When Rick Lipsey began his medical battle with the Amyotrophic lateral disease, his friends formed Rick’s Raiders as his support group. 

According to the ALS, between five to six thousand Americans  like Lipsey, a retired Air Force colonel, are diagnosed with the ailment.  is a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. ALS causes loss of muscle control. The disease gets worse over time. 

Chris Cook, one of the leaders behind the Rick’s Raiders movement, says that veterans are subject to ALS at twice the rate of others. 

Rick’s Raiders will join others for the Oct. 11 ALS Association Walk at Northwest Vista College.  The walk will begin at 8 a.m. 

Cook said veterans and their families with ALS have a local support group to help them find resources to aid them in their treatment. 

The South Texas ALS Veterans Coalition Support Group meets on the second Tuesday every month from 10:30 a.m. to noon at VelocityTX. 

Veterans who want to find more information should purchase “The ALS Express.”  Juan Reyes, another veteran with ALS, wrote the book.  It’s available at this Amazon site.