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

Meet Army Veteran Jason Roncoroni of Ponte Vedra, Florida. While on active duty, Jason served as a 15N- a UH60 Pilot. Not only was he a pilot and a battalion commander, but he also earned the Senior Aviator Badge, Combat Action Badge, Airborne Wings, Air Assault Badge, and Joint Staff Badge. Currently, Jason is Co-founder and Chief Operation Officer of “Zero Six Group” and Executive Coach at the COMMIT Foundation. It has been said that leaving the military and transitioning back to civilian life might just be the most difficult mission for any military leader to undertake. When military veterans return to civilian life, they’re often confronted with challenges that never occurred to them and that they were not prepared for. For many veterans, it can even feel like an identity crisis of sorts. This is not to mention the impact it has on their families, who also often find themselves starting over again, outside of the community of people who understand their unique set of experiences. Veteran and executive coach, Jason Roncoroni, and psychologist and nationally recognized expert, Dr. Shauna Springer, have come together to create a workbook to help veterans work their way through this pivotal time of transition. Beyond the Military serves as a comprehensive, interactive resource to address the deeper psychological, cultural, and relational aspects of reintegrating into civilian life. It does this through more than thirty exercises presented through the framework of the military decision-making process, so that veterans can confidently, comfortably, and successfully navigate this transition back into civilian life. With this guidance, veterans will be walked through the process of unleashing their full potential outside of the uniform.

Contact information

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonroncoroni/     | https://www.ordinaryherocoaching.com/about |  [email protected]  | https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Military-Leaders-Handbook-Reintegration/dp/1544505574   |   https://authorhour.co/beyond-the-military-jason-roncoroni-and-dr-shauna-springer/

Dr. Theresa Larson, DPT | CSCS | SFMA (aka “Dr. T”) has become one of the healthcare and fitness world’s most sought-after experts on movement health. Dr. Theresa Larson earned her doctorate in physical therapy from the University of Saint Augustine in San Diego, CA. A former Marine Corps Engineer Officer and Combat Veteran, Theresa also played professional softball in Italy as well as semi-professional softball in the United States.

Theresa founded Movement Rx with her husband in 2013 in order to break free from the limitations that traditional physical therapy puts on practitioners and patients. The result was a company where skilled practitioners can authentically treat patients with the time, care, and movement education they deserve.

Dr. Theresa Larson is determined to deliver movement and mindset health to as many people as possible with her team – including adaptive athletes, as she is an adaptive athlete herself. She is a motivational speaker for companies, helping individuals and teams understand that change is possible and leadership starts within. She also presents on movement and mobility internationally and is the co-creator and lead instructor of the popular Functional Training for Adaptive Athletes program. She recently authored a memoir (WARRIOR) that was published through Harper One, an imprint of Harper Collins.

In addition to her practice, wellness and speaking efforts, Dr. Theresa Larson is a huge advocate for Challenged Athletes Foundation, Team Red White and Blue, a veteran non-profit, National Eating Disorder Association, CrossRoads Adaptive Athlete Alliance, and Resiliency Project.

Theresa’s mission is to deliver crucial information to people who need it the most. Anybody who has gone through loss, trauma, or a major change in their life needs to find their new normal again. Through ADAPT Media and the “My New Normal” podcast, she offers stories of motivation and strength, overcoming hardship, and information on injuries from some of the top professionals and organizations in the world.

She believes that our ability to optimally adapt to a new normal is a choice. As the Dalai Lama says, “beautiful things don’t come without some suffering.” 2QQrAxSm1d5lwwsdhinN

Jon Macaskill Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States Husband | Father | Retired Navy SEAL | Podcast Host & Producer | Speaker | Leader | Mindfulness Teacher | Expert mono-tasker!  Jon Macaskill, MMT, is a Navy SEAL Commander turned mindfulness and meditation teacher.

This week’s guest on the Mettle of Honor Podcast is Jon Macaskill - Navy SEAL Commander (Retired). Jon Macaskill was born in South Africa and moved with his parents and 4 siblings to the United States when he was 7. He grew up in Ruston, Louisiana where he was an avid track and cross-country runner. After graduating high school, he served briefly as an enlisted sailor in the Navy before receiving an appointment to the US Naval Academy. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy and a Master of Science degree in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School.

Jon Macaskill, retired Navy SEAL Commander, served in multiple highly dynamic leadership positions during his 24-year military career in the U.S. Navy - from the battlefield to the operations center and the board room. Jon has served in Iraq, Afghanistan, off the coast of Somalia, and in Panama. He also runs a consulting business that brings mindfulness and meditation to high-performing teams to aid in dealing with stress, anxiety, and depression, all while increasing focus, creativity, and productivity.

After retiring, he served as the Deputy Executive Director and podcast host, and producer for Veteran’s PATH, a nonprofit organization that works to introduce meditation and mindfulness to veterans to bring them a sense of Peace, Acceptance, Transformation, and Honor. He now does keynote speaking engagements on developing leadership, grit, and resilience at the individual and organizational levels. He also owns his own mindfulness consulting company, Macaskill Consulting, LLC, bringing mindfulness and meditation to high-performing teams to aid in dealing with stress, anxiety, and depression all while increasing focus, creativity, and productivity.

Jon’s wife, Beka, also served in the Navy and is now a civilian Orthopedic Physician Assistant. Together, they are the proud parents of three small children, and recently after an adventurous 6 months as a family in an RV, they have settled in Colorado Springs.

 jonmacaskill.com/links   |   linkedin.com/in/jonmacaskill   |   [email protected]   |

Instagram @mindfulfrogman | Facebook @mindfulfrogman  | Clubhouse @mindfulfrogman

Memorial day is a day set aside to remember not just those who served in the military (that’s what Veterans Day on November 11th represents), but those who gave their all for the sake of the freedom that we are able to enjoy as Americans. In this episode, I want to highlight a group of women who served during the World War II era. They are known as The WASP - Women Air Support Pilots. Not only discussing the history of wasp but highlighting three with members who are buried in my home state, South Carolina. #YouveGotMettle

Scott A. Huesing is a retired USMC Infantry Major with over 24 years of service, both enlisted and as a commissioned officer.  His career spanned 10 deployments and he conducted operations in over 60 countries worldwide.  During his numerous deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Horn of Africa he planned, led, and conducted hundreds of combat missions under some of the most austere and challenging conditions. As a Marine Infantry Officer in 2006 Scott had the privilege to command Echo Company, 2d Battalion, 4th Marines as part of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Special Operations Capable (SOC) while attached to 1-9 Infantry Battalion ("Manchu"), 1st Brigade Combat Team (1 BCT “Ready First”), United States Army (USA) as part of the Surge Strategy in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.

In his book, Huesing transports readers to the deadly streets of Iraq in this visceral, gripping portrayal of urban combat. Bound together by honor and surrounded by chaos, they battled on the frontlines of a war without rules against an elusive, ruthless enemy who wore no uniforms and showed little mercy.  Page after page, Huesing brings the resilience and bravery of the Marines brilliantly to life and shows how the devastation and terror of combat that left indelible scars on these heroes’ bodies, psyches, and souls. Like earlier classics about men at war--Helmet for My Pillow, We Were Soldiers Once and Young, and Generation Kill—Echo in Ramadi is an unforgettable portrayal of war that will leave readers amazed and, at times, moved by the author’s masterful way of capturing the experiences and emotions of combat.

WEBSITE: (https://www.echoinramadi.com/) | To book an interview with Scott Huesing, contact Kylie Frey at ([email protected])

SAVE THE BRAVE (https://savethebrave.org/) The mission at Save The Brave (STB) is to connect veterans through outreach programs to build strength of character.  Our essential task is to prevent veteran suicide. STB is committed to providing veterans with Post Traumatic Stress ways to connect in a safe space. STB EMAIL ([email protected]) Save the Brave is a certified 501(C)3 registered in the State of California.

Major General Todd McCaffrey | Army Infantry Officer, retired

Service History: Todd served in the Army for over 34 years retiring in the grade of Major General. He completed his military career as the Chief of Staff, United States Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany. Prior to his final military posting Todd served in an array of positions during a career that included seventeen moves and multiple deployments. Among his assignments, he has served in combat as both an infantry battalion and brigade commander; he was the US Army’s Director of Training, and he commanded an Army Training Division assisting US Army Reserve and US Army National Guard units attain and maintain readiness. He remains privileged to have led, served and fought alongside the best men and women this Nation has to offer.

Education/Major(s): BS in Organization Leadership (1986), US Military Academy; MS in Economics/Operations Research (1997), Colorado School of Mines; MS in National Security Studies (2007), US Army War College

Todd assists the Veterans and Military Services Team at the University of South Carolina attract, admit, enroll, and support military and veteran students. He also helps align the university’s world class research capabilities with critical national security challenges.

Director of Military Affairs | Leadership Bio (https://www.sc.edu/uofsc/posts/2020/10/todd_mccaffrey_qa.php#.YJ9BroeSk2w) | 

Email: [email protected] |Phone: 803-576-6829 | LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-mccaffrey-6ba54141/)

University of South Carolina Military Student Affairs (https://www.sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/veterans_and_military_services/index.php)

Purple Heart Parking.  The Purple Heart parking initiative, launched across the Columbia campus, comes with a new parking pass level also launches along with the symbolic space, which is ADA van compliant. The space is set apart with a special paint job and sign provided by Carl Lopez, commander of the South Carolina Department of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. Purple Heart Parking decals at a reduced rate. These decals provide Purple Heart recipients with expanded parking options on campus. Contact Parking Services for details. Phone: 803-777-5160

Richard Kaughman "The Comeback Coach" is an Army Veteran and he likes to give a voice to the voiceless. He has had a hell of a journey from drugs and alcohol to getting injured in the Army and the struggles he’s had including the day he got out. Through it all…he has always been able to come back. That’s what earned him the name “The Comeback Coach”. You can find him on virtually all social platforms by searching @thecomebackcoach and on his website Www.richardkaufman.net. Don’t forget to search his hashtag #TodayIDecide

Matthew J. Louis is one of the nation’s leading experts in career transition for veterans and public service professionals. He advises veterans on their transition efforts and employers on hiring programs designed to successfully assimilate these valuable talent pools. He is the author of the award-winning HarperCollins book Mission Transition, a practical guide for veterans in transition and their employers.

Matt serves as the Veteran Transition Assistance officer for his West Point class. He serves as an advisor to the board of YourNexStage in Washington DC (the nation's first veteran collaborative focused on the needs of women veterans), and actively serves several other veteran collaboratives around the country.

During his active duty commissioned service in the United States Army, Matt served in the Southwest Asia combat theater and in the 194th Separate Armored Brigade. During reserve commissioned service, Matt served on the staff of the Army’s Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and commanded multiple regions around the country for the US Military Academy’s Admissions Office. He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the US Army Reserves, holds a secret security clearance, and serves on the Service Academy nominating committee for his local Congressman.

Matt holds an MBA in Operations and Finance from The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from West Point and is a graduate of the US Army Command and General Staff College.  He is also a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, a certified Project Management Professional, and holds the ASCM organization’s Certified Supply Chain Professional designation.

WEBSITE: https://matthewjlouis.com/meet-matt/

BOOK:  https://matthewjlouis.com/mission-transition-wins-the-nonfiction-authors-associations-silver-book-award/

"I'm on a mission...to SUCCESSFULLY OPTIMIZE the personal potential of veterans and public servants and the productivity of their prospective employers."

Additional Advice From Transitioning Troops https://matthewjlouis.com/lessons-learned/

Military to Civilian Thesaurus https://matthewjlouis.com/military-to-civilian-thesaurus/

Understanding Your Financial Needs Exercises https://matthewjlouis.com/financial-needs-exercises/

“The most difficult part of the transition for me was disengaging from ongoing activities and responsibilities at my last duty station and focusing on my transition to civilian life. There was more to do than I realized, with medical appointments, moving, required transition workshops, finding a job, and more. It wasn't that I felt like I was indispensable in my last position, but I had projects that I wanted to see through to completion before leaving. Also, the Army was still providing my livelihood, so I felt it incumbent on me to continue to contribute.” Dave Raymond (Former Army Colonel)

Advocates for spouses of service members in all branches of service and components as well as veterans and their families. They discussed the challenges of being a spouse, a parent, and a full-time employee while their husbands are at home and on the other side of the world serving their country.

Amy Apostol,  Navy Reserve JAG Officer Spouse.

ADVISOR. Broad attorney skill set, including work in areas of national security, cybersecurity, personnel security and insider threat, policy, compliance, data sharing, privacy, GDPR, and litigation.  Provides client solutions in evolving operational landscapes that require agility and innovation.  Partner with business leaders to empower sustainable, legally compliant actions and policy. Help effectuate change while minimizing risk. Experienced advisor on significant and high-profile issues.

BOARD MEMBER. Gamma Phi Beta Facilities Management Company Board of Managers: make decisions about non-profit spending and operational priorities. Mission Hire Me Advisory Board: support fundraising efforts and make key partnership connections. (https://www.missionhireme.com/)

COMMUNITY SUPPORTER. Fort Hunt Little League Board of Directors: support community engagement, public relations, and member experience

-Be The Good Project Volunteer: support efforts to address food shortages and hunger crisis in the DC metro area

EDUCATOR. Adjunct Professor @ Albany Law School. Guest Lecturer on cybersecurity and insider threat issues. Speaker on topics such as cybersecurity, data privacy, insider threat, military families, and women's issues.

MENTOR. Provide career guidance and support for law students, attorneys, teachers, IT professionals, military spouses, and transitioning veterans through programs such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Hiring our Heroes AMPLIFY program, Veterati, and Military Spouse JD Network.

FOUNDER. Founder and creator of TechnoLawgicGals, a supportive community for women attorneys in privacy and tech. (www.technolawgicgals.com)

-Founder and creator of Wattage Careers, a career strategy platform aimed at imbuing energy, creativity, and success into the process of career growth and development. 

LinkedIn (http://linkedin.com/in/amyapostol)  |  Email  ([email protected])  |

Kate Hudson, (Active-duty Army officer Spouse).  A passionate civil servant and lawyer committed to improving the experiences of the American public with their government. Over the past seventeen years, I have served in the public and nonprofit sectors at key interaction points for citizens: elections, the justice system, the federal civil service, and government oversight. I work to make the government agencies and systems that serve the American public more accountable, efficient, responsive, and more accessible. I love to learn how the 'sausage' gets made and strive for ways to improve it.

LinkedIn (http://linkedin.com/in/katehudsonesq) Email ([email protected]) | Twitter  (KateHudsonEsq)

Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen, Inc. (MISNS, pronounced “missions”) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that specializes in research, education, and advocacy for servicewomen and families suffering from a military moral injury (MMI). Potentially Moral injurious events include a whole range of things, such as killing in combat, being the victim of a sexual assault, experiencing hazing and harassment, or watching others be abused and not being able to stop it. Women make up about 15% of the U.S. armed forces, but they suffer more than men from gender harassment, sexual assault, PTSD, and other traumas. Based on our research and the work of others in the field with whom we have alliances, we have developed continuing education units, conferences, and other educational tools. Using virtual classroom platforms, social media networks, and international partners, we provide training to practitioners around the world.

The 2021 Comprehensive Moral Injury Conference (https://chaplainconsultants.com/2021-moral-injury-conference/) will help bridge the gap in knowledge by presenting the latest in MI research, offering assessment tools, and sharing interventions being used by thought leaders and practitioners in the fields of psychology, social work, chaplaincy, and other healthcare fields. This conference takes a holistic, collaborative approach to MI. Regardless of where clinicians, chaplains, and therapists work, they are likely to encounter a person with MI and should understand how to identify it, as well as help the person or get them the care they need. Contact Hours This conference offers 12 contact hours for psychologists, social workers, chaplains, physical therapists, and licensed counselors. There are no pre-requisites required to enroll in this training. Program Objectives By the end of this conference, participants will be able to:

Identify the top three most common moral injurious events for women veterans, Select the six domains of symptoms associated with moral injury in any population at any age, List the topics covered in the 16-week interdisciplinary veteran support group used by the Charles George VA Medical Center, Identify military culture and leadership patterns that contribute to moral injury and dysfunctional lifestyle behaviors in post-9/11 veterans, List the factors that might make a service member more vulnerable to moral injury, Describe the Moral Distress Process Model and its application to healthcare settings, Identify the benefits of the third-location decompression approach for veterans returning home from deployment, 

Board Chaplaincy Certification, Inc. 847.240.1014 [email protected]  for verification based on your specific chaplaincy requirements. Georgia Psychological Association https://gapsychology.org

National Association of Social Workers https://www.socialworkers.org We are an approved NASW provider and expect to receive approval for this particular conference before the event begins.

For more information on the program objectives and other agency certifications, please go to the website where you can also register.

American Psychological Association (APA) https://www.apa.org/pubs/books/addressing-moral-injury-clinical-practice-sample-chapter.pdf

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