Aaron Leonard is a retired Lieutenant Colonel with the U.S. Army, serving over 27 years and multiple combat deployments. Leonard’s extensive background includes leading Sierra Club Military Outdoors and founding the Outdoor Rx Coalition in New York, which works to reduce barriers for veterans accessing public lands. He passionately advocates leveraging nature-based experiences to promote mental health and healing. As the CEO of Gua...

As a police officer, Robyn was initially assigned to patrol duties and plain clothes assignments in Patrol Borough Manhattan South. Later Robyn worked in the Early Intervention Unit, located in Police Headquarters, where she provided peer counseling and training for officers of all ranks. Robyn’s responsibilities expanded to include the restructuring of the early warning and monitoring systems and of the Early Intervention Unit’s r...

Pat Ryder was named Commissioner of the Nassau County Police Department in February 2018. He has spent 38 years in law enforcement, serving the last 36 years with the Nassau County Police Department. Commissioner Ryder began his law enforcement career with the New York Police Department on January 4, 1984. He joined the NCPD on July 18, 1986, and was assigned to the 3rd Precinct and in 1989 assigned to the Bureau of Special Operati...

Prior to founding Fires & Drums, Bobby Tolley was a US Army Staff Sergeant, assigned to a Special Missions Unit in Fort Bragg, NC. He completed my service and returned to New York in May 2016. Although he is proud of the accomplishments of his team during multiple combat deployments, he missed my family greatly. Eleven months later, his brother, FDNY Firefighter William Tolley, was tragically killed while fighting a fire in Bro...

Chris Wolff is a United States Airforce veteran.  Wolff is well known for his involvement in organizations such as Operation Enduring Warrior (OEW), the Adaptive Training Foundation (ATF), his athletic accomplishments, and his support of wounded veterans.  In October 2008, while state-side, Chris received a flu vaccination, which caused a reaction that resulted in him becoming a C-4 quadriplegic.  Determined to get his life back, C...

Jeremy Scharlow is a public speaker, advocate for military and law enforcement veterans, and author of the book, “My Brother’s Keeper: Relearning to Live with PTSD.” He served as a patrol officer for Mahomet Police Department for ten years, nine of those as a METRO SWAT member, until he medically retired after his on-duty shooting incident. Jeremy completed his Master of Arts in Legal Studies at the University of Illinois at Spring...

Diane & Rochelle Holland join us in the Muster Room in honor of their husband & father, NYPD Police Officer, Richard Holland. Richard was a member of the NYPD and responded to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the months & years following for the cleanup efforts. Richard was diagnosed with 9/11 cancer and quickly succumbed to his illness on March 23rd, 2012. Diane and Rochelle keep Richards's memory alive t...

After a gunman opened fire in suburban Colorado, killing five and injuring numerous others, including a Lakewood Police Agent. The agent, Ashley Ferris, was shot in the belly and lost the use of one of her legs. Critically injured and facing down a mass shooter, Agent Ferris was able to engage and eliminate the threat. Her pathway to recovery has not been a linear one, this week in the Muster Room Agent Ferris talks about her road ...

Sergeant Russ Tourangeau of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office is originally from Orange County, New York, where prior to graduating high school he witnessed a heroic justified officer-involved shooting. During his college years, Russ would take the Baltimore City Police exam, which would forever change the course of his life. While attending the City of Baltimore Police Academy, one of Russ’s classmates was nearly killed by a sin...

Lieutenant Rob Corbett of the NYPD worked in New York City for over 20 years. Not only a Lieutenant, but a husband, father, President of a nonprofit, and successful lawyer. Although Rob has recently retired, his calling to serve the public was too great to hang up his hat. After moving down to Florida, Rob yet again raised his right hand and took the oath to once again become a Police Officer. From riots to now sun rays, Rob’s been...