This month we did things a little differently. We were fortunate enough to get to talk with Tracy Brody, who is not a military spouse, but a long time volunteer with the USO! Tracy is an absolute delight and I hope you enjoy hearing about her journey with writing and volunteering as much as I did! Stay tuned for a special surprise at the end from Tracy herself!
How did you get into volunteering with the USO?
- I began supporting troops by corresponding and sending care packages to one Airborne Ranger from Charlotte in 2003. When he came home from Iraq, I wanted to continue supporting troops since I enjoyed getting to know and even meet Kyle. I learned about sites like Books for Soldiers, and being an aspiring writer, I got involved. Several other volunteers mentioned working with the USO and going to send-offs and welcome home parties. At that time there wasn’t a USO close to me, but, in the summer of 2006, I read an article in the newspaper announcing they were opening a USO at the Charlotte Airport. I signed up that day. While I’m not close to a military base, I can serve in the airport lounge which has grown to be the busiest airport lounge the USO has, and volunteer at off-site events which have included a send-off, and holiday party, events for teens and other events to raise awareness of how other can support our military through the USO.
How long have you been volunteering with the USO?
- I started at the Charlotte USO on its opening day, September 1, 2006, so almost 19 years.
What is your favorite part about being a volunteer with the military?
- I like giving back. I was too old to enlist, so I designated myself a Civilian First Class in Charge of Morale. I often heard from troops I sent care packages to and knew it made a difference hearing from someone or getting a comfort item or treat in the mail. I earned a reputation for sending “Freaking Awesome brownies” in care package. 😉 I have been fortunate to meet around twenty of the troops (plus their families) who I sent care packages and letters to over the years. I’m still in touch with quite a few. The continued correspondence has led to long-lasting friendships with entire families. Some of these individuals are helpful sources for information for my writing and I’ve based multiple side characters after troops I know. Every time I volunteer at the USO, I get to meet interesting people. As traveling can often be stressful, I feel I make a difference by welcoming them in with a smile and comfort items be it food, appreciation, or a place to rest whether they’re a retiree, someone on active duty, or recruits heading to basic training.
What is the biggest challenge you face as a USO volunteer?
- Honestly, the hardest thing as a volunteer is when we have to tell a veteran they can’t access the USO Lounge when they don’t have a valid id because they are no longer active or didn’t serve until retirement.
What is one piece of advice you would like to share with our current military families based on what you see volunteering?
- Don’t be afraid to reach out for support or listen to negativity about what our troops do, because most people appreciate and respect you and the sacrifices you make.
How or why did you decide to become an author?
- As long as I can remember, I’ve loved to read and come up with my own stories. However, before I left for college, my dad told me if I wanted a job when I graduated then I should study business or accounting. FYI, he’d done a stint in the Navy then studied business. I studied business, worked in banking, then was primarily a stay-at-home mom for a decade. However, I never stopped spinning up stories and thought that everyone’s brain worked that way. In 2003, I came up with a story I couldn’t get out of my head and finally decided to write it down. I envisioned it as a movie and wrote it as a screenplay. Initially, I didn’t tell anyone thinking they’d laugh at the idea of me writing a movie script. However, I learned from my experience in a prior business, that you are more likely to succeed if you “own it.” Once I started telling people the premise of the story, I was shocked to learn that most people didn’t dream up stories in class or church. That people would listen to me tell the entire story, encouraged me to continue coming up with stories.I shared my first completed script with several friends who all had good things to say. However, research showed me that being a woman, over forty, with no ties to Hollywood it would be tough to break into the business. Then, two longtime friends who’d never met each other both contacted me the same week saying the same thing after reading the script, and both wanted to see it as a book. That’s when I made the switch and began rewriting it from a script to a book. Boy, did I have a lot to learn, but felt I’d finally realized my calling. By the way, the hero in that first story was an Army Ranger at Fort Benning. All my research is what gave me a heart for the military and prompted me to give back and adopt a soldier, then more, including a multiple platoons. 😉
What book has been your favorite that you have written so far?
- You know that’s like asking a mom her favorite kid when she has more than one, right? They have all been my favorite when writing them, but I’d have to say it’s a toss-up between Faking it with the Green Beret and Not Faking it with the Colonel. I loved off-key singing, lyric changing, dog loving, Captain Big John Bryson and was so in lust – I mean love – with him and his “Friends in Low Places” inspired story that I was afraid I’d never love another character enough to write another book. Then, I met his Colonel. 😉 That story was inspired by all the fakers who create social media accounts and try to pass themselves off as members of the military. Typically using pictures and names of retired generals, claiming to be widowed or divorced, and usually deployed to Syria. Seriously? Like a general has nothing better to do than troll reviews for Kiawah Island or Nothing Bundt Cake or Chick-fil-A and become fascinated with my comments and want to friend me. Puh-lease. In my story, the hero really is a widowed Army Colonel and it’s been suggested for the good of his unit that he remarry. The heroine in that story is a long time USO volunteer, so I finally got to write what I know and her attempts to hang out with a Special Ops team for research purposes might be (100%) based on my interactions with actual officers and senior NCOs who ghosted me after saying they’d see if they could connect me to make it happen. I will say that CSM McCauley was honest in saying they don’t like talking to writers because they usually get things wrong. That’s exactly why I do my best to research things and do have a number of go-to experts who will give me the 411 on breaching a residence, proper procedures when flying a UH-60 Black Hawk, or what it’s like to attend a military ball.
The only thing that mattered when I started writing was getting the story of these men and their families out there. It was tragic to me that they’d been forgotten, their lives relegated to fragile documents buried in scattered archives. My greatest desire is to give them life again as examples of courage, perseverance, and hope in the darkest of times.
Do you have more books planned for the future?
- YES! I’m currently writing a political thriller. I’m sticking to my brand, and the hero is a Brigadier General who becomes the National Security Advisor for the newly elected president – whom he dated for nearly four years in college. I’ll query agents and see about publishing that story with a big publisher. While it’s on submission, I’ll be working on launching my Recalibrated Warrior series which was inspired by several of the injured troops I followed since they were together at Walter Reed in 2012. I want people to see them not as still injured, but as SSG Travis Mills (Ret) says “recalibrated.”
What author inspires you?
- So many authors inspire me with their ability to create complex, believable, and memorable characters and stories. But the one who inspired me when I first began writing was Suzanne Brockmann. Her Troubleshooters series about a Navy SEAL team is why I decided to turn what I envisioned as one story into my Bad Karma Special Ops series. I wanted to give the Quiet Professionals some love and attention even though they don’t announce they’re in special ops.
What’s a random fact about you we should know?
- I love the beach and do my best writing and plotting there. And I will travel wherever needed if you can get me a ride in a Black Hawk or to hang out with a Special Ops team to observe them train and see how they interact with each other.
Anything else you’d like to share with our military families about the USO?
- The USO is a non-profit organization whose mission is to strengthen America's military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country. It’s more than the entertainment shows of the Bob Hope era. You really don’t want me singing and dancing for you, though I will entertain you with my books. We also provide activities for teens, spouses, a reading program, offer game nights, and activities to strengthen the family unit. We want to come alongside you to show our appreciation for the sacrifices you all make. Check out their website and look for programs offered at your base or nearby.
I can't wait to read some of Tracy's work! I'm not sure how she has the time to write with all the time she has spent giving back! It makes her books even more special to know the deep seeded military connection that she has developed over all of these years! Tracy has so graciously given us a free copy of her book, Faking it for the Boss! It can be found at this link here and will be available until November 1st! Thank you so much Tracy! Happy reading everyone!
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