The Mettle of Honor Podcast: Stories of, Strength, Courage, & Perseverance™️

Her experience as both a military service member and military spouse gives her a unique voice having lived both sides of military life. Using the knowledge she has gained I will inspire the world around me and help others through life's transitions. Who is she? Meet Air Force Veteran Amanda Huffman of the Washington, DC area. Similar to her husband who also served, Amanda served as a Civil Engineer Officer.

When it came time to expand her family, Amanda and her husband both had a difficult decision to make. They weren’t sure how to raise children like they wanted to while perusing a career they both loved, enjoyed. and we’re progressing in. Tune in to hear what decision they made and next phase of live evolved into.

If you’d like to connect with Amanda Huffman, here are several ways you can do so:

Blog www.airmantomom.com

Podcast https://www.airmantomom.com/podcast/

LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/airmantomom

Facebook - www.facebook.com/airmantomom

Instagram

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www.twitter.com/airmantomom

Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/airmantomom

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DAVID TRENHOLM Assistant Vice President | Veteran & Military Spouse Advocate | Navy Veteran | "The Succesful Goose"

U.S. Navy Veteran David Trenholm retired as a Naval Aviation Officer after working with the P-3 Orion amongst many other roles he accomplished. Proven operations leader who excels in fast-paced, rapidly changing environments. A detailed-orientated planner who effectively leads multiple-sized teams internationally. dedicated to driving success through teamwork and building efficient processes.

David was selected into Bank of America’s Military Leadership Development Program, which provides former military officers with an opportunity to perform in leadership positions within the bank’s technology and operational lines of business prior to receiving a permanent role in the bank. First role: OPS 2021 Project Management Support. I supported the Ops2021 program strategy for Wealth Management Banking Operations (WMBO). Manage materials, coordinate meetings, complete research, reporting, and metrics. 

provide transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses with a free consultation on how to obtain meaningful employment. This is achieved by teaching, coaching, and mentoring the greater veteran community on preparing and network building for their next chapter. And it cost them $0. It is FREE!

Vets2Industry (V2I) provides a single site library that is completely FREE to access, browse, and discover at www.vets2industry.com of all the FREE VETERAN and DEPENDENT resources and Veteran Service Organizations (VSO) nationwide (updated weekly). V2I also provides a list of Top 100 Military-Friendly Companies from the preceding year (with direct access to the military hiring pages), and tons of valuable info through articles and videos for Active Duty, National Guard, Reserves, former service-members, retirees, and all of their dependents.

David, thanks for joining me today for this podcast. #YouveGotMettle | David Trenholm's Contact Information:

LINKEDIN PROFILE: http://linkedin.com/in/david-Trenholm

Google Hangouts trenholm77 (Google Talk)

https://www.youtube.com/user/trenholm77

While her husband serves in the US Air Force (USAF), Moni can be found, if you can keep up with her, functioning and advocating in multiple positions of interest. For starters, she is the CEO and Founder of the Association of Military Spouse Entrepreneurship (AMSE). Meet U.S. Air Force spouse and entrepreneur Monica Jefferson of the Chesterfield, New Jersey area. CEO/Founder AMSE Agency; Multi-venture Entrepreneur + Impact Community Builder + Technology Enthusiast + Minority Business Leader Moni Jefferson is a serial entrepreneur and Active-Duty Air Force Spouse and a proud advocate for military spouse entrepreneurs! She is the CEO and co-founder of The Association of Military Spouse Entrepreneurs (AMSE) with Flossie Hall. AMSE is the digital membership for military spouse entrepreneurs to develop, grow, and scale their businesses with the resources and tools needed for success. Considering the current state and rate of unemployment for military spouses at 24%(pre-COVID), we wanted to create a space only for military spouse entrepreneurs to connect with like-minded spouses and communities. That Understand their journey—an organization for military spouse entrepreneurs by military spouse entrepreneurs. AMSE has had excellent traction and impact since launching on November 19, 2019, with over 1k members. Find out more on our site on how to help us change the landscape of military spouse entrepreneurs. Tech Startup: Moni is also the co-founder of another startup, My Ultimate PCS App, with Maria Reed. MUPCS launched in the summer of 2008 and currently has over 8K downloads. Due to the constant moves and stresses of military families moving every few years, Maria + I wanted to simplify military families' moving process. Head over and download the app and share it far and wide. Moni said this about her spark: “I started my entrepreneur journey as a blogger in 2014 while my husband was deployed, which led to the launch of a successful PR and social media agency called Dog Tags + Heels. I worked with national and celebrity clients to build brand evangelism and social impact. Most notably with Blue Star Families, Heroes at Home.” Latina In Tech: In 2017, I also launched MilCam + MilEmoji Apps, both a Military lifestyle app on IOS + Android. Community Builder: In the early stages of trying to figure out this entrepreneur thing, she started a support + networking group on Facebook. I founded the MilSpouse Creative in 2015, the global networking community for MilSpouse entrepreneurs, full of mentorship and networking opportunities. Post-secondary Education: Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications and PR from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and am a member of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority.

For more information about Moni Jefferson and how to connect with her, utilize any of these methods below:

WEBSITES https://monijeffersonpr.com | https://amseagency.com/ |https://myultimatepcs.com/

EMAIL [email protected] SOCIAL MEDIA https://linkedin.com/in/moni-jefferson

Erin Miller is the proud granddaughter of Elaine Danforth Harmon, a member of the Women Air-force Service Pilots (WASP) during WWII. Her grandmother’s last request was to be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC). After she died in April 2015, this request was denied by the US Army which runs ANC. Erin led a grassroots, social media, and direct lobbying campaign to fight the decision. This campaign was a success.

On May 20, 2016, President Obama signed H.R. 4336, the bill introduced in Congress by Representative Martha McSally (AZ-2) in January 2016, which then became a law to officially recognize the service of WASP as eligible for ANC. The funeral was held on September 7, 2016, at ANC. This was followed by a family memorial service at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, where Erin, her mother Terry, her sister Tiffany, Air Force pilots Lt. Col. Caroline Jensen, and Maj. Heather Penney and Representative Martha McSally spoke to honor Elaine's life and service. Erin is a licensed attorney in Maryland. She has a J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law, a Master’s in International Studies from the University of Leeds (UK), and a B.A. in History from the University of California, San Diego. Credits Written and curated by Sara Collini. Images and sources courtesy of the WASP Archive, The TWU Libraries’ Woman’s Collection, Texas Woman’s University, Denton, Texas. National WASP WWII Museum, Portal to Texas History and IMLS. US Air Force Collection, Record Group 342, National Archives. Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Veterans History Project, Library of Congress. Jacqueline Cochran Collection, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, and Museum. US Air Force Official Website: https://www.af.mil/ Bibliography Cornelsen, Kathleen. “Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II: Exploring Military Aviation, Encountering Discrimination, and Exchanging Traditional Roles in Service to America.” Journal of Women’s History 17.4 (2005): 111–119. Hodgson, Marion Stegeman. Winning My Wings: A Woman Airforce Service Pilot in World War II. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1996. Merryman, Molly. Clipped Wings: The Rise and Fall of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) of World War II. New York: New York University Press, 1998. Noggle, Anne. For God, Country, and the Thrill of It: Women Airforce Service Pilots in World War II: Photographic Portraits and Text. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1990. Rickman, Sarah Byrn. Nancy Love and the WASP Ferry Pilots of World War II. Denton: University of North Texas Press, 2008. Sage, Jenny. “Ladies of Lockbourne: Women Airforce Service Pilots and the Mighty B-17 Flying Fortress.” Ohio History 124 (2017): 5–27. Strebe, Amy Goodpaster. Flying for Her Country: the American and Soviet Women Military Pilots of World War II. Westport: Praeger Security International, 2007. Yellin, Emily. Our Mothers’ War: American Women at Home and at the Front During World War II. New York: Free Press, 2004.

#YouveGotMettle | #WASP |

Nichol Malachowski

Ericka Kelly, of the Long Beach, California area, is a US Air Force Veteran who retired after 30+ years of service. Command Chief Master Sergeant (Ret) Ericka Kelly has a lot of experience and skills in her back pocket. You will hear some of that with what she shares but can also get a glimpse of these things below. With a story like hers, it takes two episodes to unpack the full story of Erika Kelly. In this first episode, we heard about her story leading up to entering the military.

MILITARY EXPERT | 17th Command Chief Master Sergeant for the Air Force Reserve Command | Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the Air Force Reserve | SENIOR SPECIAL AGENT | LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY | John Maxwell TEAM Executive Director Public Speaker | Coach | Trainer | Facilitator |

Ericka Kelly speaks, trains and coaches both individuals and groups in the areas of leadership development, professional skills, and personal growth.

Words like professionalism, accountability, and vigilance in a multitude of roles are all synonymous of Ericka Kelly.

EDUCATION DEGREES OBTAINED Masters Business Administration Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice (Pre-Law Studies and Languages)

Contact information for Ericka Kelly

WEBSITE erickakellyenterprises.com | EMAIL ADDRESS [email protected]

LINKEDIN http://linkedin.com/in/ericka-kelly-enterprises | YouTube Video Resiliency with AFRC Command Chief, Chief Ericka Kelly

Part two come out soon. In the meantime, here is what People are saying about Ericka Kelly

Ericka Kelly, of the Long Beach, California area, is a US Air Force Veteran who retired after 30+ years of honorable service.

Command Chief Master Sergeant (Ret) Ericka Kelly has a lot of experience and skills in her back pocket. You can get a glimpse of these things below. With a story like hers, it takes two episodes to unpack the full story of Erika Kelly. In this first episode, we’re going to hear about her story leading up to entering into the military.

MILITARY EXPERT | 17th Command Chief Master Sergeant for the Air Force Reserve Command & Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the Air Force Reserve

Served as an adviser to the command on all matters concerning the health, morale, welfare and effective management of more than 74,000 civilians and service members.

SENIOR SPECIAL AGENT | LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY

Strong legal professional | responsible to safeguard and promote the security of the workforce | professionalism, accountability, and vigilance in a multitude of roles

John Maxwell TEAM Executive Director

Public Speaker | Coach | Trainer | Facilitator |

As Executive Director of The John Maxwell Team, Ericka Kelly speaks, trains and coaches both individuals and groups in the areas of leadership development, professional skills, and personal growth.

EDUCATION DEGREES OBTAINED Masters Business Administration

Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice (Pre-Law Studies and Languages)

Contact information for Ericka Kelly

LINKEDIN

http://linkedin.com/in/ericka-kelly-enterprises

WEBSITE

erickakellyenterprises.com

EMAIL ADDRESS [email protected]

YouTube Video

https://youtu.be/Bklqw_gN1-0

Upon his return from deployment, SFC (retired) Patrick Skluzacek said the nightmares started. “I was scared of closing my eyes.. “I'd wake up thrashing and sweating and the Veterans Affairs didn't have a cure for it. They just had people with nightmares, people killing themselves, and they didn't understand why." Tyler Skluzacek, Patrick’s, the 27-year-old son told CNN, “I was just 13 when he came back from Iraq, but I knew he was a completely different person. He used to be so active and happy. After the war, he was just depressed, lethargic, irritable, and the worst part is he wasn't sleeping. It was hard seeing my Dad like that." Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, his father had nightmares that haunted him for years.

This 31-minute bonus episode is not the full "Nightmare vs Nightwear" episode. Rather, the first half of this contains bits and pieces from the individuals interviewed for the full episode.  The second half of this is a 15-minute yoga/ grounding session led by (Jen (Muehlegger) Baumgardner Barnes (MSW, LICSW, ERYT, TCTSY-F)   (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-baumgardner-barnes-msw-licsw-eryt-tctsy-f-5797b56a/)

NightWare - Treating nightmares with digital therapeutics: Overview | LinkedIn

Dr. Brian Robertson, (Retired Army | Cheif Consultant Surgeon General, Allergy/Immunology) https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-robertson-md/

Everyone has a story to tell and scars that don't heal. A young, idealistic teen leaves a small town and abusive father behind to join the Navy in a refreshingly down-to-earth memoir of one woman's journey of self-discovery. She embraces life with passion and courage, from training and partying with Navy SEALs to skydiving and joining the police force, but when tragic events while serving her country lead to years of nightmares, depression, and PTSD, she must learn to navigate life through the heartache and tears until the laughter and love return. You can get the full story of this Law Enforcement Officer (retired) and Navy Veteran D.A. Michaels in her book, “Courageously Broken: Memoirs of a Navy Veteran."

D.A. Michaels of the Cocoa Beach, Florida is our guest on this week's episode of the Mettle of Honor.  She talks about #ptsd, #veterans, #lawenforcement, #firstresponders, and #courageouslybroken

Courageously Broken is a memoir about overcoming the adversities that life often hands us. Take a journey through the life of D.A. Michaels who flees a small town and abusive father by joining the Navy only to find herself working side by side with Navy SEALs in the jungles of Panama.

When a series of tragedies strike, they leave us with scars that cut deep. If we don’t properly process these traumatic events and instead, compartmentalize them as we often do, one day, when we least expect it, they will catch up to us and bring us to our knees.

That is what happened to Donna Michaels. As a military veteran and law enforcement officer, she set out to make the world a better place. But after years of suppressing her own traumas and witnessing countless others, it took a toll and brought a vibrant exhilarating woman into a darkness she never knew existed.

All her life she had been credited with being resilient and strong. She struggled to understand why after years of life experience and all the coping mechanisms she had learned she couldn’t bounce back and move on.

Courageously Broken is about the adventure of life. The good, the bad, and the journey into hell and back. Readers have said they have laughed, cried, and been grateful to see the world through the eyes of a veteran and law enforcement officer.

Book and contact information D.A. Michaels

Website: https://www.courageouslybroken.com/ | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/d-a-michaels-286142115/

Email [email protected] 

“Courageously Broken: A memoir of overcoming adversity and conquering the battle scars of life” Details: ASIN: B08J7TX3KV | Language: English | Publication date: September 15, 2020 | Print length: 277 pages | File size: 4979 KB | Simultaneous device usage: Unlimited | Text-to-Speech: Enabled | Screen Reader: Supported | Enhanced typesetting: Enabled | Word Wise: Enabled |There’s now also a Kindle version of the book. Donna Michaels, #YouveGotMettle