SEAL Family Legacy

10/29/2026

🇺🇸 A New Chapter of Leadership at SEAL Family Legacy 🇺🇸

As SEAL Family Legacy continues to grow and evolve, so does our leadership. Today, we’re sharing an important transition within our Board of Directors.

Since day one, Brady Allison has been part of SEAL Family Legacy, helping shape the organization and its commitment to honoring and supporting Gold Star Families. His dedication, leadership, and belief in our mission have played an important role in bringing SFL to where it is today.

After thoughtful consideration, Brady has made the decision to step down as Chair of the Board. While his title may be changing, his commitment to our mission is not. Brady will continue serving on our Board of Directors as Vice Chair, allowing SFL to continue benefiting from his experience, knowledge, and dedication.

With this transition, we are excited to announce Missy Kruzel as the new Chair of SEAL Family Legacy!

Missy has served on our Board of Directors for the past three years as Treasurer, taking on an increasingly active role in the organization’s administration, operations, and continued growth. Her passion for our mission and dedication to the Gold Star Families we serve will help guide SFL into its next chapter.

We are also excited to welcome Brandon Maeglin back into the role of Treasurer and Jeff Wheeler will remain Secretary, creating a dedicated leadership team committed to the continued success of SEAL Family Legacy.

Meet Our SEAL Family Legacy Leadership Team:

🇺🇸 Missy Kruzel — Chair
🇺🇸 Brady Allison — Vice Chair
🇺🇸 Brandon Maeglin — Treasurer
🇺🇸 Jeff Wheeler — Secretary
🇺🇸 James Stotts — Mission Growth and Relations Officer
🇺🇸 Patrick Strobel — Logistics Officer
🇺🇸 Natalie Long — Community Outreach Officer

Each of these individuals brings their own experience, perspective, and passion to the table. Together, they represent a shared commitment to ensuring that the sacrifices of our fallen heroes are never forgotten and that their families continue to feel the support of a grateful community.

We are incredibly grateful for Brady’s leadership since the organization’s beginning and excited for this next chapter with our dedicated, entirely volunteer Board of Directors.

A statement from Brady Allison:

“After much thought, I’ve made the difficult decision to step back from my role as Chair of SEAL Family Legacy. With time constraints and a strong belief in the importance of fresh perspectives, new ideas, and creating opportunities for others to grow and lead, I feel this is the right decision for both myself and the organization.

I’m proud of what we continue to stand for and the mission we serve. I’ll remain actively involved on the Board as Vice Chair and look forward to continuing to support SEAL Family Legacy and the Gold Star Families who mean so much to us.

I’m also excited to welcome Missy Kruzel into the role of Chair of SEAL Family Legacy. Missy has served on our Board of Directors as Treasurer for the past three years and has taken on an increasingly important administrative role within the organization throughout her tenure. Her dedication and experience have positioned her well for this next step, and I look forward to seeing her bring fresh ideas, a new leadership style, and renewed perspective to the Board.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey. Leadership may evolve, but our mission remains the same, and my commitment to SEAL Family Legacy and the Gold Star Families we serve is unwavering.”

Different roles. Shared purpose. One mission.

While leadership roles may change, our purpose never will. We remain committed to honoring the fallen by supporting the families they left behind.

Here’s to the next chapter of SEAL Family Legacy and the Gold Star Families at the heart of everything we do. 🇺🇸

10/27/2026

🇺🇸❤️ Happy Heavenly Birthday, Chief Stephen “Matt” Mills ❤️🇺🇸

October 25th is more than just another day on the calendar. It’s a day to celebrate the life of a husband, father, son, friend, and American hero.

Matt was one of the 30 American service members who lost their lives aboard Extortion 17 on August 6, 2011, in Afghanistan. He was just 35 years old.

But Matt’s story is so much more than the day we lost him.

It’s the life he lived, the people he loved, the sacrifices he made, and the memories his family continues to hold close.

At SEAL Family Legacy, we’ve had the incredible privilege of getting to know and love the Mills family. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned through the families we serve, it’s that birthdays still matter.

They’re a chance to celebrate a life, share a favorite memory, tell a story, and remind the world that these incredible men and women were so much more than the uniforms they wore.

To Matt’s family, we’re sending you extra love as you celebrate and remember him.

Happy 51st Heavenly Birthday, Matt. We are forever grateful for your service, your sacrifice, and the legacy you left behind. 🇺🇸

Honor. Remember. Carry the Legacy. ❤️🤍💙

10/19/2026

🇺🇸 10 Years. Always Remembered.

Today marks 10 years since Sgt. Douglas J. Riney was killed in action while serving our country in Afghanistan.

Ten years.

There are certain dates that never become just another day on the calendar. Today, we remember Douglas. His service, his sacrifice, the life he lived, and the family who continues to carry his love and legacy forward.

The Riney family has been part of the SEAL Family Legacy family for many years, and one of the greatest honors of what we do has been getting to watch Elea and James grow up. ❤️

We've cheered from the sidelines through wrestling meets and cross country, celebrated accomplishments and milestones, and watched them take on all the things that come with becoming teenagers...including the apparently inevitable milestone of growing taller than Mom. Sorry, Kylie. 😂❤️

These are the moments that remind us why our mission doesn't end with remembering a fallen hero.
It's about continuing to show up.
It's cheering their children on as they grow. It's celebrating birthdays, encouraging their passions, being there for the milestones, and making sure they always know there is an entire family of people standing in their corner.

Today, though, we pause for Douglas.

We remember the husband and father behind the uniform. We remember the life that should have had so many more chapters. And we are incredibly grateful to Kylie, Elea and James for allowing SFL the privilege of walking alongside them through some of theirs.

Sgt. Douglas J. Riney, ten years later, we still say your name. We still remember. And we will continue carrying your legacy forward. 🇺🇸❤️
Honor. Remember. Carry the Legacy.

10/06/2026

🇺🇸 HELP US FIND OUR NEXT KEYNOTE SPEAKER! 🎤

Planning is officially underway for our 5th Annual SEAL Family Legacy Gala, and we’re searching for someone special to take the stage as our 2027 keynote speaker!

Over the years, we’ve been incredibly fortunate to welcome some amazing people who have shared stories of service, sacrifice, resilience, loss, perseverance and hope, including:

🎤 Navy SEAL Angel Molina
🎤 Gold Star widow Keri Mills-Dias
🎤 Army combat veteran Denny Giamazzo
🎤 U.S. Army Sergeant, author and triple-amputee veteran Bryan Anderson

Now we need YOUR help finding who comes next. ❤️🤍💙

We’re looking for someone with a connection to the military, Veteran or Gold Star community whose story will inspire our guests while honoring the heart of our mission—the fallen heroes we remember and the families who carry their legacies forward.

Know someone who would be an incredible fit?

👇 TAG THEM BELOW!
📩 Or send us a DM with their name and information.

And please SHARE this post! You never know whose story might find its way to us because you did.

We can’t wait to see who takes the stage for Year FIVE. 🇺🇸

Honor. Remember. Carry the Legacy.

10/06/2026

Another Legacy Buddy is ready to hit the court!
We are so excited to share that Olivia has been awarded a SEAL Family Legacy Legacy Buddies grant to help support her volleyball journey! ❤️🤍💙

Legacy Buddies is one of those programs that is especially close to our hearts. It gives us the opportunity to invest in Gold Star children and help them pursue the things that make them happy, confident, challenged, and excited about their future—whether that's sports, the arts, education, or another passion entirely.

Olivia, your entire SFL family is cheering you on! We hope you play hard, have FUN, make some incredible memories, and maybe send a few volleyballs flying where the other team can't reach them.

These are the moments your support of SFL makes possible. You're not simply funding a program—you're helping Gold Star children keep chasing their dreams.

Go get 'em, Olivia! We can't wait to see what you do. ❤️
Honor. Remember. Carry the Legacy. 🇺🇸

10/06/2026

🇺🇸 We’re Still Accepting Gold Star Family Endowment Applications! ❤️🤍💙

Do you know a Gold Star family who deserves a little extra love and support? Or are you part of a Gold Star family and interested in learning more about our Family Endowment Program?

SEAL Family Legacy is still accepting applications and nominations!

Families are welcome to self-nominate, or they can be nominated by a friend, family member, fellow service member, community member, or someone who simply knows their story and wants to make sure they’re seen.

Our Family Endowment Program is at the heart of what we do. It gives us the privilege of welcoming Gold Star families into the SFL family, learning about their fallen hero, sharing their story, and continuing to walk alongside their children through the years and milestones ahead.

If a family comes to mind while you're reading this, please share this with them or consider submitting a nomination. 🇺🇸

Learn more about eligibility and apply or nominate a family below:

And please help us spread the word. Sometimes reaching the right family starts with something as simple as hitting the share button. ❤️

Honor. Remember. Carry the Legacy.

Nominate a Gold Star Family with children to receive a donation from SEAL Family Legacy. Gold Star Families with children under 18 may be nominated.

09/30/2026

🇺🇸 13 Years Later We Remember CWO3 Jonathan “Jon” Gibson 🇺🇸

Thirteen years ago, on September 22, 2013, the Gibson family experienced a loss that would forever change their lives.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jonathan S. Gibson, U.S. Navy, was lost at sea during operations in the Red Sea when his MH-60S Seahawk helicopter went overboard from the USS William P. Lawrence. Jon was just 32 years old.

He was a Naval Aviator and decorated Sailor who proudly served his country, but those titles only tell part of his story.

Jon was a husband to Chrissy and a dad to Makaylin and Xander. His family described him as adventurous, competitive, kind, patient and hardworking, with a smile that could light up a room and a contagious laugh. Above everything else, he loved his family, especially his children.

SEAL Family Legacy has had the incredible honor of serving the Gibson family as one of our beneficiary families, and that is something we never take lightly.

Because this is what carrying a legacy means.

It means that as another year passes, we still say Jon’s name.
We still tell his story.
We still remember the man behind the uniform.
And we continue standing beside the family who carries his memory every single day.

To the Gibson family, thank you for allowing us to be a small part of your lives and for trusting us to help carry Jon’s legacy forward. ❤️

13 years later, CWO3 Jonathan S. Gibson is remembered. His service is honored. And his legacy lives on.

🇺🇸 Honor. Remember. Carry the Legacy.

09/27/2026

💛 To the Mothers Who Carry Their Children’s Legacy

Today, on Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day, we pause to honor a group of women who hold a very special place in our hearts at SEAL Family Legacy.

Gold Star Mothers. 🇺🇸

There are some things a mother should never have to experience. Saying goodbye to a son or daughter who gave their life in service to our country is one of them.

But today isn’t only about their loss.

It’s about their love.

It’s about the stories they continue to tell. The photographs they proudly share. The traditions they keep alive. The names they continue to say. And the countless ways they make sure the world remembers the person behind the uniform.

Through our work at SEAL Family Legacy, we’ve had the incredible privilege of getting to know Gold Star mothers and families who have opened their hearts to us and trusted us with the stories of the people they love most.

That is something we will never take for granted.

To every Gold Star Mother: your child is remembered. Their service mattered. Their life mattered. Their story matters.

And while we can never fully understand the weight you carry, we can promise to stand beside you, say their names, tell their stories, and help ensure their legacies continue for generations to come.

Today, we honor you, too. ❤️🤍💙

Honor. Remember. Carry the Legacy. 🇺🇸

09/19/2026

A little rain couldn’t stop these amazing athletes!

We had such a great time today at the Quad City Bicycle Club’s Tour of the Heartland! The weather may have been a little soggy, but that didn’t stop these riders from getting out there, putting in the miles, and making the most of the day. 🌧️🚴‍♂️

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who stopped by our table to say hello, learn a little more about SEAL Family Legacy, and hear about the incredible Gold Star families and children we have the honor of supporting.

We’re always grateful for opportunities like this to get out into our community, make new connections, and share our mission. ❤️🤍💙

And a big thank you to the QCBC - Quad Cities Bicycle Club and our friends at Geneseo Brewing Co. for having us and for putting together such a wonderful event!

Rain or shine, the Quad Cities always shows up. 🇺🇸❤️