Having responded to disasters since Katrina hit in 2005, Thomas Hudson linked up with Team Rubicon in May, 2011 during their response to the shattering tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri. Having known of Team Rubicon since their initial deployment to the colossal earthquake in Haiti, Hudson shot photographs in Joplin that the Veteran organization used extensively. Recognizing how his camera could be used as a more powerful tool in disaster remediation than his chainsaw, Hudson opted to accompany Team Rubicon on several more deployments to document their advanced, well-coordinated responses to disasters.
"I'm not sure my work is journalism, or even art. It is propaganda, and it is intended to be iconography," says Hudson, "I am not necessarily passionate about photography itself. I am simply pleased to make myself useful to others, and perhaps inspire them, or improve this rock in the process. The camera has become the tool best suited to me for that. The imagery is nothing without the human heart to receive it, or without organizations such as Team Rubicon."
Hudson captured riveting photographs of Team Rubicon's massive response to Hurricane Sandy that spanned from Boston to Washington D.C. While he believes the vets he's working with inspire him to be a better person, it is clear that his photography passes that inspiration to others. His photographs are aimed to provoke viewers to empathize with others and take action to support Team Rubicon's mission to unite the skills and experiences of military veterans with medical professionals to rapidly deploy emergency response teams into crisis situations in conjunction with contributing to the positive reintegration of veterans into civil society post-military service.