The Soldier For Life Podcast

Every life that is lost to suicide is one life too many.

On this week's all new Soldier For Life Podcast, we talk to mental health advocate and motivational speaker David Woods Bartley about his struggles with depression, mental health, and suicide; and about how connection leads to hope, and hope saves lives.

Resources mentioned in the podcast:

👉 988 Lifeline - https://988lifeline.org

👉 Veterans Crisis Line - call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or visit www.veteranscrisisline.net (resources and online chat)

👉 https://www.va.gov/REACH

Army Emergency Relief, the official nonprofit of the United States Army, has been Supporting Soldiers and their Families Since 1942 through grants, interest-free loans, and scholarships.

Learn more about the important work that AER does to support our Army Family on this week's all new #SoldierForLifePodcast as we talk with Tony Grinston, the Chief Executive Officer of AER and the 16th Sergeant Major of the Army (Ret.).

Get more information and donate to AER at https://www.armyemergencyrelief.org.

Having a battle buddy or a tribe for support is just as important when you're making the transition into the civilian world as it was when you were serving.

On this week's Soldier For Life Podcast, we chat with Dr. Robby Hedrick, the Director of Transition Services for the Coffee Bunker, an organization that refers to itself as a tribe, battle buddy, or wingman for military and veteran families in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, area and beyond as they move into the civilian world.

On this week's Soldier For Life Podcast episode, we talk with U.S. Marine Corps COL (Ret.) Duncan Milne, the President of Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services, about the work that Dixon Center does to help organizations across the country improve the lives of our military and veteran families.

Soldier On is a nonprofit organization based in western Massachusetts that is committed to ending veteran homelessness by providing needs-based housing, direct supportive services, and temporary financial assistance to veterans who are at-risk of homelessness.

Listen as COL Jarrett Thomas chats with Soldier On CEO, Mr. Bruce Buckley, about Soldier On and its efforts to help put an end to veteran homelessness.

Keeping our military spouses happy is obviously important on many levels, but making sure that they have access to meaningful employment also plays a critical role in Army readiness and retention.

On this week's all new SFL Podcast, COL Jarrett Thomas got the chance to sit down with LTG Kevin Vereen, the U.S. Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-9, to talk about the many ways the Department of Defense and the Army are working to help improve the quality of life of our military families and, more specifically, the employment opportunities for our military spouses.

Resources mentioned during the podcast:

✅ Army Quality of Life Spouse Employment Resources - https://www.army.mil/qualityoflife/spouses.html

✅ Army Spouse Employment Toolkit - https://www.armyresilience.army.mil/ard/spouse-employment-toolkit.html

✅ Military Spouse Career Accelerator Pilot - https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/article/military-spouse-career-accelerator-pilot

✅ Military Spouse Employment Partnership - https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/article/military-spouse-employment-partnership

✅ Military OneSource Spouse Education and Employment Guides - https://www.militaryonesource.mil/resources/millife-guides/spouse-jobs-education

✅ USAJOBS - https://www.usajobs.gov

MilGears is a customized career-building tool offered by the U.S. Department of Defense that is designed to help service members, veterans, potential Soldiers, their family members, and more plan and achieve their career goals by highlighting career possibilities and helping them visualize how to reach those goals.

Learn more on this week's brand new Soldier For Life Podcast as MSG James Wire chats with Mr. Keith Boring, the Acting Division Director of Strategy, Innovation, Credentialing, and Voluntary Education for the Naval Education and Training Command.

https://milgears.osd.mil