Welcome to Episode 57 of The Afghanistan Project Podcast. Our guests today are Rob Dufresne, Tony Barnes, and Jason Howk, members of “Over Never Out.” Together, the group created “Hold On, Reach Out,” a moving song about the important role veterans play for one another in the fight for mental health growth and countering spiking suicide rates in the veteran community.

eRob, Tony, and Jason talked about how the song was created, and their unique backgrounds and connections to the message within “Hold On, Reach Out.”

Jason Howk also talks about his latest release, “It’s Not Over For Them,” a ballad about the ongoing battle our Afghan allies face in the aftermath of the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal, and the continuing battles for those in the U.S. who bear the emotional burden of that failure.

Recurrent themes in this episode are healing through pain, supporting those we care about as they deal with struggles we may never fully fathom, and using music to heal loudly, which is Rob’s post-transition goal and something Jason and Tony have personally witnessed.

About the guests:

Find “Over Never Out” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVqqu1DRcoMCX_kvrysKTvQ

Listen to “Hold On, Reach Out:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXc4rsRy9Lw&list=OLAK5uy_ku87T-xRWASumpCloIKxat-Om7Uj0tvh4

Listen to “It’s Not Over For Them:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBwddNCZ18M

About the hosts:

Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X ⁠@BWBailey85⁠.

Mikael Cook was an Army non-commissioned officer and veteran of the war in Afghanistan. He was an active member of the #DigitalDunkirk movement to evacuate our Afghan allies in August of 2021. You can follow him on Instagram or X ⁠@Mikaelcook89⁠.

For Afghan listeners:

If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected]. Please include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.