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Check a Vet · Military Broadcast Radio | MBR Talk

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The station where our veterans voices are heard MBR talk.
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Hey, thanks. For tuning.
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In Welcome back are those of the speakers and do not necessarily
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reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.
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Find. Us on the web.
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At MB Radio, dot US for your five Beyond Z wars, in all lines
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and in all. Homes Together.
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All right, what's up, warriors? You're locked in to check Event
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Nation, where honor, respect and support aren't just words, their
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call to action. I want to open today's episode
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with something simple but real. You can wear the uniform and
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still feel like you're fighting a war in your head.
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Make you weak. It makes you human.
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Let's get right into it. Look, I've been there.
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You show up to formation, your boots are tight, your uniform
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squared away. You got your weapon, your
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checklist, your mission. But inside you're unraveling and
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you feel like you can't say a damn thing about it because
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we've been trying to lock it up. Keep pushing mission for mission
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1st. And hey, I still believe in the
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mission. But the truth is, the mission
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doesn't work if we don't take care of our people.
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So let me break this down with some tools I wish I had back in
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the day. Simple, field tested, no fluff.
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Mental health tips you can use right now.
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Tip #1 The 54321 grounding technique.
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This was straight out of the therapy room and works in
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combat, in the motor pool, or sitting in your car after duty.
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5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, three things you
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can hear, two you can smell, and one thing you can taste.
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When your mind is racing or you feel that rising panic, use this
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to anchor back in the moment. It's like a mental reset switch.
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Tip #2 mental armor. You don't need 8 hours right
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away, but even 15 minutes of dark rest, laying down with no
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foam, eyes closed can reset your system.
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It's not sleep, it's just being still, right?
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And then don't underestimate humor.
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And I'm serious, laughter saved my sanity more times than I can
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count. The one dumb meme, the one squad
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mate who cracked jokes under fire.
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Humor his armor too. And let me tell you about
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Sergeant M3 deployments. Ranger tab.
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Tough as nails. But what?
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Nobody knew he was waking up in cold sweats, hiding panic
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attacks, clinching his fists to stop shaking before formation.
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He thought if he said something he'd lose his clearance, loses
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respect. One day he's doing a run and it
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collapses, nearly blacks out. Medicine called.
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That was his wake up call. He told me later.
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I thought I had to wait until I broke to ask for help, but what
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I needed was a check in before I hit bottom.
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That conversation stuck with me. Too many of us wear the mask,
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the I'm good, I'm fine, but underneath we're barely holding
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it together. You don't have to crash before
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you check in. You don't have to bleed out to
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be seen. You can say something today,
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talk to your squad leader, your chaplain, your battle buddy, or
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someone anonymous. You can text the Crisis Line and
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just start with, hey man, I'm not OK today.
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And that's enough. If we don't address this while
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we're still in, it doesn't just go away with ETS.
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It follows us into our jobs, our marriages, our parenting, and
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sometimes it ends in silence or worse.
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And that's why check if that exists to disrupt that silence
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before it buries another brother or sister.
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So here's a challenge for you this week.
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And it's pretty simple. Check in on one person in your
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squad. It could be a quick, hey man,
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how's your head or dumb mean and let them know you see them just
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one. And if you're the one that needs
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it, send this episode to your NCO, your girlfriend, your buddy
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and say, this is how I've been feeling.
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And that's it. Remember, you're not weak,
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you're not broken, you're human, and you're not alone.
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We've all got stories. Kind of like Sergeant Mike's
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right where we thought all could all use that helping him.
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Good Lord, this goes so much quicker than I plan on when I'm
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writing it. I, I, I, I'm here.
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I'm here if you need to balance stuff off, but I'm usually not.
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Not the talker. I usually I'm just a dumb sound
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guy. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know.
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And I'm just kind of talking to myself.
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Like, man, I go through this way quicker when I'm actually doing
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it. But yeah, guys, just just check
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in with your teammates, your squad mates.
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I have a question. Yeah, go ahead.
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What happens if those individuals that we serve with,
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what happens if they're not talking?
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You know, like if you try to reach out and talk to them and
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you know, they, they don't want to talk because they don't want
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to be reminded back of what happened.
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They, you know, they, they kind of want to let it go and they
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don't want to, you know, bring up bad memories because I've, I
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dealt with that a couple of years ago.
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What are you doing in that aspect?
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Well, you, you don't have to talk about, about all the bad
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times, right? You can ask them about what
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they're doing today, how things are going now and how their
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kids, how their wife, how's their wife.
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If they don't have kids, if you're not married, ask them how
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they're doing, What are they doing these days?
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What's their job? You know, what do they like
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about it? What do they don't like about
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it? Just just any conversation to
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get something moving. And a lot of times it's not,
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it's not going to be easy. It's, it's going to be hard.
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You're going to have to reach out two, 3-4, maybe 5 or 6
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times. And there's some guys you're
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just not going to get out, get an answer from.
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And I mean, what really can you do there, you know, is if
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somebody doesn't want to be contacted, they don't want to be
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contacted, they'll just keep ignoring your calls.
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So after a point, and I, I guess you kind of do kind of just say
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the hell with it. I guess, you know, I, I don't
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want to be that way, but there are some guys who just do not
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want to talk anymore. They don't want any reminder of
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what was going on. And it's, it's kind of sad, but
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for me, you know, I, I tend to reach out a couple times, you
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know, a couple times a year, because sometimes they may
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change your mind. You know, it's kind of kind of
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like a sales call, right? Be that aggravating, aggravating
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sales call guy, you know, call two or three times, make your
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pitch. If they tell you to fuck off,
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then six months later, call them again.
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You might be aggravating to them, but it but you never know
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that one day that call may may be the thing that saves your
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life. You know, I usually I have this,
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I have a saying that I've always went by.
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I don't know if it's something that I just grew up with, but
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I've always been told, you know, on holidays, the holidays are a
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really good excuse just to reach out to say hi, you know, Happy
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Mother's Day, happy Father's Day, strongly encourage you not
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to say half a Memorial Day, but you know, hey, just thinking of
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you this Memorial Day or something like that, you know,
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right, right. And I was just going to say I,
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you know, I have a had a squad leader that was, he is an
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exceptional leader to me. He he taught me a lot of stuff.
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And you know, when you have somebody that has took care of
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you, grabbed you, you know, push you out of the way forcefully
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for your own goods so that, you know, you don't get hurt.
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And when they have like a drunken problem or you know,
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something's going and you're like trying to help them, but
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like, they won't meet you halfway, it's really hard
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because you know, you don't want to give up on them, but like,
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they have given up. You're right.
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And that's, that's the ones that are hard is, is, is because,
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because what do you do in that moment?
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And, and sadly, I don't really have an answer for that.
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For me, it's just, it's just reaching out and then
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continuously reaching out, you know, eventually, let me tell
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you to fuck off. And if they do well, you, you
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kind of got to respect their wishes, but at the same time
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reach out again in a little while, you know, because like,
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like my buddy Viko, you know, Christmas a couple years ago, he
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it was bad, you know, he, it was his first Christmas without his
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kids. And, you know, he was, he was
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living with somebody else and just a really bad time for him.
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And it's, he was in his room. He had, he had his pistol when
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he was, he was rated to ready to take his life.
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And the only thing that that saved him that night, it was his
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dog. And his dog kind of jumped over
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in his lap and his ended up pulling with his paw, taking and
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pulling the pistol out of Vaiko's mouth.
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And that's what's saved. Vaiko was his dog, right?
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But now, now Vaiko's here running an amazing company.
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He's got a Mead company here in, in Columbus, Mt called the
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Bearded Viking Mead Company. And he's doing awesome things.
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And now he's seen his kids more and he's, he's doing great for
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himself and great for the community.
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I was just having a bad time, you know?
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And he's, he's learned reaching out doesn't make you weak, you
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know, and I think that's what a lot of guys struggle with is
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the, the whole stigma around, around not being that tough guy,
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not being the guy that that's asking for help.
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They ought. There's a, and it's not just a
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military culture. It's, it's men's culture in
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general, right? Where we have the stigma to
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where we have to be the tough guy.
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We've got to be the the dude that can handle everything.
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But in reality, there's not a person on this planet who can
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handle every bit everything that's thrown at him all the
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time. They're going to break
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eventually. And it's OK to reach out and ask
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for help. There's absolutely nothing wrong
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with that. It's just how do we break that
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stigma as a culture? And in my opinion, using media
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is one way to do that. You know, using the radio shows,
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podcast, TikTok, you know, get out there sharing our stories,
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shows, other guys that hey, it's OK to talk.
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You know, guys and girls, it's OK to talk.
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It's good to ask for help. If you don't know where to get
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for help, reach out to those of us that have tried.
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It's not always easy. I can promise you that.
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It is not always easy, but it's worth at the end.
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It's Yeah. And as far as like Laurel was
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saying earlier about people that don't want to be reached out to,
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I don't really know the answer for that other than just kind of
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being with the aggravating ass sales when it tries every, every
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holiday to, to get make contact. Well, I've noticed, I've noticed
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that people that really been in hard like combat, like really,
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really hard combat, they don't talk to each other.
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You find that you'll have veterans that will help other
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veterans, but anybody that you've been in like combat with,
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like you don't talk to them every day.
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You know, they got your back no matter what, you know, right?
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They don't, they don't, they don't talk.
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I mean, I hell, I live here in Colorado and I've got 2 battle
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buddies that live like less than 30 minutes away from me.
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And the only time I saw one of them was when he got in a
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motorcycle wreck and I visited him at the hospital.
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Other than that, like there's nothing, dude.
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Yeah, man. And you and you know, I have, I
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have that with a lot of my battle buddies, which none of
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them live anywhere near me. But at the same time, I may not
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talk to him on a daily basis, but I see him on TikTok.
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I see him on Facebook, we send each other memes every now and
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then, videos every now and then and stuff like that.
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We we may not actually have that, that battle buddy
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communication like what we had at one time, but we're still
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activating in, in our lives, right?
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You know, if I go a month or two months and one of my guys
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doesn't shouldn't send me some stupid video off of TikTok, I'm
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going to reach out and say, hey, man, how's it going?
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You know, and it it could be he's just busy and that's cool.
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Hello. At the same time, you, you just
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kind of reach out and see what's going on.
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And whoever that was on TikTok. Hello.
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Hey, here it is Faron. Faron is joining us on TikTok.
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Welcome in Faron. Cool deal.
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Cool deal. Well, you caught us right a
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little bit before break, so hopefully we'll hang out till
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afterwards so we can get back into the next segment.
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Yeah, I was going to say we're going, we're going to go on
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break and then when we come back, give us kind of a a
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teasing. What what are we going to do?
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Well, so so that's a segment one of today's episode bridges
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between battles. Remember, you're not weak,
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you're not broken, you're human and you're not alone.
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Coming up next, we're going to talk about what happens after
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the uniform and how that transition shakes up not just a
13:52
service member, but their entire family.
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Stick around this check of Vet Nation.
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Love you daddy. Love you too, girls.
17:19
The station where our veterans voices are heard.
17:22
MBR talk. Hey thanks for tuning.
17:27
In welcome are those of the speakers and do not necessarily
17:32
reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.
17:35
Find. Us on the web at MB radio dot
17:38
US. All right, welcome back to Czech
17:42
Event Nation. So let's talk about it right
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that moment when you step out of formation for the last time.
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No more NC OS barking, no more 04/30 wake ups, no more
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checklist taped to the wall. You hang up the uniform and it's
17:56
quiet. And for a lot of us, that
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silence is louder than any firefight we've ever faced.
18:03
Because transitioning out of the military, it isn't just
18:06
paperwork, it's emotional. When I got out, I thought I was
18:11
ready. I had a plan, I had skills, I
18:14
had a resume. But what I didn't have was a
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clue about how much I missed the purpose, the tribe, the
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structure. Nobody told me how empty it
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would feel to go from specialist turbyfill to a man.
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Can you feel his W2? So let me save you some pain and
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tell you what I wish someone had told me.
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Start your VA paperwork before you ETS.
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Do not, and I repeat do not wait until you've you're already out
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because once you're in the civilian system it's a whole
18:45
different animal. Start your claim early.
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Get your record squared away. The DD214 doesn't chase itself.
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Translate your MOS using real world tools.
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Your skills matter, but most civilian hiring managers don't
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know what a 91B or 11 Bang Bang means.
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Use ONET, VA transition assistance programs and resume
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translators. You didn't just turn wrenches.
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You were a logistical, technical, adaptable problem
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solver under pressure. Give yourself a year, not a
19:19
week, to adjust. The Army may have trained you in
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nine weeks, which that's just basic training, right?
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But civilian life isn't a boot camp.
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This is reintegration, and it's going to take time, mentally,
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emotionally, financially. And that's OK.
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Now I kind of want to shift gears for a second because
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transition doesn't just hit the service member, it hits the
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family too. And this is for you, whether
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you're a spouse, a parent, or a kid trying to understand why dad
19:51
isn't smiling like he used to. I see you.
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Your veteran may come home, but they might not fully come back
19:57
for a while. And hear me when I say this,
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it's not your fault. They're relearning how to be
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present, how to be vulnerable, how to live outside of a world
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where danger and discipline rule today.
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So here's what helps, and it helped me in my own house.
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Create structure. You don't need a full op order,
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but routines help. Wake up times, mealtimes, family
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nights. That rhythm matters more than
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you know. Have open conversations.
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No shame, no blame use I feel instead of you never say things
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like I feel distant from you. I want to reconnect and that
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opens the door. And don't do it alone.
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You've got resources, Military one source, Vet Centers, VA
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caregiver support programs and groups like Check a Vet lean
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into those programs. And sometimes it helps to hear
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from other families. That's why I'm bringing in
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guests this season for real voices and real stories.
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So quick story. This isn't about me, is just
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what a friend of mine had told me after he got out.
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He remembered this one dinner with his wife where she had made
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spaghetti and he sat down and she asked him how he was doing
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and he said he was fine, but he wasn't.
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He was spiraling. He felt useless.
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He felt like he left the best version of himself back on the
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FoB. She pushed but he shut down.
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She cried and he walked out. They didn't talk the rest of the
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night. That night sucked but opened the
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door to real conversations. They kind of start with honesty
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and end with the healing. You don't transition alone, you
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do it with your family, your friends, your community, but
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only if you let them in. The strongest thing you can say
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this week might be I'm not doing great, but I want to get better
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and that's power. Look, with your weeks of
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separation or 10 years out and still feel lost, just know the
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adjustment is it a failure? It's part of your evolution.
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And to the families, keep showing up, keep asking
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questions, keep loving them through the fog.
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It's not very easy. Guys like me and my wife have
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had countless issues. I've been to therapy for three
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years. It's rough.
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You know, my wife, like I said last week, she told me one night
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that she was worried that I was going to kill her and the kids.
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And that was my, that was my, what would you call it?
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My, my, my, my worst point of this entire, my entire life.
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That was my downfall. And after that is when I started
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going to therapy and short, you know, a year after starting
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therapy, things slowly got better, but it wasn't easy.
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It took, it's taken three years of me learning new new tools and
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techniques to to get through my anger and to get through my
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confusion. I guess my memory loss.
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My wife can tell me things and then 5 minutes later I'll
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forget. Or even something at work.
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You know there's something at work I need to remember but I
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can't. I've developed this habit now
23:23
that where I carry around either a notebook or my phone.
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And when I'm talking to somebody, if it's something
23:28
important, I pull out my phone or I pull out a notebook and I
23:31
write it down. And, but the key to doing that
23:35
is to doing it every time. You know, you got to remember
23:38
something and then pull on that notebook or phone back out later
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in the day and the next morning and going through it and, and
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making kind of like a bullet list for yourself, right?
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You, you can't just take the notes, you have to go back and
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revisit it. That took a long time for me to
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to actually do right was go back and revisit those notes.
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And I still have a hard time with doing that.
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It's, it's been rough, but therapy has been an amazing
24:04
thing for me and my family. Me and my wife are closer, me
24:08
and my kids are closer. Work is better than it's been in
24:13
a long time. I don't get as get as angry at
24:16
work as I used to. It's still hard though.
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Trust me, it's still hard for the family members.
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Just just just be there for your vet.
24:26
It's it's not always easy. We're not always happy go lucky
24:31
joyful. But at the end of the day, all
24:35
we need is love and sometimes a little push in the right
24:39
direction sometimes might kick us in the ass and tell us how
24:42
you need help. My wife gave me an ultimatum go
24:46
get help or we're gone. And for me that's that's all it
24:51
took. When she threatened to leave I
24:58
said screw it I'm going to go to the VA and go get the help I
25:02
need. And then I started doing the
25:04
podcasting and share my story as well as others.
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And now I'm working with check a vet and doing all these awesome
25:11
things with the radio show and talking with all these awesome
25:14
individuals and going to all these events and then hearing
25:20
these guys talk about their suicide attempts and the way
25:25
that they've overcome these these transgressions in their
25:31
life. You know, we were in, we were in
25:34
Texas last week at Texas Motor Speedway and the gentleman named
25:38
Nathan come up and was talking to us.
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And seven weeks prior to the race, he was actually out
25:44
camping and in his favorite spot to be in the world.
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And he had a pistol in his mouth and he flinched.
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And when he pulled the trigger, he shot himself.
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He's got a scar in his arm. He's got a hole in the tent, in
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his tent. And all he had to say was that
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he he's glad that he wasn't successful and they would never
26:10
try it again. And that I'm he's glad he's
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still here. And he wants everybody to know
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that no matter how hard life is, making that permanent solution
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to a temporary problem is not a way to handle it.
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But anyway, after the break, we're going to shift gears
26:31
again. We're heading into the workforce
26:34
in the classroom, and we're going to talk about how
26:35
corporate America and educators can be better allies for our
26:39
veteran community. Stick with us.
26:42
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The station where our veterans voices are heard.
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MBR talk. Hey thanks for tuning.
31:47
In welcome are those of the speakers and do not necessarily
31:52
reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.
31:55
Find. This on the web at MB radio dot.
32:00
US all right, this one's for the allies, the leaders in the
32:03
workforce in the classroom who are asking the right question.
32:07
What can I do to better support veterans?
32:10
First off, respect that because asking that question means you
32:14
give a damn. So let's break it down, starting
32:17
in corporate with corporations. You might be an HR, maybe you're
32:22
a hiring manager or a business owner looking to do more than
32:25
slap a yellow ribbon on your website.
32:27
You want to help, but maybe you don't know how to start.
32:30
Well, let me help you out. A lot of employers mean well,
32:35
but a lot of vets I've talked to feel feel like this.
32:38
They hired me because I was a vet, but they didn't know what
32:41
to do with me once I showed up. And that's the gap we got to
32:44
close. And here's how we do that.
32:47
First, we ditch the stereotypes. Not every veteran is Rambo and
32:51
not every veteran is broken. We're not ticking time bombs and
32:54
we're not superhuman. We're just people with mission
32:58
first mindsets and a background in chaos.
33:01
Don't hire us for what you think we are.
33:03
Hire us what we bring. Leadership under pressure,
33:06
loyalty, adaptability, and grit For second, onboarding matters.
33:14
Military life is structured. Civilian jobs, definitely not so
33:18
much. One vet told me he had a badge
33:22
and a cubicle, but no idea what success looked like.
33:26
He said he spent three months just trying to figure out if he
33:28
was doing it right. The solution?
33:31
Build training programs that guide not guest clear
33:34
expectations, job shadowing, mentor check insurance and 3rd
33:40
watch out for triggers. Loud, chaotic environments,
33:43
unclear chains of commands. You want to think twice about
33:46
it, but for some of us. That can lead to anxiety.
33:50
Withdrawal or worse. It doesn't mean you walk on egg
33:53
shells. It means you create a space
33:54
where questions can be asked and trust can be built.
33:58
Let me tell you about Lewis, an Army mechanic turned into an
34:01
auto shop tag. He got hired by a veteran
34:04
friendly business and on day one his boss said I'm pairing you
34:08
and Mitch. He's Navy, did 8 years.
34:10
He'll walk you through the ropes this week.
34:13
That one sentence changed everything.
34:16
He told me I didn't need special treatment, I just needed someone
34:19
to walk me through day one like it mattered.
34:21
Veteran, veteran mentorship. It works.
34:24
If you can't build a program like that right away, start
34:27
small. Just check in, ask how they're
34:29
doing, give feedback often. Now let's shift to education.
34:35
You've got veterans in your classrooms, whether it's
34:37
Community College, trade school, or four year university.
34:41
And trust me, they come with some unique challenges.
34:45
They may be older than their classmates, sometimes by 10 or
34:48
15 years. They might be carrying trauma,
34:51
which can show up as missed deadlines, withdrawal, or
34:53
seeming checked out and asking for help.
34:56
For a lot of us, that still feels like failure, even in
34:59
school. But you can make a big
35:02
difference with a few key strategies.
35:05
Be flexible. Deadlines are important, but
35:07
grace matters. If a vet opens up about a
35:10
personal struggle or something triggers them, give them space
35:13
to breathe and rest. You don't have to lower their
35:16
standard, just find a way to help them meet it.
35:21
Build trust early. Don't wait until midterms to
35:24
check in. Office hours, intro emails,
35:27
small group chats, those things matter.
35:29
We're more likely to speak up when the relationship has
35:32
already been built and know the benefits.
35:35
So many veterans don't fully understand their own educational
35:38
benefits, especially if things like the Post 911, GI Bill,
35:42
Vocational Rehab or the Yellow Ribbon programs.
35:45
You don't have to be a benefits counselor, but knowing where to
35:48
refer them can change someone's life.
35:53
Vets don't need a handout. We need a path.
35:55
We need leaders, teachers and teammates who see it's not as
35:59
broken projects, but it's people who've already been sharpened in
36:03
the fire and just need someone to help point the way.
36:06
I've talked to veterans who dropped out of school because
36:08
they felt invisible, and I've talked to other guys who became
36:12
honor students because one professor took 5 minutes to say,
36:14
hey, I'm glad you're here. If you're hiring, don't just
36:19
hire us, equip us. If you're teaching, don't just
36:23
enroll us and power us. You're not just helping 1
36:26
veteran succeed, you're helping rebuild lives, families, and
36:29
futures. And that's one thing that I'm
36:33
very thankful that my, my school does great.
36:38
I attend Full Sail University online and it's they did awesome
36:46
as far as having intro emails and, and breaking down exactly
36:51
what they want in the class, exactly what the courses are
36:55
going to be. And just there is no questions.
36:59
Everything is 100%. And that's been tremendous at
37:04
helping me with my school work. So let's kind of let's kind of
37:10
look into setting up a veteran mentorship program.
37:15
Let's say you want to be more than just veteran friendly.
37:18
You want to be veteran ready. Create a peer mentor system.
37:23
Pair new veteran hires with someone who's been through the
37:25
transition, even if they're in a different department.
37:28
Offer veteran on boarding modules that cover benefits,
37:31
PTO, chain of command and cultural tips.
37:36
Host monthly huddles or check ins with veteran staff.
37:38
Give them space to speak up. It doesn't take millions, it
37:41
just takes mindset, you know? According to the Department of
37:46
Labor, over 200,000 service members transition out of the
37:49
military every single year. Unemployment rates are higher
37:53
for recently separated veterans than the civilian average, and
37:57
over 50% of veterans who leave their first post military job do
38:00
so within a year. Why?
38:03
Because the civilian workspace often doesn't understand us, and
38:07
too often we're afraid to ask for help.
38:12
Excuse me? You know, let's let's go deeper
38:18
on veteran students. A lot of us feel like impostors
38:22
walking into a classroom full of 18 year olds with TikTok
38:25
references and 0 ideas what it's like to lose a friend in combat.
38:30
So we sit back, stay quiet and fade out.
38:32
Some of us never finish. Educators.
38:36
Here are three programs you should know about vet success on
38:40
campus, On site VA counselors at participating schools,
38:45
Vocational rehab, an employment which is what I'm using for
38:47
disabled vet seeking education, and the Yellow Ribbon program,
38:51
which covers tuition gaps for GI Bill users at private schools.
38:55
Like I said earlier, know where to point your students.
38:58
That alone can change someone's life.
39:01
You know, speaking about the VRE program, that's been, it's been
39:09
a tough, little, tough challenge to get into because you have to
39:14
go in the interview the same way you go into your disability
39:17
appointment interviews. Well, I can't remember what they
39:19
call that, but either way, once you become 100% disabled, you're
39:25
eligible for the VR and E I was going to say it's called EU, but
39:30
I think you're right. It's called VE.
39:32
Well, it's VRU, the vocational rehab, folk rehab and education.
39:40
I think Sammy Swanson, Sam's tonight.
39:42
I don't know, I was way off, but I'll tell you what, once you get
39:49
the 100% disability, you think you can automatically apply for
39:54
that program and bam, you get it.
39:55
Well, that's not the truth. Like you have to show VRE, you
39:59
have to show them how your disability interferes with your
40:03
current job, if you have a current job and how getting a
40:06
degree in another field and changing career fields would be
40:10
a, a better move for you and your disability.
40:13
And it's not always easy. A lot of people have a lot of
40:16
trouble doing that. And I just, man, I need to stop
40:20
doing that. And I just got on Google and I I
40:24
just researched. People that have done the VRE
40:28
program to find out what it was they were looking for and how
40:33
they succeed in their in, in their interviews and how they
40:36
what they didn't do in their interviews that made them where
40:38
they wasn't eligible. And that's that's what helped me
40:43
trying to to come up with the right words to explain why my
40:49
disability was not a good fit for the trucking world and why I
40:53
needed a new career path and why my new career would be way
40:56
better for me than trucking. Was.
41:00
And it was difficult. It took a lot of time on Google,
41:02
took a lot of time with a freaking dictionary trying to
41:04
find the right words. I even talked to an attorney
41:08
that I found that was just, that was, I think it was on Facebook.
41:13
I just talked to him for like 10-15 minutes and they helped me
41:15
out with that. But getting in the VRE can be a
41:18
process, but once you're in, it's awesome.
41:20
There's a lot of tools. They, you know, they pay for you
41:24
to go to school, They give you a like depending on if you're
41:28
online or if you're in person, you know, they give you a
41:31
stipend, but it's really helpful.
41:35
Excuse me Anyway, coming up next, we're talking about how to
41:42
turn all this individual effort into community momentum.
41:46
Don't touch the dial. This is Czech of that nation.
42:12
Stats tell that each day, 22 veterans commit suicide due to
42:17
PTSD. These stats shook us and urged
42:20
us to do our part After hours and hours of thinking,
42:24
beekeeping for veterans was born.
42:27
Beekeeping for veterans combines beekeeping with mindfulness
42:31
meditation. Why combine them?
42:33
Here's why. Beekeeping causes positive rush
42:37
of adrenaline. While beekeeping you have to be.
42:40
Calm. During it, you are mindful of
42:42
your movements. Each week, a veteran will
42:45
receive a mindful meditation to build emotional and mental skill
42:49
sets. Mindfulness is a set of three
42:51
attentional skills that work together.
42:54
Concentration, sensory clarity and equanimity, mental calmness,
42:58
composure, evenness of temper. Every time mindfulness is
43:02
practiced, we build these skills.
43:05
Beekeeping for veterans not only helps veterans overcome
43:08
emotional trauma, but also aids our environment as without bees.
43:13
There is no food. Come forward.
43:15
The people who have supported your country now need your
43:18
support. The station where our veterans
43:29
voices are heard. MBR talk.
43:31
Hey thanks for tuning. In welcome are those of the
43:37
speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions
43:42
of any entities they represent. Find.
43:44
Us on the web at MB radio dot US.
43:48
No. Welcome back to Czech Event
43:50
Nation. Let me tell you something that's
43:52
powerful. Most of the healing I've seen
43:55
didn't happen in the therapist office.
43:57
It happened at a dinner table, over coffee, at a backyard BBQ
44:01
with old battle buddies, and a team room where nobody had to
44:04
explain what a flashback feels like Tuesday morning at a VFW
44:08
hall with five guys just showing up.
44:11
And why? Because isolation breed silence
44:14
and connection kills it. Let that sit for a second.
44:19
You don't need a fancy venue. You don't need a PhD.
44:23
All you need is 3 things, a folding chair, some coffee and a
44:27
heart for your brothers and sisters.
44:28
That's it. Start local.
44:31
Here's how. Host a monthly check in event.
44:35
It doesn't need to be 50 people, 5 is enough.
44:38
Consistency beats scale. Partner with what's already
44:41
there. Churches, gyms, Barber shops,
44:44
American legions. Use the infrastructure that
44:46
exists. Use social media with intention.
44:50
Post a selfie. Tag your local vets, create a
44:53
check in Wednesday story chain. Be loud and personal.
44:56
The goal isn't numbers, it's personal connection.
45:00
One vet saved is a win for the entire war.
45:04
Now let's zoom out for a second because community work is ground
45:08
level. But what about policy?
45:11
That's where we start changing the system.
45:13
Think about it. The packed ACT, VA wait time
45:16
reform, mental health expansion, Disability rating modernization,
45:21
all of that happened because somebody spoke up not once, not
45:25
softly, but loudly, consistently and unapologetically.
45:30
The PACT ACT expanded benefits for burn pen exposure, the
45:35
commander John Scott had an ACT boosted mental health for care
45:37
for vets, and Mission Daybreak is investing millions in the
45:40
suicide prevention tech. But none of those happened
45:43
because people stayed quiet. They happen because advocates
45:47
made noise. You want to make chains?
45:50
Find out who your local VA director is.
45:53
Know your state reps, Veteran Affairs committee.
45:56
Show up to 1 town hall per quarter.
45:58
Use your voice, right? Call, testify.
46:06
So if you care about this mission, that this is my
46:08
challenge for you, just pick one thing this month.
46:11
Write your representative. It can be a paragraph, it could
46:14
be your story. Just let them know that it
46:17
matters. Show up to the City Council
46:19
meeting. Ask your community what is doing
46:22
for local veterans. Share a veteran story online
46:26
with the call to action. It doesn't have to be yours,
46:28
just shine a light. If you're with a nonprofit, get
46:32
loud, get funded and get organized.
46:34
Because suicide prevention isn't a side mission.
46:37
It is the mission. And if you're not a part of the
46:40
group yet, start 1. I don't care if it's just you
46:43
and one other vet at a picnic table.
46:45
That's where movements begin. I want to tell you about a guy I
46:50
served with and we'll we'll call him Ben.
46:54
Ben was always a loud one, the funny one, the guy who could
46:57
make you laugh mid firefight. After we got out, we lost touch.
47:01
Life got busy, and a few years later I found out he had taken
47:05
his own life. And you know what still haunts
47:08
me? The thought that maybe a phone
47:11
call or a Tuesday coffee invite could have changed something.
47:16
And that's why I do this. That's why we're here.
47:21
Every chair we set out at a team room event, that's one less we
47:25
have to leave empty. Excuse me?
47:35
A Vietnam vet I met once told me this.
47:38
You don't need to understand a veteran's past to stand with
47:41
them in their present. And that's all we're asking.
47:44
Stand with us. Show up for us.
47:46
Don't let the mission in with ADV 214.
47:51
So here's what you guys can do this week on top.
47:54
Well, I already told you some things.
47:56
We hear some more, right? I was to attend a local vet meet
48:00
up, call your state Rep and share this podcast with someone
48:04
who's trying to leave in their own backyard.
48:07
And if you want to be a part of what check a Vet Nation is
48:09
doing, head to check avet.org and join the movement.
48:14
You may not wear the uniform anymore or maybe you never did,
48:18
but if you care about this, 'cause if you're still listening
48:20
right now, you're in the fight. You're part of this nation and
48:24
this nation. We show up for our people for
48:28
the radio show and podcast. It's every Monday at 5:00 PM
48:31
Eastern right here. Check.
48:34
A vet nation where the mission never ends, you know, and
48:38
that's, that's just for the radio show, guys.
48:41
In reality, though, we we were everywhere.
48:46
The end of this month, Memorial Day, weeknight, we're going to
48:50
be in North Carolina at the, what is it, the Coca-Cola 600,
48:54
and we're going to be spreading the measures there, sharing
48:57
stories, listening to stories, hugging guys, crying with guys,
49:01
and just trying to end this stigma on men's mental health
49:09
and suicide. That's one of the hardest things
49:12
I've ever had to do in my life is to, to go to these events and
49:15
talk with these men and these men and women that I've never
49:18
met a day in my life. And as soon as they, they walk
49:22
past our booth and they, they see our truck or they see the,
49:26
they see our trailer, which are I need to put some images on
49:30
here so Joel can post when I'm talking about this.
49:32
But so like our trailer for instance, it's, it's literally,
49:38
it's wrapped with, it looks like it's wrapping in a like a World
49:43
War 2 fighter sheet metal would rust and you know, patina and
49:47
all that stuff. But in the center of the trailer
49:51
is a coffin. And that immediately grabs
49:54
people's attention. And the same thing with the
49:57
truck, the trucks wrapped the same way with that, that sheet
50:03
metal aircraft patina with the rust coming from the rivets with
50:11
the, the 22 a day, which as I said last week, that's not
50:16
accurate. It's more like 44 a day
50:18
according to Operation Deep Dive.
50:20
Because the VA doesn't really put all of the, they don't
50:25
really calculate the numbers the way that I and others feel like
50:29
they should. Because not all suicides are, or
50:33
suicides that are done by, by a weapon, right?
50:36
Some suicide are done by overdoses and they just count
50:39
that as an overdose. They don't count that as a
50:41
suicide. You can read all about that on
50:44
the Operation Deep Dive and I can post.
50:45
And there is and there is such thing as secondary suicide.
50:51
I don't know if you've ever heard of that term or not, but
50:54
secondary suicide is when you potentially put yourself in a
51:00
position where either, you know, you can step forward and you get
51:05
hurt or you can, or you can like, you know, basically wait,
51:16
you know, step back or whatever. For example, right, right.
51:20
You drive in and you see a a semi truck in your lane, like
51:26
the normal person would swerve to the right or swerve to the
51:29
left. Somebody that's doing secondary
51:32
suicide, they look at it as, oh, this is an answer from God.
51:38
I'm just going to go ahead and get an erect that way.
51:41
I, you know, I, I kill myself, But you know, people aren't
51:46
going to they're not going to look down on me when I die.
51:52
Right, right. You know, it's it's it's it's I
51:56
don't want to say funny, but it's it's wild you brung up
52:03
semis because I'm actually editing a video right now of
52:08
when Michael was in it was down in Texas.
52:11
He had a gentleman come up and was, you know, brave enough to
52:14
share his story and allowed us to record it.
52:18
And I'm in the the editing stages of that right now.
52:22
But this gentleman had how just just just how graphic can we get
52:29
on here? Joel can mean can we do I need
52:32
to keep this kind of PG13 or well, I mean, I don't care what
52:38
you say. We we just got to refrain from
52:41
saying the F word because there's some people that get
52:44
turned off by the F word. But, you know, if you're talking
52:47
about, you know, real life situations and there's emotion
52:51
involved, then who cares what anybody says?
52:54
I mean, it's not like we're going to get shut down or
52:56
anything. But, you know, if Right, right,
52:59
not to worry about the FCC. Yeah.
53:01
If you have something you think that will make a difference in
53:05
somebody's life being said, then, yeah, go ahead and say it.
53:10
All right. Well, like I was saying, I'm in
53:14
the process of editing this video now of this gentleman that
53:17
come up to the booth at the Texas Motor Speedway and just
53:20
say it right. He he was brave enough to to
53:24
share his story of pretty much tied himself.
53:28
Up to a bridge jumping off. And waiting for a semi to come
53:31
and hit him. And thankfully, luckily,
53:36
somebody passing by called the first responders and they come
53:40
and cut him down and saved his life.
53:43
And that man still here today. He was just at Texas Motor
53:47
Speedway last weekend and sharing that story with us.
53:50
If you're interested in seeing that clip, as well as some other
53:54
clips, you can find us at check a bit 365.
53:58
We're on Google, YouTube, We can get we can get it on the NB OS
54:03
Roku channel. But you know, you, you bring up
54:06
a good point and I just want to bring this up so that other
54:10
people don't do it. OK, I tried to commit a suicide
54:15
in in 22. I tried to commit suicide in
54:21
2022 to fix a temporary issue. And come to find out after every
54:30
all the deaths settled, I wasn't the one that lied.
54:34
It was the other person that lied.
54:36
But that doesn't matter if I'm dead exactly.
54:42
So we just have to remember, and we're going to go through some
54:45
kind of trauma no matter what, we're going to go through some
54:48
kind of trauma. Even after we were out of the
54:50
military. I was talking to a friend about
54:52
this Saturday. We're going to go through some
54:54
kind of trauma where like, you're going to be stressed and
54:57
you're going to think that it's the end of the world.
54:59
Where am I going to stay? Where am I going to eat?
55:01
You know, all these things go in your mind while this shit is
55:05
happening. And that's normal.
55:07
You really need to pick somebody that can deal with the trauma
55:10
that can really kind of level you down and say, OK, stop.
55:17
Let's take it step by step. You're, you're, you're worried
55:22
about something that hasn't even happened yet, that hasn't even
55:25
been poked, you know, and that's just it.
55:30
Like as human beings, as veterans, we tend to jump on the
55:35
deep end. We tend to jump deep in and we
55:39
just take, you know, a bite out. Like the Army, we just go ahead
55:43
in first. We don't worry about any
55:45
assignments. We just go ahead in first, you
55:47
know, and now that we're in the civilian place, we have to do
55:53
something that civilians do every single day.
55:55
And that is problem solved. And that, my friend, is what
55:59
we're not very good at. So you need to have a battle
56:02
buddy to help you problem solve during your promised times.
56:08
You know, Joel, I agree but also disagree.
56:12
I think we're great problem solvers.
56:14
The problem is, is where? Where are we focusing our
56:16
energy? Are we focusing our energy
56:18
trying to solve that problem or are we too worried about the
56:21
outcome that we're not even trying to solve it?
56:25
I would say the outcome because of the unknown.
56:28
Why do people keep re enlisting? It's not because they lack the
56:31
Army or the military. It's because, you know, they
56:35
don't know where they're going to get their next meal.
56:37
Or, you know, I, I used to joke to people, well, the only reason
56:42
why I reenlisted was to keep my Class 6 membership.
56:45
Hell no. That's not the reason I didn't
56:47
feel like cooking. I'm not very good at cooking.
56:50
I like to eat. So that's why I that's why I
56:53
reenlisted. Come on, now.
56:55
You didn't like the defect, though.
56:57
Dude, I love the defects. You know, I'm telling you.
56:59
I can get out of here, man. I'm telling you.
57:01
I'm telling you. Coming from AII came from.
57:05
It wasn't really a broken home, but it was a poor home, OK?
57:08
We had stuffed Peppers, which I hated.
57:11
We had sauerkraut and sausage and we had corn beef or not corn
57:17
beef, but corn, Corn bread, ham, ham and ham and beans.
57:25
Those are the meals that I had as a kid.
57:29
And when I went to the DFAC, I had a variety, dude, I could
57:34
choose a cheeseburger. I could choose a chicken
57:37
sandwich. I mean, I have freaking variety.
57:40
You know, I'm, I'm, I'm glad for you the DFAC worked out.
57:45
But for me and countless others, the DFAC sucked.
57:49
We absolutely hated it. We we'd much rather.
57:51
Go to B dubs or. Something man, I, I, I, I think
57:54
it really depends on how you was raised and how you came up.
57:58
If you came up in a middle class home and you know, and you sat
58:03
at the table and you prayed and you know, you, you, you had your
58:07
greens, you had your vegetables, you had your meat, you had your
58:10
start. Like, like you had a pyramid on
58:13
a plate for, for people like me. I didn't have that.
58:20
So, so my question is, is, do you still not like stuffed bell
58:24
Peppers? I will eat whatever's put in
58:28
front of me just because that's how I saw.
58:31
That's the reason why I was good in the military, man.
58:34
I told them I was hungry. They give me an MRA.
58:36
I, I shut my mouth for another 15 hours.
58:39
So, so you're just a, a, a human size trash pad, That's all.
58:44
I, I am a follower. I've always been a follower.
58:47
Everybody tells. Well, no, you're a leader.
58:49
No, no, I, I'm definitely a follower, you know, because
58:54
I've, I've been there before. I, I know that it can get worse.
58:58
So when something bad happens, you know, you never say what,
59:02
what, what, what, what can happen next, you know, right.
59:05
That's right. I haven't too many, too many
59:08
times. Yeah, I, I, I get that.
59:10
I get that. Well, so look guys, whether
59:14
you're still serving, just got out, you're married to a vet,
59:18
you're hiring one, teaching one, or you just know one, you're
59:22
part of the mission. Now, Czech Event Nation isn't
59:24
just a podcast, it's not just a show, it's a movement.
59:28
It's about showing up when it matters, speaking up when it's
59:31
hard, and checking in before it's too late.
59:33
Let me say it plain, you're not alone, you're not broken, you're
59:38
still in the fight and we're in your corner.
59:41
Every Monday, 5:00 PM Eastern, we're going to be right here.
59:44
And other than that, you can reach out to me online.
59:47
Until next time, check a bit. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you.
59:55
For tuning in to military Broadcast radio.
59:59
As we wrap up today's show, we want to remind you that the
1:00:03
podcast of today's episode will be available right after we go
1:00:07
off the air. So if you missed any part of the
1:00:10
show or want to listen again, be sure to check it out.
1:00:15
And remember, we're here to support and honor our veterans.
1:00:22
Your stories and experiences matter, and we are committed to
1:00:26
giving you a platform to share them.
1:00:29
That's right, we're here to give our veterans a voice.
1:00:34
So don't forget to catch the podcast and stay connected with
1:00:37
us giving our veterans a voice.