Alan W. Dowd is a Senior Fellow with the American Security Council Foundation, where he writes on the full range of topics relating to national defense, foreign policy and international security. Dowd’s commentaries and essays have appeared in Policy Review, Parameters, Military Officer, The American Legion Magazine, The Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations, The Claremont Review of Books, World Politics Review, The Wall Street Journal Europe, The Jerusalem Post, The Financial Times Deutschland, The Washington Times, The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Examiner, The Detroit News, The Sacramento Bee, The Vancouver Sun, The National Post, The Landing Zone, Current, The World & I, The American Enterprise, Fraser Forum, American Outlook, The American and the online editions of Weekly Standard, National Review and American Interest. Beyond his work in opinion journalism, Dowd has served as an adjunct professor and university lecturer; congressional aide; and administrator, researcher and writer at leading think tanks, including the Hudson Institute, Sagamore Institute and Fraser Institute. An award-winning writer, Dowd has been interviewed by Fox News Channel, Cox News Service, The Washington Times, The National Post, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and numerous radio programs across North America. In addition, his work has been quoted by and/or reprinted in The Guardian, CBS News, BBC News and the Council on Foreign Relations. Dowd holds degrees from Butler University and Indiana University. Follow him at twitter.com/alanwdowd.

ASCF News

Scott Tilley is a Senior Fellow at the American Security Council Foundation, where he writes the “Technical Power” column, focusing on the societal and national security implications of advanced technology in cybersecurity, space, and foreign relations.

He is an emeritus professor at the Florida Institute of Technology. Previously, he was with the University of California, Riverside, Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute, and IBM. His research and teaching were in the areas of computer science, software & systems engineering, educational technology, the design of communication, and business information systems.

He is president and founder of the Center for Technology & Society, president and co-founder of Big Data Florida, past president of INCOSE Space Coast, and a Space Coast Writers’ Guild Fellow.

He has authored over 150 academic papers and has published 28 books (technical and non-technical), most recently Systems Analysis & Design (Cengage, 2020), SPACE (Anthology Alliance, 2019), and Technical Justice (CTS Press, 2019). He wrote the “Technology Today” column for FLORIDA TODAY from 2010 to 2018.

He is a popular public speaker, having delivered numerous keynote presentations and “Tech Talks” for a general audience. Recent examples include the role of big data in the space program, a four-part series on machine learning, and a four-part series on fake news.

He holds a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Victoria (1995).

Contact him at stilley@cts.today.

Spotlight on America: Gary Sinise Launches Mental Health Network For Veterans and First Responders

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Categories: ASCF News Bipartisianship

Comments: 0

After years of charity work on behalf of veterans, the Oscar-nominated actor who played Lt. Dan in Forrest Gump, has launched a mental health wellness network to provide ‘transformative care, treatment, and training’ to veterans and first responders who are experiencing post-traumatic stress or substance abuse.

The Gary Sinise Foundation Avalon Network aims to establish 20 treatment sites nationwide to serve thousands of veterans, first responders, and their families.

“When I formed the Gary Sinise Foundation in 2011, it was rooted in a personal mission to provide support, raise spirits, and improve the mental wellness of our nation’s heroes and their families,” said Sinise, the Foundation’s Chairman.

“Always wanting to do more, as the foundation approaches its 10th anniversary this June, I am proud to announce the launch of the Avalon Network to help heal the invisible wounds afflicting too many of our veterans and first responders—transforming struggle into strength…”

An estimated 30% of first responders in the U.S. are dealing with depression and post-traumatic stress, and 1 in 3 veterans have suffered with mental health and brain issues since 2001.

Building on the work of the Marcus Institute for Brain Health and the Boulder Crest Foundation’s Warrior PATHH program, Sinise is partnering with the Co-founders of The Home Depot, philanthropists Bernie Marcus and Arthur M. Blank, who each invested $20 million from their personal foundations to lay the groundwork.

According to The Gary Sinise Foundation, the Network marks the first time that Marcus and Blank have partnered together since co-founding The Home Depot in 1978.

“We’ve lost more veterans to suicide than we have on the battlefields of the Global War on Terror,” said Bernie Marcus. “Our veterans and their families put their lives on the line for us and they deserve the highest level of care available.”

Those who are suffering can apply for assistance here.

“We’ve found the perfect partner in the Gary Sinise Foundation to scale this idea into a national network that will provide cutting-edge care and improve the quality of life for our nation’s heroes in one of the most critical times in our history,” said Blank.

Since 2003, Gary Sinise, along with his “Lt. Dan Band,” has contributed hundreds of personal appearances and concerts on military bases in Iraq and around the world. He has helped to raise millions of dollars, as well as donating his own money to help give back to military personnel and their families.

Photo and Link: Gary Sinise Launches Mental Health Network For Veterans and First Responders (goodnewsnetwork.org)

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