If you strive to live a good life in all areas, journaling might be the next step to consider. Take a look at simple ways journaling can improve your life.

March 18 marks the 56th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, and the nationwide celebration of Public Defense Day. The JPO Right to Counsel (R2C) National Campaign will join in solidarity with other organizations across the country to commemorate the event. During the day we will post and share stories on social media, and we will relaunch a quarterly e-newsletter so we can continue to share contemporary and newsworthy stories about this issue.

In the landmark case Gideon v. Wainwright, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the accused has a constitutional right to counsel and if he or she is unable to afford an attorney, the state must provide one. The Sixth Amendment is the backbone of our justice system for the accused, ensuring that their voices are heard and that their liberty is protected. Without public defense providers, individuals charged with a crime must face the power of the government alone – which can be a scary and daunting scenario. The R2C National Campaign will continue to raise awareness, advocate for people stuck in the system, and seek to ensure that our justice system is just and promotes human dignity.

#PublicDefenseDay #PublicDefenderDay #GideonAnniversary

This is a 10 week group and sessions consist of working with the horses on the ground, building confidence and learning fundamental skills such as general horse care, grooming, saddling, and leading. Riding is an option if desired. We are seeking combat veterans to come out and join us in this wonderful opportuntity to be outdoors and be around other combat veterans.

Group starting March 26, 2019, we will meet weekly on Tuesdays from 12:30-2:00 followed by a 30 min feedback session.

Staff providing lessons are certified therapeutic riding instructors. There is no cost to the veteran. You do have to arrange for transportation to the Intermountain Equestrian Center located at 7256 HWY 3, Billings, MT 59106. We also have limited space in our government vehicle for transportation to and from the Vet Center.

There are copies of the application in the lobby so you can drop by and get one between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.

The Billings Vet Center
2795 Enterprise Ave, Suite 1
Billings, MT 59102
Contact the Billings Vet Center at 406-657-6071

Whitetail Ranch Center has been approved for an Americorps VISTA position. The VISTA will assess the needs of low-income veterans, and identify barriers preventing veterans from receiving the supports they need. The VISTA will develop and grow partnerships to address the needs of Veterans identified through the assessments. The VISTA will identify funding resources, and apply for and/or enter operating agreements with partners, including government, business and philanthropic entities to provide traditional and alternative PTSD interventions to veterans as well as opioid abuse prevention programming for veterans recovering from drug abuse. The VISTA will research best practices, and ultimately establish a formal volunteer program to support the current volunteers and grow the volunteer base to best provide services to veterans. The VISTA will develop a donor database for campaign efforts through networking and partnership building. The VISTA will collaborate to organize new fundraising events for Whitetail Ranch Center.

If you are interested in this position, please go to https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?id=85091&fromSearch=true

This group will use mixed media paper and watercolors, acrylic paints and pencils to provide a creative and fun format to express yourself or just do something fun and different. There is no cost to participants; supplies will be provided.

This is a six week group starting Saturday, March 16, 2019 from 9:00-11:00. Space is limited to 15 veterans.

If not enrolled at Vet Center, please bring copy of you DD214 and/or your VA ID to first group or drop off a copy at the Vet Center.

Meetings are held on Saturdays from 9:00-11:00 am at
The Billings Vet Center
2795 Enterprise Ave, Suite 1
Billings, MT 59102
Contact the Billings Vet Center at 406-657-6071 and reserve your spot.

Food safety inspections on produce farms are beginning this month, but there are still questions as to what the first round of Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule inspections will look like. The fact that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be regulating farms for the first time is concerning for many produce farmers who have never interacted with FDA before on a regular basis. Adding to the anxiety for some producers, is the fact that this will be the first time in history that they will have to deal with regular inspections on their farm.
In order to help producers prepare, FDA has provided a preview of what a produce farm inspection might look like. Using the information provided by FDA and our own additional resources, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) details in this post what produce farmers might expect from the upcoming inspections, and provides some best practice tips for getting through the process as painlessly as possible.
This post is not legal advice. For specific information on how a Produce Safety Rule Inspection might impact your operation, please contact an attorney.

NAMI Homefront is a free, 6-session program for family, friends and significant others of military Service Members and Veterans. The class helps families understand what the Service Member/ Veteran is experiencing related to trauma, combat stress, civilian life transition, PTSD and other mental health conditions.

The program is designed to help family members understand and support their Service Member/Veteran while maintaining their own well-being. NAMI Homefront leaders have personal experience with mental health conditions impacting their Service Member/ Veteran. The class is free but you are expected to attend all six sessions. You must have access to a laptop, PC or tablet with a stable internet connection to participate. To hear audio, you will need to call in via telephone. We recommend you use a headset or headphones.

An application process is required to ensure this program is a good fit. Space is limited.
Learn more about NAMI Homefront, and other NAMI programs, online at www.nami.org. If you have any questions or concerns, please email namieducation@nami.org.

The NAMI Homefront Team
Email: namieducation@nami.org
Phone: 703-524-7600

A group of 52 Vietnam War veterans recently returned to Vietnamese soil for the first time since the war ended. Those veterans are now back in the U.S., and they were welcomed with open arms.
Five decades after they returned home, they returned home once again. This weekend, 3,000 people gathered to welcome the veterans back from their emotional journey.
"It is very awesome. It's great to see all these people here to give these veterans the welcome back they deserve," said Chad Elsholtz.
While in Vietnam for President Trump's summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, CBS News met Marine Sgt. Wayne Pierret in Ho Chi Minh City. Pierret, like so many others, has battled demons for decades.
"We got into a fight, it was up in the DMZ and and there was a young man, he was dead and I went through his pockets and he had a picture of his wife and his children," Pierret said. "That hit home. Boy did it ever. He was no different than I was. He had a family."
Pierret said he suffered from nightmares. But after returning to Wisconsin this weekend, Pierret's family said he was emotional and grateful.

In an effort to prevent maladaptive responses to difficult life problems, this online course takes a holistic approach in encouraging veterans to overcome and difficulties and meet their goals. Topics covered include work-life balance, coping with physical injuries, working through relationship problems, and adjustment concerns. This interactive and educational tool can be used as part of a treatment program or as a stand-alone.
Moving Forward is an online course that teaches skills to help you overcome stressful problems and meet your goals. The course is free and registration is not required. No personal information is requested or stored by the website. Moving Forward is designed for Veterans and Service Members who are facing challenges including:
Managing Stress
Balancing school & family
Relationship problems
Coping with physical injuries
Financial difficulties
Adjustment issues

On Sunday , February 10th, Whitetail Ranch Center held its 2nd Annual Awareness Event at the GranTree Inn in Bozeman. Regardless of the subzero temperatures, we had a full house. This was a wonderful opportunity to continue to share Whitetail’s progress. We are grateful to Denny LeNoir and Jim Korth from Senator Daines’ office for their attendance along with David “Doc” Chung, Senior Vice Commander from the Military Order of the Purple Heart of Montana, and Len Albright, Commander of the American Legion Post 14. Thank you to our volunteers who did a wonderful job putting this event together and to all those who attended. Hope to see you all at our next event.

There's no doubt about it: If you want to live a more knowledgeable, cultural and altruistic lifestyle, then learning another language has big benefits in store.

Bunker Labs Bozeman is hosting a Recovery Tent with our friends from Kill Cliff across the finish line of RTTP. We'll be sharing information regarding upcoming events and programs for entrepreneurs.
This event is part of Bunker Brews, a monthly meetup where the Bunker Labs community, including veterans, military spouses, and civilians, comes together to network with subject matter experts, investors, thought leaders, and more in an environment focused on growth and development.
This event is for you if...
1. You're interested in meeting more like-minded, action-oriented entrepreneurs in a fun, casual setting.
2. You’re interested in getting involved in the local entrepreneur community.
3. You'd like to learn more about companies being created by veterans in our community
This event will be hosted at Pub 317: Bunker Labs Tent.

Tim Hayes is supporting Whitetail! Tim Hayes is a nationally recognized Natural Horsemanship Clinician and author of the popular book “Riding Home: The Power of Horses to Heal” with an emphasis on healing PTSD and trauma. Tim conducts clinics throughout the United States and Canada. He is currently a visiting instructor at the University of Connecticut and the University of Vermont Departments of Animal Science. Tim contacted Whitetail in February 2018 asking if he could support Whitetail through his clinics. We enthusiastically said, YES! Tim will be holding a 2-day clinic – in Bozeman on April 20th and 21st.
https://whitetailranchcenter.org/tim-hayes-clinic.html

Dear Whitetail Ranch Center Family,

Much has happened since our newsletter in fall of 2018, and we have much to share. We hope you will take a few moments to catch up on Whitetail’s progress and our plans for 2019.

But first, we would like to share what was accomplished in 2018, our Year of Awareness, because of you. You helped us
Spread the word by helping us launch a new website on May 1st, 2018 and create a video to tell Whitetail’s Story.
Next, you asked us to present to some 37 Veteran organizations, civic groups, and service providers across Montana
Then, some 350+ liked us and joined us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
And, more than 500 of you are now receiving our bi-monthly newsletter.
Paul Roege and Mark Gollinger joined our Board of Directors, and Chris Holcombe and Linda Kelly joined our board in January 2019.
Brenton Melton, Denny Nelson, Tony White, Ben Kruppenbacher, Richard Ridgeway, Wilson Smith, Ann Prunuske, Jeri Anderson, and Troy Miller joined our Advisory Board. And, in February 2019, Jolene and Kyle Lloyd joined too.
And, Marie Grimm, Elizabeth Varnes, Michele Wodey, Lori Bailey, Patricia Reiss, Ashley Morigeau, and Kendra Ferrera became our first volunteers. And, in February 2019, Bill Gravely, Katrina Guenther, Kristi Harper, and Tanara Sesera, joined our team too.
Lastly, YOU did an awesome job in financially supporting Whitetail by donating more than $22,500.

The Whitetail Ranch Center Board of Directors thanks you for your tremendous passion to make Whitetail a reality. We could not have gotten this far without YOU.

Earlier this week, you should have received our announcement regarding our partnership with Operation Never Forgotten. Whitetail will be able to extend its reach through a national presence, grow our capacity, expand our network, grow our donor base, seek partnered grant opportunities, and bring celebrity endorsements to Whitetail. This is an incredible opportunity for Whitetail as we move forward into 2019. We will be pursuing two major projects this year.

We have been approved for an AmeriCorp VISTA Member to help manage our daily communication and grow our capacity. This is a fulltime position in our Three Forks office. We are responsible for a portion of the VISTA member’s income and for providing a full-work station. We need to raise $9700.00 by July.

We have been able to identify properties in Madison, Jefferson, and Broadwater Counties that are for sale and align with Whitetail’s needs. However, land owners/sellers want to see more money in our bank account and those with deep pockets want to see a land contract prior to making a substantial donation. Therefore, the Whitetail Board of Directors has set a goal to raise $300,000.00 to acquire a land contract. You might be asking yourself how will we make this happen? With your help we can reach our goals. Our volunteer board of directors, volunteer advisory board, and volunteers cannot keep up with the growth Whitetail is incurring without YOU! Please contact Whitetail if you can share your time and talents:
Administrative assistant tasks including data entry
Artist who can provide us with a rendition of Whitetail’s vision
Event Planning
Grant Writing
Graphic Artists willing to assist in the national awareness campaign in partnership with Operation Never Forgotten
Newsletter development and distribution
REBOOT Combat Recovery Workshop in Three Forks, Summer 2019
Three Forks FFA Traveling Petting Zoo Partnership, Spring & Fall 2019
We will have several fundraising events this year. We will share details soon, but for now please mark your calendars:
Virtual Ride to Whitetail: Begins April 1
Give Big Gallatin Valley – a virtual fundraising event: May 2nd to May 3rd from 6PM to 6PM
Tim Hayes Natural Horsemanship Clinic: April 20th & 21st in Bozeman
1st Annual Fundraising Gala: August 24th at The Commons in Bozeman.

In case you are unaware, you may always designate where your donation should be applied, such as, land acquisition, VISTA member, general fund, or another program Whitetail will offer. Just indicate what program you would like your donation to go to on your check or in the donation comment box on our website.

Thank YOU for all you have done for Whitetail in 2018. You have so much to offer to Whitetail, and we look forward to moving forward with you

~ The Whitetail Ranch Center Board of Directors

US Department of Veterans Affairs
This interactive online course is focused on educating veterans in different methods of managing anger and aggression. It can be used as a tool for clients or as inspiration for future anger management sessions. The main focus of the course is practical skills and the development of self-control.
This online course is based on training that was developed specifically for Veterans and has been successfully used by Veterans and Service Members around the world. This course offers a wide range of practical skills and tools to manage your anger and develop self-control over your thoughts and actions.

n January 2019, Operation Never Forgotten (ONF) President & Founder, Linda Kelly,
reached out to Julie Tudor, CEO & Co-Founder of Whitetail Ranch Center to explore the
benefits of partnering. Whitetail and ONF have shared their visions and experiences to
include educational workshops and therapeutic retreats for our Veteran communities
and Whitetail residents. Both Whitetail and ONF boards felt a partnership would enhance
both organizations.
Moving forward, Whitetail Ranch Center and ONF will continue the ONF TV, airport
signage and outdoor billboard PSA awareness campaigns in partnership. The joint
effort will extend our reach through a national presence, grow our capacity, expand our
network, grow our donor base, seek partnered grant opportunities, and bring celebrity
endorsements to all our efforts. Whitetail is excited about this opportunity and welcomes
Linda Kelly, after 13 years of managing ONF, to the Whitetail Ranch Center Board of
Directors.
As we progress, please watch for announcements via Whitetail Ranch Center’s email.
Whitetail and ONF are working to renew the extended weekend workshops that ONF
has hosted in the past. We will be sharing out upcoming events, retreats, workshops,
awareness campaigns, fundraisers and ideas in the near future.
Welcome to the Whitetail Family ~
Dave & Julie Tudor, CFO & CEO/Co-Founders, Whitetail Ranch Center
Linda Kelly, President/Founder, Operation Never Forgotten

DCG Communications, a service-disabled Veteran-owned company based in DC is conducting outreach for the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, for their Make the Connection campaign. They will be conducting on-camera interviews of Veterans talking about their experiences overcoming mental health and other challenges in Helena, Montana, from Wednesday, March 27, through Sunday, March 31.

The Make the Connection campaign launched six years ago and has spread positive stories about Veteran mental health on their website and Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube properties.
They have filmed more than 500 Veterans and family members to date, and their stories have helped others to realize that reaching out for support and seeking mental health treatment are signs of strength, not weakness.

Do you know any Veterans who might be interested in participating in this video shoot? Friends, family members, colleagues? We will provide them with a stipend for their time and would also welcome their spouses or family members. I am attaching a flyer with more information for you to share, and copy to share via social media if you are willing to do that. Please let me know if you are able to share this information as we do track where we are most successful in our outreach efforts.

If you’d just like to forward this email - any interested Veterans can email their name, phone number, and email address to outreach@maketheconnection.net or call our outreach team directly at 1-323-813-1426.

MSU is playing Portland State on Saturday March 9, 2019 at 2:00 pm. Four free tickets are available at the box office for current and former military members.

Pleased to announce the new launch of the Army National Guard Citizen-Soldier For Life website. As usual, when you send or receive it in an email on a government computer, the websites will be "cautioned" so will need to copy the address portion only into the web browser to access it from a military computer; some contractors and most citizens that access the site should have no problems.

The site is available at www.arngcsfl.com/mycareer

For those using a government server, you may need to access the site at https://community.apan.org/wg/csfl/army-national-guard-citizen-soldier-for-life/

Our goal for this site is to provide visitors with information including where each Career Readiness Counselor is located, available employment resources, and “My Next Career” featuring job opportunities across the States & Territories.

Take the ride of a lifetime
Montana Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (Montana ESGR) invites you to hop aboard a Montana Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk, CH-47 Chinook.

Current and future Reserve component employers take a behind-the-scenes look at the efforts Montana Guard and Reserve members put forth each time they put on a uniform to serve. During the boss lift, employers will receive mission briefings, an ESGR overview, and participate in a training mission. Learn how vital the guard and reserve is to the defense of our nation and how employer support makes it all work. ESGR does not provide mileage/hotel or per diem for bosslift guests.

FY 2019 BOSSLIFT LOCATIONS AND REGISTRATION DUE DATES - You will be notified once times are confirmed. Event can run 9:00 am to 3:00 pm depending on when the flights arrive in your town.

City Locations
TUESDAY 26 March- Missoula registration due 14 March
TUESDAY 16 April- Butte registration due 3 April
TUESDAY 14 May- Culbertson registration due 2 May
TUESDAY 21 May- Kalispell registration due 8 May
TUESDAY 09 July- Helena registration due 20 June
TUESDAY 23 July- Laurel registration due 10 July

Boss lift rules:
• Limited seating first come, first served
• Employer has not previously attended a boss lift
• Must be 18 years of age or older
• Reserve component nominator does not fly
• Flights are assigned you do not choose
• No more than 3 bosses per business or Service Club leadership
• No persons seeking election or current officials who are campaigning for reelection

Please fill out the registration form and email or call information to: Parker Sullivan MT ESGR Volunteer Support Technician at parker.f.sullivan.ctr@mail.mil 406-791-0895.

Montana ESGR is an agency of the Department of Defense seeking to develop and promote a culture in which all American employers support and value the military service of their employees. We recognize outstanding support, increase awareness of the Uniformed Services Employment Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), and resolve conflicts through mediation. Montana ESGR is your resource for connecting with employees in the Montana Guard

Nutrition impacts every area of our lives, including our ability to live altruistically for others. So let's dive into how you can celebrate National Nutrition Month.

From the Desk of the Director:

It’s back to school time at VUB!! Wait, what? February may seem a little early to think about enrolling in college in the summer or fall, but it’s the perfect time to start the process. Get a quick and effective academic refresher to make sure you are ready for college classes. VUB’s spring classes start in March, so dust off those unused math and writing skills and fine tune your computer ability. On campus classes are offered in Billings, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, and Missoula. Billings evening math and writing classes will stream live online for those unable to attend on campus classes. It couldn’t be easier.

If you need assistance navigating the process of enrolling in college, let the staff of VUB help. We will walk you through the process no matter where you are attending and make sure you are connected to the support you need on each campus. We can even pay the application fee for veterans and military service members who are enrolled in this program. Let us sweat the small stuff. Or the big stuff. Or just the stuff. It’s why we’re here.

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “You must do the things you think you cannot do.” Why not start now?

Please call with questions.

LORI BORTH | (406) 657-2026 | lborth@vubmt.com

Join us March 29th to hear nationally recognized keynote Captain David Marquet, followed by a three part workshop led by Intent Based Leadership Trainer, Andy Worshek, a retired Navy Master Chief who served with Captain Marquet on the USS Sante Fe.
We are offering the workshop at no charge to Veterans and Veteran spouses through March 20th. After that date we will open the workshop to the public for $50.
There are three options for attending the sessions on March 29th:
Veterans and Veteran spouses may attend both events (Keynote & Workshop) at no charge
Veterans & Veteran spouses may attend Keynote at no charge
Community Members may attend the Keynote for $25 with $5 of each registration going towards the USS Billings Fund.
You will be able to select from these three choices when you register below:**After March 20th, if there are still openings for the workshop we will open that to the public for an additional $50.
Sponsored by:
Veterans Business Outreach Region VIII (Montana, Wyoming, Utah)
Big Sky Economic Development
Small Business Administration
Billings Small Business Development Center
Veteran Attendance Partners:
RDO Equipment
NorthWestern Energy
TKI
David Marquet (MAR-KAY) was assigned to command the nuclear powered submarine USS Santa Fe, then ranked last in retention and operational standing. He “turned his ship around” by treating the crew as leaders, not followers, and giving control, not taking control. This revolutionary approach not only took the Santa Fe from “worst to first” in the rankings, but also created more subsequent leaders than any other submarine. Stephen R. Covey called the Santa Fe “the most empowering organization [he’d] ever seen” and wrote about Captain Marquet’s leadership practices in his book, The 8th Habit . Captain Marquet is the author of T urn the Ship Around! A True Story of Turning Followers Into Leaders . Fortune magazine named it the #1 must-read business book of the year, and USA Today listed it as one of the top 12 business books of all time. David Marquet will deliver the powerful message that in highly effective organizations, leadership is not for the select few at the top; he will tell you how he and the crew of Santa Fe developed a way to create leaders at every level.

Following our keynote, will be three workshop sessions delivered by Andy Worshek, a retired Navy Master Chief who served with Captain Marquet on the USS Sante Fe. During these interactive workshops, attendees will collaboratively learn:
How to create an environment where people actively engage and think
How to implement the idea of leadership as giving control – not taking control
How to talk with your teams in an empowering way so that you create leaders at every level in the organization
How to implement the idea of leadership as creating more leaders – not more followers
To learn more about Captain Marquet please visit his website at www.davidmarquet.com
For questions please email: dustin@bigskyeda.org

Headwaters RC&D and the Butte Job Service have partnered together to present “Spark: Ignite Your Business Workshop” on March 7th at the Thornton Building (65 E. Broadway - 2nd Floor Conference Room) from 8:30-4pm.

This one-day workshop will cover topics such as financing your business, business ownership & entrepreneurship, understanding markets & your competitive space, the economics of a small business start-up, picking the correct legal entity for your business, business planning and how to create a business cash-flow.

The cost is $25 per person and attendees must register beforehand at bit.ly/hwspark.

Date: 3/26/2019
Time: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM (PDT)
Status: Open - 50 places remaining
Registration Deadline: 3/27/2019 7:00 AM (PDT)
Fee: No Fee

Point of Contact: Region VIII VBOC (406) 869-8411 (406) 869-8411
Center: B.Sky Veterans Business Outreach Center
Location: 1956 Mount Majo St. Fort Harrison, MT. 59636, Helena MT 59636-

Program Format: Multi-session Course
Training Topics: Accounting/Budget, Business Financing, Business Start-up/Preplanning, Cash Flow Management
Description:
The curriculum provides assistance to those interested in exploring business ownership or other self-employment opportunities by leading participants through the key steps for evaluating business concepts and providing foundational knowledge required to develop a business plan. Participants are introduced to a broad spectrum of entrepreneurial business concepts and resources available to access start-up capital, technical assistance, contracting opportunities, and more.
Instructions: Please sign up at the following: https://www.bigskyeconomicdevelopment.org/calendar/introduction-to-entrepreneurship/