Horseshoe around me

Weekly Roundup

• Friendly Forces Happy Hour

  Your network is your net worth.

• The 36.5% Club
  Put some respek on our name.

• The Military Influencer Conference
  What are we doing?

• Your Job. Your Service. Your Attorney.
  Brian Lawler is his name, USERRA is his game.

• New Fratty Guard Unit Collab Website Launches

  CPT Chadwick is literally the business genius of our era.

  PART⚡TIME News: What Happened Last Week
  This week’s top headlines affecting the Reserve and Guard community.

• Support the Fight: Donate to Friendly Forces

  We help US companies financially enable your service. Financially enable us by making a donation.

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Friendly Forces

Networking Happy Hour in DC

Are you a past, current, or future part time boi? Whether you’re looking for a new job, looking to network with other area power brokers in the Guard/Reserve, or just a good old fashioned raging alcoholic, you should stop by.

In all seriousness, the Guard/Reserve talent in the DC area is unmatched. Friendly Forces is going to leverage that and is coordinating a networking happy hour at a DC area watering hole in October.

We’re still nailing down the exact date and venue, but whether 40 people or 4 show up, it will be a good time and likely something we start doing on a recurring basis.

People are saying Pete Hegseth might even show up. Stay frosty and be on the look out for details.

The 36.5% Club

You are part of an elite club.

Over a third of the U.S. military’s total personnel strength lives in the Reserve Components of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard.

36.5 percent, in fact, according to our unpaid H-1B intern’s calculations (and god help you if you’re math is wrong, Fentruck.)

The latest numbers show from the end of June show our total Active Duty strength at 2,099,366 people. Guardsmen and Reservists are 766,336 of them.

And your reward for balancing a civilian career while still training, responding to domestic crises, and deploying overseas is to be mostly ignored by the veteran support ecosystem, hassled by employers, and, if you’re the DC Guard, memed on the internet. Sorry guys.

The Military Influencer Conference

The Military Influencer Circus Conference took place this week in Atlanta. And yes, it is just as stupid and cringe as it sounds (ask me how I know).

Now I enjoy a circle jerk as much as the next guy, but this conference takes the take.

Welcome to the Military Influencer Conference—a hotel conference center full of LinkedIn sociopaths, social media clout-chasers, and veteran businesses shilling everything from weed products to resiliency coaching.

Panels on “authentic storytelling” (translation: monetize your service), networking sessions (oh cool you make TikToks in uniform), and a vendor hall that looks like a garage sale of veteran-owned fleshlights and other bullsh*t.

My main gripe in attending (years ago, not this one), was that I never quite figured out the point. Nobody there was particularly influential or making a meaningful difference in the lives of veterans. Everyone was there to sell something, but under the guise of somehow helping the veteran community while presenting each other with awards.

This year there was apparently some extra drama because one of the featured sponsors/speakers, the founder of some company called Parade Deck, was exposed as a convicted child predator, so that’s cool.

Your Job. Your Service. Your Attorney.

Boss giving you grief about your military commitments? Call Brian Lawler.

If you think your employer is blatantly and unrepentantly violating your rights as a Reservist, contact Brian Lawler.

Brian’s a former Marine pilot, reservist, and one of the top USERRA attorneys in the country. He knows the law better than your HR department, and he’s made a career out of holding employers accountable.

Free consult. No win, no fee.
If your job’s on the line, Brian’s the guy you want in the fight.

Set up a meeting here.

The Fratty Guard

The Fratty Guard Unit Collab Website Launches

Unit merch is a force multiplier. It’s basically why I joined the military.

Using our hot new collaboration station, you can design your very own unit gear with our suite of The Fratty Guard licensed logos. It’s pretty f*ckin sweet and units are already making some dope stuff.

You can either do a standard bulk order OR set up a unit storefront so your folks can buy the custom gear themselves without you having to track down every broke ass individually to collect money.

Check out these bois from the 404th Civil Affairs BN who have already put in an order. We look forward to seeing what the rest of you come up with.

PART TIME News: What Happened Last week

National Guard Exceeds 2025 Recruiting Goals

Resolution to Reject National Guard Deployment to Memphis Fails

Hegseth calls rare meeting of large number of generals and admirals

Support the Fight

If you support the work that Friendly Forces does, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help keep the lights on. Every bit helps. Turns out stuff is expensive and we put countless man hours into the work.

That’s it for this week.

Big things coming.