Borne The Battle

In this compelling episode, we welcome Dr. Holt, a board-certified Pulmonary and Critical Care physician, associate professor at the University of Miami, and a key member of the Miami VA Healthcare System. Dr. Holt leads a highly successful lung cancer screening program, showcasing his commitment to veteran care through early detection and advanced treatment methods.Key Highlights: Lung Precision Oncology Program (LPOP) Overview: Dr. Holt dives into the core mission of LPOP – identifying and examining lung tumors in their earliest stages, crucial for effective treatment. With lung cancer being a significant threat to veterans, LPOP's targeted approach is a game-changer in cancer care. Innovative Diagnostic Techniques: Discover how navigational bronchoscopy and CT scans are transforming lung cancer detection, offering non-invasive, precise tumor mapping. These technologies enable personalized treatments tailored to the patient's specific needs and the molecular profile of the tumor. Advancing Lung Cancer Tr

On this week's episode of Borne the Battle, host Pablo Meza spoke with Rachel Han from VA's mobile app team, who shared how VA is using apps as a digital bridge connecting Veterans to VA's benefits and services.

On this episode of Borne the Battle, we dive into the VA's efforts to make it easier for veterans to access the programs, services, and benefits they've earned. We learn about the VA's phone number, 800-MYVA411, and how it's the organization's "voice front door" to connect veterans with the right person or program. We hear a heartwarming story of a veteran who received assistance from a customer service representative and patient advocate to access the voucher program for the homeless. Our urges listeners who are veterans or have family members who are veterans to enroll in the VA healthcare system and use MYVA411 as a starting point for information and eligibility questions. Overall, this episode highlights the various services and programs offered by the VA and the efforts being made to improve accessibility and assistance for veterans.

In this episode, we talk with Jason Strickland, director of communications for The National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic. In this week-long event, veterans from 42 different states and 80 VA medical centers or clinics participate in activities such as skiing, fly fishing, rock climbing, and even sled hockey. Participants have a variety of disabilities, including profound disabilities, vision impairment, spinal cord injuries, amputations, and traumatic brain injuries. Organizers work with DAV to bring in sponsors who are committed to serving the veteran community, especially those suffering from disabilities.Additionally, we discuss how the staff and volunteers work tirelessly throughout the year to create this event. In addition to serving breakfast, repairing wheelchairs and instructing skiers, there are several volunteer opportunities available. We discuss the competitive nature of the application process for becoming a volunteer, as well as the importance of registering as early as possible.Follo

In this episode of the Borne the Battle Podcast, we're connecting Nick Beelner the Director of the National Disabled Veterans Golf Clinic, an adaptive golf program focused on empowering disabled veterans from coast to coast. We'll discuss the tailored golf lessons, user-friendly equipment, and entertaining activities they offer, as well as the sense of camaraderie and personal growth experienced by participants. Join us as we uncover the power of connection, teamwork, and triumphing over challenges with the remarkable individuals at the National Disabled Veterans Golf Clinic.  How To Apply For VA Health Care | Veterans - National Disabled Veterans Golf Clinic

This week’s Borne the Battle – a benefits breakdown – features the Million Veteran Program (MVP), which is a national, voluntary research program to learn about how genes, lifestyle and military exposures affect health and illness and improve health care for Veterans.Sumitra Muralidhar, Ph.D. is the program director under VA's Office of Research and Development. Dr. Sumitra is motivated to help Veterans by overseeing the policy and infrastructure development for the collection and use of samples and genetic, clinical, lifestyle and military exposure data from one million Veterans. Since the program’s inception in 2011, 870,000 Veterans have enrolled and partnered with MVP.The Million Veteran Program is the world’s largest health care system-based research program on genetics, lifestyle, military exposure and health, with the goal of providing precision health care to Veterans and the population at large. Dr. Sumitra provides overall direction and management of the national program across sixty-plus VA medical

Retired Army Major General Charles (Chuck) Swannack, Jr. served in various command and staff positions during his thirty-plus years in the Army. He commanded the 82nd Airborne Division from October 2002 to May 2004, served as a brigade commander during Operation Uphold Democracy, was a battalion commander during Operation Nimrod Dancer and served in many more roles.Despite his impressive military service, Swannack argues that his contributions pale in comparison to the ones made by service members who lost their lives while in the line of duty. As a civilian, he helps Veterans and military families honor those who have fallen.In this Memorial Day Borne the Battle episode, Swannack discusses his eventful military career and then talks about how he does his part to honor the fallen.Swannack touches on his work with Speedway Motorsports (SMI) as executive director for SpeedwayChildren’s Charities. Through this non-profit fundraising organization, he works with local groups to help children facing challenging cir

Major General (retired) Mark Graham lost his two sons, Jeffrey and Kevin, less than a year apart from one another. Their deaths came unexpectedly and rocked the course of his life forever. For him, happiness will never be the same. And yet, he still finds joy in his life through helping Veterans triumph in their darkest moments.On this week’s episode of Borne the Battle, Graham takes listeners on a riveting journey through his life. He described how personal loss, depression, mental health, family, grief, healing, perseverance and his service to the nation all intersected to shape him into the person he is today.Graham dedicated a substantial part of his life after his sons’ deaths to combat the stigma surrounding mental health. When he parented his sons, he felt that he severely underestimated the seriousness of depression. But he now iterates that mental health is real and a serious concern. Along with his wife, Carol, Graham established the Jeff and Kevin Graham Memorial Fund, among other organizations and

This week we revisit Army Green Beret Veteran and 37 year old NFL rookie Nate Boyer’s interview.

Olivia Nunn knew from a young age that she would join the Army one day; her father had been a combat engineer. She planned to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, but low test scores in math prevented her admission. Nunn’s parents supported her decision to join the military, but they insisted that she receive an education and become an officer, so she enrolled at Radford University in Virginia and joined the school’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program.After college, Nunn wanted to become an armor officer and be part of a tank crew, but when she joined the Army in 2001, women weren’t allowed to fill certain roles in the military. Instead, she spent a decade as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Officer in the Chemical Corps and served multiple tours of duty in Iraq before moving into public affairs. For several years, she helped to produce the Army’s Soldier for Life podcast and eventually hosted the program.“It looks easy, it looks glamorous,” Nunn says of podcasti

Navy Veteran Ken Harbaugh grew up in a family of military pilots but never really thought about joining the military himself. However, in a moment of clarity while studying abroad during his junior year of college, he changed course. That led to him commissioning in the Navy and becoming a fighter pilot leading combat reconnaissance missions.After serving nine years, Harbaugh left the Navy and later enrolled at Yale University to study law. But the transition to civilian life was not easy for him. In this episode, he talks about what it was like adjusting and processing his emotions after leaving the military.Harbaugh discusses how his transition – and a trip to the Bethesda Naval Hospital – inspired him to co-found The Mission Continues, a nonprofit organization. He also talks about his progress to help Veterans transition back to civilian life and assist those with mental health issues.Harbaugh is a nonprofit entrepreneur who has been in leadership roles for many Veteran nonprofit organizations, such as The

This week’s Borne the Battle–a benefits breakdown—features the Office of Harassment and Assault Prevention. The office’s goal is simple: All those who visit a VA facility should be treated with dignity and respect.However, recognizing how harassment or assault can manifest and what you can do to combat it may be less simple.Lelia Jackson, Marine Corp Veteran and director of the Office of Harassment and Assault, joins this week’s episode of Borne the Battle to discuss some difficult and even uncomfortable topics related to sexual harassment and assault. Topics include: Listening to some first-hand accounts of Veterans being sexually harassed or assaulted to show how hostile situations can manifest and how the victim feels in the moment. The cultural and generational influences that limit how some Veterans understand sexual harassment and assault and how to help them expand their worldviews. The different ways Veterans can combat sexual harassment and assault. Jackson firmly believes that the path to eliminatin

Are you one of the 3 million Veterans eligible to join VA’s Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry (AHOBPR)? If you were exposed to toxic materials during your service and are worried about how it might affect you, joining the AHOBPR allows you to report your exposure and discuss your concerns with a health care professional after a free, voluntary medical exam. The information you provide will contribute to research that may help other Veterans in the future. To learn if you are eligible and how to sign up, tune in to this week’s special rewind episode of Borne the Battle.

Before he was Mr. Feeny on Boy Meets World or KITT on Knight Rider, William Daniels was a soldier in the U.S. Army. Daniels was drafted into the Army near the end of World War II and later used his GI Bill benefits to attend college and study acting. Tune in to this week’s special rewind episode of Borne the Battle to hear Daniels talk about being the first person in his family to attend college, meeting the pope, and using the skills he learned in the military to be successful after service. 

In honor of Coach K's record breaking 13th and final - Final Four appearance - this week we go back in time and revisit his Borne the Battle interview.

Six. That was the number of black bags Army Veteran Frederick Bourjaily and his comrades carried back to base after completing his first operation control assignment while serving in the Vietnam War. And though the experience happened over half-a-century ago, that memory lingers deeply in Bourjaily’s mind today.Bourjaily shares this story precisely because he wants others to hear it. He wants today’s young service members and military prospects to understand what war is like and to be prepared for all its brutality. He also wants Veterans who may be coping with their own traumas to know that they will never be alone.In this episode of Borne the Battle, Bourjaily shares what his war time experience was like while also being a father, and some ways he continues to help the Veteran community today as the national commander of the Combat Infantrymen’s Association. More than just being a group that brings together Veterans who received the Combat Infantryman Badge, Bourjaily leads the group agitating for military-

At age 17, Linda Maloney knew that she wanted more. Her parents were divorced and couldn't afford to send her to college. Looking to take control of her life, she joined the Navy.“I think when you grow up in a difficult situation, obviously you want better for yourself, you know?” Maloney asked. “And I just wanted to impact my own life.”In the Navy, Maloney served as both an air traffic controller and a public affairs officer. She wanted to be a pilot – and had been fascinated by flight since her childhood – but postings for naval aviators were rare, with only a handful available each year. Her fortune changed in 1987, when one of that year’s flight school candidates dropped out, allowing Maloney to take that person's place. She graduated as a Naval flight officer in 1988 and spent the next 16 years as a U.S. Navy pilot. After the military’s Combat Exclusion Policy was lifted in 1993, Maloney became one of the first women pilots in the armed forces to serve in a combat role.On this week’s episode of Borne the

Navy Veteran Andrew Bliss always wanted to work in the video production industry, but his journey wasn't straightforward. Before serving in the military, Bliss was an accomplished professional martial artist with over 10 years of experience coaching and mentoring students. Working as a martial artist eventually led him to the military.In the interview, Bliss talks about serving six years as a Navy broadcast journalist in Combat Camera at the Pentagon and his time directing and producing a feature film while on active duty in Italy before leaving the service.After creating a comfortable life for himself as a civilian, Bliss made the uncomfortable decision to sell all of his belongings, buy a motorcycle and make the long journey across America to the west coast. Bliss talks about why he chose not to take a differnet path to pursue his dream of working in the entertainment industry.Bliss discusses how he leapt from doing freelance and independent work to fulfilling his dream of working for a major entertainment

Tim McCoy was born in Fort Jackson, S.C. and grew up in a military environment. He eventually joined the military and gave almost 26 years of service until a health condition forced him out. Despite his abrupt departure, he continues to involve himself with the military community in his capacity as a historian focusing on giving a voice to the lesser known and often forgotten figures in American military history.McCoy lived a unique life compared to most Americans. He was a military brat whose service ended suddenly because of factors beyond his control. In this episode of Borne the Battle, he shares some details of his own life’s history: What it was like to adjust to new schools and environments as a military brat. How he coped with not being able to see his father for long periods of time as a kid. How his father inspired him to enlist in the military. The way he struggled to adjust to civilian life – “When you’re a warrior, it’s hard for you to admit that something’s wrong with you.” How he eventually fou

This week’s Borne the Battle – a benefits breakdown – features the Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU). They are an internal accountability office that protects and advocates for Veteran-owned businesses. They also work to ensure that Veteran entrepreneurs can compete and be selected for a fair amount of contract opportunities.Air Force Veteran Michelle Gardner-Ince is the director of the Women Veteran-Owned Small Business Initiative (WVOSBI), a directorate under OSDBU at VA. Gardner-Ince is motivated to help women Veteran entrepreneurs get opportunities, access and education to achieve their business goals. Since WVOSBI’s inception in 2019, it has provided women Veterans with networking and collaborative opportunities with Federal agencies and private-sector corporations.In this episode of Borne the Battle, Gardner-Ince answers these questions and more: What motivates her to help Veterans at VA? What is classified as a small business? What are the eligibility requirements for bei