Special Operations Quiet Professionals Foundation Inc

SOWGF HELD ITS IRELAND RETREAT FOR 5 SOF WOUNDED WARRIORS OUR 6TH WARRIOR CANCELLED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE WE LEFT DUE TO UNFORESEEN ACADEMIC COMPLICATIONS. EACH WARRIOR TOOK PART IN GOLF INSTRUCTION GIVEN BY 4 IRISH GOLF PROS AT WATERVILLE GOLF LINKS IN WATERVILLE IRELAND. THE MORNING FOCUSED ON INSTRUCTION ON THE RANGE AND THE AFTERNOON WAS A PLAYING LESSON THAT TOOK PLACE ON THE COURSE 9 HOLES WITH THE PROS AND 9 HOLES WITH THEIR PEERS. IN ADDITION THE INSTRUCTION AND PLAY INCLUDED BUSINESS MENTORS THAT ALLOWED EACH WARRIOR TO DISCUSS HIS FUTURE CAREER PLANS AND STRATEGIES. THE MENTORS WERE MARK ROSENTHAL A REAL ESTATE INVESTOR AND DEVELOPER ART WELHOELTER AN ATTORNEY AND RESTAURANT DEVELOPER AND TOM GATES AN FBI AGENT TOUR COMPANY OWNER AND OPERATOR AND CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION DEVELOPER AND OPERATOR. AS A RESULT OF THE RETREAT ONE OF OUR WARRIORS WAS GIVEN AN INTERNSHIP WITH SOWGF WITH ART WELHOELTER AS HIS MENTOR ONE OF THE WARRIORS FOUND A CAREER IN THE POLICE FORCE WITH TOM GATES AS HIS MENTOR ONE WENT INTO THE PRIVATE PRACTICE OF LAW WITH ART WELHOELTER AS HIS MENTOR AND 2 OF THE WARRIORS ARE WORKING WITH MARK ROSENTHAL WANTING TO PURSUE A GENERAL BUSINESS CAREER. IN ADDITION EACH EVENING AFTER DINNER WE ENGAGED IN FIRESIDE CHATS FOCUSED ON CAREER PLANNING TOOLS OUR AVAILABLE PARTNER CHARITY PROGRAMS AND THE CONTINUANCE OF GOLF AND ITS HEALING ASPECTS IN THEIR FUTURES. AFTER THE RETREAT WE HELD A GROUP DISCUSSION EVALUATING THE RETREAT FORMAT AND EFFECTIVENESS. THE MAIN THEME WE FOUND WAS THAT THE THERAPISTS WERE HELPFUL IN MAKING THE WARRIORS AWARE OF WHAT PROGRAMS MIGHT AID THEM IN THEIR TRANSITION TO CIVILIAN LIFE AND THAT GOLF WAS CLEARLY A WAY TO ESCAPE AND GET AWAY FROM THE STRESS OF CHANGE. BUT MOST IMPORTANT WAS THE CHANCE TO GET BACK WITH THEIR BROTHERS AND REALIZE THAT THEY ALL HAD SIMILAR ISSUES THAT THEY COULD TALK ABOUT WITH PEERS THAT HAD THE SAME OR SIMILAR EXPERIENCES.