Team Sergeant
11-23-2008, 09:53
Well Done LTC Martin!!!!!!
(You should have been in uniform for the picture....;))
Team Sergeant
Sunday Profile /Lt. Col. JosephMartin
Warrior for children in need
By Louise Continelli
NEWS STAFF REPORTER
Sometimes they’re called “Snake Eaters” or “Green Berets.” Army Lt. Col. Joseph Martin also calls these members of the Special Forces “warriors.”
“We are the force of choice for difficult missions that require rapid solutions in sensitive environments,” said Martin, a Canisius College graduate.
Through the proceeds from his “Get Selected for Special Forces” guide, Martin raised $100,000 for college scholarships and education counseling for children of Special Operations personnel killed in training or combat operations.
Martin, named this year’s Special Operations Warrior Foundation Volunteer of the Year, has served as a Special Forces detachment commander with the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He’s participated in Special Forces and counter narcotics training missions in Honduras, Ecuador and Colombia.
Making yourself Special Forcesworthy is his mission. About one out of three enlisted soldiers who go through the Special Forces assessment and selection process are chosen to continue training for Special Forces.
Martin, with the help of Master Sgt. Rex Dodson, takes Special Forces applicants “through the process and shows you the things you can do to set you up for success.”
Though geared to the military, his manual offers much for the civilian who wants to craft a bulletproof vest in case of a national emergency.
For instance, Martin advises becoming a volunteer for a Boy Scout troop, and take advantage of “classes on map reading and orienteering. The fundamentals are sound and will help you learn the military method quicker.”
Want to get in warrior shape? Start doing push-ups “everyday before you run,” Martin suggests. “Add the weight room to your workout routine, two to three times per week.”
Eat “healthy fat — olive oil, avocados, almonds” — and avoid processed sugar, said Martin, a 1987 graduate of Maryvale High School.
At Canisius, Martin, a business management graduate, was commissioned as a distinguished graduate of the ROTC program. He’s also a graduate of the Army Ranger School, the Special Forces qualification course and the Command and General Staff College.
Martin met his wife, Maj. Alison Martin, an Army judge advocate general officer, at Fort Bliss.
Martin acknowledges his wife and daughter “who put up with the late hours, long deployments, crazy ideas and love me anyway.”
Currently, Martin is a military congressional fellow, serving with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. He’ll be advising and assisting Reid on defense policies, authorizations and appropriations.
Now, about those snakes. Yes, Martin concedes, some “Special Forces soldiers do eat snakes on occasion.” In fact, he includes a picture of one “narrow fellow,” an anaconda “caught outside our team barracks.”.
Have an idea about a local person whose life would make a good profile or a neighborhood issue worth exploring?
e-mail: lcontinelli@buffnews.com or write to: Louise Continelli, Sunday Profile, The Buffalo News, P. O. Box 100, Buffalo, NY 14240.
http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/buffaloerie/story/502377.html
(You should have been in uniform for the picture....;))
Team Sergeant
Sunday Profile /Lt. Col. JosephMartin
Warrior for children in need
By Louise Continelli
NEWS STAFF REPORTER
Sometimes they’re called “Snake Eaters” or “Green Berets.” Army Lt. Col. Joseph Martin also calls these members of the Special Forces “warriors.”
“We are the force of choice for difficult missions that require rapid solutions in sensitive environments,” said Martin, a Canisius College graduate.
Through the proceeds from his “Get Selected for Special Forces” guide, Martin raised $100,000 for college scholarships and education counseling for children of Special Operations personnel killed in training or combat operations.
Martin, named this year’s Special Operations Warrior Foundation Volunteer of the Year, has served as a Special Forces detachment commander with the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He’s participated in Special Forces and counter narcotics training missions in Honduras, Ecuador and Colombia.
Making yourself Special Forcesworthy is his mission. About one out of three enlisted soldiers who go through the Special Forces assessment and selection process are chosen to continue training for Special Forces.
Martin, with the help of Master Sgt. Rex Dodson, takes Special Forces applicants “through the process and shows you the things you can do to set you up for success.”
Though geared to the military, his manual offers much for the civilian who wants to craft a bulletproof vest in case of a national emergency.
For instance, Martin advises becoming a volunteer for a Boy Scout troop, and take advantage of “classes on map reading and orienteering. The fundamentals are sound and will help you learn the military method quicker.”
Want to get in warrior shape? Start doing push-ups “everyday before you run,” Martin suggests. “Add the weight room to your workout routine, two to three times per week.”
Eat “healthy fat — olive oil, avocados, almonds” — and avoid processed sugar, said Martin, a 1987 graduate of Maryvale High School.
At Canisius, Martin, a business management graduate, was commissioned as a distinguished graduate of the ROTC program. He’s also a graduate of the Army Ranger School, the Special Forces qualification course and the Command and General Staff College.
Martin met his wife, Maj. Alison Martin, an Army judge advocate general officer, at Fort Bliss.
Martin acknowledges his wife and daughter “who put up with the late hours, long deployments, crazy ideas and love me anyway.”
Currently, Martin is a military congressional fellow, serving with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. He’ll be advising and assisting Reid on defense policies, authorizations and appropriations.
Now, about those snakes. Yes, Martin concedes, some “Special Forces soldiers do eat snakes on occasion.” In fact, he includes a picture of one “narrow fellow,” an anaconda “caught outside our team barracks.”.
Have an idea about a local person whose life would make a good profile or a neighborhood issue worth exploring?
e-mail: lcontinelli@buffnews.com or write to: Louise Continelli, Sunday Profile, The Buffalo News, P. O. Box 100, Buffalo, NY 14240.
http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/buffaloerie/story/502377.html