Show Summary

On today’s episode, we’re having a conversation with Navy Veteran Steve Kappes,  the 2026 board chair for the San Diego Military Advisory Council and one of the leaders of the San Diego Wounded Warrior Tennis Program, a program that uses tennis as a means of rehabilitation for service members and veterans who've become wounded, ill, or injured.

Episode Partner:

This episode is sponsored by CareLinx by Sharecare, connecting Veterans, Service Members, and military Families with trusted home care and caregiver support. 

Provide Support

Take a moment to turn your gratitude into action. For just $15, you can help provide military culture training to one person who supports veterans and their families, equipping them to respond with greater understanding, confidence, and care. GIVE HERE through our giving page at psycharmor.org.

Provide Feedback

As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you. If you PsychArmor has helped you learn, grow, and support those who’ve served and those who care for them, we would appreciate hearing your story. Please follow this link to share how PsychArmor has helped you in your service journey Share PsychArmor Stories

About Today’s Guest

Captain Steve Kappes, USN, Ret. served on active duty for 24 years and has volunteered in support of military members, veterans, and their families for more than 20 years.  As a cofounder and the Director of the San Diego Wounded Warrior Tennis Program, he and his team have improved the quality of life for more than 1,500 wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans through free weekly tennis clinics and annual tennis camps.  Run in collaboration with Naval Medical Center San Diego and VA Medical Center San Diego, this program has been recognized by members of Congress, the Department of the Defense, and the U.S. Tennis Association for its excellence and impact and serves as a national model.  Steve is also a Certified Nonprofit Professional, committed to supporting the community through military advocacy and health and wellness programs.  He has served in leadership roles on eight nonprofit boards including the San Diego Military Advisory Council where is the current Board Chair.

Links Mentioned During the Episode

San Diego Military Advisory Council

CBS8 Zevely Zone - San Diego Wounded Warrior Tennis Program

San Diego Wounded Warrior Tennis Program Website

 
PsychArmor Resource of the Week

This week’s PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the Behind the Mission podcast episode with SDMC CEO Rear Admiral (Retired) David Boone. During the conversation, we dive deeper into SDMAC, a nonprofit that advocates on behalf of the service members, veterans, and their families in the greater San Diego region.

You can find the resource here: 

https://psycharmor.org/podcast/btm243-david-boone-san-diego-military-advisory-council

Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media 

Email PsychArmor

PsychArmor on X

PsychArmor on Facebook

PsychArmor on YouTube

PsychArmor on LinkedIn

PsychArmor on Instagram

Theme Music

Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.

Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com