Retired Marine Corps Captain Jason Haag is a wounded combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is co-founder and CEO of Leashes of Valor and team captain for The Valor Cup.

For Phil Hebner, The Valor Cup is a home game. The charity golf tournament tees off within walking distance of his home, which is located alongside the second and third holes of the Federal Club Golf Course in Glen Allen, Virginia.

“I pretty much just walk out the door and start playing,” Hebner says. “The clubhouse is maybe a quarter-mile away. It’s very convenient.”

Hebner, 53, joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves in 1989 and left six years later as a corporal. These days he describes himself as “a jack of all trades, master of none.” 

After high school, he spent a year at Old Dominion University in Norfolk but decided he wasn’t ready for college and didn’t have a clear direction in mind for his career. He enlisted in the Marines and was trained to serve as a helicopter crew chief. He deployed in Desert Shield and Desert Storm, serving in support and re-supply roles. 

“It’s an incredible maturing opportunity,” he says. “The level of responsibility you’re given in the military, right out of boot camp, is very high. I was 20 when I got out of boot camp, and at 21 I was the crew chief of a helicopter on a multi-million dollar platform, responsible for the pilots, passengers and cargo during flight operations.”

Chris Herrbach is a proud husband and father of two amazing daughters. He served in the United States Army from 1999 to 2003, rising to the rank of corporal. During his time in the military, he played golf on the All-Army Golf Team. He continued to serve his country as a deputy sheriff and now as an intelligence analyst with the United States Marshals Service.

Chris is a professional golfer with 19 professional wins to his credit. He regained his amateur status in 2012 and still enjoys the competition and peace that competitive golf brings him. He has shot a career low score of 60 twice and has had six hole-in-ones in his career, with the unique statistic of three of those coming on Par 4s. Chris is the current Club Champion at Fawn Lake Country Club in Spotsylvania, VA.

Beyond his achievements in golf, Chris is determined to help veterans and 1st responders deal with the stresses of their careers by creating opportunities for them to connect through golf. He maintains the strong belief that golf can serve as a powerful catalyst for healing, camaraderie, and personal growth. He understands the therapeutic benefits of golf, both mentally and physically, and leverages the sport to create meaningful and impactful experiences for its participants. Chris volunteers as the Director of Golf for the American Heroes Foundation, a non-profit based in Phoenix, Arizona.

Four decades in the military and law enforcement took their toll on Jim Herring. He underwent surgeries to repair his shoulders, knees, hips and elbows. He even had two spinal fusions. 

So it made sense that he would sell his motorcycle. He figured his days of riding a bike were done. Herring kept his golf clubs, though.

“After I play, I have to ice everything,” Herring says. “I put ice on my knees and my elbows and my wrists. But it’s worth it. Golf is my hobby. It’s my thing.”

Herring, 61, grew up in the Richmond area but now lives in Roanoke Rapids, N.C. When he graduated high school in 1979 he didn’t much like the construction work he was doing so he enlisted in the U.S. Army’s military police training center at Fort McClellan, Alabama.

He figured the military would be good for a few years and then he would move into law enforcement. Instead, he made a career out of both — serving in the Chesterfield County, Va., police department for 28 years and deploying to the Middle East several times as a Special Forces reservist before retiring from the Army this summer as a Chief Warrant Officer 5.

His Army decorations include the Bronze Star and Silver Star with Valor, as well as the Purple Heart.

He is still figuring out what will fill his time in retirement, but when Herring looks back he has a clear picture of his life to this point.

“My entire adult life has been spent in service of my country and my community,” he says. “I don’t know any different.”

Troy Taylor Kline was born in March 1994 in the small town of  Granite Bay, California. He was born into a loving family, parents John and Kerry Kline. As an only child, Troy pursued his dreams with relentless determination. His journey began at Del Oro High School, where he excelled physically and academically. After graduating high school in 2012 to pursue a baseball scholarship, Troy decided to join the Army in August 2013. Following Basic Combat Training at Fort Benning, Troy spent the next 10 of his life serving his country as an infantryman with honor.

Troy is happily married to his wife of 6 years, Brittany, with whom he has a beautiful son, Boston Wade Kline. Troy has transitioned out of the Army to start his own business and is the proud owner of Ricochet Custom Golf Carts.

Two months after Sept. 11, 2001, Alvin King left for Afghanistan, eager to make a difference after the unprecedented terror attacks.

It was also personal.

“My first baseball coach was a firefighter and was part of the initial wave to go into the Towers. He didn’t make it out that day,” said King, who lives in Blythewood, South Carolina. “I grew up in Brooklyn and had friends and relatives who are firemen and first responders. My mom also worked in Manhattan, just a few blocks from the Towers.”

King had joined the Army in 1998, beginning a 20-year military career that included deployments twice more to Afghanistan and three times to Iraq in addition to Africa, Jordan, Turkey and Bosnia.

King served as a senior intelligence advisor. That gave him the opportunity to meet local leaders and learn just enough of multiple different languages — Swahili, Dari and Pashto among them — to converse.

Upon retiring as a First Sergeant, King started his own leadership consulting business and founded Range Fore Hope Foundation, a nonprofit that serves the entire veteran community and their families. Like Leashes of Valor, Range Fore Hope focuses on the effects of post-traumatic stress disorders and uses competitive golf as a healing tool.

The foundation’s two annual tournaments, King Fore a Day and Fairways to Freedom, raise funds to offset the costs of free golf instruction. In September, King will host the Inaugural Palmetto State Adaptive Golf Open, a South Carolina statewide adaptive golf tournament.

King learned about the Valor Cup through his own charity work that connected him with Leashes of Valor CEO/Founder Jason Haag and Program Head Chris Bowers.

“We’re very likeminded,” King said. “We’re about helping veterans and their families and want to give back and serve.”

King has also written a book: “Purpose Fulfilled: A Guide to a Life Well Lived.” It’s not an autobiography, he says, but rather a book meant to promote thought. Yet the title is fitting for the Army combat veteran who is inspired to serve in everything he does.

King and his wife, Dina, have been married 24 years. Both of their children are high achievers. Their daughter, Araesia a Temple Law School graduate, is a lawyer in Philadelphia, and their son, Jalen, graduated from Yale University and is applying to medical school. King also raised his brother, Ryan, after their father died abruptly. Ryan is in the Air Force and married with two children.

“There’s so much life going for me,” King said. “It’s been a really cool ride. I’m blessed.”

Michael Lacy retired from the Army in 2015 as a master sergeant after 21 years of active duty service. He was a mechanic for six years and spent the last 15 years as a Green Beret in the U.S. Special Forces. He served two combat tours in Afghanistan, earning two Bronze Stars and Army Commendation Medals with Valor. Michael was severely injured in Afghanistan when his truck was hit by an RPG.

“It was an honor to defend the Afghan people from the Taliban Forces,” he says. “I was also given the opportunity to deploy in the Central and South American Areas of Responsibility, where I took part in hostage recovery and anti-terror and counter-drug missions, resulting in a JSAM and JCOM Awards. Additionally, I’ve had the privilege of attending Ranger School, becoming a jump master, completing Combat Dive and Combat Dive supervisor school, and serving my Special Forces career on dive teams and running a dive training facility.”

Since retirement, Michael has struggled with post-traumatic stress and the effects of his injuries.

“I have found you can’t always pick out all the weeds, but you can always pant more grass,” he says. “I currently invest my time in family, friends, and those in need through golf charities like Leashes of Valor that have helped me build healthier relationships and great memories.”

An Army infantryman, Chris Landeros started playing golf for fun around 2007. He never could have guessed that the game would quite literally save his life a decade later.

In 2017, Landeros experienced leg pain every time he swung his golf club–and it wouldn’t go away for a couple of weeks. “I only had pain when I golfed. It was the only time it bothered me,” he said. 

For six months, he was in and out of doctor’s offices and the emergency room, until finally a doctor ordered an MRI. That’s when they found the source of his pain. Laderos had bone cancer. He was 32 years old. 

“If it hadn’t been for golfing, it probably would have been too late” by the time his cancer was discovered, Landeros said.

He endured eight months of in-patient chemotherapy and two 30-hour surgeries to save his leg, all with the hope of returning to the Army. Although Landeros recovered, “I didn’t recover to the standard of the Army.”

He medically retired after 17 years and went back to golfing as part of recreational therapy. “I’ve put a lot of effort into my swing that can work with my leg and back,” he said. “When I’m golfing, I have no problems. I don’t have PTSD. I’m a healthy regular, person on the golf course. When this team, it’s not just me on my own. Since the Army, I haven’t had that.”

Landeros is also grateful to his wife, who has supported him throughout his journey and who bore the burden of caring for their two children while he underwent treatment. “I have an amazing, supportive wife. She takes care of us.”

John “Sparky” Callaway Little II served in the Air Force from 2007 to 2011 as a Security Forces/Armorer and also spent time working within Central Command (CentCom) and Special Operations Command (SOCOM).

John started playing golf with his father, Joe, on the weekends at Lakewood Golf Course mainly because it backed up to their home. At age 10, he decided to pursue golf and earned golfing mentorship by working in the cart barn and on the driving range at Bull Creek Golf Course. At 14, he met John Godwin, a PGA Master Teaching Professional. Godwin was very influential in helping John become an accomplished junior golfer.

John played college golf at Auburn University and Georgia State University before joining the military. In 2008, John continued his golf career while serving in the Air Force, winning the USAF golf trials in 2008 and the Armed Forces Championship in 2009. John went on to represent the USA in 2008 and 2009 at the CISM (World Military Games), earning two gold medals as a member of Team USA.

In 2010, John was given a sponsor for an invite to play in the PGA Tours Valero Texas Open. “It was an experience like no other, like living in a dream for a week: courtesy cars and private locker rooms are along way away from dorm rooms, barracks, and Humvees.”

Today, he enjoys golfing as leisure and playing in veteran charity events including those that benefit veteran-owned businesses and ensure veterans have access to health care benefits such as service animals. Currently, John is vice president of operations at ATMCentral. He is the father of two boys, 13-year-old Tripp and 8-year-old Lennon.

The theme of David Mansberger’s life has always been serving America’s military, loving God, and loving his family. Growing up with a grandfather and father who served in the Navy, it was no surprise when Mansberger enlisted after high school. He served as a Radioman on the USS Mullinnix during the Iranian Hostage Crisis in the Persian Gulf. During his enlistment in the Navy, he saw a real need for Chaplains and how they serve military members. He completed college and seminary and became a United States Air Force Chaplain. For the next thirty years, Mansberger’s mission was to be a “servant leader.” He deployed five times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

“It was an honor to serve and care for my Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsman all around the world,” he says. Mansberger finished his Air Force career in the honorable position of Senior Chaplain at Arlington National Cemetery.

“I have played golf in many places strictly for pleasure and building relationships. Since I retired in 2019, I have taken it more seriously and started working on skills and course management in ways I never really had time prior to retirement. I truly enjoy the fellowship, challenge, and time with others playing golf.”

Dealing with cancer and a rebuilt left shoulder, Mansberger has found a sport he can relate to. “Every round of golf is different – temperature, wind, the course, the swing, the greens. Each round holds its own challenges, as does each day dealing with the impacts of cancer. I am thrilled and honored to be part of this years Valor Cup team.”

Along with God and Country, the love of his life is Angel. They are celebrating their 30th year of marriage. “We have been blessed and continue to do what we can to help other Veterans and help bridge the gap between military veterans and the civilian world. Our goal is to serve where we are planted.” Mansberger has two adult sons, Jacob, who serves as a Navy IT on the USS America, and Jonathan, a PGA Professional, who has a degree in Professional Golf Management.

“Golf is a sport our family of four can all participate in and find joy (and a little competition) now and then!”

In 1988, Scott McDonough was a college dropout tending bar in South Florida and starting to feel burnt out from the long, late hours. That’s when he decided to join a couple of his friends who were enlisting in the U.S. Army.

“It was really just an impulsive thing,” McDonough says. “I wanted to do something different and I figured it was worth a shot. And, well … 26 years later …”

Twenty-six years later he retired from the Army as a Master Sergeant with a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. He deployed seven times, including four deployments to Afghanistan and one to Iraq, and earned two Bronze Stars, a Legion of Merit and many other medals and awards.

Much of his work with the Army was as a career counselor, working on retention and re-enlistment. It wasn’t hard for him to find motivation for those sales pitches, considering the effect the Army had on his own life.

“It settled me down and matured me right away,” McDonough says. “It showed me how to become a leader. In the Army, you either become a leader or it doesn’t work out — it’s up or out. It gave me a lot of drive.”

Today McDonough, 59, is a civilian with the Army, working as a program manager for the 1st Special Forces Command Foreign Language training division. 

Growing up in Alabama, Thomas Robinson played every sport he could think of and was a good enough student. But when he graduated high school and enrolled in college, he figured out pretty quickly it wasn’t for him.

More or less on a whim, he enlisted in the military. When the recruiter asked him why he wanted to join he said he wanted a job he could do outdoors. The Army assigned him to an infantry division.

And, quite simply, it worked.

“After a while, it was almost too easy,” Robinson says. “Everything is told to you, and you do what you’re told. Be at the right place at the right time in the right uniform and call everyone by their rank. What could be simpler than that?”

Robinson, 40, spent more than 20 years in the service, deploying to Afghanistan and twice to Iraq. He spent the past decade at Fort Bragg, and when he retired this summer as a sergeant 1st class, he decided to stay in nearby Hope Mills, N.C.

A few years into his time at Fort Bragg, Robinson began playing golf with some friends who started getting him out on the course more regularly. He took a liking to it, and today he is enrolled at Methodist University’s PGA Golf Management program.

“In a few years I’d like to be a teaching pro or a director of golf,” he says. “I enjoy the game enough that I’d really like to get into the business.”

Nicholas Thom had never seen anyone like him play golf before. Then he met Leashes of Valor Program Director Chris Bowers. 

Thom lost both legs during an IED explosion when his unit, Charlie Company, 1st Batallion, 2nd Marines, was deployed to Musa Qala, Afghanistan in 2019. He also lost three fingers and eight inches of the ulna bone in his right arm.

Chris Bowers is a fellow Marine veteran who lost his left leg following a combat injury in Iraq. Thom credits Chris for giving him the gift of competing on the golf course again. Chris is like a planet, Thom said. “He makes people come and orbit around him.” 

Thom calls himself “very fortunate.” A medical vehicle with a unit surgeon was already en route on the day of the accident. Thom spent the next three years as an inpatient/outpatient at Walter Reed National Naval Medical Center. During a retreat there, he met Bowers.

Prior to that, Thom had only played golf using a Para Golfer. Bowers convinced him he could play standing on prosthetics. “From then on, I’ve played standing up; it helps with my confidence and walking,” Thom said. “When it comes to walking on prosthetics, golf is the best form of physical therapy in my opinion. Keeping balance while swinging the club, as well as traversing different angles and elevations, really give you an appreciation for flat ground.”

Thom’s 4-year-old son, Waylon, also keeps him grounded. Golf is something they do together. “He’ll concentrate for four or five holes and then the rest of the time he’s running around in the fairway screaming,” Thom said.

Thom looks forward to playing in the Valor Cup for the competition and camaraderie. “I think a lot of guys who train in a team format and operate as a team miss that when they leave the military,” he said. “They miss being part of something bigger than themselves. I’m looking forward to that, and of course, good golf, too.”

Owen served in the Army as an Infantryman from 2011 to 2021, earning the rank of staff sergeant. He served two combat tours in Afghanistan. He also deployed to South Korea, Poland, Estonia, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Lithuania. He lives in North Carolina where he currently attends Methodist University in the PGM program while in his pursuit of becoming a PGA Professional.

Chris Bowers enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in September of 2003. Chris was injured in Iraq in 2008, which resulted in the amputation of his left leg, a severely injured back, and a Traumatic Brain Injury. After years of physical rehabilitation, countless surgeries and procedures, Chris retired from the United States Marine Corps in November 2011.

The game of golf was key to Chris’ recovery. Having never played the game, Chris was eager to learn and grow both physically and mentally. His golfing journey led him to sit on two Board of Directors for national non profits, in an effort to help as many brothers and sisters as he could. Chris found his home with Leashes of Valor in 2021, and now serves as Programs Director, and the Valor Cup Tournament Director.

“I am incredibly humbled and honored to be a part of this team. I’ve never seen a more dedicated group of people, working together to change the lives of our wounded a disabled veterans.”