VA News Podcast

Veteran vaccine acceptance comes down to trust and truth, according to VA Office of Health and Equity’s Dr. Ernest Moy. On this bonus episode, Dr. Moy provides updates on Veteran vaccination rates and vaccine acceptance. He speaks on health care disparities, trust and transparency in vaccine trials and VA’s success in vaccinating minority populations.

Dr. Moy began his career over 25 years ago at VA Manhattan during medical school, followed by a residency at VA Philadelphia and a first job at VA Baltimore. He began to study health care disparities at a time when people didn’t believe the disparities existed. Now, Dr. Moy explains how VA and other health care systems address the disparities instead of denying their existence.

Health care disparities exist in areas such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status and geographic location. Dr. Moy works to diminish these disparities to make health care more equitable and accessible to all Americans. At VA, he aims to identify high risk populations so VHA can address issues faced by specific populations.

Dr. Moy explains the rationales of Veterans who refuse the vaccine at VA health care centers, which is often a matter of choice, not outright refusal. Veterans are still getting vaccinated, just on their own terms.

In this episode, Dr. Moy explains how VA is more effective than public health care systems at easing the worries of minority populations about the COVID vaccines and why rural Veterans aren’t getting vaccinated as quickly as urban Veterans.

Additional Links:

• Information about COVID-19 vaccines at VA.
• Sign up to get a COVID-19 vaccine at VA.
• Borne the Battle BONUS: COVID Update #7: Clinical Trials and Emergency Department Procedures.

When Navy Veteran Al Kovach woke up after spinal surgery, he asked the nurse if he was still alive. She answered affirmatively, and he immediately began to plan for his future as a paralyzed Veteran.

Kovach, a former Navy SEAL, Paralympian and two-time LA Marathon champion, joins Borne the Battle to discuss his career as a disabled athlete, his time as President of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), and the impact and challenges of PVA.

The SEALs recruited Kovach out of nuclear power school due to his swimming career at Indiana University under legendary swim coach Doc Counsilman.

A parachute jump in 1991 went wrong, ending with Kovach undergoing surgery but never walking again. A member of PVA came to the hospital after he woke up to help him with his paperwork and transition to life as a paralyzed Veteran.

Living as a paralyzed Veteran allowed Kovach to return to competitive sports. He trained and competed in marathons, winning the LA Marathon twice and representing the USA in the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta. He also completed a transcontinental triathlon.

Kovach found a new community within PVA and became actively involved in the VSO. Paralyzed Veterans of America is a congressionally chartered Veteran Service Organization (VSO). There are many Veteran nonprofits, but a Congressional Charter recognizes VSOs that are experts in their field. Congress and VA recognized PVA’s expertise as leaders in medicine and care for paralyzed Veterans. PVA was founded in 1946 when, as Kovach explains, medicine advanced enough to save paralyzed Veterans’ lives.

In this episode, Kovach discusses his athletic career, PVA’s congressional advocacy, and the changes he and other members of the PVA fight to improve quality of life for all disabled Americans.

Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week: 

• Army Veteran Ben Kuroki

Additional Links:

• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
• Borne The Battle #160: Benefits Breakdown – Assistive Technology Program.
• Borne The Battle #157: Ursula Draper, Army Veteran, Occupational Therapist, Assistive Technology Professional.
• Former Navy SEALAl Kovach: Lessons I Learned From My Military Experience about How To Survive And Thrive During A Time Of Crisis.
• Veteran eligibility and access to VA home loans expanded
• VA launches Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program
• VA and SBA jointly support restaurant recovery 
• Join ‘Fans in the Stands’ to virtually cheer on Veteran athletes
• VA accepting walk-ins for COVID-19 vaccinations nationwide
• VA releases report detailing efforts to address COVID-19 pandemic
• VA stands up commission to recommend new Under Secretary for Benefits 

In this episode of Borne the Battle, Air Force Veteran Amanda Huffman – a military spouse, blogger and host of the Women of the Military podcast – discusses transitioning from active duty to diaper duty, Veteran women who deploy shortly after becoming mothers and what men should be conscious of about the female military experience.

Huffman’s interest in military service began after the events of September 11, 2001. She realized that enlisting in the military was something that she wanted to do and could do. And after hearing that many of her friends were joining during her freshman year of college, she wanted to learn more about the variety of opportunities within the military and soon decided to enter the ROTC program after graduating from Fresno State.

After serving in the Air Force and being deployed to Afghanistan, Huffman transitioned out the military to become a military spouse while her husband stayed in the military. This allowed her the opportunity to become the mom and provide a more stable environment for her family. While navigating the journey of motherhood, Huffman decided to turn to writing as an outlet and created the blog airmantomom.com to share her personal experiences with being a mom, military spouse, being a woman in the military and to help other military women.

Soon after Huffman started blogging and creating her website, she became the host of Women of the Military podcast that shares the stories of military women and covers a variety of topics. She also shares why she started a Youtube channel called Girl’s Guide to the Military.

Also in this episode, Huffman shares what she learned from her own community about being a women Veteran, what she learned while in the military, how she is trying to change the narrative of military women and why it’s important for women to share their stories.

Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week:

• Marine Veteran Romus “RV” Burgin.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Borne the Battle #232: Air Force Veteran Graciela Tiscareño-Sato, Children’s Book Author and Publisher.
• Borne the Battle #202: Marine Corps Veteran Ben Killoy, Host of the Military Veteran Dad Podcast.
• VA.gov site becomes central login for accessing benefits.
• VA’s 1 Step Today campaign promotes Veteran mental wellness.
• Veteran eligibility and access to VA home loans expanded.
• Enrollment now available for accelerated program to prepare Veterans for high-demand careers.

Home interest rates are at historic lows and VA home loans offer lower rates than any other type of home loan. Navy Veteran John Bell, deputy director of VA's Loan Guaranty Service, joins Borne the Battle to break down VA’s Interest Rate Reduction and Refinance Loan (IRRRL), mortgage refinancing, VA home loans and how these benefits help Veterans stay in their homes.

Bell, a Gulf War Veteran, began his career in the mortgage industry working in the private sector. Before starting with VA, Bell most recently served as Vice President of VA Real Estate Management at Bank of America. He held other senior leadership positions at large lending institutions where he designed a portfolio retention strategy that is now an industry-leading model.

Bell started with VA in 2010. Before taking his current position, he served as the assistant director for Loan Policy and Valuation in VA's Loan Guaranty Service, where he helped reduce timelines for determining eligibility from 14 days to less than 48 hours.

Bell builds on his appearance in Borne the Battle's #150: Benefits Breakdown – 75th Anniversary of the VA Home Loan Program episode to answer key questions about VA home loans, refinancing, the current mortgage market and IRRRLs. He says VA Home Loan Guaranty services want to be the voice of the Veteran and aims to help Veterans buy and stay in the home of their dreams.

This episode answers these questions:

• How quickly can a Veteran receive their certificate of eligibility for a VA Home Loan?
• What are the pandemic and CARES Act doing to the mortgage market?
• Why are Veterans receiving mailers about Interest Rate Reduction Refinancing Loans (IRRRLs) and what are IRRRLs?
• How do IRRRLs work and where do you start when seeking refinancing?
• Why use IRRRLs now? What might be delaying an IRRRL right now?
• How often can you refinance your mortgage?
• What are important questions to ask your lender?
• What fees are negotiable when closing on refinancing? What third party fees are involved?
• Does VA require you to escrow?
• What is the best way to shop for an effective rate and how do you avoid predatory lending?

Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week:

• Army Veteran Roger Welt

Mentioned in this episode:

• Borne the Battle #196: Navy Veteran Bryan Bergjans, Senior VP, National Director of Military Lending.
• Borne The Battle #150: Benefits Breakdown, VA Home Loan Program
• VHA observes 75 years, 1 billion hours of volunteerism
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
• Borne the Battle Bonus Episode: Home Loan Forbearance Protections Extended.
• CFPB - Help for homeowners and renters during the national coronavirus emergency.
• Better Business Bureau.
• VA Home Loans: Lender Statistics.
• VA Loan Lenders - MilitaryBenefits.
• Desert Storm 30 Anniversary Blogs.

This week's episode of Borne the Battle features Marine Corps Veteran and entrepreneur Jake Wood, co-founder of Team Rubicon.

Wood's post-military story began on January 12, 2010, when a devastating magnitude 7.0 earthquake ravaged Haiti, killing and injuring hundreds of thousands and displacing over a million people. Several thousands of miles away, in Los Angeles, the recently separated Iraq and Afghanistan combat Veteran was waiting for his graduate school admissions results and turned on the television. Seeing the crisis in Haiti unfold, Wood thought that it would be a waste to not put his military training to use by helping with the humanitarian relief efforts. He called eight Veterans to join him, and together, they headed off to Haiti. It was during their service in Haiti that Wood and his group came up with the ideas that led to the creation of Team Rubicon.

Under Wood’s leadership, Team Rubicon went from an 8-person idea to an acclaimed nonprofit with over 140,000 volunteers across America. The organization has deployed 790+ operations to provide humanitarian relief for disasters around the world. Most recently, Team Rubicon spearheaded a partnership with five other Veterans’ organizations to help Veterans leverage their unique skills and experiences to help with the American vaccination effort.

And though Team Rubicon is thriving under his leadership, Wood announced his intention to step down as the organization’s CEO in March 2021. He argues that “organizations, if they are not evolving, they are slowly dying.” Hoping for new hands and fresh ideas to keep Team Rubicon running, Wood picked his COO, Art delaCruz, to be Team Rubicon’s next CEO.

With his organization in trusted hands, Wood plans to focus on his other interests. Most recently, he found joy in writing and published his well-received book, “Once a Warrior,” a story of his life’s journey written to inspire other Veterans to discover their purpose after taking the uniform off.

From the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan to humanitarian frontlines, Wood has navigated some of the world’s most complex environments. Don't miss out on his story by listening to this episode of Borne the Battle.

Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week:

• Army Veteran “Cap’n Jim” McMahan.

Additional Links:

• Veterans get new chance to serve on vaccination campaign
• Wood’s successor for CEO at Team Rubicon, Art delaCruz, was interviewed by Borne the Battle in 2017. Click here to learn more about delaCruz and his life’s story.
• Wood mentioned that the VA Home Loan Guaranty allowed him to buy a home that he “had no right to afford.” Check out this BtB episode to learn more about how a VA Home Loan might benefit you.

In this episode of Borne the Battle, Army Veteran Dr. Anneke Vandenbroek, a board-certified clinical psychologist, discusses changes in treating Veterans in times of COVID, cognitive behavioral therapy, the importance of mental healthcare and how any Veteran, regardless of discharge status, can receive cost-free mental health care at any Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic in the country.

Dr. Vandenbroek joined the Army during her doctoral program when she received the Health Professions Scholarship. She had little idea of the variety of jobs and opportunities that awaited her in the military. After graduating from Nova Southeastern University with her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, she was later stationed in Hawaii.

After serving at Tripler Army Medical Center, Dr. Vandenbroek retired from the military and transitioned to a similar civilian position within the Department of Defense, which allowed her to maintain a career while her husband was still in the military. She continued to pivot within her career as her military family dynamic continued to change throughout the years.

A final move to Maryland resulted in Dr. Vandenbroek taking a position at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Her work at Walter Reed differed from the pre-9/11 years she spent at Tripler, bringing challenging new injuries, experiences and complications during her 10 years at the medical center.

Dr. Vandenbroek left Walter Reed in 2017 and is currently the director of the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Easterseals. Although this particular clinic serves the DC, Maryland, Northern Virginia region, The Cohen Veterans Network partners with many different organizations to run clinics that serve everyone regardless of their discharge status or benefit status. There are 20 Cohen Clinics nationwide that serve children as young as four years old, active duty service members, family members and caregivers. By the end of 2021, the Cohen Veterans Network plans to have 25 operational clinics. In the interview, Dr. Vandenbroek said that Cohen Clinics receive many referrals from VA facilities.

Also in this episode, Dr. Vandenbroek discusses what cognitive behavioral therapy is and how it works, the increase in need for mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic, the rewards of helping Veterans improve their quality of life through mental health care and how good communication skills can help Veteran families.

Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week:

• Air Force Veteran Gerald Mcilmoyle

Mentioned in this episode:

• Borne the Battle #218: David Muir, Easterseals’ Veteran Staffing Network
• Borne the Battle #164: Benefits Breakdown, VA Vet Centers
• Borne the Battle #235: VA Secretary Denis McDonough
• VA PTSD Resources – National Center for PTSD
• VA Research on Prolonged Exposure Therapy
• Veteran finds cognitive processing therapy “very difficult…but the reward is significant” – VAntage Point
• A safe place: One Veteran’s experience with prolonged exposure therapy – Vantage Point

On this week’s episode of Borne the Battle, Navy Veteran Dan Kloeppel shares the story of his military career and how he later became an airline pilot who founded two nonprofit organizations. He formed the latter alongside his wife, Deb, to help Veterans and military spouses with job placement.

In service, Kloeppel was a naval aviator. He discusses his 36 years in the Navy and Navy Reserve. After transitioning out of the military and retiring from a career as a pilot, he and his wife founded two non-profit organizations called Corporate America Supports You and Military Spouse Corporate Career Network.

Kloeppel breaks down why their two non-profits are serving two sectors of the Veteran and military communities and shares how transitioning service members, Veterans, military spouses and Veteran caregivers can successfully land a job through the job placement process. He then details how this population has the necessary skillset to succeed in corporate America.

The non-profits have successfully grown, becoming networks that includes vetjobs.org. Since 2010, these nonprofit networks have helped over 120,000 Veterans and military spouses secure careers with an average salary of $70,000. Kloeppel also shares advice for how Veteran nonprofit organizations just starting can market themselves and build credibility to achieve funding. Lastly, Kloeppel shares his knowledge on how his non-profit job boards differ from popular job placement companies.

Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week:

• Army Veteran Lauran Glover

Additional Links:

• VA extends debt relief for Veterans
• Direct Employers Association
• VA provides free support to help Veterans heal from military sexual trauma 
• Military Spouse Jobs Launches New Arm-Me Up™ Campaign
• VA seeks feedback to guide new suicide prevention grant program

Mikal Vega is an accomplished actor, Kundalini Yoga teacher and founder of the nonprofit, Vital Warrior. In this episode of Borne the Battle, Vega discusses his struggle with military transition, finding treatment for his PTSD, discovering alternative therapies, and founding a nonprofit with the goal of sharing what he has learned.

Vega served 22 years in the Navy as an EOD specialist and SEAL. He found his purpose as a shield for people who couldn’t protect themselves. During a mission, an IED hit his vehicle and the damage from the blast resulted in severe cervical trauma. That trauma changed the course of Vega’s life.

Only later did he realize the extent of his injuries when he began to struggle in his civilian life and personal relationships. Instead of crumbling under the weight of injury and PTSD, Vega channeled his recovery successes into helping other Veterans and their families. Vital Warrior is a non-profit organization and therapeutic system designed to help Veterans and their families to destress, heal and gain strength from their experiences without the aid of prescription drugs. His goal? Putting a brick and mortar Vital Warrior studio outside every military base.

When Vega transitioned to civilian life and dealt with post-traumatic stress, he took up the practice of Kundalini Yoga. Now, he shares the practice and other techniques that helped him to heal with his clients. Vital Warrior takes a discipline-oriented and regimented approach to yoga practice, which Vega teaches in Venice, CA, where he offers free classes to Veterans. Vega empowers his students to reject the victim mindset and take responsibility for their health.

In this episode, Vega discusses:

• His experience with injury and a path to healing.
• The reasons he left the military after 22 years.
• How he got to where he is now.
• His Hollywood career as an actor, director and producer.
• Directing motion-capture filming for Activision during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week:

• Army Veteran Phillip Edward Bonner.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Borne the Battle Episode #140: Danny Chung, Marine Veteran, Microsoft Chief of Staff of Military Affairs.
• Borne the Battle #221: Air Force Veteran Mark Harper, President and CMO, We Are the Mighty.
• The Hurt Locker: Grocery Scene.
• Motion capture directing for Call of Duty franchise.
• SAVE LIVES Act allows VA to soon provide COVID-19 vaccinations to all Veterans, their spouses and caregivers
• VA strengthens PTSD claims process training

On Feb. 8, 2021, Denis McDonough was confirmed by the Senate to be the United States’ 11th Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He heads into the job with a rich background filled with experience navigating the government’s complex bureaucracy. Being a veteran of Capitol Hill, he aims to leverage his knowledge to better serve our nation’s military Veterans.

In this episode of Borne the Battle, McDonough touches on topics important to many Veterans:

• His vision for Community Care.
• His priorities when improving the VA health care system.
• Ensuring every Veteran gets a COVID vaccine in a timely fashion.
• Making sure rural Veterans can consistently and reliably access VA health care services.
• Maximizing VA mental health services to best benefit Veterans in need.
• Transitioning VA records from paper to electronic.

While being VA Secretary is a new position for McDonough, he has taken steps to bridge the gaps in his knowledge by renewing a tradition that he followed as White House chief of staff. He reached out to as many former VA Secretaries he could to ask them for advice. In the interview, McDonough said the conversations have served him well so far and he intends to maintain these relationships moving forward.

And while McDonough is not a Veteran, he contacted multiple Veterans during his first weeks as secretary to solicit their advice and general thoughts on the state of VA. In doing so, McDonough said he has learned valuable information on what issues are important to Veterans and has used those discussions to shape his priorities.

Being a lifelong civil servant, McDonough enters his new position with a vast wealth of knowledge about navigating the federal government to achieve goals. Whether he successfully leverages his extensive experience from Capitol Hill to effectively serve America’s Veterans – he says that will ultimately be decided by you.

In addition to listening to full episodes on your favorite podcatcher, you can also catch Borne the Battle interviews on YouTube.

Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week:

• Army Veteran Justice Eileen Moore.

Mentioned in this Episode:

• VA allocates $1B to aid State Veterans Homes amid COVID-19 pandemic.
• GI Bill platform soon to be a click away, offering students easier access.
• Annual VA Center for Women Veterans campaign highlights trailblazers.
• E.A.C.H. Coaching Tool Web App.
• Strategic review of Electronic Health Record Modernization program.
• VA, American Red Cross team up to provide virtual social engagement for Veterans during COVID-19 pandemic.

Additional Links:

• Despite only being a month-and-a-half in office, McDonough has generated a lot of buzz here on Vantage Point. Check out the archives to see what he has been doing. 
• In highlighting the importance of mental health resource access, McDonough said that “we are not a collection of symptoms, we are people with stories and with hard earned stories.” Check out VA’s My Life, My Story series to hear the stories that many Veterans have to share.

Army Veteran Diane Carlson Evans, founder of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation, joined Borne the Battle to discuss her decision to become a nurse, time serving in Vietnam as a combat nurse, decision to re-enlist after working in a civilian hospital and her fight for a women’s memorial on the National Mall.

Growing up on a farm in Minnesota, Evans always knew she wanted to be a nurse. After her second oldest brother was drafted, she had no doubt that she would go to Vietnam herself. So she went to Minneapolis, found an Army Nurse Recruiter and asked how she, too, could go to Vietnam.

Evans enlisted and served in Vietnam from 1968-69 as a trauma nurse in the surgical and burn wards at Vung Tau and later as head nurse in a surgical unit at Pleiku. She treated wounded soldiers and civilians, many of whom came straight from the worst of the fighting.

When she came home, Evans worked in a civilian hospital for three weeks. She wasn’t allowed to do many of the procedures that had been part of her everyday duties in Vietnam and she felt stifled. She left the position when she realized she wasn’t suited to work with those who couldn’t understand her experience.

In 1984, Evans incorporated the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Project as a non-profit organization after visiting the Vietnam War Memorial and realizing that women weren’t visible. In fact, there weren't any memorials for women Veterans in the nation's capital and, when she brought it up, faced great opposition from those who felt the idea was misguided and unnecessary. It then became her goal to bring visibility to the service and sacrifice of the women who served in Vietnam.

After nearly 10 years of Congressional and federal hearings, the project gained enough support to receive approval for a statue. On November 11, 1993, the Vietnam Women’s Memorial was dedicated as part of the larger Vietnam War Memorial.

Today, the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation continues to identify the women who served, document their needs, and facilitate research to address those needs and to educate visitors about the service of women during the Vietnam War.

 
In this episode, Evans shares:

• Her path to nursing and Vietnam.
• Stories from her time serving as a combat nurse in Vietnam.
• Her return home and reenlistment.
• The treatment of Vietnam Veterans.
• The story behind and fight for the Vietnam Women’s Memorial.

Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week:

• Marine Veteran Barbara Dulinsky

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Borne the Battle Episode #232: Air Force Veteran Graciela Tiscareño-Sato, Children’s Book Author and Publisher.
• Borne the Battle Episode #226: Marine Corps Veteran Scott Stump, President and CEO, National Desert Storm Memorial Association.
• More information on the Vietnam War Memorial.
• PBS Video on the Vietnam Women’s Memorial.
• VA releases COVID Coach mobile app in Spanish
• FDA grants VA first ever compassionate use for 3D-printed hearing device
• American Rescue Plan provides Veterans COVID-19 protections and monetary aid
• Rural Arizona latest VA, American Legion telehealth access point