Vetted Conversations

In this special episode of Vetted Conversations, we’re marking Election Hero Day, October 20, with Jeanette Seneca of the League of Women Voters and Julie Hendricks of Vet the Vote, a poll worker herself. Jeanette explains how Election Hero Day honors the hundreds of thousands of poll workers and election administrators who make our elections work, and why it was moved away from the day before Ele...

Navy Reserve Commander, NASCAR driver, entrepreneur, and Naval Academy graduate Jesse Iwuji sat down with us at Flag Day to discuss what it means to balance military service with professional ambition. From an unconventional path out of Texas to becoming the only Navy officer competing at NASCAR's national level, he breaks down how he pursues multiple goals simultaneously and why he does it f...

Air Force spouse, former special education teacher, and content creator Erin Muhlenbeck sat down with us at Flag Day to discuss what it really means to be part of the military family. From challenging the "dependa" stereotype to revealing the $1 billion in unpaid labor military spouses contribute annually to the Department of Defense, she breaks down the gap between perception and realit...

Recorded at the 2026 Flag Day Convening in Washington, D.C., this episode brings together three veteran and military-connected leaders working across different organizations to discuss how they're building bridges and fostering civic engagement in a polarized time. The conversation centers on what makes their organizations successful at transcending partisan divides and uniting Americans arou...

What does it take for veterans and military families to keep serving after leaving the uniform? Guy Kiyokawa, VP at Leidos and former Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Leo Marin, co-founder of Beneath the Service, join us to break down what corporate America, nonprofits, and government are actually doing—and what they're getting wrong—to unlock veteran talent and civic leadership....

Meet James L McCormick II and his son James McCormick III—two Army veterans showing that service doesn't end when the uniform comes off. A retired Captain and current Executive Director of Government Affairs at Vietnam Veterans of America, James Sr. leads at the national level. His son volunteers locally in West Virginia, building community from the ground up. What does it look like when two...

Recorded live at the 2026 Flag Day Convening, this panel brings together three leaders who've carried the values of service from the military into the halls of government. Colorado State Senate President Leroy Garcia, military spouse and Capitol Hill veteran Heba Abdelaal, and Loudoun County Supervisor (and retired Air Force colonel) Michael Turner sit down to talk about what happens when a s...

The people running your elections aren't strangers in some distant office. They're your neighbors, little league coaches, and crossing guards - and a lot of them are veterans and military family members. Recorded live at our 2026 Flag Day Convening in Washington, D.C., this episode brings three election officials to the stage: Pinal County Recorder Dana Lewis (Air Force veteran), Miller...

When veterans show up to protect our elections, they're not picking a side, they're keeping a promise. In this episode, we sit down with two leaders who are channeling the credibility and commitment of the veteran and military family community into one of the most contested arenas in American public life: election administration. Alberto Ramos, CEO of Veterans for All Voters, and Chris P...

Losing a leg in 2020 could have been the end of John Brace's athletic story. Instead, it was the beginning of a new one. In this episode, Anil sits down with Marine Corps veteran and wheelchair football quarterback John Brace, who joined the Move United Wheelchair Football League as a rookie linebacker and ended up calling plays under center when his team needed him most. They talk about the...

Eleven years of professional football leaves a mark and former defensive end Patrick Kerney has spent a lot of time thinking about what that mark might look like decades from now. In this episode, Anil sits down with Patrick and Tom Latkovic, co-founder of Better Brain, to talk about what the latest science says about Alzheimer's and dementia prevention, the risk factors we can actually contr...

Kevin Fredericks, known to the internet as KevOnStage, is a comedian and content creator who has built a massive following on laughs. But in this episode, he brings something else too. Sitting down with guest host and Army veteran Jermaine Clark, Kevin opens up about growing up as a military brat with a father who served 28 years in the Army and now with a wife who lived the same life. From El Pas...

Former world-ranked UFC heavyweight champion Mark Kerr knows what it's like to compete in front of 60,000 fans and he knows what it's like when the roar goes quiet. In this conversation, Anil sits down with the subject of The Smashing Machine to explore what fighters and veterans have in common when the spotlight fades: identity loss, mental health struggles, and financial instability. M...

Anil sits down with Khalid Cannon, Executive Director of Put Me In, an organization on a mission to make sure kids with incarcerated parents don't have to sit on the sidelines. Khalid's story is as compelling as the work he's doing. Growing up in Alabama with a father in prison, youth sports gave him something invaluable—a place to just be a kid. That experience became the foundatio...

Former Washington Commanders defensive end Jake Martin joins Anil from Radio Row at Super Bowl LX for a conversation that goes well beyond the football field. Jake opens up about what it took to push through a tough season, the culture Coach Dan Quinn has built in Washington, and why the makings of a great team aren't all that different from the makings of a great unit. With his sister curren...

We're celebrating the Season 4 halfway mark with a double feature — two conversations, two incredible guests, two hosts, and one common thread: service. First, Nate Boyer sits down with sports journalist and NFL Network host Erin Coscarelli. Beyond the bright lights of a Super Bowl week, Erin opens up about her family's military roots, what it really takes to build the next generation of...

New York Jets quarterback Hendon Hooker joins us live from Media Row at Super Bowl LX for a conversation about leadership, literacy, and investing in the next generation. Hendon shares how his father instilled a love of reading from an early age — and how that habit has made him a sharper, more effective quarterback on the field. Keep up with Hendon Hooker on IG at @hendonhooker or find him on Twi...

In this episode, we chat with singer/songwriter Rachel Hale for a conversation about family, patriotism, and what it means to carry a legacy of service. A finalist on American Idol, Rachel has spent her career using her voice to honor this country by singing the national anthem at NFL games and most recently at the DAV Bowl. She also traces her roots all the way back to Nathan Hale of the American...

In this episode, we're joined by former Navy SEAL, NFL player, and social entrepreneur Clint Bruce for a conversation about what it really means to perform, lead, and serve. From the football field to the battlefield to the boardroom, Clint unpacks how competition forged his character, why most of winning is really just about lasting, and the difference between being busy, productive, and fru...

In this episode, we’re joined by retired Army Lieutenant General and CEO of the USO, Mike Linnington, along with NFL stars and USO Global Ambassadors Vince Wilfork and Aaron Jones, for a conversation about what it really means to show up for our troops. As the USO celebrates its 85th birthday, the group reflects on connecting with service members across 11 countries in just three years and why tho...

In this episode, we sit down with Marine Corps veteran BJ Ganem, founder of Sierra Delta, to talk about the experiences that shaped both his service and his mission after the military. BJ shares the story behind starting Sierra Delta and why supporting the bond between veterans and their dogs became his life’s work. He also talks about events like the DAV Bowl, hiking Mount Kilimanjaro, and his ap...

This episode is a short, but sweet one as we have actor, comedian, Marine Corps veteran, die-hard Chiefs fan and overall legend Rob Riggle. We chat about his prediction for Super Bowl LX (spoiler alert: he was right), Pat’s Run with our friends at the Pat Tillman Foundation, and how he’s celebrating America’s 250th birthday. Side effects may include: laughing out loud, rewinding twice, and instant...

In this episode, we’re joined by Anne Marie Dougherty, CEO of the Bob Woodruff Foundation, to talk about the impact of the NFL’s Salute to Service program and the powerful moment when veteran and military family focused nonprofits came together during Super Bowl LX. Anne Marie shares how partnerships like these help strengthen the veteran and military family community, why moments like the Super B...

In today’s episode, we sit down with Wounded Warrior Project’s Joe Allen Lloyd and Loaman “Nelly” Nelson, two Navy veterans who first met more than 20 years ago and recently attended Super Bowl LX courtesy of WWP. Joe and Nelly share their experiences with Wounded Warrior Project, how the organization has played a therapeutic role in their lives, and reflect on their time serving in the military....

In this episode, we sit down with TAPS Sports and Entertainment leaders, Diana Roday Hosford and Jessica Harper, to discuss their mission of supporting families of the fallen. From sports programs and mentorship to education benefits and policy advocacy. The two also highlight how TAPS being an NFL Salute to Service partner helps support surviving families, ensuring every family knows they are not...