Twenty years ago today...and I remember

20 years ago today…I remember the hour; and the minute...the location and the moment you came into the world! You were a breath of fresh air for all of us…and every day since then has been the same. I remember the Boy Scouts; the hockey games; towing you behind the car in snow storms at Ft. Bragg; thinking about you learning to drive at 9 years of age! I remember when you broke your elbow playing roller hockey; riding the 4 wheeler; your first day on skis; your second day on a snowboard; the times with Renegade and Ranger; the loss of Rusty; Sherman and Liz…and a host of other animals like Luther! I remember that day you became an Eagle Scout…and completed that part of life’s journey...and then like now...thinking how very proud of you…for being you.

I remember when you would fall asleep in my lap; and hold my hand at the mall…I remember your first goal on the ice; our undefeated season…and your first lacrosse game. I remember watching you with animals and remarking how proud I was at your compassion in how you handled them…and the maturity you showed in meeting new people as you moved through your teen years. I remember the travels; the people whose life you touched…and how they touched yours...the day you became a brother...and a mentor... 

I remember so much about the past 20 years my son…and all of it has made me proud. Twenty years is a long time but you have so much more to do…and so much more to give to this world…to make change and contribute where others will not...enjoy this day…and all that it brings you…for you are my son….and I am nothing less than a very proud father.

Thank you Jake…for these past twenty years...I am and will always be grateful...

Love

Dad

Saying Goodbye

There are many things that can be gleamed from the tragic loss of life that was Steve Jobs; dignity; integrity and an overwhelming sense that no matter who we are or how rich we have become..in the end...we all are destined to pass on.

I was taken aback by the many press releases I had read on the man and had followed his career with some sense of wonderment and awe...as many others have as well...but it was not till I read some of the words that he extolled in his last days prior to his death that my respect for him soared. See I was never and Apple or a MAC convert...the boys...yes...and oh did I pay the monetary price (literally) for it...but I was happy with my IPOD and just running down the street oblivious to the world around me...but the man from Apple who knew he was going to die had some very well written versus that I could relate to over time.

“I once asked him if he was glad that he had kids, and he said, ‘It’s 10,000 times better than anything I’ve ever done.”  When a father looks back on his life he sees many things; mistakes, gains; losses and of course loves...but there is no greater gift then holding a child and watching him (or her) grow up and become an active participant in life. As of the writing of this passage, I just received a phone call from Ian...and we had a discussion about hockey...and he could tell that he made my day by just by calling. Jake did the same thing this A.M. as he discussed his upcoming time off...it was so good to catch up with them...and much needed... today of all days. Steve Jobs was correct in that everything associated with kids has been a miracle for me and carried me through some very tough spots...even if it meant shelling out major dollars for all those Apple products...it was money well spent.   

“It was all about living life on his own terms and not wasting a moment with things he didn’t think were important. He was aware that his time on earth was limited”. I recently had a major argument with my father...albeit for many reasons...I don’t think he would ever get my choices; my motivations; my rationale for what made me tick. At this point in my life it was about giving to those that could not do for themselves and for helping those in need. I never sought the refuge in family that many others have and yet my own children are the basis for what drives me to do what is right...that to me is what is important. The ideals that Steve Jobs laid out in securing Apple as a global giant came from a dream of giving; giving to others and keeping the ones that matter close...that was a gift from Apple that very few will ever be able to see...I am glad I have.  

 “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”  Again...when I look back on what my father and others have said...I have the moral conviction to do what is right...and know that those decisions help others. In the construct of my own life I have had the successes and failures that make one stand back and take notice...and yet...in matters of the heart I am devastated. It is in these matters that I wish I had had the intuition to follow my heart...and to ensure that was never without the one I not only loved but ultimately needed...and yet here I am again...alone...and all by my own choosing.

Steve Jobs did not choose to die...he choose to live a life that was predicated upon the belief in providing for those that mattered most to him ...and he did this his whole life. He was not a philanthropist...he was something more important...he was a husband and a father...who put his family first...and all the other things second only to that. It is lesson from the man synonymous with Apple that many of us should learn...before we have no time left.

Thank you Steve .and may God keep you close

In the World We Live

Good Morning...came across this poster yesterday after a discussion with an NGO representative. In the end people who work in this field have some very good intentions...but it is not them that you have to worry about...it's about the bad guys who just wont give you a break...and so that is why we are here!

Enjoy

I miss you...more than you could ever realize

Brian 

Making a Diference...One Mission at a Time

And so we begin....In the daily effort to keep everyone up to date on our activities…I am filing this report…suffice to say the Life On Point Team is working hard. Besides keeping a close watch for narcotics in this jungle environment, we are monitoring the flow of boats along the river in our operational area looking for a different type of illegal merchandise -- women and girls being trafficked into a thriving sex industry from Burma.
On a recent evening, several of the boats inched their way down the river. We established a checkpoint and immediately boarded the boats looking for those whose only chance at freedom was if we were able to identify them and wrestle them from these criminals. Our team consists of an American, a Burmese interpreter and several well paid Karen rebels hell bent on securing freedom for these women and girls. The trafficking networks in this area are well organized; after a series of discussions punctuated with the threat of violence and a thorough search of the vessel we found communications equipment that rivaled anything I had seen or used in the last 20 years in the military. Our check point just across the border from Thailand was paying off. We stopped a total of 10 vessels over a 24 hour period and secured weapons, drugs and other materials…but no women or young girls. I was told that riverine pirates were bringing in illegal immigrants as sex slaves through these channels but as on this evening we found nothing other then illegal equipment. If nothing else taking it and dropping it in the river eliminates threats later that we might have to deal with.
24 Hours Later... On a very dark night with no illumination very deep in the jungle, we made a breakthrough. We were able to “capture” four Burmese pirates who were in the process of taking 4 women from the village close to our camp. Had they made it to the boat these women would have disappeared forever..and the "legal system took over...after conferring with the village elder the rebels assigned to our team took the traffickers deep into the jungle – I never saw them again…nor did I care to ask “what happened?” …for you see…here in Burma you know the answer before the question is even asked. The challenge is daunting for the Life On Point Team…there are way too many points to cover where this type of activity takes place...but it does...way to often. 

You never know…

The jungle invites many mysteries and stories. I was recently alerted that an “American woman” was in the area and approaching the village. When we finally met her she was stunned to see these “advisors” working so deep in this area. She stated she worked for an American charity and that she too had illegally entered the country. Then she told us about what she had seen in the villages just to the north…systematic rape and torture…and so now she was on the run. We made sure that she got back across to safety…a sort of “American’s helping American’s” in a far off land.
After her travel back to Bangkok our office received an email stating she was home…and a sincere “thank you” for getting her home to her family. The end of the story…no…she states she will be back helping those that suffered the most in that brutal attack. I did not have the heart to tell her that those women who were so brutally rape were subsequently taken across the border a couple of weeks ago. As of this writing...we missed them and the opportunity to bring them home…and yet for every success there are countless failures predicated upon the size of the problem.
The area we are located in southern Burma has a catapulted to the frontlines in the battle against trafficking primarily because of its proximity to rural Thailand that our intelligence has identified as supplying women and girls to the regional trafficking networks. On a daily basis  of entry along the Thai-Burmese border and miles upon miles along the rivers where it is easy to steal human life and sell it for whatever purpose.  I see women not just from Burma but also Laos and even southern China as they transit on foot to the flesh markets in Bangkok or other Asian capitals. It is a travesty to see these women as young as 14 on their way to a life that makes most of us sick. In the end our efforts to date have rescued 51 women (girls) over the past several months but such numbers are only a fraction of the poor and economically vulnerable women and girls trafficked into the sex trade across this jungle. There are reports that over two million women and children are trapped in the global child-sex trade.
In the End...
I hope these figures are incorrect…if not…then we have an inordinate amount of work left to do. Sometimes violence, or the threat of such is the only way to get things done…here in the jungle…it is the law by which we operate…and continue to make a difference.
I miss you...and love you always!

The Critics Abound

"...the man who really counts in the world is the doer, not the mere critic-the man who actually does the work, even if roughly and imperfectly, not the man who only talks or writes about how it ought to be done."

As we get ready to head back into the jungle I felt compelled to let you know just what is happening. The whole story can’t be illuminated in my words but suffice to say that capturing some of it is more important than just turning a blind eye. I called home the other day – a call I have made with less and less frequency. They will never understand the “why” of this work nor the great sense of satisfaction that comes from helping those that could never defend themselves…and at the end of the day looking in the mirror and knowing that your actions did indeed help those in need. As quoted from President Roosevelt above…it’s not about the critic but all about the doer…that is what matters most.

"Don't feel sorry for me...feel sorry for the children, for they are most at risk" BH 

Indeed, child rape is spreading like a wildfire in Southeast Asia. Burma’s child sex slave industry is globally famous. Inside Burma it is estimated that over 3,500 child rape cases have languished in a defunct court system in just this past year alone. Across the border, Thai officials have released figures showing that in some regions of its nation, between half and 90 percent of sexual crimes and abuse occur against minors.

Throughout Southeast Asia, it is estimated that some 300,000 women and children are involved in the sex trade. They work in border towns between Burma and China, or even on the streets of Bangkok. Some are ethnic Chinese nationals seeking a better life in Southeast Asia. They have no money and many have lost their families – or have been sold off by them. They march through malaria-infested jungles in Laos and Burma and then ride in cramped vans into Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. There, pimps and other more nefarious types begin to bargain for their ownership and services ($2,000-$4,000) while expecting nothing less than full and total allegiance from these victims. Some of the women will be traded as much as seven to 10 times between pimps and criminal gangs.

Some of these women are just outright kidnapped by the same marauders and military personnel that bought me to this hell in the first place…and still others are sold by their parents and relatives as a means of survival for the village and/or the family. Many that I see are orphans…but all will wind up in the sex trade. As you read this today…make no mistake…this is human slavery…and those that orchestrate it are the true animals that our society has fostered. As it unfolds in front of me I see that it is run with a kind of military precision that requires that same in return in order to stamp it out…and that is what we do!

And now we go across…back to the jungle; the danger; and the reality that is human trafficking…and my reality…which is now fighting it. Be well and be safe and know that as you read this we are making a difference…where others would not.

I miss you… 

B

Saving Women and Children

"It is long past time for the international community to realize that women and children in many parts of the world are being sold on the international market like any other commodity...no justification whatsoever exists for presuming the consent of the victims to such treatment or for failing to hold their abusers accountable"

It has been an emotional day across the globe but one that still requires focus on what we are doing. The “human trade industry” here in Burma is huge and although we make some strides the reality is our efforts are but a ripple in the ocean. We target the individuals that target those who can’t help themselves…the women and the children who are the victims in this perverse world. I can’t tell you how many victims there are but I can tell you that our initial efforts have not only raised awareness but also reunited those held hostage in an industry that never sees a measure of success for those oppressed.

How it happens…The trafficking of Burmese women and girls into Thailand is appalling in its efficiency and ruthlessness. Driven by the desire to maximize profit and by the fear of HIV/AIDS, agents acting on behalf of brothel owners infiltrate ever more remote areas of Burma seeking unsuspecting recruits. Virgin girls are particularly sought after because they bring a higher price and pose less of a threat of exposure to sexually transmitted disease. The agents promise the women and girls jobs as waitresses or dishwashers, with good pay and new clothes. Family members or friends typically accompany the women and girls to the Thai border, where they receive a payment ranging from 10,000 baht ($400) to 20,000 baht ($800) from someone associated with the brothel. This payment becomes the debt, usually doubled with interest, which the women and girls must work to pay off, not by waitressing or dishwashing, but through sexual servitude.

Daily life…The women and girls face a wide range of abuse, including debt bondage; illegal confinement; forced labor; rape; physical abuse; exposure to HIV/AIDS; and in some cases, murder. Initially, young girls like are kept in what is known as the "the room to unveil virgins." Later they are moved to the "selection" room, where they are displayed in windowed enclosures wearing numbers. The sex occurs in small cubicles where the women and girls also live and where the bed is often little more than a concrete bunk. Working conditions are inhumane. The women and girls work ten to eighteen hours a day, about twenty-five days a month. They average between five and fifteen clients a day. Health care and birth control education are minimal. In some instances, pregnant women are forced either to abort illegally or to continue to service clients well into their pregnancies. Many of the girls and women are brought to Thailand as virgins; most return to Burma with HIV.
What we are doing…The international community must step up pressure not only on the Thai government, to meet its international obligations, but the Burmese government as well. Just as the Thai police raid the same brothels they patronize and arrest women as illegal immigrants whom they may have hired the night before, Burmese officials arrest deported women and girls for illegal departure whose recruitment to Thailand they may have facilitated by taking bribes from brothel agents. It is incumbent on the Burmese government to investigate and prosecute those involved in trafficking on the Burmese side of the border. Just as important for the safety and well-being of the women and girls, however, is pressure on SLORC to allow regular access to Burmese villages and detention centers by international human rights and humanitarian organizations.

None of the measures needed to stop trafficking and related abuses will take place without concerted international pressure as well as tactical applications like LOPC…but like everything else that is illegal…there is too much money to be made from the practice.

We continue the fight from the jungle…hitting hard and hitting often…keeping those that prey on women and children on the defense. In over 60 years of this type of activity there have been very few successes…until now!

More to follow...from the jungle

A New Era...9/11/2011

We still live in a very dangerous world 10 years after the devastating attacks on our country…and yet more and more of us are actually far safer then we have ever been before. The reason for this is not singularly one program; our military or even the knowledge that there are those out there who wish us ill will. It is the collective national intellect that understands that those that those who perpetrated the attacks of 9/11 can now also be targeted and held at hostage...in the same manner that others have held us hostage for years. Our own intellect and the overarching human will to survive is no match for those cowards who started this war many years ago…and it’s that spirit that will keep us free and always…on the hunt!

More to follow…

Brian    

Mirror...Mirror...On the Wall…

The past few days have been filled with excitement and loads of work. Deploying over 8000 miles self sufficiently or in my case “on my own” has been nothing short of painful. There are missed flights; customs inspections; changed flights and the ubiquitous lost piece of critical luggage has punctuated the last 48 hours as we get ready to enter back into the jungle. I remember when $1000.00 dollars seemed like such a large sum of money and now we spend that on excess baggage fees and taxi cabs to take us to the hotel here in Asia for our last bit of R&R before the long trip into the jungle. It's the type of overland movement that makes you ask your self..."why"

I spoke to several folks over the weekend…all of whom have asked “why” do I continue to do this. It is not an easy task nor is it without inherent danger but it does allow me to make a difference in areas that few would ever tread. I use to look in the mirror as many of you do and ask the simple question…”have I done anything today that will make a difference in the world for those in need?”  With the advent of the activities over the past year I can answer succinctly…Yes!

What I am referencing has nothing to do with being a good parent or good to your fellow employees…these are inherently simple yet mandatory tasks that we do because we care about those around us.  What I am talking about is stepping out of your comfort zone and doing the difficult things because those are the ones that make a difference…helping those that can’t help themselves. When I look in the mirror especially over the next few months I know that organizationally as well as personally… we have done well.

More to follow on the Anti-trafficking campaign we are now on! 

Brian

Watch your six…praise the Lord…and pass the ammo!

Been one hell of a month…long hours and even longer travel…but here I am. I received a letter yesterday about introspection, love and God. It was heartfelt and very emotional …I wish I was able to write like that. It spoke of forgiveness and the acceptance of who we are and where in life we need to be…and how important ones faith is in everything we do.

I am with the boys and back from overseas for a few days. Buying school clothes, fixing "new" cars and getting ready to leave again all punctuated the day for us. Jake will be heading off to sophomore year in college and is quite excited. He sent me an email yesterday that was pricelessless..."Dad...seems I spent all my school money on summer vacation...can you help?" He knows I will because that is what a father does for his son! Ian is 6 feet tall and a runner. ..a rock solid long distance runner! Unlike Jake he is adroit at saving money in the hopes of purchasing a VW "hippie" van...not sure where he got that from? I look at them both and am captivated at what they have done and more importantly what they will do.  I previously had written that when I am away I miss them…and now while I am with them…I realize that even more. Some contract meetings here on Monday and Tuesday and then back to the grind…more travel and long hours…and then back into the jungle…but with a renewed faith…and a sense of purpose…not only in myself…but in the boys as well…for no matter the distance they will always be with me…as demonstrated today…and we will always have faith…in each other…and our Father!

Brian

A dangerous time to be an American

No doubt many of you woke over the past several days to hear about the loss of life aboard the helicopter bought down by militants in Afghanistan. Onboard were 30 personnel; 17 of which were from the Navy SEALS. A sad day for the SEAL community, United States Special Operations and the services in totality. What you may not have read was yesterday another American was taken hostage in Pakistan and no doubt will be held for ransom in a cruel game initiated by Al Quaida to garner funding for there war. It's a sad way to fight but when you are fighting a losing battle...you will do anything necessary to maintain momentum...including taking a 65 year old aid worker who was doing nothing more than trying to make a difference for those that have nothing. These people who have initiated this action are cowards...and should be eliminated post haste! 
My heart goes out to the families of the fallen this past week...but lost in this carnage is another American who by virtue of nationality has also become a victim. Only time will tell. You can read the story here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44129489/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/

More to follow...from the coast..and the jungle!

Brian