VA News Podcast

This week's Borne the Battle episode features Navy Veteran and New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr. He discusses his dreams of becoming a Navy SEAL and author. Through his enthusiasm for reading and on military-science novels, Carr's dreams became a reality.

Carr's two career goals were inspired by two people. The first person was his grandfather, a Marine who fought and died during World War II. The second person was his mother, a librarian who instilled in him a love of reading. It was this love that helped him on his path to reading about and eventually joining Navy SEAL teams.

During his Navy SEAL career, Carr led special operations teams as a team leader, platoon commander, troop commander, task unit commander, operations officer and executive officer. In the interview, he shares how his military experience and travels allowed him to develop and share realistic stories for his novels.

Additionally, he shares his mindset about his military transition, tips for entering the publishing world and how combining all his previous experiences led him to publish three political thrillers. His fourth novel is scheduled to be released in April.

In addition, he supports Veterans through his own unique merchandise, where 100% of the profits go to Veteran-related charities. He is also an ambassador for the Rescue 22 Foundation. A SEAL teammate who trained a service dog for Jack's special needs child introduced him to the foundation.

Finally, he shared the story and business behind Chris Pratt optioning his book for an upcoming series on Amazon Prime.

Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week:

• All Desert Storm and Desert Shield Veterans

Mentioned in this Episode:

• VA updates welcome kit for Veterans and families
• VA resumes overpayment notifications while continuing relief options for Veterans
• VA administers over 146,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to date 

As we say hello to 2021, we look back and see who made the list for Tanner's Top 10 of 2020.

Every five weeks Borne the Battle goes internal and breaks down a VA benefit, program, or office. These are the most downloaded Benefits Breakdown episodes of 2020. 

Snippets of Borne the Battle's most downloaded interviews of 2020. The list may surprise you.

Vietnam War Navy Veteran Dave Hume suffered a major stroke while admitted to James Haley Veterans’ Hospital on Feb. 2, 2017. Nurses and doctors rushed to Hume’s side and managed to stabilize his condition. But when the doctors came the next morning to check his condition, Hume realized that he could not speak.

After his stroke, Hume was diagnosed with Global Aphasia, a communication disorder which impairs a patient’s ability to process language. Unable to express any words or ideas, Hume thought his life was over. Yet, three days after his stroke, he met the person who would prove him wrong.

On this week’s episode of Borne the Battle, Navy Veteran and stroke survivor Dave Hume shares the journey of how he went from only expressing three words after his stroke to writing his own blog and becoming a motivational speaker. Pathologist Karyn Pingel, who joins him on this episode, is at the center of his rehabilitative journey.

Pingel works closely with Hume to help him relearn how to speak and read. Under her guidance, Hume has made impressive progress. He actively writes a blog and talks to doctors and medical students interested in speech therapy.

The two developed a close relationship and Hume happily calls Pingel a close friend. Even with COVID-19 keeping them apart, Pingel utilizes VA Telehealth Services to continue Hume’s therapy routine.

Pingel notes that any Veteran enrolled for healthcare with the Veterans Health Administration is eligible to receive VA speech language pathology services if they need help in any of the following areas:

• Speech
• Language
• Swallowing
• Voice
• Cognitive-communication disorders

Hume and Pingel hope his story will inspire other Veterans eligible for pathology services to begin talking with their primary or specialty care providers to get a referral.

Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week:

• Air Force Veteran Chuck Yeager

Additional Links:

• Borne the Battle episode 160: Benefits Breakdown, Assistive Technology Program 
• 82.6% of people have never heard the term “Aphasia”
• An interview Dave Hume gave alongside his wife, Kathy Hume, in 2018

US Army and Delta Force Veteran Tom Satterly and his spouse Jen Satterly are the co-founders and co-CEOs of All Secure Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on helping Special Operations soldiers, Veterans and their significant others who are struggling on the home front from the effects of war.

Tom served in the Army for 25 years, including 20 years in Delta Force. He served in the Battle of Mogadishu – which was portrayed in the 2001 Oscar-winning film, Black Hawk Down – and Operation Red Dawn, which led to the capture of Saddam Hussein. December 13 marks the 17th anniversary of Operation Red Dawn.

Jen is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker who spent three years embedded with an elite Special Operations training company as director of film and photography. She became a Certified Health Coach in the course of her research into Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

When Tom retired from military service, he felt like a burden to society. Early on in Tom and Jen's relationship, he was on the verge of ending his life. Then he received a text from Jen. That text snapped him back to reality, saving his life.

Tom's mental health struggles resulted in court-mandated therapy. In therapy, he discovered the root of his issues: Post Traumatic Stress. Relieved to have something to focus on treating, the Satterlys began a journey toward healing themselves, as well as other couples suffering from the effects of war.

The Satterlys’ experience with PTS pushed them to establish the All Secure Foundation (ASF) in 2017, which helps warrior couples heal from trauma caused by disconnection and war. They decided to bring their passion for service to the Special Operations community by supporting their fellow warrior families at home.

The ASF seeks to foster understanding of trauma and PTS as natural, biological responses to war that cannot be willed away. If the warrior is the only one who receives help, the home will still have issues; therefore, they offer support and treatment for spouses who suffer secondary PTS. The foundation offers retreats and therapy to aid warrior couples through learning, practice and community.

In this episode, the Satterlys discuss Tom’s unique military career, Jen’s filmmaking career, writing a book as an untrained writer, their journey with PTS, and the founding of the All Secure Foundation.

Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week:

• Army Veteran Herman L. Adams

Mentioned in this episode:

• VA Connected Care
• Warrior’s Heart
• Recent Benefits Breakdown Episodes
  • BtB Episode #220: Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act
  • BtB Episode #215: Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program
  • BtB Episode #211: VA Debt Management Center

Army Reservist and National Guard Veteran, Ja'net Bishop Ed.D, shares how the sudden loss of her husband compelled her to reflect on what the next transition in her life would be, and how she transformed her pain into purpose and became a volunteer with the American Red Cross. She breaks down the This is Freedom resiliency training workshop and how she helps Veteran inmates in Ridgeville, South Carolina. Bishop shares how these Veterans open up and trust her in order to accept help. She continues to work as a volunteer, to help guide incarcerated Veterans toward a successful and purposeful civilian life.

The American Red Cross resiliency training program for inmate Veterans is unique. Bishop shares advice to individuals and volunteers interested in implementing the same program and how they can begin the process of helping inmate Veterans navigate their lives as civilians.

Starting out as the oldest and only girl in her family, Bishop joined the military to blaze a trail for herself and develop leadership skills. She discusses her experience of serving 18 years in the Army Reserve and National Guard, being activated in support of Operation Desert Storm, and transitioning into civilian life.

After the military, Bishop had the opportunity to earn her Master of Education degree in guidance and counseling from Campbell University. She shares why she became inspired to work in community and mental health counseling and how she was recruited to work in the school system—forever changing her life.

Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week

• Marine Corps Veteran Bill Woods

Additional Links

• American Red Cross Hero Care Center In South Carolina, Red Cross Hosting Stress-Management Virtual Resiliency Workshop for Coping During COVID-19 for the Military Community
• Vantage Point Foundation
• Op-Ed by Ja’net Bishop, PhD

Air Force Veteran Mark Harper found his niche as a content creator for combat camera. After leaving service, he leveraged his military experience for a career in the entertainment industry. He now leads a media company that publishes military stories.

The son of a green beret, Harper earned his undergraduate degree and commission through Air Force ROTC at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. The 9/11 attacks prompted his deployment to Iraq as part of a communication squadron. In 2004, his animations, cartoons and videos received recognition, and he was referred to and joined combat camera. For most of his Air Force career, Captain Harper was the video flight commander for the 1st Combat Camera Squadron.

In combat camera, Harper led combat-ready documentary teams that showed the world a glimpse into military operations, contingencies, exercises, weapons tests, and humanitarian relief operations. He used his position and leadership to teach Air Force commanders how useful media is for missions and how it can change and even save lives. Additionally, he led teams of trained visual information professionals in global deployments to provide the Department of Defense (DoD) footage of wartime and peacetime activities.

Due to a 2007 reduction of forces, Harper left the Air Force and headed to Los Angeles to look for work in Hollywood.

Although he entered the entertainment industry at an inopportune time, Harper persevered. He eventually found work at companies like Paramount and Technicolor before moving into entrepreneurship, where he co-founded Audeze LLCand landed $4 million in startup costs in a pitch to Atlantic Records.

After leaving Audeze, Harper met with David Gale, who offered him a position as a content producer for a new media company that focuses on telling the military’s story. Instead of accepting, he decided to give his own personal pitch on his skills, experience, and accomplishments to rebrand himself for a better job – and it worked. Gale offered Harper a co-founder title with We Are the Mighty.

We Are the Mighty is a multi-platform media brand dedicated exclusively to creating genuine and impactful content for the armed services community. As the company moves into 2021, Harper hopes to expand the company’s current intellectual property and move into longer form content.

Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week:

• Air Force Veteran Kenneth Bottoms

Mentioned in this Episode:

• VA confirms authority for its health care professionals to practice across state lines
• America Salutes You partners with VA to bring attention to suicide prevention resources 
• VA recruiting volunteers for COVID-19 clinical trials
• VA report lists 71 top customer experience improvements and initiatives
• Federal partners plan with VA for COVID-19 vaccination distribution 
• VA chief research officer receives award for advancing prostate cancer research for Veterans

While serving as an electrics technician aboard USS Davis during the Vietnam War, Blue Water Navy (BWN) Veteran John Burns said he never felt like his life was in danger. He appreciated the experience because he was able to visit parts of the world he had never seen before. The last thing he expected was to have been exposed to Agent Orange while off the coast of Vietnam.

In this episode of Borne the Battle, two Veterans from two very different generations come to talk about the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019. Burns, a Vietnam War Veteran spoke about:

• His unanticipated participation in the Vietnam War
• The symptoms he had after Agent Orange exposure
• His experience filing a BWN claim
• How the BWN Act benefits improved his life

David Eckert, an Iraq War Veteran and lead policy analyst for VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities, also joined this episode. Eckert leveraged his background working with the BWN Act to share:

• How Veterans can file a claim 
• The criteria VA uses to evaluate applicants
• What benefits eligible Veterans can expect to receive

Burns never regretted serving in Vietnam. Nor does Burns believe he suffered too badly from Agent Orange.  However, he still encouraged all Navy Veterans who believed they were exposed to the chemical in Vietnam to apply for benefits. He argued BWN Veterans deserve the compensation and that the application process was easy enough to justify simply trying.

Eckert and Burns emphasized BWN Vietnam Veterans should try and submit a claim even if they submitted a claim before the BWN Act passed, never filed one or received a denial but want to try filing again. In some cases, their surviving family members may also be eligible for benefits. There are countless ways to file a claim:

• File themselves through VA
• Receive assistance from Veteran Service professionals recognized by VA
• Filing through a VA regional office and receive VA employee assistance

Though from two different generations of the U.S. Armed Forces, Burns and Eckert said they hope BWN Vietnam Veterans will file a claim and get the compensation they deserve.

Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week:

• Navy Veteran Regis Philbin

Mentioned in this Episode:

• VA releases 2020 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report
• VA releases COVID-19 Response Report 
• New nursing research and training collaboration with the Prostate Cancer Foundation
• VA, American Kidney Fund join efforts to help Veterans diagnosed with kidney disease 

This week’s Marine Corps Birthday episode of Borne the Battle features Marine Corps Veteran, former police officer, MMA champion, bestselling author and founder of the Mighty Oaks Foundation, Chad Robichaux. He turned his passion and greatest struggles into a foundation that helps his fellow Veterans who suffer from PTSD.

Robichaux grew up in a dysfunctional home and turned to the Marine Corps to escape it. By 15, he was living alone. He entered the Corps without graduating high school and earned his GED while he served. As a Force Recon Marine, he served eight deployments in Afghanistan as part of a Joint Special Operations Command Task Force. Now, he is a board-certified pastoral counselor with an MBA.

When PTSD ended his military career, Robichaux fell back on his skills as a martial artist. He fought in Strikeforce and Bellator, won HDNet’s Legacy FC belt and became a world champion MMA fighter. However, his fighting career consumed him, worsening his PTSD and delivering a reckoning to face his serious issues.

At the height of his MMA career, Robichaux was on the verge of suicide. After realizing that he needed a holistic approach to self-care instead of drowning himself in fights, he made the choice to seek help from his wife and found support in faith. Now, he strives to help other Veterans discover the strength of a multifaceted approach to treating PTSD before they become statistics.
In this episode, Robichaux discusses:

• His life-altering experience as a police officer.
• His struggles with PTSD, self-esteem, and family issues during and after his military service.
• His MMA career and how it helped and harmed him.
• How family, faith, martial arts and counseling help him in his daily battle with PTSD.
• What the Mighty Oaks Warrior Programs are and how they help soldiers and Veterans learn to take care of their minds, bodies, souls, and spirits.

Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week:

• Marine Corps Veteran Foster L. Harrington

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Chad Robichaux – White Chair Film – I Am Second
• BtB #42: Brian Stann
• BtB #154: Conrad Washington, VA Center of Faith and Opportunities Initiative
• BtB #170: Dale Dye, Marine Corps Birthday Episode