ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Barbara Ledom-balducci is a retired 28-year U.S. Air Force veteran. She also retired as a Department of the Air Force employee. Georgia has been her home for more than 17 years, and she is an active member with progressive veterans advocacy group Common Defense.

David Dubin is a disabled Vietnam combat veteran. A 24-year veteran of the U.S. Army and Army Reserves, he was stationed in Europe and Korea before retiring in 1995. He is also a retired instructional designer, college professor and active member of Common Defense.

Janice Jamison is a disabled U.S. Air Force veteran. She served 8 years on active duty as a senior intelligence operations analyst. She has been a veteran advocate and organizer in Georgia for almost 10 years. She is currently the program manager of the Veterans Organizing Institute.

David Mujica is a Purple Heart U.S. Marine Corps veteran (1988-2012) who served in Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan. During his service he was honored with a Bronze Star Medal. Currently, he is a small business owner in Georgia and an active advocate with Common Defense.

Chaplain Cole Knapper is a decorated, post-9/11 U.S. Army veteran from Athens. During her military career, she deployed on four combat tours of duty in support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, was twice awarded the prestigious Bronze Star Medal and earned a Combat Infantryman’s Badge almost a decade before women were allowed to serve in combat roles. She is a longtime member of Common Defense and an advocate for Georgia veterans.