Green Beret leads crisis innovation for Group Rubicon

September is catastrophe preparedness month, which the military is extremely trained to react to. When Team Rubicon required somebody to lead Crisis Innovation, they chose a Green Beret– naturally.

Lee Harvey is a retired Green Beret but he led a really fascinating career prior to donning that sought after headwear. “I signed up with the military as a young lad and did four years. I went to college and played college football. I went to the NFL, left the NFL and went to NASA where I was an engineer. Then I awakened one day and said ‘I wish to be a Green Beret’,” he said with a laugh.Growing up Harvey really desired to be a fighter pilot, however found he was terrified of heights. He figured flying a plane with that fear wasn’t an excellent match, but had it in his head to take on what he deemed the most difficult task in the military. “Among the factors I joined the Green Berets is due to the fact that I was scared of heights. I have actually made over 300 jumps out of aircrafts, but I am still scared of heights and still dislike flying … I don’t think in letting worry hold me captive,”Harvey described.

After retiring from the Army, Harvey was working as a Nuclear Engineer at the Flying force nuclear weapons center. Co-founder and CEO of Team Rubicon, Jake Wood, was looking for someone with a special forces background to fill the management function in Crisis Innovation and was described Harvey.

When Harvey got the task description, he was intrigued. “I stated, ‘You want me to circumnavigate the world and problems?’ That’s what I have actually done, I’ve remained in 50 or 60 different nations as a Green Beret. It’s best in my wheelhouse and I get to assist people,” he described. “It’s that selfless service that I actually take pleasure in. They aren’t about themselves, they have to do with serving neighborhoods and humans, alleviating human suffering.”

Group Rubicon got its start in 2010 when 2 Militaries, Wood and William McNulty decided to head to Haiti after they saw that remedy for the recent earthquake was slow and disappointing. They found that by using the management and medical abilities they got in the military– they might make a difference. Because its inception, they’ve gone on to react to catastrophes all over the world.

“Remaining in the Green Berets, preparedness is near and dear to our heart. It’s what we do– we prepare and prepare. The readiness month started in 2004 by FEMA, it was created to get homeowners and individuals prepared,”Harvey described. He referenced a study that came out showing only around 70 percent of individuals in the U.S. really have survival materials in their house and less than 50 percent have a readiness plan.

It’s something Group Rubicon desires to change.

One quick method to start in assessing readiness Harvey motivated is to examine insurance coverage. When a cyclone was coming his method, he examined his own policies. Harvey was shocked when he learnt his cyclone insurance didn’t consist of wind damage– which was a separate policy. “Check out the small print,” he stated.

Go bags. Words that are music to the ears of the military but particularly Green Berets. Harvey recommends one for each person on each side of your house. “What takes place if a tree falls on the front of your house and you can’t get to it? You can’t get out. I make 2 … one for the front and one for the back, well, really 3 because I always have one in my car too,” he stated with a laugh.

Harvey stressed that although there are lists out on the web for go bags, everyone will have various needs. He shared that his bags consist of epi pens for his child, who has allergies. While the referral lists are a good start, time requires to be invested in your go bag. “Each go bag must be tailored to fit your needs. Take a day and completely plan it out. When you do that, you currently know it exists. When you need it is when you don’t have it,” he explained.

Another tip from Harvey was to examine your go bags quarterly and when you load your radio, don’t put the batteries in it till it’s going to be used. This is since despite the fact that it is switched off, it will continue to make use of the battery making it inefficient when you require it the many.

“Our coach used to state ‘you are only as good as your last play’. So, if your last play is that you forgot to load a go bag and a typhoon is coming … There’s no tomorrow, you do not get a possibility to do tomorrow over so make a plan,” he stated. Harvey also stressed that people require to listen to their regional authorities and not attempt to ride out a catastrophe even if they have a go bag.

Leading Crisis Innovation for Group Rubicon has actually been an unbelievable experience, Harvey shared. He’s grateful to be a part of something he corresponds with “selfless service” as soon as again. He also hopes that those reading this article will be motivated to get ready for themselves and their family. Oh– and pack numerous Green Beret approved go bags, naturally.

To read more about Group Rubicon and their objective, click on this link.