On October 11, 2011, LTC Eric Boettcher provided a presentation for the members of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP) in Sacramento, California. ATAP is a group of professional practitioners in the field of threat assessment and mitigation programs. Most all members are active law enforcement, either from the medical/clinical fields or corporate risk management. LTC Boettcher provided a presentation on the following subject matter: Mitigating risk with humanitarian aid and social based operations. The presentation was informative, dynamic, and very well received. I would recommend LTC Boettcher's presentation to anyone in the subject matter field, as it was one of the most interesting presentations to date. On behalf of ATAP, I wish to thank LTC Boettcher for his willingness to share his presentation with our organization.
John Nobriga
Chapter Secretary, Northern California Board of Directors
Association of Threat Assessment Professionals
www.atapworldwide.org
______________________________________________________________________________________________
I am a Girl Scout leader in Mahwah, NJ. My husband, COL Elliot E. Coley, worked with Major Boettcher over the years and both maintained a long time friendship. While Major Boettcher was stationed in Mosul, Iraq, Elliot suggested we make contact and offer the Girls Scouts the opportunity to speak with him. My girls were working on their Bronze award at the time and we were researching other countries and attempting to understand what their lives were like. Having the opportunity to connect with a soldier working within the Mosul community was more than we could hope for. Eric, very willingly, offered his services via video cam. He stayed up until about 11 pm, his time, just to make the call to my home where my eight girl scouts were set up and ready with their questions. While trying to be considerate of the time difference, Eric was sure to have to wake up extremely early, the girls continued with their questions while Eric tirelessly answered each one with a patience only a caring, focused individual could manage. Not only is Major Boettcher a knowledgeable, intelligent speaker, he has the energy, care and drive necessary to push his point across. Spreading the truth of all the good our soldiers are accomplishing within Iraq. His ‘being there’ knowledge is invaluable. We would welcome any opportunity to have Eric speak with us, enlightening our knowledge with his first hand experiences.
With deep gratitude,
Sue Coley
________________________________________________________________________________________________
It is with a great deal of pleasure that this testimonial is being written on behalf of Major Eric Boettcher's
new guest speaking avocation, Patriot Presentations.
MAJ Boettcher has been a valued and highly disciplined member of the Executive Committee Board
of the MG William F. Dean Chapter of the Association of the United States Army for many years; his
service was interrupted multiple times by his call to duty as an active member of the local Civil Affairs unit
whose members were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Apart from being a contributing member of and to the Executive Board, MAJ Boettcher has spoken, and
made presentations to, a great number of civilian organizations, schools, fraternities, veterans organizations, and other chapters of AUSA, especially after he returned from his first deployment from overseas. When he returned the second time, he was so full of the competence, commitment, courage and humanity of the Soldiers in his care that he wanted every one to know of his pride and admiration for and in these men and women who serve their country freely and give their all in defense of ideals they love and believe in.
It was not enough for MAJ Boettcher to first-hand observe and participate in the humanitarian efforts directed to the children, young adults and population of Mosul and other cities while serving in Iraq. His intense love for his country and his fellow servicemembers prompted him to document these acts of kindness and preserve them in a narrative that has to be watched to be fully appreciated during his presentation.
I have heard MAJ Boettcher speak on numerous occasions. His presentations are filled with references to his battle buddies, male and female, his deep faith in the goodness of mankind and his total pride in what our service men and women accomplish in foreign, unforgiving lands and terrains in spite of seemingly insurmountable odds.
Whoever has an opportunity to listen to MAJ Boettcher's outstanding remarks will come away with a totally different impression of the wars these heroes fight daily, but also with a deeper understanding of what our Soldiers are up against.
Lucie Marx Titus, President
MG Wlliam F. Dean Chapter, AUSA
________________________________________________________________________________________________
As a Blue Star Mom I have had the honor and privilege of supporting Lt. Colonel Eric Boettcher’s Iraqi missions on more than one occasion. Partnering with a local school we were able to collect school supplies and toys that were then shipped to Iraq in support of the goodwill missions that were conducted by him and his Civil Affairs personnel. In conjunction with the Iraqi security forces these supplies were then distributed to the Iraqi children in orphanages and schools throughout the Kirkuk and Mosul areas. After Eric’s return home he provided a video commentary of the affects and benefits of the distribution to the American school children who were thrilled to learn that their efforts were received so positively by the children their age in another part of the word.
Eric’s level of commitment to his missions are more than just a military effort, it is clearly a personal effort that affects the very core of who he is as a person and what he believes in as an American. I have witnessed his presentation to various groups on many occasions. He easily tailors his commentary to meet the needs of his viewers, from school age children to Moms of those serving in our nations military. The audience members are left with a better understanding of the purpose of reconstruction and commitment to the local Iraqi government where he served.
I have appreciated Eric’s sense of humor, his kind and gentle nature and willingness to continue to serve our nation in his civilian life as well as his military life. I appreciate all that he does. Hooah!!
Eloise Risner-Stone
www.ccbluestarmoms.org
________________________________________________________________________________________________
"My students still talk about the presentation Major Boettcher provided at our school. His message was meaningful and directly related to our core values of community service and stewardship. What a positive experience this was for everyone involved that day."
Rusty Ehrlich
Principal
Pioneer Elementary School
________________________________________________________________________________________________
I thought that Major Boettcher's presentation was very well planned and delivered with the utmost professionalism. I have been to many presentations but I felt that his was the best I have seen in a long time. At most speaking engagements I find myself daydreaming or thinking about what I am going to have for lunch. But when Major Boettcher was speaking, I felt as if he was speaking directly to me and his style is very engaging and enthusiastic.
Dan Karas
Owner
Acclaim Print & Copy Centers
www.AcclaimPrint.com
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Having heard Major Eric Boettcher give a presentation, I can assure you he is informative, enthusiastic and entertaining, and his knowledge, experience and credibility impart real substance to the audience.
Pete Laurence
Veteran and a student of history
________________________________________________________________________________________________
I sat in awe watching Major Boettcher interact with my students. We knew we were listening to a real-life hero right before our eyes in our very own classroom. His presentation was breathtaking. His kind spirit and gentle heart filled the room as we listened to the remarkable stories of our own American Soldier.
Katie Halberg
Third Grade Teacher
Garin Elementary
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Stirring and inspirational. Real world facts from a Soldier who has been there: working to create a stable, effective government in Iraq that can protect its citizens and provide a safe environment for all.
Eric's presentations help dispel the tainted view so often put forth by today's biased media. His stories of real Soldiers making real progress are true snapshots of the work done by our troops on the ground in very dangerous places. Not every action is as effective as desired yet the overwhelming effect is real, paced progress towards peace.
A few hours spent with Eric will give you a refreshing insight into the work done in the war against terror. The time can also give you hope for the future.
Larry Hamon, EdD
Major, USAF, Retired
________________________________________________________________________________________________
As a Past President of a Viet Nam Veterans organization and during that time, Major Boettcher graciously accepted my invitation to speak to our group. I can assert that Major Boettcher gave a first rate and very interesting presentation and I would heartily recommend him to any group seeking a speaker on the range of interest items that you can present.
Del Loewe
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Recently the Viet Nam Veterans of Diablo Valley had the opportunity to hear Major Boettcher’s presentation at our monthly general meeting. Being a group consisting mostly of ex-military who fought in a foreign war, we know the hardships of battle, but never got to experience the re-building , or winning over the “hearts and minds” aspect of an operation.
Major Boettcher, through slides, videos and commentary, took us through the various phases of the humanitarian effort in Iraq. He is shown accepting gifts and supplies donated by individuals and businesses here in the United States and then transferring the donated supplies to the Iraqi National Police to then distribute to the local Iraqis. He then completed the circle by visiting a local school that had donated items, showing them how items get passed out and the happy faces of the Iraqi people receiving them.
It is evident that Major Boettcher is fully committed to and enjoys everything he is involved in. His many years in the military including a variety of assignments and venues, allows him to speak on a wide range of topics. His presentation was entertaining and educational, however it was his enthusiasm that I will most remember.
Dennis Giacovelli
Viet Nam Veterans of Diablo Valley
www.vnvdv.com