The Overwatch Collective Podcast

Thank you to Emma Johnson for joining T.O.C.'s podcast to share about a life changing incident that changed her life involving her husband, Matt Johnson. After a short three weeks of Emma and Matt tying the knot and getting married, he was involved in a violent use of force as a Police Officer. During the fight, Matt was struck in the head multiple times, which ended up leading to a traumatic brain injury, and ultimately led to suicidal ideations with a plan. 

Thankfully, Matt did not complete the plan and had the support of Emma and fellow co-workers to fight through the PTSD, TBI, and suicidal ideations. 

Emma and Matt founded Lion & Lamb Homestead LLC, which is focused on helping first responders after being injured on the job. 

Check out their instagram to follow and support @Lionlamb_homesteadva.

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Thank for tuning in to this episode with Ray and Melissa from Fire Family Support (FFS) to discuss their impactful work supporting first responders and their families. FFS is dedicated to connecting and lifting each other up throughout this challenging and difficult career. 

They share insights on their own couples therapy, resource accessibility for our first responder community, and the importance of community connection specifically on social media. 

A huge shoutout to the both of them for continuing to be a great avenue for first responders and their loved ones to get whatever help they may need. 

Follow FFS on Instagram @FireFamilySupport or email them at [email protected].

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A huge thank you to U.S. Army Major Jake Kelly for joining T.O.C.'s Podcast to discuss a unique perspective of being an Officer in the U.S. Military and our current mental health situation in our Armed Forces. Tune in to listen to Kelly talk about the challenges our spouses and significant others face during deployments, the stigma of mental health, and his book 'The Spurs of Service".

Kelly served as a platoon leader with the 3d Cavalry Regiment, deploying to the Sinai Peninsula, before joining the 3rd Infantry Division as a Troop Commander in 5-7 Cavalry at Fort Stewart, GA. During his time in 3ID he conducted operational deployments across Europe to Germany, Poland, and Hungary, followed by a separate deployment to the Republic of Korea. Over the course of his career, Jake has served from platoon leadership through company command and has experienced firsthand both the extraordinary bonds forged through military service and the personal costs carried by service members and their families.

After more than a decade as an Armor Officer, Jake transitioned into the Army’s Simulation Operations career field, where his work now focuses on wargaming, experimentation, and the modernization of the future force. He  currently serves in Transformation and Training Command (T2COM) at the Maneuver Battle Lab at Fort Benning, Georgia, supporting Army experimentation and modernization efforts.

Jake is also the author of The Spurs of Service, a collection of 53 poems inspired by the shared journey of service members and their families. The book grew in part from the losses and experiences that shaped him during his military career, including the deaths of close friends in Afghanistan and the suicide of a Soldier under his command. Drawing on his background as a cavalryman and his upbringing in rural East Texas, his writing uses the imagery of the cowboy and the warrior to explore service, brotherhood, sacrifice, grief, family, faith, and the difficult journey of finding peace after hardship.

Let us know what you think about the podcast!

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Thank you Mark from Battle Worn Foundation for joining T.O.C.'s podcast to talk about the common mistakes we see in the first responder & military community regarding mental health. After losing one of his best friends to suicide, Mark came to realize that he can make a difference in normalizing mental health challenges in our community and came up with a great resource! 

We discussed how department's set our community up to put the agency before our family's needs, losing friends to suicide, importance of peer to peer support, and a full breakdown of Battle Worn Foundation. 

Learn more about Battle Worn Foundation by checking out their website: https://www.battlewornfoundation.org/home

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A huge thank you to Kenneth for coming on the podcast as he's made it his mission to talk about how he compartmentalized so much trauma over his career and had to deal with it a few month after retirement. 

Like many, Kenneth worked hard in Probation for 28 years working primarily in crimes against children. After experience drug overdoses, suicides, and more, Kenneth hit that retirement mark and thought it would be a smooth ride. After three short months, everything caught up to him and needed an emergency therapy session to work on everything he suppressed over the course of his career. 

Tune in to learn about Kenneth's career and some great advice for our community. 

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A huge thank you to Matt from Frontline Mental Health for joining T.O.C.'s Podcast all the way from Australia to talk about their mission to get first responders in Australia the mental health resources they need. Partnering with Aussie Frontline and Boulder Crest Foundation, they have been able to help countless people in our community. 

Tune into to learn about Matt and the amazing work that Frontline Mental Health is doing for those that need it the most!

Thank you to Roger Sutherland for the connection!!

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Thank you to Jamie and Shaunna for joining T.O.C.'s Podcast to give a full overview of the Significant Others & Spouses Retreat through the First Responder Support Network. 

If you've never known or have any questions regarding what is offered at this retreat, then listen to this episode as they answer my questions and give a day to day summary so you know what you're getting into. 

A reminder, T.O.C. funds 50% of the costs if the Significant Other & Spouse meets our criteria. 

Thank you again Jamie and Shaunna and for FRSN for everything y'all do for our community. 

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Thank you Dr. Brad Kobsar for joining T.O.C.'s podcast to share about the Wellness Method, which he founded in 1995. Dr. Kobsar most recently started the Kingdom Wellness Foundation, which has a branch called 'Healthy Heroes' that offer resources for our first responder and military community. 

Also, Dr. Kosbar sheds some light on the insurance barriers and challenges in addition to the importance of sleep/rest. 

Learn more at Mywellnessmethod.com and on Instagram at Dr.bradkobsar. 

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Thank you to Breanna for joining The Overwatch Collective's Podcast to share about The Little Blue Crew, which is a non-profit organization helping our law enforcement community thrive during challenging times. 

Breanna discusses how her and her husband, a Deputy Sheriff, thrive and work together to maintain a healthy relationship while raising four kids. Also, Breanna talks about the resources that Little Blue Crew provides for our LEO community during challenging times and not just line of duty deaths. 

Tune into this episode to learn more about Breanna and the great work she is doing for our community. 

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Kicking off season 11 with Denise Gee from Northern California, who married to a Police Officer and is a therapist working with first responders and spouses. 

Tune in to listen to Denise touch on some tips and tricks on how to have a successful marriage in this first responder community. 

If you're a first responder spouse, definitely give this episode a listen!

Thank you to Brain Performance Technologies, which is T.O.C.'s Podcast Sponsor.

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