Today we sit down with Wayne Soares, a huge veteran advocate, to talk about his journey into supporting the veteran community. A filmmaker, comedian, actor, writer, and connoisseur of fine military cuisine, Wayne is using his unique skill set to highlight veterans and share their stories with the world. Listen in as Wayne talks about his work and the impact he has seen so far through his efforts. Join us for a bunch of laughs throughout this episode.

Wayne Soares is an actor, syndicated columnist, and entertainer. The former ESPN & Fox SportsNet broadcaster also entertains our troops at home & abroad and is a big favorite at American Legion Conventions. He is the current host of the popular veterans cooking show The Mess Hall and the creator & co-producer of the Vietnam Veterans Documentary Silent Dignity.

The Mess Hall - https://www.youtube.com/@themesshall9190

Veteran Spotlight Articles - https://www.capenews.net/

Silent Dignity Documentary - https://www.silentdignity.us/

#vetsos #vetsospodcast #military #militarylife #transitioningmilitary #militarytransition #militaryspouses #militaryspouse #militaryfamily #militaryfamilies #militarycommunity #militarysupport #militaryveterans #vets #veterans #veteran #veterantransition #transitioningveterans #veteranservices #honorveterans #veteranswife #supportourveterans #veteransupport #veteransusa #veteranshelpingveterans #careerchange #transitioningservicemembers #linkedin #sof #coastguard #navy #spaceforce #marines #army #nationalguard #airforce #usmc #usmcr #us #usa #education #podcast #entertainment

Today we sit down with Joseph Zolper from the Road Home Program. Joseph discusses his military transition and how he overestimated how easy it would be. After landing a job, he found himself trying to fill a void that could only be filled through helping veterans. He eventually found the Road Home Program and all the stars aligned. Listen in as he talks about their program and the amazing impact and results they are having helping those in our veteran community.

Joseph Zolper grew up in suburban Chicago, earned a BS from Illinois State University, and was commissioned from Army ROTC as an Infantry Officer in 2015. He served with 4ID, out of Fort Carson, CO, and deployed to Afghanistan in 2018-19, earning a Bronze Star and Combat Infantryman Badge. Following his military service, Joseph worked as an Operations Manager at Amazon, leading a Military Employee Resource Group. This passion for supporting the military community brought him back to Chicago to the Road Home Program, where he is the Manager of Veteran Outreach & Networking. At Road Home, he continues his service to the military community by bringing needed mental healthcare to veterans, service members, and their families.

#vetsos #vetsospodcast #military #militarylife #transitioningmilitary #militarytransition #militaryspouses #militaryspouse #militaryfamily #militaryfamilies #militarycommunity #militarysupport #militaryveterans #vets #veterans #veteran #veterantransition #transitioningveterans #veteranservices #honorveterans #veteranswife #supportourveterans #veteransupport #veteransusa #veteranshelpingveterans #careerchange #transitioningservicemembers #linkedin #sof #coastguard #navy #spaceforce #marines #army #nationalguard #airforce #usmc #usmcr #us #usa #education #podcast #entertainment

Robert Thomas joins us to discuss his military transition and the work he is doing with Operation Homefront. He discusses how he worked up until the end and didn’t have a plan when he transitioned. After a period of trying to figure things out, Robert found Operation Homefront and the rest was history. He discusses the amazing financial and housing programs they use to help our veteran community find their footing and get their lives moving in the right direction. These amazing programs are making life-changing differences in the lives of our veterans and their families.

Robert D. Thomas joined the Operation Homefront executive team in August 2015 following a nearly 31- year career of distinguished service in the Air Force. He is an experienced combat pilot and has served around the world. Bob holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy and Master’s degrees from the University of Southern California and the National Defense University.  After serving as Operation Homefront’s Chief Operating Officer for more than eight years, Bob was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer on March 1, 2024.  In this capacity, Bob will continue overseeing the organization’s daily operations.  He will lead programs, services and the multi-functional teams across Operation Homefront that provide relief and recurring family support, throughout the year, to tens of thousands of military families. 

https://operationhomefront.org/

#vetsos #vetsospodcast #military #militarylife #transitioningmilitary #militarytransition #militaryspouses #militaryspouse #militaryfamily #militaryfamilies #militarycommunity #militarysupport #militaryveterans #vets #veterans #veteran #veterantransition #transitioningveterans #veteranservices #honorveterans #veteranswife #supportourveterans #veteransupport #veteransusa #veteranshelpingveterans #careerchange #transitioningservicemembers #linkedin #sof #coastguard #navy #spaceforce #marines #army #nationalguard #airforce #usmc #usmcr #us #usa #education #podcast #entertainment

Today we are sitting down with Deme Gonzalez, CEO of Adopt a Vet Dental Program. He starts with his military transition story and how he felt unfulfilled with the work he did after leaving the military and how that void led to him working for this program. He describes the amazing work this program does to help our veteran community, how they are working to help other states stand up a program to help their specific communities, and the state of the art facility they are standing up in Nevada.

Deme Enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served 24 years. He served on the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk and the U.S.S. Essex, and has been stationed all over the world during his service. Upon his retirement, Deme tried a couple different things like starting a trucking company in South Texas and a Safety Company in New Mexico, and working as a general manager for a pool company in Nevada. In 2020 I decided to give back to the community I love and started working as the Executive Director for the Adopt a Vet Dental Program that provides pro bono dental care to low-income Veterans. I now serve as the Chief Executive Officer and in the process of bridging this program nationwide.

https://adoptavetdental.org/

#vetsos #vetsospodcast #military #militarylife #transitioningmilitary #militarytransition #militaryspouses #militaryspouse #militaryfamily #militaryfamilies #militarycommunity #militarysupport #militaryveterans #vets #veterans #veteran #veterantransition #transitioningveterans #veteranservices #honorveterans #veteranswife #supportourveterans #veteransupport #veteransusa #veteranshelpingveterans #careerchange #transitioningservicemembers #linkedin #sof #coastguard #navy #spaceforce #marines #army #nationalguard #airforce #usmc #usmcr #us #usa #education #podcast #entertainment

We sit down with Wendi to discuss her transition as a woman leaving the military and how that led her to dedicating her life to helping woman transition successfully. Wendi has a successful coaching business and is the host of the “Beyond the Military” Podcast where she discusses important issues about military transition and issues specific to women.

Wendi is a woman of God, wife, mama of 3, Army Veteran, and passionate advocate for women veterans. Her mission is to guide women from feeling uncertain to confident in their new identity as a woman professional.

https://wendiwray.com/

https://wendiwray.com/podcast/

#vetsos #vetsospodcast #military #militarylife #transitioningmilitary #militarytransition #militaryspouses #militaryspouse #militaryfamily #militaryfamilies #militarycommunity #militarysupport #militaryveterans #vets #veterans #veteran #veterantransition #transitioningveterans #veteranservices #honorveterans #veteranswife #supportourveterans #veteransupport #veteransusa #veteranshelpingveterans #careerchange #transitioningservicemembers #linkedin #sof #coastguard #navy #spaceforce #marines #army #nationalguard #airforce #usmc #usmcr #us #usa #education #podcast #entertainment

Tami joins us today to talk about the great impact the Wounded Veterans Relief Fund is having on veteran’s life. Her desire to serve and assist veterans stems from her deep family military roots. She outlines the wonderful work Wounded Veterans Relief Fund is doing for veterans in Florida, highlighted by the dental services that have been completed to date. The dental work alone has changed lives and built confidence in many veteran lives.

With over 35 years of experience in dentistry Tami Martin is dedicated to her career to improve oral health and access to dental care. Her role is the Senior Dental Program Manager with Wounded Veterans Relief Fund, a Florida-based nonprofit organization that provides critical dental assistance to veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 30-90% or a pending claim. Through that role Tami helps veterans receive essential dental treatments, improving their quality of life and overall health.

https://wvrf.org/

#vetsos #vetsospodcast #military #militarylife #transitioningmilitary #militarytransition #militaryspouses #militaryspouse #militaryfamily #militaryfamilies #militarycommunity #militarysupport #militaryveterans #vets #veterans #veteran #veterantransition #transitioningveterans #veteranservices #honorveterans #veteranswife #supportourveterans #veteransupport #veteransusa #veteranshelpingveterans #careerchange #transitioningservicemembers #linkedin #sof #coastguard #navy #spaceforce #marines #army #nationalguard #airforce #usmc #usmcr #us #usa #education #podcast #entertainment

VET S.O.S. Podcast goes live at the 2024 Military Influencer Conference in Atlanta. We discuss the military transition process with two servant leaders who are doing amazing things to help transitioning veterans.

Kingsley Scott serves as the Director of Career Services at Divergence Academy, a leading provider of immersive and accelerated learning programs in technology. With over 20 years of honorable military service, he brings a proven track record of leadership, excellence, and resilience to the role. He is an authorized trainer for the Resilience-Building Leader Program (RBLP) and an Ambassador for the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program (AFW2). Kingsley specializes in helping Veterans leverage the skills they learned in military service, guiding them on how to translate those skills to navigate their new journeys in the civilian sector.

Matthew Philip Wee joined the U.S. Department of State as a Civil Service Foreign Affairs Officer in 2023 for the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs in the Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfer for the Third-Party Transfers team in Washington, D.C. Matthew served in the United States Marine Corps for 20 years of Active-Duty. Matthew volunteers with numerous Veteran and Military organizations, continuing to give back to the community in as many ways as possible.

#vetsos #vetsospodcast #military #militarylife #transitioningmilitary #militarytransition #militaryspouses #militaryspouse #militaryfamily #militaryfamilies #militarycommunity #militarysupport #militaryveterans #vets #veterans #veteran #veterantransition #transitioningveterans #veteranservices #honorveterans #veteranswife #supportourveterans #veteransupport #veteransusa #veteranshelpingveterans #careerchange #transitioningservicemembers #linkedin #sof #coastguard #navy #spaceforce #marines #army #nationalguard #airforce #usmc #usmcr #us #usa #education #podcast #entertainment

Jon sits down with us to talk about his military transition and his journey to becoming CEO of Operation Song. It all started with a surprise medical discharge from the military that led to an immediate change in life and lifestyle. He talks about the life changing opportunity he had as a Wounded Warrior Congressional Fellow and how that led to working with veteran nonprofits. His passion is seen in everything he does and is visible in the great work Operation Song is doing.

Jon is the CEO of Operation Song, a Nashville-based nonprofit that empowers veterans, active-duty military, and their families to tell their stories through songwriting. A former U.S. Army combat aviator, he served with the 101st Airborne Division and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2015. After being medically separated from the Army in 2018 due to Type 1 Diabetes, Jon transitioned into private aviation management while completing his Masters in Aeronautics. He later served as a Wounded Warrior Fellow for the U.S. House of Representatives and as CEO of the Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation, where he led efforts to expand veterans’ services. Jon now lives in Nashville with his wife Rachel, an Air Force veteran, and their daughter Cecilia. He is dedicated to enhancing resources and services for veterans to honor the nation's commitment to its military members.

https://www.operationsong.org/

#vetsos #vetsospodcast #military #militarylife #transitioningmilitary #militarytransition #militaryspouses #militaryspouse #militaryfamily #militaryfamilies #militarycommunity #militarysupport #militaryveterans #vets #veterans #veteran #veterantransition #transitioningveterans #veteranservices #honorveterans #veteranswife #supportourveterans #veteransupport #veteransusa #veteranshelpingveterans #careerchange #transitioningservicemembers #linkedin #sof #coastguard #navy #spaceforce #marines #army #nationalguard #airforce #usmc #usmcr #us #usa #education #podcast #entertainment