Team Rubicon is Always All In

By Chuck N Baker
(Las Vegas) — When it comes to veteran service organizations, active members of Team Rubicon, not only make it personal when helping fellow veterans, they also get physical.

Amanda McDonald is the Senior Associate of Regional Operations for Team Rubicon. Her region is the Southwest. She explained the term “Crossing the Rubicon” “is kind of considered a point of no return.” The Rubicon is a river in Italy that Julius Caesar crossed, committing himself to war with Pompeii. “When Julius Caesar crossed, he actually had his army turn around to burn their boats. It was victory or death,” McDonald explained. That is indicative of the firm commitment that Team Rubicon volunteers make when they provide response to world-wide disasters.

Team Rubicon engages veterans to find a renewed sense of purpose. It unites their skills and experiences with those of first responders to rapidly deploy as a part of emergency response teams in Nevada and across the world.  McDonald said, “It started with a couple of Marines that had recently transitioned out of the Corps to civilian life. They were going to college to figure out what they wanted to do with the rest of their lives when the earthquake struck in Haiti in January of 2010.” McDonald said the college attending Marines were watching it on television and saw how horrific it was. “They wanted to help, rather than just send money.”

They linked with missionaries who were already operating on the ground and with the assistance of licensed personnel, they helped set up an emergency room and medical treatment for victims of the earthquake. According to McDonald, from that start the two men realized the “sights, sounds and smells” after the tragedy were all similar to what they had experienced serving in Afghanistan. They were used to operating in that type of environment. So, Team Rubicon was born.

McDonald is an Army veteran and many of the team’s volunteers are veterans. “But you don’t have to be a veteran to volunteer,” she said. However, she acknowledges there are thousands of U.S. veterans who have returned home after a decade of war and by joining the organization, they can find a renewed sense of purpose,  community, and identity, using the skills they learned in the service. Many retired senior officers are involved with the group. Board member Army General Stanley A. McChrystal (Ret.) said, “I signed up to serve with Team Rubicon because the mission is clear, it’s critically needed, and it’s powerful …”

Local volunteer Anthony Branchini is a Henderson police officer who has traveled to several locations with the team to help individuals who have been through hurricanes, fires and other disasters. He is a dedicated volunteer who feels it necessary to give back to those who are less fortunate.

The nonprofit is funded by individual contributions, corporations and grants. If individuals want to join the team or donate, McDonald said, “The best way is to go to TeamRubiconUSA.org website. Once they input their information, the local people will be in touch.”

And unlike Caesar, volunteers who travel to help in various cities can safely return home to assist others another day.