In honor of Memorial Day, this newsletter is dedicated to all of the men and women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Having been an employee of Booz Allen Hamilton from 2002 to 2012, I have had the privilege of working with numerous team members and clients from all branches of the military (active duty, reserve duty and veteran status). They all have several admirable qualities in common: they know how to lead and follow, they are dedicated and focused on the mission, they are team players always willing to lend a hand, and they can consistently be counted on to deliver results. These devoted military men and women will always hold a special place in my heart.

Several members of my family have served in the military for three generations as well including my maternal grandfather (U.S. Navy and Coast Guard), my father Jack Daws (U.S. Air Force), my cousin Adam Putt (U.S. Army), and my brother-in-law Erik Reyes (U.S. Marine Corps). In addition, my fiancé’s cousin Brandon (U.S. Army) was just deployed to Afghanistan yesterday.

I want to give thanks to all of these brave service men and women for their dedication, selfless service and noble sacrifice. I especially want to acknowledge my cousin, Adam Putt who is a true hero. He was catastrophically injured in combat in August 2007 when a sub-surface IED detonated under his Stryker vehicle. Another soldier sustained catastrophic injuries as well and four other soldiers lost their lives as a result of this horrific incident. Adam had only been deployed in Iraq for one month, and he was only 23 years old at the time. I cannot even begin to imagine the terror he experienced or the courage it took for him to endure. Today Adam lives with his wife Tiffany and two sons, ages 4 and 7 in Oklahoma and is majoring in biology. Adam’s service and sacrifice will never be forgotten, and I will forever be grateful.

 “On Memorial Day, we remember the service of those brave military men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice defending and protecting our freedoms.” – Bill Flores