Leader Spotlight

Shakir Radeef was an Iraqi journalist working in countries across the Middle East, covering election news and human rights issues, including the refugee crisis, before he applied for refugee status and was resettled in the United States in 2014. "After living in the United States for almost five years, I now know with certainty that there is more than enough room in this country to offer safety and security for those who have been pushed out of their homes," he says. "The United States is a land of opportunity and there are opportunities here for the persecuted to use their skills and talents to make the nation stronger."

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Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today welcomed Bishop Garrison as its next director of National Security Outreach and of Veterans for American Ideals. Garrison, who is an Army veteran and West Point graduate, recently served as interim executive director of the Truman National Security Project.

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Our Leader Spotlights offer a glimpse into our diverse leadership: veterans who are continuing to serve their country and community in creative ways. Today, we profiled Teresa Kennedy, a 2016 distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a 2015 Harry S. Truman Scholar. She currently lives and works in Washington DC as a defense consultant.  

Tell me about your military service.  

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Vets for American Ideals' Leader Spotlight series highlights our diverse and dynamic veteran leaders. Today, we hear from Sharon Robino-West of Omaha, Nebraska.

Tell me about your military service.

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I hope to remind every veteran they have so much value and worth, and that we can continue our mission by uniting, leading, and serving our communities. If not for us, and the inherent pride it brings, then for the future generations. Our children deserve the best we can give them; a solid foundation of character, knowledge, and freedom.  

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As someone who came to America as a young man, I want immigrants who come to this country to have the support and opportunity I had when I arrived from Ireland. The local allies who supported our military in Iraq and Afghanistan—who received visas under the Special Immigrant Visa program—don’t have the same networks to leverage. In Boston, I’m building long-term relationships with our wartime allies and refugees from other countries in the hopes of accelerating and easing their transition into America.

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After twenty-six years on active duty, Steve could have easily retired into satisfaction, hanging his hat on an impressive career of service to this nation. But he felt a calling to continue serving the ideals that he defended in uniform—freedom, generosity, and dignity for all.

So, Steve and his wife Diane began a new mission: welcoming the world’s most vulnerable.

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During our service, we often followed the person with the loudest voice, or we were that voice, giving orders and staging the charge. Now, as a veteran, when I raise my voice, others listen. Veterans are given a platform in our society, so I intend to use it to for the better of my community. It’s my hope that by speaking out, that others will join me in my charge.

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As a veteran, I feel that our service never stops. Our country gave us so much and it is incumbent upon veterans to give back to our country and to our communities. The United States is hungry for positive leadership and veterans can provide the leadership our country needs at the local, state, and national levels.

Being a veteran in the current “thank you for your service” culture amplifies our voices. People listen. People want to hear our stories. People know that we have been deployed and fought through difficult circumstances. As a result, we have a responsibility not only to continue our service in whatever way we are called, but also to speak up and to speak out for the issues that need our voices.

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We have to recognize that there’s great power bestowed in the tremendous respect America has for its military and veteran community. It’s our responsibility to use that power to build bridges. I live in a hamlet in upstate New York, where I have the opportunity to become friendly with people whom I would never have the opportunity to interact with otherwise because I’m a veteran. I also think it’s critically important to speak up because if we don’t, people will put words in our mouth or speak behind our backs. We fought to protect our right to free speech, guaranteed by the Constitution, and should exercise those rights.

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