Today we are honored to share an interview with U.S. Veterans from Guardian Group — a nonprofit that is bringing the fight to sex-trafficking. We are deeply inspired and encouraged by their work. And the way that they are continuing to use their skills and expertise and gifts for good. Happy Veterans Day to our friends at Guardian Group and to all of the brave women and men who serve our country. We are thankful for you!
We are so thankful for and appreciate the work that Guardian Group is doing in the fight against sex-trafficking. Can you tell our readers a little more about your work and programs?
Guardian Group is a nonprofit organization that hires U.S. Veterans from Army Special Operations Forces, specifically those within the intelligence, analytics and tactical divisions of the force. Guardian Group builds teams of these elite professionals to partner with law enforcement agencies, prosecution and victim service providers to put an end to sex-trafficking in the United States. Our team draws upon decades of experience fusing intelligence and operations to achieve counter network effects against sex-trafficking on the national level. We focus on predators and their networks, specifically those involved in child sex-trafficking with the intent to gain an offensive advantage against this problem. While the rescue and recovery of children is paramount, our offensive advantage enables first responders to disrupt the exploitation cycle before rescue becomes necessary.
Guardian Group complements resource-constrained law enforcement and task forces, ensuring sex-trafficking safe-havens are disrupted and eliminated. We are in strategic partnerships with world-class organizations that understand the social and business benefits of tackling this exponentially increasing social injustice.
We are also thankful for your years of service to our country and the sacrifices that you and your families made in the name of freedom. Can you share a little more about your military careers and backgrounds?
Because of our military histories, most of our guys are pretty guarded about their pasts. This is something that we are starting to feel a little more at ease discussing since our experience directly relates to counter trafficking work.
Guardian Group’s Chief Operating Officer entered the US Army in 1987 and served as a Ranger, first seeing combat parachuting into Panama during Operation Just Cause and later served in Iraq and Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm. He then became an Infantry Officer, again serving as a Ranger until volunteering for Special Forces (SF). With SF, he completed numerous combat rotations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in other hot spots around the world. In addition to my tactical roles, he served as a Counter Terrorism Advisor to high ranking officers, officials, and diplomats throughout the Middle East, retiring last year to work with Guardian Group.
What led you to go from a fight — or war, even — against terrorism to starting Guardian Group and fighting sex-trafficking?
The Guardian Group Team believes that each person is granted certain gifts and it is their responsibility to identify those gifts, develop those gifts into skills, and live their life in a way that honors them. Some people take their gifts and skills and use them to exploit, oppress, and violate others, even vulnerable children. That is simply unacceptable and Guardian Group is designed to combine our skills into a team of teams that defend others and Free the Oppressed.
Your years of service in the military sound like the perfect preparation for the work that you’re doing now. What is your advice to other veterans who are looking to apply their experiences and skills?
Veterans, specifically from the Special Operations community are gifted and highly skilled at leading, training, developing, and applying tactics and strategies to solve tough problems. The sexual exploitation of minors is a problem that we are uniquely prepared to combat head on and side by side with our Law Enforcement Partners.
We want to encourage our veterans to continue serving and solving problems even after they leave the uniform behind. America supports our veterans and Guardian Group needs America’s support we so we can hire veterans directly into our ranks as Guardians of Life & Liberty.