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The Immortal Regiment: The Pride And Prejudice Of Russia – Analysis

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The March of the Immortal Regiment has been celebrated each year since 2012 in hundreds of Russian cities and many others beyond Russia.

By Mira Milosevich-Juaristi*

The March of the Immortal Regime is a performance, a massive parade that has been celebrated in major cities both inside and outside Russia every 9 May (Victory Day, the Russian equivalent of VE day, which is 8 May in other countries) since 2012. The participants carry placards with black and white photographs of women and men who died or were wounded in the Second World War. The photographs are accompanied by flowers, Russian flags and even the old red Soviet flag with the hammer and sickle. In the front line of the procession a group of people carry an enormous banner with the following words: Bessmertniy Polk (‘The Immortal Regiment’).

The Immortal Regiment is one of the many tools that the Kremlin uses to disseminate its vision and interpretation of the Second World War. The march represents the incarnation of the political use of history by the government elite as a tool of political argumentation, an attempt to impose a particular historical interpretation of the war.

The main aim of this paper is to: (1) analyse the narratives and messages used to shape the Immortal Regiment; and (2) define its principle political objectives and functions in Russia, the ex-Republics of the USSR and in the Western countries.

In Russia the March’s principal political objectives are: (1) to reinvent the historical memory of the Great Patriotic War (the name by which The Second World War is known to the Russians); (2) to redefine Russia’s national identity in the post-Imperial and post-Soviet era; and (3) to promote national unity by invoking patriotism, great-power status for Russia and national pride.

In the former Republics of the USSR, the March is the Kremlin’s response to their disconnection from Russia and a tool to strengthen the Russky Mir (‘the Russian world’). In Ukraine it plays a particular role as the people’s preparation for war and to justify the ‘fight against fascism’, the annexation of Crimea and Russian support for the rebels in Donbas.

In the West, the Immortal Regiment reflects the attempt of the Kremlin to monopolise the victory over fascism and to present itself as a great power and guardian of international order.

*Analysis*

-(1) The main features of the March of the Immortal Regiment: from a citizen’s initiative to a quasi-religious cult-

In 2012, in the city of Tomsk in Siberia, three friends who were journalists –Igor Dmitriyev, Sergey Lapenkov and Sergei Kolotovkin– organised the first March of the Immortal Regiment. Their motives were neither commercial nor political but rather ‘the preservation of the personal memory of each family of the generation affected by the war’. The idea caught on. News of the March spread throughout Tomsk and the journalists began receiving calls from all over Russia from people expressing interest an in participating and in organising their own versions of the event. The following year, in 2013, the Immortal Regiments marched in 120 Russian cities and in 2014 they paraded through 500. In 2018 the March was organised in more than 1,000 Russian cities.

At the beginning of 2015 the founders began to lose control over the annual March due to Nikolai Zemtsov, a Communist Party deputy in the Moscow Assembly. Zemtsov forged links with political movements associated with President Vladimir Putin and, subsequently, the Kremlin took over the March, appropriating it.^1 This ‘poster patriotism’ extended further with the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and especially in 2015 when Vladimir Putin began to participate in the Moscow Immortal Regiment, carrying a placard with a picture of his father, the war veteran Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin.

Currently, the March of the Immortal Regiment in Russia is a state event which complements the military parade celebrated on the same day. In his address on 9 May 2018 Vladimir Putin claimed that ‘the ninth of May unites the generations through a history of courage. Each family has its own heroes, who live on in our hearts. They are with us here in the ranks of the Immortal Regiment’.^2 This ‘history of courage’ has become a tradition worldwide, in cities in more than 80 countries including Spain, the US, the UK, Germany, France, Israel, Argentina, Serbia, Ukraine, Vietnam, the Republic of the Congo, South Korea, Canada, Cambodia and Austria.

It is impossible to understand the reach of the influence of the Immortal Regiment without understanding the significance for the Russians of the Great Patriotic War and the celebration of Victory Day.

-(2) The unifying narrative and the messages upon which the March of the Immortal Regiment is based-

Any form of communication takes place within a context that can be immediate or broader in a cultural, geographic, social and historical sense. All communication has three basic elements: (1) the sender or emitter; (2) the message; and (3) the recipient. The emitter and the recipient must have a common code and share a common context; without this there can be no communication. The emitter uses the message to express emotion, while the recipient decodes the message. The message is transmitted/received through different channels to fulfil its prime function, which is referential. The message is typically transmitted through language, visual and/or audio channels (note: this paper’s analysis is based on the videos of the Immortal Regiment whose references are noted at the end).

(2.1) The context

The physical and temporal context of the Immortal Regiment is framed by Victory Day. There are now ‘performances’ in Russia, in the ex-Soviet Republics and in many Western cities. In his address on 9 May 2005 Vladimir Putin said:

‘Victory Day is the dearest, the most emotional and the most inclusive holiday in our country. For the people of the former Soviet Union, it will forever remain a day of the people’s great heroic deed, and for the countries of Europe and the entire planet – the day on which the world was saved.’^3

The organisation of the Immortal Regiment is associated with the Victory Day celebration and its military parade, providing a link between the people and the army. The simultaneous ‘performances’ of the March in many places create a nexus between thousands of people at the same time. It does not matter where they are: it is a spiritual connection. Putin’s presence in the military parade (as an observer) and in the March of the Immortal Regiment (as a participant) reinforces his masculine image as an autocratic ruler and a man of the people. But the most important context is historical.

After the collapse of the USSR, all the old Soviet Republics faced the problem of reconstructing their national identities within new geographic borders and symbolic limits, and of adapting established narratives from their various collective pasts in a new political context. In the case of the Russian Federation, the task has been complicated by many factors, but especially by its imperial outlook. Given this difficult situation, and in the absence of a grand commonly accepted narrative, the memory of the Great Patriotic War has shown itself to be the most ‘politically useful’ narrative of the Russian past for the national construction agenda because it enjoys a high level of social acceptance and only rarely has it been the object of criticism. Practically all Russian families suffered from the war and the entire country is familiar with the war’s iconography from Soviet cinema and television. Since the annexation of Crimea in March 2014 and Russia’s participation in the military conflict in Eastern Ukraine, the stories of the Great Patriotic War have taken on a new dimension: they are now used as a marker of post-Soviet imperialist identity and they have been closely associated with pro-Putin ‘patriotic’ attitudes. Both heroism and suffering –the central theme of the war narratives– have been overshadowed by another feature: the pride in a glorious past that raises national self-esteem in the present.

(2.2) The emitters (the message senders)

Each person holding a banner with a photograph of a family member is an emitter, or sender, of the message. Their primary reason for forming part of the March is the wish to commemorate the loss of their loved ones and all those who took part in the war. Vladimir Putin is a very special emitter, although he cultivates the image of being one among thousands. The leading message sender is the March’s organiser, that is, the organisations close to the Russian government represented by its President.

(2.3) The message

The prime channel transmitting the message is the ‘performance’ itself as a spectacle. The ‘performance’ is an intentional reincarnation of ‘sentimental memory’, both personal and collective. The central players of the representation are the war veterans and their families. However, the essence of the message is not the presence of living women and men taking part in the March but rather the absence of the dead whose faces appear on placards and banners. The secondary channels of transmission are the media: newspapers, television, radio and social networks.

(2.4) The recipients

The recipients of the message both inside and outside Russia decode three principal meanings: (1) it is a commemoration, a homage to millions of Soviet victims of the Great Patriotic War; (2) it is a promise to always follow the example of those remembered; and (3) the March is a nationalist affirmation for Russians, although the message is also aimed, perhaps primarily, at foreigners.

-(3) The main functions and objectives of the March in Russia-

(3.1) The main functions of the March in Russia

The March of the Immortal Regiment is part of an annual complex of rituals in which Vladimir Putin participates personally in military parades, meets veterans, visits churches associated with the war and tells stories of the sufferings of his own family during the siege of Leningrad. These rituals serve multiple purposes: (1) they call to mind the Great Patriotic War and Victory Day; (2) they provide a moral tale of suffering and redemption and exemplify a foundational myth for post-Soviet Russia; (3) they conflate the myth of victory with the myth of saving Europe; (4) they create a Putin personality cult through his deep connection and identification with victory, exalting him as the defender, and even the saviour, of the homeland; (5) they reinforce internal unity; (6) they support a revived military ethic; and (7) they teach a ‘Lesson of Memory’ (urok pamiati).

References to the Second World War in Russia today –especially those that are a ‘performance’ like the Immortal Regiment– appeal to an ‘iconography’ of the Great Patriotic War as a paradigm of both suffering and victory. It is an icon because it is perceived visually and through emotion, not reason. The March reflects the enormous number of Soviet dead –more than 25 million– with the object of highlighting the victory of the Soviet Union in the Second World War and of claiming for Russia the leading role in fighting fascism. The idea is to ‘nationalise’ the victory for the Kremlin –Russia had the largest number of deaths and therefore defeated fascism singlehandedly– and to ‘personalise’ the victory in Vladimir Putin. The Russian President’s personal participation in the March –as an obedient son and as national leader– is not only in this way linked to myth but his participation also helps to keep it alive. As a good son, he listens to his elders, sympathises with their loss and promises to keep their memory alive. He is also the son who remembers the war in a personal way by telling his family’s story. This identification of the person and the nation with the celebration and the victory generates an ‘iconic’ character for the government of President Putin and for Russia itself. Representing the war as both a personal and sacred matter, Vladimir Putin has created a myth and a ritual which raises him up personally, uniting himself to Russia (at least rhetorically) and revealing himself as a natural hero, a warrior who is personally associated with the defence of the nation. Putin is therefore at once a populist and an autocrat. He has the glamour of the present but he is also a hero from the past. He can now be associated in the popular imagination with the victories of Russia’s greatest hour, while ignoring as much as possible the country’s failures of Russia during the war and its more morally ambiguous moments.

As with many nationalistic and patriotic rituals, the Immortal Regiment also has an educational function. Putin’s participation in the procession is a way of renewing the practice known as the ‘Lesson of Memory’ (urok pamiati). This was common during Soviet times when students would meet war veterans to record their experiences and collectively grieve. The object of these lessons is to prompt teachers and pupils to participate in a committed emotional ritual to see the war as a moment of moral victory. The ‘lessons of memory’ teach not only pride in one’s country but also respect for veterans, empathy for the suffering of others, the subordination of individual needs and interests to the common good, and the fear of anarchy and disunity.

(3.2) The political objectives of the Immortal Regiment in Russia

The primary political objectives of the Immortal Regiment in Russia are: (1) to reinvent the historical memory of the Great Patriotic War; (2) to redefine Russian national identity in the post-imperial, post-Soviet era; and (3) to promote national unity invoking patriotism, great power status for Russia and national pride.

By shifting public attention from historiography –archives, history books and memoirs– to the incarnation of memory –the ‘performance’– the Kremlin has generated the effect that ‘memory is occurring’. The ‘performance’ highlights the emotional part of the historical event and omits the ‘disagreeable parts’ of real history, including Stalinism, the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact of 1939, the Katyn tragedy and the national sentiment of the countries that formed part of the Soviet Union.

One of the most important objectives of the Immortal Regiment is to reflect the Kremlin’s idea of the Russian nation.

The Anglo-Irish statesman and conservative philosopher Edmund Burke (1730-1797) summed up the idea of a nation as an association not only of the living but also of the living, the dead and those yet to be born.^4 The March of the Immortal Regiment perfectly reflects this definition –the living carrying photographs of the dead– along with the promise that their sacrifices will never be forgotten in the process of nation-building.

-(4) The main functions and primary objectives of the Immortal Regiment outside Russia-

Commemoration is the main object of the March, both in the former Soviet republics and in Western countries. The theme of heroism and mass suffering as the ‘enormous price’ paid for the victory takes centre stage in the canon of the commemoration. Nevertheless, the political objectives are different in places beyond Russia.

-(5) The objectives of the Immortal Regiment in the former Soviet republics-

(5.1) The context

For most of countries that emerged from Soviet imperialism 27 years ago, independence from Moscow generated a legacy of jumbled ideas about their common history. From the Baltics to the Balkans there is a story of collaboration and betrayal, resistance and subjugation. A single army is seen as the liberator, conqueror and occupier, depending on the identity of the onlooker. The former Soviet republics have externalised communism as a foreign regime imposed on their nations from outside with the aim of mobilising their populations around the project of ‘returning to Europe’. These countries have an explicitly anti-communist and anti-Soviet stance in their versions of the Second World War. The rejection of the destructive Soviet regime is the cornerstone of the construction of national identity for these newly independent states. What the Kremlin celebrates as an indisputable victory over fascism they lament as the beginning of Russian occupation. Despite this, however, there is a significant Russian population, or one whose first language in Russian –some 25 million people– now living in the new independent states. Many of them support the Immortal Regiment out of nostalgia for the USSR and the desire to render homage to their loved ones. In this context, it is relatively easy for the Kremlin to exploit Soviet myths and historical stereotypes.

Putin’s addresses on Victory Day almost always contain contradictory references to the participation of other countries in the Soviet fight against fascism. Sometimes the victory is presented as a common political and historical legacy of the post-Soviet countries. On the occasion of the 60^th anniversary of the victory in 2005, Putin spoke of the sacrifices made by ‘all the peoples and republics of the Soviet Union’ and concluded that ‘9 May is a sacred day for all nations in the Commonwealth of Independent States’.^5

But another narrative focuses primarily upon the Russian contribution –different from that of other peoples of the USSR– in a dichotomy which pits the good Russians against the fascists.

(5.2) The objectives

In the former Soviet republics the main object of the March of the Immortal Regiment is to strengthen Russkiy Mir (the Russian world) and to revive the spirit of unity among Russians and all those who feel ‘ex-Soviet’ and currently live in the independent States. According to Fond Russkiy Mir, almost anyone can be a member of Russkiy Mir:

‘Russkiy Mir is not only those of the Russian race, not only our compatriots in the former Russian republics and immigrants in foreign countries and their descendants. It is also the citizens who speak Russian, who study and teach it, those who are sincerely interested in Russia and who are concerned for its future.’^6

This concept of Russkiy Mir aims to appeal to historical unity but also to confuse and create an artificial rift between ethnic Russians and others, thereby interfering in the internal affairs of the independent states. But more than anything else, in the old Soviet Republics the Immortal Regiment represents the Kremlin’s response to their disconnection from Russia.

The foundational myth of the Soviet Union as a Bolshevik state was the Russian Revolution of 1917. The founding myth of the USSR as a superpower capable of competing with the US during the Cold War and maintaining two empires –one internal, roughly coinciding with the frontiers of the Tsarist Empire, and another external, including the satellite countries of the Warsaw Pact– was victory in the Second World War. The fact that the Kremlin identifies the Russia of today with the USSR through its victory in the Second World War is not just a coincidence. It reflects the intention to lend continuity not to communist ideology but rather to the notion of Empire.

(5.3) The March of the Immortal Regiment in Ukraine

The March of the Immortal Regiment in Ukraine is an extreme example of the political use of history. It reveals that remembering the Great Patriotic War has not only become a tool for the consolidation of Russian national identity but also a way of preparing the people for war and to justify ‘the fight against fascism’, the annexation of Crimea and Russian support for the rebels in Donbas. In the Ukrainian context, history has been turned into a convenient tool in the information war, wielded to legitimate the Kremlin’s actions and to discredit the Ukrainian authorities. The March in the Ukraine, more than anywhere else, is a symbol of victory over fascism. Its aim is to strengthen the Kremlin’s view of the Ukrainian conflict and to encourage all those fighting against the ‘fascist government’ of Kiev.

-(6) Objectives of the March of the Immortal Regiment in Western countries-

(6.1) The context

The West and the USSR/Russia have never had a common narrative about the Second World War. The differences between the two stories have deepened with the Russian interpretation of the Ukrainian conflict.

In all his Victory Day speeches Putin systematically refers to the cooperation of the Western Allies –the US, the UK and France– during the Second World War only in relation to contemporary problems in Europe and the world. In 2007 Putin emphasised a ‘common responsibility and an egalitarian association’ in international relations as a strategy to face the new threats caused by ‘the same disdain for human life, the same claims of absolute exclusivity’ that have their roots in the fascist ideas of the 20^th century.

(6.2) The objectives

In the Western countries the Immortal Regiment reflects the Kremlin’s attempt to monopolise the victory over fascism and to present itself as a great power. The logic here is that Russia is the country that defeated Hitler’s Germany and liberated Europe from the Nazis, winning for itself the moral right to be the guardian of international order. For Russia, the Soviet version of the Second World War is the cornerstone of its prestige and of its claim to deserve great-power status in the world.

The March of the Immortal Regiment in Western cities aims to symbolise the old alliance and the idea of combating evil, regardless of its partners’ ideology. Its main political object is to bring together a similar alliance to fight another common enemy: jihadist Islamism.

(6.3) The Immortal Regiment in Spain

In Spain, and in Madrid, during the last two years some 500 people have participated in the ‘performance’. In the Spanish case, victory over fascism is specific: it is an invocation of the Civil War and the defeat of the Blue Division (the 40,000 Spanish volunteers sent by the Franco regime to fight with the Nazis against the Soviets). The participants have been both citizens of Russian origin and Spaniards with family members who died in the Spanish Civil War.

*Conclusions*

Given the central function of the war myth in the construction of the post-Soviet Russian nation and its self-perception as a great power with geopolitical ambitions in Europe and in the world, it is easy to explain its resistance to historical revisionism, especially with respect to the role of the USSR in the Second World War. While the memory of the war serves as an important source of legitimacy for Russian foreign policy, the Immortal Regiments will continue to march through the streets of cities both in Russia and beyond.

*About the author:
*Mira Milosevich-Juaristi*, Senior Analyst, Elcano Royal Institute  | @MiraMilosevich1

*Source:*
This article was published by Elcano Royal Institute

*Notes:*

*Immortal Regiment video list:*

· * Immortal regiment * marches across the world, 2017 ♥ Heartbreaking ♥
· Why Putin in Immortal Regiment March (click CC for English)
· Russia pays tribute to its veterans
· Immortal regiment Moscu, 9 May 2018
· The Immortal Regiment Marches On: From Japan to the United States, Millions Came out on Victory Day 2018

*Austria*

· Марш «Бессмертный полк» в Вене 9 Мая 2017. Русская Австрия
· Бессмертный Полк в Вене 2017
· Immortal Regiment Vienna 2018

*Cambodia*

· Бессмертный полк Пномпень Камбоджа 9 мая 2018 года
· БЕССМЕРТНЫЙ ПОЛК ТОРОНТО КАНАДА!

*Canada*

· Immortal Regiment 2017 Toronto Downtown
· Бессмертный полк, парад и празднование Дня Победы в Торонто.7 мая 2017 г, Earl Bales Park

*China*

· Китай поддержал российскую акцию “Бессмертный полк”
· China: Immortal Regiment march marks V-Day in Beijing 2018

*Germany*

· 9 мая 2016: “Ночные волки” в Берлине
· День Победы “Бессмертный полк” в Берлине, 9 мая 2017. Unsterbliches Regiment in Berlin, 9 Mai 2017
· Бессмертный Полк , Кёльн 6 мая 2018 г.

*Israel*

· Бессмертный полк. Израиль-Хайфа 5.05.2017
· Израиль. День Победы в Беэр-Шеве, 2017 год.
· День Победы в Иерусалиме: по главной улице ..с “Катюшей”
· День Победы, 8.5.15, Тель Авив, Израиль. Солист Натаниэль VAIKAI DAINUOJA

*Lithuania** *
Бессмертный полк. Литва. Вильнюс. 9 Мая. День Победы! 2017 год.

*Republic of the Congo*
Бессмертный полк Пномпень Камбоджа 9 мая 2018 года

*Serbia*
«Бессмертный полк» в Сербии. 9 мая 2017

*South Korea** *
Бессмертный полк в Южной Корее 7.05.2017г

*Spain*

· Мадрид. Бессмертный полк 7 мая 2017
· Мадрид. Бессмертный полк 9 мая 2017

*Sweden** *
“Бессмертный полк” в Стокгольме 07.05.2017. “Immortal regemente” 2017/05/07 Stockholm

*United Kingdom*

· RT: This shouldn’t happen again’: London hosts Immortal Regiment March to honor WWII veterans
· ALLIE VICTORY: UK: Russian and British veterans commemorate V-Day in London
· Марш Бессмертного Полка. Лондон 2017
· Бессмертный Полк в Лондоне. 9 Мая 2017
· Ожившие портреты. Праздник со слезами на глазах… День Победы. 9 мая 2017. Лондон RAŽDIONNIJ V CCCP….
· Репортаж с празднования Дня Победы в Лондоне. 9 мая 2017 год.
· Immortal regiment London 2018

*United States*

· RT: USA: Russian WWII veterans attend memorial march in New York
· Putin takes part in ‘Immortal Regiment’ march to commemorate the Victory Day 2017
· USA: V-Day remembered with Immortal Regiment march in NY) May 2018
· БЕССМЕРТНЫЙ ПОЛК ЧИКАГО 2017, Lake Park, Des Plaines, IL, USA, Cуббота 6 Мая 2017
· Бессмертный полк в Сан Франциско 2017. Immortal Regiment in San Francisco 2017
· Immortal Regiment, Seattle 7 may – Бессмертный Полк в Сиэтле. 7 мая 2017
· Immortal Regiment Rally in Seattle
· Regiment march, New York, 5 May 2018
· Бессмертный полк в Лос Анджелес 2018 / Immortal regiment LA 2018
· The Immortal Regiment. Washington DC. 2018
· Immortal regiment Philadelphia 2018 | Бессмертный полк Филадельфия США 2018
· Immortal regiment Orlando 2018

--------------------

^1 Peter Hobson (2016), ‘How Russian Authorities Hijacked a WWII Remembrance Movement’, The Moscow Times, 6/V/2016.

^2 ‘Great Putin’s Speech at Victory Day Parade 2018 in Moscow, Russia’.

^3 BBC (2005), ‘Full text of Putin VE Day Speech, May 9, 2005’.

^4 ‘[Society] is a partnership in all science, a partnership in all art, a partnership in every virtue and in all perfection. As the ends of such a partnership cannot be obtained in many generations, it becomes a partnership not only between those who are living, but between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are to be born’. See Edmund Burke (1790), Reflections on the Revolution in France, The Works of the Right Honorable Edmund Burke, Vol. 3, p. 359, 1999 edition.

^5 See note 4 above.

^6 Russkiy Mir. Reported by Eurasia Review 6 hours ago.

Distinguished Soldier Carries on Pharmacy Duty at LifeWIRE

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Colonel Ike Harper (retired) to add medication management innovation to LifeWIRE’s solution tool sets for their clients.

ARLINGTON, Va. (PRWEB) October 01, 2018

With the addition of retired US Army Colonel Isiah (Ike) Harper, a recognized thought leader and in-house pharmacy consultant, LifeWIRE has taken its medication management and patient care solutions to a new level.

Col. Harper brings a unique and valuable combination of experience and expertise as a senior officer, with deep knowledge of the pharma industry, and demonstrated commitment to the health and well-being of members of the armed services.

Harper's first area of focus will be applying LifeWIRE’s patient engagement platform to improving the management of opioid treatments. He will also leverage the platform to ensure the full range of a client's short and longer-term medication management goals are accomplished.

“There is a battle to be won against the opioid crisis. The fight begins with ensuring proper dispensation and management of prescription drugs and medication. I will be on guard for this; monitoring the process and caring for patients through LifeWIRE,” Harper said.

Howard Rosen, LifeWIRE CEO said Harper will be a valuable asset to the management team, the company’s innovative communications platform, and LifeWIRE’s federal and commercial clients. “Ike’s experience and insights will enhance what we offer, including the value we can bring to the VA’s after-care plans for wounded soldiers, veterans, and our commercial clients.”

LifeWIRE’s work with the Veterans Administration (VA) and high-risk suicidal vets has been widely recognized and awarded.

With a career spanning more than 30 years, Ike served in pharmacy positions around the world, starting with Chief of Ambulatory Pharmacy and the Chief of Pharmacy Support at Darnell Army Community in Fort Hood, Texas.
As Director of the Clinical Service Support Division with the United States Army Medical Material Agency, he managed a number of strategic portfolios including Product Safety Surveillance, Clinical Operations, Biostatistics, Product Technical Operations, and Product Management Support Branches.

In ensuring pharmacy compliance, Ike’s experience as Medical Command Pharmacy Program Manager and The Surgeon General Army Pharmacy Consultant was most useful. That is where he established and maintained a Drug Diversion Team with an accompanying database; tracked metrics on pharmacy compliance with national contract purchasing and business tools resulting in $152M cost avoidance.

Towards the end of his military career, Ike was made the Working Group Chair and Product Sponsor for the Electronic Data Capture System and Advisory Board Member for the Hand Transplant Program, Office of the Army Surgeon General. He was also appointed to the DOD Pharmacy Board of Directors and Tricare Management Activity board where, in collaboration with the office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense/Health, he managed DOB’s $6.7B DOD pharmacy program.

About LifeWIRE (http://www.lifewiregroup.com)
LifeWIRE operates throughout North America with offices in Arlington, Virginia and Toronto, Canada. Providing a secure and interactive communication engine and population management tool though the LifeWIRE platform, organizations are able to communicate with individuals under their care anywhere, at any time, through any device. For the individual, it means they can engage when they want, how they want, about what and with whom they want at any time. As valuable as the two–way response is to the organization and the individual, it is the ‘non-response as a response’ that is also monitored and equally valuable. All LifeWIRE interactions are recorded and validated to FDA audit standards, tracked on a date/time basis, and managed by our clients. Captured data is used for advanced analytics that include customer engagement levels, customer behavior, service and operational levels, performance measurement, and predictive modelling.

SOURCE: LifeWIRE Group. For more information please contact Jocelyn Brodie, Brodie & Co. at (416) 428-7705. Reported by PRWeb 46 minutes ago.

MacB to Host Fifth Annual Oktoberfest Celebration in Dayton

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DAYTON, Ohio, Oct. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MacAulay-Brown, Inc. (MacB), an Alion company, announced today that valued customers, partners, employees, and city officials are invited to attend the company’s Fifth Annual Oktoberfest Celebration on *Thursday, October 4* from 3 to 7 p.m. at MacB’s Dayton Corporate Headquarters. With Alion acquiring MacB in August 2018, this year’s festivities will be attended by Alion Science and Technology President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Schorer, and MacB President Sid Fuchs. The event, hosted by MacB’s Advanced Technology Group (ATG), will once again be catered by the well-known Schmidt’s Restaurant and Sausage Haus in Columbus.ATG offers a full range of innovative technology, engineering, scientific, and technical services that includes Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E), Cybersecurity, Logistics and Life Cycle Management, and System Integration Laboratories. A majority of the group’s work is performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and at MacB Integrated Laboratories in multiple locations, including the Wright Innovation Lab in Dayton. The group delivers mission-centric requirements for multiple programs, organizations, and strategic accounts including the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFTC), and the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC).   

The Wright Innovation Lab was officially opened by ATG in October 2016 for use by MacB’s Electronic Warfare (EW) customers. The lab accommodates the design, integration, and testing of prototype sensor systems and subsystems for multiple Air Force programs and warfighter capabilities.

“For five years, it’s been my distinct pleasure to host Oktoberfest to not only celebrate MacB program achievements with our technical teams, but also with our valued coworkers in other departments who work so hard behind-the-scenes to make us successful,” said Tim Lawrence, Senior Vice President and General Manager of ATG. “It’s also a way to thank our long-term customers and partners, and connect on a personal level in an informal environment. We’re also looking forward to working with our new Alion coworkers to expand MacB’s long-term technical and tactical objectives on a larger scale in 2019 and beyond.”

*ABOUT ALION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY*
At Alion, we combine large company resources with small business responsiveness to design and deliver engineering solutions across six core capability areas. With an 80-year technical heritage and an employee-base comprised of more than 30% veterans, we bridge invention and action to support military readiness from the lab to the battle space. Our engineers, technologists, and program managers bring together an agile engineering methodology and the best tools on the market to deliver mission success faster and at lower costs. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards; as such, Alion is ISO 9001:2008 certified and maintains CMMI Level 3-appraised development facilities. Based just outside of Washington, D.C., we help our clients achieve practical innovations by turning big ideas into real solutions. To learn more, visit www.alionscience.com.

*ABOUT MACAULAY-BROWN, INC., an ALION COMPANY
*For 39 years, MacAulay-Brown, Inc. (MacB), an Alion company, has been solving many of the Nation’s most complex National Security challenges. MacB is committed to delivering critical capabilities in the areas of Intelligence and Analysis, Cybersecurity, Secure Cloud Engineering, Research and Development, Integrated Laboratories and Information Technology to Defense, Intelligence Community, Special Operations Forces, Homeland Security, and Federal agencies to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world. Learn more about MacB at www.macb.com.

*Follow MacB*

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CONTACT: Press Contact:
press@macb.com Reported by GlobeNewswire 1 day ago.

Genetics of cholesterol point to possible drug targets for heart disease, diabetes

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From the DNA of nearly 300,000 veterans, scientists have singled out a handful of genetic mutations that not only govern levels of cholesterol, but may also inform the development and use of drugs for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, according to researchers. Reported by Science Daily 1 day ago.

Swimlane CEO to Speak at Integrated Cyber

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Swimlane CEO, Cody Cornell, will also participate in two panels and is set to present alongside McAfee staff at the event

Denver, Oct. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cody Cornell, CEO of Swimlane, a leader in security orchestration, automation and response (SOAR), will host a tech talk about the future of collaborative security alongside Pedro Haworth of McAfee, the leading device-to-cloud cybersecurity company, at Integrated Cyber Fall 2018 on Wednesday, Oct. 3. Cornell is also a panelist on two panels.

Hosted by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in collaboration with the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Integrated Cyber brings the integrated adaptive cyber defense (IACD), automated indicator sharing and cyber information sharing communities together. The two-day event provides a forum for collaboration and technical exchange to support the adoption of integrated, automated cyber defenses across the cyber ecosystem, and showcases government, industry, critical infrastructure, operations and research perspectives.

“With Swimlane helping to shape the future of security orchestration, automation and response, I am excited to offer my two cents, helping propel the innovation of security tools into the future,” said Cornell. “Through the power of community and actionable information sharing regarding integration and automation, we aim to shorten the response timeline and improve the effectiveness of cyber defenses.”

On day one of the event (Tuesday, Oct. 2), Cornell will be a panelist on a breakout panel of industry veterans discussing the power of community. The second day will see Cornell on another breakout panel, this one dealing with the second-order benefits of open integration.

For more information on Integrated Cyber, please visit http://www.cvent.com/events/integrated-cyber-fall-2018/event-summary-ca4b654cf98141fb9389b8f2ccf1eaf7.aspx. For more information about Swimlane, please visit https://swimlane.com/.

*About Swimlane*
Swimlane is a leader in security automation and orchestration (SAO). Our platform empowers organizations to manage, respond to and neutralize cyber threats with the adaptability, efficiency and speed necessary to combat today’s rapidly evolving cyber threats. By automating time-intensive, manual processes and operational workflows and delivering powerful, consolidated analytics, real time dashboards and reporting from across your security infrastructure, Swimlane maximizes the incident response capabilities of over-burdened and understaffed security operations.

Swimlane was founded to deliver innovative and practical security solutions to organizations struggling with alert fatigue, vendor proliferation and chronic staffing shortages. Swimlane is at the forefront of the growing market for security automation and orchestration solutions that automate and organize security processes in repeatable ways to get the most out of available resources and accelerate incident response.

###

CONTACT: Melissa Christensen
MAPRagency
mchristensen@mapr.agency
720.833.5918 (direct) Reported by GlobeNewswire 1 day ago.

Obama backs more than 200 Democrats ahead of midterms

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Barack Obama is ramping up his involvement in politics ahead of November’s elections. On Monday, he endorsed more than 200 Democrats running for offices ranging from local to national. The endorsements include close races where his political cache could make a difference, veterans of his campaign and White House, and […] Reported by Seattle Times 1 day ago.

WIN Announces Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Winners League Season 1 EU, Starting October 8, 2018

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WIN is launching a new league, offering players the chance to climb the ranks of competitive Counter-Strike. Teams looking to prove themselves will have an opportunity to compete at the highest level for both pride and big money prizes.

MINNEAPOLIS (PRWEB) October 01, 2018

WIN is excited to announce the launch of Winners League Season 1!

WIN is launching a new league, offering players the chance to climb the ranks of competitive Counter-Strike. Teams looking to prove themselves will have an opportunity to compete at the highest level for both pride and big money prizes.

League play begins on October 8th exclusively on FACEIT, with whom WIN has partnered as a verified organizer. A $19,000 total prize pool will be distributed across multiple divisions, with the biggest rewards featured in the Winners League invitational division.

The road to becoming the next esports champion starts here. Our team of professionals are passionate about competitive gaming and are proud to bring this new opportunity to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams and players. The WIN team will also be providing community tools and thorough support for all registered users. All you have to do is show up and play.

For more information on how to sign up please visit our organizer’s page on FaceIT:
http://bit.ly/WINNERSLeague

About WIN:

Powered by three separate platforms, WIN provides comprehensive solutions in esports and digital engagement. The WIN brand offers original editorial content, a fully functional sports book, and a self-contained competitive venue for users. Developed from the ground up by a team of experienced esports veterans and industry enthusiasts, WIN is a company truly native to the esports space.

For more information please contact Nick Gorbunov at ngorbunov(at)winners.net or through our social media pages:

https://fb.me/WinnersLeagueGG | https://twitter.com/winnersleaguegg | https://www.linkedin.com/company/winners-league/ Reported by PRWeb 23 hours ago.

Matt Nagy’s Glowing Review of Khalil Mack, Mark Ingram’s Impact on Alvin Kamara, More NFL Notes

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Matt Nagy’s Glowing Review of Khalil Mack, Mark Ingram’s Impact on Alvin Kamara, More NFL Notes Also, Eric Reid’s introduction as a Panther on Monday, other veterans still without a job, Rob Gronkowski’s status for Week 5 and more in this week’s Monday Afternon Quarterback. Reported by SI.com 21 hours ago.

'Mega Man 11' is the run-and-gun reboot fans have been waiting years to play

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'Mega Man 11' is the run-and-gun reboot fans have been waiting years to play· "Mega Man 11" revives an iconic character, mixing classic gameplay with modern graphics and presentation.
· Precise controls and unique special weapons make Mega Man a joy to play, despite unforgiving pitfalls and tough enemy bosses
· With four difficulty settings, the game is welcoming for newcomers but still holds a challenge for veterans of the series.
· The updated presentation and voice acting bring a refreshing dose of personality to a tried and true formula.

"Mega Man 11" is the game fans of the series have been waiting for. It treats the Blue Bomber with the sort of love and respect that a 30-year-old franchise deserves.

Once easily recognized alongside iconic characters like Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog, Mega Man has struggled to make the jump to the current generation of consoles. Until now.

-Sniper Joe, an age-old Mega Man enemy, guards the path with his shield and blaster.-

Developer Capcom's formula for Mega Man has always been roughly the same: The heroic robot must jump and shoot his way through eight stages and eight enemy bosses in order to find and defeat the evil Dr. Wily.

Each stage is carefully crafted based on the boss's theme and can be completed in any order. Completing a stage and defeating the boss will grant Mega Man a special ability to help him beat the rest of the stages.-Each of the eight robot masters guards their own unique stage.-

In "Mega Man 11," Capcom has successfully distilled the core of the series and placed it in modern packaging. That includes full voice acting, high-definition graphics, lighting effects, multiple difficulty levels, and online leaderboards for high scores.

Though most of these featureswould be considered standard for a single-player platforming game in 2018, Mega Man has long been trapped in an odd nostalgia loop that has stunted the series' growth.-In "Mega Man 11," the bosses start out as Mega Man's pals before being turned against him.-

The Mega Man series has always been influential, but the gameplay began to stagnate as newer technology allowed for more possibilities beyond Mega Man's 2D world. Capcom's Mega Man spin-offs continued to layer more complex mechanics on top of the original formula, but as things got more complicated, the series began to lose its charm and simple identity. 
See the rest of the story at Business Insider Reported by Business Insider 21 hours ago.

HIMSS AsiaPac18 will Feature Best Practice from Global Militaries in the International Military Health Information Technology (IMHIT) Track

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SINGAPORE, Oct. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The HIMSS AsiaPac18 Conference and Exhibition will feature HIMSS' first-ever International Military Health Information Technology (IMHIT) track on 7 November.

"HIMSS has received tremendous support from global militaries that are embarking on their digital journey. IMHIT is our response to their call for education and knowledge sharing in a sector where point-of-care information is so critical to saving lives," said Simon Lin, Vice President, APAC.

From Genesis in the USA to the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Patient Care Enhancement System (PACES) 3 – the first SAF electronic medical record system to be connected to national healthcare systems – military organisations around the world are now fast-tracking their health IT investments.

The IMHIT program's morning panel discussion titled *Health Information Exchange in Military Health Systems to Support Care Coordination Within and Across Borders* will address how military health leaders are optimizing these systems to enable coordinated care and suggest areas for improvement and peer learning as they navigate IT within and across austere care environments.

The panel discussion will feature:

· Air Vice-Marshal Alastair Reid, Defence Medical Director & HQ Surgeon General, Ministry of Defence, United Kingdom
· Air Vice-Marshal Tracy Smart, Commander Joint Health & Surgeon General, Australian Defence Force, Australia
· Lieutenant Colonel Lee Turner, Chief Nursing Officer and Director Health Business Performance, Defence Health Directorate, New Zealand Defence Force, New Zealand
· Rear Admiral Dr. Tang Kong Choong, Chief of Medical Corps, Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore

The afternoon track will cover: country defence digital health strategies, challenges and opportunities for medical information in defence and clinical governance in military health.

"It is an immense privilege and honour, to be part of the inaugural IMHIT event. It is fitting that this prestigious event is occurring in Brisbane, which is home to some of the largest components of the Australian Defence Force deployable health capability. This is a very positive initiative organised by HIMSS and ADF Health Knowledge Management project staff, and it represents a strong and timely platform to discuss how innovation and technologies can drive change that enables a digital transition of healthcare models for global Defence requirements, including better access to care and improved care outcomes for our active service personnel and veterans," said AVM Tracy Smart, Commander Joint Health & Surgeon General, Australian Defence Force, Australia.

"The military environment is primed for digital disruption and it is an absolute pleasure to bring my international and military medicine experience to HIMSS AsiaPac18 and discuss possibilities at length with global military leaders," added Dr. Charles Alessi, Chief Clinical Officer, HIMSS & IMHIT moderator.

The IMHIT track program was jointly developed by HIMSS Asia Pacific and global military health leaders. View the program committee here.

Visit www.himssasiapacconference.org for more information.

Early bird promotion has been extended to 5 October. Reported by PR Newswire Asia 19 hours ago.

DUP close to agreeing ‘double jeopardy’ deal that would protect veterans of the Troubles

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DUP close to agreeing ‘double jeopardy’ deal that would protect veterans of the Troubles The Democratic Unionist Party is reportedly prepared to reach a compromise with the Government that would offer safeguards to former soldiers. Reported by MailOnline 18 hours ago.

Liberty IT Solutions Partners with Travis Manion Foundation for Inaugural Charity Golf Tournament

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Liberty IT Solutions, LLC, held inaugural Charity Golf Tournament benefitting the Travis Manion Foundation (TMF) serving Veterans and their families.

HERNDON, Va. (PRWEB) October 02, 2018

On September 10, 2018, Liberty IT Solutions, LLC, held their first Charity Golf Tournament benefitting the Travis Manion Foundation (TMF). Liberty employees along with Liberty’s clients, partners, Veterans, and corporate sponsors came out for the all-day tournament in Lansdowne, Virginia.

Liberty CEO Bill Greene says of the event, “The Travis Manion Foundation is a cause that personally resonates with me. I believe that it is Liberty’s corporate responsibility to give back to our community. Through this golf tournament, we hope to enable TMF to make an even larger difference in the lives of Veteran families and communities.”

Travis Manion was quoted as saying “If not me, then who?” before leaving for his final deployment, and it is this spirit of duty felt by Service Members to put others’ interest before one’s own that makes Liberty a proud supporter of TMF. TMF works to empower Veterans and families of fallen heroes to develop character in future generations. Their core mission is to carry on the legacy of Character, Service, and Leadership embodied by Travis and all those who have served and continue to serve our nation.

This friendly competition between colleagues and partners was graciously hosted in Lansdowne, VA by The Golf Club at Lansdowne. Joined by co-sponsors i4DM, WellHive, Federal Advisory Partners, Huron, VertX, and CarahSoft, Liberty created an enriching opportunity for people to mingle and have fun while supporting this inspiring cause. Liberty hopes to continue to make an impact for the Travis Manion Foundation with the Annual Liberty Charity Golf Tournament in years to come.

About Liberty IT Solutions
Liberty IT Solutions provides transformative services and support to multiple government agencies across a diverse portfolio of Health IT projects. Our team believes that lines of code can change lives and is driven to enable that to happen more often, more securely and more efficiently.
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Liberty IT Solutions at 571.356.9627 or email at contact(at)libertyits(dot)com. Reported by PRWeb 10 hours ago.

Arlene Foster wants 'double jeopardy' rule for Troubles veterans - report

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Arlene Foster wants 'double jeopardy' rule for Troubles veterans - report DUP leader Arlene Foster is willing to reach an agreement with the UK government on an amnesty to prevent elderly veterans who served in Northern Ireland being repeatedly investigated over killings during the Troubles, according to reports. Reported by Belfast Telegraph 6 hours ago.

2018 Deseret News Home Show Opens October 12 with HGTV Fixer Upper’s Clint Harp Appearing on the Design Stage

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Utah TV Host Brooke Graham and local designers join the lineup

SALT LAKE CITY (PRWEB) October 02, 2018

The 2018 Deseret News Home Show opens its doors on Friday, October 12, 2018 and continues through Sunday, October 14 at the Mountain America Expo Center. This fall, the Home Show team welcomes HGTV Fixer Upper’s Clint Harp and Utah designers, Kate Jensen of White Lane Décor, Kristin Rocke of K. Rocke Design and Brandon and Mike Kay of The JunkHunks.

Clint Harp can be found regularly on HGTV’s hit show Fixer Upper and on DIY Network’s Wood Work, as the dumpster-diving, reclaimed wood-loving carpenter. He will share his experience in carpentry and home improvement on the Design Stage presented by Xfinity on Friday, October 12 at 5:00 p.m.; and Saturday, October 13 at 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Also, Utah TV host and blogger, Brooke Graham will moderate a panel discussion showcasing the creative ideas of local designers—Kate Jensen of White Lane Décor, Kristin Rocke of K. Rocke Design and Brandon and Mike Kay of The JunkHunks. Catch the designers on the Design Stage on Friday, October 12 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 pm; Saturday, October 13 at 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.; and Sunday, October 14 at noon.

This season, the Deseret News Home Show will feature the Holiday Marketplace filled with unique gifts and home goods for every season. Also, three local pergola companies including Notched, Western Timber Frame and Wright Timber Frame, are creating relaxing Zen Dens where guests can gather inspiration for an oasis in their own homes and vote for their favorite all weekend. For those attendees that need to relax, there will be the Xfinity Sports Lounge. And, on the Kitchen Stage presented by SelectHealth, Maxine Turner, of Cuisine Unlimited Catering & Special Events, will share her favorite fall recipes like Pumpkin Patch Pie.

The Deseret News Home Show is offering a free shuttle service to and from the inContact parking structure to the Mountain America Expo Center.

The Deseret News Home Show

Dates:
Friday, October 12, 2018         2:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 13, 2018    10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 14, 2018     11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

Location:
Mountain America Expo Center
9575 South State Street
Sandy, Utah

Admission:
Adults (at the door) $11.00
Adults (online only) $9.00
Seniors $8.00
Children Ages 12 & under FREE
Group tickets (20 or more) $8.00

Teacher Appreciation and Hero Day: All teachers, active military personnel, veterans, fire, police and first responders get FREE admission with valid ID on Friday, October 12, 2018. Must present valid ID at the Box Office.

For more information and tickets, please visit http://www.DeseretNewsHomeShow.com.

About Marketplace Events
Marketplace Events creates vibrant expositions connecting enthusiasts with experts, products and services in dynamic face-to-face environments. The company produces 40 consumer home shows in the US, 16 in Canada, and nine holiday shows. The 65 combined events, in 30 markets, attract 20,000 exhibitors, 1.8 million attendees and another 3 million unique web visitors annually. From 14 offices, the 150-person staff produces some of the most successful and longest-running shows in North America, including market-leading shows in Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal—some of which have thrived in their markets for more than 75 years. http://www.marketplaceevents.com Reported by PRWeb 6 hours ago.

Generation NEXT Franchise Brands Completes Q1 with a Record $11.9 Million in Aggregate Bookings for its Franchise Concept Reis & Irvy's

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*The Company Completes its First Quarter of Fiscal 2019 with Bookings of 229 Unit Sales*

San Diego, CA, Oct. 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- Generation NEXT Franchise Brands (OTCQB: VEND) reports quarterly franchise bookings of $11.9 million as of September 30, 2018, before certain adjustments. Furthermore, the company has additional booking commitments of approximately $129 million. The franchise company, whose Reis & Irvy’s frozen yogurt robots launched in April of 2016, finished the quarter ended September 30, 2018 with 285 franchisees.

Other notable items during the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2018 are as follows:

·  Completed the quarter with total cash and restricted cash of $6.7 million;
·  Record units booked totaling 229;
·  Total franchises to date totals 285;
·  Booked master franchise agreement in Little Rock, Arkansas aggregating $547,000;
·  The Company was officially certified by NAMA;
·  The Company was officially certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (“NSF”);
·  Forging ahead on national roll out with 61 units shipped and installed to date;
·  Booked master franchise agreement in Knoxville, Tennessee aggregating $3.2 million;
·  Added two key independent members and industry veterans to our Board of Directors, Lavaille Lavette and Chris Maudlin; Mr. Maudlin will also serve as Chairman of our newly created Audit and Compensation committees;
·  Our franchisee gives back; Our Jacksonville franchisee, Brandon Cheal, agrees to donate 100% of first 30 days’ profits to victims of Jacksonville Landing shooting;
·  Generation NEXT reveals sneak peak of the future with new websites (www.gennextbrands.com and www.franchise.reisandirvys.com);
·  Booked master franchise agreement in Dayton, Ohio aggregating $3.2 million;
·  Signed full service and support agreement with CSA Service Solutions to provide technical support to our franchisees;
·  Booked master franchise agreement in Cincinnati, Ohio aggregating $8.5 million;
·  Strengthened patent portfolio with more comprehensive utility patent claims;
·  Booked master franchise agreements in Columbus, Ohio and Oklahoma City aggregating $9.3 million;
·  Completing final stages of development of the Flavor Burst six-flavor system combined with a three-spigot self-cleaning and sanitizing mechanism;
·  Now delivering the Stoelting Companion Cart, with Hydra-Rinse Sanitation System – a portable mobile-cleaning/sanitizing solution for franchisees;
·  Here’s what our early franchisees have to say about their first units:

Peter Shapiro, Lankenau Medical Center and West Chester University, PA

“It’s awesome for our family to have such a prestigious hospital as our first location -- and it’s right in the neighborhood where we all grew up. From the minute we rolled the machine into Lankenau, the robot has kept busy selling around the clock. People just love the product. It’s made by Dannon and people just go crazy for it. Once they learn it’s only 108 calories, they choose the yogurt over a Snickers bar,” said Peter Shapiro of Wynnewood, PA. “Most of our sales are actually in the evening but our day rush is still fairly strong. I’ve spent a lot of time at our location, watching customers and their interaction with the kiosk, and I’m happy with what I see.”

Michael Bingham, Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX

“We’re thrilled,” said Michael Bingham, whose Reis & Irvy’s robotic vending kiosk is installed at the Texas Medical Center. “Support from headquarters has been phenomenal. We’re on our second machine, a ‘second generation’ machine, which the company provided and installed on August 21st, replacing our existing “first generation” machine. It was certainly worth the wait to stop and get the production right - things are going very well right now.”

David D’Olympio, Canton Ice House, Canton, MA

David D’Olympio of Rockland, MA is proving that ‘froyo’ knows no boundaries with his first Reis & Irvy’s installation at Canton Ice House in Canton, MA, which features two NHL-sized hockey rinks. Home to several local area high school teams, an elite private club program, several local youth hockey programs and a premier figure skating club.  “My robot has been working perfectly - no issues, no breakdowns,” David said of his Reis & Irvy’s kiosk installed on August 20th. “Already, kids will sit there and watch the robot and marvel at it. They come back with their parents. They love it,” David said.  “Kids and other customers don’t touch anything besides the touchscreen and the local health department were shocked it was so easy to clean. It’s the first of its kind in Massachusetts and it took time for [the health department] to realize they had to re-write the rules.”

Kris Barlow, Oklahoma Christian University, Oklahoma City, OK

A former Quiznos franchisee, Kris Barlow isn’t new to the franchise business model, but is ecstatic about the low-maintenance, low-overhead opportunity provided by Reis & Irvy’s unattended, robotic technology. “I almost feel guilty how easy this is,” Kris said. “I spent just four hours the first week making sure I figured things out with the machine. It’s not difficult. It’s basically plug-and-play. “The cost of goods is controlled; there is very little cash involved thanks to the variety of payment methods accepted; and the break-even is so low I almost don’t have to think about it,” Kris added. “Most of our sales are actually at night. We do 70 percent of our business from 4:30pm to 8:30pm,” Kris said.

Full-Scale Production in October

“Q1 was an exhilarating quarter for Generation NEXT Franchise Brands. We successfully booked over $11 million in franchise sales, and have additional booking commitments for approximately $129 million. I’m pleased to announce that the company is set to reach what is near full scale production of 150-200 units per month in October,” said Nick Yates, the company’s Chairman and Founder. “We are most excited about the fact that we are estimating recognizing revenues with 61 robots installed as of September 30th and the ability to continue increased installations as each week passes. We look forward to substantial revenue growth in fiscal Q2, profitability during the second half of fiscal 2019 and the news very soon of our second robotic vending concept that will complement our first. We will replicate this model almost exactly but, this time, with more experience as developers. We are better for the experience and will continue to capitalize with a large network and the right team in place.”

For more information, visit the Reis & Irvy’s website at www.reisandirvys.com or call Toll-Free (888) 902-7558. 

Generation NEXT Website: 

www.gennextbrands.com 

About Generation NEXT Franchise Brands, Inc. 
 
Generation NEXT Franchise Brands, Inc., based in San Diego, California, is a publicly traded company on the OTC Markets trading under the symbol OTCBB:VEND. Generation NEXT Franchise Brands, Inc. is parent company to Reis and Irvy's Inc. and Generation NEXT Vending Robots.
 
About Reis & Irvy’s, Inc.
 
Reis & Irvy’s, Inc. is a subsidiary franchise concept of Generation NEXT Franchise Brands, Inc. (VEND). Launched in early 2016, the revolutionary Reis & Irvy’s Vending Robot serves seven different flavors of frozen yogurt, ice cream, sorbets and gelatos, a choice of up to six custom toppings and to customers within 60 seconds or less at the point of sale. The unique franchise opportunity has since established itself as a high-demand product and currently showcases a franchise network both domestically as well as internationally.
 
 
This information is not intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, a franchise. It is for information purposes only. No Reis & Irvy's franchises will be sold to any resident of any state until the offering has been exempted from the requirements of, or duly registered in and declared effective by, such state and the required FDD (if any) has been delivered to the prospective franchisee before the sale in compliance with applicable law. Currently, the following states in the United States regulate the offer and sale of franchises: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. If you reside in one of these states, or even if you reside elsewhere, you may have certain rights under applicable franchise laws or regulations.
 
Cautionary note on forward-looking statements
 
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include, among others, statements concerning our future financial performance, including statements regarding: our ability to generate revenue and recognize deferred revenue; our ability to timely launch delivery and installation of our frozen yogurt robots; and our ability to grow our franchising and licensing divisions and launch our corporate-owned and direct sales platforms. The Company bases these forward-looking statements on its current expectations, estimates and projections about future events and the industry in which it operates using information currently available to it. Actual results could differ materially from those discussed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are identified by words such as "believe,""anticipate,""propose,""expect,""intend,""plan,""will,""may,""estimates," variations of such words and other similar expressions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2017, our Quarterly Reports, and our Current Reports on Form 8-K. Be advised that developments subsequent to this press release are likely to cause these statements to become outdated and the Company is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any such obligation) to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
 
CONTACT: Media Contact: 

Darren Shuster 

Generation NEXT Franchise Brands, Inc. 

Phone: (818) 744-1851 

Email: darren@popculturepr.com  Reported by GlobeNewswire 6 hours ago.

Holberton School Names Director of New Connecticut Campus

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Connecticut resident Nadine Krause joins innovative two-year college alternative for software engineers

NEW HAVEN, Conn., Oct. 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Holberton School, the San Francisco-based two-year college alternative for software engineers, today announced that Nadine Krause has been named the director of the new Holberton School New Haven, a collaborative partnership with District Innovation and Venture Center.

Since the recent announcement of the new Holberton School New Haven campus in early September, the school has received more than 100 student applications for the 30 slots available for the inaugural cohort in January 2019, with more arriving each day.

“Nadine’s leadership of Holberton School New Haven couldn’t come at a better time,” said Pauline Vorms, head of Expansion for the Holberton School. “Digital transformation is critical to the future of businesses in Connecticut and across the nation and seeing this ground-swell of interest in software engineering will lead to a successful economic future for the state.”

As part of today's announcement, Krause will assume responsibility for all of the operations and success of the New Haven campus. Holberton School New Haven will mirror the successful program developed in San Francisco, providing the region with highly qualified, software engineering talent. Included in this approach, Krause will focus on fostering strong community and corporate partnerships to ensure students have access to meaningful internship opportunities, mentors and industry experts. In return, local employers will have access to the diverse, motivated and well-rounded skill-set of Holbertool graduates.

“Connecticut’s business ecosystem is a unique blend of industries, everything from aerospace to securities and investments. While the disparity in services is clear, they all have one thing in common; a shortage of tech talent,” said David Salinas, co-founder of District and chairman of the District Innovation & Venture Center, the non-profit behind the new campus. “In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is a 24 percent average annual growth rate for software engineering jobs in the state through 2026. With Nadine’s deep experience and commitment to developing talent with a focus on soft skills, I am confident that Holberton School New Haven will fill those jobs with qualified, motivated Holberton graduates.”

A Connecticut resident since childhood, Krause graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a degree in Psychology and Complex Organizations and the University of New Haven with a master’s degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Prior to joining Holberton, she managed centralized business support functions and was the chief of staff to a senior leader at Hartford, CT-based Prudential Retirement. While at Prudential, Krause also held human resources roles gaining extensive experience in talent and leadership development, team and organizational effectiveness, and diversity and inclusion. Before Prudential, Krause worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits Administration where she managed the Homeless Veterans Outreach Program covering the state of Connecticut.

“Holberton School New Haven offers a unique program for anyone with the passion and motivation to become a software engineer,” said Krause. “Tech jobs are hot, and talent is in high demand, but getting a job will take more than just knowing how to code. Companies are now insisting that employees come equipped with the essential soft skills necessary to hit the ground running. Skills such as leadership, communication, collaboration, and time management are crucial to success. The great news is that this is an integral part of the Holberton experience. I am beyond excited to join the Holberton team and start encouraging and mentoring the region's future tech talent.”

Planning to open in January 2019, Holberton School New Haven will train world-class software engineers in only two years without charging upfront tuition. Students only pay once they get a job. They will acquire practical skills and an understanding of theory through hands-on, project-based peer learning and development of actual systems and applications; the current curriculum was developed by the school and a network of mentors and industry leaders. Holberton students and graduates are employed at top-tier employers like Apple, Cisco, LinkedIn, Facebook, Dropbox, Tesla and more.

The school does not judge applicants by their previous education, work experience, gender or age. The application process is completely blind, using technology to identify energetic, motivated people with a will to succeed versus considering prior education or an applicant’s demographic background. Current students’ ages range from 18 to 58 with more than half being people of color and a third being women.

For further information about attending Holberton School New Haven, register for the open house on November 14, 2018, at District New Haven, 470 James St, New Haven, CT 06513 or go directly to the application page. Holberton School New Haven is also accepting applications for open job positions. For more information on available positions, and how to apply, go to https://www.holbertonschool.com/jobs.

*About Holberton School*
With a campus in San Francisco and a new campus pending approval in New Haven, CT, Holberton trains software engineers using a revolutionary teaching method based on project-based and peer learning. The college alternative is free until students find a job. Graduates have earned high-impact engineering positions at companies like Apple, Tesla, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Students are supported by mentors and investors who are leaders in technology, sports, and entertainment, including Grammy-award winner NE-YO, New York Jets standout Kelvin Beachum, and technology visionaries Jeff Weiner (LinkedIn CEO), Yahoo! founder Jerry Yang, Docker founder Solomon Hykes, and Upwork CEO Stephane Kasriel. Go to www.holbertonschool.com to learn more.

*Editorial Contact*
Allyson McKenney for Holberton School New Haven
allyson@districtnhv.com

Joseph Eckert for Holberton
jeckert@holbertonschool.com Reported by GlobeNewswire 5 hours ago.

Mercedes committed to hydrogen fuel cell technology

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Mercedes has trialled hydrogen in the GLC fuel cell

The firm thinks that hydrogen has a future as a power source, likely starting with commercial vehicles

Mercedes-Benz is continuing to invest in and develop hydrogen fuel cell technology but believes its first realistic chances of mass production lie in commercial vehicles, such as buses.

Mercedes has been developing fuel cells for more than two decades but has thrown its resources behind making battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) on a mass scale. By 2025, it expects 15-25% of its sales to be BEVs, according to development boss – and future Daimler chairman – Ola Kallenius.

But speaking at the Paris motor show, Kallenius said Mercedes was still invested in bringing fuel cells to reality beyond the limited-volume GLC F-Cell it has put into series production.

*First ride: 2018 Mercedes GLC F-Cell*

“We are one of the veterans from the fuel cell business over 25 years and have seen it evolve, develop and find its place," said Kallenius. "Now we’re demonstrating with GLC F-Cell that it really works.

“On the way to 2025, what to scale first? BEV, FCV [fuel cell vehicle], or both? We’re talking hundreds of thousands, a big industrial play. We believe the scale is BEV first with the EQ family. It doesn’t make sense to scale them both at the same time.

“We still believe fuel cell is part of the solution to zero-emissions mobility in the future. I’ve told our fuel cell engineers to make the unit more compact and with more performance. We’ve come a long way already, though, and I believe we are the most complete between the performance and range combination.

“We need to make it more compact and take out cost. But our engineers need a vehicle to focus on.

“There is more energy used by a bus in northern Europe in winter on heating it than powering it, so that energy density really helps.

“So the next fuel cells will go to commercial vehicles rather than passenger ones. It’s a flexible strategy, though. We’ll do BEV first and are developing FCV and staying in the game to see if the market swings in that direction.”

Kallenius said Mercedes was also part of the Hydrogen Council, which discusses the industrialisation of the fuel. To that end, it doesn’t want to be involved in providing infrastructure to support hydrogen but does want to work with companies to help deliver it.

*Read more*

*First ride: 2018 Mercedes GLC F-Cell*

*Hyundai Nexo fuel cell review*

*Toyota Mirai fuel cell review* Reported by Autocar 5 hours ago.

HotelPlanner.com Announces Recipients of its Graduate Technology Scholarship for the Summer 2019 Academic Season

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Scholarship program provides $20,000 annually in financial assistance to military veterans and their families pursuing a degree related to technology

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (PRWEB) October 02, 2018

Today, HotelPlanner.com proudly announces the recipients of its Graduate Technology Scholarship for the Summer 2019 academic season. Collectively, recipients including veterans of the United States military, along with the spouse/partner and children of U.S. military veterans, will receive $10,000 in financial assistance to pursue an undergraduate or graduate degree related to technology.

This season’s recipients represent states ranging from California to Florida, and many in between. They are proud members of the United States Air Force, Coast Guard, Army, Navy, and the children and spouses of those military veterans who have dedicated their lives to keeping our country safe. They continue to set the bar high in their pursuit of educational excellence in the fields of aerospace engineering, radiologic technology, software engineering, nanotechnology research, geographic information systems, cybersecurity, digital forensics, business management and pediatric medical technology. This season’s recipients include Hope Fisher, Lesley Harris, Joshua Montgomery, Travis Pilati, Ceymone Pride, Megan Rankin, Wess Salter, Richard Simpson, Joseph Smith, and Sarah Warren.

As the leader in booking group and individual hotel travel online, technology is at the heart of everything HotelPlanner.com does and critical to the success of its business. Similarly, companies, governments and military operations around the world are increasingly dependent on those who understand and work with technology. This scholarship is intended to grow the pool of qualified individuals by helping to make their education in technology a reality.

“We continue to be impressed and humbled by the exceptionally high caliber of candidates this scholarship is attracting. Their educational pursuits to help make our world a better, healthier and safer place are a continuation of their public service and a true representation of their distinguished character,” said Tim Hentschel, Co-Founder and CEO of HotelPlanner.com.

A $1,000 scholarship is awarded to ten recipients, twice per year, and is based on a number of criteria including financial need, U.S. military service (or the spouse/partner/child of someone who has served), acceptance to an accredited undergraduate or graduate degree program related to technology, and an interest in a career related to technology exhibited through a personal essay.

HotelPlanner.com expects the size of the scholarship to grow over time.

To apply for the HotelPlanner.com scholarship program, please visit https://www.hotelplanner.com/Scholarship/

About HotelPlanner.com:
HotelPlanner.com is the leading provider of online services in the global group hotel marketplace, and an established resource for group event planners and hotel partners alike.  Today, HotelPlanner.com provides its group travel technology expertise to over 4,200,000 group event planners globally while servicing $7 billion in group hotel booking requests in 2017 and an estimated $10 billion in 2018. The company’s robust technology and automated rate checkers provide customers with the guaranteed lowest available rates from a network of more than 100,000 quality hotel partners worldwide, making it easier and faster to book hotels for any corporate and leisure event. With its new eRFP group booking system, “Book-in-Block” and licensing technologies, HotelPlanner.com continues to advance the group booking process online for direct clients, market leading affiliates and hotel partners worldwide.

HotelPlanner.com’s Pro Sports Team clients most notably include, the Washington Redskins Professional Bowlers Association, and partnership with USA TODAY Sports Active Alliance. On an international scale, clients include, Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, European Professional Golfers (EuroPro), Triple Crown Sports, Matchroom Sport, Super League (Rugby), AFC Wimbledon, Euroleague Basketball, Millwall F.C., Hella Verona F.C., and Swansea F.C.

Customers can visit HotelPlanner.com online at http://www.hotelplanner.com, or on its mobile app, which provides users with the lowest, real-time hotel rates and availability, detailed hotel information and an easy booking tool right from the palm of their hand. They can also follow HotelPlanner.com on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+, YouTube and its Everything’s Better Together blog.

Founded in 2002 by CEO Tim Hentschel and CIO John Prince, the company provides 24/7 customer service and has offices in London, England (European Headquarters), Hong Kong (Asian Headquarters), West Palm Beach, FL (USA Headquarters), and Las Vegas, Nevada. Reported by PRWeb 4 hours ago.

Former Chief Revenue Officer at ABC Financial Services Joins Workout Anytime as Multi-Unit Franchise Owner with Expanded Responsibilities to Support the Brand Nationally

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After Decades Working with Many Fitness Companies, Steve Ayers Picks Workout Anytime as Personal Investment

ATLANTA (PRWEB) October 02, 2018

Health and fitness industry executive Steve Ayers has joined the Workout Anytime franchise system, serving as a multi-unit franchisee in Central Florida. Mr. Ayers will also support the company’s efforts in a franchise development capacity where he’ll be assisting with the brand’s growth initiatives on a national level.

Ayers joins Workout Anytime from ABC Financial Services (ABC), the leading provider of software and payment processing in the health and fitness industry. During his eight-year tenure, Ayers helped ABC grow from servicing approximately 2,500 clubs to more than 7,000 clubs across 3,000 brands.

“In my career at ABC, I spent time working with a lot of fitness brands, and Workout Anytime always stood out,” said Ayers. “The brand is in major growth mode, and its value proposition, scalability and commitment to supporting its franchisees are what drew me to the company. My career path has primed me to be successful as a franchisee and to help the brand grow its footprint in Central Florida and, hopefully, beyond.”

Ayers has signed an agreement for three Workout Anytime clubs in Central Florida, and has already secured real estate for his first, which will open by the first of the year. He plans to open his second and third locations during the first half of 2019.

“It’s a feather in our cap to have Steve join our team, not only as a franchise-partner, but as an ambassador of our growth throughout the United States,” said Mark de Gorter, Chief Operating Officer for Workout Anytime. “His leadership, reputation in the industry and passion for furthering development will be invaluable assets as we continue to expand across the country.”

Prior to ABC, Ayers served as Chief Financial Officer and equity partner for a regional Gold’s Gym franchise in Florida where he oversaw acquisitions, sales team development and all accounting functions.

Including Ayers’ three clubs, Workout Anytime has signed agreements for 30 new clubs in 2018 and has opened 19 clubs with plans to open an additional 15 or more by the end of the year.

ABOUT WORKOUT ANYTIME:
Atlanta-based Workout Anytime is a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week fitness concept with 150 units across the U.S. Founded by fitness veterans John Quattrocchi and Steve Strickland, the company was formed to provide members with first-class fitness facilities at the lowest cost possible, while delivering a profitable and affordable business model to franchisees. Built on the founders’ motto of, “think big, keep it simple and do it with integrity,” Workout Anytime is preparing for significant expansion into new territories by providing opportunities to business-minded entrepreneurs. Franchise opportunities are available and more information can be found on http://workoutanytime.com/. Reported by PRWeb 4 hours ago.

The Cohen Veterans Network Earns the Highest Rating for Quality of Consumer Programs and Services

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All six Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinics which are eligible for CARF Accreditation have earned the top distinction

STAMFORD, Conn. (PRWEB) October 02, 2018

The Cohen Veterans Network (CVN), a national not-for-profit philanthropic organization, has reached another milestone in its mission to serve post-9/11 veterans and families with high-quality, confidential mental health care. All eligible CVN clinics have earned the top grade from industry-leading accrediting body the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).

CARF International announced that six Cohen Clinics have received this recognition. The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinics located in Philadelphia, PA; Clarksville, TN; as well as those in Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso and Killeen, TX have all earned the prestigious accreditation. To be eligible for a CARF survey, a clinic typically needs to be operational for a year, and all CVN Clinics nationwide are expected to be surveyed as soon as they are eligible.

“This accomplishment is a direct reflection of the commitment to quality displayed across the network. Our community-based model emphasizes programming relevant to the unique communities we are integrated in, but all of our clinics are unified by a commitment to serve and meet the highest quality standards,” said Crystal Shelton, Cohen Veterans Network Senior Vice President for Clinical Programs.

This decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be given to an organization and shows the organization’s substantial conformance to the CARF standards. According to CARF, an organization receiving a Three-Year Accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process. The Cohen Clinics have demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit a commitment to offering programs and services that are measurable, accountable, and of the highest quality.

ABOUT CARF

CARF is an independent, nonprofit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process and continuous improvement services that center on enhancing the lives of the persons served. Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now known as CARF International, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services. For more information about the accreditation process, please visit the CARF website at http://www.carf.org.

ABOUT THE COHEN VETERANS NETWORK

The Cohen Veterans Network is a 501(c)(3) national not for profit philanthropic organization for post-9/11 veterans and their families. CVN focuses on improving mental health outcomes, with a goal to build a network of outpatient mental health clinics for veterans and their families in high-need communities, in which trained clinicians deliver holistic evidence-based care to treat mental health conditions. Learn more about the Cohen Veterans Network.

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communications@cohenveteransnetwork.org Reported by PRWeb 4 hours ago.
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