About Operation Honor Rural Salute™ | Serving Rural Veterans Nationwide

Meet Michelle Lang—caregiver, advocate, and co-founder of a mission born from lived experience. Alongside her husband Chris, an Army veteran, Michelle knows firsthand the challenges veterans face returning to rural communities—where support can be scarce and the burden of invisible wounds often goes unseen. After navigating that isolation themselves in rural Pennsylvania, the Langs turned their struggle into purpose, creating Operation Honor: Rural Salute®—a grassroots movement dedicated to supporting veterans beyond the reach of traditional resources. This episode shares their powerful journey of resilience, connection, and building a path forward for others.

Fleet Master Chief(ret) Brad LeVault is a Pennsylvania native who, in 1982, when fresh out of Spring Grove High School, joined the US Navy for an adventure. Along the way he got sidetracked
with his high school sweetheart, now wife of 43 years, into a 30-year Navy career. Together with their four children, they explored 14 duty stations around the world. In 2012, he returned home to focus on his family and address the PTSD that manifested from a challenging tour in JTF GUANTANAMO. Brad is now active in his community as the President of the Jefferson Carnival Association, his church and the VFW. His favorite jobs are being Pops to his grandchildren, children and sweetheart to his wife.

TRIGGER WARNING: Talks of suicide, MST, and mental illness.

The WriteFace process encourages attendees to slow down, clarify, and better understand their thinking. Thoughts that remain unwritten can feel scattered or temporary, but writing gives them structure and staying power. As participants revise their words to express exactly what they mean, they gain insight into their own responses and can more thoughtfully engage with life’s challenges.

The Need — WriteFace

Writeface Workshops For Veterans - YouTube

Scott Hower is a co-founder of the Writeface program which conducts creative, expressive, journal writing workshops for veterans experiencing readjustment issues  .  He is an Air Force veteran from the Vietnam War era and a graduate of Millersville University's Fine Arts program.

Audra King participated in the Writeface program and has since become a member of its board. She is an Army veteran who served in Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom as a Counterintelligence Agent. She has her B.S. in Psychology and is a Relaxation Coach in Willow Street.  

Colonel (Ret.) Douglas A. Etter serves as Chief Communications Officer for VA Lebanon Healthcare System, where he helps veterans and their families access critical health care services and support with professionalism and understanding. A decorated Army chaplain and Bronze Star recipient with two combat tours in Iraq, he brings decades of leadership in crisis communication, veteran care, and public service. An ordained minister and paramedic, Doug has humbly dedicated his entire career to strengthening resilience, connection, and support for those who have served. His writings focus on helping service members reintegrate into civilian life.

Founded in 2004, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) was established to advocate for the post-9/11 generation of veterans. Since its founding, IAVA has worked to elevate the voices and experiences of veterans, while advancing for policies and programs that support veterans and their families.

Today, IAVA focuses its efforts on research, education, and direct advocacy to identify policy gaps, inform the public, and drive meaningful change on behalf of all veterans and the country they served.

Our guests include:

Kyleanne Hunter

Chief Executive Officer

A native of the Bay Area, California, Dr. Kyleanne Hunter is CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and a dedicated and lifelong servant leader. In this role, she is responsible for strategic direction of IAVA, ensuring that the post-9/11 generation of veterans continues to have a voice in the most pressing issues of our day. A Marine Corps veteran of the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, she has been dedicated to inspiring all veterans to ascend to their potential and ensuring that the policies and practices are there to allow them to do so.

Jerritt Lynn

Director, Membership

A U.S. Army veteran with over 20 years of service, including 14 years in Special Operations and nine overseas deployments across the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Indo-Pacific, Jerritt Lynn joined the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America team in July of 2025. As the Director of Membership Services, Jerritt serves the organizational mission by leading the Membership team with building, recruiting, and training the IAVA Cavalry. Jerritt believes that those of us who have served in conflict regions, particularly during the Global War on Terrorism, have unique experiences and an obligation to advocate for policies that address the challenges affecting both veteran and civilian communities. By shaping public policy, we can improve the lives of veterans and ensure their sacrifices are honored.

My military service also played an important role in shaping the farmer I’ve become. I spent my early career as an infantryman and later as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician, serving both on Active Duty and in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. Those years taught me discipline, resilience, problem‑solving, and the ability to stay calm under pressure — all skills that translate directly into farming. Agriculture demands patience, adaptability, and a willingness to tackle challenges head‑on, often with limited resources. Those are the same qualities the military instilled in me.

 But beyond the skills, my service gave me a strong sense of purpose and a desire to continue contributing to my community. After retiring as a 100% disabled veteran, I knew I needed a mission that aligned with my abilities while still allowing me to serve others. Farming became that mission. It gives me a way to stay active, work with my hands, and build something meaningful — not just for myself, but for the people around me.

Spruce Hill Acres is now more than a farm. It’s a place where education, service, and community come together. We host students, support local FFA programs, and create opportunities for young people to learn skills they may never encounter elsewhere. We also stay committed to supporting the veteran community, offering a welcoming space where fellow veterans can connect with agriculture, find purpose, or simply enjoy the quiet of the land.

 In many ways, agriculture has become a bridge between my past and my future. My military service taught me to serve, to lead, and to persevere. My daughter, Maggie, taught me to see the beauty and potential in agriculture. And together, those experiences led my family to build a farm that reflects who we are: a family committed to learning, teaching, and giving back

Nicole Kondrlik is an Army veteran and farmer from northwestern Pennsylvania. She raises livestock with her family and is part of the daily work of running a small farm. She previously worked as a public service attorney before transitioning to focus on agriculture and rural life.  www.nicolesloane.com

My name is Rodney Coldrew and I retired from the Army after 30 years as a physician. I am an OIF veteran and served globally, including Korea, Kenya, Thailand, and Germany. I currently operate a conservation farm in western PA, with my wife and sons, and work as a volunteer Humane Society Police Officer.

Russell Redding was unanimously confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate to serve as Pennsylvania's 27th Secretary of Agriculture on May 10, 2023. Governor Josh Shapiro nominated Redding to continue serving as secretary, after he served from 2015 – 2022 under Governor Tom Wolf. He is the former dean of the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at Delaware Valley University.

Redding has extensive experience as a public servant, having spent more than 30 years serving Pennsylvania in Harrisburg and Washington D.C. He worked on Capitol Hill as Ag Policy Advisor to U.S. Senator Harris Wofford and served for nearly 25 years in the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, serving as secretary from 2009-2011 under Governor Ed Rendell, and from 2015-2022 under Governor Tom Wolf. He also served on the Agriculture subcommittee of the USDA’s Equity Commission.

He earned his B.S. in Agriculture Education and M.S. in Agriculture and Extension Education from Penn State University. In addition, he is a graduate of the Agribusiness Executive program. A native of Pennsylvania, Redding has an innate understanding of food and agriculture, stemming from his youth on his family’s dairy farm and his time as a dairy farm operator. He and his wife Nina have two adult sons and own and operate a farm in Gettysburg.

Mental Wellness Resources for the Agriculture Community | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

The Agristess Hotline - 833 897 2474

Don Hershey was born in Lancaster County and raised in the Lehigh Valley.

 As the son of his high school principal, Don faced more than his fair share of social pressure from classmates. By the time he graduated, he was eager to get as far away from his hometown as possible and had little interest in attending college.

 Instead, Don enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he trained as an Electrician’s Mate and attained the rank of Second Class Petty Officer.
 Don served in the 6th Fleet aboard the U.S.S. Nimitz (CVN-68), an aircraft carrier, and the U.S.S. Vulcan (AR-5), a repair ship, from 1978 to 1984—during the Iranian and Libyan crises. He completed two Mediterranean, two North Atlantic, and multiple Caribbean cruises. His Navy service gave him the opportunity to see much of the world and to form lifelong friendships.

 After his military service, Don earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration from Kutztown University. He went on to spend forty-two years working in federal, state, and local government, as well as in the public sector.

 Don is retired and currently lives in Hummelstown with his wife, Cindy.