VA News Podcast

This 200th episode of Borne the Battle features Air Force Veteran Aerial Johnson, better known by her wrestling name “Big Swole,” Aerial shares her time in the military and how she transitioned into civilian life to eventually became a professional wrestler.

Johnson joined the Air Force in 2008 to be a fire truck mechanic. She was stationed at the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, North Carolina. On April 3, 2008, on a day she and her family would come to call her “second birthday,” Johnson was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease after being told she had half an hour to live. She survived a round of emergency surgery and was told that she would never be able to have children or engage in high-impact sports. However, Johnson didn't let her diagnosis stop her from doing what she wanted to do. When her Crohn’s disease worsened, she had to leave Air Force in 2010 but she didn't stop to pursue other dreams.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CROHN’S DISEASE

Hull returned to her hometown of Clearwater, Florida, where she started interacting with a local community of professional wrestlers. She became an independent wrestler herself, and after a few years she signed with All Elite Wrestling and has appeared on both AEW Dark and AEW Dynamite.

In this episode, Hull discusses how she overcame the struggles of Crohn’s disease and embraced the lessons she learned in the military to develop the “Swole mentality” of giving everything her all. She is a reminder to people everywhere that with discipline, anything is possible.

Army Veteran Josh Strickland is a family man, the lead singer of the Phoenix-based band the Bayou Bandits, and a registered nurse who has worked through the COVID-19 pandemic in some of the hardest-hit areas of the United States.

Music has always been a part of Strickland’s life. When he was growing up in Walker, La., he sang in his church’s choir, and his father and brother were both singers. After his service, Strickland played music at a saloon in Scottsdale, Ariz., and eventually founded his own band with his friends, Jeremy Magid, Paul Williams and Stevie Belcastro.

The Bayou Bandits had been preparing for a tour when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Strickland started working as a travel nurse with COVID-19 patients in New Jersey in early March, before eventually returning to Phoenix to continue respond to local outbreaks in Arizona.

Strickland has also worked with nonprofits focused on helping Veterans, such as the Southern Arizona Musicians for Healing, which uses music to raise awareness and funds for Veterans and others struggling with mental health issues. He is also a founding member of the Veterans IV Veterans Motorcycle Association, which helps Veterans going through crises and provides for them in times of need.

#BtBattle Veteran of the Week:

• Marine Corps Veteran Jonas Bender

Additional Links:

• VA national cemeteries resume committal and memorial services

On this week’s episode of Borne the Battle, Marine Corps Veteran Beau Higgins shares his story of how he transitioned out of the military and started working for Amazon, helping veterans and families of veterans find meaningful employment.

Higgins retired from the Marine Corps after 25 years of service in 2014. When he did, Veteran unemployment was higher than the national average. Things started to change when various companies dedicated themselves to hiring more veterans and military spouses.

In 2016, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos made a pledge to hire 25,000 veterans and military spouses by 2021. Higgins joined Amazon, where he started by helping recruit candidates for important positions. Now he leads the talent division pillar of Amazon’s Military Affairs team.

In this episode, Higgins shares his thoughts on his service and how it has impacted him. He also talks about how his family has supported him, how he ended up working for Amazon, and how he remains connected to Veteran community through his work and life.

Higgins is also involved with the Travis Manion Foundation, a nonprofit named after a Marine officer that served under him. The foundation is dedicated to empowering Veterans and military families to serve their communities and promote the ideals of service and character.

“Fun, freedom, and community” is the motto of KC Crew, an adult sports and events company founded by Army Veteran and KC Crew Founder Luke Wade.

After serving in the National Guard, Wade founded KC Crew. Centered in Kansas City, the group helps his community stay active and connected.

Since its beginning, KC Crew focused on the idea of finding a place for people to play sports. Wade was able to create a community around people’s love for sports and events which also helped to revitalized the city.

However, with the onset of COVID-19, staying true to KC Crew’s motto and goal seemed to be impossible. The COVID-19 pandemic effectively shut down any gathering of more than 10 people.

In this podcast episode, Wade discussed how he was able to take immediate action to adjust his business model after hearing about Kansas City’s shutdown. With the help of his wife and team, Wade found new ways for KC Crew to stay active. He emphasized how KC Crew focuses on giving people a needed social experience even if places are physically shutdown. While KC Crew can’t operate as normal, they still provide social experiences through online events such as their Virtual Bingo and Virtual Trivia events.

Every day, Wade and his team are looking for new, creative ways to engage people while they stay at home. They also provided a list of top 10 things to do during quarantine. Most event clubs and companies can’t open or function as normal. Wade and the KC Crew have worked hard to provide new ways to keep people and communities active and connected during this pandemic.

#BtBattle Veteran of the Week:

• Air Force Veteran Ellison Onizuka

Additional Links:

• https://thecommunitycreator.com
• Gary Sinise Foundation donates meals to VA hospital staff during COVID-19 pandemic

On this week's episode, Borne The Battle featured Navy Veteran Bryan Bergjans. He spoke about what he does with Caliber Home Loans and how he was able to become the National Director of Military and VA lending. He also discussed bridging the educational gap between the VA Home Loan Benefit and future military and veteran homeowners, and realtors.

Bryan Bergjans uses different platforms to educate and provide information to service members, Veterans and eligible spouses about the VA Home Loan Benefit.

These include Home Owner Heroes and Military Spouse Mondays which are published on YouTube through the Mortgage News Network.The shows also provide information and answer questions for mortgage professionals. He discusses some of the major opportunities and debunks common misconceptions. Bergjans also shares unknown facts that are in place through the VA Home Loan Benefit.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO BORNE THE BATTLE #150: VA HOME LOAN PROGRAM

VA helps service members, Veterans or eligible surviving spouses become homeowners. As part of VA's mission to serve Veterans, VA provides a home loan guaranty benefit and other housing-related programs. These help buy, build, repair, retain or adapt a home for personal occupancy.

VA Home Loans are provided by private lenders, such as banks and mortgage companies. VA guarantees a portion of the loan, enabling the lender to provide the service members, Veterans or eligible surviving spouses with more favorable terms.

#BtBattle Veteran of the Week:

• Army Veteran Steven Jerome Copley

Additional Links:

• Borne the Battle Episode 150: Benefits Breakdown, VA Home Loan Program
• https://mortgagenewsnetwork.com/
• https://mortgagenewsnetwork.com/show-contributor/bryan-bergjans
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egQYLlWL3TY
• https://www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans/

Navy Veteran Prince Taylor believes that military service develops perseverance and discipline—traits that are useful for Veterans even after they the military.

But transitioning out of the Navy wasn't easy for Taylor. This week's episode of Borne the Battle is a discussion with Taylor about his journey from multiple entry level jobs into dead-end companies, into VA's human resources system, to organizing TEDx Veterans Affairs.

Taylor's transition struggle is one that many Veterans can relate to, but he stresses that the situations he faced allowed him to develop skills to be quick on his feet and to think outside the box – just like in the Navy. Fortunately, he found VA and a direct career path that broadened his military skills.

Now, after a decade in VA's HR, Taylor serves as the Deputy Director for VA's Voluntary Services, and is a great example of a successful military-to-civilian transition for Veterans employed by VA. Highlighting Veterans' stories – their bravery, struggles and redemption – remains his top accomplishment.

With TEDx Veterans Affairs, he continues bridge the civilian/military divide. On this episode of Borne the Battle, Taylor shares his insights into:

• Resources he used to obtain a college education
• How and why he was able to transition into civilian life
• What it's like to be a Deputy Director

NEW VA "VETS FIRST" PODCAST

In addition, hosts Levi Sowers and Brandon Rea give a quick overview of their new "Vets First Podcast." The Vets First podcast is a research-based podcast that focuses on the VA healthcare system and its patients. Instead of being just another research podcast, the Vets First podcast was created with a primary focus on the Veterans and their stories.

#BtBattle Veteran of the Week:

• Air Force Veteran John Jarrett. 

COVID-19 update on VA benefits (GI Bill, Home Loan, etc.) featuring the Undersecretary of the Veterans Benefits Administration, Dr. Paul Lawrence, as he breaks down recent changes in veterans' benefits. 

As a big reader, G. Michael Hopf had a great desire to explore the world and have adventures.

However, a near death experience led him to reconsider his career. With help from his father, Hopf found a new direction working as a private security detailer.

During all of these adventures, he was always dabbling in writing. From journaling to short stories, Hopf kept in touch with his love of telling stories.

After just dabbling with writing and self-publishing an illustrated children’s book, Hopf was inspired to try writing a novel. He decided to stop being a dabbler and make writing his job.

Working on a novel while still working was not easy, but Hopf found the process fun and interesting. But in the end, all the effort had been worth it when his book suddenly hit peak sales.

Noticing the success of Hopf’s novel, Amazon offered a pre-order option for a second novel. This sequel hit best-seller on Amazon as soon as the pre-orders were opened. This event led him to get signed by the largest publisher in the world: Penguin Random House.

Hopf shared advice to Veterans and civilians alike on how to become an author:
• Stop dabbling and just write
• Don’t be too analytical
• Don’t be afraid to self-publish
• Celebrate when you finish your draft

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT G. MICHAEL HOPF

#BtBattle Veteran of the Week:

• Marine Veteran Benjamin Palmer

Additional Links:

• VA enhances National COVID-19 Reporting Summary tool
• VA expands access to virtual hearings
• https://www.beyondthefraypublishing.com/about
• https://phalanxpress.com/

Through founding Team Red White and Blue, Army Veteran Mike Erwin discovered that he didn’t have to be in the military to serve the nation. There are many different ways to serve our nation.

 
Erwin’s mission as a social entrepreneur is to build non-profits that help make communities and our country better.

The goal of Team Red White and Blue is to enrich Veterans by helping them have 

• Better physical and mental health
• Stronger relationships
• A sense of purpose

Veterans can sign up for Team Red White and Blue through the app. In the app, they can search for any physical activity they are interested in and see what events are nearby. The app also encourages Veterans to improve their physical health through different challenges throughout the year.

Deciding to focus on other projects, Erwin took a several-years hiatus from his executive director position at Team RWB. In that time, he co-wrote and published Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leadership Through Solitude. When he wasn't writing, he founded the Positivity Project, a non-profit organization that teaches youth the power of positive relationships; he also co-founded the Father Vincent Capodanno High School before returning to Team RWB’s executive director role in 2019.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TEAM RED WHITE AND BLUE 

#BtBattle Veteran of the Week:

• Navy Veteran Art Rogers.

Additional Links:

• https://posproject.org

While most people do their best to be independent, sometimes life gets in the way. It's in these difficult moments when even strong, independent people reach out for help.

This is what LTG (ret.) Raymond V. Mason learned from key mentors and leaders throughout his 35 years in the Army. Mason led the 82nd Airborne as the Support Commanding Officer, and also served in Grenada. Later, Mason served as the Deputy Chief of Staff, for HQ, US Army G-4 during his last tour on active duty.

In this episode of Borne the Battle, LTG Mason talks about his belief that receiving help in times of struggle is a sign of great strength. LTG Mason continues to carry on this truth as he serves as the Director of the Army Emergency Relief (AER), sharing how qualified Veterans can access financial support in hard times.

In this podcast, Mason shares AER’s support and resources:

• Support during disasters
• Scholarships for secondary education
• Assistance during childcare
• And far more EXCLUSIVE content

Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week:

• Army Veteran Pat Tillman

Additional links:

• https://www.armyemergencyrelief.org/about/
• https://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/