Dr. Derek Abbey spent 23 years in the United States Marine Corps, serving as an enlisted Marine and an officer, both on the ground and in the air. This included serving as an F/A-18 aviator and in the special operations community. He has been a member of Project Recover for 16 years and currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer. Project Recover searches for, locates, and recovers Americans missing in action (MIA) from our nation’s previous conflicts with the intention of providing answers and closure to Gold Star Families. He studied history at Oregon State University for his undergraduate education. He holds an M.A. in Higher Education Leadership and a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego.
Additionally, he holds a credential from Stanford University in Non-Profit Executive Leadership and is a 2019 President George W. Bush Scholar. Prior to taking on his current role he led the Military and Veterans Programs at both University of San Diego and San Diego State University. He lives in Bend, Oregon.
“I am serving as an NEH Discussion Leader because I believe that these conversations are vital to developing a greater understanding of war as individuals and a collective.”
BA in Psychology, BS in Administration and Management, MA in Human Behavior, MA in Human Relations, is a retired 28 year US Navy Gas Turbine Senior Chief and US Army National Guard (ARNG) veteran. Dale enlisted in the ARNG in 1989 at age 17 as a Combat Medic working units in both Indiana and Alaska. In 1997 he transitioned to the US Navy as an AN/SLQ-32 suite Electronic Warfare Technician and was merged into the Cryptologic Technician (Technical) community in 2003. Following a second conversion to Gas Turbine Systems (Electrical) in 2006, he worked in engineering departments for the remainder of his career. He completed nine deployments and numerous lesser operations in support of Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom. As of March 2018, he has been employed with Frontier Technologies Inc. as a contractor instructing US Navy personnel in the operation and maintenance of guided-missile destroyer Machinery Control System hardware and software modifications. “It is my desire to listen, learn, share, and perhaps help others understand, the attributes and effects of the military experience, from front lines to the home, which we Soldiers and Sailors carry with us every day.”
As Director of the Military and Veterans Program at San Diego State University, Todd oversees the services provided to 4400+military-connected students at the University. This includes higher education outreach efforts to the military and veteran community, tools to support academic success, and collaborative ventures to foster professional development. Additionally, the program supports unique on- and off-campus community engagement events and works alongside valued partners for innovative research and opportunities. He came to SDSU following a 22-year career in the United States Marine Corps, retiring as a First Sergeant, with combat deployments in Operations Desert Storm (Persian Gulf), Restore Hope (Somalia), Iraqi Freedom (Iraq), and Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan). He completed his undergraduate degree in History (summa cum laude) in 2016 and is a past president of the Student Veteran Organization at SDSU. Todd serves in leadership capacities within several organizations from the local to the national level, maintains involvement in a number of volunteer and philanthropic ventures, and stays committed to the overall academic success, professional development, and personal growth of today's military and veteran students. He is completing his master's degree in Anthropology where his research involves the identity and perceptions of the military and veteran community and he presents regularly on cultural awareness, impostor phenomenon, and diversity and inclusion to audiences around the country.
Ben Holmes is a Doctoral Candidate (Ed.D.) at the City University of Seattle and a Substitute Teacher at Vista Unified School District. He is a retired Marine First Sergeant with combat deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan, and four-years spent as a Drill Instructor. His personal decorations include commendations for valor, recognition of volunteer-service, and two Purple Hearts. Ben holds a pair of master’s degrees—history and education—and has been recognized as VUSD’s Substitute-Teacher of the year.
“My purpose as an NEH Discussion Leader is to: Bridge, or at least narrow, the cultural divide between citizen and soldier.”
My name is Gary Mabalot and I am an Air Force Veteran who served as a C-130 Crew Chief during active duty, an Air Force Medical Technician for the Air National Guard, and Education and Training Manager in Air Force Reserves. Over the last decade, I've gone from leading, counseling, and supporting airmen to earning a B.S. in Public Health and an M.S. in Higher Education Administration to being blessed with a fulfilling career in Higher Education Student Services and Entrepreneurship. Having served in leadership roles for both private and public institutions to include Pima Community College, the University of Arizona, National University, and San Diego City College where my responsibilities typically revolved around military transition coaching, veteran student resource referrals, University academic and administrative support, and veteran student success advocacy. While I also run multiple small businesses in retail and finance, the most meaningful role in my life is that of a proud father of two.
"I feel that meaningful dialogue, unantagonized self-reflection and literary-based discussions could do a whole lot of good for the world today; and I'm grateful for this opportunity to take part in even the slightest example of how to successfully facilitate and lead such discussions as I serve as an NEH Program Discussion Leader." - Gary Mabalot, MS
Isaac grew up in the desert border town of Imperial, California. At age 19 he joined the Navy and served aboard the USS Ronald Reagan as a Fire Controlman, maintaining the Ship Self Defense System MK2 Mod1. He later received a BA in global studies and an MA in History from National University, where he now works as a records evaluator. He is also an adjunct professor of history at Imperial Valley College.
"I am excited to be a part of this project because if our society hopes to effectively process and mitigate the effects of war, we have to learn to effectively discuss them."
Jeff served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Marine Scout Sniper. In the Marine Corps, he was a team leader responsible for the training and well-being of the Marines under his charge; this offered him unique insight into the warrior’s perspective. He believes that most combat veterans do not quite understand the process of transitioning from active duty into a successful civilian life. He wants to share his understanding and experience of effectively re-entering civilian life from a combat background and help mentor the next generation of transitioning veterans. Jeff received a B.A. Degree in Global Studies from National University, graduating Summa Cum Laude. He served in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program and presented his original research work at the NU 2015 Student Research Conference. His undergraduate Honors Thesis was, "The Manipulation of Gender Empowerment in Zimbabwe: Attempts to Create a Mugabe Dynasty.”