Meet Our Authors
Tactical 16 Publishing is dedicated to serving active, inactive and retired United States military armed forces authors, along with their family members, military-affiliated writers and first responders. We serve those who have served our country.
Meet Our Authors

Andrew Och
Author - Unusual for Their Time
Andrew Och is the author of Unusual for Their Time: On the Road with America’s First Ladies (Volume One & Volume Two). He is an award-winning television and multimedia producer who has traveled the world with his pen, paper, and camera.
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Andrew spent over a year traveling to nearly every location that helped tell the stories of every First Lady of the United States of America for the C-SPAN series – “First Ladies: Influence and Image.” He covered Martha Washington through Michelle Obama and visited with people and places all across the country. From Colonial Williamsburg to Stanford University, he was given an ALL ACCESS – BACKSTAGE PASS to some of the nation’s most treasured collections and historical landmarks. He spent time in libraries and museums – homes and schools – birthplaces and cemeteries – train stations and churches. No stone was left unturned, nor door left unlocked, in his unique and historical journey to learn everything he could about these women before, during and after their time in the White House. His research and travels continue with current First Lady Melania Trump.
Historians, archivists, educators, and enthusiasts agree – Och’s books, First Ladies Man project, and travels put him in a small and rare group of people. He is responsible for one of the most vast and complete collections of material and information about this unique sorority of women ever assembled. He IS the First Ladies Man, and he is excited to share the stories of his adventures.

Chris Hernandez
Author - Safe From the War
Chris Hernandez is a 23 year police officer, former Marine and and retired National Guard soldier with over 25 years of military service. He is a combat veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan and also served 18 months as a United Nations police officer in Kosovo.
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Chris says, “In the military I’ve never been a special anything; I’m just a regular Joe, and I write about regular Joes. My novels stick as close to reality as possible”.

Chris Schafer
Author - Intrepid Professionals
Chris is a 25+ year U.S. Army retired veteran and spent much of his military career on 3rd Special Forces Operational Detachments Alpha (ODA) teams.
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David W. Peters
Author - Death Letter

Erik Shaw
Author
Erik is a 13-year Bronze Star awarded Army Veteran with multiple deployments around the globe. In 2012, prior to an Afghanistan deployment, he launched Tactical 16 and, with the help of a few friends, put Tactical 16 on the National stage almost immediately.
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Erik and the Tactical 16 team continue to be highly respected in media and entertainment circles worldwide. Under Erik’s guidance, Tactical 16 managed to put stories that would have never been told into print and on to bookshelves. All while providing a mental outlet that was a proven success and became a staple of the Tactical 16 brand.
In 2018, Erik handed over the reins of Tactical 16 to Chris Schafer in order to focus on other opportunities but remains a mainstay on the national media circuit and continues to work with Chris to promote and create opportunities for future writers that may feel like they don’t have a voice.
Erik currently resides in Colorado Springs with his wife Kristen and daughter Kayla. Erik is an active advisor to new entrepreneurs, social media influencer and continues to work within the Veteran community to raise awareness of today’s veterans’ issues.

JP Lane
Author - Walking Again
Justin “JP” Lane joined the U.S. Army in 2008 at the age of 20 years old. Like most young men after watching the Twin Towers fall in 2001, JP knew he wanted to join the military when he was old enough to do so.
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JP will tell you he joined the Army to serve and protect the American people, and by the grace of God, he still does. He promotes post-traumatic growth to combat wounded veterans and others across the country, helping them build a mindset to ‘never give up, never surrender’.
JP is an inspirational speaker and performer of music. His journey of faith, determination, and love of life is inspiring.

Julia A. Maki
Author - What The Don't Teach You in Deer River
Julia A. Maki grew up in Deer River, Minnesota and enlisted in the Navy as an Aviation Warfare Systems Operator aboard P-3Cs. After the Navy, Julia settled in Maryland with her husband where they both ended up working for the Department of Defense as civilians.
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Her first book, My Mom Hunts Submarines, was Julia’s way of telling her children about what she did while in the Navy with the underlying message, “You can do anything!” Her second book, All Hands on Deck! Dad’s Coming Home!, was inspired by her sister’s job in the Navy aboard the USS Stennis. It is a book for children that have parents that are deployed in the military.
Still My Dad was written for children with parents that are wounded veterans, but can be enjoyed by anyone facing a disability. From the Sky was inspired by the amazing things she saw while flying all over the world. Finally, her memoir, What They Don’t Teach You in Deer River, is a collection of funny stories and life lessons from her time as a young aircrewman in the Navy.
Julia is now in the DC Air National Guard. When she is not writing, raising a family, or working, she finds her passion in volunteering for organizations supporting veterans.

Justin Jordan
Author - And Then I Cried
At 19 Justin left Henderson, KY and enlisted in the United States Air Force, during his 20 years of service he held a variety of different jobs, everything from Cook to Combat Readiness Instructor.
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For nearly 6 years he spent his time, performing human remains inspections, uniforming the deceased, organizing military escorts, arranging for burial with honors and consoling grieving families. Justin also managed Combat Mortuary Operations at two separate deployed locations.
In late 2012 Justin decided to share his story in the book, And Then I Cried, Stories of a Mortuary NCO. His hope was that his story could help others struggling with PTSD. He is also an accomplished artist and his works can be seen hanging on the walls of the Pentagon in the Healing Arts Display. In 2013 Justin was Medically Retired from the Air Force with 20 years of service.
After retirement, Justin continued his advocacy and worked with The Air Force Wounded Warrior Program where he managed the Ambassador Program. He was responsible for teaching seriously injured or ill Airman how to tell and share their stories of recovery with audience’s worldwide, during his tenure there he trained over 55 Warriors and briefed over 30,000 Airman ranging from Airman to Four Star General.
Justin now works at Warriors Heart the country’s only dual diagnosis drug and alcohol treatment center that works exclusively with Military, Veterans and First Responders suffering from chemical dependency and psychological injuries such as PTSD and TBI.
Justin has been featured on CMT’s “I Love Kellie Pickler” and has been a guest on over 200 radio shows nationwide. In 2015, he was awarded the American Solider Networks Hero Service Award for his work helping veterans in need.
Justin has only one wish, if his work inspires you, do something about it, live beyond PTSD, live with purpose and find your voice.

Matt Richardson
Author - Tomorrow's Yesterdays
Richardson is a captain in the U.S. Air Force and a 2012 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA). He currently works with cadets in the honor department at the USAFA. He was born in Eureka, Calif., but calls Adair Village, Ore. his home.
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Otis McGregor
Author - Enable Your Team's Success
Otis McGregor has provided executive level training, business development support and guidance to clients since starting his company, LTO Enterprises, LLC, nine years ago. His processes and techniques are based on over 30 years of military, commercial and coaching success.
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After retiring from the military, he helped both large and small firms build their companies and led multi- million-dollar programs for the government. He has been a certified professional coach and project trainer since 2017.

Pam Saulsby
Author - Ashley's High Five For Daddy
Pam Saulsby is an experienced journalist, word architect, communications strategist, digital storyteller, dynamic speaker, engaging interviewer, and music artist.
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She has been recognized nationally and locally for excellence in Journalism, having received three regional Emmy Awards, and one National Emmy award. She has twice been honored with the Presidential Award for Volunteerism. Pam was named one of the top Women in Business in The Triangle Area. She was recognized by the state of North Carolina and honored with a Woman of the Year Award in Business.
Pam has recorded two albums. Her most recent “Holding It Down” is a collection of tunes that salute the troops. She is donating a portion of the sales of the music album to Fort Bragg Fisher House. It is a home away from home for families whose loved ones are being treated at Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg. Among her proudest achievements is the publication of her children’s book on PTSD. Pam wrote Ashley’s High Five for Daddy to explain PTSD to younger children. An Army brat herself, she hopes the project can help military families who may be struggling with mental health issues.
She has served as a fundraiser, strategic media advisor and board member for numerous nonprofit organizations over the last two decades. She is a former board member of The Komen-Triangle Race for the Cure. For 3 years Pam worked with community and civic leaders to create the Oak Ranch Project, which is a home community for at-risk boys and girls. She served as an advisor to Family Health Ministries dedicated to maternal and child health in Haiti. Using her instinct, grit, and heart as her GPS, Saulsby’s new career path is fast-paced and in constant motion.
She is considered a thought leader, passionately involved in putting facts in context and exploring the implications of current trends and policies that guide all of our choices and actions. To Saulsby, the old saying is still true: knowledge is power. She lives in Washington, DC.

Robert J. Dvorchak
Author - Drive On
Prior to joining the team at Tactical 16, Robert J. Dvorchak worked as a journalist for nearly 50 years, including eight years as a New York City-based national writer for The Associated Press.
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A 1972 graduate of California (PA) University with a degree in English literature, he has covered such stories as the original outbreak of Legionnaires Disease in Philadelphia, the Three Mile Island nuclear accident, the earthquake in San Francisco that disrupted the 1989 World Series, the Jeffrey Dahmer serial killings, the first World Trade Center bombing, the Oklahoma City bombing, three Super Bowls, two Stanley Cup finals and two World Series.
He has also authored four books, including a Korean War history entitled Battle For Korea and Game Over about the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State.
Born in 1949 in Uniontown, Pa., he was inducted into the inaugural class of the Uniontown Area High School Hall of Fame in 2013. Currently an independent media consultant and public speaker who advocates on behalf of veterans, he has taught several courses at the University of Pittsburgh. A resident of the Pittsburgh suburb of Penn Hills, he is married with two daughters and five granddaughters.

Scott J. Casey
Author - Ghostkeepers
Scott Casey is a ten-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces. He is a veteran’s advocate and performs speaking engagements about PTSD. He has worked for the past six years with, and is now the President of, Military Minds Inc., a global, not-for-profit organization which assists veterans, first responders and their families dealing with homecoming and PTSD.
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He lives near Kamloops, B.C. where he enjoys fishing, riding his motorcycle, and shooting sports.

Tim "TK" Klund
Author - Stop Whining, Start Winning
Tim Klund is an Air Force Veteran, Corporate Executive with Fortune 500 Experience, Author, Entrepreneur and Professional Speaker. He is one of the most connected individuals you could meet.
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TK has over fifteen years of corporate executive level leadership; he is a leading expert in helping with corporate strategy and team building. He is a professional speaker and Peak Performance Group coach that works with corporations and sports teams regarding; leadership, team motivation, corporate strategy.
Corporations and start up businesses retain TK’s service’s to help them strategically get introduced to relationships in the corporate and sporting world they need to succeed but would not have access to do so without his introductions and help.
TK served honorably in the United States Air Force and works with; as well as being a board member, for several charities across the United States to help in raising monies for their foundations to help veterans.
Some of the foundations he enjoys working with: Lone Survivor Foundation, Hounds and Heroes, Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Tom Petitmermet
Author - Pretzel 06
48 years ago, Tom Petitmermet was assigned as a FAC in Southeast Asia. This book tries to recall the many “war stories” that occurred during that one-year tour and attempts to answer the question from his grandchildren; “What did you do in the war Grandpa?”
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Therese Agnes Hughes
Author - In A Heart Beat
In her debut book, In a Heartbeat, Hughes features 113 women veterans serving in all of the U.S. military branches from WWII to more recent times, weaving a memorable story through moving photos and quotes. Hughes, a long-time advocate of women’s issues, particularly our national population of women veterans, has spent many years passionately fighting for increased healthcare access for women.

Jon Hinderliter
Author - The Death of Content as King
Jon Hinderliter is the Director of Marketing and Communications for University College at Washington University in St. Louis where he manages integrated marketing strategies to help adult learners experience the impact of earning a world-class education.
Author’s Page
Jon is a veteran, who retired in 2018 after 20 years from the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve with four years of active duty service after 9/11.Read More

Judy Littlefield
Author - The Other Man Down: A Mother's Journey After the ‘American Sniper’ Tragedy
Littlefield’s account begins in 2013 after her son, Chad Littlefield, and his friend former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle were gunned down by Eddie Ray Routh at a Texas shooting range. Kyle was well known for his autobiography and film, “American Sniper.” Chad raised in a small town, was a husband, father, and American patriot. Buy The Other Man Down now:Read more

William Bonk
Author - Exposure: Surviving Historical Ft McClellan
William Bonk is a licensed private investigator, a retired supervisory criminal investigator and a former U.S. Army military police trainee who trained at Fort McClellan (FMC) in Alabama.
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Buy Exposure now:
https://shop.aer.io/tactical_16/p/Exposure/9781943226511-8314?collection=/0

Leah Anaya
Author - Policeman Daddy
Leah Anaya currently works as a staff writer at Law Enforcement Today and is a peer advocate and peer spousal support advocate for the Wounded Blue and Serve and Protect, two non-profit first-responder organizations serving police officers, their families, and police departments nationwide.
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Buy Policeman Daddy now: https://shop.aer.io/tactical_16/p/Police_Man_Daddy/9781943226450-8314?collection=/0

Bruce Lauer
Author - Million Dollar Bronze Star: A Soldier’s Story of Corruption and Debauchery in Vietnam
Bruce Lauer currently serves as vice chairman of Cushman & Wakefield, a global real estate firm. He has also served in many leadership roles throughout Florida, including adjunct professor at the Florida International University in Miami, a board member and secretary for Morton Plant Mease Hospital Foundation, and a board of directors’ member for the Outback Bowl.
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Buy Million Dollar Bronze Star now:https://shop.aer.io/tactical_16/p/Million_Dollar_Bronze_Star_A_Soliders_Story_of_Cor/9781943226436-8314?collection=/0
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Some of our books may be exclusively available on Amazon