Thursday, March 1 marks the application deadline for entry into the Fellowship Program 2012 Bravo Class. Bravo Class is slated to begin April 23 following a three day orientation in San Diego. Each Bravo Class Fellow will return home to serve with their host organization as leaders in their community. Bravo Class will serve through the summer and into the fall, official completing their 26 week fellowships on October 19, 2012.

Bravo Class is the second cohort of Fellows to begin their fellowships in 2012. The 39 post-9/11 veterans that comprise Alpha Class began their fellowships on January 9. You can learn more about the Alpha Orientation in the weekend recap.

For more information on the Fellowship Program or to apply for the 2012 Bravo Class, please visit our Fellowship Page. To speak with a staff member about becoming a Mission Continues Fellow, email fellowships@missioncontinues.org.

February 13, 2012 -- TacticalGear.com, an online retailer serving military and public safety professionals, and The Mission Continues have joined forces to promote the veterans programs of The Mission Continues. Through a new online giving process, TacticalGear.com customers will have the opportunity to make a customizable donation to The Mission Continues during the checkout process.

"We are incredibly honored and excited to have TacticalGear.com and its customers support The Mission Continues," said Lyndsey Hodges, Director of Development for The Mission Continues. "This commitment will allow us to help even more post-9/11 veterans to continue their service and leadership in their communities in 2012."

Built from the ground up to serve members of the tactical community, the website offers a wide selection of durable apparel, footwear and gear. After hearing Mission Continues’ founder and CEO Eric Greitens speak at an event, TacticalGear.com CEO Chad Weinman knew he needed to find a way to help.

"We are incredibly moved by what The Mission Continues does for those who have served our country," Weinman said. "We are excited to see how TacticalGear.com can aid excellent service projects in our local community here in St. Louis and in communities across the country.

Read the full press release here >

February 14, 2012 -- Mission Continues Alumni Fellow Adam Burke and his nonprofit organization, Veterans Farm, will be featured on a world report on HDNet at 9:00PM EST tonight. After reading an article on Veterans Farm in Parade Magazine, reporter Greg Dobbs decided to experience Veterans Farm firsthand. HDNet spent a total of four days following Adam and his team, filming the day-to-day workings of Veterans Farm and interviewing veteran participants and community members.

Veterans Farm was started by Burke, an OIF/OEF combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient who was wounded during a 15-month tour in Iraq. The Veterans Farm is a handicapped-accessible farm that was developed for disabled combat veterans to provide horticulture therapy--a "prescription without medication."  In the program, veterans learn how to grow organic fruits and vegetables.  After completion, veterans are provided with resources to go out and start their own farms or to work for larger farming organizations.

Burke’s Mission Continues Fellowship facilitated his work in starting Veterans Farm in 2009.  He has been an active alum of the program, attending annual conferences and working on local service projects.

To see the full feature on Veterans Farm and Adam Burke, tune into HDNet at 9PM EST. The episode will also be available on ITunes.

February 8, 2012 -- As a former infantry soldier, Elijah Dougherty knows what it is like to serve alongside others. In fact, one of Dougherty’s favorite things about the Army was the camaraderie and structure of working in a military unit.  Dougherty’s time in the Army was cut short during a deployment in Iraq, when he was injured in a Humvee rollover. As a result of his injuries, he was medically retired 2009. Still armed with a desire to serve; Dougherty applied for a Mission Continues Fellowship at Freedom Service Dogs, where he could pair his military skills with his other passion: a love of animals.

Freedom Service Dogs is a non-profit organization that rescues at risk dogs and custom trains them to become service dogs for disabled individuals. At Freedom Service Dogs, Elijah performs duties such as looking after the health and welfare of the dogs and attending a handler’s class to assist in the 150 hours of training that each service dog requires.

According to Dougherty, “I love dogs; and this organization doesn’t just help dogs, it also helps people. When I come home from work every day, I know that the work I did really helped someone.” After his Fellowship ends, Elijah has a strong desire to continue his work with animals in order to improve the lives of others.

Dougherty is one of the 37 Mission Continues Fellows serving in The Mission Continues Alpha Class. Alpha Fellows began the program on January 9, 2012 and will serve their host organization such as Freedom Service Dogs until July 2012.

Just over four years ago, The Mission Continues charted a course intent on changing the way our nation accepts returning veterans. The organization has grown tremendously since then, from a few staff members working to engage a handful of post-9/11 veterans in community service, to a national non-profit organization with 30 staff members and over 200 fellowships awarded to date. Our programmatic growth would not be possible without the support of individuals and organizations with a shared belief that our veterans are assets whose leadership is needed here at home. Goldman Sachs and Goldman Sachs Gives have been instrumental in this process and are poised to be strategic partners over the coming years.

Goldman Sachs Gives has pledged over $20 million to veterans service organizations over the next five years. Goldman Sachs commitment to veterans has extended beyond giving, however. In November, Goldman Sachs hosted a veteran jobs summit in New York City with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and leaders from across industries. For the past two years, Goldman Sachs employees have joined Mission Continues volunteers in service across American on Veterans Day.

Learn more about Goldman Sachs Gives support of The Mission Continues.

January 17, 2012 -- Mission Continues CEO and St. Louis native Eric Greitens was named a Paul Harris Fellow by St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and the Rotary Club of St. Louis at an awards ceremony held January 12^th. Greitens was one of three individuals awarded the fellowship along with the Honorable Judge Jimmie Edwards and Reverend Dr. Martin Rafanan. The three recipients were nominated by Mayor Slay as “outstanding examples of community service.”

Mayor Slay “won” the chance to nominate three individuals for the Paul Harris Fellowship Award following a friendly wager with the mayors and Rotary Clubs of Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Dallas resulting from the Major League Baseball playoffs. After the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series, the Rotary Clubs from each of the three “losing” cities made charitable donations to the Rotary Club of St. Louis which have since been assigned to the three award recipients.

Greitens was specifically honored for his work with The Mission Continues, which he established in downtown St. Louis. Since founding the organization, Greitens has been recognized as one of the nation’s most innovative leaders, winning awards such as the President’s Volunteer Service Award, the Social Venture Network Innovation Award and the Major League Baseball and PEOPLE Magazine “All Stars Among Us” Award.

"The citizens of St. Louis are as well known for their commitment to volunteerism as they are for their love of baseball," said Mayor Slay. “The Cardinals’ World Series win is a great thing for our City – and it also allows me to honor three individuals who have contributed much to our community.”

Read the full press release here.

January 11, 2011 -- The 2012 Alpha Fellowship Class officially began their fellowships across the nation on Monday, following a weekend of training, inspiration and community service with Mission Continues staff in St. Louis. The 38 Fellows represent 16 states and will serve at organizations including Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Team Rubicon, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Lone Star Veterans Association.

The training sessions kicked off Friday afternoon following opening remarks from Fellowship Program Manager and Fellow Alumna Tiffany Garcia and Mission Continues CEO Eric Greitens. Sessions focused on topics including their role as citizen leaders, the expectations of a Fellow, how to effectively share their stories, and how to run a successful service project.

The Fellows were then shown firsthand what a Mission Continues Service Project looks like when they joined the staff and volunteers for a community service project at The Bridge in Downtown St. Louis. Following an afternoon of hauling materials, painting and cleaning, the Fellows gathered in the main hall. Fellowship Program Associate and OIF veteran Micah Goulet then led the Fellows in reciting the Fellowship Oath and signing the Fellowship Pledge.

Check out photos from the service project here >

The weekend was not without its share of inspiration. Fellow Alumni Phil Bauer and Sonia Menesis each spoke with the Fellows and served alongside them Saturday afternoon. Special guest, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Weber addressed Alpha Class Sunday morning, challenging each Fellow to live everyday with perspective, grit and determination.

Fellows will serve at the host organization of their choosing over the next six months. In addition to meeting the needs and requirements of their fellowship host, Fellows will also lead a service project in their community as a capstone to their fellowship. Alpha Class Fellows will complete their service projects around Memorial Day weekend.

January 5, 2012 -- The Mission Continues Team will welcome 40 new Mission Continues Fellows to St. Louis this weekend for the 2012 Alpha Class Orientation. Each Fellow is a post-9/11 veteran who has “reenlisted” in service by giving back to their community at home through a 26-week fellowship. The orientation will provide Fellows the training needed to successfully complete their fellowships as well as the opportunity to meet other members who will be serving in their regions.

Training kicks off Friday afternoon with a welcome from Fellowship Program Manager Tiffany Garcia and Mission Continues CEO Eric Greitens. Fellowship Alumni Sonia Menesis and Phil Bauer will also be present throughout the weekend to share their stories with the new class of Fellows. The entire Mission Continues Team and Alpha Class will then come together Saturday afternoon following the morning sessions for a community service project at The Bridge.

The Fellowship Program has undergone significant changes for 2012 to better challenge the 500 Fellows expected to serve in 2012. Fellows are now grouped in four classes: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta with start dates tiered throughout the year beginning this weekend with the Alpha Class. Upon completing the orientation on Sunday each veteran will officially begin their fellowship.

Learn more about becoming a member of our 2012 Bravo Class >

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The orientation would not be possible without a dedicated group of supporters ensuring our Fellows are well fed and taken care-of. We wish to extend a very sincere Thank You to Chik-fil-A, Little Caesars Pizza, Trailhead Brewing Company, Anheuser Busch, Holiday Inn Express Riverport and P'sghetti's Pasta and Sandwiches.

As The Mission Continues team travels this holiday season to visit family and friends, we would like to extend a special measure of gratitude to Southwest Airlines, the Official Airline of The Mission Continues. Their commitment over the past four years has been instrumental in seeing our organization grow from a small non-profit organization in St. Louis to a nationally focused organization intent on changing the way our nation welcomes home returning veterans.

The Mission Continues presented Southwest Airlines the 2011 Compass Award for Respect at the Veterans Day Gala in St. Louis in recognition of their unwavering support for the organization and our mission.  View the awards presentation here.

Since our founding in 2007, Southwest Airlines has been a major supporter of the organization and our mission to challenge post-9/11 veterans in community service at home. They have served as the official airline for Mission Continues staff on Veterans Day in both 2010 and 2011 as we traveled across the country for community service projects.

This fall, Southwest provided 250 tickets ensuring our team was on-site and ready to lead service projects in San Diego, Chicago, New York and everywhere in between. In addition, their tickets allowed us to bring in nearly 100 Fellows from across the nation to attend our Annual Summit and Gala in St. Louis.

We cannot wait to see where they take us in 2012.

View more pictures from our 2011 Annual Summit Service Project.

December 15, 2011 - Mission Continues Fellow Alumna and U.S. Coast Guard veteran Melissa Steinman is the focus of an article in the November – December issue of Arizona Boating & Watersports’ Western Wildlife. “Wildlife Education Brings Peace to Returning Veteran” features Steinman and her commitment to serving with her fellowship host organization, The Arizona Game and Fish Foundation’s Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center. Steinman’s fellowship has provided her the opportunity to continue serving in her community while engaging a mission very close to her heart:

“The Mission Continues helps me contribute directly to my community while also allowing me to further my professional goals for the future,” said Steinman. “Leadership played a big role in my military career, and it is something that’s still needed in our civilian communities because it empowers people to be active and use their personal strengths.”

Throughout her fellowship, "Steinman has created outreach programs for disabled veterans, under-served student populations (including low income students, children with cancer or terminal illness, and the Child Crisis Center), and Southwest Key Programs, which served unaccompanied minors that are victims of human trafficking."

Steinman recently served as a project leader for the Phoenix Celebration of Service project in October. In November, she was one of the five featured Fellows to address the audience at The Mission Continues’ 2011 Veterans Day Gala in St. Louis.

Read the full article here >

Download the November – December issue of Western Wildlife. (Article is featured on pages 14-15)