US Army Lieutenant Peter Teachout, Who Helped Take Back The Hawthorne EcoVillage From Drug Crime And Urban Decay, Is Already "Boots On The Ground" In Afghanistan...

Facebook photo of Lieutenant Teachout graduating from OCS, blog post
by John Hoff

When this blog announced in early July that Lieutenant Peter Teachout was headed to Afghanistan, I figured there would be a "train up" period of a few months before Teachout was actually "boots on the ground" in that distant, troubled land. 

However, it turns out Teachout is already in Afghanistan and participants in one North Minneapolis Facebook forum are already putting together a care package the size of a small fridge...

In a phone conversation with Teachout that took place yesterday, I found out he'd visited a local market and picked out some----

Well, I don't want to spoil the surprise for any family member who might be involved in receiving a gift. Suffice to say, Lieutenant Teachout had visited one of the same Afghan markets I knew well and picked out something nice. 

Teachout can't say a lot about his job and I didn't bother to ask. 

However, I notice the trend continues to deepen in North Minneapolis (NoMi) of dedicated neighborhood revitalizers being military veterans. Even the revitalizers already vested in our neighborhood tend to go out and gain MORE military experience after becoming vested. 

So to military veterans who might be contemplating a move to North Minneapolis to take advantage of affordable home prices for classy old houses, cash incentives for veteran home owners, lovely mature trees, and proximity to downtown Minneapolis in an era of high gas prices, I say...

JOIN US. We are here, and we are holding this American ground even against the violent street gang calling itself "The Taliban." 

Women, children and the elderly in this neighborhood need more veterans as helpful, protective neighbors. Teens in this vibrant, amazing neighborhood need vets as mentors. Even the houses themselves need veterans who appreciate history. 

My fellow veterans of recent American wars: Will you continue to ask yourself, "When will I finally get a real home and settle down to be a productive citizen?" 

Or will you make a bold decision, take a great leap, and join us in our struggle?