The VetsConnection Podcast

Hosted by Scott McLean

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Latest episode

Oct 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Join host Scott McLean, a veteran and also a passionate advocate for veterans' well-being. Each week Scott will bring you an episode that will feature insightful conversations with representatives from non-profit organizations dedicated to supporting veterans, as well as experts discussing programs within the Veterans Affairs (V.A.) aimed at assisting veterans with their needs. From discussing innovative therapies to highlighting community resources, this podcast sheds light on the myriad of ways veterans can find support and healing thru nonprofit organizations and also to connect nonprofits with each other in hopes of creating a network that will be beneficial to all.

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60 recent

November 11, 2026Episode 981 hr 9 min

He Carried Them Home After The Explosion. Army Veteran Justin Wohlford.

Scott sits down with Army veteran Justin Wohlford for a Veterans Day story that starts with a convoy mission in Iraq and ends with what it takes to live with the memories. We talk about guilt, PTS, TBI, family fallout, suicide risk, and how service to other veterans becomes a way back. • growing up in Nebraska and enlisting in 2000 after leaving college • basic training at Fort Jackson and assignments that change without warning • first Iraq deployment and returning home to funeral detail • second deployment convoy escorts and the constant threat of IEDs • Veterans Day explosion with JP8 fuel and multiple vehicles on fire • pulling fallen soldiers from a burned vehicle and carrying lasting guilt • no time to decompress, back on mission, then investigations and media stories • TBI, repeated concussions, MRI screening and medical discharge • delayed processing of trauma and reframing PTSD as PTS • marriage strain after deployments, retreat in Alaska and divorce • suicidal planning, VA hospitalization and the decision to seek serious help • building a new mission through podcasting and trauma-informed yoga for veterans Hit the subscribe button um and share it Support the show Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast

November 5, 2026Episode 971 hr 23 min

A Veteran Leader On Healing, Advocacy, And Building CallSign Mobile. Ep. 97

We talk with Army combat veteran and CallSign Mobile CEO Adam Marr about the hard shift from wartime optimization to real peace after service, and how storytelling can become therapy and connection. We also trace his work in veteran mental health, from TBI and PTSD solutions outside the standard system to policy wins, then into building a veteran-founded wireless company that funds impact every month. • podcasting as therapeutic storytelling and community building • ROTC after 9/11, aviation training, and the pressure of flight school • Iraq deployment realities for an Apache pilot and the moral weight of combat • comparison culture, hidden stress, and the “quiet professional” trap after service • Warrior Angels Foundation, TBI recovery, hormones, and questioning standard care • psychedelic-assisted therapy, integration, and the push for safe access • advocacy coalitions, research funding, and why donors avoid “risky” innovation • CallSign Mobile’s veteran-owned wireless model and the monthly impact fund go to the app store or you can go to callsteinmobile.com use Ghostwriter 06, and we'll give you 50% off your first month Support the show Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast

October 22, 2026Episode 961 hr 40 min

Free searchable tools that help veterans, active duty members, and families navigate benefits, mental health resources. Ep - 96

We talk with Army veteran and MilConnect founder Zach Sisson about building free, searchable tools that help veterans, active duty members, and families navigate benefits, mental health resources, and entrepreneurship without getting lost in the maze. We also get real about purpose after service, learning through failure, and why community and confidentiality can change outcomes. • Zach’s adoption story and why 9-11 shaped his decision to serve • Combat deployments, loss and the daily mental health weight veterans carry • Practical transition advice, including getting civilian work experience early • Veteran entrepreneurship lessons from buying and running a coffee shop at 19 • “Fail fast, learn faster” as an operating mindset for business and life • Why discoverability matters, including SEO and being searchable on Google • How MillConnect.com helps veterans and spouses build a free business presence • How MillConnect.ai simplifies VA benefits, VA disability claims and planning tools • Record keeping, document uploads and why platform security and encryption matter • Vet Centers, stigma and finding confidential mental health support resources • How nonprofits can get found and connect with the military community If you like this, share it, hit the subscribe button. Go to millconnect.com or milconnect.ai. Support the show Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast

October 15, 2026Episode 951 hr 16 min

Military Sexual Trauma & PTSD Support: Sean Wright (DD 420) - Ep. 95

We sit down with Army veteran and app developer Sean Wright as he tells the story behind DD420 and the years it took to speak openly about MST, TBI, and PTSD. We talk honestly about what happens when the system offers little help, and how tracking symptoms, reclaiming creativity, and owning your story can loosen trauma’s grip. • Sean’s background in Montana and joining the Army straight out of high school • Life as a combat medic and the pace of field training • Grooming dynamics and why MST often goes unreported • The beating, memory loss, and long-term TBI and PTSD impacts • Frustration with consequences that feel wildly unfair • Transition struggles after ETS and the pull of military camaraderie • How alcohol use grows out of unprocessed trauma and shame • Marriage and family strain and choosing safety for the kids • Experimenting with cannabis for pain and anxiety while staying intentional • Why DD420 exists and how it logs strains moods symptoms and PCL-5 • Building the app with AI prompting and the reality of testing on platforms • PTSD beyond combat and why we reject the trauma Olympics • The value of telling your story out loud and what it changes • DD420 privacy basics and keeping user data on the phone https://www.buzzsprout.com/2301762/supporters/new Go to omomcoffee.com. Go to the app store and download TD420. It's free. If you like this episode, share it, hit the subscribe button. Support the show Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast

October 8, 2026Episode 9456 min

VA Loan Myths & Home Buying Facts: Eric Bernstein - Ep. 94

We talk with Eric Bernstein, co-founder of LendFriend Mortgage, about why so many veterans miss out on the VA loan benefit and how to use it to buy smarter and build wealth. We break down the biggest myths, the real qualification rules, and the traps that cost veterans money when they refinance. • why VA loans are underused and what the stats show about eligibility confusion • the core benefits of a VA mortgage including zero down and no PMI • how to qualify using COE, income rules, and realistic credit expectations • why lender experience matters and the question we should all ask before choosing one • how the VA IRRRL streamline refinance works and when it makes sense • seller and listing agent stigma around VA offers and how a good team counters it • Tidewater and the VA appraisal process plus what the escape clause really does • self-employed veteran challenges and how to build a timeline that works • mailer and call center red flags plus how points quietly inflate the cost • using AI to read quotes, run break-even math, and pressure-test claims • VA entitlement myths including reusing the benefit and buying again after moving Go to oneman one mic foundation.org. You’ll see the OMOM coffee shop. Go in there. Go out, go reach out to Eric. If you like this, share it. Support the show Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast

October 1, 2026Episode 931 hr 11 min

Fighting Denied VA Claims: VA Accredited Atty Benjamin Krause - Ep. 93

We talk with VA accredited attorney Ben Krause about what “VA accredited” really means, why veterans often cannot hire a lawyer until after a denial, and how that power imbalance shapes disability claims and education benefits. We also zoom out to privacy, surveillance tech, and what the country owes veterans when the bill for war comes due. • what VA accreditation is and who can legally represent a claim • why accreditation follows the individual not the law firm • how Veteran Readiness and Employment works and where it breaks • how delays and opaque rules wear veterans down • fraud narratives versus the reality of evidence, exams, and adjudication • risks of unaccredited claim helpers and “claim shark” companies • concerns about Flock cameras, data retention, and private surveillance • UVLC in Minnesota and bringing veteran perspective into policy • why future wars mean future benefit obligations and accountability If you like it, share it. If you're watching on YouTube, hit that subscribe button. Support the show Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast

September 25, 2026Episode 921 hr 10 min

Veteran Transition & Purpose After Service: Ross Donahue - Ep. 92

We build a recovery bridge with Navy veteran Ross Donahue, a leader at Guardian Recovery, and get honest about what actually helps people move from crisis to long-term sobriety. We dig into how purpose, fast access to care, and real human connection beat assumptions, hype, and shortcuts like AI “therapy.” • why veteran storytelling and having a mission matter in recovery • joining the Navy after 9/11 and how service shapes identity • why providers should not assume combat PTSD • pre-existing factors like family environment, trauma, ADHD, and rocky transitions • “isms” and addiction whack-a-mole, including non-substance compulsions • the moment of clarity and why quick admissions save lives • what early recovery feels like, including meetings, vulnerability, and drunk dreams • how sober living and “get well” jobs support stability • what Guardian Recovery offers for co-occurring mental health and substance abuse • VA wait times, shifting policies, and why community partners matter • rehab industry red flags, marketing claims, and choosing quality care • newer treatments like TMS and esketamine and how adoption gets complicated • where AI can help operations and where it can seriously harm people Go to our brand new website, oneman1micfoundation.org, and if you like it, sign up for it If you like it, share it Support the show Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast

September 17, 2026Episode 911 hr 28 min

PTSD Recovery & Veteran Mental Health: Joseph Randall II - Ep. 91

We sit down with Marine veteran, chef, entrepreneur, and author Joseph Randall and follow the road from WestPac and Desert Storm to a life shaped by trauma, responsibility, and hard-won healing. Along the way, we dig into why telling the truth out loud can lighten the load for veterans and the families who carry it with them. • One Man One Mic Foundation mission to teach veterans podcasting and storytelling • Growing up in St. Louis and joining the Marine Corps at 17 • Being assigned as a cook and learning what “WestPac” really means • Near-death storm at sea and the lesson that ends curiosity fast • Desert Storm preparation, reassignment to a new unit, anxiety in the unknown • Daily life in the sand: bunkers, moving forward, delivering meals as morale • Why cooks, admin, and docs keep the force alive • Coming home to “forget it” debriefing and the long shadow of unprocessed stress • Alcohol, a catastrophic crash, and choosing responsibility over excuses • How insomnia, sleep apnea, and VA battles push the memoir into motion • From chef to author: Forged In Heat and the start of a four-book series • Building a future around writing, public speaking, and veteran-focused spaces go to onemanonemicfoundation.org www.orioncopper.com Support the show Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast

September 9, 2026Episode 9056 min

Veteran Caregiver Support & Resources: Lisa Archer - Ep. 90

We sit down with Lisa Archer from Howe Foundation USA to talk about how hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps veterans reclaim sleep, clarity, and day to day life after PTS and TBI. We also unpack what it takes to fund 40 consecutive treatments nationwide when insurance and FDA approval still lag behind the results. • our mission at One Man One Mic Foundation to help veterans publish podcasts and tell their stories • Lisa’s path into nonprofit development and why relationship building drives funding • how Howe Foundation USA starts and why PTS went unnamed for decades • what hyperbaric oxygen therapy is and why medical grade oxygen matters • the cost reality of HBOT and why insurance often will not cover it • sleep improvement and cognitive testing as early proof points • expanding from local support to a national network of vetted facilities • who can apply beyond veterans including first responders and student athletes • concussion risk in youth sports and why repeat hits change grades and sleep • why some trauma is harder to treat when the images will not leave • keeping aftercare human through ongoing contact and the new How Hub Go to howfoundationusa.org and give them your money. Support the show Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast

September 2, 2026Episode 8959 min

Holistic Wellness & Veteran Health: Sonia Phillip - Ep. 89

We talk with Sonia Phillip about her journey from Trinidad to the U.S. Navy, and how tough transitions, discrimination, and loss can turn into purpose-driven service. We also break down how The Firewatch trains everyday people to respond to suicide risk with calm steps that can keep a veteran alive long enough to get real help. • immigrating from Trinidad and Tobago and adapting to New York life • joining the Navy with an identical twin through the buddy program • serving on USS Essex in Japan and growing up fast at sea • navigating a male-dominated engineering space and earning respect through performance • leaving active duty in 2015 and the mental shift into veteran status • using VSOs, the GI Bill, and school benefits to build a new plan • working a frontline nonprofit role with homeless veterans and severe mental health needs • learning the cost of carrying other people’s crises and why breaks matter • joining The Firewatch and defining suicide prevention as a community skill • why 988 then press 1 matters when the call comes If you're interested and you want to learn how to podcast, you can go on the website and sign up at one man1mike foundation.org Support the show Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast