VA News Podcast

IT’S A BONUS for subscribers - A Merry Christmas episode! A panel of three Marine Veterans making a difference in their new respective fields. Sam Meek, CEO of SANDBOXX, Martha MacPhee, Director of Special Projects for Susan Davis International and Richard Cardona, Video Content Strategist. Panel was conducted at the Modern Day Marine Expo and was presented by the Military Times.

Should every American Citizen serve in the military? Should women be required to register for the selective service (draft)? What should the future of the Selective Service look like? Navy Veteran Shawn Skelly and Marine Corps Veteran Ed Allard are commissioners for the Commission on National, Military and Public Service. Their mission is to recommend answers to these and many more questions, to Congress by March of 2020. Shawn and Ed came on Borne the Battle to discuss the two years of data that the National Commission on Military, National and Public Service has gathered to answer those and many other questions.

Some of the goals of the National Commission are:

• Reviewing the military selective service process.
• Listening to the public to learn from those who serve.
• Igniting a national conversation about service.
• Developing recommendations that will encourage every American to be inspired and eager to serve.

According to their interim report, the Commission has learned:

• Americans value service.
• Americans are willing to consider a wide variety of options to encourage or require service.
• Some Americans are aware of the details of the Selective Service System - while many are not.

Some Barriers to Service include:

• Military Service is a responsibility borne by few.
• National Service is America's best-kept secret
• Public Service personnel practices need an overhaul
• Civic knowledge is critical for our democracy, but too few Americans receive high quality education.

CLICK HERETO READ THE ENTIRE REPORT COMPLETE WITH WHAT THE COMMISSION IS CONSIDERING AS RECOMMENDATIONS

Finally, the commissioners came on Borne the Battle to let listeners know that they can provide input.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW - DEADLINE IS DEC 31, 2019

ADDITIONAL LINKS

• https://inspire2serve.gov/
• https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/conditions/index.asp
• https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/69273/va-walmart-open-telehealth-locations-serve-veterans-rural-areas/
• https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/69370/blue-water-navy-veterans-disability-claims-now-decided/
• https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/07/29/2019-15891/center-for-innovation-for-care-and-payment

#BtBattle Veteran of the Day

• All Battle of the Bulge Veterans

It isn’t easy when you have diabetes. Did you check your blood sugar? Are you exercising and keeping a good diet? Do you have your insulin handy?

Mary Julius, a program manager for the diabetes self-management education and training at Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, wants to help educate Veterans and their families about how to self-manage diabetes.

Julius broke down the differences between Type I and Type II diabetes.

• Persons with Type I diabetes produce little or no insulin.
• Persons with Type II diabetes make insulin but there is a resistance to the insulin.

According to Julius, diabetes awareness and education are increasingly important for Veterans and their families; “25% of Veterans receiving VA care have been diagnosed with diabetes.” Without awareness and education, people diagnosed with diabetes put their health at risk. Thus, Veterans who have been diagnosed with diabetes should work closely with their primary provider, but, she emphasizes, Veterans and their family also need the tools and education to apply self-management techniques.

Finally, Julius shares how VA has been working on creating a virtual medical learning center for Veterans and their families to learn more about diabetes and related topics. Veterans and their families can access this learning site at VAVMC.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DIABETES

Additional Links: 

• https://vavmc.com/
• American Diabetes Association: https://www.diabetes.org
• VA Research on Diabetes: https://www.research.va.gov/topics/diabetes.cfm
• https://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/solid-start.asp
• https://www.research.va.gov/naii/
• https://www.myhealth.va.gov/mhv-portal-web/web/myhealthevet/about-mhv
• https://telehealth.va.gov/

#BtBattle Veteran of the Week

• Marine Veteran Eden Pearl

WAA is a national campaign that coordinates wreath-laying ceremonies at over 1,700 national cemeteries, culminating at Arlington National Cemetery. The three-fold purpose of WAA aims to remember fallen U.S Veterans, honor those who currently serve, and teach children the value of freedom. Here, Hanson explains WAA’s humble beginnings and its rise into the national organization that it is today.

This week’s Borne the Battle features Wayne Hanson, the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Wreaths Across America (WAA).

In this episode, Hanson discusses his time in the Army and the socio-political atmosphere of when he returned from Vietnam. He talks about transition and his gradual involvement at WAA. Lastly, he shares the four words from a stranger that kept him motivated to work even to this day.

For more information on Wreaths Across America, or for info on how to volunteer, visit the WAA website.

Camp Valor Outdoors’ shooting teams compete in professional matches all over the country. Marine Veteran Dan Duitsman is Camp Valor Outdoors’ Shooting Sports Program Director. His role is to get disabled veterans into competitive shooting – no matter the disability. 

While in the Marine Corps, Dan worked in security forces, counterintelligence and the infantry. Prior to his role at Camp Valor Outdoors, he was a weapons instructor with the U.S. State Department. In this episode he talked about his career, his transition, the recreational-therapeutic benefits of the shooting and how to get involved in Camp Valor Outdoors’ shooting program. Additional Links: 

• https://www.facebook.com/campvaloroutdoors/
• https://www.campvaloroutdoors.org/
• http://thecmp.org/competitions/cmp-national-matches/
• https://www.rememberingthebrave.org/

Native American Vietnam Veteran Robert Primeaux shared his journey from a Lakota reservation to the Army, to Hollywood.

As a young man, Primeaux was eager to get off the reservation and see the world. To leave, he decided to join the Army. He trained in Fort Lewis and Fort Knox before joining the 101st Airborne Division and sent off to Vietnam.

In 1972, Primeaux returned to the United States. His younger brother had been killed in a car accident, leaving Primeaux as the sole male survivor of his family.

However, he did not stay in the Army long. A car accident of his own put him in a coma for three weeks. After he recovered, he was discharged.

Primeaux then lived on his grandmother’s ranch while he recovered from his injuries. To help with his recovery, he began to self-rehab by working with the horses on the ranch. His love for horses gave him the opportunity to go to school through a rodeo scholarship from the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA).

Between school and living on his family ranch, Primeaux met Michael Apted on the set of Thunderheart in South Dakota. Through this meeting, he landed a stunt role on Thunderheart and become eligible for access to the Union of the Screen Actors Guild.

Later, Robert moved to LA to begin his film career where he landed roles in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and a more prominent role in Rough Riders. This role as Indian Bob was special to Primeaux because the director John Milius specifically created it with him in mind.

Recently, Robert has been advocating for fallen service-members to be enshrines in the NFL Hall of Fame.

Throughout his life, through thick and thin, Primeaux credited the Four Cardinal Lakota Virtues for helping him recover from the Vietnam War and his car accident.

From childhood, Lakota Warriors were taught these four virtues. Primeaux stated that warriors who were taught the true meaning of these virtues learn to treat their Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. #BtBattle Veteran of the Week: 

• Army Veteran  Herbert Buffalo Boy

For more information, find this Borne the Battle episode blog at blogs.va.gov

Benjamin Breckheimer was a teenager when he watched 9/11 unfold. Like many other young Americans, the images spurred him into action. Right after high school, he enlisted in the Army as an operating room specialist.

The operating room is where Breckheimer served his comrades and met his closest mentor. As fate would have it, Breckheimer would end up on the operating table himself. Breckheimer received serious damages to his body after an improvised explosive device went off under the Stryker he was driving.

The road to recovery was a long one. Hopeless and angry at the world, Breckheimer’s life spiraled out of control to the point of suicidal thoughts. However, with the help of his family, mentor, and a strong support network, Breckheimer was able to get back on his feet.

To get better physically and also to challenge himself and others, Breckheimer started climbing. As time went on, his ascents grew to higher altitudes. To free himself from weight of the past , Breckheimer threw his problems off some of the highest peaks in the world. He is currently on track to be the first ever wounded combat veteran to climb the  Seven Summits.

Breckheimer is now partnered with American300. American300 subject matter resiliency experts spend quality time with service members, offering not only their personal stories, but a knowing ear and shoulder heavy in experience. Working with military leadership, American300 tours place mentors in areas of operation repeatedly over the span of several years.  Each return visit features different mentors who shed a light on making the impossible…possible. Additional Links: 

•  https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/68101/new-video-series-teaches-veterans-file-disability-claims-online/
•  https://www.pbm.va.gov/PBM/academicdetailingservice/Opioid_Overdose_Education_and_Naloxone_Distribution.asp
• American300 website: http://www.american300.org
•  Wounded war veteran gets new outlook on life, climbs seven summits
• https://www.apple.com/healthcare/health-records/
• https://petpartners.org/
• https://creativets.org/#BtBattle Veteran of the Week 
• Marine Corps and Army Veteran  Herbert K. Pililaau.

When watching a movie, it’s easy to think that everything is real and true and lifelike. It's no surprise that that isn't always the case, especially with military movies. That's how Marine Veteran Dale Dye got involved. He wanted to tell Hollywood the right way to portray the military on screen.

Dye’s journey to becoming a military technical advisor started when he was a young man. He often overheard his father's inspiring World War II stories. He enlisted in the Marines after seeing a Marines poster.

In service, Dye became a combat correspondent and he often documented battles and life in the Marines during the Vietnam War. It was this experience that he later drew on to advise Hollywood film directors on how to accurately portray the military. His love for the military inspired him to influence the next generation through films, books, and even video games, so he created Warriors Inc. to provide Hollywood with technical advisors for all things military related.

As Dye discussed his experiences, he covered the following topics:

• His military career in the Marines during the Vietnam War where he received three Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star with a Combat “V.”
• His military consultant business Warriors Inc.
• His 141 credits in film, television and video games.
• His new projects.
• His books and publishing company Warriors Publishing.
• His struggle and treatment of his  PTSD.

He emphasized the importance of not only having knowledge about what you are getting into but also knowing that there are people who have gone through the same thing as you that want to help support you.

Dye recently finished the film The Last Full Measure which will hit theaters in early 2020, and his directorial debut, No Better Place to Die, was recently announced. Additional Helpful Links: 

• Dale Dye Blog: http://daledye.com
• Publisher Website: http://warriorspublishing.com
• Warriors Inc: Twitter: @WarriorsInc, warriorsinc.com
• Warriors Inc. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/106899160353/
• Overview of The Last Full Measure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHPqBwbUKSc
• https://www.va.gov/claim-or-appeal-status/
• https://www.va.gov/decision-reviews/
• https://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=5345#BtBattle Veteran of the Week 
• Marine Corps and Army Veteran  Mitchell Red Cloud

Executive Director of the Veterans Benefits Administration’s (VBA) Appeals Management Office (AMO) and Army Veteran  David McLenachen talks about the appeals modernization process.

McLenachen briefly discussed his service in the Army with counterintelligence. He later left the Army to pursue a career in law. He worked as law clerk for a federal judge before he eventually came to work at the VA.

Before becoming executive director of the VBA’s AMO, McLenachen acted as deputy under secretary for disability assistance. While in this position, he began helping the VBA improve their appeals system in order to better assist Veterans.

The Appeals Modernization Act took effect Feb. 19, 2019. Congress created the act in 2017 to help solve problems VBA had with appeals and claims. The act created three new ways to help Veterans submit appeals and get their results at a quicker pace:

• Higher-level review
• Supplemental claim
• Board of Veterans’ Appeals

McLenachen and the VBA continue to strive to find ways to improve the appeals process. You can reach them through  Ask a Question on the Veterans Affairs website. Additional Helpful Links: 

• https://www.va.gov/disability/file-an-appeal/
• https://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=5207
•  https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/62997/four-important-things-know-appeals-modernization/
•  https://benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/factsheets/appeals/Appeals-Brochure.pdf
• https://benefits.va.gov/benefits/appeals.asp
• https://www.cencstudy.org/
• https://msepjobs.militaryonesource.mil/msep/home
• https://www.blogs.va.gov/nvspse/national-veterans-creative-arts-festival/#BtBattle Veteran of the Week: 
• Air Force Veteran  Mary Weiss Hester

This week's Borne the Battle podcast features Marine Corps Veteran Chris Burke and the youngest head coach in NCAA Lacrosse, Mitch Shafer.

Burke discussed his service in the Marines, including his injury and recovery from an IED explosion in Afghanistan. However, Burke's real story begins on what he did after serving in Afghanistan.

When Burke left service, he went back to school, where he planned on joining the lacrosse program in hopes of playing with his younger brother. But his plans didn’t go the way he had hoped. Instead, he found a new sense of purpose, one that reminded him of the camaraderie that he experienced in the Marines. In time, that new sense of purpose led to Burke accepting the position of defensive coordinator at Maryville University. CHRIS IS THE SECOND VETERAN NCAA COACH TO BE ON BORNE THE BATTLE: 

 CLICK HERE FOR THE #BTBATTLE EPISODE WITH DUKE'S COACH KRZYZEWSKI 

Now, at Maryville, with Shafer's help, Burke uses his Marine Corps leadership experience to to mentor and coach his college lacrosse players for more than just on the field. From visiting local  VA hospitals to sending care packages overseas, Burke and Shafer lead the lacrosse team in bridging the military-civilian divide. Additional Links: 

• https://www.blogs.va.gov/nvspse/grant-program/
• https://www.facebook.com/Sports4Vets/
• https://connectedcare.va.gov/partners/atlas
• https://www.va.gov/anywheretoanywhere/
• https://vbaw.vba.va.gov/USB/letters/2019/20-19-09.pdf
• https://www.oprm.va.gov/privacy/Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week:  
• Army Veteran Robert H. Douglas.