​Bryant Livingston, a federal employee with 25 years of experience, is an account technician at the VA Hospital in Salem, Virginia, and a human resources specialist for VISN 6, the Veterans Administration Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network. A military veteran, Bryant Livingston was deployed in the Iraq, Somalia, and Haiti conflicts. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling and sports such as football, tennis, and basketball. He also coached girls' basketball.

Basketball coaches should be skilled in teaching players offensive and defensive skills crucial for winning games. One such skill is the crossover dribble, which lets players bypass defenders. To perform this maneuver, a player dribbles the ball in one hand and then the other while approaching the opponent's basket to get defenders on the move. The player then fakes a large step toward one direction before rapidly changing direction to throw off defenders.

The crossover dribble in basketball has versatile applications beyond evading defenders, such as creating passing or shooting opportunities. Coaches can help players master this technique by teaching them to maintain balance, keep the body stable while manipulating the ball, and let them practice ball-handling drills. Proficiency in the crossover dribble can boost players' offensive prowess and overall performance.

​Bryant Livingston is a longtime Roanoke, Virginia, professional who delivers account technician services at the VA Hospital. With an extensive background in athletics, Bryant Livingston competed in semi-professional football for three years in Germany, and he has a knowledge of offense strategy on the gridiron.

Beyond the pass, one of the secondary weapons in a football team’s arsenal is having a quarterback (QB) able to scramble out of trouble and run for positive yardage. Often, this happens at the end of broken passing plays, but sometimes, it is designed as an option in the play itself.

A classic formation that enables the quarterback to run is the “shotgun,” which lengthens the QB’s position in the offensive backfield and gives him space to maneuver and find an open pocket. Typically run with a zone defense, the shotgun may feature the offensive tackle pivoting and blocking downfield. The quarterback can use this blocker as a gauge of where an attack is coming from and use his interior protection to run up the interior seam.

The QB’s primary focus will typically be on the tight end, who caps the offensive line. Should the end elect to remain in a traditional formation and provide the quarterback with maximum protection, the QB has the option of either a short pass or pitch of the ball to the running back outside the formation. If the tight end elects to cut wide, the QB takes this as a cue, as this provides spacing and protection for him to run the ball upfield.

​Based in Roanoke, Virginia, Bryant Livingston serves as a VA Hospital account technician. A US Armed Forces veteran himself with experience in theaters such as Somalia and Iraq, Bryant Livingston has a strong interest in programs that assist vets with disabilities.

A number of laws underpin such assistance, beginning with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), created by the Veterans Benefits Act of 1957. Ensuring that eligible veterans receive fair compensation for injuries and disease sustained in service to the nation, the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) handles disability claims and evaluates eligibility for benefits, including healthcare. On their part, veterans need to demonstrate that the medical condition they live with has been caused, or aggravated, by their time in service.

Such qualification is termed “service connection” and is not limited to injuries sustained while on active duty, such as a lost limb. A number of physical and mental issues may arise years or decades after service. These can be the result of exposure to Agent Orange and other harmful herbicides, as well as asbestos on naval ships, firefighting foams, and ionizing radiation.

Toxic exposures were covered in the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act. Passed by Congress in 2022, the bill spans in excess of 20 presumptive disabilities and represents one of the largest expansions of healthcare and benefits in VA history.

​A veteran of three military campaigns, Bryant Livingston is an account technical with the VA Hospital in Roanoke, Virginia. When he is not assessing VA accounts and their financial policy classifications, Bryant Livingston enjoys staying physically active by playing tennis.

The sport of tennis features a number of advanced shots, including the lob. Tennis players can implement two distinct types of lobs into their gameplan. The first lob is the basic lob, which is generally used as a defensive tactic. Players can hit a lob by opening their racket face, or adjusting their grip so the face of the racket is directed more toward the sky, as opposed to the opposite side of the court. Contacting the ball in this manner will result in a high, arcing shot. As the ball travels further up, players have time to regain their footing and prepare for the next shot. However, if a basic lob is not hit with enough depth, the altitude also gives opponents time to set up for their shot, which is often an easy overhead slam.

Players can improve their lob game with the topspin lob. While the topspin lob can be used in defensive situations, it can also be an offensive weapon. Instead of opening the racket face, players close the racket face and strike the ball as they would a forehand or backhand shot. By applying topspin, players afford themselves greater margin for error, hitting the ball higher, faster, and deeper into the opposing court. This is the perfect tactic for disrupting a serve-and volley-player, or as a follow up after drawing an opponent into the net with a drop shot.

​Bryant Livingston is a Virginia entrepreneur who serves as account technician with the VA Hospital in Roanoke. Possessing a background with the US military, Bryant Livingston was deployed to campaigns in Haiti, Iraq, and Somalia.

The US was involved with Somalia as part of an international peacekeeping and humanitarian effort in the early 1990s. It started with Operation PROVIDE RELIEF, which involved airlifts of food from Kenya to Somalia’s famine-ravaged interior in August 1992. This was envisioned as a way of avoiding contested roads and ports and delivering supplies without American boots on the ground. Unfortunately, warring political factions and marauding gangs took many of the supplies and used them as strategic bargaining chips while targeting international organizations.

With the situation spiraling out of control, the military launched Operation RESTORE HOPE in December 1992. Navy Seals arrived in Mogadishu by helicopter and a total of 25,000 troops were sent in to restore order. Unfortunately, mayhem continued to plague the capital city and beyond, and President Bill Clinton eventually ordered a drawback of troops. The remaining 1,200 American combat soldiers, accompanied by an international peacekeeping force, focused on targeting the warlord Muhammed Farah Aydid, whom they blamed for the turmoil.

On October 3, 1993, US-led forces staged a raid on the Olympic Hotel in Mogadishu, where they believed that Aydid and top lieutenants were meeting. Unfortunately, several mishaps occurred, resulting in the shooting down of two Black Hawk helicopters, with US soldiers becoming trapped by Somali fighters who filled the streets. Continuous fighting over 17 hours led to the loss of 18 US soldiers, with 84 more wounded. While the mission was technically a success (in that a number of Aydid’s highly placed associates were captured), the cost in lives led to a rapid end of the operation. The US troops left, followed by the UN troops within a year. Meanwhile, clan warfare continued in Somalia without letup.

​Bryant Livingston is a Roanoke, Virginia, professional responsible for managing accounts at the VA Hospital. A sports enthusiast, Bryant Livingston has experience playing semi-professional football and has also coached basketball.

One of the vital short-range basketball moves on offense is the layup. This versatile, high-percentage move involves a one-handed shot at the basketball hoop. Teams often stack their tallest and best defenders in the paint to block such shots and take away the layup option.

An important facet of drilling layups involves practicing both left-handed and right-handed approaches to the basket. In addition to the standard overhead layup, which is aimed at the corner of the backboard’s painted box, players practice an underhanded layup, with the ball rolling off the tips of the fingers on breakaway moves.

When facing taller athletes, the floater also comes to play, with the player not aiming for the backboard, but rather pushing the ball up such that it arcs just over the opponents’ reach. This requires a soft touch, such that the ball settles squarely on the top of the rim, dropping through. There are also variations to these moves, such as the reverse layup, which seeks to surprise the defender by switching up the angle of attack close to the rim.

​Bryant Livingston is a military veteran with 25 years of federal service. Since December 1, 2021, Bryant Livingston joined VA Hospital in Roanoke, Virginia, as an accountant technician. One of his roles is to process obligations and payments with the help of various software applications.

Software applications are essential tools in medical facilities as they help to improve efficiency, accuracy, and patient outcomes. Healthcare facilities can utilize these technologies to handle complex administrative and financial tasks that can be challenging when performed manually. They can store and manage electronic medical records, enabling real-time access to information.

A good example is using software applications for scheduling, service delivery, patient communications, and billing. A good software application helps streamline workflow and simplifies the tasks involved. For instance, healthcare facilities can automate patient check-in and check-out using software to ensure patients receive care within a limited time. It also makes it possible to show the status of every task transparently. Furthermore, besides helping with the day-to-day operations, the software applications help a medical facility comply with medical standards. This is possible using payment card industry (PCI) compliant systems, offering online employee training, and securing cloud data backup.

​Based in Roanoke, Virginia, Bryant Livingston earned his AA in 2019 from Virginia Western Community College and is an accountant technician at Roanoke’s VA Hospital. Bryant Livingston also has 25 years of federal service and supports the Disabled Veterans National Foundation.

The Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) is a Maryland-based nonprofit that provides essential support to disabled and at-risk veterans dealing with physical or psychological injuries. Formed in 2007, the organization was created to fill gaps in veteran services which the Department of Veterans Affairs was unable to adequately address.

DVNF has since put in place various programs to support the physical and mental wellness of veterans, among which is its Health and Comfort Program. This initiative helps to expand the organization’s reach into veteran communities. It provides aid to disabled veterans and those of low income through its signature Comfort Kits, which include vital health and hygiene items as well as clothing. The kits generally contain soaps and shampoos, toothbrushes, and basic first-aid items.

The Health and Comfort Program has also recently created the signature women’s kits. These serve to supplement the regular Comfort Kits, containing feminine hygiene items that are often too expensive to obtain for women in financially trying circumstances.

​A decorated war veteran who served in Somalia, Haiti, and Iraq, Bryant Livingston is the accounting technician and purchasing agent at Salem VA Medical Center in Roanoke, Virginia. In addition to his work, Bryant Livingston is a member of several organizations, including Disabled American Veterans (DAV).

Established in 1920, DAV runs programs to improve the quality of life of veterans and their families. The initiatives ensure that veterans can access the available benefits and lobby and advocate for their rights in Congress, the White House, the judiciary, and the local governments.

DAV also educates the public on the requirements for veterans to transition to civilian life with respect and dignity and encourages active engagement through volunteering and fundraising opportunities. One notable event is the Victories for Veterans Challenge. The event invites community members, whether individuals or teams, to undertake a challenge and raise funds while at it. The options include yoga, hiking, swimming, and racing. Proceeds from the challenge help fund DAV programs.

​With over 25 years of service in the federal government, Bryant Livingston now works at the Salem, Virginia, Veterans Administration hospital as an accounts technician. He oversees the purchasing and tracking of medical orders in the central finance office. Bryant Livingston also served in the armed forces, with tours in Somalia, Haiti, and Iraq, and contributes to a variety of disabled veterans’ organizations.

Formed in 1920, the Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) support those whose military service has left them with disabilities. The foundation uses several programs to pursue this mission, including mental health and wellness support, capacity-building grants, and assistance to the homeless.

The DVNF also puts on several events and activities as a recreational avenue for the veterans, raises funds, and provides an opportunity to interact and mingle with the community. Notable examples are the Pike’s Peak Mission Possible cycling event, Grab & Go, and the Health and Comfort Program. DVNF has also partnered with the leading employers in America through a National Job Board. This platform offers resources, advice, and opportunities for a career change, onboarding, support, and paths to success for disabled veterans.