Our guest today is Army veteran Dan Helmer. Dan began his Army career at West Point and after receiving his commission was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division, 1st Battalion 68th Armor Regiment, right after they had just invaded Iraq. A lot of his service story will come up early in the interview so I don’t want to spoil anything, but I do want to highlight that he was instrumental in creating the Counter Insurgency Academy that would then change our strategies in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dan is now living in Virginia, where he continued his service in the Army reserves, and on top of it all is now running as the democratic candidate for Virginia’s 10th congressional district.
Two topics Dan made sure we hit during his interview were why it's important for veterans to run for office, and why we need a new set o veteran democrats in congress.
We get to spend a good time listening to his ideas on leadership, problem solving in the military and how it translates elsewhere, and what he's planning on bringing to congress.
Dan's Book Recommendation: Cicero
If you'd like to learn more about Dan's campaign and or would like to help him our with a campaign contribution, you can do so at HelmerforCongress.com.
This week's Medal of Honor citation reading was suggested by Veteranology listener and recent guest Jeff Fowler.
All our citations will be read from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society website, CMOHS.org.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of Company F in action against enemy aggressor forces. Assigned to defend a 3-mile mountain pass along the division's main supply line and commanding the only route of approach in the march from Yudam-ni to Hagaru-ri, Capt. Barber took position with his battle-weary troops and, before nightfall, had dug in and set up a defense along the frozen, snow-covered hillside. When a force of estimated regimental strength savagely attacked during the night, inflicting heavy casualties and finally surrounding his position following a bitterly fought 7-hour conflict, Capt. Barber, after repulsing the enemy gave assurance that he could hold if supplied by airdrops and requested permission to stand fast when orders were received by radio to fight his way back to a relieving force after 2 reinforcing units had been driven back under fierce resistance in their attempts to reach the isolated troops. Aware that leaving the position would sever contact with the 8,000 marines trapped at Yudam-ni and jeopardize their chances of joining the 3,000 more awaiting their arrival in Hagaru-ri for the continued drive to the sea, he chose to risk loss of his command rather than sacrifice more men if the enemy seized control and forced a renewed battle to regain the position, or abandon his many wounded who were unable to walk. Although severely wounded in the leg in the early morning of the 29th, Capt. Barber continued to maintain personal control, often moving up and down the lines on a stretcher to direct the defense and consistently encouraging and inspiring his men to supreme efforts despite the staggering opposition. Waging desperate battle throughout 5 days and 6 nights of repeated onslaughts launched by the fanatical aggressors, he and his heroic command accounted for approximately 1,000 enemy dead in this epic stand in bitter subzero weather, and when the company was relieved only 82 of his original 220 men were able to walk away from the position so valiantly defended against insuperable odds. His profound faith and courage, great personal valor, and unwavering fortitude were decisive factors in the successful withdrawal of the division from the deathtrap in the Chosin Reservoir sector and reflect the highest credit upon Capt. Barber, his intrepid officers and men, and the U.S. Naval Service.
Today’s guest is Jeff Fowler, a Marine veteran, machine gunner, and former squad leader from 2/7 Weapons Company. Jeff wanted to share some valuable insights on our VA education benefits with the Veteranology audience, as well as speak about his own challenges and triumphs after leaving the Marine Corps for a new path. Jeff currently works for the Social Security Administration and has found it to be an incredibly rewarding career.
We cover using your Voc. Rehab and GI Bill benefits to their full potentional, what it's like to hike the Appalachian Trail, and the mindset shift a veteran must make from making a difference on the battlefield to making a difference in your local community.
We are proud to announce our newest weekly segment here at Veteranology, Medal of Honor Monday. We will work to read one citation each week to not just inspire you to charge your own hills but to make sure these stories or heroism and duty continue to be heard.
All our citation will be read from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society website, CMOHS.org.
Captain Ed W. Freeman, United States Army, distinguished himself by numerous acts of conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary intrepidity on 14 November 1965 while serving with Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). As a flight leader and second in command of a 16-helicopter lift unit, he supported a heavily engaged American infantry battalion at Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam. The unit was almost out of ammunition after taking some of the heaviest casualties of the war, fighting off a relentless attack from a highly motivated, heavily armed enemy force. When the infantry commander closed the helicopter landing zone due to intense direct enemy fire, Captain Freeman risked his own life by flying his unarmed helicopter through a gauntlet of enemy fire time after time, delivering critically needed ammunition, water and medical supplies to the besieged battalion. His flights had a direct impact on the battle's outcome by providing the engaged units with timely supplies of ammunition critical to their survival, without which they would almost surely have gone down, with much greater loss of life. After medical evacuation helicopters refused to fly into the area due to intense enemy fire, Captain Freeman flew 14 separate rescue missions, providing life-saving evacuation of an estimated 30 seriously wounded soldiers -- some of whom would not have survived had he not acted. All flights were made into a small emergency landing zone within 100 to 200 meters of the defensive perimeter where heavily committed units were perilously holding off the attacking elements. Captain Freeman's selfless acts of great valor, extraordinary perseverance and intrepidity were far above and beyond the call of duty or mission and set a superb example of leadership and courage for all of his peers. Captain Freeman's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.
Deavon and Jay form up in the studio and discuss Father's Day and what it means to them. Deavon shares his memories of becoming a father, 10 days after his EAS date. Going even further Deavon gives us his take on being both a father and a step-father, along with what it's like sharing a house with the 5 women he cares about most.
Deavon and Jay end the episode with sharing stories about the dads who raised them and the positive effects those men still have on their lives.
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We'd love to hear your own thoughts about Father's Day! Please leave us a comment, story, or funny meme on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/veteranology
Today's episode marks Veteranology's first Friday Formation, where Marine Veteran Deavon Black and I break down topics that affect veterans, and share our own stories in dealing with those topics and specific situations. This is our Memorial Day '17 episode and we went into it with a few topics we were hoping to hit, mainly our person relationships with Memorial Day itself.
We end up discussing how Memorial Day has affected us throughout the years since leaving the service, our own healing journeys, and a "healthier" alternative to approaching Memorial Day when discussing it with civilians.
I also have a pretty emotional reaction to trying to discuss a past Memorial Day that meant a lot to me. I get choked up quite a bit but I left most of this episode unedited to keep the message open and real.
Semper Fi, Godspeed, and enjoy this Memorial Day weekend with your family, friends, and fur-babies.
Today’s guest is Alex Pedersen, an Air Force Academy graduate and veteran who is now the Chief Operating Officer at Polco, a civic engagement and analytics company. Its primary product is a web-based platform for local governments to get input from their communities and then use that data to drive decisions.
Alex and I met at VETCON 2017 in March, where he competed against several other veteran entrepreneurs for $10,000 in funding. It was his first "official" pitch but he's be informally promoting Polco for a few years now.
Alex graduated high school in 2004 and driven by the events of 9/11 decided he wanted to serve his country. After hearing about the Air Force academy from a friend he decided it would be the best place to challenge himself, not just physically but academically as well. Once he graduated and was pinned a 2nd lieutenant in the Air Force he was accepted to grad school. He attended Harvard's Kennedy School of Government where he earned his Masters in Public Policy, focusing on International and Global Affairs.
He spent his operational time in the Air Force deployed to Germany where he acted in an advisory role to the Joint Terminal Attack Controllers stationed there within the US Army. He later returned to the Air Force Academy as an instructor in Political Science. It's here that he meets Nick Mastronardi, a fellow Air Force officer and instructor. From their discussions while teaching at the academy the groundwork would be laid for developing the idea that turns into Polco.
I'll let you listen to the rest of his story in the interview. Some of the main topics we cover are:
Links from the show:
The Polco website - find out more, reach out, and try out a demo!
Alex's book recommendation: Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise
We continue and conclude our interview with retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Duane France, discussing his transition out of the army and into mental health counseling. In the second half of the interview we dive into:
By far though, my favorite portion of part 2 is discussing the importance of finding both meaning and purpose. These two ideas come together and without one or the other we hamper our feeling of hope. Duane breaks down the distinction between the two and gives examples of what life is like when you have one, but not the other.
Important Links:
In episode 25 I'm joined in the studio by Duane France, a retired Sgt. 1st Class who has built a career as a mental health professional after leaving the service. Duane has continued to serve the veteran community in a myriad of ways. He's currently a mental health professional working at a private practice in Colorado Springs. Second, he's the Director of Veteran Services at The Family Care Center where he specializes in caring for veterans and their families. Third, he manages a program that provides counseling to his local veteran court. Finally, he writes the Headspace and Timing blog featured on VeteranMentalHealth.com.
In part 1, Duane and I discuss is time in service and how that experience pushed him towards a career in mental health counseling, while touching on the following topics:
There's a lot of great storytelling in Part 1 and Part 2. I hope you enjoy!
Important Links:
Redmond Ramos revisits Veteranology to give an update on what he's accomplished since our last chat during Veteranology #18. Besides working on a Macy's athletic wear campaign and booking more motivational speaking gigs, Red landed an opportunity that has me quite jealous. He is one of the contestants on this season of The Amazing Race.
In this quick 20 minute episode Red shares a bit of what's going on behind the scenes of the race, his partnership with fellow racer Matt Ladley, and how they used smiling to hide their true thoughts while competing against the other teams.
The 29th season of The Amazing Race launched on CBS March 30th, and new episodes premiere every Thursday at 10/9 central.
The Amazing Race's website.
Our guest today is Torie Fisher, a veteran of both the US Army and National Guard.
Torie is now the founder of Backward Flag Brewing, a craft brewery and taproom located in Forked River New Jersey. She started her business nearly 2 year ago with two other partners, and after they both quickly dropped out she carried on and moved forward on her own. Now she has a staff of about 8, made up almost entirely of veteran volunteers who she gives most of the credit to regarding the brewery’s continued success. On top of running the brewery, Torie is currently building a non-profit to run in parallel to her company, with the mission of teaching veterans brewing and business skills while building their professional network.
Discussed in this episode:
The Federal Technician Program, Helping other find purpose, Joining the National Guard after active duty service, the beers on tap, and much more.
http://backwardflagbrewing.com/
Outro Link:
http://www.veteranconference.com/
Our guest today is Justine Evirs. She is currently the Senior Director of Programs at Service to School. Since leaving the Navy, she’s become an intrapreneur and a subject matter expert on finding and closing the gaps of service found in campus programs and policies related to veteran education.
Before joining Service to School she was hired at the college of San Mateo to be their first veteran services program coordinator. Altogether, Justine has dedicated the last 6 and a half years to transforming academic advising and program development for the active duty, military spouse, and veteran communities.
On today’s episode Justine and I discuss the personal challenges that got her started on her current career path, the trends she sees in how veterans interact with and navigate their college experience, the statistics behind how many veterans are first generation college students, and much more.
You can reach out to Justine Evirs on LinkedIn.
Check out Service to School, non-profit that provides free application counseling to military veterans. Our goal is to help veterans win admission to the best universities possible and to help them maximize their education benefits.
Are you a vetrepreneur? Looking for more information on VETCON? Find out more and register here!
Getting hired is tough, no matter who you are. Veterans face their own hurdles to finding employment, but there are people and organizations on our side, one of them is Ian Faison. Ian has spent his post-service career helping leaders build amazing companies. He's been hired by companies to build better veteran hiring practices, and gives them the tools to connect smarter and faster with the 1% of the US population that serves in the military.
Beyond his work in the military hiring arena, he's also an avid mentor when it comes to veteran entrepreneurs, often giving them valuable insights into sales and business development practices that can take their company to the next level. Ian has taken this drive one step further, and joined a team of vets to create VETCON, the "veteran entrepreneur [vetrepreneur] conference, an annual gathering of visionaries, hustlers, and game-changers from around the world. We promote the international community of veterans who run their own businesses."
VETCON takes place this year in Redwood City, CA on March 23rd-25th. You can register to attend and find more information at http://www.veteranconference.com/
Ian and I dive into a lot in this interview, from the value of your experiences in garrison and training to some of the specific challenges we as veterans have in communicating out work experience to hiring managers and recruiters. If you're a veterans currently looking for work or vetreprenuer building a business, this is the Veteranology episode for you.
Paul Warmbier is a Marine Corps combat veteran who served two tours with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines. After leaving the service he pursued a career in teaching, becoming an English teacher and serving both middle school and high school aged students. He's now completing his Master Degree is Nonfiction Creative Writing.
After visiting with two of his best friends at a wine tasting event, and a lot of wine, the trio of veterans decided to start their own winemaking business. Now, Dauntless Wine Company is making their third vintage, and are well on their way to having a complete winemaking operation from land to vine to bottle. You'll hear the passion for wine throughout the interview.
Currently, the Dauntless Wine Company is raising $10,000 and is less than $1,500 away from their goal. If you'd like to lend them a few bucks, check out their Kiva loan page here. Unlike GoFundMe, or Kickstarter, you don't pledge money for a prize, but get your money back on a monthly repayment schedule.
Other links from the show: