JOURNAL
The Journey Continues
Follow the ongoing development of the SCARS OF SERVICE Foundation, the memoir, and the mission.
WHY WE KEEP A JOURNAL
Documenting the Journey as It Unfolds
Every meaningful mission is built one step at a time. This Journal documents the continuing development of the SCARS OF SERVICE Foundation, the progress of the memoir, and the lessons learned along the way.
By sharing milestones, reflections, challenges, and lessons from the journey, we aim to provide transparency, encouragement, and practical insight for others navigating their own paths.
The story is still being written. The mission is still being built.
Latest Entries
196 Pages and Counting
Part I of SCARS OF SERVICE has been written. I am now approximately 20% into Part II—the United States Marine Corps years.
Based on the story still ahead, I currently expect the completed manuscript to exceed 500 pages, although that number will naturally change as the story develops and eventually moves through editing and review.
I have also made an important decision about the process: I intend to write the entire story before submitting the manuscript for formal editorial and publication review.
Along the way, I will begin sharing selected manuscript snapshots that are appropriate for public release. These will offer glimpses into the people, places, experiences, humor, hardships, and lessons that shaped the journey behind SCARS OF SERVICE.
196 pages down. A great deal of the journey remains.
The scar is part of the journey, but it is not the destination.
Preparation Begins Before You Need It
Most people never expect to navigate a complex workplace complaint, investigation, administrative review, or oversight process. By the time those systems become personal, important decisions may already need to be made.
One of the lessons that inspired SCARS OF SERVICE is that preparation should not begin after a crisis develops. Understanding processes, preserving information, maintaining accurate records, and knowing where to seek assistance can make the path ahead easier to understand.
The Foundation cannot predict outcomes or replace attorneys, investigators, or oversight agencies. What it can do is help people become better informed and better prepared before important decisions have to be made.
No One Should Have to Navigate Alone
One of the most important developments within the Foundation is the creation of a mentorship program focused on preparation, knowledge, and informed participation.
The program is being designed around practical areas of guidance, including administrative processes, documentation and timelines, evidence preservation, informal resolution, professional communication, oversight offices, records requests, ethical leadership, career recovery, and resilience through adversity.
Mentorship begins with listening.
The Story Continues
Work continues on SCARS OF SERVICE, a memoir tracing the journey from childhood in Lafayette, Louisiana, through nearly thirty years of military service, a career in the Intelligence Community, and ultimately to the experiences that inspired this Foundation.
At the time of this update, Part One was approximately 80% complete. Work remained focused on completing the remaining chapters while continuing to organize and review the documentary record supporting later portions of the memoir.
Foundation Website Launched
August marks an important milestone in the development of the SCARS OF SERVICE Foundation. After months of planning, writing, research, and development, the Foundation website officially launched as the central home for the mission.
The website introduces the Foundation’s purpose, guiding principles, mentorship program, the developing memoir, and opportunities for others to become part of the mission.
Milestones
- SCARS OF SERVICE Foundation website officially launched.
- Mentorship and guidance framework introduced.
- Part One of the memoir reached approximately 80% completion.
- The Prologue was finalized.
- Supporting documentary records continued to be organized and reviewed.
More Stories Ahead
New entries will document milestones in the Foundation, development of the memoir, mentorship resources, lessons learned, public initiatives, and other meaningful developments as the mission continues.
ASK A QUESTION
Questions about the journey?
Readers are invited to send questions about the memoir, the documentary record, or the Foundation's work. Selected questions will be answered in future Journal entries.