What does leadership look like from a faith-based perspective and delivered in a peer to peer fashion? That's the question that will be explored when an Altona area men's group hosts retired Marine Commander Jeremy Stalnecker and Retired Navy SEAL Senior Chief Luis Rivera to share their insight, experience, and testimonies on how to be a better leader. The duo is from Mighty Oaks, which was founded by retired Marine Chad Robichaux, and is a non-profit dedicated to helping veterans, first responders and spouses recover from PTSD.
"It's kind of interesting, and it actually started when I read a book written by Chad Robichaux, who had retired at this point," explained Adam Wiebe, one of the locals organizing the upcoming men's focused leadership sessions April 11th and 12th. "His book is about when the U.S. pulled out of Afghanistan, and how him and his fellow veterans went back in to save the people that were going to be vulnerable. They executed that very successfully, so that's where I learned about them, and he talks about Mighty Oaks in his book."
After the concept of leadership came up repeatedly in the Altona based men's group, that's when Wiebe reached out to Mighty Oaks to see if they could organize something locally.
"They run some leadership programs, and what makes them different than a lot of other organizations, is they are peer-to-peer and they are faith-based," shared Wiebe. "Not only is it important to learn how to lead, but it's also to shore up those who are in leadership. These fellas, after reading the book in particular, you see how leadership works really well that way. These guys can speak to it. They've done it under fire. They've been trained. They also have come back home, and continued to lead themselves and their families out of some pretty dark places."
The Friday, April 11th and Saturday, April 12th men's leadership events will take place over three distinct sessions geared to different parts of the community. Friday evening and Saturday morning at Buhler Hall in Gretna, registration is required because seating is limited, and you can do that here. Saturday afternoon Altona YFC will be hosting a free event beginning at 130pm for young men 12 to 17 years of age. Registration is not required, but Altona YFC is asking you let them know if you are coming. The final event is Saturday night starting at 7pm at Buhler Hall, and is open to the entire community with free rush seating.
Retired Marine Corps Infantry Officer Jeremy Stalnecker and former Navy SEAL Luis Rivera deliver a powerful discussion in their March or Die talk, inspiring men to develop true character and resilience. They explore what character really means—not just reputation, but the inner strength to stand firm in the face of adversity. Drawing from their military experiences and personal struggles, they emphasize how faith, discipline, and perseverance shape a man’s identity. Their conversation will challenge men to lead with integrity, embrace hardship as a path to growth, and march forward with purpose, no matter the obstacles.
