The

National Service Ride Project

Christopher Holshek, Colonel, U.S. Army Civil Affairs (retired)

Author, Travels with Harley and Founder of the National Service Ride Project

Helping move America forward through better citizenship

and service to community and country

24 October 2018

www.nationalserviceride.net

Travels with Harley Journeys in Search of Personal and National Identity

His thirty-year military career ending, Army Civil Affairs

colonel Christopher Holshek takes off on his Harley-Davidson

for an 8,000 mile adventure across the United States. Inspired

by Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley, he goes to find out what

it means to be an American in today’s world.

As he explores the country he served, Holshek finds himself

on a mental and spiritual rediscovery. He realizes that the

future of our nation—and with it, our world—depends on each

one of us, in every generation, taking our own journey to find

out who we are, what we’re about, and what we’re willing to

do to face the challenges of our times.

Travels with Harley is a stirring memoir with an inspiring call

to find personal and national identity through service to

others. “Service to others doesn’t require a uniform – and,

when you serve your community, you serve your country.”

As a divided nation ponders its future, the book’s positive

and empowering message couldn’t be more timely or needed.

The book, in turn, is inspiration for the National Service Ride.

Some Endorsements “A well-crafted memoir that captures what it means to be an American in these times—

an antidote to pessimism and a reminder of what makes life worth living.” General James N. Mattis, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.) and Secretary of Defense

“Insightful and refreshing!” Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO, New America Foundation and author of The Idea That Is America

“A must read for those thinking about the future direction of America and what they can do about it.”

Kristin Lord, former Executive Vice President, Center for a New American Security

"If this book doesn’t make you want to grab a helmet and jump on a motorcycle to rediscover America, you need to check your pulse. A modern philosophic classic

comparable to Thoreau’s Walden. ” Dr. Lisa Schirch, Professor of Peacebuilding, Eastern Mennonite University

“Ride strong, and read this book!” Admiral James Stavridis, U.S. Navy (Ret.), Dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University

“Chris Holshek has written a brilliant account of his journey through our great land. His reflections, life lessons, and interpretations of his experiences are true gems that are well

worth the read.” General Anthony C. Zinni, USMC (Ret.) and author of Before the First Shots are Fired

“This once-in-a-lifetime story is vital and compelling, even for those who never will climb on a Harley.”

Jordan Ryan, Vice President, Peace Programs, The Carter Center

To order Travels with Harley in print or e-book, go to:

…and many others!

Or in bulk from:

INKSHARES.com

And talk it up at Goodreads.com

Remember: The National Service Ride is not funded by anything other than book sales. So, when you buy a book, you’re also contributing to the cause!

Where to Find the Book

About the Project Community-based initiative leveraging motorcycling's appeal to freedom, adventure,

and moving forward to help promote citizenship and service, starting at home: “When

we become better citizens, we become a better country – because, when you serve

your community, you serve your country"

Generate an empowering and unifying narrative about citizenship and service across

societal and generational lines to help pass the baton of generational leadership,

promote e pluribus unum – and connect service veterans of many kinds looking to give

back and young emerging citizens of all walks looking for ways to pay it forward

Main platform is an hour-long event at schools to connect youth with community

service learning opportunities – adaptable to other programs, e.g., American Legion

Patriotism Program, Service Nation, etc.

Interactive sessions aim to help America's youth understand the meaning and value

of service and how they can help themselves by helping others, then show them

pathways to service learning at local, national, and international levels

Not funded by anyone or anything other than book sales

Check out the video on the website or Facebook page!

Event Organization Events are 1-2 hours – detailed guidelines can be downloaded from the NSR website

School leadership and student discussion leader explain event and introduce speakers

Service veteran discussion leader(s): o Open up with “mindful moment of gratitude” – students read names of local veterans KIA since

9/11 (provided by Armor Down); bridge by explaining how civilian service honors veteran sacrifice

o Thank all for their service – military, police, fire, first responders, aid workers, public educators…

o Deliver key message points in discussion of “What is service and what does it mean to you?”

o Call forward local exemplars of service who explain (in 5 min.) what service has meant to them and

what they got out of it – move quickly to student peer exemplars

o “Who else has a story to tell?” (more students); and/or, “What do you want to do?”

Service organization discussion leader(s): o Explain programs and local initiatives – service learning opportunities – to students

o Explain pathways to sign up for programs – personal (booths/offices) and virtual (“download this

app on your phone…”)

o Student organizations explain how they can help hook people up

Conclusion – school leadership explains incentives/requirements of community service

Student browsing at organizational booths may follow (part of educational/job fairs?)

Local, national, and social media coverage and support – before, during, and after events;

stories can also be shared on youth-frequented social media and organizational websites

Rounding the Bases at Each Event

Attention Getter • “Mindful Moment” of gratitude • “Thank you for your service” • A country worth their sacrifice

Thought Provocation – What Is Service? • Local heroes and exemplars • Storytelling – from veterans to youth • What do you get out of it?

Value Proposition – What’s In It for Me? • Helping yourself by helping others • Getting more than you give • Building your quals and finding a career

Call to Action – Hooking Up to Opportunity • Organizational opportunities • Expo/fair and information dumps

• Signing up for community service

Messages around: “What Is Service?”

Messages: o Service and sacrifice go together – the best way to honor veterans and bring value to their service is

to help give them a community and country worth their sacrifice

o Both persons and nations can only succeed in today’s world if you know who you are, what you’re

about, and how you’re part of something bigger than yourself

o That comes through engagement in service to others – not your smart phone, tablet, etc., because

service to others forms, tests, and validates your values and identity

o It also builds your qualifications (personal character and skill sets like leadership and teamwork) for

higher schooling, jobs and careers – i.e., you help yourself best by helping others

o The most successful people and organizations are not the smartest or the richest, but those that are

willing to learn – service is learning; it takes only courage and humility

o There are many ways to serve – it doesn’t require a uniform

o Better citizens make better communities and better communities make a better country

o Washington isn’t going to fix America – America is going to fix America

o If you want things to get better, start by looking in the mirror and ask: “how can I contribute?”

o You can’t save the world, but you have more power to make it better than you think – go global by

first going local and serve your country by first serving your community

o You heard their stories – what will your story be?

Additional sources: o Travels with Harley

o Related articles, stories, videos, etc. posted on the NSR website and social media

o Partner/friend organization websites and social media Col. (ret.) Holshek on WNYC’s “Brian Lehrer Show”

Proof of Concept Proof of concept and project refinement have come through numerous events …

Media appearances on WNYC Radio, WTBQ Radio, and articles in The Huffington Post and Foreign Policy

Presentations at: o Norwich, NYU, George Washington, Eastern Mennonite, & Kennesaw State Universities o The Alliance for Peacebuilding, the United Nations Association and UN Foundation o Rotary International, DAR, American Legion and VFW meetings o Harley Owners Group Chapter meetings and events, Das Rally (BMW Club) o Clarkston Career and Education Fair, Clarkston, GA o “Veterans Day Honor2Serve” at Woodbury Community Center

High school presentations in: o Washingtonville High School, Washingtonville, NY o Arthur L. Johnson High School, Clark, NJ o North County High School of Anne Arundel County, Glen Burnie, MD

• Reports, pictures, videos and more on the NSR website

Organizational Partnering

Schools • High schools (juniors/seniors), community colleges, universities • Provide event venues (auditorium, classroom, etc.) and students • Organized by social studies, civics, political science, J/ROTC programs, etc. • Involve student government/leadership • Graduation requirement?

Motorcycle Clubs • Harley Owners Group, AMA, American Legion/VFW Riders, Blue Knights, etc. • Great source of service veterans – military, police, fire, first responders • Role models and exemplars of service • Highly visible – motorcycles represent, freedom, adventure, and mobility • Non-rider VSOs like Armor Down, etc. • Can also draw local businesses, etc.

Service Organizations • Provide opportunities and pathways to community, public, and national service • Community: Rotary, Lions Club, etc. • National: Service Year, Americorps, Peace Corps Association, UN Association, etc. • State/local initiatives – e.g., MD Day to Serve • NGOs – TRENDS Global, GoodWorld, etc. to assist with coordination, funding, etc.

Broader Benefits • Adaptable and flexible – Schools, service-oriented motorcycle clubs, and service and civil society organizations can initiate, collaborate and design events that best fit the needs and capacities of all involved, either as stand-alone events or part of related initiatives • No strings attached – the project works informally; community-based • Media-friendly platform extends organizational platforms and local initiatives and improves outreach to youth in a unique and highly visible way – helping to boost awareness, membership, volunteerism, and fundraising • It also helps bring together organizations that might otherwise not have reason to collaborate – but whose missions and core values compliment the common interest in better citizenship through service to community and country • It especially helps military veterans connect with their communities in a positive and meaningful way, improving civil-military relations and enhancing generational partnering • Schools especially gain the benefit of a scalable /tailorable platform to encourage/enable service learning – with impacts on educational outcomes and resulting in a better cohort of citizens and better-qualified sources of labor: America’s youth are the real winners! • It also improves a greater sense of community and helps combat many social problems and the costs that come with them

Project Networking

Website:

www.nationalserviceride.net

The National Service Ride

#TravelswithHarley

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@NSR_USA

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The National Service Ride

Author and Project Founder

Christopher Holshek, Colonel (ret.), U.S. Army Civil Affairs, is a senior civil-military advisor at Narrative Strategies, the Alliance for Peacebuilding, and the UN Association, as well as the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition's "Veterans for Smart Power." His three decades of military service include command of the first Army Civil Affairs battalion to deploy to Iraq, featured in Tom Rick’s Fiasco as well as 60 Minutes II, PBS Newshour, and Arte TV. An international consultant on civil-military and peace operations, he is a rare American who served in UN field missions in civilian and military capacities. He writes on national and foreign policy, peace and security, and civil-military topics, with articles in Foreign Policy, The Huffington Post and other publications worldwide.

To stay in touch with the author, Go to:

Christopher Holshek

Christopher Holshek

@chrisholshek

Christopher Holshek

nationalserviceride@gmail.com