A Veteran's Podcast

Therapy is NOT a bad word. This week we focused on the good, bad, and ugly of mental health. We talk about different options available and keep it real about how important it is to have a professional to talk to, especially once you have transitioned out of the military.

Transitioning out of the military not only affects you as the service member, but also greatly affects your kids. This episode focuses on the resiliency of military kids and how you can not only prepare yourself for your transition out of the military, but how you can prepare your kids as well.

Scott served 6 years in the National Guard. After his brother was killed in action in Afghanistan, Scott decided to leave the military. He started getting help for his mental health and in the process wrote a book and started a podcast to give other veterans a platform to share their stories of healing too.

Katrina served 8 years in the Navy, before she was found to be ‘unfit’  for military service. She was devastated and struggled to find her new  identity outside of her military service. Listen to her share how she  overcame mental health services and what she is doing now to empower  people to be the best version of themselves.

Brad served 20 years in the Army. He served as both an Army Ranger and Delta Force and fought in the Battle of Mogadishu. Listen to how Brad now uses music as a means to battle mental health and how he reaches other veterans through his songs!

Andrew served 4 years in the Army. After a trying deployment, it took Drew time to reintegrate into civilian life. Listen as he shares many lessons learned and what he still struggles with to this day!

Justin served 13 years in the Air Force when he was medically retired. Listen to how he turned his struggles with mental health into a way that now helps veterans and first responders in similar situations.

Ashlee served 14 years in the Coast Guard. After saving numerous lives during Hurricane Harvey, she was grounded due to an autoimmune disease that ultimately forced her to medically retire. Listen as she shares how writing a book has helped her cope with the experiences she had during her service and what it was like being a special guest at the State of the Union address.

Amanda served 5 years with the Air Force. After the birth of her child  she realized that the possibility of deploying again shortly after the  birth wasn't an option. Listen to how she bridges the gap between being a  veteran and a military spouse all while helping other women veterans  tell their stories.

Mike served 20 years in the Recon Marines and as a Navy Seal. Adversity and challenge were both things he met in stride during his career. After retirement, that was a different story. Listen to how Mike overcame adversity in finding employment and how he now teaches those in corporate America the value of hiring a veteran!

Carrissa's husband Joe served 11 years in the Army. A terrifying diagnosis followed by a medical retirement sent Carrissa on a mission to advocate for her husband to get the best care that he could. Many roadblocks and struggles later, Carrissa shares the story of Joe's transition out of the military and how becoming a caregiver for her husband has changed their lives dramatically.

Kyle served 5 years in the Air Force. After his time in service, he started his own business, moved across country, supported his wife through her transition out of the military and found a few veteran service organizations that helped him recover from experiences he had on deployment. Listen to how he gives back to the veteran community and what resources he found useful in his transition.

Brian served 25 years in the Navy when he decided to retire. Now as a leader in the corporate world listen to how Brian assists veterans and some amazing tips and tricks he has to help you as you move forward in civilian life.

Matt and Kara met while serving in the Navy. Kara transitioned to civilian life first and struggled to find support from the VA after her transition. Matt found many resources that assisted in his transition and now they are an unstoppable force in the corporate world. Listen to what resources Matt found and how the lessons Kara learned and what she hopes other female veterans will take away from her transition.

Jeff served 20 years in the Army before he retired. After a long and strenuous career in Special Operations, Jeff found himself with a list  of passions he wanted to pursue. It wasn't an easy path to get where he is now, but with a little hard work and a lot of patience he was able to  pursue something he loves and get paid for it. Listen to the steps he took to get where he is now.

BJ served 9 years in the Marine Corps when a devastating injury ended his deployment and brought him home. It wasn’t until; he hit rock bottom  that he realized his passion was in helping other veterans. Listen to how he helps veterans get paired with their life buddies and how he found hope in the darkest of days.

Ryan served 6 years in the Wisconsin National Guard. Listen to Ryan share his unique journey and how transitioning out of the National Guard, with little to no help, lead him to continue to assist veterans with their transition as well.

Joseph served 9 years in the Army when a traumatic injury stopped him in his tracks.  Through his recovery process he found support from many  veteran organizations and now uses his platform to bring inspiration and motivation to other veterans who are struggling.

Greg served 4 years in the Marine Corps and was deployed 3 times. After  serving, he found it difficult to work in a corporate setting which  ultimately led him to starting his veteran owned and operated business.   Listen to him share the steps it took to start his own business and how  that helped him work past different experiences he had while deployed.

After serving 20 years in the US Navy, Luke found his transition to civilian a bit of a struggle, not only for him but his family. Listen to Luke share what resources he found to be especially helpful as well as some lessons learned as he transitioned to civilian life.

Toni served 20 years in the US Army when an Autoimmune disease sidelined her. Listen to how she used her new diagnosis as a way to find different resources available at her local VA.

Brandi served 5 years in the Army when a rare cancer ended her military  career. She now devotes her time to helping veterans succeed in the  civilian world. Listen to how Brandi used her struggle to make sure  other veterans don’t experience the same.

In his first enlistment in the Army, Sean was awarded two bronze stars with "V" for Valor. Those two moments have shaped him as a leader and soldier. He now uses that platform to help other service members and veterans know that they are not alone.

Jeannette served 15 years in the US Navy. After a long recovery from a  major injury, she found herself trying to navigate the difficult road of  medical retirement. With the help of some awesome organizations she was  able to get on her feet and now wants to help other veterans overcome  obstacles of their injuries.

Sean had 21 years combined service in the US Army and WI National Guard.  He shares how his first transition out of Active Duty in the 90s  prepared him for a more successful transition out of the National Guard  14 years later. Listen to Sean share some resources that he found  beneficial when he went from soldier to student and some words of advice  he has for those trying to navigate that system as well.

Juan served 28 years in the US Navy. Having the perspective of both  Enlisted and Officer gave him a unique perspective in his leadership  roles. Listen to how even after 28 years he is still giving back to  service members and assisting them with their transition as well.

Noah served a total of 15 years in the Air Force and Army. After spending time trying to “find” himself and bouncing from corporate career to corporate career, he landed a position in a Veteran non-profit. Listen to how the struggles Noah faced gave him the tools to help other Veterans build a successful future.

Jamie served 7 years in the Army. A strong family history of service led  her to want to serve 20 years but an injury sidelined that. Listen to  how connecting with many veteran service organizations helped her road  to recovery and now how she helps other veterans who are struggling.

After successfully serving 5 years in the military Eugene decided he  wanted to go to school and pursue a career as a civilian. Life wasn’t  what he thought it would be, and ultimately 11 years later, he  reenlisted back into the Navy. Listen to Eugene share about what  ultimately led him to reenlist and how he is helping other civilians  find purpose in a career in the military.

Rande served 11 successful years in the US Navy. She did her research  and used many resources to her advantage prior to transitioning to  civilian life. Listen to what resources she used and how it set her up  for a seamless transition out of the military.

Dick served his country for 20 years in the Marine Corps. After  retiring, he spent time learning how to best use his benefits afforded  to him from his time in service. He hasn't stopped leading, from the  desert to the VA, his wisdom can be a beneficial tool for service  members and veterans across the country.

Tim spent 7 years serving in the US Army. After a series of life  altering events, Tim, made the decision to proceed with a medical board.  Once medically retired, Tim knew he needed to find a support team and  help others do the same. Now, he spends his time sharing his story of  overcoming adversity and empowers veterans to find the mental health  support they need.

Jeremy had plans to serve 20 years in the Marine Corps. That all changed  when his Humvee was blown up by two pressure plate IEDs. A proud Purple  Heart recipient, Jeremy used his injury as motivation to excel in a  field that gave him hope in his darkest days.

Anjuli served 7 years in the US Coast Guard, an unexpected injury sent  her through a tough medical board resulting in an unexpected medical  retirement. The events that followed left her homeless and looking for  assistance. As the years passed, Anjuli was able to overcome adversity  and now spends time helping other veterans advocate for the benefits  they so rightly deserve.

This first episode introduces your two hosts for A Veteran's Podcast; both are veterans with over 25 years combined military service For more information, or to be on the show, go to aveteranspodcast.com