Veteran Resource Podcast

Eric Kazmierczak began his new mission as Director of Operations for the Resurrecting Lives Foundation in August 2014. Eric was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. In October of 1993 he joined the Marine Corps and started his career as an Infantry Rifleman with his first tour of duty at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. From this beginning he would progress through the Marine Corps ranks and retire as a Staff Sergeant (SSgt). During his time in the Marine Corps he held numerous leadership positions at all levels of command.

During his Marine Corps career, Eric would participate in operations in; Bosnia, Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti, Riverine operations with UNITAS in South America. Volunteer for Recruiting Duty in Cleveland Ohio, where he was meritoriously promoted to SSgt in 2001. In 2005 and 2006, Eric would complete two combat tours as an Infantry Platoon Sergeant to eastern Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Finally, he would serve as Staff Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge of the Command and Operation Center, Marine Pacific Command and Operations Chief for the 3rd Marine Regiment in Hawaii. In 2009 he retired from active duty Marine Corps. Eric’s personal decorations include the Navy Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and Combat Action Ribbon.

After being retired from the Marine Corps, Eric went to work as a local Warrior Care Coordinator assisting Veterans with TBI and PTSD. He provided non-medical care to combat and non combatant wounded by assisting and facilitating their transition to civilian life.

http://veteranpodcast.com/021

While still on vacation I thought it would be great to give you a special treat. This week I am introducing you to some of the other great veteran-focused podcasts out there. I like to share the podcast love. :-)

Links to the podcasts are in the show notes: http://veteranpodcast.com/020

Jeremy is on vacation, but don't worry...we still have a great episode. This is a compilation of all of the previous guests answering the "brain stretcher" question: If you woke up tomorrow and found out that somebody made an anonymous donation of $10 million dollars to your organization, what would you do with it?

Madison Rising, America’s most patriotic rock band, is on a mission to reignite authentic American culture through great rock music.

Since the release of their first album in 2011, the band has worked tirelessly to create an entirely new genre of music – patriotic rock. Combining a brilliant classic rock sound with inspirational tributes to our men and women in uniform, it is clear that this band is on a mission to not only make great music, but to also send a message that American culture is alive and well.

Most recently the band released their completely remastered album- "American Hero - R.E.D." the album is proudly dedicated to the men and women of our armed forces and first responders for their sacrifice and selfless dedication to the land of the free and home of the brave. Madison Rising strives to create music with meaning; songs that are about something: our military, sacrifice, freedom, liberty, gratitude, and living the American dream.

Lead Singer Dave Bray was a Recruit Chief Petty Officer in basic training, a Master at Arms in A-school, and was awarded the honor of Top Dog in Field Medical Service School. He served in the U.S. Navy as an 8404 FMF Corpsman for the 2nd Battalion / 2nd Marines stationed out of Camp Lejeune NC.

For Show Notes: http://veteranpodcast.com/018

Lee Ann Doerflinger grew up in Washington state. Following her graduation from the University of Chicago, she and her husband Richard moved to the Washington DC area where they raised their four children. The second of those children, Thomas, joined the Army infantry in 2002 and was deployed to Iraq in October of 2004. In November of that year, he was killed during combat operations in Mosul. In the nearly eleven years since then, Lee Ann has worked on veterans issues in Montgomery County, and has been an active member of the Maryland Chapter of American Gold Star Mothers, and is the immediate past chapter president.

Show Notes at http://veteranpodcast.com/017

ForgottenNotGone is dedicated to helping save veterans and their families from the destruction of suicide. Feeling alone,forgotten and abandoned, causes 22 veterans a day to take their own lives in the United States. ForgottenNotGone is committed to taking responsibility for helping our service members who were not lost at war but forgotten at home make a decision to live, through emotional, physical and spiritual activities.

Check out the Show Notes at http://veteranpodcast.com/016

Wyly Gray is a Veteran Writer, Public Speaker, and Entrepreneur originally from Kansas City, Missouri, serving as the Founder and Director of Soldier On Corps, a veteran service organization dedicated to preserving and sharing veterans’ stories of service, sacrifice and transition.

Jenny Carr joined Courage Beyond soon after its inception in 2007. In her first role with the organization she personally interviewed hundreds of veterans, service members, family members and experts ranging from the Korean War to the present day conflicts. Currently, she oversees Courage Beyond’s online psychoeducational and support groups, in-person support groups, adaptive retreats and counseling services. Jenny has worked and published with Dr. Edward Taub and Dr. Gitendra Uswatte at their Constraint-Induced Therapy (CIT) Clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to develop real-world measures of physical rehabilitation techniques for both adults and children. She holds a BA in philosophy from Birmingham-Southern College and a BS in psychology from UAB. Jenny lives in Nashville, TN with her husband Kevin and her large, lovable dog Bert.Show Notes at http://veteranpodcast.com/014

Emily Rich is Director of National Development for Operation Gratitude, a non-profit organization that annually sends 150,000+ care packages to new recruits, veterans, first responders, wounded warriors, care givers and to individually named U.S. Service Members deployed overseas. Since its inception in 2003, Operation Gratitude has shipped more than 1.2 million care packages. Emily is responsible for Operation Gratitude’s nationwide campaigns, including corporate partnerships, cause marketing, large scale employee volunteerism, sports marketing and annual support.Emily has devoted her professional life to non-profit organizations. In addition to Operation Gratitude, she has served in leadership positions with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Foundation Fighting Blindness and Fund for the Public Interest Research Group. In the first six years of her career in nonprofit development, Emily has raised over $6 million for nonprofit organizations.Emily graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA) and the National Association of Professional Women.Music:Wartime by Javier & The Innocent SonsWebsite: http://www.javiermatosmusic.com/Purchase CD: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/javiertheinnocentsonsShow Notes: http://VeteranPodcast.com/013

Eryn comes from a military family. Her father served 28 years in the Army and retired as a Colonel, her brother is a graduate of West Point, and her husband is a Captain in the Army. Growing up, Eryn learned every day what it meant to serve one’s country, and after graduating from Florida State University, headed to Jacksonville as a Teach For America high school English teacher. Given Jacksonville’s proximity to two naval bases and the strong NJROTC culture, Eryn got the chance to bring the military into her classroom every day and expose her students to the opportunities the military could provide them. Today, Eryn is the director of Teach For America’s Military Veterans Initiative, helping to ensure that military veterans and spouses are aware of teaching as a second career, and that students across the country benefit from their talent and commitment. Prior to this role, Eryn began TFA’s Military Spouse Affinity Group to provide support for military spouses on staff who might feel particularly isolated, and gives them an outlet to communicate regularly about the issues facing military spouses – having spouses deployed, transferring to another bases, and leaving community and friends. In 2015 she was named Fort Benning’s Military Spouse of the Year by Military Spouse Magazine.

Show Notes: http://VeteranPodcast.com/012