Dave is a veteran and officer of the Canadian Army. After Dave's time in Afghanistan, he struggled with the complex feelings that accompany a war zone. Dave has a masters degree and spent time as an educator, but found that his life was still lacking a sense of purpose. Dave has since began a life of coaching and has worked with some athletes competing at the highest levels and is an author. His podcast "Hard to Kill" has spoke to operators and academics alike  and has quickly became a voice in the Canadian veteran community. Dave is a remarkable guy and I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.

Vet with a Mic Merch House


Strung Like a Horse
Recording artist and creator of "Forget What They Think" music for Vet with a Mic

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Dr. Diandra Poe is a veteran of the United States Army and founder of the Glass Soldier nonprofit organization. Diandra received her doctorate in Social Work and has dedicated her life after the uniform to helping victims of Human Trafficking and Military Sexual Trauma. Dr. Poe is on the Human Trafficking Taskforce for the state of Maryland and works as an advocate for change. Diandra was kind enough to share her story of MST and the resulting trial that took 2 years to conclude. She spoke openly about her faith and devotion to finding purpose from enduring. 

www.glasssoldier.org
IG https://www.instagram.com/diandraallenpoe/

Vet with a Mic Merch House


Strung Like a Horse
Recording artist and creator of "Forget What They Think" music for Vet with a Mic

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Host Special- Ryan talks about Hollywood portrayals and why we should take them with a grain of salt. He speaks about civilians not knowing how inaccurate they are and how we move past them as a community. Ryan talks about the word "Just" and how that cuts down our service to others and how we feel about our sacrifice 

Vet with a Mic Merch House


Strung Like a Horse
Recording artist and creator of "Forget What They Think" music for Vet with a Mic

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BJ is an Air Force Reserve veteran who was diagnosed with testicular cancer while in the middle of medic training. BJ continued through training while receiving active cancer treatment and was enrolled in AFW2, the Air Force Wounded Warrior program where he found adaptive sports, mentorship, and the ambassador programs helpful in his recovery. But that's not all. BJ found a true calling in using laughter to help ease the pain of life's struggles. He soon became the applied improv comedy coach for @afw2. He found that improv comedy utilizes skills necessary for resiliency and began training others in the program. 

A Los Angeles based actor, BJ has been seen on MTV, Comedy Central, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. He currently is an instructor with The Second City, known as the famed improv group that birthed legends such as Bill Murray, Tina Fey, and so many others, and he serves on the artist council for the Armed Services Arts Partnership (@armedservicesartspartnership)

BJ also continues to use his military medical training in Hollywood when works as a special ability actor assisting the med tech advisors for shows and movies such as Fox's 9-1-1, Lone Star, and ABC's The Rookie.

IG https://www.instagram.com/bjcomedy/
FB https://www.facebook.com/BjComedy

Vet with a Mic Merch House


Strung Like a Horse
Recording artist and creator of "Forget What They Think" music for Vet with a Mic

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Ray and Solo are two marines who met after the uniform but found that they had a similar passion to help fight the symptoms of PTSD.  These marines spoke candidly and passionately about their pain and struggles during and after the uniform. Although both marines create in different ways, they both found that working with their hands to produce something had helped them feel more connected to life. Ray goes by Smoot Paleta on Instagram and works with glass bottles to create works of functional art. Solo goes by sgt solo on Instagram and is a woodworker who creates carved pieces that are custom pieces. Both men have found a camaraderie in the creative and crafts world as they travel to different events and display their creations. These two men are examples of how therapeutic gains can be found in many different ways.  This episode was enjoyable to me and felt as if I was catching up with old friends that I had known for a lifetime. 

Ray- Smooth Paleta IG https://www.instagram.com/ptsdbottles/
Solo- Sgt Solo IG https://www.instagram.com/sgtsolo_projects/

Vet with a Mic Merch House


Strung Like a Horse
Recording artist and creator of "Forget What They Think" music for Vet with a Mic

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Reden is an FMF Corpsman who deployed with the Marines. His foundation creates coins to send to fallen servicemembers families. His podcast the Brave and Faithful Podcast spotlights people's "second service" or actions that add purpose to life after the uniform. Our conversation was a crossover and you can check out his part of the conversation on his channel. Reden is an outstanding member of the military community and I am happy to call him a friend. 

Vet with a Mic Merch House


Strung Like a Horse
Recording artist and creator of "Forget What They Think" music for Vet with a Mic

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Althea is an Army veteran who has deployed to Afghanistan, but would have never thought that in Germany was where her life would change so radically. Althea was injured in a serious collision and was medically retired from the uniform. She found herself battling physiological and psychological changes as a result of her injury while navigating the great divide that is the transition from the uniform. In her life after the uniform, she has established She Vets It, which is more than just a clever pun, but a way of connecting vital information to others after the uniform. Althea is a bright star in the arena of facilitating resources to  the veteran community. 

IG She_Vets_it

 

Vet with a Mic Merch House


Strung Like a Horse
Recording artist and creator of "Forget What They Think" music for Vet with a Mic

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Adrian is a force recon marine and a purple heart recipient. Adrian has been asked to speak at the Sundance film festival and South by Southwest. He is the founder of the Sheepdog Program, a mental health approach that is tailored to military, veterans, and first responders. Adrian is a remarkable member of the veteran community who is a dedicated professional. He has devoted his life after the uniform to help usher his brothers and sisters into mental wellness. I enjoyed our conversation and would love to catch up with his research with alternative approaches.

https://www.thesheepdogprogram.com/ 

Vet with a Mic Merch House


Strung Like a Horse
Recording artist and creator of "Forget What They Think" music for Vet with a Mic

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Forrest is a veteran of the Navy and a FMF corpsman who was deployed to Iraq with Marines. Forrest speaks about his troubled childhood and goes into detail about his trauma at the hands of the foster system. Forrest has battled addiction and was charged with homicide in the accidental shooting of his friend. Forrest has dedicated his life after the uniform to helping veterans battling mental health issues find a sense of community. He is an advocate on social media and the author of "Angelblue" which is set to be released in March. Forrest has a large presence on TikTok and is a cohost for the podcast Healthy Discomfort. 

IG angelbluebook
TikTok  https://www.tiktok.com/@forrestlang?lang=en

Vet with a Mic Merch House


Strung Like a Horse
Recording artist and creator of "Forget What They Think" music for Vet with a Mic

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Mark is an inspiring character who has climbed some of the most dangerous terrains on the planet. Mark is a veteran of the Navy and we talked about some of the challenges of life after the uniform and how they can be analogous to his climbing experiences. We talked about ups and downs and peaks and valleys of the metaphorical and the literal. He's a great guy and I am happy to have met him. 

IG  https://www.instagram.com/greatheights7/ 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0cZtk1cb8JfFSo6K0q5RNA

Vet with a Mic Merch House


Strung Like a Horse
Recording artist and creator of "Forget What They Think" music for Vet with a Mic

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