Vet Chats

Did you want to distance yourself from the military when you got out?

I definitely did, hell I even dyed my hair blue and gave away all my uniforms because I wanted to dive fully into the freedoms of civilian life. 

Not only did I want to distance myself in terms of appearance, I also avoided opportunities that would have been helpful.

• I didn’t want help from other veterans
• Veteran/military groups were not appealing to me
• DoD job opportunities were not places I looked

I eventually got over it and realized that I was only further isolating myself by not wanting to be associated with the military. It was almost like I was trying to prove to myself that I can do this on my own, “I don’t want to depend on the military anymore.” This took time though..

I slowly started to realize the uniqueness of the veteran community and the support it offered. I didn’t have to start completely over when there were places that did recognize the value of my military career. I also found people that understood the veteran experience and wanted to share. 

SO if this is you right now, I get it. You have every right to feel that way, but I will encourage you to consider the ways you can use your military association to your advantage! Start small and slowly warm up to the thousands of opportunities that are offered to veterans. 

Thank you for pressing play on this small veteran podcast. If you enjoyed leave a little love with a review. It would not only help me reach more veterans but also make my whole week!

Cuqui Huerta shares her eventful time in service from the beaches of Normandy to an ambulance in Kuwait. We later get into her advocacy in mental health and holistic practice! Check out Cuqui to keep up with her continuing adventures and craziness!

This is a replay from last year! 

Thank you for pressing play on this small veteran podcast. If you enjoyed leave a little love with a review. It would not only help me reach more veterans but also make my whole week!

Most of us have this lingering thought of wanting to rejoin once we get out. This is a normal thought to have and it could be a thought that may never go away. 

Ask yourself these few questions before calling up a recruiter:

What did I actually miss about the military?

What would day to day life be like if I were to rejoin?

Do I want to rejoin because I have regrets or unfinished accomplishments?

Did I give myself a fair chance in the civilian world? 

These questions may bring up even more questions and help you figure out exactly what you are craving by wanting to sign back up. 

I personally thought about rejoining myself. It took some time, but when my life beyond the military started to seem brighter, the idea of rejoining started to fade. Now it actually sounds ridiculous and I know my well-being would absolutely not be supported. 

So before you make an irrational decision, understand that it is normal to feel this way and it won’t always be like this. You can and will find purpose outside the military. You got this!

Thank you for pressing play on this small veteran podcast. If you enjoyed leave a little love with a review. It would not only help me reach more veterans but also make my whole week!

Sharing the audio from my presentation at the Veteran Women's Health Conference!
I go into detail on: 
-Isolation
-Identity
-Sense of Purpose
-Future Planning
-Structure
-Reflection 
Catch the full replay 

Thank you for pressing play on this small veteran podcast. If you enjoyed leave a little love with a review. It would not only help me reach more veterans but also make my whole week!

I am super excited to welcome Danny Mayberry! He is a Navy veteran who served as a Corpsman for three combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. After returning home and transitioning out of the military, he began his struggles with PTSD and mental health. Danny worked hard to build a community, focus on overall health, and take action to help others as well. So he and his wife sold their home in order to start the 1 Mile 1 Veteran podcast. The mission is to help prevent veteran suicide by sharing stories, providing resources, and connecting veterans to a community.

We get into Danny’s incredible story of unexpected adventure as a Navy Corpsman (Nurse Nasty turned Doc), passionate pursuit as an actor, and being vulnerable during his darkest times.
We talk about Danny’s PTSD, suicide attempts, and struggles with the aftermath of service. These battles led to his new life mission of  building a community of conversation and healthy habits!

Thank you for pressing play on this small veteran podcast. If you enjoyed leave a little love with a review. It would not only help me reach more veterans but also make my whole week!

We discuss all things mental health and transition.
-pain points of getting out of the military
-isolation
-communicating and support
-reaching out for help
-host to prevent suicide as a community.
Tyler Heisey @backazimuthsolutions, a Marine veteran turned therapist in training. Through his own turbulent transition he has made it his purpose in life to assist our community through healing and growth.

Thank you for pressing play on this small veteran podcast. If you enjoyed leave a little love with a review. It would not only help me reach more veterans but also make my whole week!

Barbara Sim shares her inspiring story from the Marine Corps to her current life on the road as a country singer/songwriter and all the battles and traumas in between!
Barbara had a rough transition out of the military and she shares how nature and God became her healers during this time. She also expanded upon her love for music and writing and began creating songs. Barbara now is embracing van life and touring all over to play music and meet new experiences!

Thank you for pressing play on this small veteran podcast. If you enjoyed leave a little love with a review. It would not only help me reach more veterans but also make my whole week!

It was great to be able to talk with Secretary Woods on some of the issues our community is facing. It was also nice to know that a lot of the issues I brought up are on the state’s radar. Listen to hear more details, especially if you are in Maryland!

We talk about 
-mental health care
-needs of younger veterans
-how to better serve women veterans
-it's never too late to file a claim

Thank you for pressing play on this small veteran podcast. If you enjoyed leave a little love with a review. It would not only help me reach more veterans but also make my whole week!

Josh White of @herofront gets transparent in this moving interview. Josh shares how his alcohol struggles put him in a hospital bed. But even though we all want to hear about a life-changing moment, Josh reminds us through his story that change is made in small steps. It took years of saying yes to the right things and right people to eventually lead him to where he is today!

LESSONS LEARNED
1. Don’t search for a rock bottom to turn your life around

2. If you aren’t ready to ask for help - tell at least one person the truth

3. Accept help when it’s offered

4. Commit to smaller goals

5. You can change your entire life in just one year

Give him a follow @herofront or herofrontpodcast.com 

Thank you for pressing play on this small veteran podcast. If you enjoyed leave a little love with a review. It would not only help me reach more veterans but also make my whole week!

Tonight on IG Live we welcome USMC Veteran Michael “Mike” Wood, co-founder and Executive Director of the Valhalla Sailing Project. His passion to create the program stemmed from his personal experiences with the difficulties in transitioning from military service to civilian life. While fighting his internal demons, he was able to fall back on his lifetime passion of sailing and was fortunate to get on a race boat filled with fellow prior Navy and Marine Corps Aviators. Mike figured: “If this works for me, it’s got to work for other Veterans”. First enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1997, Mike ended his service career in 2011.Not wanting to leave his brothers and sisters in arms, he became a “plank owner” as a contractor with Marine Forces Cyberspace Command. While he did end up leaving the contractor life, he now serves in a Federal Government Civil Service position as the Deputy Director for Intelligence at Joint Force Headquarters –Cyber (Marines). In addition to his work with Valhalla Sailing Project, Mike also serves as a Commissioner of the Calvert County Veterans Affairs Commission. In this capacity, he strives to ensure that the Veterans living in Calvert County receive the critical support they need for their selfless sacrifice to their nation.

Thank you for pressing play on this small veteran podcast. If you enjoyed leave a little love with a review. It would not only help me reach more veterans but also make my whole week!