Veteran Voices

In over 70 episodes, Veteran Voices has heard a lot of reasons for people joining the military or picking a particular branch of service. In this episode we hear a brand new one… advice from one’s future father-in-law. In Brian Russel’s case, it was a win-win (win).

Brian recently retired after serving 27 years in the United States Marine Corps – an impressive feat to be sure. Brian is also an avid mountain biker, and that’s where his advice to “keep the rubber side down” comes from. Even in adventurous situations, he reminds us that it is important to stay safe and keep yourself on track.

In this interview, Brian speaks with host Mary Kate Soliva about:

• The humbling feeling he gets when he thinks of his fellow Marines, each of which is willing to give it all for the person on the left and the person on the right

• Why it is so important that post-transition jobs do more than just pay the bills for Veterans

• The value of organizations like the North Carolina Interscholastic Cycling League, where Brian currently serves as League Director

Additional Links & Resources:

Learn more about Veteran Voices here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/veteran-voices

Subscribe to Veteran Voices and other Supply Chain Now programs here: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe

Learn more about the Guam Human Rights Initiative: https://www.guamhri.org/

Learn more about the Military Women's Collective: https://www.militarywomenscollective.org/

This episode was hosted by Mary Kate Soliva. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/keep-rubber-side-down-vv78

Navy Veteran David Trenholm inherited two things from his family that ultimately helped him succeed. One was a solid blue-collar work ethic and the other was a multi-generation tradition of service in the United States Navy.

David served in the Navy for over 20 years, but his service did not end with that phase of his life. Today he is an Assistant Vice President at Bank of America and sits on the board of Directors with Operation New Uniform where he helps new Veterans find careers in the private sector.

In this interview, David speaks with host Mary Kate Soliva about:

• How his path from enlisted service to the officers’ program ultimately helped him stay connected to the sailors around him

• What it felt like to fly missions over Iraq and Syria as the caliphate fell

• The cultural fit considerations that Veterans should keep in mind as they transition from the military to jobs in the private sector

Additional Links & Resources:

Learn more about Veteran Voices here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/veteran-voices

Subscribe to Veteran Voices and other Supply Chain Now programs here: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe

Learn more the Guam Human Rights Initiative: https://www.guamhri.org/

Learn more about the Military Women's Collective: https://www.militarywomenscollective.org/

This episode was hosted by Mary Kate Soliva. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/moving-world-navy-veteran-vv77

Growing up in a bilingual home comes with challenges as well as opportunities. For this episode’s guest, it helped ease the transition into another ‘language’ altogether, distinguishing what submarines, torpedoes, whales, dolphins, surface ships, and supply ships sound like underwater.

Katherine Martinez is a U.S. Navy Veteran who spend her four years of active duty service as a Sonar Technician, STG2, stationed onboard the USS Winston S. Churchill. Even though she had served, she still had a hard time embracing her veteran’s status – until she discovered the Student Veterans of America.

In this interview, Katherine opens up to host Mary Kate Soliva about:

• Why an in-service injury that ended her military career made it hard to feel like she belonged in the veteran community

• How her multiple forms of service led her to be part of the Travis Manning Foundation, working with Gold Star families, veterans, and transitioning service members

• What it was like being selected as the Student Veterans of America Student of the Year in 2021, and passing the torch to another deserving student in 2022

Additional Links & Resources:

Learn more about Veteran Voices here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/veteran-voices

Subscribe to Veteran Voices and other Supply Chain Now programs here: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe

Learn more the Guam Human Rights Initiative: https://www.guamhri.org/

Learn more about the Military Women's Collective: https://www.militarywomenscollective.org/

This episode was hosted by Mary Kate Soliva. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/living-soul-service-opportunity-unity-leadership-navy-veteran-vv76

The Veteran Voices podcast – now in its fourth season on Supply Chain Now – gives a voice to those that have served in the United States Armed Forces. Veterans and Veterans advocates sit down with Army Veteran and host Mary Kate Soliva to talk about the challenges associates with transitioning from active duty to the private sector as well as large scale issues impacting Veterans today. Just as important, they share their stories, their motivation for joining the military, and talk about what they learned along the way.

To celebrate the new season of the show, Mary Kate was joined by Scott Luton and Marina Rabinek, Founder and President of the Military Women’s Collective, to reflect on the past and look forward to the great things yet to come.

In this livestream-based conversation, Mary Kate, Scott, and Marina discuss:

• Favorite episodes and moments from season three

• The unique challenges faced by women in active service as well as in the Veteran community

• Critical Veterans’ issues that everyone should be more aware of

• Some of the amazing and impactful non-profit organizations affiliated with the show and its guests

Additional Links & Resources:

Learn more about Veteran Voices here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/veteran-voices

Subscribe to Veteran Voices and other Supply Chain Now programs here: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe

Learn more the Guam Human Rights Initiative: https://www.guamhri.org/

Learn more about the Military Women's Collective: https://www.militarywomenscollective.org/

This episode was hosted by Scott Luton and Mary Kate Soliva. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/celebrating-veteran-journey-veteran-voices-seson-vv75

Students at the U.S. Naval Academy are required to select a sport. Many continue sports that they played in high school or while growing up. ‘Iron Mike’ Steadman selected boxing, something that would go beyond meeting a graduation requirement to become his greater mission.

Iron Mike Steadman is a Marine Corps Veteran, a published author, three-time National Boxing Champion, a Naval Academy Graduate and the founder of IRONBOUND Boxing. He went on deployment in Afghanistan, Japan, and the Philippines before finishing his time in service and finding his way back to boxing, a sport he picked up while at the Naval Academy.

In this interview, “Iron Mike” speaks with host Mary Kate Soliva about:

• Why he thinks military leadership is so different than private sector management

• How he uses boxing to help inner city kids become world-class humans, an ecosystem of champions both in and out of the gym

• The unique opportunity that exists within the black veteran entrepreneurial community

Veteran Voices is produced in partnership with Supply Chain Now, the Guam Human Rights Initiative, and the Military Women's Collective.

Additional Links & Resources:

Learn more about Veteran Voices here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/veteran-voices

Subscribe to Veteran Voices and other Supply Chain Now programs here: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe

Learn more about Guam Human Rights Initiative: https://www.guamhri.org/about

Learn more about the Military Women's Collective: https://www.militarywomenscollective.org/

This episode was hosted by Mary Kate Soliva. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/lifting-climbs-marine-corps-veteran-vv74

In this special holiday message from Veteran Voices, host Mary Kate Soliva shares a few of her favorite things about this time of year – including Operation Christmas Drop, the Department of Defense's longest-running humanitarian airlift operation.

Additional Links & Resources:

Learn more about Veteran Voices here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/veteran-voices

Subscribe to Veteran Voices and other Supply Chain Now programs here: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe

Learn more about Vets2Industry: https://vets2industry.org/

This episode was hosted by Mary Kate Soliva. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/holiday-message-veteran-voices-vv73

Respect for other people should exist and be earned on an individual level, but that doesn’t mean differences of opinion and perspective based on things like appearance and gender don’t continue to present challenges.

In this classic Veteran Voices episode, host Mary Kate Soliva welcomes Mary Bell, the Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer for Team Themis and a Veteran of the United States Navy who joined at age 17. She spent her years in the Navy as a linguist, serving most of her time in Iraq but also being stationed in Africa and Afghanistan

In this episode the two “MKs” talk about Mary Bell’s 10 years of active duty and 13 years in the reserves:

• Which mentors and officers made the greatest impression on her and how those impressions became the source of lasting change

• The importance of following and maintaining the chain of command no matter what happens, personally or professionally

• Why you can’t take transition advice from someone who hasn’t transitioned from active duty to the reserves or from service to civilian life

Additional Links & Resources:

Learn more about Veteran Voices here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/veteran-voices

Subscribe to Veteran Voices and other Supply Chain Now programs here: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe

Learn more about Vets2Industry: https://vets2industry.org/

This episode was hosted by Mary Kate Soliva. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/veteran-voices-classic-mistake-kindness-weakness-vv72

Veterans Day is a federal holiday in the U.S., meaning that schools and many businesses are closed for the day in recognition of all those who have served in the United States Armed Forces. We have the opportunity to thank our Veterans and attend local ceremonies to mark the occasion, but what does Veterans Day mean to Veterans?

In this special Veterans Day livestream episode of Veteran Voices, co-hosts Mary Kate Soliva and Scott Luton were joined by Zach Knight, U.S. Army Veteran and Marketing Chair with VETLANTA, and Marina Rabinek, U.S. Navy Veteran and Founder and President of the Military Women's Collective.

Zach, Marina, Scott, and Mary Kate took this opportunity to discuss:

• What Veterans Day means to them personally and why

• Why their service didn’t stop just because they stopped wearing an active-duty uniform

• Veterans’ communities and causes that continue to need investment and support

Additional Links & Resources:

Learn more about Veteran Voices here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/veteran-voices

Subscribe to Veteran Voices and other Supply Chain Now programs here: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe

Learn more about Vets2Industry: https://vets2industry.org/

This episode was hosted by Scott Luton and Mary Kate Soliva. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/veterans-day-2022-service-leadership-march-on-vv71

Before he came back home to serve as a police officer, Michael Sugrue traveled around the world as part of the U.S. Air Force, going to South America, the Middle East, and Germany, among other places.

Although the greatest risks may have laid abroad, the greatest toll came from what he encountered day after day as a first responder. Training and treatment for traumatic stress injuries have changed over time, but there is still work to be done.

In this interview, Michael speaks with host Mary Kate Soliva about:

• The mental toll that comes with being ‘on’ and constantly vigilant as a police officer, even compared to military service

• Why our choice of words can be the difference between someone who needs help reaching out to ask for and receive assistance and struggling on alone

• How he ended up writing a book, ‘Relentless Courage: Winning the Battle Against Frontline Trauma’ with clinical psychologist Shauna 'Doc' Springer, Ph.D.

Additional Links & Resources:

Learn more about Veteran Voices here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/veteran-voices

Subscribe to Veteran Voices and other Supply Chain Now programs here: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe

Learn more about Vets2Industry: https://vets2industry.org/

This episode was hosted by Mary Kate Soliva. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/always-path-service-air-force-vv70

For Army Veteran Rob Campbell, 27 years of active-duty service went by in the blink of an eye. From Ranger school to Airborne school, Louisiana to Hawaii, and Germany to the Army War College in Pennsylvania, he moved around the world and had amazing experiences.

When he transitioned, he knew that his core purpose would be to make a difference in the lives of others through optimistic leadership. He didn't know exactly how or where he would apply that, but it was his answer to the question, “Why was I placed on this earth?”

In this interview, Rob speaks with host Mary Kate Soliva about:

• What it was like bringing women into his brigade and leading a brigade of 5,000 women, some of whom he took forward into Afghanistan

• Why he believes it is so important for Veterans to remain connected to other Veterans

• How he is applying the lessons he learned in the military to entrepreneurship and leadership coaching

Additional Links & Resources:

Learn more about Veteran Voices here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/veteran-voices

Subscribe to Veteran Voices and other Supply Chain Now programs here: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe

Learn more about Vets2Industry: https://vets2industry.org/

This episode was hosted by Mary Kate Soliva. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/dedicating-yourself-something-bigger-army-veteran-vv69