National Volunteer Month in April celebrates the impact volunteers have on our lives and encourages active volunteerism in generations to come. Today, we would like to highlight one of our own here at Markesman Group, our HR Manager - Bobby Williams.

​With all that is currently going on in the world, a pandemic, war, political discord here at home, and all the other uncertainties, I find that the urge to volunteer more important now than ever before. I have been a part of the Boy Scouts of America family now for over 10 years. This organization is one that I fully support and have seen the benefits for the youth that have been in the program. I myself, am a proud parent of an Eagle Scout. This program instills in these impressionable young minds to accept their civic responsibility, to always look out for other people before themselves, to leave the world a better place than they inherited, and to honor the values taught at home, school, and in scouting. I have the privilege to witness a diverse group of young people from completely different race, social, economic, political, and religious backgrounds come together to achieve great things. Things that not only they will benefit from, but also fellow Scouts, families, and their communities. It is through these experiences that I truly find hope for the future. This program helps to shape the minds of our youth to become the leaders for tomorrow through the Scout Oath. 

On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. 

There have been a few occasions that I have seen some of these young men struggle with life after graduating school, moving out on their own, and after aging out of the program. They struggle to find their way in this world and to understand who they are as a person and the person that they want to be. We hope that they will remember the life skills and tools taught by their parents, teachers, and adult leaders from scouting. We patiently wait on the sideline to assist them when needed and to see them apply the skills and tools learned. As they begin to apply the life lesson taught from their parents, the knowledge poured into them from teachers, and the skill and tool provided by scouting, we have the honor of seeing these young men turn their life around and become responsible productive members of society. There is a lot to be said about the Scout Law, which has 12 points. It is the goal of all Scouts to live up to the Law every day. Each Scout will find that living by the Law everyday can be hard and challenging.

A Scout is;

TRUSTWORTHY. 
Tell the truth and keep promises

LOYAL. 
Show that you care about your family, friends, Scouts leaders, school, and country.

HELPFUL. 
Volunteer to help other without expecting a reward.
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FRIENDLY. 
Be a friend to everyone, even people who are very different from you.

COURTEOUS. 
Be polite to everyone an always use good manners.

KIND. 
Treat other as you want to be treated. 

OBEDIENT. 
Follow the rules of your family, school, and pack. Obey the laws of your community and country.

CHEERFUL. 
Look for the bright side of life. Cheerfully do task that come your way. Try to help others be happy.

THRIFTY. 
Work to pay your own way. Try not to be wasteful. Use time, food, supplies and natural resources wisely.

BRAVE. 
Face difficult situation even when you feel afraid, Do what you think is right despite what others might be doing or saying. 

CLEAN. 
Keep your body and mind fit. Help keep your home and community clean. 

REVERENT. 
Be reverent toward God. Be faithful in your religious duties. Respect the beliefs if others. 

Volunteering for Boy Scouts of America is a rewarding and fulfilling experience. From weekly meetings, monthly weekend camping trips, summer camps, or the occasional overnight hiking trip in the mountains, I have the ability to spend time with these amazing young men. Young men that will one day be faced to solve the problems that were created by our generation. To see them mature from adolescence into men with the skills necessary to achieve great things. The ability to spend time and connect with them allows me to stay connected and to continue to learn and grow as a person. It affords me the opportunity to gain a little glimmer of what are future has in store from this generation of young people. 

Volunteering is something that is important to me and very close to my heart. It is a selfless act to give to worthwhile causes, organizations, or people in need and not expecting anything in return. Not only does it give you a sense of accomplishment, but also strengthens our local communities. If you have never volunteered or have not in a while, I strongly encourage you to find an organization or charity that you can share your talents. I can guarantee that you will leave the experience feeling a sense of fulfillment, purpose. In keeping with a time-honored tradition when closing a meeting or camping trip we recite the Scout Vesper.

May the Great Scoutmaster of all Scouts be with us until we meet again. ​

​​The National Park Service in partnership with Operation Live Well would like to thank military personnel and their families for their service and invite them to enjoy their national parks.
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Gold Star Families and US military veterans are eligible to receive free lifetime access to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including national parks, wildlife refuges, and forests. The free Military Pass is a way to thank America’s veterans, Gold Star Families, and current military and their dependents for their support of our country and to encourage them to explore recreational opportunities on their public lands and waters.

​What is the Military, Veterans, and Gold Star Family Free Access Program?The Interagency Annual Military Pass provides free entrance to national parks and other federal recreation areas to current U.S. military members and their dependents, U.S. military veterans, and Gold Star Families.
The entrance fee waiver does not cover expanded amenity or user fees for activities such as camping, transportation, special recreation permits, reservation fees or special tours.

Who is eligible to gain free entrance as a veteran?
For purposes of this program, a veteran is identified as an individual who has served in the US Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves, and is able to present one of the following forms of identification or the Interagency Military Pass when entering a national park:

• Department of Defense Identification Card (non-expired CAC Card)
• Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
• Veteran ID Card
• Veterans designation on a state-issued US driver’s license or identification card

Who is eligible to gain free access as a member of a Gold Star Family?
Gold Star Families are next of kin of a member of the US Armed Forces who lost his or her life in a “qualifying situation,” such as a war, an international terrorist attack, or a military operation outside of the United States while serving with the US Armed Forces. Eligibility requirements are in section 3.2 of Department of Defense Instruction 1348.36.

Is there a “Lifetime Pass” for Veterans and Gold Star Families?
Yes. Congress recently passed legislation authorizing a free lifetime pass to national parks and other federal recreation areas for eligible U.S. military veterans and Gold Star families. In recent years, they were able to receive annual passes. The new lifetime passes will be available to distribute later in 2022. Until then, Gold Star families and veterans may continue to use The Interagency Annual Military Pass with proof of eligibility as described above.

Does the waiver include others traveling with the veteran or Gold Star Family member?
Free access is for the veteran or the holder of the Military Pass-Gold Star Family voucher as well as travelling companions who are occupants of a single, private non-commercial vehicle OR the veteran or voucher-holder and three persons (16 and older) where per person fees are charged. The voucher is non-transferrable and void if altered.

What agencies are participating in the free access program?
The program waives entrance or standard amenity fees for the following agencies:

• National Park Service
• Bureau of Land Management
• Bureau of Reclamation
• US Fish and Wildlife Service
• US Forest Service
• US Army Corps of Engineers

How does a veteran gain free entrance to a national park?
In national parks that charge an entrance fee, a veteran will need to present one of the following forms of identification to receive a free Interagency Military Pass:

• Department of Defense Identification Card (non-expired CAC Card)
• Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
• Veteran ID Card
• Veterans designation on a state-issued U.S. driver’s license or identification card

How long will free access be available?
Veterans and Gold Star Families receive free lifetime access. Currently, they can receive a Military pass that is valid for one year. By the end of 2022, they will be able to acquire a free lifetime pass.

Are there any costs to participate?
No. The voucher covers entrance fees at national parks and national wildlife refuges as well as standard amenity fees (day use fees) at national forests and grasslands and at lands managed by the National Park Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and US Army Corps of Engineers. Fees still apply for expanded amenities such as camping, tours and special recreation permits. Reservation fees and fees for organized groups or concession-operated facilities or activities may not be covered by the voucher or Interagency Pass.

What is covered by the free access program?
The voucher covers entrance fees at national parks and national wildlife refuges as well as standard amenity fees (day use fees) at national forests and grasslands and on lands managed by the National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and US Army Corps of Engineers.

What is not covered by the free access program?
The program does not cover expanded amenity fees such as camping, tours or special recreation permits; reservation fees and fees for organized groups or concession-operated facilities or activities may not be included.

Can current members of the military receive free entrance to national parks?
Who else can receive free entrance?
Current members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their dependents can enter national parks for free with an annual Interagency Military Pass through the America the Beautiful – the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands (Interagency) Pass Program. There are a total of seven Interagency Passes available. For more information and to obtain these passes, please visit the USGS Store.

Are passes available for disabled veterans or other people with disabilities?
Yes. The Interagency Access Pass is a lifetime pass that is free for any US citizen or permanent resident, including a veteran or Gold Star Family member, who has a permanent disability. An Access Pass may also provide discounts for expanded amenities like camping, guided tours etc. For more information visit USGS Store - Access Pass.

What if I have a current Interagency Military Pass or other type of Interagency Pass?
If you have a Military Pass, Access Pass, or one of the other Interagency Passes, you can simply use that pass for free access. If you have recently purchased an Interagency Annual or Senior Pass, unfortunately no refunds are permitted. Veterans and Gold Star Family free access vouchers and Interagency Passes are non-transferable.

How does a Gold Star Family gain free access to a national park?
Before visiting a national park site, Gold Star Family members must download and print a voucher to present to park staff, exchange for an Interagency Military Pass, or place on the vehicle dashboard at unstaffed sites (representations of the voucher are prohibited; the physical voucher or pass must be present). View a list of federal locations that issue passes.

By downloading and signing the voucher, Gold Star Family members are self-certifying that they meet the required criteria as identified in sections 3.2 and 3.3 of Department of Defense Instruction 1348.36. Following is the self-certification language on the voucher: "I hereby affirm that I am an eligible next of kin (NOK) of a member of the United States Armed Forces who lost his or her life in a qualifying situation, such as war, an international terrorist attack or a military operation outside of the United States while serving in the United States Armed Forces, as identified in sections 3.2 (Qualifying Situation) and 3.3 (Eligible NOK) of Department of Defense Instruction 1348.36."

Download your Free Pass Here:

The Vietnam War Memorial

National Vietnam War Veterans Day is an opportunity for national reconciliation. It offers a chance to recognize the fortitude and commitment that Vietnam veterans showed and continue to show every day. March 29th is an opportunity to thank and honor the 2.7 million service members who served in Vietnam.

​Honoring the men and women who served in the controversial Vietnam War, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial chronologically lists the names of 58,318 Americans who gave their lives in service to their country.

After watching the film The Deer Hunter, Vietnam veteran Jan Scruggs decided that his fellow soldiers needed a tangible symbol of recognition from America of their service and sacrifice. By 1979 a memorial fund was formed, and in 1980 land in Constitution Gardens was authorized for the memorial placement. A design competition was announced, and 21-year-old Yale architecture student Maya Lin earned the unanimous selection.

The central element of Lin's memorial is the shiny black granite wall in a wide V shape, with one "arm" directed toward the Lincoln Memorial and the other toward the Washington Monument. The faces of visitors are reflected in the walls bearing the etched names of the 58,318 men and women who died in combat or are listed as missing in action (MIA).
Those declared dead are marked by a diamond; those MIA are marked by a cross. If the person currently marked as MIA returns alive, a circle is placed around the cross. If his remains are identified, a diamond is superimposed over the cross.

The names of the first men killed (in 1959) start at the highest point of the wall, on the right arm, and continue toward the shorter end. The names resume on the far, short end of the left arm, continuing back toward the junction of the two walls. This way the first deaths and the last deaths (May 15, 1975) meet in the middle. Directories are placed near the wall for visitors to look up names.

The design choice proved controversial, and eventually a flag and figurative sculpture of servicemen was added to the plan. The memorial wall dedication on November 11, 1982, was accompanied by a 56-hour reading at Washington National Cathedral of all the engraved names of the dead.

While The Wall itself has garnered much attention, other features of the memorial site include The Three Serviceman statue, the Vietnam Women's Memorial, the In Memory plaque, and a flagpole that flies both the U.S. and the MIA-POW flag. That pole carries the insignia of the five branches of the Armed Forces.

Young, armed, and wearing jungle combat gear, The Three Servicemen's gazes are fixed on the wall. Veterans have stated that while there are distinguishing characteristics for each man, they still feel like they could be any soldier.
The bronze statues were created by artist Frederick Hart, who interviewed dozens of veterans and watched film footage and documentaries from the war so that he could execute an artwork that "bespeaks the bonds of love and sacrifice that is the nature of men at war."

In another grove of trees sits the Vietnam Women's Memorial, another figurative sculpture depicting three nurses and one wounded soldier. One nurse sits upon sandbags, holding the wounded man while another searches the sky for help—perhaps a helicopter airlift. A third one kneels behind the sandbags, forlornly holding an empty helmet in her hand.
The artist, Glenna Goodacre, has stated that in this vignette, the young man is saved by the actions of these women—she wanted this artwork "to be a monument for the living." The names of the eight women military women lost in the war are inscribed on the wall, and there are eight trees in the sculpture's grove.

The In Memory plaque, dedicated in 2004, is near The Three Servicemen and honors the men and women who died as a result of their service in Vietnam.

Many who visit leave behind items in memoriam to those that have served. The military dog tags, flowers, war medals, photographs, and even favorite toys left behind aid the healing process.

https://www.nps.gov/vive/learn/historyculture/vvmoverview.htm​​

Vietnam Veterans Memorial is located north of the Lincoln Memorial near the intersection of 22nd Street NW and Constitution Avenue NW.

The memorial is free and open 24 hours a day.

The memorial includes the names of over 58,000 servicemen and women who gave their lives in service in the Vietnam conflict. The memorial includes the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall, the Three Servicemen statue and the Vietnam Women's Memorial.​

​Markesman Group, listed as one of Inc. 5000 fastest growing private companies, announced that Chris Andersen has joined the company as Proposal Manager. In this role, Andersen will be responsible for planning, leading, directing and growing Markesman’s proposals and proposal related programs.
 
“We are thrilled to have Chris join the Markesman team, his knowledge and experience make him a strong asset as we continue to strengthen our position as a leader in the cyber and intelligence business.  We are excited to utilize Chris’ expertise to help serve our customers and their missions.”
 
Andersen joined Markesman in 2019 to provide contract support as an Executive-level ISR Training Specialist, bringing nearly three decades of experience working in the Defense industry. A respected leader in the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance field, Andersen has served as a technical advisor to various government agencies solving the nation's most difficult challenges. Over the past several years, Chris has provided proposal and business development consulting services to the biggest industry leaders. Andersen earned his MBA with a concentration in Data Analytics from Louisiana State University. He also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Project Management and is pursuing a PhD in Higher Education Leadership.

We wanted to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation for our team members and their families. Your dedication to mission and technical prowess has enabled our customers to succeed, over and over again. We love the camaraderie you all have built and the motivation you give each other to learn more and think outside the box.

We thank each and every one of our employees.
​Without your efforts, Markesman wouldn't be where we are today.

With Gratitude,
Dan Markes & Alex Wang

Women’s History Month is a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture, and society and has been observed in the United States since 1987.  Instead of providing you with a history of the many innovative and entrepreneurial women in history, we would like to hear from you!  Women did not get this far without meaningful conversations and Markesman continues the conversation here. 

Tell us any number of the following and a short reason for your answer.
 
One woman I’m grateful for:
 
One woman I find empowering:
 
One of my favorite women from history:
 
Who is a woman from your family you would like more people to know about?
​What makes her so amazing?
 
Who is a woman from history that we don’t talk enough about? 

​We look forward to reading about the women who's made an impact in your life!

Team,
  
In a year that began with further restrictions and a nervousness around implementing a world-wide vaccination program, we finish 2021 attempting to find a new sense of normality. We continue to feel an overwhelming sense of pride to work with a team that’s shown such incredible adaptability and resilience in the face of such changing times. As the holidays approach, I hope you all get some much needed downtime with family and friends.
 
From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank our employees, partners, and customers for another successful year.  We’ve grown as a company, but more importantly, we’ve been able to focus on areas that are meaningful for our employees and our customers and that align with our future goals as an organization. We feel blessed every day to work with such brilliant individuals and organizations.  
 
Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year!
 
Our greatest appreciation,
 
- Dan & Alex

Each year, we take the opportunity to honor and appreciate the sacrifices and selflessness of the men and women who have served in the American armed forces. Here at Markesman, we are proud to have approximately 90% of our team be active and veteran service members. These employees have made remarkable contributions to our country, and we are honored that they are part of the Markesman family. 

Thank you to all the veterans and their family members for your service to our great nation.

Although the focus on today is the ‘Veteran’, I can’t help but be grateful for opportunities the military gave me personally. The military not only helps define character and work ethic, it instills the importance of working as a team to accomplish greater tasks than a singular person is capable of. Unity = Acceleration. 

Dan Markes, CEO

We generally call our team outings ‘socials’, because the term “happy-hour” has the connotation to most of an alcohol related event in a bar with strangers lurking about.  Since the latest incarnation of the modern plague (COVID-19), we have abstained from having socials out of an abundance of caution.  That is until recently, we decided the risk was low enough to gather once again, in public and take our chances... together.    

Both of our last two large socials were at the Guinness Brewery in Harthorpe, MD, near BWI airport.  The first event was a bit touch-and-go; we weren’t exactly sure how eager folks were to attend a large social, and it was raining in waves, often times very heavily; so we were stuck inside.  A couple weeks later we decided to visit the same location again, and this time the weather was perfect, we were able to occupy several tables outside.  Leadership and the Headquarters Management Team were able to travel to Maryland for the social, joining quite a few of the site teammates, a few of their significant others, and little ones, making it a true Markesman event.  In addition, we hosted guests from other federal agencies, and prospective employees. a great time was had by all!

One of the things that makes Markesman Group different than many other companies is our genuine appreciation and support for one another.   We strive to treat one another like family, and we’ve all learned from our military service that things like “mandatory fun” is not fun at all, so we never do that.   All socials are optional, so when you see teammates at our events, or hear about it over the next couple of days, you know automatically that they are there because they want to socialize and enjoy each other’s company in a more casual environment.  The way it should be everywhere! 

If you are an employee, friend or associate of Markesman Group and you’ve never attended one of our socials because of past experiences or still have lingering reservations; you owe it to yourself to give it another chance.   As I like to say, we hope you will join us, but if you don’t or can’t; it’s really ok, we look forward to getting to know you better at another event in the future!