Writing Seminar for Combat Medics and Corpsmen
Boulder Crest Retreat
October 2019
This fall we’re hosting our fourth writing seminar—one for combat medics and corpsmen—to help train the next generation of military writers to find and shape their stories.
Meet the Fellows
Jessica N. Astorga
Jessica was commissioned as an Air Force officer in 2000 after earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Auburn University, AL. She deployed to Iraq in 2007 and Afghanistan in 2010-2011 assigned to military hospitals as a critical care nurse. She was medically retired in 2013.
Jessica still practices in critical care and emergency nursing. She is married with 3 children, 2 Great Danes, and a cat. She stays active in veteran organizations and enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and cross-stitching.
Jen Burch
Jen is the Director of Valor Bridge. She has had an incredible journey both in and outside the military. She spent over 6 years in the U.S. Air Force, where she served one deployment to Kandahar, Afghanistan. She medically retired in 2014 and headed back to school. She’s an active leader in the veteran community in Colorado and the nation. She serves on two boards, Colorado Veterans Project and Center for Law and Military Policy. She is currently finishing up her Bachelor of Arts. in Public Policy at Denver University. She also has her own photography and video production company that she runs on the side, documenting stories of others, which included producing videos for the CASIS ( Center for the Advancement of Science in Space) of the ISS (International Space Station) last year.
August Debyser
Philippe August Debyser served in the U.S. Army as a medic stationed at 10th Mountain division where he served several deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan from 2002-2007. August was awarded the Combat Medical Badge, Purple Heart, ARCOM with Valor, and several Army Achievement Medals. He studied History and Psychology at the University of South Alabama where he was on the Panahelinc Greek Council and a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. August moved to New Orleans in 2011. He was the Associated Health Education Manager for Southeastern Louisiana Veterans Health Care System from July 2015 to August 2018. He is currently working on several books. He has volunteered, worked, and lobbied for Wounded Warrior Project, The Fraternal Order of the Purple Heart, Vets-Help, Bastion Community of Resilience, The Mission Continues, Make it Right Foundation, Team Rubicon, and the VFW Post 8973.
Dan Elinoff
Dan is an analyst for the RAND Corporation where he conducts research on a variety of national defense and security topics, specializing in security force assistance and irregular warfare. Previously, he worked as a recovery policy analyst for FEMA and served in the U.S. Army for four years as a combat medic with 1 st Armored Division. Dan conducted route clearance and counter-IED operations in the last days of Operation New Dawn in Iraq and deployed to Afghanistan as a combat advisor to the Afghan National Army.
Dan earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs with a concentration in Conflict and Security from the George Washington University and a Master of Arts in War Studies from King’s College London. Dan currently lives in Boston, MA.
Johnnie Gilpen
Johnnie is a former U.S. Navy Fleet Marine Force Corpsman who served with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, NC. After the Navy, Johnnie completed an Associate Degree in Applied Sciences in Emergency Medical Sciences, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and a Master of Science in Biostatistics and Epidemiology from the University of Oklahoma. He is currently a 3rd-year physician assistant student who will graduate in October of 2019. Johnnie is a 2017 Pat Tillman Foundation Tillman Scholar. He was selected for Team Health’s Class of 2020 Emergency Medicine Advance Practice Clinician Postgraduate Fellowship starting in early 2020. Johnnie is passionate in his advocacy for veterans. In his downtime, he enjoys fishing, hiking, and anything outdoors. Johnnie currently resides in Union City, Oklahoma with his wife Leslie and their 3 dogs and cat.
Heather Holland
Heather is the creator of the story project Hunting for Chocolate, serves on the Board of Directors of the Writers’ League of Texas, and has blogged for Sanctuary Yoga in support of the Amala Foundation. She served the U.S. Army on active duty for nine years Post-9/11 as a Field Artillery Meteorological Crew Member and as a Combat Medic, enduring two deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. She separated honorably in 2013 to pursue writing and work in the fight against modern slavery. Her philanthropic involvement has taken her to the Peruvian Amazon, Nepal, Costa Rica, and Ghana. She holds a 200 Hour Registered Yoga Teacher Certificate from Black Swan Yoga, and advanced study in Yin Yoga and mindfulness.
Nicole Johnson
Nicole was born and raised in the great state of Texas and has always had a passion for service. From a young age, she knew that medicine and the myriad of challenges and rewards that can be gained through it was the path for her. From her first pet clinic as a child, through her service as an Army medic, and on to owning her own business focusing on point of injury care in the civilian environment, medicine and helping others has been the thread that ties her life together. Nicole uses her diverse experiences in trauma and emergency medicine to teach others about the medicine she is so passionate about. In her downtime, you can find her by the lake sitting in her Adirondack chair with a cold beer in her hand.
Sarah Kisor
Sarah served in the U.S. Army as an Airborne Combat Medic from 2006-2012. She deployed to Afghanistan from 2007-2008 with the 173D Airborne Brigade and finished her service in the U.S. Army Reserves. Sarah became a certified professional dog trainer and has a small business training dogs. She continues to serve her fellow veterans by providing service dogs to combat veterans at little to no cost to them. A mom first, her current mission is raising 4 children and training dogs part-time. Sarah is a lifetime member of the 173D Airborne Brigade Association and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Josiah Koleosho
Josiah immigrated to the United States from Nigeria and joined the Navy within two months of arrival. He knew from the outset that he wanted to work with the Marine Corps and quickly found himself at Field Medical Service School in Camp Pendleton, CA. His experiences with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines taught him more about how Marines wanted to be treated medically than all of his education combined. Although he made mistakes in the beginning, his passion for learning and dedication to his Marines made him the go-to corpsman for his platoon. Following his time on the west coast, Josiah returned to school as a neurodiagnostic technician and was stationed at Walter Reed (WRNMMC) Bethesda, MD. Although he separated from the U.S. Navy in 2010, Josiah still works at WRNMMC at a clinical and research institution that caters to service members with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and mild Traumatic Brain Injury.
Adam Linehan
Adam is a Brooklyn-based freelance writer and journalist originally from Austin, Texas. Previously, he worked as a senior staff writer at the military news publication Task & Purpose, and before that, as an associate editor at Maxim. He has written for numerous other publications, including The New York Times, New York and Men’s Journal. His work has been featured on Longreads, Longform, The Browser, NPR and MSNBC’s Morning Joe. Between 2006-2012, he served as a U.S. Army medic and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Gretel Weiskopf
Gretel is a Management Analyst for the Zablocki VA Medical Center. She is also a Public Affairs Officer in the Wisconsin Army National Guard, nearing 19 years of service. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and lives locally with her family. At this time, she loves that her young family is soaking up the last hours in each day, but at some point, she’ll return to being a voracious reader, an amateur cello player, and a late-night runner. And maybe a writer.
Harry L. Whitlock II
Harry retired from the U.S. Army but is still hard at work. He is employed as a Library Specialist at the University of Wyoming where he assists students with research and teaches information literacy classes. He is also a wildland firefighter and EMT with the Vedauwoo Volunteer Fire Department. Harry spent 21 years on active duty as an enlisted soldier in the Engineers and commissioned officer in the Medical Service Corps. He deployed to Desert Shield and Desert Storm with a rifle battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division, as well as to the Balkans with a combat support hospital. He has a B.S. in Microbiology, and both a B.A. and an M.A. degree in English from the University of Wyoming. He lives in Wyoming with his wife Tammy. They have two wonderful adult children.
Guest Speakers
Thank you to each of the generous guest speakers who volunteer their time to inspire and mentor our War Horse Fellows.
Robert Rosenthal —Award-winning journalist and former executive director of The Center for Investigative Reporting
Karen Stabiner — West Coast Editor, The New Food Economy
Dan Lamothe — Award-winning military journalist and war correspondent with The Washington Post.
Wendy Wolf — Vice President and Associate Publisher of Viking
Stuart Krichevsky — Literary agent at SK Agency
Tracy Grant — Managing Editor, The Washington Post
Jessica N. Astorga
Jessica was commissioned as an Air Force officer in 2000 after earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Auburn University, AL. She deployed to Iraq in 2007 and Afghanistan in 2010-2011 assigned to military hospitals as a critical care nurse. She was medically retired in 2013.
Jessica still practices in critical care and emergency nursing. She is married with 3 children, 2 Great Danes, and a cat. She stays active in veteran organizations and enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and cross-stitching.
Mary Doyle
Mary Doyle currently serves as the chief of media relations for Fort George G. Meade and is the author of multiple books—both fiction and nonfiction. She served as a broadcaster in the Army Reserve and acted as the non-commissioned officer in charge of her Mobile Public Affairs Detachment during their deployment to the Bosnia peacekeeping mission in 1997. After returning to the states, Mary began work as an Army civilian broadcaster producing TV, radio, and documentary for American Forces Network.
Mary is a member of the editorial board for the online magazine The Wrath-Bearing Tree and serves on the advisory council for the MilSpeak Foundation, a nonprofit that empowers military service members, veterans, families, and caregivers through the arts.
Teresa Fazio
Teresa was an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2002-2006. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times and Rolling Stone, among other outlets. She is a contributor to the fiction anthology The Road Ahead, as well as the nonfiction anthologies Retire the Colors and It’s My Country, Too.
Teresa holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in Materials Science from Columbia University. She works in technology commercialization and lives in New York City.
Nicole Green
Nicole is a former U.S. Air Force officer who served in Iraq in 2003. She has earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Political Science from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a Master’s of Art in Diplomacy from Norwich University. She is also a member of the Truman National Security Project and the Junior League of Dallas and lives in Texas.
Nicole is currently the Vice President of Regional Operations for Team Rubicon, a nonprofit that unites the skills and experiences of military veterans and first responders to rapidly field emergency response teams worldwide.
Kate Hoit
Kate is the Military Marketing Manager for National University. Before that, she served as the Director of Content and Communications for Got Your 6 and digital engagement at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and in communications for the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs.
Kate has been published by the New York Times, The Daily Beast, TIME, The Huffington Post, and many others. She is a veteran of the U.S. Army Reserve, holds a Bachelor’s in journalism as well as a Master’s of Art in nonfiction writing from Johns Hopkins University. Kate is a Pat Tillman Military Scholar and a Defense Council member of the Truman National Security Project.
Sarah Holzhalb
Sarah currently works as the Relationships Manager for Team Red, White & Blue. Prior to joining the organization, Sarah spent nine years working as Director of Government Relations and Regulatory Affairs Manager within the domestic energy industry. Sarah was an active duty commissioned officer in the U.S. Coast Guard for five years.
Sarah earned a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Master’s of Science in International Relations from Troy University, and a Master’s of Professional Studies in Political Management from The George Washington University.
Kristen Kavanaugh
Kristen graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps in May of 2002. Following her five-year career, Kristen earned her Master’s of Social Work at the University of Southern California.
In 2012, Kristen was recognized as a White House Champion of Change for her work during the military’s repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Kristen is currently the Global Leadership Development Manager for Production at Tesla, Inc. and is a member of the Truman National Security Project’s Defense Council.
Becca Keaty
Becca is a 20-year retired veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard with extensive experience in corporate and nonprofit strategic partnerships and development. Prior to joining Bunker Labs, she worked with the Tribune Media Group and co-founded the literacy social enterprise, Open Books.
Becca holds a Bachelor’s of Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She enjoys reading, fitness adventures, travel, and donuts.
Elizabeth O’Herrin
Elizabeth oversees programs and scholarships for the Pat Tillman Foundation. She is a veteran of the Wisconsin Air National Guard and co-founded the Student Veterans of America and fought with a dedicated team of veteran advocates to successfully pass the Post-9/11 GI Bill in 2008.
Elizabeth received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her Master’s from Johns Hopkins University, where her research focused on the federal government and veteran reintegration. Elizabeth is a 2010 Tillman Scholar and is passionate about urban gardening, writing, her faith, and coffee.
Danielle Phillips
Danielle is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. She graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Political Science. Danielle then commissioned into the U.S. Marine Corps as a Public Affairs Officer.
Danielle, now a Captain, has since graduated from Liberty University with a Master’s of Art in Public Policy. She is currently stationed at the Pentagon.
Yvette M. Pino
Yvette is a U.S. Army veteran and works at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum as the Traveling Art Exhibit Coordinator. Yvette deployed to Iraq from 2003-2004 and founded the Veteran Print Project after earning her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Yvette exhibits her work nationally.
Kayla Williams
Kayla is a former sergeant and Arabic linguist in a Military Intelligence company of the 101st Airborne Division. Kayla is the author of Love My Rifle More Than You: Young and Female in the U.S. Army, a memoir about her deployment to Iraq, and Plenty of Time When We Get Home: Love and Recovery in the Aftermath of War, about her family’s journey from war trauma to healing.
Kayla earned her Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Bowling Green State University and a Master’s in International Affairs from American University. She is a 2013 White House Woman Veteran Champion of Change, and a 2015 Lincoln Award recipient. Kayla is now the Director of the Center for Women Veterans at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
