Bridging Battlegrounds: Floridian Finesse Amidst Global Frenzy
Florida Congressmen Cory Mills Showed Us What True Leadership Looks Like. Now Other Floridians Are Getting Involved, Including Governor DeSantis.
I am not the best shot when it comes to shooting guns. So, when my friend Richard invited me to an outdoor range, located seemingly in the middle of nowhere, to practice shooting drill exercises, I had to take him up on it.
Having a pistol and learning how to handle it respectfully is a great way to protect yourself, and others, if the situation requires it. But you don’t always need a gun to protect people. Sometimes you just need to be a connector.
Amidst the Hamas attacks on Israel, people were stuck, tragedies were unfolding, and the relentless stream of propaganda made it impossible (and still continues to do so) to discern the real situation on the ground. However, I knew one thing: my congressman, Cory Mills, was over in Israel helping rescue Americans.
How crazy is that? I’m accustomed to talking heads and commentators consistently calling for war from the comfort of their own homes, knowing they would never be the ones getting shipped overseas. Here was MY elected official, thousands of miles away, not even calling for war, just simply acting.
Congress has a total of 535 members. Only one was acting.
My friend Richard received an urgent message stating that there was a need for assistance in identifying certain assets for Congressman Mills' mission.
Richard and his team at F3 immediately got to work.
I’ve known Richard for many years. I'm a part of his nonprofit organization that finds missing children, and he’s a part of my chamber of commerce which advocates for freedom technologies in Florida (and the US).
I’ve never seen someone work so hard. Although we think of the movies when we envisage Intel work—people busting open doors, shooting terrorists, and wearing cool sunglasses—the reality is modern-day Intel work predominantly involves sitting in front of a computer with multiple screens, staying up 22 hours at a time, monitoring 15 different group chats to get sensitive information relayed to the people who need it the most.
There can be gaps, and sometimes filling those gaps is critically important. You can have boots on the ground, enough data to support a mission, but still be logistically stranded.
Throughout history, logistics has often been the linchpin of success for many of the world's greatest leaders. Their mastery in orchestrating resources, ensuring seamless communication, and coordinating efforts on a grand scale not only demonstrated their strategic acumen but also elevated them to a legendary status. It's through the lens of logistics that the true mettle of leadership is revealed, showcasing a capacity to navigate complex scenarios and deliver tangible results amidst adversity.
Richard needed someone who understood the complexity of airline logistics, and that is where Griffin Bruehl came in.
I had previously connected Griffin and Richard many months ago, as certain parts of their business overlapped. Griffin’s company specializes in lifestyle curation for some of the most notable people in the world, having previously assisted with travel logistics in major operations for heads of state. What Griffin is an expert in is the art of human logistics and presence, a rare skill that as it turns out, is perfect for disaster management.
Griffin became essential almost immediately, working around the clock to ensure flights had enough seats, checking various airports, and negotiating with airlines. Definitely a specialty needed in a time like this.
This was just as Governor Ron DeSantis announced an unprecedented move signing an executive order last Thursday that enables the Florida division of emergency management to bring Floridians home and transport supplies out to Israel.
"When we do executive orders, it frees up the ability to access funds. Since I have been governor, we have established a disaster fund every year that we replenish so you just go, you use what you need to do and then, if you get reimbursed, you do. I don’t think the feds will reimburse us for this, but that’s fine, we want to do what’s right," DeSantis explained.
Griffin was in need of more planes, so I immediately got him in touch with Robert Salvador, a DeSantis surrogate and close friend, who is advising the DeSantis team on web3 and crypto policy.
Robert’s company, Digibuild, also specializes in logistics, so he understood the seriousness of managing supply chains and communication. He got Griffin and Richard in touch with the Governor's team almost immediately.
Now as of this morning, with another nonprofit, DeSantis has rescued even more Americans.
As of writing this article, it seems over 200 Americans have been saved, many of whom are children, by all the aforementioned people. It is hard for me to say who did what, and give credit where credit is due. However, I can draw some conclusions that should give some of you pause.
We currently have a very large leadership vacuum. It can’t be understated that Cory Mills, my Congressman, stepped up and filled that vacuum. I am thankful he stepped up, and it shows you the quality character of the Florida Congressman.
You don’t need a lot of people to save the world. Although there are many hidden names, and many people who did small tasks to help pull off an extensive mission, the conclusion is the following: There were about 6-8 motivated leaders who were able to come together and save people's lives.
My role in all of this was simply connecting the right people. I did none of the hard work. I was not staying up all night like Richard and Griffin managing intel and logistics. But I was able to connect Richard with Griffin. I was able to connect Griffin with Robert, who was able to get us involved with DeSantis.
I have to ask: Where was everyone else? Where was our President, or his team, or the multiple intel agencies we have? How did a ragtag group of Floridians pull off what an entire Federal Bureaucracy couldn’t?
Conclusion:
You could draw multiple conclusions from this brief story, and you should. However, my biggest conclusion is this: I have the most bad ass friends. It must be something in the water in Florida.