Marines of any rank or military occupational specialty can come be a rescue swimmer, said Cpl. Kyle B. Smith, one of only three qualified rescue swimmers in the entire Marine Corps, all of whom are assigned to VMR-1. “We have very few qualified crew members right now,” said Smith.

We are volunteers, we created a legal charity that is based 100% on volunteer work and donations, and we receive no funding from any official channels.

Depending on the type of organization and type of pet, adoption fees can range from no fee up to several hundred dollars. Adoption fees help cover the medical care of the animal while he or she waits for a new home, as well as food and transportation costs.

The Dodo has become one of the most popular Facebook publishers, garnering 1 billion video views from the social network in November 2015. The Dodo is headquartered in New York, New York….The Dodo (website)

Izzie Lerer
The Dodo’s founder, Izzie Lerer, is the daughter of Ken Lerer, a well-known media executive and cofounder of The Huffington Post. Her brother, Ben, cofounded Thrillist and now runs Group Nine Media, which in 2016 became the Dodo’s parent company.

VMR-1 constantly tries to entice new Marines and Sailors to join its ranks in order to maintain mission capability, but not everyone has the skills needed to become a search and rescue team member.

Search and rescue missions are high-stress situations that can cause some people to lose their cool. The team with VMR-1 said their training helps them mentally prepare for their missions. “Keeping a clear mind is the most important thing,” said Smith. “If you’re not in the right state of mind, you’re going to start forgetting about safety.