Jay Kopelman

Retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman is the Executive Director of Freedom Is Not Free, a San Diego-based nonprofit that provides financial assistance to wounded veterans and active duty service members and their families, and to the families of veterans who have been killed in action.

Lt. Col. Kopelman began his military career in the US Navy in 1985, training to become a Naval Aviator; he transferred to the Marine Corps in 1992, where he became a forward air controller and earned his gold naval parachutist wings. His last assignment was as the Deputy Director for advisor training at Camp Pendleton.

In 2004, as the Special Operations Forces Liaison Officer for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF), Lt. Col. Kopelman was deployed to Iraq to train the Iraqi Special Forces (SSF). In October, he was assigned as the liaison officer to an Iraqi Army battalion, and they entered Fallujah in November to battle insurgents for control of the city. Subsequently, Lt. Col. Kopelman served as the I MEF liaison officer to a joint special operations task force and as a liaison officer to the Iraqi border forces – the Desert Wolves – at the Syrian and Jordanian borders.

Speaking to audiences about his experience in Iraq, he also addresses his journey of leadership, and his perspectives on current world events, terrorism, and how politics will affect Iraq and the world. Additionally, Kopelman is well versed on the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the resultant casualties of this debilitating and insidious disease. He speaks to these issues, as well as the increasing rates of suicide, substance abuse and homelessness among our veterans and what can be done to help them.

Lt. Col. Kopelman is the San Diego NBC-TV affiliate’s military expert and appears frequently on-air to discuss breaking stories, events and issues of importance to the military and veterans. He has authored two books, The New York Times and international bestselling memoir, From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava; and From Baghdad to America: Life Lessons From a Dog Named Lava. Lt. Col. Kopelman is a sought after radio and television guest, and has appeared on and co-hosted shows on both terrestrial and satellite radio. He serves on the Advisory Board of the Virtual Reality Medical Center, a San Diego-based company with offices in Los Angeles and Palo Alto, CA, that has been using simulation technologies to treat returning combat veterans suffering from PTSD via graded exposure therapy. Lt. Col. Kopelman also serves as a member of the Military Advisory Committee of the G.I. Film Festival, the only film festival in the world dedicated to the armed forces. Lt. Col. Kopelman previously served on the board of directors of the Enduring Freedom Killed in Action Fund. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida. Lt. Col. Kopelman is a competitive bicyclist, racing for the UC Cyclery/JW Floors team in San Diego.