Podcasts about Active duty

In this episode of Veteran On the Move, Navy veteran Valentin Contreras and program lead Elly Dickerman discuss the challenges of transitioning from military service to the private sector. Despite his experience as a Hospital Corpsman, Valentin faced significant difficulty finding his footing, eventually applying to 46 jobs with little success before connecting with Spectrum's Military Recruiting Program. Elly explains how her team, comprised of veterans and military spouses, focuses on proactively coaching candidates to translate their specialized military skills into civilian career paths. By providing personalized resume assistance and interview preparation, the program helped Valentin move from a period of professional uncertainty into a role as a Lead Customer Service Account Agent. Their conversation highlights the importance of dedicated recruitment initiatives in bridging the gap for the veteran community, by matching them with careers that offer both community and purpose. Episode Resources: Military Careers at Spectrum | Transition to Success About Our Guest Valentin Contreras is a Navy veteran and a Lead Customer Service Account Agent with Spectrum. After leaving the service, he connected with the company's Military Recruiting Program, which helped him translate his military experience as a Hospital Corpsman into a civilian career. He is joined by Elly Dickerman, who helps lead that program for Spectrum and works directly with veterans and military spouses as they navigate the transition to the private sector. About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Navy Federal Credit Union offers exclusive benefits to all of their members. All Veterans, Active Duty and their families can become members. Have you been saving up for the season of cheer and joy that is just around the corner? With Navy Federal Credit Union's cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards, you could earn a $250 cash bonus when you spend $2,500 in the first 90 days. Offer ends 1/1/26. You could earn up to 2% unlimited cash back with the cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards. With Navy Federal, members have access to financial advice and money management and 24/7 access to award-winning service. Whether you're a Veteran of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force or Coast Guard, you and your family can become members. Join now at Navy Federal Credit Union. At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.    Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

Lost At Christmas: Part 1 His First Christmas away from home, & His best gift ever. Based on a post by Tx Tall Tales, in 2 parts. Listen to the Podcast at My First time. After my first semester in College, I was eager to go home for the holidays. I was going to school in Rochester, New York, and anybody who'd experienced the lake-effect winters on the Great Lakes would understand my desire to get to somewhere warmer. For me, that somewhere warmer was a long ways away. As a military brat, home was often a moving target, and that winter it was Santiago, Chile, where my father was stationed and where I'd graduated high-school. It was summer in Santiago, and I was looking forward to a pool-party with my old school mates for the Holidays. We didn't have a lot of money, but I was allowed to travel space available on a military flight as a Navy ROTC student. I had to get down to Charleston, South Carolina, and catch an international C1 41 flight that made a loop through Latin America. After finagling a ride to Virginia followed by a very long bus trip down the coast, I finally made it to Charleston AFB. ROTC travel orders in hand, I checked in at the desk, and verified I was on the standby list for the flight leaving on the 23rd. I wouldn't get home until Christmas Day, but better late than never. With pockets nearly empty, a hotel room was out of the question so I slept in the terminal and snacked on the cheapest eats I could get away with. There was a festive mood in the terminal, so many people rushing to get home for the holidays, and I was getting caught up in the feeling, eagerly looking forward to that very long plane ride, first to Panama, then Lima, and finally Santiago. After what seemed an interminable wait, we were an hour away from boarding when I got bumped off the flight by a group of Marines headed to Panama on Active Duty travel orders. I was devastated. The next flight left early the morning of the 26th. At least that one was a huge plane, and nearly empty so I was virtually guaranteed to get aboard, but what was I going to do for Christmas? Looking up at the outgoing flight schedules, I saw a flight listed for Tyndall AFB, Panama City, Florida. "When is the flight to Tyndall headed out?" I asked the airman behind the desk. "In an hour-and-a-half, and it's all but empty. You want on?" He asked, offering some recompense for my last minute bump. I'd lived in Panama City during 9th and 10th grade, and still had some close friends there, many I still kept in touch with. Maybe I could find someone to spend Christmas with there. It had to be better than sleeping in the terminal for 2 more days. "Please," I told him, "but hold my space for Santiago. I'll be back for that flight." I recalled there being a pretty big Greyhound station in Panama City, so I called Greyhound and checked on a bus being able to get me back in time for the flight. They had one, a 7:30 am bus on Christmas morning would get me back before midnight on Christmas. I could easily make the flight the next morning, even if it were delay a few hours. I bought a ticket, using the emergency Am Ex card my parents had given me when I headed off to college. I'd explain the $67.00 to my parents. I called my family in Santiago with the news. It had to be short call because of the expense, so I let them know I had been bumped but would be there on the 28th. I told them I was headed to Panama City, and would be taking a bus back in plenty of time for my flight. My mother cried, and my father told me to go ahead and use the credit card, but to try to keep the expenses reasonable. By the time I hung up I was pretty depressed, but at least I had a plan. Before I could try to contact anyone in Panama City, an announcement was made and suddenly I was on my way to Florida for Christmas, with no place lined up to stay, and practically broke. I was feeling a bit melancholy, but was determined to make the best of it. So there I was, at Tyndall Air Force Base, at 11:20 pm on December 23rd. I was debating who to try first. I had several close friends nearby and I expected they'd all be home for Christmas. After a short internal debate, I had narrowed it down to two. I had always gotten along well with their entire families, and I was still in pretty regular contact with both of them. Mike lived the nearest to me in the old days. He came from a big family, with 6 siblings, including Peggy, who'd been one of my first real deep infatuations. When I had been in 9th grade she'd been a senior, and was pretty and sophisticated. My yearning for her was unrequited, but I relished the idea of seeing her again after four years. She was a college senior, and would probably be home. I knew they'd welcome me, but I was concerned it would be an inconvenience. They did not have a large house, and it was bound to be crowded, particularly with three college kids home for the holiday. On top of that who knew if they had anyone else in tow? Tommy on the other hand came from a relatively well-off family who always lived well within their means. He had an older brother, who was working in Japan and unlikely to be home, a sister, Sheri, just a year behind us in school, and two much younger siblings, who I guessed would be around 9 and 10 by now. They had a spacious house, each kid had their own room, and I wouldn't be putting anybody out if I stayed there. I'd always had a crush on Sheri, but although I'd dated her best friend, I'd never gone out with her. Getting a chance to see her again would be an extra bonus. Feeling nervous and awkward, I dialed Tommy's number from memory, and luckily got him on the first call. If I'd gotten somebody else, I would have really felt uncomfortable. Tommy's answer was unmistakable. He had a funny way of saying hello when he answered the phone, and the sound of his voice took me straight back down memory lane. "Hee-ello," he answered. "Tommy! Guess who?" I asked. I guess my voice must have been similarly recognizable, since he didn't hesitate a second. "Steve-o! What are you up to? Where're you at?" He answered eagerly. It put a smile on my face. Nice to hear a happy, upbeat voice that seemed genuinely pleased to hear from me. "Funny you should ask. It's a long story, but I'm in a bit of a bind. I'm at Tyndall, and stuck here until Christmas Day." I told him. "What happened to Chile, and Rochester?" He asked. "I was on my way home to Chile, when I lost my seat on the plane in Charleston. I couldn't get out again until the 26th, so when I saw an empty plane headed this way, I just hopped on and hoped for the best." I explained. "That's Great!" He almost shouted. "Not great that you couldn't get home, but great that you're here. You want to stay with us? You can have Greg's room, he won't be here, and I'm sure Sheri and Mom would love to see you. The place is kind of 'down' with Greg canceling his trip home at the last minute. Having you here should cheer things up a bit." He did sound enthused, and I couldn't help grinning in reply. "Don't you think you should check?" I laughed. A scream in my ear was the answer, as I heard half of a shouted conversation. "Mom! Guess Who's In Town." "No, Not Greg." "No, Go Ahead Guess." "Guess Again." "Ok, Ok - Steve." "Yeah, Steve Pelland. He's Stuck Here In Town 'Til Christmas Day." "Of Course I Told Him He Should Come Here, I'll Go Get Him." "I Will." "Yes Mom; Yes; I Won't; I Will." I was holding the phone a little away from my head, and almost missed it when he came back on. "Where should I pick you up?" He asked. "The Main Terminal, you know where that is right?" I answered. "Sure - be there in about 30 minutes. Man, this is Great!" I hung up with a big smile on my face, feeling 100% better than I had just 10 minutes earlier. I stood outside waiting for him, and about 20 minutes later the strings of Christmas lights shut off one at a time, as the place closed up for the night. It was dark and quiet, and I started to get nervous again, wondering if this had been such a good idea. I was 500 miles from my flight home and completely at the mercy of old friends. But as far as friends go, I couldn't do much better than mine, and figured at the least I wouldn't be sleeping in a lonely terminal in Charleston for two days, slowly eating my way through my meager funds. When Bob pulled up around midnight, I could see he'd gotten rid of the VW Bug he'd inherited from his mother upon turning 16, and was now driving his brother's old Two-tone Cougar. We spent a minute saying hi, and loading my gear into the trunk, and then we headed back into town, catching each other up on history. When I had first moved to Santiago, I used to write about once every couple of months, as well as call a couple of times a year. In the beginning I'd written Sheri a lot as well. She was one of the most prolific writers among my old friends, and would typically write twice to me for every one I wrote to her. Over the years, that had degenerated into holiday cards and a surprise call maybe once a year. I knew he was attending Florida State, and that Greg had graduated from Georgetown, and had moved to Japan on business. That was about it. Tommy told me all about the old gang, who was in town, who was going to what schools, what people had been up to. I told him a lot more detail about what I'd been up to. "So," he asked, "Got a girl?" "Not now. Thought I had one after the ROTC Christmas ball, but that seems to have been my mistake." I admitted. "Hard to believe. You always had someone. Every letter, every phone-call, just seems like they didn't stay the same all that long." He teased. "I don't know. I had several relationships last pretty long. Two were more than 6 months long." I argued. "Oh! Six Months!" He laughed. "How about you then," I asked in defense. "Still Erin. Almost two years now." He asked. "Shit. What does she see in you? She could do so much better." I teased. "Oh really? Like how?" "Like me!" I laughed. "Right, like that would ever happen! Don't even think about it, or you'll be sleeping in the street." He was laughing as well. "Not if I called Erin I wouldn't," I shot back. I thought it was a great comeback, but it earned me a sock in the arm. We pulled up to his house, which still looked exactly the same, and things were pretty quiet. They used the same window lights, same roof lights, same bush trimmings year after year. It was just as I remembered. Who says you can't go back? "Mom's got to work tomorrow, so I'm sure she's in bed, and you know Dave crashes early, so we better keep it down. We've got lots to do tomorrow anyway." We entered quietly and put my bag in Greg's old room. Tommy stayed and chatted for a few minutes then bid me good night, telling me to sleep in as long as I wanted, as long as it wasn't past 9:00 am, and left me to get settled. Past 9:00? Now I remembered, they'd always been an early-bird household. For me 9:00 am Was the crack of dawn. Tommy and I had breakfast at about 9:30. He was already chiding me for sleeping in and missing the whole family. We had the house to ourselves. He'd been on the phone arranging our day, and once we'd finished the pancakes, we were off to see Mike and his family. Entering Mike's house was the same as it had ever been, but more-so. People everywhere, noise, laughter, roughhousing, it was all taken in stride by Mrs. Frey. We spent a few hours visiting, and getting fed again before we could leave. Mike's older sister Peggy still looked cute to me, but not the amazing creature my memory had somehow stored away. I had to tease her about the Christmas gift she'd given me three years earlier. She'd bought me a Richard Pryor tape, thinking it was Bill Cosby. When I played it for her in my car, she exploded, calling me names and accusing me of vile intent. At the time I had felt bad, confused, angry and a host of other feelings, now thankfully we could laugh at it. When I'd been 16 I'd been somewhat in awe of her, now things were comfortable. Mike's older brother was home as well, with his live-in girlfriend who seemed awfully ill-at-ease, and must have been at least 5 years older than Dan, maybe more. That was a story I'd have to hear more about. The biggest surprise was Alice. She'd been a few years younger than us. I wasn't sure if she was 16 or 17 now, but she was a bombshell. And she was coming on to me like gangbusters. I was really nervous, with her acting all touchy-feely with her mother and Peggy there. I was suddenly glad I had chosen to stay over with Tommy. With a pretty, stacked girl that seemed so infatuated with me around, I'm afraid I might have gotten into a whole lot more trouble than I needed. When we left there Mike joined us, and it was off to see Jack and Russ. They were a year apart in age. Russ had been in our class, and we'd been friendly with him, but Jack, although a year younger was our buddy. We played on the basketball team together, and when Tommy and I formed our first band, Jack was our bassist. At the Chambers house, we once again reminisced, and had to relive our first 'gig'. We had decided to play in the school talent show. With Tommy on piano and Jack on bass, I played guitar. We had a fourth guy on drums we'd all lost contact with. We had played Elton John, Deep Purple, The Eagles, and The Beatles. We had opened with the opening riff of "Smoke on the Water", and had been a hit. We were pretty lousy, but the audience was our friends, our parents and the parents of our friends, and at the end the parents even took up a collection for us. Pretty heady stuff. We'd called ourselves Bronze Myth, and had already designed our first three album covers before we had our first birthday party gig. Jack had been tall then, and had not stopped growing; he was now 6'7" and was attending University of Florida, playing basketball. He reminded me of the time when we went on our first dates together. I had gone with Kathryn Best, easily the most lusted after girl in the whole school, who was in Jack's class a year behind me. Jack, on the other hand, had gone out with our "Valentine's Day Queen", Anne, who was in my class and almost two full years older than Jack. He was always precocious. There had been a third couple with us, Dennis and Suzanne, and Jack broke the news that Suzanne had gotten knocked up, just before I left to go overseas, and she and Dennis had gotten married. There was a huge scandal, but they stuck together, and had the baby. They lived with Suzanne's parents. Dennis was doing alright, working for Suzanne's father. While we were visiting, several friends dropped in, including the aforementioned Kathryn who lived one street over. Kathryn, the stunning brunette who had the body of a 20 year old when she was 15, and had a beautiful face with features that just slayed me. Kathryn, the very first girl I had gotten to Third Base with. She was as pretty as I remembered, and I found out she was going to be attending Mt. Holyoke the following year, which was an odd coincidence since my girlfriend from High School was a sophomore there. Going out with Kathryn, a year younger than me had been a total fiasco. We'd sat together on an out-of-town bus trip and ranked high enough in the pecking order that we got the right hand seat second from the back. These trips were our biggest dates back then. Ours was a small parochial school, and on the bus trips, the athletes, cheerleaders and student fans all rode the same bug. The 30-90 minute trips were like pep rallies on the way out, and like the back of movie theatres on the way back. There were frequent "hand-checks" and the lights would come one as our coaches would walk the aisle, but it seemed like after our wins, the checks would be a little less frequent. Our win at Pensacola was my first real 'make-out' session, as we cuddled and kissed the whole trip home. I even got a chance to play with her breast through her sweater. Less than a week later I asked her to the movies, and we sat in the back with the two other couples, probably both scared spitless and nervous as goldfish in a blender. We'd started necking, which got more and more intense, and my hands boldly went where no hands had gone before. An hour into the movie I was almost out of control, and feverish with desire, and it seemed she was willing to let me do whatever I wanted. If I'd had a little more confidence, or a little more knowledge, who knows what might have happened? As it is, I went pretty far, probably too far, and I was scared to death afterwards. She was the first girl whose flesh I'd touched underneath her clothing. I didn't call her for several days, and even avoided her at school, not knowing what to say. In short I was a total jerk. Everyone thought we should be together, she was the pretty captain of the cheerleaders, with the big boobs, and I was the Big Jock, playing all the sports, while at the same time excelling in school. She was voted "Most Popular." I was "Most Likely to Succeed." However, in this case it turned out she was "Most Slighted", and I was definitely "Most Inept." After waiting several days, amazingly patient in retrospect, she had tasked her best friend Sheri, Tommy's sister, with letting me know that she thought we shouldn't go out. Next thing you know, she was going out with some geeky looking kid, and she dated him for the rest of the school year. I'd changed schools at the end of that year, and had seen her only infrequently the following year, before moving to Santiago. Outside in the backyard, Kathryn and I walked off together and finally had a few minutes alone. "You know Kat, I don't think I ever apologized for being such an idiot, after our first date. I really am sorry." She was quiet for a while. She had a sad little look. "You know, I waited by that phone night after night, crying myself to sleep. I saw you dodging me at school and it broke my heart." "I was young and stupid. I'd never done Anything with a girl before, and could hardly even believe I was with the hottest girl in school. After all the stuff I did, God, I was so embarrassed that I'd overstepped the boundaries, and I had no idea what to say." She sat down underneath the big tree in the backyard and I sat beside her on the circular bench around it. "You could have said something to Jack maybe, or Tommy, and let them tell me. At least let me know that you liked me, or had fun. Something." She looked on the verge of tears, even 3 years later, and I felt even worse. "I know. I kept kicking myself over it. I was so angry with myself and jealous when you went out with Ricky." I admitted. "He was nice to me when I needed it." "But it seemed such an odd fit. He was a nobody; the only thing he ever did noteworthy was date you." I told her. "He lived two houses down. We'd grown up together, and when my heart was broken he picked up the pieces. He could tell something was wrong, and really made me feel a lot better." She confessed. That brought on a short period of silence. It did let me think better of Ricky, who wasn't just lucky or an opportunist. "You know, that was one of the most memorable moments in my life. Touching a girl like that for the first time. I had no idea what I should do, or what I could do, but I kept looking down the row at Dennis and Suzanne, and figured I should be able to do that too. I was in heaven; you were so amazing to be with." I told her, reaching out and taking her hand in mine. Her palm was moist. "You're telling me? You were the big 9th grader with the learner's permit and motorcycle. Big Man on Campus. The guy every girl wanted. And you wanted me. I had no idea what we should or shouldn't do on a date. I was hoping you knew." We laughed at that, remembering the intensity of those feelings. "Given a chance to do it over, I'd have camped out on your doorstep and professed my undying, eternal love the moment you walked out the door." I told her, half serious. "As I recall, you professed your love for me that evening, just before opening the top of my pants." She said with a wicked grin. I'm sure I blushed mightily. "I can't really ask forgiveness, but I really am sorry. Sorry now and sorry then. I fantasized about you for years afterwards, thinking of what could have happened if I hadn't been such a jerk. You have no idea how many of my fantasies you starred in back then." "If only you'd have let me know. Ricky was my first. It could have been you. Given half a chance, it would have been you." She had moved close and was speaking softly. "And this is my punishment. Knowing how bad I fucked up. Seeing you here, as beautiful as in my dreams, and knowing I've screwed up any chance of being with you." I placed my hand behind her head, stroking her hair. "I wouldn't say you'd screwed up Any chance, but you certainly blew that one." We were looking deeply in each other's eyes, recalling strong, painful feelings. I wanted her now, as I'd wanted her then, with a deep burning need, and I leaned forward those last two inches, and captured her lips with mine. She slid forward and melted against me, kissing me with every emotion boiling to the surface. She took my hand and placed it on her incredible chest, and I squeezed her breast, my thumb reliving that first caress of her nipple from so many years earlier. We stayed like that for a couple of minutes, and then broke apart. Her eyes glistened. "I've got a boyfriend." She confessed. I nodded understanding. "If I didn't?" I reached forward pressing my index finger to her lips. "I know. I missed my chance. It's my loss." We just sat side by side a minute, in silence. "You know," she said softly, "what you did to me that night, that was part of the problem." "I know. I'm sorry if I stepped over the line." I said, even now embarrassed at the liberties I'd taken. "No, not anything wrong. What you did to me, how you made me feel. You made me cream my jeans more than once that night. It was the first time I'd ever come. I'd heard about it, but it was almost unreal. Your fingers just drove me wild. It was over a year before another guy was able to do the same." She put her hand between her legs, seemingly remembering that first night. "That makes two of us. I don't know if you knew, but I came in my pants too, and you never even touched me there. By the time I got home I was a terrible sticky mess. I snuck out and threw that underwear away before my mother could find them and ask uncomfortable questions." I told her, laughing. She gave me an odd little look, and then slid around the tree, placing its 3 foot wide trunk between us and the house. She reached out for me, and of course I followed. "Could I, I mean would you mind?" She seemed lost for words. "What? Just ask. I certainly owe you one." I told her. She didn't ask, she just started unbuckling my belt. "I always wondered, and never really had a chance to find out." With the belt open she unbuttoned and unzipped my pants. "I mean, that night, you got to find out pretty much ALL about me, but I didn't; " I lifted my hips and let her pull my pants down a short ways, and then she reached up and pulled my underwear down exposing my fully erect monument to her sexiness. "I knew it, you bastard. Look at that." I didn't have to look. I knew it pretty well. And it was certainly standing tall and making me proud. She took me in hand and stroked me up and down, which after all the discussion and reminiscing was almost enough to get me off. "I just knew it. This should have been my first." She slowly stroked me up and down, and then she leaned over and took me in her mouth for just a second, sucking me deep and then releasing me. That was it. It was too much for me, and I stood up and shot my wad a good two feet out from where we were sitting. She giggled, as she helped me through my release, then pulled my underwear up back over my still dripping cock, and wiped her hand on the front of my briefs, before helping me pull my jeans back up. "If I wasn't tied up, I'd have you paying reparations," she told me as we both stood, and she slapped my hands away from my belt and finished straightening me out herself. "Let's consider it a delayed payoff. If things don't work out for you, maybe we can try it again. Rochester isn't That far from Amherst." Little did I know what the future held in store for us, but that's a different story. We walked back to the house hand-in-hand, laughing at the folly of youth, from the wizened experience of our 18 and 19 years. She had to leave shortly after, as did we, and I kissed her goodbye at the door. Once the door was closed I heard an exclamation from behind me. I turned to Tommy who said, "Now I've seen everything." "Amen," said Jack. "What?" I asked. "After how you treated her after our first date, I was certain you were on her shit-list for life." Jack explained. "Absolutely." Tommy chimed in. "Sheri said that Kathryn fantasized about doing mean and nasty things to you for years. I mean, hell, you did use her pretty bad." "I was a dope. I did some things I'd never done before, and was so embarrassed I didn't know how to even face her. So I screwed up and avoided her. I just made my apologies and we worked things out. I think she understands that I didn't try to be mean; I was just young and stupid. I didn't know what I was doing, and regretted it for years." I told them. "Geez. I always wondered how you could pass on that, when she was so available to you. You really did fuck up, didn't you?" Tommy pointed out. "Yep, not the first time, and I'm certain not the last. But we've buried the hatchet it seems." I answered "I'm just astounded that hatchet isn't in your back." Jack added. We left just a short while after that. We had one last visit to make. Teri Branson was passing through town, and wanted to see us if she could. She was just there for the day, and none of us wanted to miss out on that chance. The summer before 10th grade, I'd practically lived at Teri's. It was football time, and we were doing twice-a-days. We'd have morning practice, then a break so we wouldn't be out all day in the noon-time Florida summer sun. After the break it was afternoon practice. Teri was at our school and I never really knew her until that summer. She lived only a block from Mike, and we had run into her one day out washing the family car. We struck up a conversation, and the rest was history. I spent every football break at her house that summer. Mike didn't play football, but I'd pick him up on the way over there, and we'd hang out. She had a pool table, and a private rec-room with a stand-up arcade game. Her mother would always bring us snacks and drinks. Teri had not been popular, and was new to the school as well. But in a period of just a few months she went from a boyish figured tom-boy, to a devastatingly beautiful teen. Her breasts seemed to almost explode outwards, and once we'd met her mom, we knew where she got it from. She lost some weight, traded glasses for contacts, grew tits, lost the braces, and suddenly this beauty was in our midst, and nobody even knew about her but us. She was our secret. Tommy was going to a different high-school from me and Mike, but we still hung together most of the summer, and we had to let him in on our secret. The closest we'd come to having anything happen was a bizarre game of spin-the-bottle underneath the pool table. Mike, Tommy, me and Teri. Just an excuse for us to take turns kissing her. Her father was being transferred again at the end of the summer. I told her I was going to have a birthday party, and that we were going to play spin-the-bottle, I had hoped she'd be there, but now she was leaving. We were all upset. Tommy suggested we play now, since she couldn't make it then, and we did. It was strange but wonderful. Two weeks later she was gone. We met Teri at the mall, our planned rendezvous. We couldn't miss her; she was the center of a lot of attention. And still gorgeous. We ran up to her and had hugs all around. "I can only stay about 20 minutes," she told us with a pout. "Damn," was all I could say. So the three of us toured the mall, observing all the changes. It had been brand new the year we had been together. We grabbed some drinks, and wandered back outside, our time almost up, and barely even caught up. "Teri, I have a confession." I told her. "I know we acted pretty much like friends, but I was crazy about you. That summer I went home every evening and dreamed of you." "Hell, we all did." Tommy admitted. "We were such idiots," she said. She reached up to my collar and pulled me down for a kiss. Teri stood maybe 5 foot 1, so I had at least a foot on her in height. Bent over I let her kiss me, and I returned it eagerly. Finally she released me. "I was so confused. One day I'd like you, and then the next day you," she said nodding around the group, "and then you. I kept wondering who was going to be my first real boyfriend. I just knew it was going to be one of you. And then it was all over." She looked up at me. "I Still dream about you sometimes." All we could do was laugh it off, and say we'd get together sometime. She was living in Phoenix now, finishing high school, and it looked like she'd be going to Stanford. It was going to be hard to ever make that commute work out, not that she didn't seem like it would be worth the effort. Then her parents drove up. We said hi to her mom (who had been a secret fantasy of mine back then) and then with a last set of hugs it was goodbye to Teri. It was getting late so we dropped Mike back off at his house, driving mostly in quiet. I imagine we were all lost in thought over the quirks of fate and what might have been. For me, it was thoughts of Kathryn and Teri, two incredible opportunities that any teen would kill for, and I'd let them slip through my fingers. We dropped Mike off, but didn't go inside. As it was we were running late, and knew that if we went in, it would be a while before we got out of there. From Mike's it was a 5 minute drive back to Tommy's, but we drove past Teri's old house, just for nostalgia's sake. At Tommy's we were running late. Dinner was going to be at 6:00 pm, and somehow we'd burned the whole day. It was 5:45 before we even walked in the door, and we both wanted to clean up before dinner. The kid's rooms were served by two separate bathrooms, one at the end of the hall, and one off of Greg's room. So I stripped down to my shorts, and went to take my shower. I hadn't expected the bathroom to be full. Sheri was in their, applying the last of her makeup. Fortunately (or unfortunately) she was dressed. When I walked in, she gave a squeal, and came over and gave me a big hug. "I can't believe you're here! You're looking good." She said, stepping back and giving me the once over. "Wow, Sheri, you look great!" was all I could say. She had always been pretty. But the difference between a 15 year old Sheri and this one was night and day. The more mature Sheri was a beautiful young woman. "Thanks," she said, "I'll be out of here in a second, and you can have the place to yourself. I'm dying to talk to you." "I'll be here all night." I joked, stepping back into the room I was using, before my underwear had to undergo any more strain. I sat on the bed waiting, and after just a minute or so she poked her head in and said "It's all yours." She left the door open and walked out the other side of the bathroom. So that was one change at least that I hadn't noticed. Back in the day, this was Greg's bathroom. But since then someone had taken out the linen closet, and the old closet door now opened into Sheri's room. In retrospect it should have been obvious. With Greg away, the bathroom had a lot of stuff in it, although very neat. If I'd opened a cabinet or drawer, I would have seen all the makeup and girl's things. I was using Sheri's bathroom. I rapidly cleaned up and dressed. I was in a bit of a hurry, wanting to still wrap a couple of small presents for my hosts. I had bought several music tapes for my sister as a Christmas present, and decided to gift Tommy with one of them. I also had a photo in a frame for my mom, and decided to make the frame a family gift. It was simple, hand-made by yours truly from apple-wood. After borrowing some paper, tape, and scissors, I was ready to join everyone else just a few minutes later. To be continued in part 2. Based on a post by Tx Tall Tales, in 2 parts, for Literotica

Lost At Christmas: Part 1 His First Christmas away from home, & His best gift ever. Based on a post by Tx Tall Tales, in 2 parts. Listen to the Podcast at My First time. After my first semester in College, I was eager to go home for the holidays. I was going to school in Rochester, New York, and anybody who'd experienced the lake-effect winters on the Great Lakes would understand my desire to get to somewhere warmer. For me, that somewhere warmer was a long ways away. As a military brat, home was often a moving target, and that winter it was Santiago, Chile, where my father was stationed and where I'd graduated high-school. It was summer in Santiago, and I was looking forward to a pool-party with my old school mates for the Holidays. We didn't have a lot of money, but I was allowed to travel space available on a military flight as a Navy ROTC student. I had to get down to Charleston, South Carolina, and catch an international C1 41 flight that made a loop through Latin America. After finagling a ride to Virginia followed by a very long bus trip down the coast, I finally made it to Charleston AFB. ROTC travel orders in hand, I checked in at the desk, and verified I was on the standby list for the flight leaving on the 23rd. I wouldn't get home until Christmas Day, but better late than never. With pockets nearly empty, a hotel room was out of the question so I slept in the terminal and snacked on the cheapest eats I could get away with. There was a festive mood in the terminal, so many people rushing to get home for the holidays, and I was getting caught up in the feeling, eagerly looking forward to that very long plane ride, first to Panama, then Lima, and finally Santiago. After what seemed an interminable wait, we were an hour away from boarding when I got bumped off the flight by a group of Marines headed to Panama on Active Duty travel orders. I was devastated. The next flight left early the morning of the 26th. At least that one was a huge plane, and nearly empty so I was virtually guaranteed to get aboard, but what was I going to do for Christmas? Looking up at the outgoing flight schedules, I saw a flight listed for Tyndall AFB, Panama City, Florida. "When is the flight to Tyndall headed out?" I asked the airman behind the desk. "In an hour-and-a-half, and it's all but empty. You want on?" He asked, offering some recompense for my last minute bump. I'd lived in Panama City during 9th and 10th grade, and still had some close friends there, many I still kept in touch with. Maybe I could find someone to spend Christmas with there. It had to be better than sleeping in the terminal for 2 more days. "Please," I told him, "but hold my space for Santiago. I'll be back for that flight." I recalled there being a pretty big Greyhound station in Panama City, so I called Greyhound and checked on a bus being able to get me back in time for the flight. They had one, a 7:30 am bus on Christmas morning would get me back before midnight on Christmas. I could easily make the flight the next morning, even if it were delay a few hours. I bought a ticket, using the emergency Am Ex card my parents had given me when I headed off to college. I'd explain the $67.00 to my parents. I called my family in Santiago with the news. It had to be short call because of the expense, so I let them know I had been bumped but would be there on the 28th. I told them I was headed to Panama City, and would be taking a bus back in plenty of time for my flight. My mother cried, and my father told me to go ahead and use the credit card, but to try to keep the expenses reasonable. By the time I hung up I was pretty depressed, but at least I had a plan. Before I could try to contact anyone in Panama City, an announcement was made and suddenly I was on my way to Florida for Christmas, with no place lined up to stay, and practically broke. I was feeling a bit melancholy, but was determined to make the best of it. So there I was, at Tyndall Air Force Base, at 11:20 pm on December 23rd. I was debating who to try first. I had several close friends nearby and I expected they'd all be home for Christmas. After a short internal debate, I had narrowed it down to two. I had always gotten along well with their entire families, and I was still in pretty regular contact with both of them. Mike lived the nearest to me in the old days. He came from a big family, with 6 siblings, including Peggy, who'd been one of my first real deep infatuations. When I had been in 9th grade she'd been a senior, and was pretty and sophisticated. My yearning for her was unrequited, but I relished the idea of seeing her again after four years. She was a college senior, and would probably be home. I knew they'd welcome me, but I was concerned it would be an inconvenience. They did not have a large house, and it was bound to be crowded, particularly with three college kids home for the holiday. On top of that who knew if they had anyone else in tow? Tommy on the other hand came from a relatively well-off family who always lived well within their means. He had an older brother, who was working in Japan and unlikely to be home, a sister, Sheri, just a year behind us in school, and two much younger siblings, who I guessed would be around 9 and 10 by now. They had a spacious house, each kid had their own room, and I wouldn't be putting anybody out if I stayed there. I'd always had a crush on Sheri, but although I'd dated her best friend, I'd never gone out with her. Getting a chance to see her again would be an extra bonus. Feeling nervous and awkward, I dialed Tommy's number from memory, and luckily got him on the first call. If I'd gotten somebody else, I would have really felt uncomfortable. Tommy's answer was unmistakable. He had a funny way of saying hello when he answered the phone, and the sound of his voice took me straight back down memory lane. "Hee-ello," he answered. "Tommy! Guess who?" I asked. I guess my voice must have been similarly recognizable, since he didn't hesitate a second. "Steve-o! What are you up to? Where're you at?" He answered eagerly. It put a smile on my face. Nice to hear a happy, upbeat voice that seemed genuinely pleased to hear from me. "Funny you should ask. It's a long story, but I'm in a bit of a bind. I'm at Tyndall, and stuck here until Christmas Day." I told him. "What happened to Chile, and Rochester?" He asked. "I was on my way home to Chile, when I lost my seat on the plane in Charleston. I couldn't get out again until the 26th, so when I saw an empty plane headed this way, I just hopped on and hoped for the best." I explained. "That's Great!" He almost shouted. "Not great that you couldn't get home, but great that you're here. You want to stay with us? You can have Greg's room, he won't be here, and I'm sure Sheri and Mom would love to see you. The place is kind of 'down' with Greg canceling his trip home at the last minute. Having you here should cheer things up a bit." He did sound enthused, and I couldn't help grinning in reply. "Don't you think you should check?" I laughed. A scream in my ear was the answer, as I heard half of a shouted conversation. "Mom! Guess Who's In Town." "No, Not Greg." "No, Go Ahead Guess." "Guess Again." "Ok, Ok - Steve." "Yeah, Steve Pelland. He's Stuck Here In Town 'Til Christmas Day." "Of Course I Told Him He Should Come Here, I'll Go Get Him." "I Will." "Yes Mom; Yes; I Won't; I Will." I was holding the phone a little away from my head, and almost missed it when he came back on. "Where should I pick you up?" He asked. "The Main Terminal, you know where that is right?" I answered. "Sure - be there in about 30 minutes. Man, this is Great!" I hung up with a big smile on my face, feeling 100% better than I had just 10 minutes earlier. I stood outside waiting for him, and about 20 minutes later the strings of Christmas lights shut off one at a time, as the place closed up for the night. It was dark and quiet, and I started to get nervous again, wondering if this had been such a good idea. I was 500 miles from my flight home and completely at the mercy of old friends. But as far as friends go, I couldn't do much better than mine, and figured at the least I wouldn't be sleeping in a lonely terminal in Charleston for two days, slowly eating my way through my meager funds. When Bob pulled up around midnight, I could see he'd gotten rid of the VW Bug he'd inherited from his mother upon turning 16, and was now driving his brother's old Two-tone Cougar. We spent a minute saying hi, and loading my gear into the trunk, and then we headed back into town, catching each other up on history. When I had first moved to Santiago, I used to write about once every couple of months, as well as call a couple of times a year. In the beginning I'd written Sheri a lot as well. She was one of the most prolific writers among my old friends, and would typically write twice to me for every one I wrote to her. Over the years, that had degenerated into holiday cards and a surprise call maybe once a year. I knew he was attending Florida State, and that Greg had graduated from Georgetown, and had moved to Japan on business. That was about it. Tommy told me all about the old gang, who was in town, who was going to what schools, what people had been up to. I told him a lot more detail about what I'd been up to. "So," he asked, "Got a girl?" "Not now. Thought I had one after the ROTC Christmas ball, but that seems to have been my mistake." I admitted. "Hard to believe. You always had someone. Every letter, every phone-call, just seems like they didn't stay the same all that long." He teased. "I don't know. I had several relationships last pretty long. Two were more than 6 months long." I argued. "Oh! Six Months!" He laughed. "How about you then," I asked in defense. "Still Erin. Almost two years now." He asked. "Shit. What does she see in you? She could do so much better." I teased. "Oh really? Like how?" "Like me!" I laughed. "Right, like that would ever happen! Don't even think about it, or you'll be sleeping in the street." He was laughing as well. "Not if I called Erin I wouldn't," I shot back. I thought it was a great comeback, but it earned me a sock in the arm. We pulled up to his house, which still looked exactly the same, and things were pretty quiet. They used the same window lights, same roof lights, same bush trimmings year after year. It was just as I remembered. Who says you can't go back? "Mom's got to work tomorrow, so I'm sure she's in bed, and you know Dave crashes early, so we better keep it down. We've got lots to do tomorrow anyway." We entered quietly and put my bag in Greg's old room. Tommy stayed and chatted for a few minutes then bid me good night, telling me to sleep in as long as I wanted, as long as it wasn't past 9:00 am, and left me to get settled. Past 9:00? Now I remembered, they'd always been an early-bird household. For me 9:00 am Was the crack of dawn. Tommy and I had breakfast at about 9:30. He was already chiding me for sleeping in and missing the whole family. We had the house to ourselves. He'd been on the phone arranging our day, and once we'd finished the pancakes, we were off to see Mike and his family. Entering Mike's house was the same as it had ever been, but more-so. People everywhere, noise, laughter, roughhousing, it was all taken in stride by Mrs. Frey. We spent a few hours visiting, and getting fed again before we could leave. Mike's older sister Peggy still looked cute to me, but not the amazing creature my memory had somehow stored away. I had to tease her about the Christmas gift she'd given me three years earlier. She'd bought me a Richard Pryor tape, thinking it was Bill Cosby. When I played it for her in my car, she exploded, calling me names and accusing me of vile intent. At the time I had felt bad, confused, angry and a host of other feelings, now thankfully we could laugh at it. When I'd been 16 I'd been somewhat in awe of her, now things were comfortable. Mike's older brother was home as well, with his live-in girlfriend who seemed awfully ill-at-ease, and must have been at least 5 years older than Dan, maybe more. That was a story I'd have to hear more about. The biggest surprise was Alice. She'd been a few years younger than us. I wasn't sure if she was 16 or 17 now, but she was a bombshell. And she was coming on to me like gangbusters. I was really nervous, with her acting all touchy-feely with her mother and Peggy there. I was suddenly glad I had chosen to stay over with Tommy. With a pretty, stacked girl that seemed so infatuated with me around, I'm afraid I might have gotten into a whole lot more trouble than I needed. When we left there Mike joined us, and it was off to see Jack and Russ. They were a year apart in age. Russ had been in our class, and we'd been friendly with him, but Jack, although a year younger was our buddy. We played on the basketball team together, and when Tommy and I formed our first band, Jack was our bassist. At the Chambers house, we once again reminisced, and had to relive our first 'gig'. We had decided to play in the school talent show. With Tommy on piano and Jack on bass, I played guitar. We had a fourth guy on drums we'd all lost contact with. We had played Elton John, Deep Purple, The Eagles, and The Beatles. We had opened with the opening riff of "Smoke on the Water", and had been a hit. We were pretty lousy, but the audience was our friends, our parents and the parents of our friends, and at the end the parents even took up a collection for us. Pretty heady stuff. We'd called ourselves Bronze Myth, and had already designed our first three album covers before we had our first birthday party gig. Jack had been tall then, and had not stopped growing; he was now 6'7" and was attending University of Florida, playing basketball. He reminded me of the time when we went on our first dates together. I had gone with Kathryn Best, easily the most lusted after girl in the whole school, who was in Jack's class a year behind me. Jack, on the other hand, had gone out with our "Valentine's Day Queen", Anne, who was in my class and almost two full years older than Jack. He was always precocious. There had been a third couple with us, Dennis and Suzanne, and Jack broke the news that Suzanne had gotten knocked up, just before I left to go overseas, and she and Dennis had gotten married. There was a huge scandal, but they stuck together, and had the baby. They lived with Suzanne's parents. Dennis was doing alright, working for Suzanne's father. While we were visiting, several friends dropped in, including the aforementioned Kathryn who lived one street over. Kathryn, the stunning brunette who had the body of a 20 year old when she was 15, and had a beautiful face with features that just slayed me. Kathryn, the very first girl I had gotten to Third Base with. She was as pretty as I remembered, and I found out she was going to be attending Mt. Holyoke the following year, which was an odd coincidence since my girlfriend from High School was a sophomore there. Going out with Kathryn, a year younger than me had been a total fiasco. We'd sat together on an out-of-town bus trip and ranked high enough in the pecking order that we got the right hand seat second from the back. These trips were our biggest dates back then. Ours was a small parochial school, and on the bus trips, the athletes, cheerleaders and student fans all rode the same bug. The 30-90 minute trips were like pep rallies on the way out, and like the back of movie theatres on the way back. There were frequent "hand-checks" and the lights would come one as our coaches would walk the aisle, but it seemed like after our wins, the checks would be a little less frequent. Our win at Pensacola was my first real 'make-out' session, as we cuddled and kissed the whole trip home. I even got a chance to play with her breast through her sweater. Less than a week later I asked her to the movies, and we sat in the back with the two other couples, probably both scared spitless and nervous as goldfish in a blender. We'd started necking, which got more and more intense, and my hands boldly went where no hands had gone before. An hour into the movie I was almost out of control, and feverish with desire, and it seemed she was willing to let me do whatever I wanted. If I'd had a little more confidence, or a little more knowledge, who knows what might have happened? As it is, I went pretty far, probably too far, and I was scared to death afterwards. She was the first girl whose flesh I'd touched underneath her clothing. I didn't call her for several days, and even avoided her at school, not knowing what to say. In short I was a total jerk. Everyone thought we should be together, she was the pretty captain of the cheerleaders, with the big boobs, and I was the Big Jock, playing all the sports, while at the same time excelling in school. She was voted "Most Popular." I was "Most Likely to Succeed." However, in this case it turned out she was "Most Slighted", and I was definitely "Most Inept." After waiting several days, amazingly patient in retrospect, she had tasked her best friend Sheri, Tommy's sister, with letting me know that she thought we shouldn't go out. Next thing you know, she was going out with some geeky looking kid, and she dated him for the rest of the school year. I'd changed schools at the end of that year, and had seen her only infrequently the following year, before moving to Santiago. Outside in the backyard, Kathryn and I walked off together and finally had a few minutes alone. "You know Kat, I don't think I ever apologized for being such an idiot, after our first date. I really am sorry." She was quiet for a while. She had a sad little look. "You know, I waited by that phone night after night, crying myself to sleep. I saw you dodging me at school and it broke my heart." "I was young and stupid. I'd never done Anything with a girl before, and could hardly even believe I was with the hottest girl in school. After all the stuff I did, God, I was so embarrassed that I'd overstepped the boundaries, and I had no idea what to say." She sat down underneath the big tree in the backyard and I sat beside her on the circular bench around it. "You could have said something to Jack maybe, or Tommy, and let them tell me. At least let me know that you liked me, or had fun. Something." She looked on the verge of tears, even 3 years later, and I felt even worse. "I know. I kept kicking myself over it. I was so angry with myself and jealous when you went out with Ricky." I admitted. "He was nice to me when I needed it." "But it seemed such an odd fit. He was a nobody; the only thing he ever did noteworthy was date you." I told her. "He lived two houses down. We'd grown up together, and when my heart was broken he picked up the pieces. He could tell something was wrong, and really made me feel a lot better." She confessed. That brought on a short period of silence. It did let me think better of Ricky, who wasn't just lucky or an opportunist. "You know, that was one of the most memorable moments in my life. Touching a girl like that for the first time. I had no idea what I should do, or what I could do, but I kept looking down the row at Dennis and Suzanne, and figured I should be able to do that too. I was in heaven; you were so amazing to be with." I told her, reaching out and taking her hand in mine. Her palm was moist. "You're telling me? You were the big 9th grader with the learner's permit and motorcycle. Big Man on Campus. The guy every girl wanted. And you wanted me. I had no idea what we should or shouldn't do on a date. I was hoping you knew." We laughed at that, remembering the intensity of those feelings. "Given a chance to do it over, I'd have camped out on your doorstep and professed my undying, eternal love the moment you walked out the door." I told her, half serious. "As I recall, you professed your love for me that evening, just before opening the top of my pants." She said with a wicked grin. I'm sure I blushed mightily. "I can't really ask forgiveness, but I really am sorry. Sorry now and sorry then. I fantasized about you for years afterwards, thinking of what could have happened if I hadn't been such a jerk. You have no idea how many of my fantasies you starred in back then." "If only you'd have let me know. Ricky was my first. It could have been you. Given half a chance, it would have been you." She had moved close and was speaking softly. "And this is my punishment. Knowing how bad I fucked up. Seeing you here, as beautiful as in my dreams, and knowing I've screwed up any chance of being with you." I placed my hand behind her head, stroking her hair. "I wouldn't say you'd screwed up Any chance, but you certainly blew that one." We were looking deeply in each other's eyes, recalling strong, painful feelings. I wanted her now, as I'd wanted her then, with a deep burning need, and I leaned forward those last two inches, and captured her lips with mine. She slid forward and melted against me, kissing me with every emotion boiling to the surface. She took my hand and placed it on her incredible chest, and I squeezed her breast, my thumb reliving that first caress of her nipple from so many years earlier. We stayed like that for a couple of minutes, and then broke apart. Her eyes glistened. "I've got a boyfriend." She confessed. I nodded understanding. "If I didn't?" I reached forward pressing my index finger to her lips. "I know. I missed my chance. It's my loss." We just sat side by side a minute, in silence. "You know," she said softly, "what you did to me that night, that was part of the problem." "I know. I'm sorry if I stepped over the line." I said, even now embarrassed at the liberties I'd taken. "No, not anything wrong. What you did to me, how you made me feel. You made me cream my jeans more than once that night. It was the first time I'd ever come. I'd heard about it, but it was almost unreal. Your fingers just drove me wild. It was over a year before another guy was able to do the same." She put her hand between her legs, seemingly remembering that first night. "That makes two of us. I don't know if you knew, but I came in my pants too, and you never even touched me there. By the time I got home I was a terrible sticky mess. I snuck out and threw that underwear away before my mother could find them and ask uncomfortable questions." I told her, laughing. She gave me an odd little look, and then slid around the tree, placing its 3 foot wide trunk between us and the house. She reached out for me, and of course I followed. "Could I, I mean would you mind?" She seemed lost for words. "What? Just ask. I certainly owe you one." I told her. She didn't ask, she just started unbuckling my belt. "I always wondered, and never really had a chance to find out." With the belt open she unbuttoned and unzipped my pants. "I mean, that night, you got to find out pretty much ALL about me, but I didn't; " I lifted my hips and let her pull my pants down a short ways, and then she reached up and pulled my underwear down exposing my fully erect monument to her sexiness. "I knew it, you bastard. Look at that." I didn't have to look. I knew it pretty well. And it was certainly standing tall and making me proud. She took me in hand and stroked me up and down, which after all the discussion and reminiscing was almost enough to get me off. "I just knew it. This should have been my first." She slowly stroked me up and down, and then she leaned over and took me in her mouth for just a second, sucking me deep and then releasing me. That was it. It was too much for me, and I stood up and shot my wad a good two feet out from where we were sitting. She giggled, as she helped me through my release, then pulled my underwear up back over my still dripping cock, and wiped her hand on the front of my briefs, before helping me pull my jeans back up. "If I wasn't tied up, I'd have you paying reparations," she told me as we both stood, and she slapped my hands away from my belt and finished straightening me out herself. "Let's consider it a delayed payoff. If things don't work out for you, maybe we can try it again. Rochester isn't That far from Amherst." Little did I know what the future held in store for us, but that's a different story. We walked back to the house hand-in-hand, laughing at the folly of youth, from the wizened experience of our 18 and 19 years. She had to leave shortly after, as did we, and I kissed her goodbye at the door. Once the door was closed I heard an exclamation from behind me. I turned to Tommy who said, "Now I've seen everything." "Amen," said Jack. "What?" I asked. "After how you treated her after our first date, I was certain you were on her shit-list for life." Jack explained. "Absolutely." Tommy chimed in. "Sheri said that Kathryn fantasized about doing mean and nasty things to you for years. I mean, hell, you did use her pretty bad." "I was a dope. I did some things I'd never done before, and was so embarrassed I didn't know how to even face her. So I screwed up and avoided her. I just made my apologies and we worked things out. I think she understands that I didn't try to be mean; I was just young and stupid. I didn't know what I was doing, and regretted it for years." I told them. "Geez. I always wondered how you could pass on that, when she was so available to you. You really did fuck up, didn't you?" Tommy pointed out. "Yep, not the first time, and I'm certain not the last. But we've buried the hatchet it seems." I answered "I'm just astounded that hatchet isn't in your back." Jack added. We left just a short while after that. We had one last visit to make. Teri Branson was passing through town, and wanted to see us if she could. She was just there for the day, and none of us wanted to miss out on that chance. The summer before 10th grade, I'd practically lived at Teri's. It was football time, and we were doing twice-a-days. We'd have morning practice, then a break so we wouldn't be out all day in the noon-time Florida summer sun. After the break it was afternoon practice. Teri was at our school and I never really knew her until that summer. She lived only a block from Mike, and we had run into her one day out washing the family car. We struck up a conversation, and the rest was history. I spent every football break at her house that summer. Mike didn't play football, but I'd pick him up on the way over there, and we'd hang out. She had a pool table, and a private rec-room with a stand-up arcade game. Her mother would always bring us snacks and drinks. Teri had not been popular, and was new to the school as well. But in a period of just a few months she went from a boyish figured tom-boy, to a devastatingly beautiful teen. Her breasts seemed to almost explode outwards, and once we'd met her mom, we knew where she got it from. She lost some weight, traded glasses for contacts, grew tits, lost the braces, and suddenly this beauty was in our midst, and nobody even knew about her but us. She was our secret. Tommy was going to a different high-school from me and Mike, but we still hung together most of the summer, and we had to let him in on our secret. The closest we'd come to having anything happen was a bizarre game of spin-the-bottle underneath the pool table. Mike, Tommy, me and Teri. Just an excuse for us to take turns kissing her. Her father was being transferred again at the end of the summer. I told her I was going to have a birthday party, and that we were going to play spin-the-bottle, I had hoped she'd be there, but now she was leaving. We were all upset. Tommy suggested we play now, since she couldn't make it then, and we did. It was strange but wonderful. Two weeks later she was gone. We met Teri at the mall, our planned rendezvous. We couldn't miss her; she was the center of a lot of attention. And still gorgeous. We ran up to her and had hugs all around. "I can only stay about 20 minutes," she told us with a pout. "Damn," was all I could say. So the three of us toured the mall, observing all the changes. It had been brand new the year we had been together. We grabbed some drinks, and wandered back outside, our time almost up, and barely even caught up. "Teri, I have a confession." I told her. "I know we acted pretty much like friends, but I was crazy about you. That summer I went home every evening and dreamed of you." "Hell, we all did." Tommy admitted. "We were such idiots," she said. She reached up to my collar and pulled me down for a kiss. Teri stood maybe 5 foot 1, so I had at least a foot on her in height. Bent over I let her kiss me, and I returned it eagerly. Finally she released me. "I was so confused. One day I'd like you, and then the next day you," she said nodding around the group, "and then you. I kept wondering who was going to be my first real boyfriend. I just knew it was going to be one of you. And then it was all over." She looked up at me. "I Still dream about you sometimes." All we could do was laugh it off, and say we'd get together sometime. She was living in Phoenix now, finishing high school, and it looked like she'd be going to Stanford. It was going to be hard to ever make that commute work out, not that she didn't seem like it would be worth the effort. Then her parents drove up. We said hi to her mom (who had been a secret fantasy of mine back then) and then with a last set of hugs it was goodbye to Teri. It was getting late so we dropped Mike back off at his house, driving mostly in quiet. I imagine we were all lost in thought over the quirks of fate and what might have been. For me, it was thoughts of Kathryn and Teri, two incredible opportunities that any teen would kill for, and I'd let them slip through my fingers. We dropped Mike off, but didn't go inside. As it was we were running late, and knew that if we went in, it would be a while before we got out of there. From Mike's it was a 5 minute drive back to Tommy's, but we drove past Teri's old house, just for nostalgia's sake. At Tommy's we were running late. Dinner was going to be at 6:00 pm, and somehow we'd burned the whole day. It was 5:45 before we even walked in the door, and we both wanted to clean up before dinner. The kid's rooms were served by two separate bathrooms, one at the end of the hall, and one off of Greg's room. So I stripped down to my shorts, and went to take my shower. I hadn't expected the bathroom to be full. Sheri was in their, applying the last of her makeup. Fortunately (or unfortunately) she was dressed. When I walked in, she gave a squeal, and came over and gave me a big hug. "I can't believe you're here! You're looking good." She said, stepping back and giving me the once over. "Wow, Sheri, you look great!" was all I could say. She had always been pretty. But the difference between a 15 year old Sheri and this one was night and day. The more mature Sheri was a beautiful young woman. "Thanks," she said, "I'll be out of here in a second, and you can have the place to yourself. I'm dying to talk to you." "I'll be here all night." I joked, stepping back into the room I was using, before my underwear had to undergo any more strain. I sat on the bed waiting, and after just a minute or so she poked her head in and said "It's all yours." She left the door open and walked out the other side of the bathroom. So that was one change at least that I hadn't noticed. Back in the day, this was Greg's bathroom. But since then someone had taken out the linen closet, and the old closet door now opened into Sheri's room. In retrospect it should have been obvious. With Greg away, the bathroom had a lot of stuff in it, although very neat. If I'd opened a cabinet or drawer, I would have seen all the makeup and girl's things. I was using Sheri's bathroom. I rapidly cleaned up and dressed. I was in a bit of a hurry, wanting to still wrap a couple of small presents for my hosts. I had bought several music tapes for my sister as a Christmas present, and decided to gift Tommy with one of them. I also had a photo in a frame for my mom, and decided to make the frame a family gift. It was simple, hand-made by yours truly from apple-wood. After borrowing some paper, tape, and scissors, I was ready to join everyone else just a few minutes later. To be continued in part 2. Based on a post by Tx Tall Tales, in 2 parts, for Literotica

The first ever Clare member of An Garda Siochána to be killed on active duty, will be remembered at a special ceremony this weekend. Garda Thomas Dowling was shot dead during an ambush in Fanore on December 28th 1925. Garda Dowling had served in the IRA during the war of Independence, and the National Army after, before joining the Gardaí, and his death has been linked to lingering tensions of the civil war and a clamp down on poteen distillation. Local Historian and Fanore native Joe Queally says his family have vivid memories of the night Garda Dowling died.

In this episode, Sam Alaimo, a former Navy SEAL and Co-founder of ZeroEyes, discusses his transition from elite military service to the forefront of AI-driven public safety. After completing his degree on active duty and navigating the shift from a final deployment to Columbia University, Sam found his true calling by co-founding ZeroEyes to combat gun violence through innovative gun-detection technology. He details the company's "human-in-the-loop" AI approach, its rapid expansion across 46 states, and a steadfast commitment to the veteran community, with veterans making up 70% of their workforce. Episode Resources: ZeroEyes   About Our Guest Sam Alaimo is a former US Navy SEAL and Cofounder of ZeroEyes, an AI gun detection company dedicated to ending gun violence in America.   About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Navy Federal Credit Union offers exclusive benefits to all of their members. All Veterans, Active Duty and their families can become members. Have you been saving up for the season of cheer and joy that is just around the corner? With Navy Federal Credit Union's cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards, you could earn a $250 cash bonus when you spend $2,500 in the first 90 days. Offer ends 1/1/26. You could earn up to 2% unlimited cash back with the cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards. With Navy Federal, members have access to financial advice and money management and 24/7 access to award-winning service. Whether you're a Veteran of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force or Coast Guard, you and your family can become members. Join now at Navy Federal Credit Union. At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.      Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.     Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com. Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review! Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today. Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you purchase via the link provided.

Today in 1892, the birthday of Fred Thomas, who had the unusual distinction of being an active duty member of the military while playing in baseball's World Series. And his two jobs helped lead to a pretty big custom in modern American sports. Plus: this Sunday in Anchorage, Alaska, it's the Winter Solstice Festival. Fred Thomas (Society for American Baseball Research)Winter Solstice Festival We have a job for you: back this show on Patreon

In this installment of TPS Reports the Squares discuss late night sloppy joe's, JellyRoll crying everywhere, Donald Trump making Rob Reiner's death about himself, boofing Wee Man, peeling mangos, HBO shows & doing whatever it takes to finish the new album. Outro song: "Abhorrent" by Wax, DJ Hoppa Smoochie Gang Playlist Term's Album of the Week Playlist Please send questions, stories & whatever else to tpsreportspodcast@gmail.com and feel free to leave us a voicemail at 708-797-3079. The Palmer Squares on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Patreon & more Shop for Official TPS Merchandise

Air Force veteran and serial entrepreneur Michael "Buzz" Buzinski details his decade of military service and his post-transition path, which began with a recording studio before evolving into a 100% remote, strategy-first marketing firm. Buzz argues that businesses need to move past "random acts of marketing" and adopt a structured approach, focused on a clear strategy for predictable growth. His company's mission is to help owners build a scalable business that can operate beyond the founder, a goal directly tied to his broader mission of creating 17 million jobs in America by empowering entrepreneurs to scale past the point of being a self-employed business owner. Episode Resources: Buzzworthy Marketing The Rule of 26 Warrior Rising Owners In Honor   About Our Guest Michael is a decorated US Air Force veteran, serial entrepreneur, host of a US top 12 marketing podcast, best-selling author and dubbed a visionary marketer by the American Marketing Association. Buzz, as most call him, is on a mission to create 17 million jobs in America by 2040 in an effort to rebuild its middle class and enrich entrepreneurs with financial independence, entrepreneurial freedom, and the power of impact. About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Navy Federal Credit Union offers exclusive benefits to all of their members. All Veterans, Active Duty and their families can become members. Have you been saving up for the season of cheer and joy that is just around the corner? With Navy Federal Credit Union's cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards, you could earn a $250 cash bonus when you spend $2,500 in the first 90 days. Offer ends 1/1/26. You could earn up to 2% unlimited cash back with the cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards. With Navy Federal, members have access to financial advice and money management and 24/7 access to award-winning service. Whether you're a Veteran of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force or Coast Guard, you and your family can become members. Join now at Navy Federal Credit Union. At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.    Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

Welcome to the land podcast, a platform for people looking to educate themselves in the world of land ownership, land investing, staying up to date with current land trends in the Midwest, and hearing from industry experts and professionals. On today's episode, we are back in the studio with our guest Logan Shulenberger. We discuss: Logan's military background and how it shaped his approach to land ownership Overcoming the intimidation of buying land for the first time The step-by-step process he followed to identify a good property Financing considerations for active-duty or high-travel professionals Mistakes first-time buyers make and how to avoid them How his long-term goals influenced acreage, location, and features His advice for anyone wanting to take the leap into land Can you use the VA Loan to buy land? And so much more! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get Pre-Approved to Purchase a farm with Buck Land Funding ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.whitetailmasteracademy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Use code '⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HOFER' to save 10% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.theprairiefarm.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Massive potential tax savings: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ASMLABS.Net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -Moultrie: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/moultrie_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -Hawke Optics: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/hawkeoptics_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -OnX: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/onX_Hunt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -Painted Arrow: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/PaintedArrow

Veteran Ron Beckner, who served 24 years across the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and Naval Reserves, shares his unique story from a career as a pipe fitter to the founder of Peaks Integrity Wealth Management. Driven by his working-class background and military integrity, Ron emphasizes the critical need for financial education among working-class Americans, viewing money as a tool and stressing smarter tax strategies. He introduces his Financial STAR process as a blueprint for financial planning, and discusses his book, "A Blueprint and Financial Guide for the Working-Class American." Ron utilizes a hands-on approach to ensure client investments meet their lifestyle and goals, ultimately advising aspiring financial professionals to enter the industry with genuine passion. Episode Resources: Peaks Integrity - Westcliffe, CO  Phone: 719-581-7325     About Our Guest A military veteran of 24 years that included the US Navy, US Coast Guard and the US Naval reserves, Ron blends integrity, hard work and willingness to focus on each client as if they are the only client in the world. Ron uses a hands-on approach when meeting clients to ensure suitability of their investments meets their lifestyle and sustains their objectives for life. The Financial STAR process is one of the main keys to helping working-class Americans understand and plan for their financial future. Ron also has recently published a book titled, "A Blueprint and Financial Guide for the Working-Class American" that is currently available on Amazon.   About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Navy Federal Credit Union offers exclusive benefits to all of their members. All Veterans, Active Duty and their families can become members. Have you been saving up for the season of cheer and joy that is just around the corner? With Navy Federal Credit Union's cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards, you could earn a $250 cash bonus when you spend $2,500 in the first 90 days. Offer ends 1/1/26. You could earn up to 2% unlimited cash back with the cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards. With Navy Federal, members have access to financial advice and money management and 24/7 access to award-winning service. Whether you're a Veteran of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force or Coast Guard, you and your family can become members. Join now at Navy Federal Credit Union. At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.      Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

This episode of Veteran On the Move features Navy Veteran Robert DeLaurentis, a successful real estate entrepreneur, two-time solo aviation circumnavigator, and the founder of the Citizen of the World for the World peace movement. In this episode, Robert details his transition from service, explaining how he applied military qualities like honesty, hard work, and relationships to successfully build his San Diego real estate portfolio. He shares the inspiration behind his decision to pursue solo aviation after retirement and provides insight into his ambitious Pole-to-Pole flights, the upcoming Peace Pilot movie, and the strategies he used for handling major project sponsorship.  Episode Resources: www.PoleToPoleFlight.com   About Our Guest Peace Pilot Robert DeLaurentis is an aviation circumnavigator, author, speaker, pilot, real estate entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Navy Gulf War veteran. He is the founder of the Citizen of the World for the World global peace movement to connect humanity through the wonder of flight and the power of courageous action. His books include the best-selling Zen Pilot: Flight of the Passion and the Journey Within, Flying Thru Life: How to Grow Your Business and Relationships Through Applied Spirituality, and his two newest books, Peace Pilot: To the Ends of the Earth and Beyond (coming 2021) and the children's book The Little Plane that Could.  .   About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Navy Federal Credit Union offers exclusive benefits to all of their members. All Veterans, Active Duty and their families can become members. Have you been saving up for the season of cheer and joy that is just around the corner? With Navy Federal Credit Union's cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards, you could earn a $250 cash bonus when you spend $2,500 in the first 90 days. Offer ends 1/1/26. You could earn up to 2% unlimited cash back with the cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards. With Navy Federal, members have access to financial advice and money management and 24/7 access to award-winning service. Whether you're a Veteran of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force or Coast Guard, you and your family can become members. Join now at Navy Federal Credit Union.   At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.    Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

This week, we welcome Army veteran RJ Blake, Founder and CEO of Blake Willson Group (BWG), a technology-enabled CPA firm reshaping service to federal defense and civilian agencies. RJ details his unique 12-year journey from military service to achieving Big Four success, explaining how he applied his deep understanding of military operations to the federal audit space and ultimately founded BWG. He shares crucial leadership lessons, distinguishing between leading by demand versus leading by influence, and discusses how BWG successfully harnesses technology to improve financial stewardship at the operational level. Additionally, RJ provides essential advice for veteran entrepreneurs, including how to leverage valuable resources like the Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP) to maximize growth. Episode Resources: Blake Willson Group Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP)     About Our Guest RJ Blake is the Founder and CEO of Blake Willson Group (BWG), a nationally recognized, technology-enabled CPA firm that is reshaping how the private sector serves federal defense, intelligence and civilian agencies. Under his leadership, Blake Willson Group has emerged as an innovative solutions provider that consistently outperforms legacy firms. A combat veteran with Big Four audit and advisory practice experience, RJ brings an uncommon combination of frontline experience and executive discipline to his work. His passion lies in transforming public service delivery through innovative technology, institutional clarity, and real-world outcomes. RJ began his career in the U.S. Army with the 10th Mountain Division, where he led counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan. That sense of purpose, clarity, and mission focus now shapes every facet of BWG, from building an enthusiastic culture to delivering exceptional client service. Their mission is harnessing technology to improve financial stewardship for the welfare, defense, and security of our nation.   About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Navy Federal Credit Union offers exclusive benefits to all of their members. All Veterans, Active Duty and their families can become members. Have you been saving up for the season of cheer and joy that is just around the corner? With Navy Federal Credit Union's cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards, you could earn a $250 cash bonus when you spend $2,500 in the first 90 days. Offer ends 1/1/26. You could earn up to 2% unlimited cash back with the cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards. With Navy Federal, members have access to financial advice and money management and 24/7 access to award-winning service. Whether you're a Veteran of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force or Coast Guard, you and your family can become members. Join now at Navy Federal Credit Union.   At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.    Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

How do you transform a good company into a great one? We talk to Chris Hallberg, the Business Sergeant, who blends military discipline with modern strategy. As an Army National Guard veteran, serial entrepreneur, and scaling coach, Chris shares his no-nonsense approach to rapid growth. Listen in to learn the critical need for an Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), how to get the "right people in the right seats," the mindset shift required for leadership, and how he utilizes AI tools.  Episode Resources: The Business Sergeant GoExpand   About Our Guest Chris Hallberg, known as the Business Sergeant, is a top-ranked leadership expert, military veteran, and serial entrepreneur who transforms good companies into great ones fast. Ranked #9 on Inc. Magazine's list of Top 50 Leadership & Management Experts, Chris blends battlefield-tested discipline with business strategy to help leaders scale with confidence. He has coached over 100 organizations to achieve breakthrough results, from billion-dollar contractors to national franchises, and is the co-creator of an AI-driven EOS platform guiding teams to 30%+ profitability. With his no-nonsense style, Chris simplifies complex challenges, strengthens culture, and empowers leaders to win. About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Navy Federal Credit Union offers exclusive benefits to all of their members. All Veterans, Active Duty and their families can become members. Have you been saving up for the season of cheer and joy that is just around the corner? With Navy Federal Credit Union's cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards, you could earn a $250 cash bonus when you spend $2,500 in the first 90 days. Offer ends 1/1/26. You could earn up to 2% unlimited cash back with the cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards. With Navy Federal, members have access to financial advice and money management and 24/7 access to award-winning service. Whether you're a Veteran of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force or Coast Guard, you and your family can become members. Join now at Navy Federal Credit Union. At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.      Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

This episode is essential for veteran entrepreneurs who want to stop chasing bad leads and start building a high-value business ready for a profitable exit. Mark Osborne dives into why "sales is a process, not an event." He shows how founders can leverage their military discipline to implement predictable, scalable B2B revenue systems. He shares that the goal is to maximize your company's Enterprise Value (EBITDA)—not just top-line revenue—by clearly defining your product's difference and building documented, transferable sales and marketing processes that any future buyer will pay a premium for. Episode Resources: FreeDownload - Modern Revenue Strategies About Our Guests Mark Osborne is the Founder of Modern Revenue Strategies. Advertising Age Magazine named him a  “Marketing Technology Trailblazer” putting him in the top 25 people in the world at using Technology and Data for Marketing.  He is the Author of the #1 Best-Selling B2B Marketing and Sales book “Are Your Leads KILLING Your Business?” Host of “The B2B Growth Blueprint Podcast” with over 100 episodes and Top 5 ranking in Apple Podcasts with 500+ monthly listeners.   He is one of very few marketing and sales experts in the US who is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) with an MBA, highlighting my expertise at growing Enterprise Value and EBITDA, not just Top-line Revenue. About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Navy Federal Credit Union offers exclusive benefits to all of their members. All Veterans, Active Duty and their families can become members. Have you been saving up for the season of cheer and joy that is just around the corner? With Navy Federal Credit Union's cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards, you could earn a $250 cash bonus when you spend $2,500 in the first 90 days. Offer ends 1/1/26. You could earn up to 2% unlimited cash back with the cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards. With Navy Federal, members have access to financial advice and money management and 24/7 access to award-winning service. Whether you're a Veteran of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force or Coast Guard, you and your family can become members. Join now at Navy Federal Credit Union.   At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.    Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

On this episode of Veteran On the Move, host Joe Crane interviews a powerful father-son duo, Steven, a retired Army General, and Adam, an Army veteran. Together, they've channeled their military discipline into successful entrepreneurship as multi-unit owners of a PuroClean franchise. They discuss their journey from the military into the restoration industry, sharing why they chose the proven, systematic path of franchising over an independent startup. Episode Resources: PuroClean   About Our Guests After serving almost four decades in the military, Steve and his son (also a Veteran) Adam joined the PuroClean family in November 2022. Located in Cedar Rapids with a second location in West Des Moines, Steve and Adam are taking the Restoration business by storm, thanks to the outstanding support from the PuroClean leadership team and their support staff.   About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Navy Federal Credit Union offers exclusive benefits to all of their members. All Veterans, Active Duty and their families can become members. Have you been saving up for the season of cheer and joy that is just around the corner? With Navy Federal Credit Union's cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards, you could earn a $250 cash bonus when you spend $2,500 in the first 90 days. Offer ends 1/1/26. You could earn up to 2% unlimited cash back with the cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards. With Navy Federal, members have access to financial advice and money management and 24/7 access to award-winning service. Whether you're a Veteran of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force or Coast Guard, you and your family can become members. Join now at Navy Federal Credit Union. At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.      Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

In this episode, Dr. Rachel Zelkowitz defines trauma and its prevalence among individuals who self-injure, delineates posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from complex PTSD (C-PTSD), and discusses common treatments for addressing trauma, including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Prolonged Exposure (PE). With interest in treating military veterans and active duty service members, Dr. Zelkowitz provides insights into nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), self-harm, and trauma among military members.Learn more about Dr. Zelkowitz and her work here, and learn more about common treatments for trauma at the National Center for PTSD at www.ptsd.va.gov. Below are links to some of the research referenced in today's episode:Gromatsky, M., Halverson, T. F., Dillon, K. H., Wilson, L. C., LoSavio, S. T., Walsh, S., Mellows, C., Mann, A. J., Goodman, M., & Kimbrel, N. A. (2023). The prevalence of nonsuicidal self-injury in military personnel: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Trauma Violence Abuse, 24(5), 2936-2952.Liu, R. T., Scopelliti, K. M., Pittman, S. K., & Zamora, A. S. (2018). Childhood maltreatment and non-suicidal self- injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Psychiatry, 5(1), 51–64.Harned, M. S., Korslund, K. E., Foa, E. B., & Linehan, M. M. (2012). Treating PTSD in suicidal and self-injuring women with borderline personality disorder: Development and preliminary evaluation of a Dialectical Behavior Therapy Prolonged Exposure Protocol. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 50(6), 381-6.Harned, M. S., Schmidt, S. C., Korslund, K. E., & Gallop, R. J.(2021). Does adding the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Prolonged Exposure (DBT PE) protocol for PTSD to DBT improve outcomes in public mental health settings? A pilot nonrandomized effectiveness trial with benchmarking. Behavior Therapy, 52(3), 639-655.Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter/X (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter/X (@ITripleS).The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated as one of the "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts" by Feedspot  and one of the Top 100 Psychology Podcasts by Goodpods. It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."

In this episode, host Joe Crane talks with Tony DeMaio, founder of Helping Heroes USA. Tony shares his unique pivot from being a successful football coach and entrepreneur to leading a non-profit dedicated to suicide prevention for veterans, active-duty personnel, and first responders. Tony provides a crucial message for non-veteran allies: the most powerful action you can take is to simply listen without judgment.He also breaks down the business of non-profits, revealing how his coaching expertise in strategy and teamwork translates into mission-driven success. You'll get clear advice on when to hire a consultant, how to understand your donors' motivations, and the key entrepreneurial lessons that keep a life-saving mission moving forward. Episode Resources: Helping Heroes USA About Our Guest Tony DeMaio brings his passion and tenacity to Helping Heroes USA, the nonprofit he founded to support veterans, active-duty military personnel, and first responders. Through suicide prevention programs, community outreach events, and nationwide campaigns, Tony champions mental health and connection for those who serve.   About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Whether you're looking to buy a new or used car or maybe you want to refinance your current car loan, Navy Federal Credit Union has great rates on auto loans and discounts for Active Duty servicemembers and Veterans. You can apply via their mobile app or online and, in most cases, get a decision in seconds. For those of you looking to refinance your current auto loan, you could get $200 cash back when you refi your loan from another lender. Find out more at navyfederal.org/auto.    At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.    Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

This week on Veteran On the Move, we welcome Tony Crescenzo, a Marine Corps veteran whose incredible journey spans from counter-intelligence and working undercover for NIS (NCIS) to the technology C-suite. Tony shares his remarkable pivot from military life, including a wrongful court-martial that was later overturned, into becoming a sought-after "CEO for hire" for tech startups. He emphasizes the essential role of veteran mentors in a successful transition. Listen in as he breaks down the stages of business growth, detailing what military leaders uniquely bring to the civilian sector, the power of a "service-first ethos," and the critical difference between leadership and management. Finally, Tony introduces Peak Neuro explaining how its programs are helping veterans and first responders achieve peak cognitive resilience and accelerating recovery. Episode Resources: - Peak Neuro - Text Peak Trial to 201-908-2820 for a free 30 day trial      About Our Guest Tony Crescenzo is the Chief Executive Officer of Intelligent Waves, a mission-focused IT and cybersecurity firm serving national security customers, and the Founder of Peak Neuro LLC, an AI-enabled neuroscience venture advancing cognitive resilience. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, he leads with a service-first ethos (generals eat last), clear leaders intent, and rigorous accountability. At IW, hes driven growth in secure communications, cloud, and cyber operations while building a trust-centric culture. At Peak Neuro, he champions Post-Cognitive Symbolic Regulation™ (PCSR) and the NeuroEdge™ programs (Reclaim, Elite, Enforce) to help veterans, first responders, and elite professionals accelerate recovery and sustain peak performance. A frequent speaker on culture, ethics, and human performance, Crescenzo translates Marine-forged principles into measurable outcomes for missions and people.   About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Whether you're looking to buy a new or used car or maybe you want to refinance your current car loan, Navy Federal Credit Union has great rates on auto loans and discounts for Active Duty servicemembers and Veterans. You can apply via their mobile app or online and, in most cases, get a decision in seconds. For those of you looking to refinance your current auto loan, you could get $200 cash back when you refi your loan from another lender. Find out more at navyfederal.org/auto.  At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.    Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

In this episode of Veteran On the Move, host Joe Crane sits down with Army veteran and financial advisor, Jeff Panik, the founder of Balance Wealth Partners. Jeff, who leveraged his military service to pay off college loans and build a 25-year career in finance, shares a unique perspective on the veteran transition and retirement planning. He discusses the crucial need for veterans to secure connections and resources to avoid getting "lost" after service, drawing parallels between the disciplined structure of the military and the financial industry. Jeff opens up about his decision to go independent, explaining how owning his own firm allows him to offer a more holistic and personalized approach to his clients, helping them not just manage money, but find their purpose in retirement. This conversation is a must-listen for any veteran approaching a big life decision or retirement, emphasizing the importance of a specific, customized financial roadmap and having those vital conversations before you hang up your uniform. Episode Resources: Jeffrey Panik Balance Wealth Partners About Our Guest Jeff Panik is the Founder of Balance Wealth Partners and a financial advisor with over 25 years of experience. A U.S. Army veteran and first-generation college graduate, Jeff combines disciplined insight with deep empathy to help pre-retirees navigate the complex landscape of Social Security, Medicare, income planning, and succession strategy. His firm was founded on a simple mission: to help people live well today while preparing wisely for tomorrow. Jeff's approach is rooted in life experience, from paying off student loans through military service to building a career that demystifies money for others. He believes financial advice should be practical, transparent, and deeply human. He is the author of Your Future Is Now, a personal finance guide for young adults, and is set to release his upcoming book for pre-retirees. His work reflects a deep commitment to fostering financial literacy for all generations.   About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Whether you're looking to buy a new or used car or maybe you want to refinance your current car loan, Navy Federal Credit Union has great rates on auto loans and discounts for Active Duty servicemembers and Veterans. You can apply via their mobile app or online and, in most cases, get a decision in seconds. For those of you looking to refinance your current auto loan, you could get $200 cash back when you refi your loan from another lender. Find out more at navyfederal.org/auto.  At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.      Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

This episode of Veteran On the Move features Air Force retiree Nikki Allmann and her husband, Bobby Allmann, a 20-year law enforcement veteran, as they discuss their post-service pivot to wellness entrepreneurship. Nikki shares how a personal struggle with mental health during her transition led her to shift her career focus from military paralegal to health and wellness. Both Nikki and Bobby detail how their degrees from American Military University (AMU) supported their goals and provided a foundation for their next chapter. The Allmanns discuss the founding of their dual ventures: Warrior Axe CrossFit and the Workout Warriors Foundation. They explain how their combined experience inspired them to create a space that specifically serves veterans and adaptive athletes coping with post-traumatic stress. The episode concludes with their key lessons learned from managing both a small business and a non-profit organization. Episode Resources: Warrior Axe CrossFit  Workout Warriors Foundation    About Our Guest Nikki Allmann is a distinguished veteran, American Military University graduate, and advocate whose life embodies resilience, determination, and an unwavering commitment to public service. Throughout her 22-year military career as a Senior Master Sergeant (E8) paralegal, Nikki completed five combat deployments. Her experience in the military, combined with her husband Bobby's experience in law enforcement, led them to create Warrior Axe CrossFit and the Workout Warriors Foundation, two organizations that help veterans and adaptive athletes recover and rebuild from post-traumatic stress. About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Whether you're looking to buy a new or used car or maybe you want to refinance your current car loan, Navy Federal Credit Union has great rates on auto loans and discounts for Active Duty servicemembers and Veterans. You can apply via their mobile app or online and, in most cases, get a decision in seconds. For those of you looking to refinance your current auto loan, you could get $200 cash back when you refi your loan from another lender. Find out more at navyfederal.org/auto.  At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.    Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

In Episode 216 of the Transition Drill Podcast, from the Navajo Nation to the Marine Corps, the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, Marcus Chischilly's story is one of service, sacrifice, and spiritual strength. Marcus shares how his upbringing on Navajo land shaped his discipline, how the values of family and culture led him to join the Marines, and how one split-second in Kajaki, Afghanistan, changed his life forever.He takes us through his journey of recovery after losing both legs and severely injuring his arm, and how he rebuilt his identity through resilience, family, and cultural healing. Marcus reveals what it takes to find purpose again after trauma, and how he continues to lead and mentor other veterans today.This conversation honors the warrior spirit that never fades. It is a powerful look at service beyond the uniform, and the unbreakable will to live with purpose, balance, and pride.The best podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders preparing for veteran transition and life after service. Helping you plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life.Follow the show and share it with another veteran or first responder who would enjoy this.CONNECT WITH THE PODCAST:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulpantani/WEBSITE: https://www.transitiondrillpodcast.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulpantani/SIGN-UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER:https://transitiondrillpodcast.com/home#aboutQUESTIONS OR COMMENTS:paul@transitiondrillpodcast.comSPONSORS:GRND CollectiveGet 15% off your purchaseLink: https://thegrndcollective.com/Promo Code: TRANSITION15Total Force Plus ConferenceLink: https://totalforceplus.orgPendleton Surf ClubLink: https://pendletonsurfclub.com

Host Joe Crane sits down with Army Veteran and business coach Cal Riley to explore a critical component of post-military success: compassion as a leadership system. Cal shares his journey from a high-stakes military career to unexpectedly running a family construction business, highlighting how the discipline of the Army mindset fuels entrepreneurial drive. He reveals the profound, personal tragedy that shifted his entire leadership philosophy, arguing that the relentless "grind mindset" is a path to burnout. Learn why compassion is a reliable, repeatable soft skill for high-performing organizations, the crucial importance of self-compassion, and the process behind writing his book, Entrepreneurial Compassion. This is a powerful conversation on how to lead your business and your team with integrity and heart. Episode Resources: Cal Riley Entrepreneurial Compassion on Amazon    About Our Guest Cal Riley believes that compassion isn't just a warm, fuzzy feeling. A US Army officer, successful entrepreneur, seasoned business coach, and author, Riley views compassion as a reliable and repeatable system of soft skills for leadership that's critical for any organization to perform properly. He has led teams in intense situations, from the battlefield to the boardroom, and his unique take on leadership with integrity comes from a profoundly personal place. He lost his brother to suicide in 2023, a tragedy that changed his entire approach to leadership.   About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Whether you're looking to buy a new or used car or maybe you want to refinance your current car loan, Navy Federal Credit Union has great rates on auto loans and discounts for Active Duty servicemembers and Veterans. You can apply via their mobile app or online and, in most cases, get a decision in seconds. For those of you looking to refinance your current auto loan, you could get $200 cash back when you refi your loan from another lender. Find out more at navyfederal.org/auto.  At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.      Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship. Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today. Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you purchase via the link provided.

On this episode of Veteran On the Move, Melissa Broughton, the founder of Busy Bee Advisors, shares her journey from corporate America to entrepreneurship. Melissa created The 1-Hour Bookkeeper, an online course designed to help veterans, military spouses, and stay-at-home parents launch their own bookkeeping businesses. She discusses her goal to impact 1,000 military families and the process of building a course that has already helped over 3,000 people. Episode Resources: Busy Bee Accounting 1 Hour Bookkeeper   About Our Guest Melissa Broughton is the founder & now Co-Owner of Busy Bee Advisors, a Northern California based Accounting & Tax firm. In 2023 as Melissa's oldest son began the exit process from the Marine Corp she was surprised to learn of the challenges facing both veterans and military spouses in finding stable employment. "The light bulb went on and I knew I needed to do something." Working alongside her son Melissa developed the 1-Hour Bookkeeper, an online course designed to help Veterans, Military Spouses and stay at home mom's and dad's start and run their own successful bookkeeping practices.   About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Whether you're looking to buy a new or used car or maybe you want to refinance your current car loan, Navy Federal Credit Union has great rates on auto loans and discounts for Active Duty servicemembers and Veterans. You can apply via their mobile app or online and, in most cases, get a decision in seconds. For those of you looking to refinance your current auto loan, you could get $200 cash back when you refi your loan from another lender. Find out more at navyfederal.org/auto.  At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.      Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

Anita's journey is a powerful testament to the extraordinary resilience of single mothers everywhere. Her story proves that the same grit, discipline, and unwavering love that defines motherhood can forge a career of unparalleled leadership. For 30 years, Anita served as an Enlisted Soldier in the U.S. Army, a true force for positive change who inspired and led teams to success. While she was a Station Commander or a Recruiter building strong community ties, she was also managing the most important operation of all: being a single mom of two. Her ability to maintain accountability for millions of dollars in equipment mirrors the daily budget management and family scheduling so many single mothers master. The innovative training programs she implemented for soldiers are the same kind of creative problem-solving skills a mother uses to navigate life's unexpected challenges. Her service as a MEPS Guidance Counselor and at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks highlights her unique blend of empathy and discipline—the ultimate superpower of any parent juggling career and family. Anita's career path, from starting as a cook in the Army Reserve to retiring as an E8, is a beacon of hope. It's a story of rising from humble beginnings through sheer determination, a narrative that will resonate with every mother who has ever felt their hard work goes unseen. Her journey is not just a professional one; it's a testament to the fact that you can travel the world, build an inspiring career, and lead with compassion, all while being a dedicated mom. Ash Brown: Your Ultimate Guide to Inspiration, Empowerment, and Action Are you searching for a dynamic motivational speaker, an authentic podcaster, or an influential media personality who can ignite your passion for personal growth? Look no further than Ash Brown. This American multi-talented powerhouse is a captivating event host, an insightful blogger, and a dedicated advocate for helping people unlock their full potential. With her infectious optimism and genuine desire to empower others, Ash Brown has become a leading voice in the personal development and motivation space. Discover the World of Ash Brown: AshSaidit.com & The Ash Said It Show AshSaidit.com: A vibrant lifestyle blog and event platform, AshSaidit.com is your gateway to Ash's world. Here you'll find exclusive event invitations, honest product reviews, and a wealth of engaging content designed to inform and inspire. It's the perfect online destination to stay connected and get your daily dose of Ash's unique personality and insights. The Ash Said It Show: With over 2,100 episodes and over half a million global listens, "The Ash Said It Show" is a powerful and popular podcast. Ash engages in meaningful conversations with inspiring guests, diving into topics that truly matter. Listeners gain valuable life lessons, encouragement, and practical advice to help them navigate their own journeys. Why Ash Brown is a Leading Voice in Personal Development What truly distinguishes Ash Brown is her authentic and relatable approach to personal growth. She builds a genuine connection with her audience, offering practical advice and encouragement that feels like a conversation with a trusted friend. Ash doesn't shy away from life's challenges; instead, she provides the tools to tackle them head-on with confidence. Authentic Optimism: Ash's positive energy is contagious, empowering her audience to embrace new challenges with a more capable and hopeful mindset. Relatable Advice: Ash offers unfiltered, real-world guidance that resonates with people from all backgrounds. Her understanding that life can be tough makes her advice both honest and deeply encouraging. Actionable Strategies: Beyond just feeling good, Ash provides practical tips and strategies designed to help you turn your aspirations into tangible results. For a consistent source of inspiration, genuine encouragement, and actionable advice, Ash Brown is your ultimate resource. Her incredible positivity and unwavering dedication to helping others make her the ideal guide for maximizing your life's potential. Connect with Ash Brown: Goli Gummy Discounts: https://go.goli.com/1loveash5 Luxury Handbag Discounts: https://www.theofficialathena.... Review Us: https://itunes.apple.com/us/po... Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/AshSa... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1lov... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashsa... Blog: http://www.ashsaidit.com/blog #atlanta #ashsaidit #theashsaiditshow #ashblogsit #ashsaidit®Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ash-said-it-show--1213325/support.

In this episode of Veteran on the Move, we feature Dr. John J. Kaplan, a retired Air Force Officer and the Director of the VA Technology Transfer Program (TTP). Dr. Kaplan shares his journey from a successful military career to his civilian role, discussing his dedication to continued learning and his transition into law. We explore how his desire to give back to veterans led him to the VA. Dr. Kaplan also explains the critical mission of the VA Technology Transfer Program and provides compelling examples of how it brings innovations from the VA to the private sector, benefiting the veteran community and beyond. Episode Resources: VA Technology Transfer Program     About Our Guest Dr. John J. Kaplan serves as the Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Technology Transfer Program (TTP). Dr. Kaplan received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of New Mexico and his J.D. in Intellectual Property from the George Mason University School of Law. Further, Dr. Kaplan received his MBA from Marymount University, his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Florida Institute of Technology and his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Virginia Military Institute. Dr. Kaplan earned his Ph.D., J.D. and MBA as a part-time evening student while serving full-time on active duty in the U.S. Air Force. Dr. Kaplan is also a graduate of Air War College, Air Command and Staff College and Squadron Officers' School. Dr. Kaplan joined the Office of Research and Development (ORD) as the TTP Director in April 2016. He is a retired Air Force Officer with 20-years of service.     About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Whether you're looking to buy a new or used car or maybe you want to refinance your current car loan, Navy Federal Credit Union has great rates on auto loans and discounts for Active Duty servicemembers and Veterans. You can apply via their mobile app or online and, in most cases, get a decision in seconds. For those of you looking to refinance your current auto loan, you could get $200 cash back when you refi your loan from another lender. Find out more at navyfederal.org/auto.  At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.      Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

Meet MAJ(P) Promotable Jacob Myers, currently serving at the Military Advising Training Academy (MATA) at Fort Benning, Georgia. Our discussion covers the purpose and function of MATA, the development and training of military advisors, and the history and evolution of Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs). Myers elaborates on his experience in Latvia, the challenges of building rapport and training in a foreign country, and the rapidly changing dynamics in Eastern Europe following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. We also touch on FAO professional development, the importance of language skills, and the valuable interactions and learning opportunities throughout a FAO's career.   Books Discussed: Between Two Giants, Brit Batar The Russians, Hedrick Smith Kiril Yaskov, The Last Ring Bearer   00:00 Introduction and Disclaimers 00:45 Meet Major Promotable Jacob Myers 01:11 Understanding the Military Advising Training Academy (MATA) 02:29 History and Evolution of Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs) 06:53 Training and Deployment of Military Advisors 10:22 Challenges and Realities of Military Advising 14:05 Combat Advisor Training Course (CATC) Overview 19:14 Practical Training and Exercises 28:50 Expanding Training to Joint Forces and Foreign Partners 35:25 The Role of FAOs in SFABs 39:52 Personal Experience and Future Aspirations 43:51 Understanding the FAO Roles and Responsibilities 46:02 Navigating Challenges in Latvia During COVID-19 47:20 Impact of Russia's Invasion of Ukraine on Latvia 51:02 Strengthening US-Latvia Defense Relations 01:10:07 Language and Cultural Dynamics in Latvia 01:20:21 Jacob's Journey: From Basic Training to FAO Program 01:21:35 Joining the National Guard and Pursuing Active Duty 01:21:58 Transition to Active Duty and Deployment to Afghanistan 01:23:02 Experiences in Afghanistan and Promotion to Captain 01:25:20 Pentagon Assignment and Introduction to FAO 01:26:14 Discovering the FAO Program and Early Influences 01:29:58 Training and Assignments as a FAO 01:30:42 Language Training and Family Experiences 01:32:27 Marshall Center and Regional Travels 01:42:35 Importance of Building Relationships and Staying Informed 01:47:49 Final Thoughts and Advice for FAOs

In this episode, host Joe Crane is joined by franchise coach and author Giuseppe Grammatico. Giuseppe shares his personal journey to achieving time freedom through business ownership, which he found by leveraging the proven systems of franchising. He discusses why franchising is not a passive investment, the specific qualities that make veterans successful franchisees, and the importance of finding a business model that truly fits your lifestyle goals. Episode Resources: Giuseppe Grammatico - The Franchise Guide   About Our Guest Giuseppe Grammatico is a franchise veteran, coach, author, speaker & consultant who simplifies the process of franchising and excels at guiding his candidates to the business model that best suits their desired lifestyle. His greatest joy is helping people realize the American dream and sharing the freedom that comes from franchising. About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Whether you're looking to buy a new or used car or maybe you want to refinance your current car loan, Navy Federal Credit Union has great rates on auto loans and discounts for Active Duty servicemembers and Veterans. You can apply via their mobile app or online and, in most cases, get a decision in seconds. For those of you looking to refinance your current auto loan, you could get $200 cash back when you refi your loan from another lender. Find out more at navyfederal.org/auto.    At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.    Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

In this episode, host Joe Crane talks with Don Yurick, franchisee and the Northeast Area Representative for Hammer & Nails, a luxury men's grooming salon. Yurick discusses his journey from Silicon Valley to becoming a franchise owner, driven by the desire to be his own boss. He explains what makes Hammer & Nails different from traditional barbershops and highlights the support they offer new franchisees. A key focus of the conversation is why veterans make great business owners, with Yurick pointing to their discipline and leadership skills. He also discusses how the franchise model makes business ownership more accessible for veterans. Episode Resources: Hammer & Nails   About Our Guest Don Yurick is the Northeast Area Representative for Hammer & Nails, a luxury men's grooming salon. His dad was a Drill Sargent in the Army and was stationed in Vietnam. Don is passionate about helping veterans find their way after returning to civilian life and start their next careers. He has recruited two Navy SEALs to Hammer & Nails so far, with more regularly expressing interest brand because of his approach to mentoring veterans, as well as the brand's special pricing incentives for veterans to help make this business path more accessible. Don's region was recently named the Fastest Growing Region in 2024 AND the Most Licenses Sold in 2024 for Hammer & Nails. About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Whether you're looking to buy a new or used car or maybe you want to refinance your current car loan, Navy Federal Credit Union has great rates on auto loans and discounts for Active Duty servicemembers and Veterans. You can apply via their mobile app or online and, in most cases, get a decision in seconds. For those of you looking to refinance your current auto loan, you could get $200 cash back when you refi your loan from another lender. Find out more at navyfederal.org/auto.  At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.    Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

We're back with another special series, diving into one powerful theme at the heart of home birth journeys. This time: First Time Birth Stories. This episode is part two of our conversation with Christie Andersen, our first-time mom planning her home birth while her husband Ryan had been stationed in Korea throughout the whole pregnancy. And a lot has changed since our last conversation! For one, we had a baby! Little Charlotte has since stepped on the scene, and we get to hear all about her grand entrance. Christie shares Ryan's homecoming, anxiety around whether or not she'd actually go into labor while he was home, and how she dealt with the pressure of all the calls and texts inquiring as to baby's arrival. We get to hear the whole process, as it's still fresh in her mind (Charlotte is just 2 weeks old now! They welcomed their baby girl into the world from the comfort of their home along with Christie's mother, a close friend, a midwife, a doula and 2 midwife assistants (quite the full house, which we can relate to!). One of my favorite takeaways from Christie's story is “be open, go with the flow.” It sounds simple, but it's incredibly profound and relevant when it comes to birthing babies. Offers From Our Awesome Partners: Needed: https://needed.sjv.io/XY3903 - use code DIAH to get 20% off your first-time, one-time order More From Doing It At Home: Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/doingitathome Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back with another special series, diving into one powerful theme at the heart of home birth journeys. This time: First Time Birth Stories. What does it look like to fully trust your instincts and choose a new birth path halfway through pregnancy — while your partner is deployed across the world? In this episode we're talking with Christie Andersen about her home birth. Christie was pregnant at the time of our recording, just days away from giving birth. We were incredibly excited that Christie wanted to share her homebirth story with us and let us into her experience as a soon-to-be-mom. On top of all of that magic, Christie was excitedly awaiting the return of her husband, who was on active duty and heading back home that very evening. This is a great story because it's ongoing. Christie Andersen is pregnant - in fact just a couple of days away from her due date at the time of this interview. So this is our first “before and after” style interview where we're talking to a mom who is actively planning and preparing for her home birth (her first!). Christie's husband Ryan was deployed right after they found out they were pregnant. Christie originally intended for a hospital birth but decided to make the switch around 20 weeks, in a bold move to follow her heart and trust her body. Even though he's been thousand of miles away for the entire pregnancy, Ryan has been fully supportive of Christie in her process of transitioning to home birth planning and was traveling home for the birth at the exact moment we were chatting with Christie on the phone for our interview. So already Christie's story is an amazing one - planning a home birth and also representing the community of women and families who experience pregnancies and births often without spouses or other family present because of active military duty. We're so honored to share her journey and excited to bring you the rest in part 2! Offers From Our Awesome Partners: Needed: https://needed.sjv.io/XY3903 - use code DIAH to get 20% off your first-time, one-time order More From Doing It At Home: Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/doingitathome Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Show SummaryOn today's episode, we feature a conversation with Dr. Qwynn Galloway – Salazar, Senior Vice President of Engagement and Transformation at PsychArmor and founder and CEO of In Their Honor, an organization that supports veterans and those who care for them through the end of life.  Provide FeedbackAs a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you about the show. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts about the show in this short feedback survey. By doing so, you will be entered to receive a signed copy of one of our host's three books on military and veteran mental health. About Today's GuestDr. Qwynn Galloway-Salazar is a veteran of the United States Army (01-06) and spouse to a retired combat Veteran. Her work has spanned the last 20 years, supporting our Nation's Military and Veteran communities. As the founder of In Their Honor, LLC, Qwynn serves as an End-of-Life Doula and Trainer. This Spring, she is slated to roll out state-specific training for End-of-Life Professionals supporting Veterans and their Caregivers; and training specifically geared towards the Veteran Caregiver community. In addition, serving as the Co-Principal Investigator of the Brooklyn College Veterans History Project, Qwynn conducts oral history interviews of Veterans, listening to how Veterans make meaning of their experiences and sharing with larger audiences. She believes, as a society, the way we make sense of the Veteran experience shapes the care and support future generations of Veterans receive.While blending her heart work with her head work, her doctoral dissertation entitled “Post-9/11 Women Veterans' Experiences Transitioning Into the Civilian Workforce” landed her the opportunity to serve as a qualitative researcher for the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), § 9104, Study on Unemployment Rate of Women Veterans Who Served on Active Duty in the Armed Forces after September 11, 2001. Along with co-authoring a chapter on “Vicarious Trauma and Compassion Fatigue” in Veteran care providers.Qwynn earned her Ph.D. from Walden University, specializing in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Professional Counseling and a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. She serves on the Board of Directors for the American Association of Suicidology and the Advisory Board of the Veterans Studies Association.Links Mentioned During the EpisodeDr. Qwynn Galloway – Salazar on LinkedInIn Their Honor web site PsychArmor Resource of the WeekThis week's PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor Course Library. Whether you're a health care provider, educator, employer, caregiver, or simply someone who wants to make a difference — PsychArmor courses are designed for you.  You can find the resource here:  https://learn.psycharmor.org/collections Episode Partner: Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmorPsychArmor on XPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

The Mayor of Chicago says the city does not need an occupation by the military and an attempt by Trump to do so would be a flagrant violation of the Constitution. The Washington Post reports that Trump ‘s Pentagon has been planning a military deployment to Chicago for weeks. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker says he has not requested federal help. If Trump is concerned about cleaning up a crime ridden Windy City, Chicago police data shows that overall crime has declined 15 percent since 2023 and incidents like shootings are all down compared to last year.IHeart TV & radio political analyst Gary Dietrich will join us to discuss it all. We welcome Jasmine Burney-Clark to The Mark Thompson Show. She is a social justice activist and the founder of Equal Ground, a community centered civic engagement group. Jasmine will tell us about efforts to protect the vote. The Mark Thompson Show 8/25/25Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you'd like to help, here's our Patreon Link:https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshowMaybe you're more into PayPal.  https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24And you'll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com

This episode features Marine Corps veteran Edgar Zavala, who shares his journey from a diesel mechanic to a successful entrepreneur. Zavala discusses the challenges of military transition, the feeling of unfulfillment despite a high-paying job as a wind turbine technician, and his decision to take a risk by going all in on a new business. As a Global Financial Impact business partner, he now helps others achieve financial freedom through education on estate and legacy planning, proving that with an intentional mindset, veterans can build a prosperous future and generational wealth.   About Our Guest From a Brooklyn kid raised by a single mother to a Marine Corps veteran turned multiple six-figure entrepreneur, Edgar Zavala is proof that your past doesn't define your future. On track for seven figures, Edgar helps people escape the 9-to-5 grind, build generational wealth, and take control of their financial destiny! About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Whether you're looking to buy a new or used car or maybe you want to refinance your current car loan, Navy Federal Credit Union has great rates on auto loans and discounts for Active Duty servicemembers and Veterans. You can apply via their mobile app or online and, in most cases, get a decision in seconds. For those of you looking to refinance your current auto loan, you could get $200 cash back when you refi your loan from another lender. Find out more at navyfederal.org/auto.  At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.    Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

In this week's episode of the Rich Habits Podcast, Robert Croak and Austin Hankwitz answer your questions!---

In SSPI's Accelerate Change podcast series, sponsored by SES, we explore how creative collaboration is transforming the pace of innovation across the space and satellite industry. SES is championing a new era - one where partnerships, agile technologies, and bold ideas are breaking old cycles and building a more connected future. Through conversations with leaders in cloud, telecommunications, sustainability, and space infrastructure, we dive into the stories shaping the next frontier of global connectivity. In the second episode, we hear from three major players at Amazon Web Services: Shayn Hawthorne, General Manager of Space Services, Akanksha Alok, Solutions Architect - Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, and Jonathon Fraker, Senior Account Executive, USSF. Shayn Hawthorne has worked for over 30 years in the space field, first as an Active Duty and Reserve US Air Force astronautical engineer and space operations officer, building and launching research and development satellites for the Intelligence Community (IC) and conducting both space surveillance and counterspace operations. Shayn also served 20 years at the MITRE Corporation as Technical Director on IC sensors, Missile Defense Agency sensors and engagement systems, and Space Control Operations. Shayn then joined Amazon Web Services where he founded AWS Ground Station, Amazon's 1st space service, helped start AWS's Aerospace & Satellite Solutions Division, and developed on-orbit space edge runtimes. Shayn is now AWS's Principal Advisor for National Security sensors and satellites. In this role Shayn works with customers and builders across AWS to build new enterprises that utilize AWS services and features to disrupt how space operations are conducted. Akanksha Alok is an Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning professional with a background in computer science from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Johns Hopkins. With over five years at Amazon Web Services, she has held impactful roles-first as a Data Scientist, where she built end-to-end machine learning pipelines, and currently as a Solutions Architect, helping organizations design and scale "intelligent" systems both on the ground and in space. Her expertise spans natural language processing, computer vision, and generative Al, with deep focus areas including agentic workflows, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), context engineering, and large-scale model training and inference. Akanksha is passionate about translating cutting-edge research into practical solutions that drive real-world value. Jonathon Fraker is a Space Technology and National Security professional specializing in cloud-enabled space operations. At Amazon Web Services, he partners with the U.S. Space Force to implement mission-critical cloud solutions that enhance space operations capabilities. He has also developed new AWS space-edge services, delivering innovative solutions for both government and commercial missions. His expertise spans space mission management, ground systems architecture, and cloud technology integration for space and defense applications. During his tenure at Raytheon Technologies, he led FVEY space programs that pioneered cloud-based Mission Management systems. Jonathon focuses on advancing national space capabilities through commercial innovation, dedicating his career to empowering space and national security partners with transformative technologies.

This episode, we sit down with U.S. Army veteran and entrepreneur Chas Sampson. He's the founder of Seven Principles, a company that has helped veterans secure over $300 million in VA disability benefits. Chas shares his insights on navigating the VA claim process, including common mistakes veterans make, the four key elements of a successful claim, and the impact of the PACT Act. We also get an exclusive look at his latest project: a new, low cost AI-powered tool-designed to assist veterans with resumes, claims, and benefits navigation. Episode Resources: Seven Principles     About Our Guest Chas Sampson is a U.S. Army veteran, dynamic entrepreneur, and devoted father who has turned service into scalable impact. As the founder and CEO of Seven Principles, Chas has helped thousands of veterans secure over $300 million in VA disability benefits scaling the company from his kitchen table to multimillion-dollar annual revenue. His ventures extend beyond advocacy. Chas is also a licensed real estate investor and mortgage broker, leading property flips and housing solutions in Texas while building out a national mortgage vertical. His newest innovation? Developing a large language model (LLM) designed to help military members transition into civilian life with AI-powered tools for resumes, disability claims, and benefit navigation. Whether he's creating opportunities for underserved communities, expanding real estate holdings, or coaching his kids on life's principles, Chas leads with integrity, impact, and innovation. On the mic, he brings real talk on entrepreneurship, fatherhood, veteran advocacy, tech, and how to scale purpose into power.   About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Whether you're looking to buy a new or used car or maybe you want to refinance your current car loan, Navy Federal Credit Union has great rates on auto loans and discounts for Active Duty servicemembers and Veterans. You can apply via their mobile app or online and, in most cases, get a decision in seconds. For those of you looking to refinance your current auto loan, you could get $200 cash back when you refi your loan from another lender. Find out more at navyfederal.org/auto.  At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.    Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

Send us a textThink active duty is the only path? Derrick Blake would like a word—preferably during his 3-day weekend. From almost joining the Marines to wrenching on A-10s and recruiting for the 193rd Special Operations Wing, Derrick walks us through how the Air National Guard let him stay home, stack checks, and still deploy to undisclosed sandbox locations. Oh, and did we mention you start getting paid before basic? Yeah. This one's going to ruffle some feathers—and we love it.We talk Guard myths vs. facts, how student flight is the low-key cheat code, and why most people have no damn clue what the Guard even is. If you're trying to join TACP or EOD through the Guard and haven't hit up Derrick yet, what are you even doing?

Want to be a guest or know someone would be a great fit? I am looking for military vets, active duty, military brats, veteran service orgs or anyone in the fitness industryWhat happens when military precision meets the messy reality of motherhood? First Lieutenant Jasmine Murphy knows firsthand as she navigates the complex terrain of being an active-duty Army Intelligence Officer, historian, mother, and women's advocate. Her journey from enlisted Military Police to commissioned officer offers a masterclass in resilience and adaptation.Lt. Murphy takes us back to her beginnings as a young Private – the only Black woman and one of just two Black people in her 40-person platoon. Rather than being intimidated, she built her reputation through excellence while being "treated like one of the guys." Today, with the wisdom of experience and formal education in Black American history, she recognizes her responsibility to help other women rise through the ranks. The transformation from competitive peer to supportive mentor represents her evolution as a leader.Motherhood revolutionized Murphy's leadership approach. Once the "least empathetic person" who expected everyone to push through difficulties as she had, becoming a mother opened her eyes to the power of compassion and accommodation. She candidly shares how pregnancy and postpartum experiences made her a more understanding leader who recognizes that sometimes "you can't just thug it out." Her appreciation for the military's improved parental leave policies (from 12 days to 12 weeks for fathers, and 18 weeks total for mothers) highlights the positive changes in supporting military families.The Legacy Framework, Murphy's signature approach to empowering ambitious women, helps them integrate motherhood, self-identity, and career without compromise. Based on historical awareness and authentic self-expression, it encourages women to define success on their own terms rather than society's timeline. For military members approaching transition, she advises exploring potential paths years before separation through classes, seminars, and networking opportunities.Want to hear how one remarkable woman balances the demands of military service with the joys and challenges of motherhood while advocating for women everywhere? Listen now to discover insights that will change how you think about success, service, and self-fulfillment. Then share your own balancing act experiences in the comments – we'd love to hear from you!info@iamjazminerenae.comSupport the show

Wondering how to unlock premium travel perks and avoid annual fees while serving on Active Duty, the Guard, Reserves? Or maybe you're a military spouse and curious if you qualify for the same protections and waivers? This episode dives deep into the ins and outs of MLA and SCRA protections, credit card strategies, and maximizing those free hotel nights and points. Links & Resources Mentioned: Spencer's article explaining MLA Database MLA Database Lookup SCRA Request Page – Amex Mentorship with Spencer & Jamie For a limited time, Spencer is offering one-on-one Military Money Mentor sessions! Get your personal military money and investing questions answered in a confidential coaching call. Our new TSP course is live! Check out the Confident TSP Investing course at militarymoneymanual.com/tsp to learn all about the Thrift Savings Plan and strategies for growing your wealth while in the military. Use promo code "podcast24" for $50 off. Plus, for every course sold, we'll donate one course to an E-4 or below- for FREE! If you have a question you would like us to answer on the podcast, please reach out on instagram.com/militarymoneymanual or email podcast@militarymoneymanual.com. If you want to maximize your military paycheck, check out Spencer's 5 star rated book The Military Money Manual: A Practical Guide to Financial Freedom on Amazon or at shop.militarymoneymanual.com. I also offer a 100% free course on military travel hacking and getting annual fee waived credit cards, like The Platinum Card® from American Express, the American Express® Gold Card, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card in my Ultimate Military Credit Cards Course at militarymoneymanual.com/umc3. Learn how to get your annual fees waived on premium credit cards from American Express in the Ultimate Military Credit Cards Course at militarymoneymanual.com/umc3. The Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card waive the annual fee for active duty military servicemembers, including Guard and Reserve on active orders over 30 days. The annual fees on all personal Amex cards are also waived for military spouses married to active duty troops.

Welcome back to the show, Aaron Quinonez, aka Sgt. Q. He's here to share his Marine Corps journey, including his personal struggle with mental health after transitioning to civilian life. Sgt. Q emphasizes why leaders must invest in their teams' mental well-being and the inspiration behind his QActual app. Episode Resources: QMissions QActual     About Our Guest Aaron Sgt Q Quinonez is a decorated Marine veteran, award-winning entrepreneur, and mental health innovator. He's the creator of the QActual app and founder of QMissions, a nonprofit helping veterans heal through service. Once homeless and struggling with PTSD, he now empowers high-performing teams through resilience, service, and purpose. About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Whether you're looking to buy a new or used car or maybe you want to refinance your current car loan, Navy Federal Credit Union has great rates on auto loans and discounts for Active Duty servicemembers and Veterans. You can apply via their mobile app or online and, in most cases, get a decision in seconds. For those of you looking to refinance your current auto loan, you could get $200 cash back when you refi your loan from another lender. Find out more at navyfederal.org/auto.  At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.      Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

A conversation with Marc Arnold. Find the video of this conversation at https://youtu.be/QO0FKYGxuz8

Dan Tadross, Head of Public Sector at Scale AI, joins Mike Shanley to explore what Agentic AI Warfare might look like in the near future. The conversation covers AI interoperability with legacy systems, the evolving landscape of data sources and large language models (LLMs), and the significance of Meta's $13 billion investment in this space.   RESOURCES: GovDiscovery AI Federal Capture Support: https://www.govdiscoveryai.com/ Scale LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/scaleai/posts/?feedView=all Dan Tadross LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dantadross/ Scale X profile: https://x.com/scale_ai Scale website: https://scale.com Scale YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Scale_AI BIOGRAPHY: Dan Tadross is the Head of Public Sector at Scale AI, a dual use technology company that builds the infrastructure for the most ambitious artificial intelligence projects in the world. In this role, Dan oversees all aspects of Scale's support to the U.S. public sector. Prior to Scale, Dan served 12 years on Active Duty in the Marine Corps where he was a founding member of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC), a precursor to the Pentagon's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office. At the JAIC, Dan established the Joint Warfighting National Mission Initiative and led project Gargoyle, which focused on deploying Computer Vision for enhancing force protection. Prior to the JAIC, Major Tadross, an Air Traffic Control Officer, was hand selected as a member of the Secretary of the Navy's Innovation Advisory Council, where he conducted independent research at the MITRE Corporation on integrating AI into Aviation Command and Control. His previous tours included Marine Air Tactical Command Squadron 18 in Okinawa, Japan where he served as the Senior Air Coordinator and supported exercises in South Korea, the Philippines, and Australia. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Old Dominion University and a Masters in Technology Management from Georgetown University. LEARN MORE: Thank you for tuning into this episode of the GovDiscovery AI Podcast with Mike Shanley. You can learn more about working with the U.S. Government by visiting our homepage: Konektid International and GovDiscovery AI. To connect with our team directly, message the host Mike Shanley on LinkedIn. https://www.govdiscoveryai.com/  https://www.konektid.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/gov-market-growth/ 

Tune in to the 600th installment of Veteran On the Move as Joe Crane sits down with Coast Guard Veteran Donny Hackett. Our guest is the visionary co-creator behind VeriDeal, a groundbreaking platform launching August 18th that promises to transform the world of tech sales. Don't miss this insightful conversation about innovation and entrepreneurship! Episode Resources: VeriDeal.io | sales achievements   About Our Guest Donny and Jason are Veterans who created VeriDeal to change how employees get hired. Donny was enlisted and served 4.5 years in the US Coast Guard. After his service, Donny has been in Sales for the past 10+ years and has noticed a glaring fault with the hiring process. Jason was also enlisted and served 12 years in the US Army. He has worked within DevOps for more than 20+ years with a background of building sensitive and large scale programs and environments. Together, they have built and launching VeriDeal on August 18th to help everyone, especially Veterans, within the corporate world stand out and get that next job or promotion.   About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Whether you're looking to buy a new or used car or maybe you want to refinance your current car loan, Navy Federal Credit Union has great rates on auto loans and discounts for Active Duty service members and Veterans. You can apply via their mobile app or online and, in most cases, get a decision in seconds. For those of you looking to refinance your current auto loan, you could get $200 cash back when you refi your loan from another lender. Find out more at navyfederal.org/auto.  At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.    Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

In this episode of Veteran On the Move, Joe chats with Marine Veteran Wayne Courreges. Wayne shares his journey from Marine Corps Corporal to successful real estate investor, now managing over $60 million in assets. Discover how Wayne got started in real estate during his service and eventually transitioned to full-time investing. Don't miss his advice on achieving entrepreneurial success and building lasting wealth! Episode Resources: PASSIVE INVESTOR COACHING  CREI Partners   About Our Guest Wayne Courreges is the Founder and Lead Sponsor of CREI Partners, a real estate investment firm with over $60 million in assets under management across Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama. He helps busy professionals build generational wealth through passive investments in apartment communities and RV/boat and business storage developments. A former Marine Corps Corporal, Wayne began his real estate journey during his service and went on to spend 16 years with a Fortune 125 commercial real estate firm before transitioning full-time to real estate investing. Based in Central Texas, he is committed to protecting investor capital, delivering strong returns, and making a positive impact in the communities he serves.   About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   Whether you're looking to buy a new or used car or maybe you want to refinance your current car loan, Navy Federal Credit Union has great rates on auto loans and discounts for Active Duty servicemembers and Veterans. You can apply via their mobile app or online and, in most cases, get a decision in seconds. For those of you looking to refinance your current auto loan, you could get $200 cash back when you refi your loan from another lender. Find out more at navyfederal.org/auto.  At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.    Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com.  Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review!  Download Joe Crane's Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship.  As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

https://asvabdomination.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Cuevas.wav

Day 4 of violent protests in Los Angeles has U.S. Marines on standby to assist in the protection of federal workers and property.  Why are democrats still insisting these are “peaceful” protests?  [00:00:00] Rep. Darrell Issa [00:09:06] Joe Manchin [00:18:27] Allen West [00:36:50] Mollie Hemingway [01:13:36] Andrew McCarthy [01:32:00] Sen. Jon Husted Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John has extensive experience in both the Military and Civilian realms. He has 35 years in Active Duty, Reserve and National Guard service and 22 straight months in Iraq and Kuwait.  While deployed to OIF I and II, he served in various positions on the staffs of Lt Generals David McKiernan, Rick Sanchez, GEN George Casey, Under Secretary of the Navy (Admiral) Greg Slavonic, and Major General Erv Lessel.  His assignments included handling media during Saddam Hussein's arraignment, numerous press conferences, and serving as the Intelligence Liaison to the Interim Iraqi Government under MG Barb Fast.  He developed U.S. media strategy for addressing anti-coalition press and propaganda in Arab media during the battles of An Najaf and Fallujah, as well as many other special assignments in Baghdad.

Tune in for America's top suicide prevention organization dedicated to providing Active-Duty, Reserve, National Guard, and prior service veterans with solutions that work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit allenwest.substack.com/subscribe

Scott Valentic joined the Army in 2002 and served time in Iraq. Following active duty, Scott became a police officer, and then ultimately a detective within the drug taskforce.On this episode of the Bare Knuckle Recovery Podcast, Scott shares his perspective on the trauma of working in those environments, how he turned to alcohol to numb that emotional pain, his denial about having a problem with alcohol, and then ultimately how he came to be sitting here today as an employee of Allendale Treatment and member of Bare Knuckle Recovery with 3.5 years of sobriety.Watch this episode here: https://www.bareknucklerecovery.com/

Text Our Show HostsTonight, Buddy and I are joined by special guests, Brittany and Mike,… from Refuge Medical.As the Director of Operations for Refuge Medical, Brittany plays a vital role in running the company alongside its owner. Starting as the social media manager, her dedication and unwavering "make it happen" and "figure it the F out" mindset quickly earned her the leadership role she holds today. Beyond her professional achievements, she is a devoted wife and mom of four, proudly married to a Marine Corps veteran.She is currently thriving in her "non-toxic products, no artificial dyes, canning, gym-going, hot mess of a mom life, that she cherishes.With a heart for mission work and a passion for saving lives, she is proud to be a part of a company whose first aid kits have contributed to saving over 140 lives.Mike… known as Medic Mike, served on Active Duty and Reserves Marine Corp, in many locations in the U.S. and abroad in both regular and deployment assignments. Medic Mike runs the medical training classes at Refuge medical as well as phone-jockeying customer service questions and assistance. Mike is the real deal.To say he has a large list of achievements would be an understatement. I'll put Mike's full Bio in the show notes for y'all to peruse.  Mike… Brittany… Thank you guys, so much for excepting our invitation to be on the show tonight… Let's Get To It.Use Speacial Discount Code at Checkout:TOPS10REFUGE MEDICAL FIRST AID & TRAININGBearFAK 3.0 Individual First Aid KitBear Ankle KitField Medic KitWound Care BucketSurgical BucketVisit HoneyComb Holler on YouTubeTOPSBunker.comSupport the show