Our Founders
Roger Pipkins || Co-Founder
Roger joined the Army in 1962. After leaving the military, Roger worked in the medical profession and then went into business distributing orthopedic implants as an independent distributor. He retired in 1994, but remains 100% service connected. He and John McGill formed Straight Scoop for Vets in July 2013 with a grant awarded to “raise awareness of the high rate of suicide among veterans and offer preventive measures” in rural southeastern NM. Roger holds the following current certifications:
- Certified Peer Support Worker (CPSW) and instructor
- Advanced QPR suicide prevention trainer
- WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) facilitator
- CALM (Counseling on Access to Lethal Means) trainer
EMAIL ROGER || roger@forwardflag.org
John McGill || Co-Founder
John McGill joined the Marine Corps in 1964 and served one tour in VietNam. After four years of active duty he transferred to the Marine Corps reserves, retiring in 1989. John retired as a supervisor from Yellow Freight Systems in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In July 2013 John and Roger Pipkins formed Straight Scoop for Vets with a grant awarded to “raise awareness of the high rate of suicide among veterans and offer preventive measures” in rural southeastern NM. John is a Certified Peer Support Worker (CPSW) and instructor
Our Staff
Brian Swanhart || Master Trainer
Brian was inducted into the US Army in 1968. He served in the Republic of VietNam (1968-69) with the 9th Infantry Division. Retired from the US Census Bureau in 2007, Brian joined Straight Scoop for Vets in 2013. He is a certified as a:
- Peer Support Worker and Instructor
- QPR Suicide Prevention Trainer
- CALM (Counseling on Access to Lethal Means) Trainer
EMAIL BRIAN || brian@forwardflag.org.
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Jeanine O'Connell || Field operations
SGT. Jeanine O’Connell joined the Army National Guard in 2011 and is still currently serving. Jeanine learned about Forward Flag’s organization and she wanted to help her fellow comrades and believed in the mission so much, so she became a part of the Forward Flag family in 2017. Jeanine’s position in the organization is in field operations. She hauls the 27-foot travel trailer (Coffee Bunker) all over New Mexico: focusing on visiting rural and underserved areas of the state, to help serve our Veterans more closely and in the comfort of their own hometowns. Distributing Suicide Prevention Literature and talking to Veterans, serving coffee and offering a safe place to hang out at.