VA News Podcast

This week, Army Veteran Blake Hall, who shared how and why he joined the Army, what life was like after transitioning, and how he founded ID.me.

Hall's decision to join the Army after September 11th felt to him like a right of passage. He wanted to be the one to lead the fight. He talks about that event as a shift for service members, and what it meant for the community, before discussing a 15-month deployment as a platoon leader and fighting the Iraqi insurgency. Blake received the Bronze Star with Valor for actions in leading his men during a fight against insurgents.

Hall also talks transitioning out of the military, and how he came to found and lead ID.me to make ID verification and logging a more efficient process. He mentions the hassles that Veterans without ID cards face when applying for various benefits. With ID.me, Veterans can be verified through a secure process without meeting in-person or providing physical identification.

Later, Hall discusses entrepreneurship within the public and government arena, as well as that finding the perfect way to enter the marketplace is key. He talks building credibility, and shares what a lot of entrepreneurs forget to do when pitching their ideas to investors.

#BtBattle Veteran of the Week:

• Air Force Veteran Carlos Martinez

Additional Links:

• Additional Story on Army Veteran Blake Hall
• VA to award more than 425 grants, $279 million to help prevent and end Veteran homelessness
• VA rolls out new patient-appointment tool, as part of electronic health record modernization transformation

Army Veteran Florent Groberg received the Medal of Honor in 2015 for his selfless actions during the War in Afghanistan, where he rushed a suicide bomber to protect 28 coalition and Afghan National Army personnel.

Groberg knew he wanted to join the military when his uncle joined the Algerian army to fight the Armed Islamic Group, a terrorist organization that was eventually responsible for his uncle's grisly death. Groberg’s family moved to the United States when he was 12, and Groberg’s resolve to join the military was strengthened after the September 11 attacks. However, in order to join the Army, he had to renounce his French citizenship.

On August 8, 2012, Groberg was responsible for protecting a group of personnel including two brigade commanders, three battalion commanders, an Afghan general, two GS-15 State Department individuals, and two majors with his element of six other soldiers. During the advance to a provincial governor’s compound, the patrol was attacked, and Groberg tackled a suicide bomber to distance the attacker from his personnel. The bomb detonated, severely injuring Groberg, but preventing more deaths from the patrol.

Groberg is grateful to VA and the Wounded Warriors Project for helping him during his recovery. In 2015, he transitioned out of the military, and later that year was awarded the Medal of Honor.

After transitioning, Groberg worked with LinkedIn and Boeing, providing leadership as well as advocating for Veterans in the workforce. He currently works at Microsoft and is a motivational speaker for Keppler Speakers. He also wrote an autobiography, Eight Seconds of Courage.

Groberg is also a member of Warriors Ethos, an organization which provides Veterans with the resources and networks to transition into a successful civilian career.

#BtBattle Veteran of the Week:

• Army Veteran Tu Lam

Additional Links

• Call of Duty: Warzone Skin Based off Florent Groberg
• VA prepares to welcome volunteers back to health care facilities
• VA partners with OnStar to bring suicide prevention services to Veterans
• VA decreases mail processing time for claims intake 
• VA responds to COVID-19 with schedule revisions to electronic health record implementation

This week we go back in time and revisit, Duke and USA Basketball legend, Coach K's interview on Borne the Battle. 

This week's episode of Borne the Battle features Marine Corps Veteran Alex Calfree, the co-founder of OpLign, a website that uses personal profiles of job seekers to connect them to employers and open up new career paths. Unlike most job-hunting websites which use keyword searches to connect job-seekers to employers, OpLign attributes its success to artificial intelligence that matches users’ complete profile to the employment opportunities that will allow them to succeed.

After a few years of college, Calfree enlisted in the Marine Corps as an infantryman. He traveled between many different units before becoming a reconnaissance Marine, a job he described as “very cerebral” due to the demanding and required navigation and communication skills.

After transitioning out of the military, Calfree earned an undergraduate degree and Master of Business Administration from Ohio State University with assistance from other Veterans and military members on campus.

In 2017, Calfree co-founded OpLign, an artificial intelligence-powered software application that connects job seekers to employers through a personal profile of education, experience, and skills. Calfree claims that OpLign’s “two-way mechanism of exchange” avoids the pitfalls of a static system of job postings and resumes.

According to Calfree, OpLign aims to work with companies that are Veteran-friendly. Many Veterans transitioning out of the military face challenges in the civilian job market due to their lack of experience, especially during the current employment crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Calfree hopes that OpLign can help those Veterans find opportunities and employment by showing employers how much value Veterans have to offer.

#BtBattle Veteran of the Week:

• Marine Veteran Bill White

Additional Links:

• vetlign.com
• VA reduces prescription opioid use by 64% during past eight years
• VA survey to collect customer feedback on education benefits
• VA publishes final regulation for its Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers 
• VA, America’s Adopt A Soldier partner to help Veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness stay connected 
• VA, Elizabeth Dole Foundation to offer respite relief for Veteran caregivers

Army Veteran Terrence Hayes is the director of communications and public affairs for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He has worked in public affairs for over 20 years, as a soldier and civilian alike. 

Hayes never saw an Army recruiter until the day he decided to call one and ask about the jobs that were available in the military. He ended up joining and reported for basic training only a few months after graduating high school. With his excellence in English, he decided to work in public affairs for the Army.

At the beginning of his service Hayes intended to serve only five years and then enter the workforce. He ended up serving for two decades. He credits the Army with teaching him the importance of putting others before oneself and how selflessness in a leader encourages dedication in the entire team.

After spending some time teaching at the Noncommissioned Officer’s Academy at Fort Meade, Maryland, and working as a media relations specialist at VA, Hayes became the director of communications and public affairs for VFW. He oversees everything that the VFW does that involves communicating with the public.

In this episode, listeners will learn of little known benefits, VFW's importance as a voice for the Veteran community, how the VFW serves the interests of Veterans when it comes to legislation, why the VFW is important for Veterans of all backgrounds and how the VFW supports those who support it.

#BtBattle Veteran of the Week:

• Marine Veteran Tanya Huling

Additional Links:

• VA, VFW Facebook Live: Delivering care to rural Veterans
• VA Promotes ATLAS at 120th VFW National Convention
• vfw.org
• VA and partner agencies announce COVID-19 Insights Partnership

This week's episode of Borne the Battle features one of its largest panels to date, as representatives from VA and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) break down the details of the Alaska Native Veterans Program of 2019. 

This episode features:

• Program manager Paul Krabacher (BLM).
• Acting Chief, Adjudication Services Section, Native Allotment Lead Candy Grimes (BLM).
• Land Transfer Resolution Specialist and Acting Native Liasion Ralph Eluska (BLM).
• Deputy Communications Director and Marine Corps Veteran Eric Tausch (BLM).
• Tribal Government Relations Specialist for the Continental/Midwest/North Atlantic Regions and Marine Corps Veteran Peter Vicaire (VA).

The Alaska Native Veterans Program of 2019 allows Alaska Native Veterans who served in the Vietnam era, or an heir of theirs, to claim between 2.5 and 160 acres of land in Alaska. The BLM website hosts information about the program, including contact information, proposed rules for the program, a link to available lands, answers to frequently asked questions, and video from virtual public meetings about the program.

How to Ensure You Receive your Application

Potentially eligible Veterans should update their contact information with the Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA) Realty Tribal Service Provider and with BLM.

• BIA Enrollment Verification: (907) 271-4506
• BIA Realty: (800) 645-8465
• BLM Native Allotment Section: (907) 271-5998

Potentially eligible Veterans should also request a copy of their DD-214 from the Alaska Department of Military and Veteran Affairs, US Department of Veteran Affairs. Your local VA office or Veteran Service Organization can provide assistance.

How to Ensure the Program Works for You

Potentially eligible Veterans can coordinate a personal representative appointed by an Alaska State Court, or contact the Alaska Legal Services Corporation, for help coordinating a personal representative.

Potentially eligible Veterans should also read the draft proposed rules for the program. There is a 30-day window for public commenting that ends on August 10, 2020.

Use the interactive map of available lands for the program from the BLM website. You can claim and save a plot selection as a .pdf and turn it in with your claim. The map will be updated regularly as more lands become available and allotments are made. (This is an image of the interactive map; please click the link to go to the BLM website to use the interactive map.)

Help Spread the Word

VA, BLM and BIA need every Veteran’s help to spread the word about the program. In order to reach the estimated 2,200 eligible Veterans or their heirs, the program needs its contact information to be as up-to-date as possible. Veterans and non-Veterans can use this PDF flyer to spread the news and ensure that every Alaska Native Veteran who has earned their land will receive it.

BtBattle Veteran of the Week:

• Army Air Corps Veteran Richard Frank

Additional Links:

• BLM Website for Alaska Native Veterans Program of 2019
• Interactive Map
• Borne the Battle Ep. 172: Robert Primeaux, Lakota Warrior
• VA expands funding for emergency response for Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness during COVID-19 pandemic
• VA health care first to have Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services codes for chaplain care
• Study shows VA surgical care better than or equal to non-VA hospitals 

Blake Stilwell shares his story of starting his career as a combat photographer and eventually becoming a professional writer for Military.com.

Stilwell had only spent a year in the Air Force when he became the youngest and for a time lowest-ranking member of the 1st Combat Camera Squadron. Despite early challenges, he was grateful for the opportunity to learn from his friends and mentors. He said they taught him how to take his work seriously while also having fun. He still considers it one of his best jobs.

After nearly six years in the Air Force, Stilwell left to enroll at Syracuse University, using his GI Bill to graduate from the Television, Radio, and Film program. He used the skills he had learned in the Air Force and at Syracuse in various enterprises, including covering the 2008 Beijing Olympics and working at The White House Communications Agency.

Stilwell eventually returned to Syracuse to study International and Public Relations, and spent some time at the Near East Foundation. In 2015, he was recruited by a friend to become a writer at We Are the Mighty, where he wrote thousands of articles and hosted a podcast with friends. Later in 2019 he became a professional staff writer for Military.com, where he continues to write today alongside other freelance work.

In this episode, Stilwell discusses…

• What he learned from his experiences in the military.
• His post-military education at Syracuse University.
• His advice for aspiring writers and people transitioning out of the military.
• How he got on the bad side of the president of the Philippines.

#BtBattle Veteran of the Week:

• Army Veteran Ambrose Bierce

Additional Links:

• VA offers debt relief to Veterans through year’s end
• VA and MAZON partner to support Veteran food security

Army Veteran Erik Schlimmer has camped over 1,000 nights, climbed over 2,000 summits and hiked over 15,000 miles. In 2010 he hiked the entire Trans Adirondack Route – which spans over 230 miles – over just a few weeks. Schlimmer believes that hiking is one of the best ways for anyone – Veteran or otherwise – to improve their health and their happiness.

After completing two years of military service and four years of college, Schlimmer chose to spend his twenties and thirties enjoying nature by working the hiking trails of the Northeastern United States. He worked seasonally as a trail-builder, ranger, and expedition leader, living simply and spending all his free time hiking. He currently works as a therapist, helping others to return the favor for all who have helped him in the past.

After transitioning to civilian life, Schlimmer longed for the camaraderie he experienced in the Army. But he also loved the freedom and sense of personal accountability he found when being alone in nature.

It was his love of the Adirondacks that inspired him to found the Friends of the Trans Adirondack Route. His LLC works to ensure the Adirondacks remain free and open to the public, and promotes helping other people complete the trek themselves. He also founded his own publishing house, Beechwood Books, to publish his own books and materials on the Adirondacks.

Schlimmer funds his expeditions and raises money for Huts for Vets, an organization he works with that offers free hiking and camping trips for Veterans who have suffered trauma.

#BtBattle Veteran of the Week:

• Navy Veterans Rick and Jenette Crabb

Additional Links:

• VA reinstates in-person services at 100 hospitals across the country
• VA hits major milestone in the resolution of legacy appeals
• White House, VA launch REACH — a call to action to engage the nation in preventing suicide
• Help Heal Veterans donates craft kits to VA hospitals to help provide activities for Veterans who are alone

Many male Veterans find it difficult to address the challenges of being a husband and a father, during and after their military service. Marine Corps Veteran Ben Killoy was one of these Veterans. He created the Military Veteran Dad Podcast to help men like himself come home “both physically and mentally to their marriage and their family.”

Killoy became interested in the Marines after meeting a recruiter in 2002. He was in the Marine Corps from 2002 to 2007 and served as a generator mechanic stationed in Okinawa, Japan. According to Killoy, his time as a Marine mechanic taught him the value of taking pride in his work. He said he carried that lesson with him in his transition to civilian life.

Killoy struggled with the challenges of being a father. He found online communities of other men going through the same struggle. He spent years learning to blog, write, and connect with other people. Killoy then founded his Military Veteran Dad Podcast in 2018. He shares stories and helps Veteran fathers be more present for their families.

The podcast is not only for Veteran fathers. Killoy features military spouses as well as anyone who has overcome a challenge and learned something from it that he thinks is important for his audience. Killoy said he understands the importance of the father to the household. He said the conversation itself helps people connect to one another and open up opportunities for themselves.

Helping others

Killoy’s favorite Veteran nonprofit is Angels of America’s Fallen, which is dedicated to providing extracurricular activities and positive role models to the children of fallen Veterans.

#BtBattle Veteran of the Week:

• Army Veteran Kay "Linda" Emerson

Additional Links:

• https://www.militaryveterandad.com/
• 988 expansion for National Suicide Prevention Crisis Line and Veterans Crisis Line access
• VA receives funding from the US Postal Service for PTSD research
• VA launches COVID-19 screening tool

Congress has provided $300 million through the CARES Act this year to help the VA address the problems faced by homeless and at-risk veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic. John Kuhn, National Director of the VA’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families program, explains on this episode how the VA is using that funding to support veterans and their families.

The Supportive Services for Veterans Families, or SSVF, was founded in 2011 to help veterans and their families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The SSVF transfers its funds to nonprofit organizations that are close to their communities, and these grantees ensure that money is directed to wherever it is needed most. The SSVF provides money for rent to veterans who have homes but are struggling and helps veterans and their families who are homeless to find housing.

CLICK HERE FOR THE 2020 SSVF PROVIDER LIST

While the SSVF is dedicated to helping veterans and their families find long-term housing, the Grant and Per Diem Program focuses on helping veterans and families find housing in the short term. The GPD provides funds to programs that provide housing and important services to veterans in need. The Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program helps to connect veterans and their families with shelter and provides a higher level of care than SSVF.

Those who are interested in donating to help address the crisis of veteran homeless can call their local VA medical center or visit the VA Voluntary Service to make an e-donation.

1-877-424-3838 is the 24-hour phone number for veterans who must access the VA medical center for assistance.

#BtBattle Veteran of the Week:

• Army Veteran Kathleen Cashaw

Additional Links:

• VA reaches 1 million Veterans and family members through tele-town hall meetings
• PREVENTS roadmap, a nationwide plan for ending suicide among Veterans and all Americans
• John Deere donates thousands of face shields to VA hospitals to fight COVID-19
• Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program changes it's name