Podcasts about gi bill

Trump plans a big ol' parade. Ben riffs. Charles Henderson returns to talk the state of America on Memorial Day. Including...Trump's newfound "pacifism". Why Kamala Harris lost. Would Biden have done any better? Royko's Boss. The GI Bill then and now. Congressman John Rankin's not-so-pretty legacy. And Ben's Rhode Island past. Charles is an Army Desert Storm vet and an activist in Chicago.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In a recent episode of Valley Today, host Janet Michael engaged in a compelling discussion with Michael Diaz, Chairman of the Northern Shenandoah Valley Community Veterans Engagement Board (CVEB). The conversation aimed to shed light on the essential services and support that the CVEB provides to veterans in the local community. Diaz, donning many hats, passionately explained the board's mission and operations. Janet opened the conversation by referring to a previous show featuring Dan Abel from the Rotary Club of Winchester, which highlighted the Healing Fields of Honor event at Handley High School. Diaz elaborated on Heroes Hill, where CVEB partners to provide services to veterans who might be unaware of their existence. The Healing Fields event involves placing 800 flags on the front lawn of Handley High School, symbolizing a profound tribute to service members. Michael Diaz detailed the origins of the CVEB, which was established in 2017 after branching off from a larger four-state veterans board. The CVEB serves various counties including Frederick, Winchester, and Page, although they are flexible in referring veterans to other boards if needed. Diaz discussed the unique function of the CVEB, which, while promoted by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), operates independently. The board's primary objective is to identify local veterans' needs and rally community stakeholders to address these needs. “The VA operates at a 35,000-foot level, focusing on big-picture items,” Diaz explained. The CVEB aims to meet specific local requirements that may be overlooked by broader federal programs. They also relay community feedback to the VA, representing a private-public partnership geared towards bettering veterans' lives. Throughout the conversation, Diaz emphasized the importance of community partnerships and resources. He noted that CVEB's activities range from financial assistance to housing and healthcare, with a roster of active and inactive community partners that help meet diverse needs. The board's efforts are holistic, involving organizations like Heroes on the River and Project Healing Waters, which provide recreational and therapeutic activities for veterans. These partnerships enable the board to minimize challenges by leveraging various community resources. Janet highlighted the critical role of awareness in accessing veteran services. Many veterans may not know about the resources available until they're in urgent need. Diaz urged veterans to apply early for benefits and engage with community organizations to preempt future challenges. He shared examples of how timely applications for disability ratings can significantly impact veterans' financial stability later in life. Diaz explained that CVEB's services extend to family members, recognizing the sacrifices made by veterans' families. The board also offers support for mental health issues and traumatic brain injuries, partnering with organizations like Brain Injury Services. Education is another crucial area, with Díaz noting that the GI Bill provides expansive opportunities for veterans, including degree programs and certifications, which significantly enhance their post-service lives. The discussion concluded with details about CVEB's physical and digital touchpoints. For those who cannot attend events like the Healing Fields of Honor, the board's website (nsvcveb.org) offers extensive resources and a membership directory. They also hold monthly meetings, fostering networking and collaboration among community organizations. Those meetings happen on the fourth Thursday of each month from 9am - 10:30am at 'The Hive' located on the campus of Shenandoah University. Janet wrapped up by encouraging family members and friends of veterans to reach out to CVEB. Whether accessing services or becoming community partners, engagement is key to strengthening the support network for veterans. Michael extended an open invitation to community organizations to join efforts in supporting veterans, making a collective impact on the lives of those who have served. With events like the Healing Fields of Honor and month-to-month community collaborations, CVEB aims to continue its mission of service above self.

THE INTERVIEW Native Americans serve at a higher percentage than the general population. Still, there are misunderstandings about their culture and spiritual beliefs even among their brothers and sisters in the armed forces. In this week's episode, Army veteran Mitchelene BigMan talks about her military service as a Native American, importance of culture, creation of a Native American women veterans nonprofit and more. SCUTTLEBUTT Down the Reddit Rabbit Hole: Native Americans and the U.S. Military Tribal flags removed from Phoenix VA hospital under new federal policy Memorial Honoring Native American U.S. Veterans proposed for Minnesota Capitol grounds Special Guest: Mitchelene BigMan.

Shoot us a Text.Episode #1047: Kia's veteran apprenticeship program is creating certified techs and stronger stores, while “American-made” is a lot harder to accomplish than it sounds. Plus, OpenAI is taking on software engineering with a new update.Show Notes with links:Kia America's Veterans Technician Apprenticeship Program is helping dealers find, train, and retain top-tier tech talent by giving veterans a fast path to certification—and the results are showing up in the service drive.Launched in 2023, the program combines mentorship, on-the-job training, and a 30-day certification bootcamp.Approved by the DOL and VA, it offers tax credits and GI Bill stipends to offset dealer costs.462 Kia dealerships have enrolled; 278 veterans—including 16 women—have been hired so far.Participating stores report higher appointment volume, productivity, and lower tech turnover.Speaking about program graduate Caleb Samsel, Anthony Catalanotto of Generation Auto Group said “He's a leader. He says the right things. He does the right things. He's always in his uniform. He's always working hard. If someone can't figure something out, he's right with them.”Despite political pressure and patriotic branding, building a truly American-made vehicle is still more fantasy than factory reality. Ford's latest Expedition highlights just how global even U.S.-assembled vehicles remain.The Expedition is assembled in Kentucky, but only 58% of its parts are North American, with key components like engines and semiconductors still coming from overseas.Automakers say sourcing 90% U.S. content could raise vehicle prices $10K–$20K, pricing out many buyers.Past vehicles reached 90%+ U.S./Canada content; today's tech and globalization make that rare.“We can move everything to the U.S., but if every Ford is $50,000, we're not going to win,” said Ford CEO Jim Farley.OpenAI is expanding its capabilities in one of AI's most competitive frontiers: software engineering. Its new Codex agent is designed to handle complex coding tasks autonomously and at scale.Codex performs tasks like writing code, fixing bugs, running tests, and reviewing codebases.Built on the new codex-1 model, optimized from OpenAI's o3 reasoning architecture.Available to ChatGPT Pro, Team, and Enterprise users during a research preview.Competitors like Anthropic's Sonnet models still lead developer adoption, but the field is evolving quickly.“It is a fundamentally new way of working,” said OpenAI VP of Engineering Srinivas Narayanan.Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.Get the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/

You know those moments when a photograph or film clip feels like it's speaking hidden truths? New School professor and interdisciplinary artist Isaiah Winters returns to share how rigorous archival research fuels his photography, film, and mixed-media practice. From earning his MFA at Parsons to documenting pro-Palestinian campus protests and exposing housing inequities, Isaiah shows how historical fragments—old photographs, 16 mm and 35 mm film, collages—become living narratives that confront nationalism, indexicality, and structural racism.MFA to professor: completing his Parsons MFA and stepping into a full-time teaching role in The New School's photo departmentArchival layering: fusing historical photographs, film, and collage to interrogate narratives of nationalism and memory“This Land Is Your Land” revisited: investigating segregation, Indigenous displacement, and public memory in national parksUnpacking housing myths: exposing GI Bill disparities, postwar suburbanization, and systemic racism in American housingOn-campus documentation: capturing student-led pro-Palestinian encampments and the resurgence of fascist undercurrentsAnalog expansion: why he embraces 35 mm and experimental video to turn archives into urgent calls for changeCatch Isaiah Winters's first conversation here:  Whether you're an educator, activist, or lover of visual storytelling, Isaiah's approach will open new pathways for seeing archives as living tools—and may inspire your next creative act. Photograph by Isaiah Winters Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis. Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcast The Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

Full episode available on Patreon: patreon.com/containInterview with Anthony Darnell, aka Darnell the Artist, known for his daily social media posts of cryptic and hallucinatory artwork based on conspiracy theories, politics, and his military experience. He shares his experiences in the US Marine Corps, using art as therapy, PTSD, the GI Bill, conspiracy theories, and more. This is Anthony's first spoken interview. 

Universities are under attack, but what exactly are the threats? How does free speech in the last 10 years compare to today? What do we stand to lose if higher education collapses? In this episode, Brandice Canes-Wrone dives into the major threats facing universities—from defunding to restrictions on free expression—and what we can do to solve them. We explore the history of universities, from their religious roots to the transformative impact of the GI Bill, examine how America's global leadership is tied to the strength of its higher education system, and discuss why universities must remain vital spaces for intellectual experimentation, free inquiry, and personal growth. Madison's Notes is the podcast of Princeton University's James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. Contributions to and/or sponsorship of any speaker does not constitute departmental or institutional endorsement of the specific program, speakers or views presented. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

Universities are under attack, but what exactly are the threats? How does free speech in the last 10 years compare to today? What do we stand to lose if higher education collapses? In this episode, Brandice Canes-Wrone dives into the major threats facing universities—from defunding to restrictions on free expression—and what we can do to solve them. We explore the history of universities, from their religious roots to the transformative impact of the GI Bill, examine how America's global leadership is tied to the strength of its higher education system, and discuss why universities must remain vital spaces for intellectual experimentation, free inquiry, and personal growth. Madison's Notes is the podcast of Princeton University's James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. Contributions to and/or sponsorship of any speaker does not constitute departmental or institutional endorsement of the specific program, speakers or views presented. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/politics-and-polemics

Universities are under attack, but what exactly are the threats? How does free speech in the last 10 years compare to today? What do we stand to lose if higher education collapses? In this episode, Brandice Canes-Wrone dives into the major threats facing universities—from defunding to restrictions on free expression—and what we can do to solve them. We explore the history of universities, from their religious roots to the transformative impact of the GI Bill, examine how America's global leadership is tied to the strength of its higher education system, and discuss why universities must remain vital spaces for intellectual experimentation, free inquiry, and personal growth. Madison's Notes is the podcast of Princeton University's James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. Contributions to and/or sponsorship of any speaker does not constitute departmental or institutional endorsement of the specific program, speakers or views presented. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Matt Walker MA, is a dedicated men's psychologist and international mountain guide based in Washington, USA. With a mission to help men navigate mid-life challenges, Matt empowers his clients to define success, align their values with actions, and live unapologetically. Through 1:1 coaching, group programs, immersive retreats, and transformative climbing expeditions, Matt creates opportunities for growth, adventure, and community. His work is rooted in fostering clarity, boldness, and a life lived in alignment with personal values. Matt lives in a mountain town in Washington State with his two children and balances parenting with a full workload which includes coaching individual and groups, leading climbing expeditions both professionally and personally Matt Walker Vroom Vroom Veer Show Summary Matt's Balancing Act and Life Shifts Matt discusses his work as both a mountain guide and a psychologist, supporting men through major life transitions. He is excited about the balance in his calendar between traditional coaching and field work in the mountains. Matt mentions he has a new book coming out after a 10-year publishing hiatus. He also reflects on how his values and priorities have shifted with age, emphasizing the importance of embracing these changes rather than judging oneself based on past expectations. Skepticism and the Shaping of Belief Matt and Jeffery discuss their approaches to knowledge and belief. Jeffery describes himself as highly skeptical, avoiding absolute certainty and viewing most things on a spectrum of probability. Matt agrees with this perspective, sharing an example from a memoir that acknowledged multiple viewpoints of the same experience. They discuss the unreliability of memory and the impact of mentors and teachers in shaping their worldviews. Matt reflects on how early influences expanded his understanding of career possibilities beyond his suburban upbringing. Mountain Climbing and Post-Military Life Matt shares his experience of moving from Northern New Jersey to Washington State after high school, motivated by his desire to be in the mountains following an Outward Bound course. He became involved in the climbing community, joining a group of experienced climbers and participating in significant expeditions. Matt later pursued a degree in philosophy but ultimately worked as a full-time mountain guide, leading international expeditions including the Seven Summits. Jeffery, in contrast, completed a bachelor's degree in psychology using his GI Bill after retiring from the Air Force, but chose not to pursue a career in that field. Matt's Approach to Existential Crises Matt discusses his approach to helping clients who are experiencing existential crises. He explains that he combines his background in psychology with outdoor experiences, particularly mountain climbing, to create a more effective therapeutic environment. Matt emphasizes the importance of having a guide during these experiences, comparing it to psychedelic journeys with proper set and setting. He notes that the most powerful moments for clarity and transformation occur during the descent from a summit, before transitioning back to everyday life. Matt sees his role as a supportive guide rather than actively doing the work for his clients. Challenging Experiences and Personal Growth Matt and Jeffery discuss the transformative power of challenging experiences, particularly in the context of personal growth and self-awareness. They explore how these experiences can lead to clarity, alignment between values and actions, and a sense of awakening. Jeffery shares his recent experience with a meditation app called "Way App," which he finds more effective than typical meditation apps due to its foundation in authentic Zen practices. They both agree that consistent, thoughtful practice can lead to gradual but meaningful increases in awareness and personal growth.

"Prepare for the unexpected, and protect yourself accordingly."Episode SummaryIn this episode we welcome back Second Amendment attorney Peter Tilem of Tilem and Associates. The conversation centers around legal defense for gun owners in New York, with a focus on Peter's New York TAC Defense prepaid legal plan as a solution to the lack of concealed carry insurance options in the state. The hosts and Peter dive into recent gun law headlines, including Supreme Court decisions on age restrictions, mass shootings and legislation, safe firearm storage, and the persistent hypocrisy in American politics. With a mix of insightful legal discussion, entertaining banter, commentary on social issues and gritty real-world examples, this episode will keep you informed and entertained.Topics covered include:Navigating New York's hostile legal climate for gun ownersThe practical benefits of prepaid legal defense versus traditional insuranceHow recent court decisions impact 18–20-year-old gun owners nationwideResponses to mass shootings and the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of new gun control lawsGun storage, responsible ownership, and the importance of preparednessThe political hypocrisy affecting gun owners, with sharp commentary on current eventsThe impact of AI on research, law, and everyday interactionsEntertaining takes on pop culture headlines—from Photoshop fails to tone-deaf space tripsCall to Action1. Join our mailing list: Thegunexperiment.com2. Subscribe and leave us a comment on Apple or Spotify3. Follow us on all of our social media: Instagram Twitter Youtube Facebook4. Be a part of our growing community, join our Discord page!5. Grab some cool TGE merch6. Ask us anything at AskMikeandKeith@gmail.com5. Be sure to support the sponsors of the show. They are an integral part of making the show possible.Join New York TAC Defense:New Yorkers, can get peace of mind and anywhere from $250,000 to unlimited criminal defense representation—sign up with New York TAC Defense. Use code “the gun experiment” at newyorktacdefense.com.Show SponsorsModern Gun Trade SchoolKickstart your gunsmithing hobby or career with courses built for enthusiasts—military discounts available and GI Bill accepted.Learn more: mgs.edu or call (800) 493 - 4114.Cooper's Cast CoffeeShow Mom you care this Mother's Day (and support the show) with premium coffee gift boxes from Cooper's Cask CoffeeCheck out all of their offerings at

Saving for education can feel overwhelming, especially when you're juggling military life, moves, and everything in between. Whether it's understanding your military benefits, choosing the right savings plan, or figuring out how to afford college for multiple kids at once, it can get complicated quickly. In this episode, Joe Brown shares strategies to help you plan for education expenses while making the most of your military benefits. We talk about how to use the GI Bill smartly, what to know about Chapter 35, and why scholarships and merit money should be a big part of your family's game plan. Plus, Joe breaks down 529 plans, education savings accounts, and tips for blending everything together without the stress. Joe is a CFP® Professional, an MQFP®, and a visiting professor of personal finance at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, where his work is supported by the USAA Educational Foundation. He's the founder and lead planner at Always Ready Financial Planning. https://milmo.co/podcast/smarter-college-and-life-planning-for-military-families For more MILMO, follow at: MILMO.co ItsMILMO on YouTube @itsmilmo on X @itsmilmo Instagram @itsmilmo LinkedIn @itsmilmo Facebook

In this deeply personal episode, I sit down with my brother, Sam Deering, to explore the layered journey of identity—how it forms, evolves, fractures, and heals over a lifetime. Sam shares openly about his search for belonging through many identities. We dive into big questions like Who am I? and Where do I belong?, weaving in the lens of Internal Family Systems (IFS) to understand how parts of ourselves are shaped by survival, societal pressures, and the deep human need for connection. _________________________ We explore: What identity really means, and why it matters How society pressures us to exile parts of who we are The desperate human need for belonging and connection Sam's identity journey How anger became a tool for survival and expression as a man Lessons the military taught him about values, boundaries, and self-trust Using creativity and boundaries to channel identity healthily How Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy sheds light on identity fragmentation and healing The power of acceptance, kindness, and making space for mistakes Why diversifying your identity is essential for resilience and wholeness Sam speaks with honesty, humor, and hard-won wisdom about how belonging isn't something we find "out there"—it's something we reclaim inside ourselves, one part at a time. ________________________ About Sam Deering Sam Deering is a potter living in the hills of southern New Hampshire, working with one of humanity's oldest mediums: clay.  After leaving the military and enrolling in a college pottery class on the GI Bill, Sam found a new path—one rooted in simplicity, creativity, and grounded living. He apprenticed under master potter Kevin Crowe at Tye River Pottery in Virginia, and today he creates beautiful, functional pieces that make everyday life feel a little calmer, a little richer, and a little more human. _______________________________ Connect with Sam & See His Work:

What if the solution to accounting's talent shortage has been hiding in plain sight? In this episode, Navy veteran Mark Steinhoff reveals how the precision required to maintain life support systems on submarines directly translates to accounting excellence. Having managed critical oxygen systems hundreds of feet underwater, Mark now applies that same meticulous attention to detail as an accountant for a water utility. With the profession facing a 70,000-person annual deficit while 200,000 service members transition to civilian life each year, discover how military experience with procedures, documentation, and quality assurance creates natural accounting professionals—and why veterans might be the untapped talent pool accounting desperately needs.Chapters(01:09) - Transitioning from Military to Accounting (02:37) - Similarities Between Military and Accounting (05:46) - Life on a Submarine (11:31) - How Did Working On a Sub Translate to Accounting (16:43) - The Procedure is Not Optional (20:50) - Current Role and Future Aspirations (24:30) - Exploring Career Paths in Accounting (24:53) - Transitioning from Military to Accounting (26:31) - Leveraging the GI Bill for Education (26:44) - Navigating the Pandemic and Career Decisions (28:36) - The Value of a Business Degree (29:08) - Balancing Education and Personal Life (30:53) - Gaining Practical Experience in Accounting (32:23) - Pursuing an MBA and CPA (45:24) - The Evolving Role of Accountants (47:01) - Closing Thoughts and Encouragement Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://earmarkcpe.comhttps://earmark.app/Download the Earmark CPE App Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.appConnect with Our Guest, Mark SteinhoffLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marknsteinhoff/Connect with Blake Oliver, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverTwitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/

A discussion of the recent HTDS narrative episodes on FDR and the New Deal. Think of it as a book club for additional insights into these latest chapters of the HTDS chronological story of America. Professor Greg Jackson is joined by Professor Lindsey Cormack to discuss the government's response to the Great Depression and the legacy of the New Deal. They explore the causes of the Depression, the government's initial missteps, and the eventual successes of programs like the CCC. The episode also features an interview between Professor Cormack and historian Neil Maher, who wrote a book about the CCC. They discuss the history of the CCC, its impact on the environment and the economy, and its legacy today.   Lindsey Cormack is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Stevens Institute of Technology and the former Director of the Diplomacy Lab. She is the creator of DCInbox, a comprehensive digital archive of Congress-to-constituent e-newsletters, and the author of How to Raise a Citizen (And Why It's Up to You to Do It) and Congress and U.S. Veterans: From the GI Bill to the VA Crisis.  Neil M. Maher is a Professor of History and Master Teacher in the Federated History Department at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers University-Newark.  He is an award-winning author, instructor, and public speaker interested in the environmental and political history of the United States. Maher's scholarship and teaching explore how the natural environment has mediated power relationships between people over time.  His most recent books include Apollo in the Age of Aquarius (Harvard University Press, 2017) and Nature's New Deal: The Civilian Conservation Corps and the Roots of the American Environmental Movement. ____ Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. HTDS is part of Audacy media network. Interested in advertising on the podcast? Contact Audacyinc.com To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Struggling to get hired as a pilot? In this episode, Ralyn Wheeler shares her journey from estate management to aviation and her role as a Part 135 pilot recruiter. She dives into what recruiters actually look for in a resume, how to make yours stand out in the right way, and common mistakes that could cost you an opportunity. She also discusses the benefits of flying Part 135, including variety, scheduling, and how to leverage SkillBridge and the GI Bill for your career. If you're looking to land your next aviation job, this episode is packed with insider advice! What You'll Learn from this Episode: The #1 thing recruiters look for on a pilot's resume Why your resume should be one page (and what happens if it isn't!) How to structure your flight hours for maximum impact Key differences between Part 135 and Part 121 flying How to use SkillBridge and the GI Bill to boost your career The power of networking and a simple tip to improve your resume today  #Aviation #AviationCareers #pilotcareer #pilottips #pilotcareertips #aviationcrew #AviationJobs #AviationLeadership #flying #PilotSuccess #pilotpodcast #PilotPreparation #Pilotrecruitment #AviationEducation #AviationOpportunities #AviationPodcast #flyingtips #AirlineInterviewPrep #PilotDevelopment #PilotFinance #PilotExperience #PilotTraining

National Medal of Honor Day THE INTERVIEW Access to food, childcare, transportation, mental health resources, social connection and more are key issues facing veterans in their first year transitioning out of the military. Air Force veteran Abby Kinch shares how Student Veterans of America is addressing these needs with its Basic Needs and Wellness Survey. SCUTTLEBUTT The first Americans to earn the Distinguished Service Cross were two Army nurses Remembering Marine Corps veteran and Academy Award-winning actor Gene Hackman Special Guest: Abby Kinch.

64% of veterans will leave initial first post-military job in the first two years! Repeat guest Kate Horrell joins us again to discuss her thought-provoking post on this topic. Of course there are always outliers and unique circumstances, but in genral we hope this conversation helps you slow down and question the pressure to "stabilize" and find your "perfect, dream home" immediatley after you leave active duty.  Main reasons to consider renting for 1 or 2 more years include: Employment instability Effect of stress on decision-making Financial upheaval and the unknowns Links we mentioned: Kate's article "Don't buy a house when leaving active duty" The Syracuse University study  KateHorrell.com Kate's Military Family's Confidently Prepared™ Life Binder Kate's new book on the GI Bill (coming ~4/15/25) Kate Horrell is an Accredited Financial Counselor®, Chartered Financial Consultant®, and Military Qualified Financial Planner®. She's also the spouse of a retired sailor and mom of four young adults. She writes about the financial issues that affect military families - pay, allowances, and benefits. Plus college stuff, landlording, moving, taxes. We cover a little bit of everything. Her goal is to give you the tools to make the best decisions right now, so you'll be confidently prepared for whatever comes next - whether that's a PCS move, transition to civilian life, or retirement. 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.

Awful memories from war often hang around long after the bullets stop flying. And writing can be a powerful tool to get a handle on past trauma. David Robbins teaches a semester-long writing class called the Mighty Pen Project designed for veterans. And: Laura Bender is a retired chaplain who has taken the Mighty Pen writing class almost every year since 2020. She says it's the community that keeps her coming back. Producer Matt Darroch has the story. Also: In the heat of battle, soldiers might have to do things that violate their moral beliefs. And when they come home, the weight of that trauma can turn into something called moral injury. Michelle Kelley studies how mindfulness can help veterans heal the burden of moral injury. Later in the show: Whether it's juggling classes with a family or navigating the GI Bill, the transition from the military to college life isn't easy. That's where Chequana Boisseau and Elliot Ronan come in. They provide crucial programming to make the military community feel at home at Reynolds Community College. Plus: Military deployments can be long. They can range from a week to a few months to even a year. And as more military women are deploying, more male spouses are staying at home on family duty. Desh Nendze created a support program for non-deployed male spouses to boost camaraderie while their wives were away.

As the United States acclimates to the "flood the zone" governing style, reasoned discourse around civics has crumbled. https://youtu.be/ngx0GxJjmDM There are many causes. Polarizing media, bombastic claims, and systematized gas-lighting on both sides have created one of the most toxic political environments since the Vietnam War. However, the absence of civics and good citizenship concepts have laid the groundwork for the hysterics of today. LINDSEY CORMACK has a way forward. She is the author of the book "How to Raise a Citizen " https://www.amazon.com/How-Raise-Citizen-Why-Its-ebook/dp/B0DBWYTXJ4/ Outline: Why are Civics Important? Recent stats on the absence of civics Understanding structures Understanding the "why" of structures and civics Knowing what the Constitution says Knowing that the Constitution evolves too Understanding federalism Government funding mechanisms Communication- how to broach inflamed subjects How to raise the next generation What makes a good citizen?  Going beyond jury duty and voting Civics and Active participation Intersection with wealthy multi-generational families Joint decision-maling Believing in something greater than self Guardrails of ideals melded with open-mindedness and curiosity Right holder vs Duty bearer (Rights come with obligations) Justice vs compliance  Control vs grace Right and wrong in civics Contacting Lindsey Links: www.howtoraiseacitizen.com IG: @howtoraiseacitizen Lindsay discussing civics on Errol Louis' YOU DECIDE Podcast The Intersection of Civics, Money and Presidents Rights and Obligations with David Haass (Civics) Background LINDSEY is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Stevens Institute of Technology. She is the former Director of the Diplomacy Lab. She is the secretary of community board 8 in Manhattan and the co-chair of the Street Life Committee. Lindsey is the creator of DCInbox, a comprehensive digital archive of Congress-to-constituent e-newsletters.  Finally, she is also the author of Congress and U.S. Veterans: From the GI Bill to the VA Crisis. Frazer's interest in citizenship and civics: You may be wondering why a show about wealth management (and beyond) would be interested in citizenship and civics.   In a nutshell, I get asked three times a day what can be done to raise responsible kids.  Because families (and the answers to those questions) are different. The answers should come from within, I ask what they (the parents or grandparents what think it takes to be a "good citizen."  The answer to that question can then lead into the discussions I need to have about stewardship and a variety of other concepts. Additionally, good civics is good business. Businesses ignore the politics around them at their own peril. Board dynamics are also the intersection of civics, joint decision-making and constituent accountability for businesses. Executives have to be good at this. The values that make people successful are also the ones that people want to pass down to their kids Personally, politics and civics are ingrained in me.  I majored inhHistory and political science major in college. I worked in many NYS campaigns, the NYS Department of Economic Development, and ran the Republican Party in Bedford, NY for a year. More recently, I was on the board of my co-op for 7 years and president of the NYC Estate Planning Council. Civics and participation are a big part of my worldview. Transcript Frazer Rice (00:32.447) As we get acclimated to the new flood the zone component of politics, reason discourse has crumbled. And I think absence of civics in public life is the cause. Lindsay Cormack has a way forward and she's the author of How to Raise a Citizen. Welcome aboard, Lindsay. Lindsey Cormack (00:46.978) Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to talk with you today.

As an optimzer, Jamie was concerned about how to perfect his family's GI Bill strategy. In the middle of a discussion (after we wrapped up last week's podcast recording with Daniel), we hit record for this non-standard format. As Jamie allows himself to be vulnerable and curious about the words he used, Daniel is able to help him work through some anxiety and negative feelings.  You'll also hear some tactical advice for using and sharing the GI Bill. Links we mentioned: Financial Therapy certificate Daniel and Spencer both earned through Kansas State Wise Stewardship Financial Planning Daniel Kopp is a fee-only, fiduciary financial planner and founder of Wise Stewardship Financial Planning where he helps young widows and widowers as well as servicemembers get their financial lives in order by aligning their money with their values. He is also an Air Force veteran after almost 9 years as an officer on active duty during which he served as an Air Battle Manager participating in combat deployments and training opportunities all across the world. Outside of his official military commitments, Daniel has always had a passion to help servicemembers and their families master their finances where he served as a volunteer financial counselor during most of his time on active duty. 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.

After they complete initial entry training all soldiers are entitled to Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) to help pay for food, but many of them have most of it deducted to pay for meals provided in dining facilities (DFACs). Recent investigative reporting by our guest, Steve Beynon, has revealed striking inconsistencies between how much money is taken from soldiers in the form of BAS deductions and how much money is spent on providing those soldiers with the meals they're entitled to. At many of the Army's largest installations more than half of those funds seem to be getting reallocated, and the Army can't even explain where. From "smoke pit conspiracy" to congressional inquiry, this is a problem that many soldiers have talked about for years, but is just now breaking into mainstream media coverage thanks to Steve's work. He joined us on the podcast to discuss what he's found, and we may have even identified more problems live on air...Steve Beynon is a reporter for Military.com based out of the Washington, D.C., area whose detailed investigations have covered urgent issues impacting soldiers. A veteran of the Afghanistan war with over a decade of experience as a cavalry scout, Steve leverages his firsthand military experience to deliver authoritative journalism. In 2023, Military Veterans in Journalism honored him as one of the top veterans in media for exposing a cult scheme that defrauded veterans of their benefits, one of the largest scams ever to target the military community. This accolade includes recipients from the New York Times and Associated Press. The cult's churches were eventually raided by the FBI. His byline has appeared in Politico, Stars and Stripes, Military Times, American Legion Magazine, National Guard Magazine, Fox 19, Cincinnati City Beat, and the Cincinnati Enquirer. He studied journalism and environmental policy at the University of Cincinnati on a GI Bill scholarship.Steve's original story breaking this news published last month in Military.com21 Senators and Members of Congress signed this letter to the Secretary of Defense demanding answers about this situationSteve published a follow up piece discussing the reaction from Congress and some of the feedback from inside the pentagonHere's the DoD's page about BASWe discussed the Army's budget estimates towards the end of the episode, the military personnel (MILPERS) portion of which can be found hereWe also referenced the DoD's Financial Management Regulation, and the subsistence portion is found in Volume 7A, Chapter 25We also referenced two GAO reports:The first was "DOD Should Formalize Its Process for Revising Food Ingredients and Better Track Dining Facility Use and Costs"The second was "Additional Actions Needed to Implement, Oversee, and Evaluate Nutrition Efforts for Service Members"The law that guides most of this is 37 USC 402And finally, the DoD's overarching guidance is found in DoD Directive 1418.05

Dr. Michael Albertus, professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, and author of the book Land Power: Who Has It, Who Doesn't, and How That Determines the Fate of Societies, as well as the recent Foreign Affairs article The Coming Age of Territorial Expansion, joins the pod to discuss the history of land power, land owernship, territorial ambitions and their larger implications on global politics and socio-economic disparity. As Donald Trump advocates for claims on territories like Greenland, Canada, and parts of Panama, we question the ramifications of such rhetoric on international relations and American democracy.We trace the colonial roots that continue to influence income inequality and social mobility across America, and encourage listeners to ponder the potential crises triggered by climate change-induced migrations that may force us to reconsider land ethics. Furthermore, Dr. Albertus discusses how our current understanding of land ownership and public policy may need re-evaluation to promote equity and shared resources, engaging directly with the delicate balance between private land investment and collective societal benefit. By examining this concept of land power, and these contemporary issues facing America with age-old conflicts over land, power, and resources, Dr. Albertus urges us to think critically about the paths we pursue to safeguard our democracy against the backdrop of shifting global realities. -------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

Retired Col. Sam Whitehurst found his purpose during his nearly 30 years in the Army. Whitehurst developed a passion for uplifting and developing the soldiers around him. That experience smoothed his civilian transition to his role at the Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services where he helps veterans and their families. Whitehurst discusses all this and more as the special guest on this week's Tango Alpha Lima podcast. SCUTTLEBUTT FDA Finally Bans Red Dye No.3 from Food, Drinks and Medicines in US–Following Cancer Link A trailblazing woman veteran: Linda A McDonald DuMoulin Horan Use Your Leadership Skills: Become a Mentor for a Veteran Special Guest: Sam Whitehurst.

How to teach your military kids about healthy and positive money habits, set expectations for college, use the GI Bill, and leverage 529s and other investment accounts for your military family. With today's guest, Daniel Kopp, we discussed: Teaching kids spending, saving, and giving buckets Teach, demo, supervise with your kids Give them chances to fail Wants vs. needs & delayed gratification Don't make money a big secret- talk about it Evolving the lessons you teach your kids as they age 529s, UTMAs, taxable brokerage accounts, and life insurance Tax efficient gifting strategies FAFSA for military families VA chapter 35 Prepaid college  The "College Pre-Approval Process" How to avoid overpaying for college Links we mentioned: Money Scripts episode w/ Daniel Kopp (episode # 82) Cybersecurity 101 podcast episode (#157) Military Financial Advisors Assocation (MFAA) FDIC's Money Smart Catalog CFPB's Money As You Grow program NCUA Games U.S. Mint free games and activities for children Military to Financial Planner podcast Wise Stewardship Financial Planning Daniel Kopp is a fee-only, fiduciary financial planner and founder of Wise Stewardship Financial Planning where he helps young widows and widowers as well as servicemembers get their financial lives in order by aligning their money with their values. He is also an Air Force veteran after almost 9 years as an officer on active duty during which he served as an Air Battle Manager participating in combat deployments and training opportunities all across the world. Outside of his official military commitments, Daniel has always had a passion to help servicemembers and their families master their finances where he served as a volunteer financial counselor during most of his time on active duty. Books mentioned in this episode: Raising your Money-Savvy Family for Next Generation Financial Independence by Carol Pittner and Doug Nordman How to Pay for College by Ann Garcia The Missing Billionaires by Victor Haghani & James White The Price You Pay for College by Ron Lieber The Opposite of Spoiled by Ron Lieber Smart Money Smart Kids by Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze Four Money Bears by Mac Gardner 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.

Leaving the military and stepping into the aviation industry can be stressful, but with the right preparation, you can make the transition smoother and more successful. In this episode, we break down the key steps military pilots should take to position themselves for a strong career in aviation. From financial planning and leveraging military benefits to networking and optimizing your resume, we cover everything you need to know. Learn how programs like SkillBridge can give you a head start, why keeping your logbook in order is crucial, and how to build connections that will help you land the right job. Plus, hear Nik's personal story of transitioning out of active duty in 2009 during an economic downturn—the struggles he faced and what he wishes he had done differently. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE How to reduce stress when transitioning from the military to a civilian aviation career. Why financial preparation, including emergency funds and budgeting, is key. How to maximize military benefits like the GI Bill, VA disability rating, and SkillBridge. The importance of getting your logbook, resume, and LinkedIn profile in order. How networking, career fairs, and mentorship can open doors. Why staying in the cockpit and continuing to build flight time is critical. How to set long-term career goals, including backup options. Lessons from Nik's experience leaving the military in a tough job market. Why persistence, planning, and tapping into all available resources will set you up for success   #Aviation #AviationCareers #pilotcareer #pilottips #pilotcareertips #aviationcrew #AviationJobs #AviationLeadership #flying #PilotSuccess #pilotpodcast #PilotPreparation #Pilotrecruitment #AviationEducation #AviationOpportunities #AviationPodcast #flyingtips #AirlineInterviewPrep #PilotDevelopment #PilotFinance #PilotExperience #PilotTraining

ATP-CTP is a critical step toward becoming an airline pilot, but how do you prepare for it and make the most of your training? In this episode, Dan Wilborn from Flight Training International (FTI) breaks down what to expect in ATP-CTP, the importance of early preparation, and how FTI's personalized approach helps pilots succeed. With training centers in Denver and Miami, FTI offers ATP-CTP courses twice a month, including academic instruction and hands-on experience in Boeing and Airbus simulators. Learn about the three key parts of ATP certification—ATP-CTP, the written exam, and the practical—and how to tailor your training to fit your goals. Plus, find out how to use military benefits like the GI Bill to fund your training and why investing in the right program can make all the difference in your career   WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE   What ATP-CTP training involves and how Flight Training International prepares pilots for success.   The structure of ATP certification: ATP-CTP, the written exam, and the ATP practical.   Why airlines value ATP-CTP and type ratings when evaluating candidates.   How to prepare for ATP-CTP and the importance of backing up your time with early study.   The benefits of training at FTI, including small class sizes, experienced instructors, and personalized support.   How to use military benefits like the GI Bill to fund your ATP training.   How to contact FTI for more information or to sign up for training.   #Aviation #AviationCareers #pilotcareer #pilottips #pilotcareertips #aviationcrew #AviationJobs #AviationLeadership #flying #PilotSuccess #pilotpodcast #PilotPreparation #Pilotrecruitment #AviationEducation #AviationOpportunities #AviationPodcast #flyingtips #AirlineInterviewPrep #PilotDevelopment #PilotFinance #PilotExperience #PilotTraining

"The extraordinary comes out of ordinary people." - Robert O'ConnorJoin Mark and author Robert O'Connor as they dive into the themes of aging, World War II, and the power of storytelling. In this engaging discussion, Robert shares his journey from marketing to writing and explores the impact of enlisted entertainers during the war. Discover how his book Jeep Show blends historical facts with fiction, bringing to life the experiences of soldiers, the importance of humor in wartime, and the lasting effects of the GI Bill on American society. Learn about Jim Tanzer's transformation from dance instructor to soldier and the deep personal connections Robert has to WWII through his father and uncle.

Welcome to The Veterans Disability Nexus, where we provide unique insights and expertise on medical evidence related to VA-rated disabilities.Leah Bucholz, a US Army Veteran, Physician Assistant, & former Compensation & Pension Examiner shares her knowledge related to Independent Medical Opinions often referred to as “Nexus Letters” in support of your pursuit of VA Disability every Wednesday at 7 AM. Leah discusses an important update to GI Bill benefits following a recent Supreme Court decision. The new policy allows eligible veterans to access up to 48 months of combined education benefits, an increase from the previous 36-month limit, provided they meet specific criteria, such as serving multiple periods of service or paying into the Montgomery GI Bill. Leah walks viewers through the application process, key changes, and how these expanded benefits can be used by veterans or transferred to their dependents. She highlights the importance of applying by the October 1, 2030 deadline and invites viewers to engage with her for more information on education benefits.

I want to introduce you to our guest this time, Fred Dummar. I met Fred through Susy Flory who helped me write Thunder Dog. Fred is taking a class from Susy on writing and is well along with his first book. I look forward to hearing about its publishing sometime in 2025.   Fred hails from a VERY small town in Central Nevada. After high school Fred went to the University of Nevada in Reno. While at University, Fred joined the Nevada National Guard which helped him pay his way through school and which also set him on a path of discovery about himself and the world. After college Fred joined the U.S. army in 1990. He was accepted into the Special Forces in 1994 and served in various locations around the world and held ranks from Captain through Colonel.   Fred and I talk a fair amount about leadership and how his view of that subject grew and changed over the years. He retired from the military in 2015. He continues to be incredibly active serving in a variety of roles in both the for profit and nonprofit arenas.   I love Fred's leadership style and philosophy. I hope you will as well. Fred has lots of insights that I believe you will find helpful in whatever you are doing.       About the Guest:   Colonel (Retired) Fred Dummar was born and raised in the remote town of Gabbs, Nevada. He enlisted in the Nevada National Guard in 1986 and served as a medic while attending the University of Nevada. He was commissioned as an Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army in April 1990.   Fred was selected for Special Forces in 1994 and went on to command at every level in Special Forces from Captain to Colonel. He trained and deployed in many countries, including Panama, Venezuela, Guyana, Nigeria, Zambia, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Most notably, Col Dummar participated in the liberation of Kurdish Northern Iraq in 2003, assisting elements of the Kurdish Peshmerga (resistance fighters) with the initial liberation of Mosul.   Colonel Dummar's last tour in uniform was as the Commander of the Advisory Group for Afghan Special Forces from May 2014 to June 2015. Immediately after retiring, he returned to Afghanistan as a defense contractor to lead the Afghan Army Special Operations Command and Special Mission Wing training programs until May 2017.   Beginning in 2007 and continuing until 2018, Fred guided his friend, who was blinded in Iraq, through 40 Marathons, several Ultra marathons, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, running with the bulls in Pamplona, and a traverse of the Sahara Desert to raise funds and awareness for Special Forces Soldiers. He personally ran numerous Ultramarathons, including 23 separate 100-mile runs and over a hundred races from 50 miles to marathon.   Fred graduated from the U.S. Army Command and Staff College and the U.S. Army War College with master's degrees in military art and science, strategy, and policy. He is currently pursuing a Doctoral Degree in Organizational Psychology and Leadership.   Since retiring from the Army in 2015, Fred has led in nonprofit organizations from the Board of Directors with the Special Forces Charitable Trust (2015-2022) as the Chief of Staff for Task Force Dunkirk during the evacuation of Afghan Allies in August 2021, as a leadership fellow with Mission 43 supporting Idaho's Veterans (2020-2023), and as a freshwater advocate with Waterboys with trips to East Africa in 2017 and 2019 to assist in funding wells for remote tribes.   Fred has led in the civilian sector as the Senior Vice President of Legacy Education, also known as Rich Dad Education, from 2017-2018 and as the startup CEO for Infinity Education from 2021-2022, bringing integrity and compassion to Real Estate Education. Fred continues investing in Real Estate as a partner in Slate Mountain Homes, Idaho and trains new investors to find, rehab, and flip manufactured homes with Alpine Capital Solutions.   Fred is married to Rebecca Dummar, and they reside in Idaho Falls, Idaho, with three of their children, John, Leah, and Anna. Their daughter Alana attends the University of Michigan.   Ways to connect with Fred:   Here is a link to my webpage - https://guidetohuman.com/ Here is a link to my Substack where I write - https://guidetohuman.substack.com/   About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/   https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well, hi everyone, and welcome to another edition of unstoppable mindset where inclusion diversity and the unexpected meet, but it's more fun to talk about unexpected than inclusion or diversity, although it is relevant to talk about both of those. And our guest today is Fred Dummar. It is pronounced dummar or dumar. Dummar, dummar, see, I had to do that. So Fred is a person I met Gosh about seven or eight months ago through Susy Flory, who was my co author on thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust at ground zero. And Susy introduced us because Fred is writing a book. We're going to talk about that a bunch today, and we'll also talk about Fred's career and all sorts of other things like that. But we've had some fascinating discussions, and now we finally get to record a podcast, so I'm glad to do that. So Fred Dummar, welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Fred Dummar ** 02:22 Yeah, no. Thanks for having me. Michael, yeah, we've had some some interesting discussions about everything unstoppable mind and blindness and diversity. And yeah, it's good to be on here.   Michael Hingson ** 02:34 Yeah. And one of the things I know that you have done is ran with a blind marathoner, and I'm anxious to hear about that, as well as what an ultra marathon is. We'll get to that, however. But why don't we start by you may be talking a little bit about kind of the early freight growing up and all that you grew up in, in Nevada, in a in a kind of remote place. So I'm going to just leave it to you to talk about all   Fred Dummar ** 02:57 that. Yeah, Michael, so, and actually, that's part of my, part of my story that I'm writing about. Because, you know, obviously, where we're from forms a large basis of how we sometimes interact with the world. And I came from a very remote town in Nevada. It's dying, by the way. I'm not sure how long that town will be with us, but, yeah, being from a small town where, you know, graduating class was 13 kids, and it's an hour to the closest place that you could watch a movie or get fast food, those types of things, it's definitely a different type of childhood, and much one, much more grounded in self reliance and doing activities that you can make up yourself, right? Instead of being looking for others to entertain you.   Michael Hingson ** 03:50 Yeah, I hear you. So what was it like growing up in a small town? I grew up in Palmdale, California, so it was definitely larger than where you grew up, we had a fairly decent sized High School senior graduating class. It wasn't 13, but what was it like growing up in that kind of environment?   Fred Dummar ** 04:12 Yeah, it was. It was one where you know, not only did you know everybody, everybody else knew you, and so you could pretty much count on anyone in the town for for assistance or, or, you know, if, I guess, if you were on the house for not, not assistance, so, but no, it was. It was a great place to have many, many, many friends from there. But it was, certainly was an adjustment, because I think growing up, there are our sort of outlook on life for us, you know, certainly from the people that that ran our high school and the other adults, most people were seen as, you know, your life after high school would be going to work at one of. The mines, or going to work on one of the, you know, family cattle ranch or something like that. So making the jump from there to, you know, even a few hours away to Reno, you know, to start at the University of Nevada, that was a big it's a big jump from for me, and because the school is so small, I ended up graduating from high school when I was 16, so I barely had a driver's license, and now I am several hours away and Reno, Nevada, going to the university. And, you know, quite an adjustment for me.   Michael Hingson ** 05:32 It's interesting. A few days ago, I had the opportunity to do a podcast episode with someone who's very much involved and knows a lot about bullying and so on, and just listening to you talk, it would seem like you probably didn't have a whole lot of the bully type mentality, because everyone was so close, and everyone kind of interacted with each other, so probably that sort of stuff wasn't tolerated very well. Yeah,   Fred Dummar ** 05:59 it was, it was more so outsiders. I mean, kids that had grown up there all sort of, you know, knew where they were or weren't in the pecking order. Things and things sort of stayed kind of steady stasis, without a lot of bullying. But yeah, new kids coming in. That's where you would see for me, from my recollection of growing up to that's where, you know, I remember that type of behavior coming out when, when you know, a new kid would come into the town,   Michael Hingson ** 06:31 was it mainly from the new kids or from the kids who are already there?   Fred Dummar ** 06:34 From the kids? Sometimes it was the integration, right? Some people integrate into new environments better than others. And you know, generally, no problems for those folks. But some, you know, it takes a bit more. And in a place like that, if you're you know, if you're seen as different, so you know to your theory on or your you know the topics you cover on diversity and inclusion. Sometimes when you're the one that that looks different or acts different in an environment like that, you definitely stick out, and then you become the target of of bullying.   Michael Hingson ** 07:10 What? What happens that changes that for a kid? Then, you know, so you're you're different or in one way or another. But what happens that gets kids accepted? Or do they?   Fred Dummar ** 07:21 Yeah, I don't know. I think, I think it's learning to embrace just who you are and doing your own thing. I think if you know, if you're trying to force yourself into an environment that doesn't want to accept you, I'm not sure that that's ever an easy battle for anyone. But just being yourself and doing your own thing. I think that's, that's the way to go, and that's certainly, you know, what I learned through my life was I wasn't one of the kids that planned on staying there and working in the mind, and I wasn't, you know, my family was, you know, at that point, my mom and dad owned the, the only grocery store in town, and I certainly wasn't going back to run the family business. So, you know, look, looking for a way, you know, for something else to do outside of that small town was certainly number one on my agenda, getting out of there. So being myself and and learning to adapt, or, as you know the saying goes, right, learning to be instead of being a fish in a small pond, learning to be a fish in a much larger pond,   Michael Hingson ** 08:27 yeah, well, and there's, there's a lot of growth that has to take place for that to occur, but it's understandable. So you graduated at 16, and then what did you do after   Fred Dummar ** 08:38 my uh, freshman year at college, which I funded by, you know, sort of Miss, Miss misleading people or lying about my age so that I could get a job at 16 and working construction and as an apprentice electrician. And that funded my my freshman year of college. But, you know, as as as my freshman year was dragging on, I was wondering, you know, hey, how I was going to continue to fund my, you know, continued universe my stay at the university, because I did not want to go, you know, back back back home, sort of defeated, defeated by that. So I started looking into various military branches of military service, and that's when it happened upon the National Guard, Nevada National Guard, and so I joined the National Guard. And right after, you know, I think it was five days after I turned 17, so as soon as I could, I signed up, and that summer after my freshman year, I left for training for the National Guard. Missed first semester of my sophomore year, but then came back and continued on with my university studies using, you know, my the educational benefits that came from being in the National Guard.   Michael Hingson ** 09:55 So you're in the National Guard, but that wasn't a full time thing, so you were able to go back and. Continue education. Yeah,   Fred Dummar ** 10:01 it was, you know, it's a typical one weekend a month, one weekend a month for duty. Typically, we would go in on a Friday night, spend Saturday and Sunday for duty. So we get a, you know, small check for that. And then we were also allowed to draw, you know, the GI Bill and the state of Nevada had a program at the time where you didn't get paid upfront for your classes, but at the end of every semester, you could take your final report card and for every class, for every credit that you had a C or higher, they would reimburse you. So yeah, so they were essentially paying my tuition, and then, you know, small stipend every month from the GI Bill. And then, you know, my National Guard check, so and in the 80s, you know, when I was going to school, that that was enough to keep, you know, define my education. And where did you go to school? At the University of Nevada in   Michael Hingson ** 10:59 Reno, in Reno, okay, yeah, so, so you kind of have ended up really liking Reno, huh?   Fred Dummar ** 11:07 Yeah, I, yeah. I became sort of home city. Obviously, no one would ever really know where. You know, if I would have mentioned that I grew up in a town called gaps, most people would, you know, not, not really understand. I sometimes, if they're, you know, press and say, hey, you know, where are you really? Because, you know, often say, Hey, I went to school in Reno. If they say, where did you grow up? I'll, you know, it's a longer conversation. I'll be like, okay, so if you put your finger, like, right in the middle of Nevada, in the absolute middle of nowhere, that's where I grew up.   Michael Hingson ** 11:40 Well, you know, people need to recognize and accept people for who they are, and that doesn't always happen, which is never fun, but Yeah, gotta do what you can do, yes, well, so Reno, on the other hand, is a is a much larger town, and probably you're, a whole lot more comfortable there than you than you were in Gabs, but that's okay. So yeah, so you went to the university. You got a bachelor's, yep, and then what did you do?   Fred Dummar ** 12:11 Yeah. Well, so along the way, while I was in the National Guard, you know, being a medic, right? I was convinced by a lieutenant that met me. I was actually doing the physical, because it was one of the things our section did when I was first in, you know, we gave the medical physicals, and this lieutenant said, you know, you should come transfer our unit. The unit was an infantry unit, and I became their only medic. And so that was much better than working in a medical section for a helicopter unit where I'd been and and the lieutenants, you know, said that I should consider joining ROTC, since I was already going to the university. So I did in my junior year, started the Reserve Officer Training Corps there at the University of Nevada. And so when I graduated college in the winter of 89 I accepted a commission into the army. So then a few months later, I was, I was off on my my Grand Army adventure,   Michael Hingson ** 13:11 alright, and then what did you do?   Fred Dummar ** 13:15 So, yeah, that was, you know, because it was an infantry Lieutenant went to Fort Benning, Georgia, and I believe now the army calls it fort Moore, but yeah, I trained there for about a year, doing all of the tasks necessary to become an infantry officer. And then I went down to Panama, when the US still had forces in the country of Panama. And I spent two and a half years down there was that past mariega, yeah, right after, because I had graduated from college in December of 89 while operation just caused to get rid of Noriega was happening. So year after my infantry training, I sort of ended up in Panama, and sort of as at the time, thinking it was bad luck, you know, because if you're in the army, you know, you want to, kind of want to go where things are happening. So I'm in Panama the year after the invasion, while Saddam Hussein is invading Kuwait, and everyone else is rushing to the desert, and I'm sitting in the jungle. So, you know, as a as a young person, you start to think, you know, oh, you know, hey, I'm missing. I'm missing the big war. I should be at the war, you know. So that was an interesting take, not what I would have now, but you know, as a young man,   Michael Hingson ** 14:31 what caused you to revise that view, though? Or time,   Fred Dummar ** 14:37 yeah, yeah. Just, just time. And, you know, later in life, you know, after, uh, serving combat rotations in Iraq and Afghanistan, I realized it wasn't something one needed to rush towards,   Michael Hingson ** 14:48 really quite so bad, where you were, yeah. So,   Fred Dummar ** 14:52 yeah, I spent a couple years in Panama, then I came back to Fort Benning, uh, Fort Moore, and worked at the Army's Airborne School. So. Uh, you know, the place that teaches people how to jump out of airplanes. And I did that for for a year. So it's, it's really fun because watching, you know, watching people go through the process of of training to jump out of an aircraft, and then sort of their very first time on an aircraft might takes off, and you can see the, you know, sort of the realization that they're not going to land with the plane for the first time in their life. You know, they're they're not going to be in the plane when it lands. That's always, you know, it's always a good time. And then, of course, when you know, then there's another realization, moment when the doors pop open right, and the doors, doors on the aircraft are opened so the jump masters can start making checks, you know, and out, yeah, and they're looking, you know, their eyes get larger and larger, you know, as as preparations for the jump. You know, when they're stood up and they're hooked up inside the aircraft, and then finally, you know, told to exit. Yeah, it's interesting. And during the time when I worked there, that's when I was eligible, because I was a senior lieutenant at that time, that I could apply to become a Green Beret. I could go through special forces training if I was selected. So I left from Fort Benning, I went up to Fort Bragg, now fort liberty, and went through the selection, Special Forces Assessment, selection, and was selected to become a Special Forces soldiers that I went to Fort Bragg, you know, spent the year or so becoming qualified to be a special forces team leader, and then the next I spent the next 20 years of my Army career in various units at at Fort liberty, and third Special Forces Group, Special Forces Command, seven Special Forces Group, Special Operations recruiting, just, you know, bouncing around in different assignments and then, but obviously during that time, 911, happened, and you know, was on the initial invasion in 2003 up in, up into the north. We were flying in from Romania, you know, before the war started. And so being there during that phase of the Iraq combat in Iraq, and then going to Afghanistan and and spending multiple, multiple tours and multiple years in Afghanistan. So, so   Michael Hingson ** 17:25 did you do much jumping out of airplanes?   Fred Dummar ** 17:29 Yeah, in combat, no. But over the years, yeah, I accumulated quite a few jumps. Because what, you know, every, every unit I was ever assigned to while I was in the army was always one that was, you know, airborne, which are, you know, the designation for units that jump out of airplanes. So   Michael Hingson ** 17:47 have to, yeah, yeah. Well, you're a pretty level headed kind of guy. What was it like the first time you jumped? I mean, you described what it looked like to other people. Do you think that was basically the same for you, or did you, yeah, kind of a thicker skin,   Fred Dummar ** 18:01 yeah, no, no, I think, I think that's why I was able to, you know, in large measure, that's how a lot of us are able to have empathy, right? If we've, if we've, if we've been through it, and we are able to access the memory of, okay, what was it like when I was doing it? It allows us to be, you know, more compassionate to the people that are going through it at that moment for the first time, but yeah, I can remember being in the plane, and then you know, that realization is like, hey, you know, in the pit of your stomach, I'm not, I'm not landing with this plane. And then, you know, the doors opening up, you're like, you know, kind of hey, those, I don't know what the gates of hell look like, but right now, that's that's in my mind, what, what they would look like, you know, and then going out the first time, and and then I think the second time might have been worse, because it was the anticipation of, oh, wait a minute, we're doing that again. And by the but if you do five jumps to qualify before you're given your parachute as badge, so I think by the third one, I'd come to terms with, with, with dealing and managing. You know, you know the fear of it, of leaving an airplane. And people you know often ask, you know when, when you're older and you're past the 100 jump mark, you know it's like, still, is there still fear and like, I think, I think, if there's not, I mean, then you know, there's probably something wrong with you, but, but it's not, it's nowhere near you know how it is when you know your First learning and your first learning to trust yourself and trust the equipment and trust the process. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 19:45 what you're learning a little bit along the way is to how to control fear. And you mentioned my book earlier, the one that's coming out live like a guide dog, which is all about trying to teach people to control fear, because we have so many things happen to. Us, or we think about so many things, that we develop so many fears consciously or not, that when something does unexpectedly happen to us, especially something that isn't necessarily a positive thing, we just automatically go into a fear reaction mode. And the the reality is it doesn't need to be that way you can learn to control fear, which is what we talk about in live like a guide dog, because it's important that people recognize you can learn to control fear. I would never say, Don't be afraid. Yeah, but I think you can learn to control fear, and by doing so, then you use that fear to help guide you and give you the the the the tools to really be able to move forward and focus. But most people don't really spend much time doing that. They don't learn introspection. They don't learn how to to slow down and analyze and develop that mind muscle so that later you can analyze incredibly quickly.   Fred Dummar ** 21:06 Yeah, we in the army, we call that stress inoculation, good description, you know, it's, you know, once you're, once you're, you've learned to deal with stress, or deal with, you know, stressful, fearful things. Then, you know, the next time you're you're better equipped. And that fear and that stress can be, you know, can be continually amped up. I used to laugh when I was doing Special Forces recruiting, because the you know, it would require a special physical for candidates to go get a special physical before they could come to training. And one of the boxes we would joke about was, I have no fear of heights or enclosed spaces. No everybody has those fears, is whether you can, you can manage those fears and deal with. You know, things are very uncomfortable. Well, that's   Michael Hingson ** 22:05 really it. It's all about managing. And so I'm sure that they want you to check no, that you don't have those fears when you're when you're going through. But at the same time, what you're hopefully really saying is you can manage it. Yeah,   Fred Dummar ** 22:20 that you can manage and that's why I was saying, that's why I would always laugh, because of course, everyone has those fears and but learning to deal with them and and how you deal with them, and that that's, you know, one of the things I discuss in one of the chapters of the book I'm writing is, is, you know when fear, when fear comes to You, you know, how do you deal with it and how do you overcome it? I think people are more and more recognizing you know that there are techniques through stress inoculation, you know, things like that. They'll teach you how you can overcome fear. And you know simple breathing techniques to you know, slow down your breathing and engage your brain, not just your brain stem, right? When you breathe, it fast, your brain stem is in charge, not your brain and yeah, and think your way through things, rather than just reacting as a, you know, as a frightened animal,   Michael Hingson ** 23:19 right? And it's one of the things that that, as I discuss in the book, and I talk to people about now a lot, that although I didn't realize it for many years, after September 11, I had developed a mindset on that day that said, You know what to do, because I had spent a lot of time learning what to do, how to deal with emergencies, what the rules were, and all that, and all of that just kicked in on September 11, which is as good as it could get.   Fred Dummar ** 23:45 Yeah. Well, Michael, you have a you have a distinct advantage. You had a distinct advantage a couple of them, but, but one being, you know, because you already live in a world without light in your sight, you're not dependent on that. And so another, when other people are, you know, in, you know, when I'm reading the book, I'm nodding my head knowingly, you know, as you're talking about being in the stairwell and other people being frightened, and you're just like, this is okay. This is an average, I mean, maybe unusual circumstances, but an average day for me,   Michael Hingson ** 24:21 yeah. But they side of it is, I know lots of blind people who would be just as much in fear as anyone else. It's the fact is, of course, we didn't know what was going on. Yes, September 11, a   Fred Dummar ** 24:35 bit of ignorance is bliss, right? Yeah. And   Michael Hingson ** 24:38 that was true for everyone. I had a great imagination. I could tell you that I imagine things that could happen that were a whole lot worse than in a sense, what did, but I, but I like science fiction and horror, so I learned how to imagine well, but the fact is that it isn't so much being blind that's an advantage, really. Really was the preparation. And so the result was that I had done that. And you know, of course, the airplane hit 18 floors above us on the other side of the building. So the reality is going down the stairs. None of us knew what happened. We figured out an airplane hit the building because we started smelling the fumes from burning jet fuel. But by the same token, that was all we knew. We didn't even know that tower two had been hit until, well, much later, when we got outside, colleagues saw David Frank, my colleague saw tower two was on fire, but we still didn't know what it was from. So yeah, the the fact is that blindness may or may not really be an advantage, but preparation certainly was, yeah,   Fred Dummar ** 25:43 how you reacted, how you reacted to being blind. Because, yeah, you can just, just like anything, right? You can react in in several different ways, and how you acted, how you built your life around,   Michael Hingson ** 25:54 sure. And most people, of course, just rely on reading signs. And so they also have the fear, what if I can't read the signs. What if there's smoke and all that? And again, they they build fears rather than doing the smart thing, which is just to learn what to do in the case of an emergency when you're in a building like that. But you know, it is part of what what we do talk about, and it is, it is pretty important that people start to learn a little bit more that they can control fear. I mean, we have in our in our whole world, politicians who just do nothing but promote fear, and that's unfortunate, because we all buy into it, rather than stepping back and go, Wait a minute. It doesn't need to be that way.   Fred Dummar ** 26:37 Yeah, I think the other thing, like you talked about your your preparation and training. And I always that was one of the way ways, or one of the things that brought me to ultra marathoning, you know, after my initial training in Special Forces, was, you know, if you're, if you're going to push your capacity to see, you know what you're what you're really capable of, or build, you know, build additional reserves. So, you know, if you are counted on to do something extraordinary or in extenuating circumstances, what do you really have, you know, yeah, how far can you really push yourself? And so it really brought me into the sport of ultra running, where, you know, the distances, or those distances that exceed a marathon. So a marathon being, you know, 26 miles, yeah. So the first ultra marathon is a 50k because, you know, Marathon is 42 so eight kilometers farther. And then the next, general, you know, length is 50 miles. And then there's some other, you know, 100k which is 62 miles. And then, kind of the, although, you know, now we see, see races longer, but kind of the the longest distance being 100 mile race and so, and the gold standard in 100 mile racing being, you know, for most, most courses, every course being different, but for most courses, is to finish under 24 hours, so within one one day, but to keep moving for one, you know, one entire day while, you know, while fueling yourself and and, and some people say, Well, you Know, wow, that pace doesn't seem that fast. Troy   Michael Hingson ** 28:22 yourself then and see, yeah,   Fred Dummar ** 28:24 and, like a lot of things, it doesn't, it doesn't exactly seem fast until you're factoring in, okay, but you're still gonna have to stop at some point to you, you know, relieve yourself, and you're gonna have to, you know, walk while you eat. And, you know, there's hills to climb and all these other sorts of obstacles. So, yeah, finishing under 24 hours is, you know, sort of the, you know, the standard, I guess, for the people want to achieve. And anyway, yeah, I became, for a bit there, became addicted to it. And then, so when I met Ivan, my friend, who you were talking about, who, who was, was blinded in in Iraq in 2006 when I met him, he had already been injured, and I realized that he really wanted to run marathons. He'd run one, and had to use, like, several different guides, right? You know, there were different people jumping in and out, and it really wasn't an ideal situation for him and he and he also needed someone who who wanted to do that, who would be a reliable training partner, right? Because it's not like, okay, you know, you might be able to find people that show up on marathon day. Want to run the marathon, or a few people, but, you know, day in, day out, to be training. And so I was like, Hey, this is one of those things that ends up in your path, right, that you can, maybe you can walk around it, but, but for me, when I, you know, when I saw. I was like, Okay, this was, this was something that, you know, for whatever reason, is on my path. I meant to do it. I meant to be the guy that does this. And so, yeah, we started training together. And, you know, ended up running 40 plus marathons together, you know, from London, Chicago, you know, every, every the Marine Corps Marathon, just everywhere. And, you know, summiting Mount Kilimanjaro and running with the bulls together. And then our last race was, it's often referred to as, you know, the world's toughest foot race. It's the marathon to Saab, and it's a, it's a distance race of 150 some miles across the Sahara Desert. And they break it up into stages. So on different days, some days, you run 30 miles. Some days, you know, 26 one day is a 50. I think we were at 53 miles on one of the days. But anyway, and you start the you start that race with whatever you're going to eat and whatever you're going to need, you know, in terms of gear on your back. And the only thing that's provided to you during the race is water. So, and that was our kind of, you know, he's like, I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to run, and so I just want to do that before I stop. I stopped, right? So, but anyway, yeah, so that was how I ended up meeting my friend Ivan, and, you know, over the course of a decade and a half, we did all of these, you know, what some people think are incredibly dumb things, but, you know, sort of embracing the discomfort of training and competing to, you know, to make ourselves better, you know? Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 31:44 so while you were in the military, I know you mentioned earlier something about doing some work in as a medic. Did you do that most of your time? Were you specializing in that? Or what?   Fred Dummar ** 31:54 No, no, that was only when I early on, when I was a soldier, I was a medic, and then when I was commissioned, I was commissioned, I was commissioned as an infantry officer, and then, and then, when it became Special Forces, you know, the officer is, sort of has, has no specialty other than leading the team. The team has medics and weapons guys and engineers and communicators and all that. But, you know, the officers sort of assigned as the as the planning the planning agent, you know, the to lead the team, rather than have any of the specialties,   Michael Hingson ** 32:30 right? And you participated long enough that you rose to the rank of colonel. Yeah, yeah, my participation   Fred Dummar ** 32:38 trophy was attaining the rank of colonel. And I would often tell people the arm don't think the army doesn't have a sense of humor. I was promoted to Colonel on April 1, so April Fool's days when, when I was promoted? And yeah, and I, after almost 30 years in uniform, retired in 2015 so I don't know that I would have went that long. But you know, they're about the middle of my career, from 1986 to 2015 you know 911 happened, and for me, it wasn't, it wasn't really a choice to to leave. Then, you know, it was like, Okay, we, you know, we have to do this. These Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact, my my very last, my last year in in uniform. I was in Afghanistan as an advisor to the Afghan commandos. And when I returned from that tour, you know, was told that, hey, I had to, I had to finally leave Fort Bragg after 20 years and and either go to, you know, the Pentagon or another headquarters. And that's when I decided to retire. Because it was like, okay, you know, if, if the wars don't need me anymore, then I, I can go home and do other things. Yeah, I can do other things. If the wars don't need me, you know, then I can probably hang it up. So   Michael Hingson ** 34:11 when did you get married? So   Fred Dummar ** 34:15 over the course of my Army career, I was divorced twice. Yeah, it's just not an easy No, it's not. It's just not an easy lifestyle. I'm not making any excuses for my own failings in that regard. But, you know, it is, it is, I think, easier to become emotionally detached from someone, especially, you know, as in my case, I think I often put the army, first, the army, my soldiers, the mission, you know, as the first on my mind. And you know, for someone else, you know that to be a pretty strong person, to sit in the back seat during that so. And I did not have any children and then, but after I retired, when went through my second and four. I met someone. And so, yeah, we were married in in 2020, and so I had a, I was able, you know, after not having children, my first son was born when I was 50. So I have a son who's, you know, four, four years old, four going on five. And then we decided that, you know, he should have someone to be with. So we were going to have a second child. And my wife had twins, so I have twin, three year old girls. So, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 35:37 you're going to do it. You might as well go all the way, huh?   Fred Dummar ** 35:40 Yeah, and and, and I haven't, and I adopted Rebecca's older, the child that she that she had. And so now we have four children, Alana being much older, she's already finished for freshman year at the University of Michigan, and this get ready to go back to Ann Arbor and continue her studies and and then we have, you know, the small pack of humans that are still here in their pre, pre kindergarten phase. So   Michael Hingson ** 36:10 she is a a Wolverine fan, and there will ever be an Ohio State Buckeye,   Fred Dummar ** 36:18 yeah, something like that. Yeah, that rivalry is pretty intense. And, you know, never being part of a school that was, you know, in that, in that division, you know, not really realizing, well, you know, watching college football, I kind of understand the rival, all the rivalries. But once she started going to Michigan, and, you know, attending a football game there myself. And then, unfortunately, you know, we were able to go to the Rose Bowl this year, which, you know, when Michigan played Alabama. So we were able to go to that together. So, yeah, it was, it's interesting to learn that dynamic. And like, I tell her, it's like, never, never take for granted being part of a big school like that without those sorts of traditions. Absolutely.   Michael Hingson ** 37:06 Yeah, I went to UC Irvine, so we didn't really have a lot with with football, but my wife did her graduate work at USC, and I always like to listen to USC football games. I judge a lot about sports teams by the announcers they hire, I gotta say. And so we've been always so blessed out here in California, although I think that announcing isn't quite what it used to be, but we had good announcers that announced for USC out here on I think it was originally on Kx, and then it went to other stations. But anyway, when we got married, the wedding started late because a bunch of people were sitting out in their cars waiting for the end of the USC Notre Dame game. And so the wedding was 15 minutes late starting because everybody was waiting to see who was going to win the game. And I am quite pleased to say that we won, and God was on our side, as opposed to Notre Dame. And, yeah, the marriage lasted 40 years, so until she, she passed away in 2022 but I love to tell people that, you know, God clearly was on our side, especially when I tell that to my Notre Dame friends,   Fred Dummar ** 38:15 yeah, the touch touchdown, Jesus wasn't, wasn't there for them, not   Michael Hingson ** 38:19 that day. Yeah, but, but, you know, and there's college football is, is in a lot of ways, I just think so much more fun, or it has been than professional. But, you know, now a lot more money is getting into it, which is unfortunate too. Yeah,   Fred Dummar ** 38:37 I think that's caused some of the you know, teams re evaluate what they what they do happen, how they operate. And I think it's forced some of the older coaches to leave the game, yeah, because it's not the game they recognize, so not   Michael Hingson ** 38:53 what they had well. So you've been to a variety of different places. You've been a leader. And I think it's pretty clear that you really still are, but how did all the the different experiences, the different places that you went to, and all the the experiences that you participated in, how does that affect and shape your leadership style?   Fred Dummar ** 39:19 Yeah, Michael, you know, I think one of the first things, right, if you when your surface looking, and some people never go below the surface. So when you talk about things like diversity and inclusion, the things, the things that they will think about that make people divert diverse are not generally what I think about. Because, you know, when you look below the surface, you see a lot of commonalities in the human experience. You know, from my time living, living in Panama and operating in Central and South America, some countries in the in the you know, the Caribbean when I was first in special operations, and then. Obviously, I went and did some time in in Africa, some peacekeeping operations in Nigeria, some other exercises down in the south, southern countries in Africa, and then my time in Iraq and Afghanistan. People, you know, they're they come in different colors. They they have different their path to God or the universe or the higher power that they recognize that the cultural artifacts that they use may may look different, but you know, they're generally pointing if you if you can step aside from your own preconceived notions about things, you can see that they're they're just different signposts to the same God, right to the same, to the same, power to the same, to the same things, and people want the same things, you know, for their families, you know, for for security and prosperity, and you know that that sort of thing. So it's, that's where I, kind of, you know, came to my leadership philosophy, which is pretty easy to remember. It's just lead, lead with love. And you know, if you use, and I haven't tell people, doesn't really matter what denomination you are. If you read, you know, the Gospels of the New Testament purely as a leadership guide. You know it's, it's hard to find a a better leadership example than than what, what Jesus was was doing, you know, the way he was serving others the way he was leading. It's, it's, it's pretty powerful, pretty powerful stuff. And you know, even, even at the end, right during the Last Supper, when he tells people, you know, who, who's the most important is the most important person, the person sitting at the table getting ready to eat, or the person serving, you know. And of course, you as humans, you know, is based on our, you know, the way we think about the world. We think the most important person is, you know, not only the person sitting at the table, but the person at the nicest table, or the head of the table, and not the person serving. And so that was something I tried to embrace during my time in the military, and what I try and embrace now is, you know, being the person that serves others and using your position. You know, if you if, if and when you are promoted or asked to lead that, you approach it from a position of, you know, what? What can I do from this position to help other people and and just be compassionate to their actual circumstances. And that doesn't mean, you know, when people, people hear me say that they're, you know, they think, Well, that's pretty how does that reconcile with you being a Green Beret and being around, you know, a bunch of you know, meat eating savages, you know, how do you how do you reconcile that and like, well, leading with care and compassion doesn't mean you know that I'm coddling anyone, because I'm certainly not coddling anyone you know. You know, I demand high performance for myself and from from people in those positions like that. You know, when I was a member of a special forces organization, but not everybody's supposed to be doing that. And so I think recognizing the circumstances and the people and what the organization's supposed to do or and how it can care for people, I think those are things that became really, really important to me   Michael Hingson ** 43:33 well. And I think you raised some really valid points. The reality is that September 11, for example, was not a religious war, a religious event. It was a bunch of thugs who wanted to have their way with the world. But most people who truly practice the Islamic faith are the same as the rest of us, and they and they seek God just like we do, like Jewish people do and others do, and we've got to keep that in mind, but it's, it's so hard, because we mostly don't step back and evaluate that and realize that those 19 people on those four airplanes are just a bunch of thugs, pure and simple.   Fred Dummar ** 44:15 Yeah, that, yeah, that, and, and the organizations they represent, right? You know, they're, they're, they're, and they're not the only ones, right? People from of all faiths have harnessed, you know,   Michael Hingson ** 44:30 their various back to the Crusades, yeah, you know, you know, their   Fred Dummar ** 44:33 various religions have harnessed themselves up to, you know, to sway people to to hate, or to, you know, to engage in combat or whatever. So yeah, to to lump that all in. I think our, some of our responses, and then also some of the way people think, has really led it led us to a more a more divided we're. Well, then you know that are more inclusive and and you know, thinking of ourselves as one we we think of ourselves as, you know, many and different, and sometimes things that we think would bring us together or help us make things more fair, like, you know, talking about diversity and inclusion, if we aren't really thinking about what we're trying to do and what that looks like, we can end up making the world more divided and less inclusive.   Michael Hingson ** 45:34 And unfortunately, we're seeing way too much of that, and it isn't helping to do that. And hopefully at some point we'll, we'll figure that out, or we'll realize that maybe it's a little bit better, or can be a little bit better than we think. Yeah, and I know you in 2003 did a lot to help the Kurds in northern Iraq, right?   Fred Dummar ** 45:55 Yeah, that was primarily, you know, my, my experience in Iraq was, you know, before the 2003 invasion, I was in Romania with my special forces company. And, yeah, we flew into northern Iraq and linked up with a group of Kurds and from where they were at and primarily our mission, you know, at that point, nobody really knew what Saddam might do when the main offensive of, you know, conventional army, conventional Marine Corps, British, you know, other allies, started from the south towards Baghdad. What would Saddam do? Would he, you know, send his forces in the north against the Kurds to create a destabilizing effect, you know, one both killing Kurds, but causing Kurds to flee to Syria and Iran, and, you know, probably most importantly for people that were planning to Turkey, you know, to further destabilize the region. So obviously, out of a desire to protect, help protect the Kurds and help stop or prevent something like that from happening. You know, we went in a couple weeks before the actual ground war started, we were in place with the Kurds and started organizing them to to defend themselves. And do you know, take back the land that they considered theirs, because, after, you know, Desert Storm, the you know, the 90s, the 90s war against Iraq, Saddam had pushed into Kurdish territory and established, you know, what he referred to as a, you know, his, his buffer zone. And then, you know, the US had been forcing a, you know, a no fly zone up in the Kurdish areas, but the Kurds had still never been allowed to go back to some of the cities that they considered theirs. So, you know, when we got in there with them, we were able to get, you know, move currents that have been forced out of those towns moved back into their towns and and our particular sector we we cleared down to Mosul Iraq, which, you know, people in the Bible will recognize As as the city of Nineveh. Or maybe not know that, but yeah, so we were, I was able to go drive through the, you know, the biblical, the some of the remains of the, you know, city of Nineveh as we got to Mosul. And then once we were there, that was sort of when, you know, we stole the Kurdish allies that, hey, you guys can go back to go back home, and then at that point us, we're only there a few days before us conventional forces. Now this is a couple months into the war, but us conventional forces made their way up there, and, you know, started doing stabilizing the city, and it was probably best to get the Kurdish militia out of there at that point, for things between the Kurds and the Arabs continue to deteriorate. So yeah, but it was a it was a great experience for me being with the Kurds and helping them, you know, sort of move through and retake towns that they had historically lived in. And, you know, along the way we passed and were able to clear Assyrian monastery that's on one of the mountains on the route to Mosul. So some, definitely, some history along the way, history lessons along the way. I   Michael Hingson ** 49:38 had the pleasure of going to Israel last year in August, okay? And spent a day in Jerusalem, so we got to go to the Western Wall and so on. And I really appreciated, and do appreciate, the history and just the awesomeness of of being there and touching the the temple and the wall that's been there for so long. And, you know, there is so much history over there that I really wish people would more appreciate and and on all sides, would figure out how they could become better at working with each other. One of these days, there's going to have to be peace, or it's going to really get a whole lot worse, very quickly,   Fred Dummar ** 50:21 yeah, for sure. Yeah, it was. It was interesting, though, when we were there, obviously watching the various groups of, you know, Syrians, Kurds, Arabs and others that had various claims to different parts of Mosul and different parts of the area around it. So it's fascinating, you know, to watch history try and unwind itself from some of the decisions that were made. You know, post World War Two, when lines were being drawn in the desert to create countries and and the ramifications of that? Yeah. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 51:06 you certainly have a perspective that's built on a lot of knowledge and being there, which I think is great on the other hand, well, not on the other hand. But then you left the military that that had to be a major change in terms of what you had been doing and what you were used to after almost 30 years. What's it like when you decide to make that kind of a major change and then, in your case, go back into civilian life? Yeah. So   Fred Dummar ** 51:38 my first, my first step, wasn't that far away from the military. And I started referring it. Referred to my first job as sort of an addiction clinic, because I went, I went to work as a house, yeah, I went to work as a contractor, or, you know, defense contractor. I went back to Afghanistan for about a year and a half running training programs for some of the Afghan special operations forces. So, you know, it was, it was really, you know, there was, if I, if I was a heroin addict, you know, I was in the methadone clinic, you know, trying to, trying to get off of it. And then, yeah, I realized, you know, kind of needed to go home. And my marriage, you know, dissolved, and so it's like, Hey, I probably time to, like, go home and have, you know, a different kind of life. And I moved into a civilian job with a friend, a friend at the time, who was doing investment training around the world. And he's like, Hey, we, you know, I know you're, you will travel. There's a lot of people that, when I talk to him about travel, it's involved with our business, you know, they don't, don't really want to do that. And he's like, but I know, you know, from where you're at. And he's like, hey, I'll buy, buy a ticket. Fly to Hong Kong, see what our business is about. So I went there and learned about the investment training they were doing in Hong Kong and throughout Southeast Asia. And then they had an office in Johannesburg, and, you know, one in London, Canada and the US and doing all this training. And so for about a year, little over a year, I worked in that business and and learned, you know, the various things that they were doing. You know how they were teaching people to invest in real estate and stocks and that sort of thing. Started doing it myself less, as I wish I would have known earlier in my life, but started doing that, and then when I left that company, that's a lot of what I've been doing. I've taken some smaller jobs and smaller contract projects. But by and large, that's basically what I've been doing since then, is, you know, working in real estate investing or real estate projects   Michael Hingson ** 53:50 and continuing to hone your leadership skills. Yeah,   Fred Dummar ** 53:54 yeah. Well, you know, I kept continue to work with or a couple of, you know, jobs where I was helping people start up businesses, you know, as either in CEO role or in an operations role to help help them start their businesses. So I did some of that which, which is always fun. It's great working with new talent and establishing procedures and helping people grow that way. So that was, that was really fun. And then got to be part of a couple of nonprofits, Special Forces, Charitable Trust, probably my longest stint. I did that for, you know, about seven or eight years on the board of directors, you know, running, helping to develop activities and programs to support our Special Forces veteran. So, yeah, it was, it's been, it's been fun. And then obviously having a new family and spending a lot of time in my role as a dad has been probably the most rewarding.   Michael Hingson ** 54:53 Yeah, I bet. And that is, that's always so much fun, and you get to help bring some. New people along into the world and hopefully help to make a difference that way. And on top of that, you continue to study. You're getting a PhD. You mentioned it earlier, but you're getting a PhD in organizational psychology and leadership. There we go with the leadership again.   Fred Dummar ** 55:14 Yeah, you know, it's, it's fun, because, you know, when I do get the opportunity to speak at events. I move around and speak at different events. I know you do a lot of speaking. You probably do much more than I do, but the events I do speak at, I want to make sure that sometimes being a practitioner of something doesn't always mean that you have the exact language or the academic credentials to go along with being a practitioner. And I've been a practitioner of leadership for so many years, but now studying it and applying, you know, one working towards an academic credential in this says, Hey, this, this guy knows what he's talking about. But then also having, you know, the the latest developments. And studies on leading people effectively and and how people are doing it wrong, and how you can help them. I think it's, it's been, it's been, been a great journey to be on as well, especially keeping my mind active in in all things leadership and helping organizations do it better.   Michael Hingson ** 56:21 Well, you, you have been a leader for a long time, but now you're studying it. Would you say that you're also discovering new things along the way? And you know, I guess what I'm getting at is, of course, none of us are ever so much an expert that we can't afford to learn more things. Oh   Fred Dummar ** 56:39 yeah, for sure, both, both learning new things, learning why I might have done things wrong based on, you know, studies, you know, like, okay, you know, if you if you have this type of personality, you might do this wrong, or things I was doing right, but not exactly, knowing all of, You know all of the mechanisms that were going into why I was making that decision. But you know, when you look at the psychology behind it, and you look at organizational structure structures, you look at cultural artifacts within organizations, then you can start to you start to unwind why teams do what they do, why leaders are developed, the way they're developed, and why people make certain decisions. And, yeah, it's been fascinating, you know, and then also looking back, as you said, back at things that you did, decisions that you made, and what you know, what you could have done better as you as you look that, through that, and how you can help someone else, and that's also really helped me further, you know, synthesize down this way that I look at at leading people with with love and compassion and why it's so important to be that servant type of leader, you know, not just a transformational leader that's trying to transform an organization to move that, but then, you know, how do you serve and care for the care for the people that are that are going to be part of that transformation?   Michael Hingson ** 58:10 Yeah, because if you are just looking at it from the standpoint of being a transformational leader, I'm going to change this organization that that doesn't really work. And I think that the most important aspect is being a servant leader, is being a person who serves, because that also opens you up to learning along the way and learning how to serve better.   Fred Dummar ** 58:34 Yeah. And you know, as I learned in the many organizations that I was part of over, you know, my time in Special Forces is, you know, just because, you know, alluding, you know, we were discussing roles, and I was saying, you know, this officer's role to often, to plan and to lead, but that other people are the experts. And that's something you know. The sooner you embrace that fact, the faster, the faster you become effective, and the more effective you are when you realize that understanding the people and and caring and serving them, and then getting their their best performance and understanding what they know and what they can do, and where you need to put them to maximize their potential, then those things start to become the most important thing that you're doing, how you know, how people play against each other, who works well with who? How that works, how that betters the organization. Those are all, all all things that are fascinating, you know, to me, and things that kept me up at night, trying to figure out, you know, how to how to be more efficient, how to take better care of people, while, you know, getting, not only getting the best out of them, but them, realizing they were giving their best and being happy and proud of what they. Were doing   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:01 and getting the best out of you as well.   Fred Dummar ** 1:00:03 Yeah, yeah, that, yeah, bringing the best out of them is bringing the best out of me, right?   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:08 So you've gotten work also in the nonprofit sector. You're continuing to do that, yeah,   Fred Dummar ** 1:00:13 yeah, yeah. Now, after leaving this Special Forces Charitable Trust, I realized, you know, after I'd moved out to Idaho, where I live now that I wasn't as connected to the regiment as I'd been my first retired and I was still kind of in the North Carolina area or but after moving out here, you know, just felt like that. I probably there were other guys more recently retired, knew more of the things that needed to be done. So stepping down from that organization. And then, obviously, one of the other things that happened was, you know, the the rapid withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and the fall of Afghanistan, and I found myself with many other Afghan veterans, sort of, you know, both wondering, you know what it all meant, why? You know, and then, but then also what we can do. You know, not dwelling too long. I know, you know, poor me. You know what? You know. Why did I go? What did it mean? But more so, hey, you know, we had a bunch of people that we made promises to, a bunch of people that follow alongside America, some certainly, you know, in the interest of Afghanistan. But there were also many, many of the especially on the Afghan Special Operations sides, that were not always necessarily doing things at the behest of the Afghan government, but operating with US forces on things that the US wanted to do, but then, you know, we're sort of left hanging when during the withdrawal. So, you know, working alongside other veterans to try and get as many of those people out during the withdrawal and then. But so now I work with an operation or a organization called Operation recovery that is still following these families, following these cases, people that are either still in Afghanistan, some in hiding, some in other countries, illegally, but trying to help them resolve visa issues and either get to Canada or the United States or someplace in Europe, just someplace safe for them and their family, away from the from the Taliban. And so that's been it, and it's, it's hard work, you know, because the in work like that, we're trying to make government bureaucracies realize that they should be issuing visas or allowing people to move, it's not always a rapid process. So feels like, and, you know, and I'm not pointing fingers as if anyone should still, you know, be completely focused on Afghanistan. But you know, other things happen. You know, Ukraine, the war in Ukraine draws attention away. You know, the war in Israel. You know, hurricanes, storms, everything that's going on. You know, Assassination comes. You know, assassination attempts, you know, all of that stuff diverts people's you know, draws people attend. You know their attention to that. And I'm not sure many people, you know, they support the troops. And you know, you often hear them, you know, you know, thanking troops for their service. And the only response I can have to that, you know, for for for years, I struggled with how to respond to that. When someone would say, Thank you for your service, you know, just Okay, thank you. You know, I don't know, thanks for your support, but you know, I heard a good response, and I've been using it since, and it's like, America's worth it. So,   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:54 yeah, on top of everything else that you do, you've also been dabbling or going into real estate a little bit, yeah,   Fred Dummar ** 1:04:01 yeah. So that's, that's a lot of what I've been doing, you know, for because, you know, providing for your family, right? So, yeah, I started doing some investment real estate, and out here, got a partner, we did, worked on a couple of mobile home parts, larger projects. And I still, once a week, I still teach a clas

Paying for college doesn't have to be a financial nightmare!  In this episode we talk about some of the ways to cover the cost without drowning in student loans. Contact Chris: https://heavymetal.money ⁠https://www.facebook.com/MoneyHeavyMetal⁠ https://x.com/MoneyHeavyMetal ⁠https://www.instagram.com/chrisluger⁠ ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@heavymetalmoney⁠ email: chris at heavymetal.money Contact Dan: email: dan at corepln.com https://www.corepln.com/dan-hine Resources and Links: A Path to Free College for Those Who Serve With The Post-9/11 GI Bill https://heavymetal.money/gibill/ Free Tuition in Minnesota: Unveiling the North Star Promise https://heavymetal.money/northstarpromise/ Pay Less For Two-Year Degrees That Can Make You Bank https://heavymetal.money/twoyeardegree/ High-Paying Trade Jobs and Careers That Don't Require a College Degree https://heavymetal.money/tradejobs/ Econome Session - Chris Corinthian: How to Pay for College Without Student Loans https://youtu.be/4-SR8PN5Jiw?si=6AUGtQ2AOlyZHv52 Scholly has made $30 million in revenues since starting up and supported over 5 million users. The deal with Sallie Mae also has allowed the company to distribute the app for free; it used to cost $2.99 a month. https://www.sallie.com/scholarships/scholly Scholarships Scholarships are the best way to pay for college because they don't need to be repaid. Many scholarships are merit-based (for academics, sports, arts, etc.), but others are awarded for unique skills, interests, or even random qualifications. Where to find them: Fastweb.com, Scholarships.com, and the College Board's Scholarship Search. Local businesses, nonprofits, and religious organizations often offer scholarships. Many schools automatically consider students for merit scholarships upon application. Post 9/11 GI Bill  The Post-9/11 GI Bill offers a substantial list of benefits, making it a wicked-awesome opportunity to obtain low-cost, or perhaps FREE college education! Here's a breakdown of what it covers: Tuition and Fees (Full Coverage at Public Colleges and Universities): If you attend a public college or university, the Post-9/11 GI Bill provides 100% coverage for tuition and mandatory fees. If you attend a private or foreign school, the GI Bill can cover up to $27,120 per year (as of 2024). If your chosen school exceeds this amount, you may still receive additional funding through the Yellow Ribbon Program, which will be explained in more detail below. Housing Allowance (BAH – Basic Allowance for Housing): While enrolled in school, you receive a monthly housing allowance based on the local cost of living. If you're taking online-only courses, you'll still receive some money for housing, but it's approximately half of the full-time student rate. Money for Books and Supplies: You're allocated up to $1,000 per year to cover textbooks and school supplies. This money is directly deposited into your account, allowing you to purchase the necessary materials for your classes. Job Training and Certification Programs: The GI Bill doesn't limit its benefits to traditional colleges. It can also cover vocational schools, technical training, apprenticeships, and even flight school. visit the VA's website (www.va.gov/education/) for the most up-to-date information. Grants Like scholarships, grants are free money that does not need to be repaid. Most grants are based on financial need. Key Grant Programs: Pell Grant – Up to $7,395 per year (2024-25) for low-income students. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) – Additional aid for low-income students. State Grants – Many states offer their own need-based grants. Institutional Grants – Colleges may provide their own grants based on financial need or special circumstances. How to apply: Fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as early as possible. Work-Study The Federal Work-Study Program provides part-time jobs for students to help pay for tuition and living expenses. Jobs are often on-campus and flexible with class schedules. Unlike a regular job, work-study earnings don't count against your FAFSA financial aid eligibility. How to apply: Check the FAFSA box that asks about work-study interest. Employer Tuition Assistance (Let Your Boss Pay) Many companies offer tuition reimbursement for employees pursuing higher education. Programs vary but can cover $5,250 per year (tax-free) or more. Some companies that offer tuition assistance: Amazon's Career Choice Program Starbucks College Achievement Plan UPS Earn & Learn Program Walmart Live Better U How to apply: Ask your employer's HR department about tuition benefits. 529 College Savings Plans (Tax-Advantaged Savings) A 529 Plan is a tax-advantaged investment account for education expenses. Money grows tax-free if used for qualified education expenses. Some states offer tax deductions or credits for contributions. How to start: Open an account through your state's 529 plan website or a financial institution.

Jim talks with Rob Henderson about his book Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class and the concept of luxury beliefs. They discuss Rob's journey from foster care to Yale and Cambridge, Jim's background, the decline in two-parent families from 1960 to 2005, changing forms of elite hypocrisy, intra-elite competition, corporate adoption of woke beliefs, enforcement of ideological conformity, the spread of academic ideas into mainstream culture, attributions of success, drugs and gambling as luxury beliefs, the self-control aristocracy, Western environmentalism's impact on Sub-Saharan Africa, elite opinion vs public opinion, and much more. Episode Transcript Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class, by Rob Henderson Rob Henderson's Newsletter Marc Andreessen's interview with Ross Douthat in the New York Times "What the Left Did to Me and My Family," by Christopher Rufo Rob Henderson grew up in foster homes in Los Angeles and in the rural town of Red Bluff, California. After enlisting in the U.S. Air Force at the age of seventeen, he subsequently attended Yale on the GI Bill and was then awarded the Gates Cambridge Scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge, where he obtained a PhD in psychology in 2022. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a Contributing Editor for City Journal, and his Substack newsletter is sent each week to more than 70 thousand subscribers.

This week, host Bobby Testa spoke with Lee Gilliard, a U.S. Army veteran, real estate expert, and founder of Bennu Contracting Services. Lee shared his inspiring journey into entrepreneurship, his vision for government contracting, and practical tips for small businesses navigating the federal marketplace.From Army Veteran to Business OwnerLee Gilliard began his career in the U.S. Army, developing discipline and leadership skills. After eight years of service, he used his GI Bill to earn an MBA and launched a successful real estate career in Charleston, SC. With over 20 years of experience, including a $10 million redevelopment project at the historic Charleston City Market, Lee's background prepared him to launch Bennu Contracting Services.His company focuses on optimizing operations for clients, blending his expertise in real estate and his commitment to strategic goals.Why Government Contracting?Government contracting had been a long-term goal for Lee, beginning with his graduate thesis in 2014. For him, it represents financial independence and the American dream.Why pursue government contracts?Steady, reliable revenue.Set-aside programs create opportunities for small businesses.A clear path to growth and success.Strategic Growth Through CertificationsBennu Contracting Services leverages certifications to access set-aside contracts:Disabled Veteran-Owned, Women-Owned, and Minority Business Enterprise: These certifications open doors to exclusive opportunities.Set-Asides: Lee aims to win three to five contracts annually.8(a) Program: Joining the SBA's 8(a) program within three years will help scale the business.Partnering with FedBiz AccessLee credits FedBiz Access for helping him navigate the complexities of government contracting. Here's why:Expert Support: From SAM registration to capability statements, FedBiz Access provides comprehensive assistance.Reputation: With 20+ years of experience, they're a trusted partner for small businesses.Customer Focus: Lee praised their dedication, calling them “professionals who go above and beyond.”Advice for Aspiring ContractorsLee offered actionable advice for businesses considering government contracting:Define Your Niche: Know what products or services you'll offer.Partner Strategically: Work with experts like FedBiz Access to streamline the process.Leverage Certifications: Credentials like Veteran-Owned or Women-Owned certifications set you apart.Lessons Learned and Looking AheadLee's journey highlights the importance of preparation and resilience. By combining his military experience, business acumen, and strategic planning, he's building a thriving business in the federal marketplace.His story underscores these key takeaways:Stay informed about programs like the 8(a) set-asides.Seek experienced guidance.Invest in certifications to boost your credibility.Stay Connected: Signup for our Once-Monthly "Contractor Chronicle" Newsletter Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on LinkedIn

Jeff Stoffer, Director of Media and Communications at the American Legion, joined America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the response of Post 283 to the Los Angeles wildfires. He also spoke about a couple of stories in the February edition of the American Legion magazine and the need for a GI Bill 2.0. Norm Wernet, President of the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to speak about the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act and its positive impact nationwide on millions of retirees. 

Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger grew up in a house of 14 children and his his connection with his father, a World War II veteran, was watching Notre Dame football. Rudy's dream was to play for the Fighting Irish. But his high school athetic career did not merit attention from Notre Dame and he says his grades weren't good enough to get accepted there either.So a co-worker encouraged him to join the Navy. Rudy says his time in the U.S. Navy changed his life and made his Notre Dame dream possible.In this edition of "Veteran's Chronicles," Ruettiger tells us about his time in the Navy, including trips to Guantanamo Bay and serving on a destroyer in the Mediterranean Sea during the Vietnam era. He explains how a conversation with an officer who graduated from Notre Dame rekindled his dream to play football. He then shares the tough road to get accepted into Notre Dame, how the GI Bill paid for his academic journey to get there and how his military service helped him to connect with both football coaches for the Fighting Irish.Finally, Ruettiger walks us through life as a walk-on and the dramatic events that led to him taking the field, getting in the game, and recording a tackle in his one play from scrimmage. And he'll reveal what was real in the movie "Rudy" and where the filmmakers took some dramatic license.

Those who served more than one term. https://www.lehtoslaw.com

In this conversation, the brothers reflect on the tragedies that occurred at the start of the new year, discuss their frustrations with the Netflix series 'La Palma', and share their thoughts on the second season of 'Squid Games' and updates in the DC Universe, including Jason Momoa's new role as Lobo. We touch on changes to the GI Bill for veterans, college football playoffs and parenting decisions regarding children's health. We delve into the expectations of children in contributing to household finances and the ongoing debate about 50/50 financial responsibilities in relationships, emphasizing the need for open communication and understanding in modern households. Keywords New Year, Tragedy, La Palma, Netflix, Squid Games, DC Universe, Jason Momoa, Lobo, Superman, DC movies, GI Bill, college football, parenting, financial responsibility, 50/50 relationships, veterans benefits, movie industry, health decisions, family finances, relationships, red flags, financial conversations, partnership expectations, compatibility, responsibilities, dating advice

Paul Hilliard, President of Badger Oil Corporation, has led a wonderful life of generosity and love of community that provides a humbling lesson in being a good steward of God's resources. At 99 years of age, he is sharp and insightful, a true testament to his wisdom and vitality. Paul was 17 when he enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps during his Senior year in high school in February 1943, quitting school when he received permission from his mother to join the war effort. He trained to be a gunner, handling machine guns in the back of Douglas SBD Dauntless (Scout Bomber by Douglas Aircraft) planes in air missions conducted in the Pacific Theatre of Operations. SBD was jokingly referred to as “Slow But Deadly.” He flew 45 combat missions and was twice awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in addition to receiving the Air Medal with six bronze stars.  Following his service, Hilliard earned his law degree from the University of Texas before beginning a career in the oil and gas industry. He credits the GI Bill for the opportunities it afforded him and so many other servicemen who would not have otherwise been able to obtain an education. Hilliard exemplifies the selfless spirit and pride of our WWII generation of heroes, as well as the successful ingenuity of a veteran oil and gas entrepreneur.  Known for his self-effacing wit and ability to achieve in spite of a hardscrabble upbringing in Wisconsin, Hilliard has been a successful independent operator and owner of Badger Oil Corporation since 1955 and has seen fit to use his success in business to help others in need. Awarded the Civic Cup in 2003 and the esteemed national Horatio Alger Award in 2009, Paul has also been active in statewide associations working to improve the oil and gas industry, business, and civic endeavors. Paul has also been active in statewide associations working to improve the oil and gas industry, business, and civic endeavors.  In 2015, he received the Circle of Honor Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. UL Press released Dauntless: Paul Hilliard in WWII and a Transformed America in 2023. Written by Rob Citino with Ken Stickney and Lori Ochsner, the book documents some of the most fascinating decades in American history: the impact of World War II, the importance of post-war social and economic changes, and the development of the oil industry from the 1950s to today. “Dauntless is a compelling narrative tracing Paul Hilliard's life experiences during the Great Depression, from farm life in Wisconsin's Dust Bowl to his distinguished service as a Marine in World War II, his education through law school, and a long and successful business in the oil fields. Paul's lifelong philanthropy and his passion for education and the lessons of WWII make him an inspiration. His life is the Horatio Alger story. He is, and always be, one of my heroes.”—Boysie Bollinger Paul has been a generous benefactor in causes to help at-risk children learn to read so that they can overcome poverty as he did.  He and his late wife, Lulu, provided $5 million dollars in seed money to start the Paul and Lulu Hilliard Art Museum at UL – Lafayette. Paul has served as a National WWII Museum trustee, and he and his wife, Madlyn, have been two of the Museum's most active advocates and supporters. They have provided transformative support for several Museum initiatives, including acquisition and restoration of artifacts, collection of oral histories, and education programs. In September 2018, Hilliard accepted the position of Board Chair of the museum, focusing on the completion of the its $400 million campus expansion. For more information, visit https://www.nationalww2museum.org, a treasure trove of thousands of oral histories and hundreds of thousands of photos depicting the WWII experience. Paul ended the interview by sharing his gratitude for being born in the United States of America.  He spoke of a favorite quote by Cicero: “Gratitude...

Join Jen M Wagman, Founder and President of GenVETS, Inc., as she leads a panel discussion on transformative programs for veterans and their families. Featuring U.S. Air Force Veteran Jennifer Ross and U.S. Navy Veteran Curtis R. Addleman, this conversation dives deep into two impactful initiatives: Veterans Upward Bound and Military and Veteran Student Services.Discover how these programs bridge the gap for veterans transitioning to civilian life, providing support in education, career development, and personal growth. Learn about the unique challenges veterans face in higher education, the importance of tailored GI Bill benefits, and how dedicated organizations are advocating for equality and opportunity.

Before he became a full-time talk radio host, Michael worked for a Philadelphia-based trial lawyer, James E. Beasley, who passed away in 2004. Listen to this special conversation where Michael spoke to Ralph Cipriano, who immortalized Beasley in his book "Courtroom Cowboy: The Life of Legal Trailblazer Jim Beasley." Also joining in this conversation is Beasley's son, Jim Beasley Jr. Beasley Sr. was a high school dropout driving a Greyhound bus when, on an impulse, he decided to change his destiny. He left the bus station behind and enrolled in Temple University and then its law school on the GI Bill. It was a fateful choice for Beasley and for hundreds of clients who would need a warrior to fight for them. In the courtroom Beasley was a scrapper, standing up for the underdog and winning more million-dollar verdicts than any other trial lawyer in the country. Original air date 2008, the book was published in 2008.

Welcome to the VinnyRoc Podcast! In this episode, I'm joined by Joseph Luplow, a longtime friend, former Army Ranger, and fitness enthusiast who has carved an impressive path in powerlifting and bodybuilding after his military career. Joseph and I reminisce about our shared experiences in the military, including the bonds we forged during Ranger School, deployments, and intense training sessions. We explore Joseph's lifelong commitment to fitness, starting with his teenage years when he balanced football practices with relentless weightlifting sessions. He shares how this discipline stayed with him through the military and into his civilian life, where he continues to make time for fitness, even while working demanding schedules in industries like refinery work. Joseph also talks about the genetic factors that played a role in his physique and how he maximized those gifts through hard work and dedication. If you've ever wondered what it takes to maintain peak physical condition while balancing work, life, and personal goals, this episode is packed with valuable insights and inspiration. We also give a shoutout to our incredible sponsors: - Core Medical Group: Specialists in male hormone replacement therapy, serving veterans, first responders, and more. If you're looking to optimize your health and energy, contact them for discounted bloodwork—just mention the VinnyRoc Podcast. - Modern Gun School: A flexible, affordable online armorer school that allows veterans to use their GI Bill benefits. Study from home with high-quality materials and experienced instructors. - Grimblades: Makers of premium American-made straight razors and grooming tools. Check them out at Grimblades.com or follow @StraightRazors on Instagram. Whether you're interested in military stories, fitness advice, or just looking for inspiration, this episode delivers on all fronts. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more incredible conversations with inspiring guests.

Danny Rodriguez is a former Army mortarman that served in Iraq and Afghanistan. His unit was involved in the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh and he earned a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his actions. Following his enlistment, he used his GI Bill to attend college and walk-on to the Clemson football team.Support the showhttps://www.jcramergraphics.com/collections/flagshttps://www.ANGLICOshop.comhttps://www.patreon.com/formeractionguys00:00:00 J Cramer Graphics Ad00:00:40 Intro | Afghanistan Combat Video00:09:55 Joining the Army00:12:46 Army Infantry | 11C00:17:44 First Deployment | Combat Replacement00:32:00 Give and Take Relationship00:42:16 Deployment to Afghanistan00:53:32 Battle of Kamdesh01:10:39 After the Battle01:17:12 The Oupost | Book and Movie

Welcome to the fourth and final episode of our Veteran-Focused mini-series in celebration of Veteran Saves Week! Today, we're discussing one of the biggest challenges veterans face in transitioning to civilian life—moving from military service to civilian employment. Amelia and Krystel guide you through essential financial steps, covering topics like budgeting for relocation, using the GI Bill for career advancement, understanding civilian benefits, and building financial confidence along the way. This episode is sponsored by Walmart, whose ongoing support of veterans and their families through career pathways and advancement opportunities aligns perfectly with the mission of Veteran Saves. In this episode, we discusss: Relocation Expenses: Moving from military life to civilian life often brings new expenses, including housing deposits, transportation, and work-related costs. Tip: Track your spending by gathering recent pay stubs, bank statements, and bills to create a budget and spending plan that addresses upcoming relocation needs. Setting Financial Goals: Establishing both short- and long-term goals, such as an emergency fund or saving for certifications, can make the transition more manageable. Leveraging the GI Bill: Beyond traditional schooling, the GI Bill also covers certifications, technical training, and apprenticeships. Many apprenticeships allow veterans to earn an income while learning, which can be especially helpful during the transition to civilian life. Understanding Civilian Benefits: Civilian compensation packages differ from military pay, and veterans should review their base salary, health benefits, and retirement options like 401(k) matching to understand their full package. Veterans with a Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) may consider rolling it into a 401(k) or IRA for continued retirement savings growth. Save or Skip Segment: Scenario: A $1,000 relocation bonus—save it for moving expenses or invest in a career certification? Amelia and Crystal share their thoughts, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing relocation while exploring employer support for certifications. Financial Counseling for Veterans: Organizations like the Veterans Benefits Banking Program and the Foundation for Financial Planning provide free financial counseling tailored to veterans, offering guidance on unique financial challenges. Resources & Links Mentioned: Veteran Saves Pledge Create a Spending & Savins Plan VBBP Free Financial Counseling & Coaching How Walmart Helps Veterans Thrive Transitioning to civilian life is a significant change, but with a solid financial plan, veterans can navigate this journey smoothly. We're here to support you every step of the way, and special thanks to Walmart for their partnership and commitment to the veteran community.

The Veteran Saves Team brings you a special Veteran-focused mini-series to celebrate Veteran Saves Week, a four-day event encouraging veterans, transitioning service members, and their families or caregivers to do a financial check-in and gain a clear view of their finances. In this episode, Amelia and Krystel focus on the challenge of managing competing financial priorities. From creating an emergency fund to paying off debt and saving for retirement, this episode provides veterans and their families with step-by-step strategies to take control of their finances and build financial security. During the episode, we'll dive into... Introduction to Veteran Saves Week: Veteran Saves Week provides veterans with the tools and support they need to manage their finances with confidence. Each day highlights a different theme, offering guidance on topics like housing, debt, banking, and transitioning from military to civilian life. Today's Theme – Balancing Competing Financial Priorities: This episode is all about helping veterans balance various financial priorities, including saving for emergencies, paying down debt, and preparing for retirement, all while managing everyday expenses. Our goal is to make financial planning more manageable and less stressful for veterans, transitioning service members, and their families. Veteran Saves Program Overview: Veteran Saves supports veterans in achieving financial goals through resources, articles, videos, and reminders. Veterans can also take the Veteran Saves Pledge at VeteransSaves.org, which provides encouragement and guidance for reaching their savings goals. Save or Skip Segment: Scenario: What would you do if you received a $1,000 bonus? Would you put it toward retirement or use it to pay down debt? Takeaway: There's no right or wrong answer—it all depends on personal goals and financial priorities. Steps for Balancing Financial Priorities: Break Down Your Financial Goals: Think of your goals in three categories—short-term, mid-term, and long-term—to help clarify what's most important right now and in the future. Start with $500: Building a $500 emergency fund is a great starting point for financial security. Strategies include automating savings, setting aside portions of VA benefits, and using military discounts to save. Manage Debt Effectively: Consider the snowball or avalanche method to tackle debt in a way that fits your goals and keeps you motivated. Saving Flexibly: Remember, saving is a cyclical process, and it's okay to use your emergency fund when needed. Automatic transfers can help you build back your savings over time. Maximizing VA Benefits: VA benefits can be essential financial tools, offering resources for healthcare, education, and job training. Utilizing benefits like the GI Bill, vocational programs, and financial counseling services can help veterans advance their careers and financial stability without stretching their budgets. Aligning Financial Plans with Personal Values: Reflecting on your core values—such as community support, financial independence, or enjoying meaningful experiences—can help make your financial journey more rewarding and aligned with what truly matters to you. Links Mentioned in This Episode: Veteran Saves Pledge: VeteranSaves.Org/Pledge  Create a Spending and Savings Plan: https://veteransaves.org/resource-center/insights/6-steps-to-establishing-a-spending-and-savings-plan-for-veterans-and-transitioning-military-personnel/  Savings Plan On-Demand Workshop: https://youtu.be/m5ur5tt8JhA  Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Think Like a Saver! We hope you've gained valuable insights into balancing financial priorities and building financial security. Remember, with a solid plan and clear goals, it's possible to manage multiple financial priorities with confidence.

The Pilot the Pilot podcast welcomes Cheese Pilot, an aviation enthusiast and simulator instructor, who shares his unique journey into aviation and the challenges he has faced along the way. The conversation dives into Cheese Pilot's early fascination with flying, sparked by a memorable air show event during his childhood. Despite the initial setback of financial barriers that deterred him from pursuing a pilot's license, Cheese Pilot's path took a dramatic turn when he enlisted in the Army. After serving, a serendipitous discovery of using his GI Bill for flight training led him to a successful career in aviation. However, his journey is not without challenges. The discussion highlights the complexities and frustrations of navigating the FAA's medical certification process, particularly regarding mental health evaluations, which have affected his ability to work as a pilot. Cheese Pilot emphasizes the importance of mental health in aviation and advocates for a more supportive system that prioritizes pilots' well-being, reflecting on how lack of understanding can lead to significant career disruptions.Takeaways: The FAA's mental health evaluation process needs significant reform to be more efficient and supportive. Pilots often face daunting challenges when seeking help for mental health issues due to stigma and bureaucratic hurdles. Cheese Pilot emphasizes the importance of open conversations about mental health among aviation professionals. The transition from general aviation to commercial flying can be overwhelming without proper guidance and training. The experiences of individuals like Cheese Pilot highlight the need for greater awareness of mental health in aviation. Building a successful online presence can provide valuable resources and support for aspiring pilots. Companies mentioned in this episode: Garmin Sirius XM Aviation Learn the Finer Points Sporty's Air Wisconsin ATP University of North Dakota Arizona State University Chandler Gilbert Community College Aeromed Legal Harvey Watt Pilots Mental Health Campaign RAA Allworth Airline Advisors

Chances are, if you're thinking of listening to this podcast episode, the 2024 election didn't go the way you hoped it would. A lot of people are feeling scared right now. I've heard some people wanting to fight, while others want to hunker down. I've had both of those feelings myself over the last few weeks. I don't usually wade into current events. My brain needs time to process and digest and preferably take in a lot of peer-reviewed research before I can decide what I think. I tried to do something different in this episode: I did read a lot, but I only took notes and then spoke mostly extemporaneously. And now you've seen the length of this episode you'll know why I don't do that very often. In this episode we will help you answer questions like: How do our values shape political views and actions? How can we make sense of the way that liberals and conservatives prioritize different values? Is it possible that liberals haven't been truly honest about how we live our values? What kinds of actions can we take to create true belonging so we don't have to grasp at power? How can we create true belonging in our families, to live our values honestly and completely? I hope you find this thought-provoking and useful as we all start to think about the ways we can move forward - and keep everyone safe. These are the graphs mentioned on this episode: Episode Mentioned: https://yourparentingmojo.com/captivate-podcast/ineverthoughtofitthatway/ https://yourparentingmojo.com/captivate-podcast/othering/ https://yourparentingmojo.com/captivate-podcast/equitableoutcomes/ Jump to highlights: 3:50 References to Dr. John Powell's and Dr. Jonathan Haidt's work, particularly The Righteous Mind, exploring political views. 4:45 Explanation of Haidt's five moral foundations and their impact on political perspectives. 7:00 Comparison of liberal and conservative priorities around moral foundations. 8:36 Discussion on care, fairness, loyalty, authority, and sanctity in policies. 10:46 Exploration of government intervention, wealth redistribution, immigration, and in-group loyalty. 13:06 Discussion on understanding and addressing the underlying needs of both groups. 17:46 Examples of Social Security and the GI Bill's exclusionary practices. 19:16 Discussion of economic disparities and the call for fair, inclusive policies. 22:38 References to sociologist Arlie Hochschild's work on the economic story behind Trump's support. 24:00 Examination of cultural and economic factors influencing Trump's voter base. 28:50 Examples of identity threats leading to group cohesion. 32:30 Advocacy for listening to Trump voters to understand...

Are kids learning enough about how the world really works? This week, Emily hosts Lindsey Cormack, a thoughtful political science professor and author of How to Raise a Citizen (and Why It's Up to You to Do It), to talk about how we, as parents, can play a big role in raising engaged citizens.  They delve into Lindsey's experiences and research, demonstrating how schools frequently fail to teach students the fundamentals of government. They also look into what it means to be a 'citizen' and how we can encourage our children to be interested in politics.  You'll hear tips on having age-appropriate political discussions, tackling misinformation, and helping kids feel empowered to participate.  This conversation is a heartfelt reminder for all of us parents to step up and help guide our kids into becoming informed, active voters. Listen and Learn:  Lindsey's journey to writing a parenting book that empowers kids to understand politics Why young adults struggle with politics—and how family conversations can change the future Raising politically empowered kids with the autonomy to shape their communities How you, as a parent, can shape future citizens to strengthen democracy in an age of political disengagement Protecting your kids from misinformation by helping them understand politics better Developing non-cognitive skills through civic engagement and how this can empower your kids for life Can engaging in politics boost your kids' college prospects and help them become impactful leaders? How engaging in local politics can boost kids' mental health and empower them to create change Ways you can engage your kids in politics positively and navigate tough discussions about leaders How to model open-mindedness and flexible thinking for kids in political discussions! Should more states have the constitution test for kids? Nurturing political understanding in your kids, from ages 5 to 18 Why equipping kids to navigate politics is crucial for a better future, not just party loyalty Resources:  How to Raise a Citizen (and Why It's Up to You to Do It) https://www.lindseycormack.com/ https://twitter.com/DCInbox https://www.instagram.com/howtoraiseacitizen/ About Lindsey Cormack Lindsey Cormack is an associate professor of Political Science and Director of the Diplomacy Lab at Stevens Institute of Technology. She has authored two books, How to Raise a Citizen (And Why it's Up to You to Do It) and Congress and U.S. Veterans: From the GI Bill to the VA Crisis. She created and maintains the digital database of all official Congress-to-constituent e-newsletters at www.dcinbox.com. She earned her PhD in Government from New York University. She currently serves as the Secretary for Manhattan Community Board 8. Her research has been published in Political Behavior, Congress & the Presidency, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Political Science Research and Methods, American Politics Research, Politics & Policy, Politics Groups & Identities, Politics & Gender, The Journal of Gender Studies, Energy Economics, The Legislative Scholar as well as in popular outlets including the Bloomberg Businesswire, The New York Times, The Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight, ProPublica, Roll Call, The New York Post, NBC News, the LSE USCentre, and The Hill, The Conversation, The San Francisco Chronicle, and more. Related Episodes: 371. Uniting Toward a Better Future with Diana Smith 319. Autonomy-Supportive Parenting with Emily Edlynn 324. Toxic Achievement Culture with Jennifer Wallace 256. Social Justice Parenting with Traci Baxley 214. How to Raise Kids Who Aren't Jerks with Melinda Wenner Moyer https://offtheclockpsych.com/273-a-more-just-future-with-dolly-chugh/  https://offtheclockpsych.com/values-fulfillment-theory/ https://offtheclockpsych.com/205-thrivers-with-michele-borba/ https://offtheclockpsych.com/howtobeanadult/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Wednesday, October 2nd, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark The more gov't corruption, the more persecution of Christians International Christian Concern released a report on the connection between government corruption and persecution. The report notes that countries with significant abuse of public power for private gain are also countries with high levels of persecution for Christians. Countries like Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Nigeria, and North Korea. The report referenced multiple studies that “highlight how corruption within governmental, legal, and societal institutions can exacerbate religious persecution, leading to discrimination, violence, and marginalization of religious minorities.” Iran launched missiles against Israel Speaking of Iran, the country launched dozens of missiles into Israel on Tuesday. There were no immediate reports on any casualties or damage caused by the strike. The attack comes less than a week after Israeli airstrikes killed the leader of Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed terrorist group in Lebanon. Israel has also started ground operations against Hezbollah this week. The U.S. stood by Israel, promising severe consequences for Iranian missile attacks on Israel.  J.D. Vance beat Tim Walz in Vice Presidential debate Referring to last night's CBS Vice Presidential debate in New York City between the Republican VP nominee J.D. Vance, an Ohio Senator, and the Democratic VP nominee, Tim Walz, the Minnesota Governor, radio talk show host Erick Erickson sent an email with the subject line: “Even the Democrats Know Vance Won.” He wrote, “JD Vance just turned in the very best performance of a national candidate in decades on a debate stage. He handled himself extremely well.” Vance: Kamala ensured border crisis by dismantling Trump policy When asked about immigration, this was Vance's answer. VANCE: “We have a historic immigration crisis because Kamala Harris started and said that she wanted to undo all of Donald Trump's border policies, 94 executive orders, suspending deportations, decriminalizing illegal aliens, massively increasing the asylum fraud that exists in our system. That has opened the floodgates, and what it's meant is that a lot of fentanyl is coming into our country. “I had a mother who struggled with opioid addiction and has gotten clean. I don't want people who are struggling with addiction to be deprived of their second chance because Kamala Harris let in fentanyl into our communities at record levels. So, you've got to stop the bleeding. You've got to reimplement Donald Trump's border policies, build the wall, reimplement deportations.” Walz lied about being in Hong Kong during Tiananmen Square massacre Talk show host Erick Erickson said Governor Walz did not hold up and opened himself up to more attacks for lying about being in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Indeed, listen to his inability to answer a straight question from CBS News moderator Margaret Brennan, reports the National Review. BRENNAN: “Governor Walz, you said you were in Hong Kong during the deadly Tiananmen Square protests in the spring of 1989, but Minnesota Public Radio and other media outlets are reporting that you actually didn't travel to Asia until August of that year. Can you explain that discrepancy?” WALZ: “To the folks out there who didn't get at the top of this: Look, I grew up in small, rural Nebraska, town of 400, town that you rode your bike with your buddies till the street lights come on. And I'm proud of that service. I joined the National Guard at 17, worked on family farms, and then I used the GI Bill to become a teacher, passionate about it, a young teacher. My first year out, I got the opportunity in the summer of ‘89 to travel to China, 35 years ago be able to do that. “I came back home and then started a program to take young people there. We would take basketball teams. We would take baseball teams. We would take dancers, and we would go back and forth to China. The issue for that was, was to try and learn. Now, look, my community knows who I am. They saw where I was at. Look, I will be the first to tell you, I have poured my heart into my community. “I've tried to do the best I can, but I've not been perfect, and I'm a knucklehead at times, but it's always been about that. Those same people elected me to Congress for 12 years, and in Congress, I was one of the most bipartisan people. Many times, I will talk a lot. I will get caught up in the rhetoric, but being there, the impact. It made the difference. It made my life. I learned a lot about China. I hear the critiques of this.” BRENNAN: “Governor, just to follow up on that: The question was, ‘can you explain the discrepancy?'” WALZ: “All I said on this was as I got there that summer and misspoke on this. So, I will just, that's what I've said. So, I was in Hong Kong and China during the democracy protests went in, and from that, I learned a lot of what needed to be in governance.” All that to say, Walz was in the United States, not Hong Kong, during the Tiananmen Square massacre, reports Reuters. Hurricane Helene claims 140 lives; Nearly 2 million without power Rainstorms followed by Hurricane Helene dumped over 40 trillion gallons of water across the Southeast U.S. over the last week. The storm has caused at least 140 deaths across six states. Hundreds of people are still missing, and over 1.7 million homes and businesses are without power. North Carolina faced some of the worst flooding. Among the damage there was Ridgecrest Conference Center in Black Mountain, the host of many Christian retreats over the years. Christian groups like Samaritan's Purse have been providing supplies and aid in the region. On Monday, Former President Donald Trump visited hurricane-ravaged Georgia alongside Franklin Graham, the founder of Samaritan's Purse. Listen to Graham's comments. GRAHAM: “This building behind us represents hundreds of thousands of people that have lost homes, businesses, friends, loved ones. And it's going to take an army of volunteers and people to respond. And, of course, at Samaritan's Purse, we want to respond, always in Jesus' name.” In Mark 9:41, Jesus said, “For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” Georgia's Heartbeat law declared unconstitutional In other Georgia news, a state judge ruled on Monday that Georgia's heartbeat law is unconstitutional. The ruling came despite the Georgia Supreme Court upholding the law last year. Georgia's 2019 Living Infants Fairness and Equality Act effectively banned abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The latest ruling would allow abortions up to 20 weeks. Chris Carr, the state's Republican Attorney General, announced he will appeal the ruling. He said, “We believe Georgia's life act is fully constitutional.”  Kris Kristofferson died Kris Kristofferson died Saturday at 88 years of age.  Haunted through his lifetime by the Christian faith, the singer songwriter of "Why Me Lord?" and "Sunday Morning Coming Down" was known for his contemplative lyrics.  KRISTOFFERSON: “Lord, help me, Jesus, I've wasted it. So, help me, Jesus. I know what I am. Now that I know that I needed You so, help me, Jesus. My soul's in Your hand.” Alex Kendrick chats with Adam McManus And finally, today, as I guest host for Kevin Swanson on Generations Radio, I chat with Alex Kendrick who co-wrote and directed the Christian film called The Forge. It highlights the power of Christian discipleship. KENDRICK: “We wrote this script about a young 19-year-old who has graduated high school, trying to figure out what direction he goes in life. His father's abandoned him, but he does have a praying mother, and she's asking God to send someone into his life that can call him to faith in You and help mentor him as he steps into manhood. “We watch the path of young Isaiah, the 19-year-old, go on the ups and downs of stepping into manhood, embracing responsibility, and growing in his faith. By the end of the film, we hope that people say, ‘I want that to happen to me' or perhaps one of your children.” Take a listen to my conversation with Christian filmmaker Alex Kendrick at Generations.org/radio. That's Generations.org/radio. The Forge is still in 700 theaters. So, make plans to see it this week if you haven't already done so. To find a theater near you, go to TheForgeMovie.com.  My family laughed and cried. And we were inspired to be better disciples of Christ and to help fulfill the Great Commission by making disciples. Watch the trailer. Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, October 2nd, in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or emailto our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.