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The story starts where most stay quiet: a violent childhood, a foster system built on survival, and a hunger to belong somewhere that demanded excellence. Daniel Odell found that place in the Army—even in a role many dismiss. As a cook in Iraq, he saw how a hot meal and a few kind words could calm fear. Volunteering for flights, he witnessed medevac shock up close, carrying home images that didn’t fade when the war quieted. 

 Back in the States, ambition collided with injury. A fall during advanced training damaged his spine, and he hid the pain to avoid letting others down. A leader’s blunt warning—that someone could die picking up his slack—reset his view of duty. Recovery was slow and dark: therapies, heavy meds, and a mind searching for escape. A surgeon offered only a small chance of improvement, but that tiny gain broke the spiral. Then came a partner with paws—a white standard poodle with a green “hat,” trained to help and impossible to ignore—who pushed Daniel back into the world. 

What finally stopped the noose was a fellow veteran’s line: taking his life would dishonor those who never made it home. That truth anchors Daniel’s mission now. We explore how he built Motafate (motivate.com), turned recovery into purposeful content, and scaled service through social media. From PTSD tools and service-dog training to adapting life around chronic pain, this episode guides veterans and civilians through trauma and transition. We also share the Today Show surprise and the communities—American Legion, VFW, church groups—where healing grows. 

 If you’ve ever felt alone after trauma, this conversation offers practical steps, not slogans. Subscribe, share with someone who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway—what small action will you choose today? 

The stories and opinions shared on Stories of Service are told in each guest’s own words. They reflect personal experiences, memories, and perspectives. While every effort is made to present these stories respectfully and authentically, Stories of Service does not verify the accuracy or completeness of every statement. The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the host, producers, or affiliates.

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A submariner’s guide to fixing family policy does not begin in a committee room; it begins in a NICU. Jeremy Hilton joins us to share how his daughter’s complex medical needs reshaped his Navy career and pushed him into a mission to reform the Exceptional Family Member Program and modernize Tricare for military kids. He walks through how lived experience can drive real policy change, from filing an IG complaint that actually moved the needle to finding mentors who opened Hill doors and building coalitions that delivered wins like hospice access for military children.

We break down what EFMP is meant to be, a readiness tool for families with medical and educational needs, and why inconsistent execution across services forces too many families to rebuild care at every PCS. Jeremy explains the real cost of each move, from securing specialists to restarting therapies and navigating new school systems. We cover why standardization matters, how a tiered approach could support the most complex cases, and why portability should anchor reform. On Tricare, we address pediatric gaps built into Medicare-based policy, the challenges of aging out, and practical fixes that match how children actually grow and recover.

From MOAA to NMFA, from report language to statutory change, this conversation shows how to frame issues for both political parties without losing the human story. The closing challenge is clear. EFMP staffing, transparent assignments, and care portability are not perks for families. They are national security requirements. Share this with teammates navigating EFMP and tell us what reform should come first.

 The stories and opinions shared on Stories of Service are told in each guest’s own words. They reflect personal experiences, memories, and perspectives. While every effort is made to present these stories respectfully and authentically, Stories of Service does not verify the accuracy or completeness of every statement. The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the host, producers, or affiliates. 

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Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
Read my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/
Listen to other episodes on my podcast: https://storiesofservice.buzzsprout.com
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A decorated OSI agent who helped capture Taliban fighters and aided disaster survivors should be building a life in his forties. Instead, Robert Condon has spent 12 years behind bars, sentenced to 30, while his mother—retired Toledo police officer Holly Yeager—keeps fighting a case she believes was built on pressure, politics, and broken process. We open the file and follow the twists: a drug ring investigation that put Robert at odds with command priorities, a single accuser whose SANE exam reportedly found no injuries consistent with her extreme account, and two more “victims” cultivated through interviews that steered words toward charges and dangled immunity for unrelated misconduct.

Holly walks us through the evidence gaps that still haunt the record: a second phone noted but never collected, weeks of exculpatory messages lost when Robert’s device was destroyed after chain-of-custody issues, and discovery that surfaced a concealed felony history too late to test at trial. We talk Article 32 anomalies, special victims counsel influence, and a panel of superiors deciding guilt under the shadow of congressional pressure. Non‑unanimous verdicts, repeated speedy‑trial slippage, and unsworn statements shaped a path to a 30‑year sentence far above average. On appeal, mismatched and sealed record-of-trial pages made it harder for judges to validate citations or see context, dimming the chance for dissent and relief.

Beyond the legal maze lies a family’s cost: a son who lost his thirties, a 92‑year‑old grandfather running out of road trips, and a parole process that hinges on treatment requiring admissions he won’t make. Holly’s message is blunt and humane: protect real survivors and protect due process. Stop manufacturing narratives to save weak cases. Build independent evidence integrity, require unanimous verdicts, insulate panels from command, and hold investigators to the same standards we demand in civilian courts.

Listen, share, and weigh in with your perspective on military justice reform. If this story moved you, subscribe, leave a review, and send the episode to someone who cares about truth over optics.

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A single afternoon changed everything. Lisa Regina—actor, filmmaker, and founder of A Right to Heal—was assaulted by her fiancé, then thrust into a tabloid cyclone that made recovery even harder. What followed wasn’t a rebrand; it was a rebuilding. With a legal pad and a pen, she wrote her way out of shock, turned fragments into a monologue, and found a voice that could lift others who felt alone.

We dive into Lisa’s creative roots, the grind of early set life, and the quiet lessons she learned watching James Gandolfini transform before a take. Then we sit with the hard part: the violence, the ER, the media’s appetite for “the shot,” and the slow, stubborn work of healing. From that crucible came a mission—to use storytelling and film as a path back to agency—and an unexpected bridge to veterans. When Retired Army Captain Leslie Nicole Smith stepped onto Lisa’s set, the room felt like a platoon: clear roles, mutual trust, mission focus. That shared DNA led to a bigger idea.

Enter drones. As a Part 107 pilot, Lisa saw how flight taps veterans’ strengths—systems, calm, precision—and created the Veterans Drone Training Program to deliver real credentials, not platitudes. We talk candidly about funding wins and gaps, why aerial skills open doors in film, real estate, inspection, agriculture, and search and rescue, and how disabled veterans can pilot from a chair and still build a business. You’ll hear stories of lives nudged back on course: an Air Force amputee trading Uber shifts for commercial flights, a Marine captain capturing stunning yacht footage to grow his brand.

All of this momentum feeds Heroic Episodes, Lisa’s scripted series executive produced by Joe Mantegna. Framed around a multigenerational military family’s neighborhood bar, the show adapts true veteran stories with heart and honesty, weaving in resource links and spotlighting veteran‑owned businesses. We discuss why independence matters—crowdfunding five dollars at a time to ensure veterans are hired on set and the storytelling stays authentic.

Listen for the practical takeaways on PTS language and support, for the blueprint that connects art to employment, and for the reminder that community is built one skill, one story, one person at a time.

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Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
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Headlines rarely match the ground truth. We sit down with retired Lt Col Lenore Hakinos to unpack what it took to stand up Camp Delphi in Donna, Texas during the 2021 surge of unaccompanied minors. As a joint planner with deep logistics and emergency management experience, Lenore helped build an expeditionary base camp—dorms, medical intake, process flow—all under HHS leadership with ORR and FEMA in support. What she found was a system designed for care but strained by scale: no biometrics at intake, thin sponsor vetting, rotating leaders, and case managers overwhelmed by tens of thousands of children needing placement.

We walk through how federal roles actually worked on the ground, why intake relied on paper notes and consulate calls, and the risks that come with speed without verification. From “recycled” identities to a transitory school built for kids who were supposed to stay mere weeks, the picture is complex and deeply human. Lenore’s team imposed order where they could—stop‑movement censuses, daily reconciliations—but the bigger tension remained: how to balance humanitarian urgency with anti‑trafficking safeguards and accountability that follows a child beyond the tent line.

The conversation doesn’t stop at the border. After retiring, Lenore channeled that same mission mindset into the American Legion, reviving a local post, supporting veterans’ services, creating scholarships, and rebuilding community traditions in a rapidly growing Texas county. It’s a reminder that while national policy can feel distant, local service is always within reach. Listen for a candid, expert look at HHS, ORR, FEMA coordination, migrant child placement, logistics under pressure, and what it means to serve when duty meets doubt—and stay for practical hope about building strong communities.

If this resonated, subscribe, leave a review, and share with someone who cares about border policy, child safety, and real‑world public service.

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Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
Read my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/
Listen to other episodes on my podcast: https://storiesofservice.buzzsprout.com
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What would you do when the order on your desk contradicts the conviction in your gut? We sit down with former Green Beret captain John Frankman to unpack the moment duty collided with conscience during the COVID vaccine mandate—and the ripple effects that followed. From early pressure cues and deployment rules to a surreal JRTC pause where troops were told to decide in the woods, John walks us through the machinery of coercion as he experienced it: shifting policies, career threats, and a system that prized compliance over competence.

John’s path gives the story rare texture. Before Special Forces, he spent four years in Catholic seminary, steeped in philosophy, pastoral care, and daily prayer. That formation shaped his refusal, but it also informed a broader critique of leadership: if irregular warfare selects thinkers who challenge assumptions, why did the culture abandon critical thought at home? We talk lost missions, a missed West Point ethics billet, an exemption that languished for over a year, and a town hall exchange where he pressed senior leaders on EUA versus FDA approvals. The result is a human account of policy made real—how trust erodes, how moral injury forms, and what it takes to step away from a career you love.

We also look forward. John shares cautious optimism about a reinstatement task force, the need for transparent processes, and why accountability matters if the military wants disillusioned veterans to return. Along the way, we step into his inner life—how discipline, tradition, and prayer sustained him—and wrestle with the central question any leader should ask: are we building a force that can win without breaking the people who serve?

If you value straight talk about leadership, ethics, and service in uniform, this one’s for you. Listen, share with a friend who cares about the military’s future, and leave a review to help more people find the show.

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Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
Read my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/
Listen to other episodes on my podcast: https://storiesofservice.buzzsprout.com
Watch episodes of my podcast:
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A uniform shouldn’t cost a parent their child. We sit down with retired Army officer, attorney, and parent advocate Erhan Bettistani to unpack how military service collides with family court—and why a little-known administrative process, the Family Advocacy Program’s Incident Determination Committee (FAP IDC), can tilt custody decisions without basic due process. Erhan brings research published in Family Court Review and Military Law Review, plus firsthand stories from Warrior Family Advocacy, to show how “substantiated” findings spill into civilian courts, inflame stress, and even factor into veteran suicide risk.

Across an hour, we trace four forces that often work against service members: media narratives of extremes, the stigma of deployments and constant PCS moves, assumptions around PTSD and mental health, and the shadow-court mechanics of FAP IDC. We compare FAP procedures to the old Title IX campus model—informal, opaque, and vulnerable to error—and highlight reforms that state courts and the Department of Education have already embraced: clear notice, access to the evidence file, counsel in the room, cross-examination, written findings, and recorded hearings. The takeaway is stark but hopeful: the Department of Defense can integrate these protections now, without waiting on Congress, and still support victims with clinical care while improving fairness for all parties.

We also get practical. If you’re navigating divorce or custody as a military parent, you’ll hear strategies for documenting stability, addressing PTSD stigma, planning around deployments, and securing counsel early in the right jurisdiction. Erhan explains how Warrior Family Advocacy funds initial attorney consults and offers grounded guidance so you can breathe, plan, and protect your bond with your child. Abuse must be taken seriously—and so must process. Better rules mean better outcomes for families, for justice, and for the mental health of those who serve.

If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a military family, and leave a review with your biggest question about fixing FAP. Your voice helps push the right reforms forward.

Resources & Links:
 • 🌐 Warrior Family Advocacy (WFA): https://www.warriorfamilyadvocacy.com/
 • 👥 Connect with S.O.S.

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Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
Read my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/
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What does leadership look like when control disappears? We sit down with Jeff Moss—Bronze Star Army aviator, bestselling author of My Leading Edge, Pfizer veteran, and Inc. 5000 franchise owner—to trace a life built on moral courage, mentorship, and service that lasts. From piloting AH-1 Cobras in Desert Storm to refusing to field unsafe aircraft under pressure, Jeff explains how clear standards and documented truth protect people and missions. Then we pivot from the flight line to the family room: his daughter Mallory’s intractable epilepsy, two brain surgeries, and the night a hospital chaplain asked the question that reframed Jeff’s faith. If you’ve ever wondered how to carry purpose through a season that feels like autorotation, this story will meet you where you are.

We also get practical about the civilian runway—19 years inside big pharma, what most people miss about drug access, and why pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) complicate care with needless switches. Jeff opens the books on small business realities: lawfare, soaring insurance premiums, and the discipline it takes to build a values‑driven moving and junk removal company that still invests in people. Along the way, we talk tech and trust (autopilot doesn’t replace a pilot, it demands one), media skepticism, and what it means to judge less by first impressions and more by character.

Threading through it all is a simple flight plan: pre‑flight your life with mentors and values, commit on takeoff, build systems for normal flight, stay calm in autorotation, and debrief for legacy. If you care about leadership, faith, veteran transition, small business, healthcare access, or just becoming the kind of person others can trust when the air gets thin, this conversation belongs in your queue. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a lift, and leave a review to help others find the show. What part of Jeff’s story challenged you most?

📘 Jeff’s Book: My Leading Edge — Available on Amazon https://a.co/d/j0TjJ4B
✈️ Fun Fact: Jeff still flies Cobras as an airshow pilot!

Where to Find Jeff:
🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-moss-92ba6710?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

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Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
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Watch episodes of my podcast:
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What do you do when the institution you served closes ranks—and you’re left to fight alone? We sit down with Marine veteran and former Nevada National Guard member Andy Lindstrom to unpack a hard, complicated story: years of reporting alleged misconduct, a firing justified as “not a good fit,” and a hearing that arrived nearly three years late. From claims of fraternization and sexual harassment to allegations of wage suppression and payroll fraud on the state side, Andy walks through the paper trail, the “inquiry” that wasn’t called an investigation, and why he believes the system is designed to delay until witnesses disappear and the public moves on.

The conversation gets specific. Andy alleges unlawful CJIS access, the wiping of his personal device after termination, and coordinated efforts to block subpoenas and keep key witnesses off the stand. He explains why he chose not to testify in a forum he believed was structurally biased and how the decision letter praised his presentation while ruling that state misconduct wasn’t proven—effectively sidelining the payroll issues he raised. We also explore the FOIA battles, the IG pathways that went quiet, and the venue fight for an impartial court, including questions of recusal and the optics of former military attorneys presiding over Guard-adjacent matters.

This episode is about more than one case. It’s about how self-policing fails without independent oversight, how selective enforcement corrodes trust, and how retaliation—legal, professional, and social—chills reporting. You’ll hear the human cost too: a father determined to show his daughter that truth is worth defending. If you care about whistleblower protections, military accountability, and how state-federal hybrids handle misconduct, this is a detailed, unflinching listen.

If this resonates, share the episode, leave a review, and subscribe so more people can find stories that test systems—and push them to do better.

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Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
Read my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/
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Justice should not depend on who’s most afraid of a headline. We sit down with nationally recognized trial lawyer and former Air Force JAG Davis Younts to examine where military justice goes off the rails—and how to bring it back on track. Davis shares the moment a 15‑minute acquittal at the Air Force Academy changed his career path from prosecution to defense, revealing what happens when allegations gain momentum and no one can find the off‑ramp.

We dig into the uneasy balance between command authority and legal oversight, why the Office of Special Trial Counsel (OSTC) is slowing cases while pulling commanders away from discipline, and how political risk trains leaders to push weak cases to court rather than make hard calls. You’ll hear specific, practical fixes: raising the evidentiary bar to open administrative investigations, creating an affirmative defense for leaders who are strictly enforcing published standards, and finally training investigating officers to recognize bias, weigh credibility, and document decisions with rigor.

On the UCMJ side, Davis makes the case to restore Article 32 preliminary hearings as a real evidentiary gate that protects true victims from re‑traumatization and the innocent from trials doomed by thin evidence. We also spotlight the “titling” trap—when simply being investigated can plant a damaging FBI record without charges or notice—along with common‑sense safeguards like notification and appeals. The through line is standards: physical readiness, professional conduct online, and the moral clarity to seek peace through strength without rewarding victimhood or punishing honest leadership.

If you care about due process, warrior ethos, and a military that can command trust at home and deterrence abroad, this conversation is for you. Listen, share with a teammate, and tell us where you think reform should start. And if this resonates, follow the show, leave a review, and pass it to someone who needs to hear it.

🔗 Connect with Davis: https://yountslaw.com/

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Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
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Watch episodes of my podcast:
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