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| More Than Just A Pretty Face - Bonnie-Jilll Laflin |
Bonnie-Jill Laflin is a scout for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers the only female scout in the NBA. She has been an NFL Cheerleader, featured in Maxim and FHM magazine and even on TV's Baywatch. Some of these things you may have heard of but Bonnie-Jill also has a deep support for our men and women in uniform and has done numerous tours with the USO as morale visits to troops serving in Afghanistan & IRAQ.
Bonnie-Jill has also helped us at "Thank A Soldier" with reposting of many of our projects and efforts via her Twitter feed @BjLaflin. I asked Bonnie-Jill if she would mind doing an interview for our blog and she didn’t hesitate.
Bonnie Jill : It started with my family in the military both my Grandfathers served in WWII, one of which was a recipient the Silver Star and Purple Heart and my Uncle was a career Marine who served in Vietnam. I have so much love and passion for our troops, and learned that we can’t do enough to support these amazing people I call heroes. They sacrifice so much to protect us, so I continue to go on these tours to boost morale and let them know how much I appreciate them. I have been on 18 tours all over the world including 8 to Iraq and Afghanistan.
TAS: What has been your most memorable experience in the visits you have made?
Bonnie Jill : Its hard to point out one as I've had so many memorable experiences...going on these tours is life changing..just being able to spend time with the soldiers and hear their stories is something I will never forget. Each soldier I have met has touched my life..they are always in my thoughts and prayers.
TAS: Tell us about Hounds & Heroes and why you started that?
Bonnie Jill : I'm very involved with charities so I wanted to make sure I could bring more attention and support to the two causes that really touch my heart – the rights of animals who can’t speak for themselves, and support for the military, who, just by doing what they do, put their lives on the line to make our lives safer. www.HoundsandHeroes.com
TAS: You are currently the first and only female scout in the NBA can you tell us how you got started in that?
Bonnie Jill : I was working as a sports reporter in L.A., and one of my regular assignments was to cover the L.A. Lakers. Since I love the sport, I spent a lot of time talking strategy with the coaches, and with the owner, Dr. Jerry Buss. Dr. Buss loved what I had to say, and thought it would be an interesting idea to see if a woman would scout differently than a man, so he decided to give me a chance. They tried me out, liked my scouting reports and the rest is history :-)
TAS: You obviously have a love for animals as well as our soldiers, how many pets do you have?
Bonnie Jill : I’m on the road so much that I can’t have as many as I‘d like, but hope to one day have a sanctuary where I can rescue all animals. My 3 fur kids (what I call them) consist of 2 dogs, Diamond Chanel and Wilt Chamberlain; and 1 cat, Johnny Cash...and of course they are all rescues. I'm always rescuing and fostering dogs so lets just say there have been a lot of fur babies that have lived here :-) Me and my father also have 2 racehorses.
TAS: If you could tell the members of "Thank A Soldier" one thing about why it's important to show our men and women gratitude what would it be?
Bonnie Jill : Regardless of the politics involved and whether you support the war or not you MUST Support Our Troops! The reason we have the freedom that we do is because of our brave men and women in uniform...some people tend to forget that!! Freedom Isn't Free! Our military are the true Heroes!
TAS: You've been very supportive of reposting Tweets by Military Minds, how important is it to spread awareness of PTSD?
Bonnie Jill : It’s crucial. We need to treat PTSD the same way we would treat any injury incurred in the line of duty – with respect and support. I would ask “civilians” to read up a little, maybe talk to someone at their local V.A. if they need help understanding. And if you know someone who you think might have been impacted, please help them to get to someone who is trained to help. Getting help for PTSD is not a weakness; it’s a sign of incredible strength, and we need to do everything in our power to support these people.
TAS: A lot of times the "Military Families" are the forgotten ones too what would you like to say to them.
Bonnie Jill : It might sound cliché, but “Thank you for your service.” Without the families, we have no military. The families are the backbone of these fine men and women..they give up careers to follow their military loved one around the world, hold down the home front during deployments and offer their unfailing love and support. I Salute them.
TAS: what's the one thing you would want people to know about Bonnie-Jill Laflin?
Bonnie Jill : I love my family, my friends, sports, and I love to help charities especially my “Hounds and Heroes”. Whether it takes a my Cowboys cheerleading uniform, an iconic BAYWATCH swimsuit, a SF Giants baseball hat, a pair of cowboy boots, or a “Hello Kitty” t-shirt, I’m going to do my part and make sure that my voice is heard. My parents have always instilled in me to stand up for what I believe in and that's exactly what I'm doing :-).
Bonnie Jill : It’s crucial. We need to treat PTSD the same way we would treat any injury incurred in the line of duty – with respect and support. I would ask “civilians” to read up a little, maybe talk to someone at their local V.A. if they need help understanding. And if you know someone who you think might have been impacted, please help them to get to someone who is trained to help. Getting help for PTSD is not a weakness; it’s a sign of incredible strength, and we need to do everything in our power to support these people.
TAS: A lot of times the "Military Families" are the forgotten ones too what would you like to say to them.
Bonnie Jill : It might sound cliché, but “Thank you for your service.” Without the families, we have no military. The families are the backbone of these fine men and women..they give up careers to follow their military loved one around the world, hold down the home front during deployments and offer their unfailing love and support. I Salute them.
TAS: what's the one thing you would want people to know about Bonnie-Jill Laflin?
Bonnie Jill : I love my family, my friends, sports, and I love to help charities especially my “Hounds and Heroes”. Whether it takes a my Cowboys cheerleading uniform, an iconic BAYWATCH swimsuit, a SF Giants baseball hat, a pair of cowboy boots, or a “Hello Kitty” t-shirt, I’m going to do my part and make sure that my voice is heard. My parents have always instilled in me to stand up for what I believe in and that's exactly what I'm doing :-).
Visit Bonnie0Jill's Website : www.Bonnie-Jill.com
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| Bonnie-Jill's Hounds & Heroes Project |
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