Writing Seminar for Combat Medics and Corpsmen—2019

Jessica N. Astorga

Jessica N. Astorga was commissioned as an Air Force officer in 2000 after earning her Bachelor of Science in nursing at Auburn University, Alabama. 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.

Astorga still practices in critical care and emergency nursing. She is married with three children, two Great Danes, and a cat. She stays active in veteran organizations and enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and cross-stitching. She is a 2019 War Horse fellow.

Jen Burch

Jen Burch spent more than six years in the U.S. Air Force, and since medically retiring in the fall of 2014, she has dedicated her time to advocating for the veteran community. She lives in Washington with her fiance and her pup, Apollo. Jen is a 2019 War Horse fellow.

Philippe 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. Debyser was awarded the Combat Medical Badge, Purple Heart, Army Commendation with valor, and several Army Achievement medals. He studied history and psychology at the University of South Alabama where he was on the Panhellenic Greek Council and a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. Debyser 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. He is a 2019 War Horse Fellow.

Dan Elinoff

Dan Elinoff served as a medical sergeant in the 1st Armored Division from 2010 to 2014 with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He now lives in Boston, Massachusetts, and works as a defense analyst for a think tank. Elinoff is a 2019 War Horse fellow.

Johnnie Gilpen

Johnnie Gilpen, a 2019 War Horse fellow and 2017 Tillman scholar, is a former U.S. Navy Fleet Marine Force hospital corpsman with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He now lives in Union City, Oklahoma, and is currently an emergency medicine physician assistant in the Greater Oklahoma City area.

Heather Holland

Heather Holland 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 has advanced study in Yin Yoga and mindfulness. Holland is a 2019 War Horse fellow.

Nicole Johnson

Nicole Johnson 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. Johnson 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. Nicole is a 2019 War Horse fellow.

Sarah Kisor

Sarah Kisor 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. Kisor 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 four children and training dogs part time. Kisor is a lifetime member of the 173D Airborne Brigade Association and Veterans of Foreign Wars. She is a 2019 War Horse fellow.

Josiah Koleosho

Josiah Koleosho served as a fleet medical service technician in Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2001 to 2003. He earned a Combat Action Ribbon and two Navy Achievement Medals while in the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines. Josiah was a hospital corpsman at the formerly known National Medical Center, Bethesda, for 10 years. After serving in the Navy, he obtained his bachelor’s degree in computer networking and security in 2016 and master’s degree in cybersecurity in 2018. He now lives in Maryland and works as a sleep technologist at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Josiah is a 2019 War Horse fellow.

Adam Linehan

Adam Linehan 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 magazine, 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. He is a 2019 War Horse fellow.

Gretel Weiskopf

Gretel Weiskopf, a 2019 War Horse fellow, served as an Army photojournalist and combat medic in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004. She has been in the Wisconsin Army National Guard for 19 years. She lives in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, with her husband and children.

Harry L. Whitlock

Harry L. Whitlock served in the U.S. Army for 21 years on active duty as an enlisted engineer and in the Medical Service Corps as an officer. He now lives in Laramie, Wyoming, with his wife, two children, and three cats. He works at the University of Wyoming and is a firefighter/EMT with the Vedauwoo Volunteer Fire Department. Harry is a 2019 War Horse fellow.