Veterans Never Stop Serving

Mike Conklin catches up with graduated Sentinel Captain Jake, a former Marine Corps captain who overcame the loss of both his legs in Afghanistan. Captain Jake shares his remarkable journey, highlighting the crucial role played by Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Foundation in his recovery and transition to civilian life. From his challenging days at Walter Reed Hospital to his remarkable milestones in rehabilitation, Captain Jake's story is a testament to the power of perseverance. The conversation delves into the importance of community support, the ongoing service of veterans, and the impact of Sentinels of Freedom in empowering wounded warriors.

They also discuss Captain Jake's latest endeavor, a children's book, and his participation in a fundraiser to support Sentinels of Freedom.

Thank you for listening to Veterans Never Stop Serving. Please like, follow, subscribe, rate, review, and most importantly share this with a friend or any Veteran’s groups that you are associated with. These uplifting stories honor the men and women who have fought and sacrificed for our country, and the more listeners we have, the more heroes we can help.

Today Mike welcomes Eric Ballester, Combat Controller, Air Force retired. No one can question Eric's passion and commitment that he had during his time in service, and you will see why in this interview.

Eric's family was rooted in service and he found his purpose on the front lines after 9/11, deployed to Afghanistan. He and Mike discuss the challenges he faced during his transition from military life, including the search for a new sense of identity and somewhere to belong. They talk about how Eric navigated the healing process while seeking mentorship and education, the importance of community support, and the hidden strength of veterans as they continue to serve their communities.

Thank you for listening to Veterans Never Stop Serving. Please like, follow, subscribe, rate, review, and most importantly share this with a friend or any Veteran’s groups that you are associated with. These uplifting stories honor the men and women who have fought and sacrificed for our country, and the more listeners we have, the more heroes we can help.

Today we are joined by U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Jhonnatan "Jhonny" Chinchilla, a true example of the resilience and determination of veterans. Jonathan shares his inspiring journey, from immigrating to the United States from Guatemala as a young child to becoming the first college graduate in his family.

Jhonny discusses his motivation to join the Marine Corps and how he found purpose and direction through military service, his experiences during four deployments to the Middle East, and his transition into logistics and procurement management. Despite facing injuries that led to some limitations, he continues to serve in the Marine Corps Reserves.

As he pursued higher education, he felt a bit like a fish out of water being an older student among his younger peers but completed his education and is now a successful Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He tells Mike about the importance of setting ambitious goals and inspiring fellow veterans to pursue their dreams.

Thank you for listening to Veterans Never Stop Serving. Please like, follow, subscribe, rate, review, and most importantly share this with a friend or any Veteran’s groups that you are associated with. These uplifting stories honor the men and women who have fought and sacrificed for our country, and the more listeners we have, the more heroes we can help.

Welcome back to Veterans Never Stop Serving. Today Mike is joined by Joshua Smith, United States Air Force retired, turned elementary school behavior specialist. Josh takes us through his career in the Air Force, where he specialized in aircrew life support and served as a certified instructor. He shares his motivations for joining the military, including his initial hesitation and eventual decision after a job layoff. Despite injuries that altered his plans, his nearly 13 years of active duty were filled with purpose and fulfillment.

We explore his pursuit of education while in the military, highlighting the challenges of balancing coursework with his military responsibilities. Transitioning to civilian life, Joshua found his calling as a behavior specialist, working with troubled students and making a positive impact. He shares insights into the importance of mentorship and being a guiding light for the next generation.

He and Mike also discuss concerns about drugs and technology's influence on students today. Joshua provides valuable perspectives and discusses the need for proactive measures. Joshua is married with five children and one new grandchild and is yet another success story from the Sentinels program.

Thank you for listening to Veterans Never Stop Serving. Please like, follow, subscribe, rate, review, and most importantly share this with a friend or any Veteran’s groups that you are associated with. These uplifting stories honor the men and women who have fought and sacrificed for our country, and the more listeners we have, the more heroes we can help.

On today’s episode, Mike welcomes Army Veteran Casey McEuin, an extraordinary individual whose life journey has been marked by dedication to service, resilience, and a commitment to continuous growth. Casey shares his experiences from joining the Army right out of high school, and how much he loved being a part of it, to his current role as an advocate for inclusion and diversity. He also talks about the injury that ended his career and ability to walk, and his inspiring transition into higher education. Through ongoing rehabilitation, Casey has regained feeling in his legs and is currently beginning to walk again. He and Mike also discuss his current role as Manager of Diversity and Inclusion with Michael’s and the importance of face-to-face connections in a world that has become increasingly remote.

Thank you for listening to Veterans Never Stop Serving. Please like, follow, subscribe, rate, review, and most importantly share this with a friend or any Veteran’s groups that you are associated with. These uplifting stories honor the men and women who have fought and sacrificed for our country, and the more listeners we have, the more heroes we can help.

Today Mike welcomes Andrew Coughlan, Specialist US Army Retired, to the show. Andrew joined the Army at 19 after 9/11 having had a brother already in The Air Force. He was deployed to Iraq and his battalion suffered of the greatest number of lost lives than any other during that time. He was medically retired and had severe PTSD, but went through the regular steps to start his transition back into civilian life. But it wasn’t as easy as he thought. When news came of other friends losing their lives in Afghanistan, it hit him in an intense way and took him a few steps back in his progress. Then he got back up and started working in a place that could help others like him, The Wounded Warrior Project. After some time there Andrew connected with Sentinels of Freedom and went back to get his degree in Human Services. Mike and Andrew continue discussing the government's role with providing services, how volunteering can be a great transition path, and how fostering veteran’s communities can be so helpful to those after they come home from their time in the Armed Forces. Andrew is now celebrating his twelfth year at Wounded Warriors Project.

Thank you for listening to Veterans Never Stop Serving. Please like, follow, subscribe, rate, review, and most importantly share this with a friend or any Veteran’s groups that you are associated with. These uplifting stories honor the men and women who have fought and sacrificed for our country, and the more listeners we have, the more heroes we can help.

Today Mike welcomes Jason Church, United States Army officer retired, Jason begins by sharing his military background, coming from a family with a history of military service. He served in Afghanistan, facing challenging conditions and frequent combat. He describes the harrowing incident in which he lost both his legs due to an IED. After undergoing numerous surgeries and rehabilitation, Jason met Mike at Walter Reed Hospital during his recovery.

Despite the difficulties he faced, Jason demonstrated resilience and pursued his education. He talks about the importance of organizations like Sentinels of Freedom, which provided financial assistance for his postgraduate studies and helped him achieve his goals. He obtained a law degree is engaged in various political endeavors. He is devoted to giving back to his country, staying involved in politics, and continuing to pursue intellectual advancement. Jason urges the importance of reading and learning to know more about our world’s history and boost people’s critical thinking.

He and Mike also discuss the U.S. Involvement in Ukraine and what that means in a broader picture and how the public’s view of international conflicts in the age of instant and constant information overload can create a more disconnected response than in years past.

Thank you for listening to Veterans Never Stop Serving. Please like, follow, subscribe, rate, review, and most importantly share this with a friend or any Veteran’s groups that you are associated with. These uplifting stories honor the men and women who have fought and sacrificed for our country, and the more listeners we have, the more heroes we can help.

Growing up in a military family, it was difficult for today’s guest, Christian Redmon, to imagine any other path than joining the Army, and so he did right out of high school in 2005. 

After tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, his time was cut much shorter than he had ever expected. After 10 years of service, he was unable to continue because of back injuries. This left him feeling somewhat adrift and tried different education and career paths that just didn’t feel right to him.

Christian discusses the challenges he faced when reintegrating into civilian society, including the lack of a strong network and the stereotypes associated with veterans. However, a DUI arrest served as a wake-up call and motivated him to make a positive change in his life.

Thus began his journey toward pursuing higher education and attending law school. After a rough year or so he connected with Sentinels of Freedom. They provided support, mentorship, and networking opportunities and helped him to connect with a mentor from a prestigious law firm, providing guidance and assistance throughout law school. Christian is now an Assistant District Attorney in Louisiana, with thoughts of moving to Texas. Of course, Mike surprises Christian with a connection in the Dallas area, which illustrates how Sentinels of Freedom continues to support its Sentinels.

Thank you for listening to Veterans Never Stop Serving. Please like, follow, subscribe, rate, review, and most importantly share this with a friend or any Veteran’s groups that you are associated with. These uplifting stories honor the men and women who have fought and sacrificed for our country, and the more listeners we have, the more heroes we can help.

On today’s episode, Mike welcomes Major Derek Abby, United States Marine Corps retired. Derek recounts his story of tragically losing his mother at a young age, and finding purpose and direction in joining the Marines. He began as a communicator, moved into aviation, and during that period 9/11 happened. He was soon deployed to Kuwait and Iraq multiple times providing F-18 air support.

After 23 years of deployments, his body took a major toll and began a transition of recovery. He went on to get his PhD from the University of San Diego. During this time he assisted other veterans in successfully completing their education by running veterans program at the school. He came across Sentinels of Freedom during this time, and became a Sentinel. With this support Derek was able to expand how he helped his fellow veterans and is now President and CEO of a foundation called Project Recover, assisting families in finding their loved ones that have been MIA for years.

Find more and lend a hand to Project Recover

Thank you for listening to Veterans Never Stop Serving. Please like, follow, subscribe, rate, review, and most importantly share this with a friend or any Veteran’s groups that you are associated with. These uplifting stories honor the men and women who have fought and sacrificed for our country, and the more listeners we have, the more heroes we can help.

Mike’s special guest today is Sergeant Major Chuck Yerry, United States Army Special Operations, retired. Chuck is originally from California, growing up in San Jose. He graduated as an Eagle Scout and enlisted in 1989. Eventually, he went to Fort Benning Airborne School and then to Fort Lewis for around 4 years with the 2/75 Ranger Battalion. Soon after, he became a RIP instructor at Fort Benning. After being asked to go through a selection process and succeeding, Chuck spent the remainder of his career in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

He became a Green Beret and moved on to serve in a Special Missions Unit (SMU). All of this training led Chuck to where he is today, working for the Army Criminal Investigations Division. He primarily focuses on counter child exploitation, combating child pornography, and searching for pedophiles.  

Chuck describes his journey from injury, to hospital, to home and learning to live with his prosthetics. Though the transition was difficult, Chuck managed to reform a new network of people who helped him on his road to recovery. Whether it be the unit he came from, the Family Readiness Group (FRG), or the doctors and physical therapists who helped him, he counts these people as part of the reason he’s as successful as= he is today. So successful in fact, that he redeployed 4 more times to Iraq with only 1 leg. His dedication, tenacity, and willingness to share his story is a shining example to the injured and wounded veteran community.

Thank you for listening to Veterans Never Stop Serving. Please like, follow, subscribe, rate, review, and most importantly share this with a friend or any Veteran’s groups that you are associated with. These uplifting stories honor the men and women who have fought and sacrificed for our country, and the more listeners we have, the more heroes we can help.