In the vibrant landscape of Luke Ebeling's life, the rhythmic cadence of childhood adventures in Lakewood, CO, and the aspirational dream kindled by a neighbor's Ranger tales paint a vivid narrative. Luke's odyssey unfolds through the corridors of ROTC at Montana State, navigating later into the logistical landscapes of Ordinance—a unique military trajectory converging toward the esteemed 75th Ranger Regiment. At the zenith of his military saga stands the triumphant conquest over The Best Ranger Competition in 2023. Transitioning gracefully to the civilian realm, Luke's narrative finds roots for his next chapter of life at Google.

Self-Respect can hit in two different ways. One is through fitness. You have to take care of your body in order to thrive. If you just sit on the couch and eat potato chips then you will live a short unhappy life. Self-respect is treating your body like a temple and taking care of it to the best of your ability. The second way self-respect is important is mental health and asking for help. I’ve always played the game of admitting any of that is a weakness. After seeing so many of my peers find so much relief I finally found out how much seeking help and talking to people about it all can help. Without taking care of myself both physically and mentally there is no getting to the objective.

Today, nearly 200,000 of our American service members are deployed in more than 100 countries around the world. But our troops are not as equipped as we’d like to think. Many times, they need resources faster than the government can supply them. Red tape, supply chain issues, or equipment failures mean that our service members are sometimes in the field without the equipment they need to protect themselves or to do the job effectively. When our troops need operational gear, they don’t need it in a few weeks or months. They need it now. Troops Direct fills the gap to protect our service members by supplying them with the equipment they need— usually within days, anywhere around the world. Our troops sacrifice daily to protect us, sometimes at the cost of their own lives. It’s our duty to support them - to provide what they need to accomplish missions and come home safe and in one piece.

This year I am partnering with Legacies Alive, an organization focused on supporting our Nation’s Gold Star Families, by undertaking the 2023 Legacies Alive Challenge. On September 24, 2023, the 12th anniversary of Tyler’s death, I will begin a 425-mile, four week hike from Tyler’s hometown of Dana Point, CA and finish in Ricardo’s hometown of Salinas, CA. My mission is to honor, celebrate, and pay tribute to not just Tyler and Ricardo, but to all who have died in service to the United States of America. The money raised will go towards building permanent memorials, for both Tyler and Ricardo, in each of their hometowns respectively.

As members of U. S. Air Force Special Warfare, Pararescue specialists rescue and medically treat downed military personnel all over the world. Pararescuemen, also known as “PJs,” and their Combat Rescue Officer leaders are the only U.S. force specifically trained and equipped to execute the most dangerous and technical rescue operations worldwide.  Regardless of enemy threat or environmental conditions, these elite warriors stand ready to find isolated and injured people, render expert medical care, and return them safely.

An Army Ranger who was wounded in the line of duty, David Reid recalls the mission that cost him his left leg—and nearly his life. This is David, in his own words, on what the experience taught him about his own strength—and that of the human spirit.

Welcome to 'Stories of Honor', a collection of stories that seeks to explore the depths of human experience through the lives of those who have served our country in the US military, our communities as first responders, or abroad in federal agencies. We’re dedicated to sharing their challenges. We'll be delving into the trials and triumphs of these men and women, who have devoted their lives to serving and protecting our country and communities.

Interestingly, instead of this experience completely isolating me and causing me to distrust everyone, it’s incentivized me to be more open and more vulnerable to other people. It’s in trying to avoid pain – in constantly trying to please others, or protect yourself – that pain will find and break us apart.  I choose to open myself to the judgment of others because their reactions will tell me if there is a place in my life for them or not.

The greatest obstacle that I’ve overcome was my fear of doing physically demanding tasks that I typically wouldn’t do as a woman. Like traveling to new places in the wilderness, going on backcountry hunts with my husband, camping for days on end, and packing out what seemed like the heaviest pack of my life on my own back. Just going through what I did in the hospital pushed me mentally. Every step that I took on those mountains pushed me with that same mindset, I never want to go back to where I was. I trained for several months, increasing my strength and endurance. I feel like everyone at least once should experience the true beauty of what hunting really is. It’s not just going and killing an animal, it’s the hard work and effort that you put into it. It’s memories with your friends or family rucking it when you’re completely exhausted. It’s those mornings and evenings with the most beautiful views that you don’t get to see on a daily basis in complete solitude. It’s even better packing out an animal that you harvested that you trained so hard for.

In a world often dominated by instant gratification and mediocrity, Blain stands as a testament to the enduring values of hard work and discipline. His philosophy calls upon others to embrace the pursuit of greatness, not merely for personal glory, but as a means to cultivate character, inspire others, and contribute to the betterment of humanity. In his unwavering commitment to relentless effort, he illuminates the path to a life lived with purpose, integrity, and moral fortitude.

Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to END the veteran suicide epidemic. VETS was founded by Amber and Marcus Capone after Marcus, a 13-year Navy SEAL veteran, found healing from symptoms of PTSD and TBI in psychedelic-assisted therapies. Since 2019, VETS has provided grants for hundreds of U.S. Special Forces veterans to receive psychedelic-assisted therapy treatment outside the U.S., as well as preparation and integration coaching. VETS believes that psychedelic therapy can lay the foundation for further healing. This “foundational healing” enables continued progress across a range of therapeutic modalities, and is supported by a robust coaching program, providing a holistic treatment solution for veterans.

I think the biggest hurdle I’ve had to overcome is starting my own business at a later age in the game. There’s other work with my career, my family, etc., and it takes some sacrifice and buy-in from everyone around you. You take a LOT of losses in the beginning as far as being turned down, told you’re not good, not getting clients, time away from home and family etc etc. It’s a huge learning curve. No one likes to be told no, or you aren’t good enough. Being in the fire service, it’s taught me to just keep moving forward. Try, fail, learn, try again, complete, repeat. I guess if you believe in what you’re doing enough, and keep consistent with that practice, the end result will always be better than the initial.