Rear Admiral Yancy Lindsey recently visited Phoenix to meet with veterans groups, schools, and corporations. Lt. Haraz Ghanbari, who traveled with the Admiral, explained that the visits to inland states are part of an outreach effort to discuss “Big Navy’s” mission and the impact it has on all of the nation, not just those states in coastal regions.
“What happens on the water is critical to American security, the preservation of American jobs, and peace worldwide,” Ghanbari explained. “Water covers about 70% of the Earth’s surface and 90% of all international trade travels by sea. Most fundamentally, it’s important to our national defense. After all, the United States is bounded by oceans on both sides.”
While the Admiral was in Arizona, Rural Development hosted a roundtable discussion on veterans issues and the opioid epidemic. Admiral Lindsey led the conversation with veterans and health care groups from across the state. The capacity crowd represented groups from across Arizona.
State Director JC Sherman outlined the RD programs that are able to help rural communities fight the opioid epidemic, including our Community Facilities program that can fund medical equipment, ambulances, police vehicles, fire trucks, telemedicine, hospitals, treatment centers, clinics, halfway houses and transitional housing and so many other projects.