Nate Boyer went from Special Forces to play in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks. After separating from two high octane careers, Boyer knows firsthand the struggle many veterans have with transition. He talked about his new film “MVP” which documents the origin story of Merging Vets and Players, an organization that helps combat vets and pro athletes overcome depression in order to find a new purpose driven life. This powerful film also features cameos from NFL Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez, Michael Strahan, Howie Long and an incredible performance by Mo McCrae. Watch it now on iTunes Prime Video, Verizon, Google Play, DirecTV, Microsoft Movies, and more! https://filmrise.com/film/mvp Vets and Bourbon Retired Army Captain Mary Tobin is being recognized by Evan Williams bourbon as an American-Made Hero. We talked with her about her time in combat and how the organization she now leads makes a difference in cities around the country. https://american-madeheroes.com/ From the Army to College Professor Army veteran Dr. James Wyatt is a University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) English professor living in Japan. He shares his journey from serving during the Vietnam era to helping service members pursue their college degree. https://www.umgc.edu/

Before he was the legendary guitarist for The Eagles, Joe Walsh lost his father who served as an Air Force pilot. That’s one of the reasons he founded “VetsAid” the annual concert that raises millions for vets and veteran services.  This year’s VetsAid salutes Ohio vets with bands from there. Featured guests include a reunion of Walsh’s former band The James Gang plus Nine Inch Nails, The Black Keys, Dave Grohl and The Breeders.  We also talked about his memories of Ohio and his time at Kent State University. To stream the show and make a donation check out VetsAid 2022 here: https://www.vetsaid.org/vetsaid-ohio The Best Cities for Veterans Wallet Hub dot com recently ranked the Best Cities in America for Veterans to live, and analyst Jill Gonzalez shared details about the best and worst on the list. See the full report here https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-cities-for-veterans/8156 The Best College Majors for Veterans For many military veterans, starting a new career often begins with pursuing a college degree. Air Force veteran Will Stevens has been there.  And now he’s the Associate Director of Enrollment for UMGC in Asia and he has some great advice for vets.  Check out everything UMGC has to offer here: https://www.umgc.edu/ https://workingnation.com/ https://www.jdogjunkremoval.com/ https://www.sba.gov/

Every November we recognize National Veteran Small Business Week, So we talked with three experts about how to turn your business dreams into reality. Joan Lynch, former ESPN executive and Head of Working Nation.com talks about hot job categories and vets who have found success. Army veteran and founder of J-Dog Junk removal, Jerry Flanagan, shares how he went from a Jeep and a trailer to franchises nationwide. Army veteran Larry Stubblefield, Head Veteran Development for the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) explains how the SBA can help veterans with business plans, expert guidance and getting the funds needed to go from brainstorming to starting a successful business. Check out our guests at the following links: https://workingnation.com/ https://www.jdogjunkremoval.com/ https://www.sba.gov/

Rod Rodriguez is an Army veteran and host of the podcast “Military Matters” for Stars and Stripes military news. He recently documented vets trying to rebuild their lives after being ravaged by Hurricane Ian.  The audio clips he shares capture their raw emotions and vivid descriptions of being inside a mobile home as it was severed in half. Also, we examine the similarity for veterans between war zones and volunteering. And what all of us can do to help make a difference. Hear the Military Matters podcast here:   https://www.stripes.com/multimedia/podcasts/military_matters/

Right now, there are literally thousands of job openings for veterans!  We talked with former Army Secretary and Task Force Movement, Chairman, Patrick J Murphy about a new partnership with Military Hire dot com.  This public-private partnership looks to solve America’s supply chain problem with free CDL scholarships and cyber security jobs for vets. We also talked about his interesting history with Philly sports...Let’s go birds! Find out more about these high paying jobs at https://www.militaryhire.com/.

At the height of the Vietnam War, John "Chick" Donohue snuck into combat zones, just to bring his buddies beer! This insane but true story is captured in the book "The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty & War" and we had the honor of talking with the Marine Corps veteran, merchant marine and beer run legend himself.  https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Beer-Run-Ever-Friendship/dp/0062995464 

“The Greatest Beer Run Ever” is the story of how Marine Corps veteran and merchant marine John “Chick” Donahue smuggled beers into Vietnam, just to show his buddies in combat, that his friends back home still care. Retired Special Forces veteran Col. Hans Bush was the film’s military technical advisor and he shared how they worked to make every detail accurate. He also shared some behind the scenes stories of actors Zac Efron (John Donahue) and Russell Crowe. The film is currently streaming on Apple TV+ Check out the book that inspired it all here https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Beer-Run-Ever-Friendship/dp/0062995464 

Host of ABC TV's business start-up show "Shark Tank" Barbara Corcoran wants to help military and veteran small businesses as they enter this year's crucial fourth quarter. We talked about her upcoming free webinar “Business Unusual with Barbara Corcoran, presented by AT&T Business” which airs on Wed Oct 12.   Register for free at 888Barbara.com

For some veterans, getting busted is just part of a much bigger problem. Independent veteran advocate, Josh Marks, reveals how many counties in Maryland are not properly addressing the trauma, substance use, and mental health disorders of vets caught in the legal system. Chris Deutsch from Justice for Vets dot org shares how Veteran Treatment Courts across the country are helping them get their life back on track.

We talk with former Navy officer Thibaut Delloue about his new book “The Wardroom: An Officer's Tour at Sea and the Crisis of the US Navy” where he cites examples of this culture and a dangerous lack of training.  He also examines how current conditions may impact our ability to handle the next global crisis. Find the book and more about veteran author Thibaut Delloue here https://thibautdelloue.com/

This weekend some people will be surprised to see more than 20 veterans riding horses down the middle of New York City streets. These vets, along with mounted divisions of NYPD are riding in support of the 7th annual “Ride to Zero”. We talked with Meggan Hill-Mcqueeny about the goal of ending veteran suicide and the incredible programs from Braveheart Equine Therapy. Plus, powerful examples of vets who overcame PTSD, Depression, and other post-war conditions through horse training therapy on their horse farm in Illinois. For more about BraveHeart, Horse Therapy programs check out their website http://www.braveheartriding.org/

We talk with Marine Corps Major Tom Schueman about his new book, “Always Faithful: A Story of the War in Afghanistan, the Fall of Kabul, and the Unshakable Bond Between a Marine and an Interpreter”. It’s a dual memoir told by both Maj. Schueman and his interpreter Zainullah Zaki. It covers some of the fiercest combat of the war in Afghanistan, and Zak's harrowing escape before the US evacuated and the country fell back into the deadly hands of the Taliban. Get the book here

Veterans are creating a groundswell of support for federal medical marijuana legislation. (Which is frankly long overdue) Marine Special Operations (MARSOC) veteran Bryan Buckley is the co-founder of the Helmand Valley Growers Company, a cannabis company in California, and from his own experience to his foundation’s clinical research trials, he talks about his recent trip to Capitol Hill. He shares updates on pending marijuana legislation and how with the assistance of conservative Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), Republicans seem ready to take over this issue. For more information on Helmand Valley Growers Company and to support the Battle Brothers Foundation check out https://hvgcompany.com/

What can we do to end the suicide epidemic in the US? Former SEAL Dave Berkenfield offers some cool life experiences and highlights the principles of American Legion’s “Be the One" suicide prevention campaign. For more on the great things American Legion offers vets and how we can all "Be the One" for somebody right now, check out https://www.legion.org/betheone

America’s Warrior Partnership believes that ending veteran suicide is not a program, it is an outcome. AWP employs a holistic approach to veteran care, such as helping veterans find a job, buy a home, repair their family relationships, etc. We talked with AWP, President, and Air Force veteran Jim Lorraine.

Vet Centers provide a wide range of counseling services to veterans, and their families, which is especially important to discuss during Suicide Prevention Month. We learned more from Michael Fisher, VHA’s Chief Officer of Readjustment Counseling Service.

Army veteran Mark Jackson is sick from diseases related to his time at a remote US military base in Uzbekistan. The VA has denied his claim, and The PACT Act, which was recently signed into law by President Biden, does not cover the osteoporosis (and other conditions) he is suffering from. His private insurance (Blue Cross Blue Sheild) also denied coverage for another year of the medication he desperately needs. Without insurance, the monthly bill for these meds is almost $5K per month. We talked at length about his story, the toxic base known as K2, and how he continues to fight for the medical care and benefits he and many other veterans deserve. Veterans dealing with toxic exposure-related illnesses who served at K2 (and other areas) can get support by contacting The Stronghold Freedom Foundation https://strongholdfreedomfoundation.org/

Attention student veterans- Do some homework before you enroll in school. USMC veteran Will Hubbard, Vice President for Veterans & Military Policy for Veterans Education Success explains how colleges like Westwood and ITT Tech were ripping off vets with useless degrees. He also explains the impact on student veterans' federal loans and GI Bill. For more on what Veteran Education Success can do for you check out https://vetsedsuccess.org

We discuss the anniversary of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan with Army combat veteran, Intelligence Officer, and fierce Afghanistan activist Matt Zeller. He cites specific examples of how the US State Dept officials on-site knowingly stranded thousands of interpreters and shares some stunning data from The Association of Wartime Allies.  Zeller also discussed how this botched evacuation process, can lead to suicide among veterans who are now suffering the moral injury of being unable to assist those who fought to save their life. Here are some key takeaways from our interview, and the ways Zeller offers everyone to get involved:Hammer your Senator and/or Representatives to Pass The Afghan Adjustment Act now! If we can get 100K Ukranains here to safety, we can do it for allies who fought with us. Join and/or support IAVA, Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America https://iava.org/Donate to the Association of Wartime Allies https://www.wartimeallies.co/projects-3Get involved with any of the organizations currently helping Afghanistan refugees resettle in the US. See groups like; HIAS https://www.hias.org/afghan-refugee-crisis-how-you-can-help, Catholic CharitiesLutheran Immigration and Refugee Services https://www.lirs.org/The Jewish Federations of North America https://www.jewishfederations.org/ Follow Matt Zeller for more information @mattczeller

In this episode, we hear the story of Jonathan Kantor, the grandchild of Jewish WWII Holocaust survivors who were hidden by righteous gentiles during the war. Kantor shares his grandparents' dramatic escape from the Nazi occupation, how they found each other after Poland was ravaged by war and how their life story inspired him to lead a volunteer circle in his community to resettle Afghan refugees that supported our service members. For more information and how you can support The Jewish Federations of North America click here: https://www.jewishfederations.org/ Or contact Darcy Hish darcy.hirsh@jewishfederations.org

Former Blackhawk helicopter pilot Chris Videau went from saving soldiers on the ground to saving oceans from tons of plastic laundry bottles. Videau and his wife (also a veteran) founded Sheets Laundry Company, which ships degradable detergent sheets the size of a postcard direct to consumers. We discussed how they discovered the business opportunity, how a chance meeting at their son’s T-ball game evolved into a garage-based business and how they hope to make a world of difference in an industry that is a major source of plastic pollution. (Note: Every second the equivalent of a dump full of plastic is dumped into our oceans.)  To order Sheet Laundry Club detergent Sheets and other eco friendly products: https://sheetslaundryclub.com/

Army combat veteran and Paratrooper Brandon Friedman wants to rebuild communities torn apart by war … one cup at a time. Freidman war took command of his first platoon 5 days after 9-11 and after deployments to AFG and IRQ he saw the true cost of war. But he also discovered the power of tea, and the sense of community associated with it. So, he and his veteran partners created “Rakkasan Tea Company.” (Inspired by the nickname of their former Airborne unit). Now they hope to rebuild these communities by helping local farmers introduce US tea drinkers to some of the best teas in the world. To order tea and hear more about the incredible "Rakkasan Tea Company" story: https://www.rakkasantea.com/pages/about

Now that the law establishes a service connection for 23+ health conditions, we asked VA Press Secretary, Terrence Hayes, “What do veterans need to do next?” Hayes is more than just a senior VA spokesperson. He spent over a year in Iraq and truly understands how toxic exposures have hurt veterans over the last two decades. In this interview, we discussed:Precisely which health conditions are now presumed to be “service-connected”? What vets need to do right now? Does VA have the staff to process all these new claims? Will the backlog will affect how VA processes these claims?When veterans can expect to get their claims approved? Veterans- start the process today! To begin go to: VA.gov/PACT

On Wednesday August 10, President Biden signed “The PACT Act” into law. The signature took only minutes but the effort to secure health care and monetary benefits for vets dying from toxic exposures was a fight that took decades. A few hours after the White House ceremony, we sat down with one of the fiercest veteran fighters, Marine Corps combat vet, and leader of Grunt Style T-Shirts and apparel Tim Jensen.  We discussed how Jensen and others like Rosie Torres and Jon Stewart confronted Senators who had the gall to vote against this monumental bill. And we heard what it was like behind the scenes during their exhaustive 5-day protest, where they camped out on the steps of Capitol Hill. Jensen also revealed if this law will do enough, why this journey was one of the most significant moments in his life, and how this law will touch the lives of American military veterans from the Vietnam era to future generations.

Marine Corps veteran Jason Walters went from homeless to hi-tech executive. After enduring some painful life events, he fought to find a way into the growing software and IT field and became the founder of the global IT and cloud services company Cloud Warriors.  Walters describes how he lived in his car behind a YMCA, to save enough money to get an apartment. Later he would land his first job in the software industry but would be forced to sacrifice a year away from his daughters.  Walters also explains how a company that exclusively trains military veterans for IT and web services jobs was born over a beer in Nashville. Now that COVID changed the way Americans work, Cloud Warriors adapted and has become a leader in servicing companies that rely on applications like Zoom and Amazon Web Services. Walters explains how veterans, with little or no tech experience, can get trained for these high-paying jobs with Cloud Warriors.   Check out Cloud Warriors: https://www.cloud-warriors.com/