a break!
43INC With Our Toughest Guest Ever
Brian Von Herbulis (L), Mission43 INC and Brian Stann (R), Hire Heroes USA
First off, if you are reading this it is pretty much guaranteed our 43INC guest Brian Stann can beat you up. Why? Well he fought in the UFC. He played football at the United States Naval Academy (although he did lose to Army one of those years...Beat Navy!). He was a USMC infantry officer. He was awarded the Silver Star for his actions leading men through intense combat near Al Qaim, Iraq in 2005. Now, he is the CEO of Hire Heroes USA which to-date has helped over 13,000 veterans and military spouses find employment.
Brian Stann clearly has an incredible resume, but he had the same problem a lot of veterans have transitioning out of the military. He tackled this head-on as soon as we got going in this 43INC session. When he left the USMC he made his own resume and it ended up being three pages long. How do you translate military experience for a civilian company? What does leading troops in combat have to do with leading teams outside of the military? This is what Hire Heroes USA does like no other veteran employment organization, and they are a making a huge impact for Mission43 members.
Brian’s message was strong. You are the one who is responsible for your transition. You have to choose to live the American dream. And if you do, the entire Hire Heroes USA organization will be behind you to support your transition.
Click to learn more about Hire Heroes USA role in Mission43.
KTVB's Viewpoint Features Mission43
Bryan Madden (M43 Program Director) and Brian Stann (CEO of Hire Heroes USA) sat down with Doug Petcash, host of KTVB's Viewpoint. They talked about the what is happening nationally and at a local level for veterans and military spouses transitioning into civilian life. You can check out that segment here: VIEWPOINT.
After the Brian and Bryan show, Sandra Rollings from Team Rubicon talked about what they have been up to, including the recent Operation Payette Forward.
Behind the scenes on KTVB with Doug Petcash (left), Bryan Madden (middle), and Brian Stann (right).
PHOTO ALBUM: 43INC with Brian Stann, Hire Heroes USA
HHUSA's Biggest Idaho Workshop Yet
This was the third and largest Idaho workshop for Hire Heroes USA. Tony Torres, the Idaho Area Manager, hosted 26 veterans and spouses at the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation over two days. Day 1 included classes on interviewing, creating an elevator pitch, finalizing resumes, polishing up the LinkedIn profiles, and Dress for Success. Day 2 brought everything together when attendees did mock interviews one-on-one and in panel format. As usual, some of these interviews may have led to actual job offers. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive and demand will only continue to increase as word of mouth starts to spread what Hire Heroes USA is doing here in Idaho.
Finally, the volunteer force was also strong and we want to recognize the time and support of the following:
- Men's Warehouse provided the Dress for Success class.
- Gretchen Lemay Photography provided stunning professional head shots for the LinkedIn profiles.
- HP INC came out in force and conducted panel mock interviews.
- Pacific Source provided one-on-one mock interviews.
The veterans, spouses, volunteers, and Hire Heroes USA staff. Well done!
PHOTO ALBUM: 2016 Potato Bowl VIP Tent
PHOTO ALBUM: 43INC with Non-Profit Leaders
A 43INC Focused on Non-Profits
Non-profits play an important role in our community and three of the organizations in Mission43 operate under 501c(3) status. So, we thought it was important to hear from the leaders who have created some of the best non-profits we know of.
Mike Erwin, founder of the 100,000 strong Team Red, White, & Blue, started this non-profit while attending grad school at University of Michigan. Mike was an intelligence officer in the Army after graduating from West Point in 2002, and typical of the “it’s a small world” military worked directly with Brian Von Herbulis (43INC HFMIC) in Afghanistan years prior. His high energy and positive psychology led him to create his next non-profit, the Positivity Project. We love Mike!
Jimmy Hallyburton, a Boise local and favorite in the community, is the founder and CEO of the Boise Bicycle Project. Jimmy is a good friend of the Mission43 team and is a natural born leader. BBP is doing incredible things for the kiddos, ladies incarcerated in the prison down on Pleasant Valley Road, and everyone in between. Jimmy also recently brought an incredible Mission43 veteran onto his board to bring expertise in leadership and project management. Thanks for being you, Jimmy!
Finally, Charlie Linville is part of the Heroes Project and etched himself in history this past May for becoming the first combat amputee to summit Mount Everest. He brings the perspective of a veteran who has worked closely with a non-profit to do great things after leaving the service.
We had a fantastic evening thanks to our community partner, Trailhead. Trailhead is a Boise based entrepreneur incubator and was gracious enough to give us the space for the evening. Thanks fellas!!!
M43INC with Kryptek Outdoor Group
Co-founders of Kryptek Outdoor Group, Butch Whiting (L) and Josh Cleghorn (R).
“Authentic. Credible. Cool”
Did you know Kryptek Outdoor Group, one of the hottest clothing companies in the outdoor market, is an Idaho veteran owned business. Kryptek’s founders were two former Army Apache helicopter pilots, who forged a bond flying together in Iraq and shared a common love of hunting.
Success didn’t fall in their lap though. Butch Whiting and Josh Cleghorn talked us through how they had to adapt after a heavy blow to their company’s future. They were one of the finalists in a bid to become the United States Army’s next camouflage pattern. In testing all over the world, different lighting conditions, different environments, they consistently beat the competition. Then this small two many Army got a taste of politics and the DoD acquisition system. All of a sudden the project was put on hold and they were informed they would not be selected. So what next?
They chose to succeed. Take a look around and you will see Kryptek on hunters, in movies (The Hunger Games), race cars, guns. It’s everywhere and Josh and Butch made that happen in short time.
This 43INC, focused on veteran entrepreneurship, provided a great opportunity to hear from some Idaho locals who have accomplished amazing things after the military. It also connected Mission43 members and business leaders so they could connect professionally and create opportunities they didn’t know existed.
We had an incredible debut for Mission43 INC (Innovate + Network + Connect)
