Advocate Spotlight Award - Bazzel Baz
Baz is known as “the Patron Saint for Missing Kids.” He is a former CIA Intelligence Special Operations Group Officer, a Citadel graduate, recipient of the Intelligence Commendation Medal and a former counter-terrorism officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.
In 1993 Baz founded the Association for the Recovery of Children [ARC], organization comprised of former and active intelligence, military, and law enforcement personnel dedicated to the recovery of missing and exploited American children, in foreign and domestic locations.
Baz is well-known globally for his expertise and extraordinary skillset. Author of Terrorism Survival Handbook, he has been called on by CNN and MSNBC as an advisor and spokesperson on the war on Terrorism and Homeland Security. He is also a film and television writer, producer and actor, and is a member of the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild.
Baz travels nationally and internationally working with hundreds of leaders and managers teaching successful leadership principles and providing breakthroughs to successful performance. He is in high demand as a spokesperson among corporate leaders, law enforcement agencies, educational institutes and on network television.
Save 5% when ordering liquor baskets online. Discount code: CIM5
This discount only applies to a maximum of $400 (US) per order. Shipping is available to locations across the U.S. and internationally.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your work?
Saving lives. ARC’s motto is “We don’t come home without the child.” Kids don’t come home until boots are on the ground. It’s not a job, we do it because it’s the right thing to do, and we’ll give our lives to do it. Nothing is impossible when it comes to a child that God loves and wants to find. Because ARC isn’t a law-enforcement agency, it’s a lot more nimble than government and our methods work to rescue children in more effective ways than current local, state, federal and international investigative procedures.
What has been the most challenging aspect of your work?
Fundraising for rescue missions has been the most challenging aspect of our work. ARC is currently working on 40 open cases of abducted or missing children but lacks sufficient funding to rescue them. ARC provides all-encompassing child recovery services at no cost to the custodial guardians and with no salary to its operators. Recovery operations are funded entirely by private donations. The passage of valuable time in fundraising hinders rescue efforts as the child’s circumstances and location can change, and leads can be lost.
What message do you have for your readers?
“If we do not … who will?” Most people spend a lifetime wondering if they’ve made a difference. I don’t have that problem, and I don’t want others to. Awareness is a wonderful thing, but when do we reach the point when we are so aware that we do something about it? If we allow our children to grow up in dysfunctional environments, they will grow up to be dysfunctional adults. When children are trafficked, neglected, abused, exploited, their souls are ripped from their very beings. If you were a child in that situation would you not want to know that someone was coming to save you? Do not shy away from your duty to prevent our children from being exploited in the world. You may look at me and think that’s easy for me to say. But we all have one thing in common, we each have 24 hours in a day. So what are you doing with yours?
Bazzel Baz