AMERICAN STORIES
When he's not working to recover and repatriate MIA servicemembers, Derek's got his nose in a book. Check out his list of the top books for
There are thousands of American World War II veterans who remain missing, and it's the mission of the Project Recover to find every single one.
Your generosity is making a real, impactful difference for nonprofits serving this community.
When you boil it down, there are only a few things you really need to enjoy your time off-grid. Here we break down the six necessities.
Check out the people behind the mission of Team Rubicon disaster relief.
Tender pulled pork. Mouth-watering BBQ chicken. Spicy mac and cheese. A savory BBQ sauce infused with habanero for an extra kick. Team GovX was more than happy when Devil Dogs BBQ catered our monthly staff lunch. After devouring an epic meal and wiping BBQ sauce off my face, I spoke to Ret. SSgt. Jeremy Putts—the 20-year veteran… Read More »A Retired Marine Passes on a BBQ Legacy to a Fellow Devil Dog
Michele tackled the challenges of returning home from deployment in the way she knew best. By climbing a REALLY tall mountain.
When San Diego K9 Dusty switches his work drive on, the loveable canine companion becomes a laser-focused, disciplined police dog.
Casey Gorsett, now a full-fledged member of the San Juan Hotshot crew, recounts his journey north to battle the summer blazes.
This You Are GovX member profile is about our friend Travis Pike, Marine veteran, writer, and GovX blog contributor. You may have seen him shoot the hell out of a plate carrier, put an automatic knife to the test, or give a little advice for surviving the apocalypse. But what makes this Marine tick? We threw a few… Read More »Don’t Worry, Be Happy, and Carry a Machine Gun
It doesn’t get much more American than this guy. He’s a firefighter who followed in his father’s footsteps. He runs marathons in honor of fallen warriors. He even convinced an ER nurse to marry him. Tanner is this week’s #YOUAREGOVX member—A handyman, family man, Arizona fireman, and a GovX member since 2013. What drew you… Read More »How One Arizona Firefighter Balances Duty with Dad Life
Meet the smokejumpers, the special forces of the fire service. When a fire starts in a remote location, these elite jumpers tackle it.
When it comes to trends, Hawaii has always trailed behind the rest of the country. Trends in the lower 48 don't reach the islands until months after they've departed the mainland's headlines. Honolulu police officer-turned-FBI agent Ed Ignacio identifies this phenomenon when it comes to negative attitudes towards cops. He's worked in law enforcement for the… Read More »This Hawaii Lawman Races Triathlons in Body Armor in Honor of Fallen Officers
Detective Matthew Adams keeps his grandfather's old shields and retirement revolver in a shadow box at his house. Back in the 60s, his grandfather was Chief of Detectives in Kansas City, and Matt keeps a KCPD call box key on his key ring. He followed in his grandfather's footsteps when he became a cop 24 years… Read More »This Crook-Hunting Colorado Detective Scores One Point at a Time
Rod Trunzo grew up in Minnesota, in the frigid northeast region known as the Iron Range. His father, an Italian-American iron-ore miner, was a strict man who believed suffering built character. On days spent indoors, he'd prohibit Rod and his brothers from using blankets, arguing that if they couldn't sit through a 30-minute television program inside… Read More »When You’re a Cop for 33 Years, Not Much Fazes You Anymore
Spending four years in sunny San Diego with SEAL Team 3 must've rubbed off on Missouri native Josh Bridges—He exuded a laid-back, California cool during a candid chat with GovX about life, fitness, and being bred for combat and chaos. Growing up, I played every sport I could get my hands on. Except for hockey, because… Read More »Navy SEAL Josh Bridges on Life, War, and Learning How to Win
Vic Mevo served six years with the USMC and tells us this story about participating in disaster relief efforts with Team Rubicon, the rapid deployment emergency response organization founded in 2010. I grew up on Long Island in a town where everyone knew everyone. And everyone knew that I was hell-bent on becoming an Air Force officer.… Read More »Getting S**t Done in Flood-Stricken Texas: A Marine Joins Team Rubicon
A QUICK BACK STORY I personally think it is super important to follow that typical saying, “If you enjoy what you do for work, you don’t work a day in your life.” I wanted to make sure I lived that way. After around four years of working for Apple, I decided it was time for… Read More »How to Land Your Dream Job as a Wildland Firefighter
Justin Herzog is a competitive Crossfitter and a San Diego firefighter. He did us a solid earlier with his epic review of the TRX Training Kit. Plus, he's got a hell of a handlebar mustache. Let's see where his motivation to be the best firefighter he can be comes from. I grew up playing all… Read More »This Handlebar-Mustachioed Firefighter Crushes the Crossfit Game
It’s the kind of book that every America-loving patriot should read, if only for the humbling effect it has on national pride.