Not Your Average Joe Radio Podcast

In a previous episode I was honored to interview MOH recipient Gary Wetzel but that was only a portion of the Flag Day event.  Listen to what he had to say during his presentation and as he clearly defines what the flag truly means, why I stand and I would hope we would ALL stand for OUR flag.  All this in under 25 minutes.   Never settle for average, DTD

In this episode we hear more from our sponsor Horizon Roofing and special guest Ryan Esquivel joins us to share his story as a veteran of the US Army and service in Iraq.

Happy 4th of July on this our nation's 242nd birthday!! This show explores the connection to fireworks and PTSD, what it is and more importantly, what it is NOT. It also explores the great nation and what has become the greatest experiment in freedom the world has ever seen.

Honored to do my first remote interview with MOH recipient Gary Wetzel. Pleased to announce a new sponsor coming to the program and what we hope to accomplish. We close out the show with Tiffany Kovaleski from the MN MOH Memorial Foundation.

There is no better way to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom this Memorial Day than to hear the story of a soldier who did this as told by his mother. This episode is dedicated to USA Ranger Ben Kopp and his mother Jill Stephenson.

As our nation heads into the long Memorial Day weekend I take a few moments to reflect on what the weekend means to me and why it shouldn't be once a year but all year.  Episode 32 will post on Memorial Day honoring another Gold Star family. Never Settle For Average, DTD

Honoring another fallen service member, USA SPC Joe Kennedy of Inver Grove Heights, killed in Afghanistan 15 APR 2011. Hear from his mother Valerie as she talks about Joe, his life story and what they are doing now to honor him and all those that have served, especially Gold Star families. 

Powerful stories of the loss of a son from the mothers that lost them, Sandy Masterson and Gwen Olsen. From every loss can come something beautiful through service to others. Join us as they share their journey and how they have used their loss to serve others. Never settle for average, DTD

Great interview with @USMC vets Mike & Caleb as they talk transition from military service to running a film production start up in NYC, all the while never forgetting the core values forged in them in an industry often devoid of such values. Subscribe here: nyajvets.com/podcast.html Never Settle For Average, DTD

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot segment to open the show to educate on how much the VA budget and manpower has grown in the last 20 years and how they continue to find new and creative ways to waste billions of dollars with outcomes for patients getting worse not better. The guest for this episode is a new friend of the show, USMC veteran Justin Rost. Hear him share his story of how he struggled to find a path after leaving the Corps and what he is doing now to not only provide a great life for his family but also get other vets trained and employed doing the same thing. www.helmetstohardhats.org www.constructioncareers.org   Never Settle For Average,   DTD

Start the show with the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot segment and tragic news of a veteran killed by the VA after telling them he was allergic to the medication they were going to give him, yet they gave it to him anyway...repeatedly.  Settled the case for $500,000 but did anyone lose their jobs or license over this?  Not likely. Guest on this program is Sandy Franks.  She retired after a stellar 23 year career blazing trails in the USAF.  You won't want to miss this interview and the insight she shares. Never settle for average!!

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot segment gives an update on my claims with the VA but is reflective of what thousands of veterans face each year dealing with the VA, most far worse than my challenges.  The VA must be held accountable. If not me (us) then who? If not now, when? Our guest this week is Jeff Dexter.  He has done many things over the course of his career, some of which will surprise you.  It is a story you won't soon forget so tune in and share the show with others. Happy Easter!! DTD

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot kicks it off with unbelievable abuse with the VA and the 40% of cases reviewed were waiting well over 45 days to have wheelchairs fixed, many of them bedridden as a result. The guest for this episode is a friend of the show, Bridget Cronin from the Ars Bellum Foundation.  Tune in to hear the phenominal things the foundation is doing for veterans AND their family members for those who have Post Traumatic Stress.

This week I discuss some of my own recent experiences with the VA in the disability claims process, some definite Whiskey Tango Foxtrot moments involved as well as some rumors swirling around the future of top leadership at the VA. This weeks guest is fellow USAF veteran Gretchen Smith.  Learn how she overcome family challenges to have a successful tour in the AF and carry that forward in all that she has done and what she is doing now as founder of @codeofvets.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot on the opioid epidemic and why one veteran service organization is choosing to honor a sitting US Senator who helped to hide the epidemic in her own state while veterans died. Our guest for this episode is Aaron Davis, a member of the Idaho Army National Guard and veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Not Your Average Joe Radio Episode 21 out today with USA LTC (Ret) Tim Loney. Great interview where we discuss what PsyOps is, challenges he has overcome & his work with hockey to help vets heal. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot exposes more scandal at the VA as it relates to TBI. 11AM on @Business1440 in Twin Cities, MN or iHeart Radio app or NYAJvets.com click podcast to subscribe for on demand access to all episodes, new episodes uploaded at noon each Saturday. 

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot segment opens the show with a discussion on why a veteran service organization would see fit to recognize a 'veteran advocate' for outstanding work yet is a known denier of the impacts of Agent Orange.  Also a shout out, rare as it is, to the MSP VA after a positive experience I had this week. The remainder of the show I discuss military values as they are displayed with those who have received the Medal of Honor. An episode you won't want to miss.

As always, you can catch the Not Your Average Joe Radio program on @Business1440 in Minneapolis at 11AM CST, on the iHeart Radio app or subscribe to the podcast for on demand play at NYAJvets.com Whiskey Tango Foxtrot segment this weeks shows that the largest VA wait list scandal may not have been Phoenix, but Los Angeles and it is not even close. Guest this week is USMC Veteran Zach Johnson who shares his story of service in Iraq and Afghanistan, challenges he has faced and how he has overcome them and continues to serve in new capacities. Never settle for average!!‬

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot segment on VA purchasing and how they manage to spend billions a year in unauthorized purchases. The remaining three segments talk about leading with values, why you should hire for values first and examples of veterans who display the values you should be interested in hiring (or representing if you are the candidate for hire!).  I close the show with how this can be applied and how you can help me carry on this mission.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot kicks off the show with more news on veteran suicide and the lack of accountability at the VA, shocking!! Special guest interview today is Noelle Racette, MN ARNG as she shares her story of life in the service and how her values influence her life in and out of the service as a citizen soldier.

This week on Not Your Average Joe Radio “The Why For The Show - Bridging The Gap Between Veterans and Business Community” Whiskey Tango Foxtrot segment on NH VA failure to correct spike in spinal disease, ignoring whistleblowers and an infestation of flies in the OR. Literally, can't make this stuff up. Guest is @jacktomczak from the @upandatemshow 0n @Business1440 Saturdays 11AM with podcast always available at NYAJvets.com

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot of a veteran in S Carolina turned away from VA Hospital after an errant drug test and refused treatment only to end up several days later in non-VA care requiring emergency surgery for gall stones and pancreas issues. Former Green Beret and USN/USA vet Jason Beardsley joins the program to tell of his life in the service and how he continues to serve beyond the military.

 Premier of the show on Business 1440 on the Salem Radio Network in the Twin Cities, MN. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot about an IA veteran who was not told, for years, he was in the middle of heart failure.  I spend three segments talking life with Brent Skaja, USA/ARNG veteran.

In memory of those lost on September 11, 2001 a special segment honoring the first responders who were killed at Ground Zero on 9/11. Followed by an interview with John Byrnes, former Marine and current member of NC USA NG as he shares his story of responding as a member of the NY Army Guard to Ground Zero on 9/11. http://www.nyajvets.com/podcast.html FB/Twitter - @TheDennisDavis

In this episode I bring a Whiskey Tango Foxtrot that hits the VA hard on the failure to address wait lists and how they have now shifted from wait lists to see a VA provider to waiting for the appointments via the CHOICE program.  This time in LA, impacting 2,900 veterans, some waiting almost a year to even be scheduled. And this is just one location...think it is not happening elsewhere?? Think again.... The episode features an interview I did with good friends Jack and Ben on the Up and At 'Em Show from the MN State Fair as we discuss VA issues and what this administration has done in comparison to President Obama's administration.

In this episode I bring a Whiskey Tango Foxtrot that hits the VA hard on veteran suicide and how they are 'roiled' by vets committing suicide on VA property.  VA claims it is because vets know they will be properly take care of there, really?? If you had taken care of us in life, we would not enter into death on your property to have you take care of us. The episode features an interview with Amy Otzel, a USA vet having served in Iraq. As a mental health professional, we take a deeper dive into PTSD and how to work towards a productive and healthy transition from service life to civilian life.

We celebrate our birthday as a country and the greatest experiment in freedom this world had ever seen.  We honor those who have served and given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and bring quotes from President Ronald Reagan, the film Braveheart and friend and former colleague USA Capt (Ret) Sean Parnell @seanparnellUSA - author of the best selling book Outlaw Platoon.

A Whiskey Tango Foxtrot segment to start the show hitting hard on conflicting messages from military leadership on mental health issues causing more and more service members to take their own lives for fear of losing it all. The following segments are spent with former USA Captain Daniella Young, her time as a military intel officer and her challenges being selected for the first mixed gender combat brigade interaction teams and working through the loss of nearly her entire Pathfinder unit and the men she trained with.  She also talks transition issues and successful tips for how she has succeeded from military service to corporate life.

Taking his story a step farther, Dennis shares his own personal battles beyond PTSD to include the pain from injuries and numerous service connected disabilities/surgeries.  He shares what has meant the most to him on his journey and why you should stay in the fight no matter the challenges you face. It is such a relevant episode today, due to the wonders of modern technology it will be released the same time he is checking in for his third back surgery in 30 months, this time fusing L5-S1 with six titanium screws.  You can bet, as long as he is able, he will stay in the fight and will be back with another new episode or two still in the month of June!!

#JackandBen invite me on to discuss my Memorial Day episode and my tribute to USN SEAL Aaron Vaughn and an interview with his mother @KarenVaughn_GSM as she just released her book on Aaron's life and legacy called World Changer. It can be found at officialkarenvaughn.com. Visit upandatemshow.com for more from #JackandBen.

This weekend and specifically this Monday our country looks back and honors all those who have given their lives as the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy.  Honoring USN SEAL I speak with his mother Karen Vaughn as she reflects on his life, his sacrifice and why it should matter to ALL of us.

In this episode we cover a Whiskey Tango Foxtrot segment with the VA sending suicidal veterans to hold for 30+ minutes on a suicide hotline or just sending them to voicemail. Three segments with Joni Marquez as she shares her experiences in the USAF including her time overhead during the largest loss of life during the war in AFG and how she has overcome the challenges of helplessness and lived her value of honesty to step forward and set the record straight with the truth.

I interview with Jack and Ben from upandatemshow.com and we do an official launch for the show and announce our equipment campaign.

In this episode I interview former USMC Captain Adam Naryka and a Whiskey Tango Foxtrot segment about a veteran in Iowa left to die after requesting in patient treatment at the Iowa City VA facility.

This episode introduces the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot segment and three segments with Pete Hegseth of FOX News and a USA veteran.

Inaugural episode of Not Your Average Joe Radio with guest host Jack Tomczak of the Up and At 'Em podcast interviewing founder and host of Not Your Average Joe Radio Dennis Davis.