Eye on Veterans

This week we’re highlighting the National Memorial Day Concert, airing Sunday, May 24, 2026, on PBS. One concert segment will focus on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and will tell the story of Lieutenant General Patricia Horoho, one of the heroes at the Pentagon that day. After joining the U.S. Army, she trained in clinical trauma nursing and was assigned to the Pentagon in August 2001. Moments afte...

This week we share our conversation with Army combat veteran, and Purple Heart recipient turned TV celebrity JR Martinez, about the inspiring podcast, “Medal of Honor, Stories of Courage”. We begin with a closer look JR’s life, who went from surviving an IED attack and severe burns, to winning “Dancing with The Stars” and a role on the daytime TV drama “All My Children”. He shared incredible momen...

This week we’re hearing about a major mental health milestone for psychedelic assisted therapy, after President Trump signed a landmark Executive Order demanding research on alternative treatments for severe mental illness. We broke it down with Marcus Capone, Navy SEAL veteran, Founder of Veterans Seeking Treatment Solutions and an elite combat vet whose life was saved after his experience with t...

On Wednesday Apr 22 we remember the ultimate sacrifice of Army Ranger Pat Tillman who was killed during combat operations in Afghanistan. A unique Ranger in that he left a pro football career with The NFL’s Arizona Cardinals to join the Army shortly after 9/11, along with his brother. On the evening of April 22, 2004, Pat’s unit was ambushed as it traveled through the rugged, canyon terrain of eas...

This week we’re checking out the Spring ski action in Snowmass Co, at the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic. Every year incredible wounded warfighters gather for a week of skiing, boarding and the kind of healing only mother nature can provide. Our guest is Retired Army Major, Dr. Lisa Maddox, who overcame a leg amputation and proves that with the right mindset anything is possible....

Take control of your financial future with the Command Your Cash course. Whether you are currently serving, a veteran, or a military spouse, this comprehensive personal finance course addresses the unique challenges of military life. The program is designed to be self-paced, helping learners sharpen their skills through key topics to build, grow, and protect their finances. We talked with two vete...

We take a deeper look at the rapidly escalating War with Iran, with former Ranger, Special Forces and National Security writer Jack Murphy. We open with how veterans across the country feel about it, considering many have already endured decades of combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. Murphy also discusses the news of Special Forces veteran Joe Kent, whose resignation from National Counter Terrorism Ce...

This week we discuss Operation Epic Fury, with Army veteran and former SFOD-Delta, Lt. Colonel Brad Taylor. A veteran with years of covert operations experience, best-selling author and detailed researcher, Taylor looks at all sides of this war with Iran, which has broadened to a level not seen since WWII. We begin with what initiated the US-Israeli attack on Iran, and the dangers the world now fa...

This week we meet Navy veteran John Gully, who went from Navy ships and sonar frequencies to a career behind the mic on radio frequencies. Today he’s the Evening News Anchor for Prescott Tonight on News Talk Radio 103.5 FM in Prescott, AZ, but broadcasting was not his original plan. Gully shared memories of his days aboard ship and what it was like being a Sailor during the Cold War era … and any...

This week we honor a fallen Marine, Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz, who was KIA during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, at Abbey Gate in Kabul, on Aug 26, 2021. Our guest is Jared’s father, Mark Schmitz, who founded the non-profit organization “The Freedom 13”. He shared his mission and details about the veteran retreat and recreation center being built on a beautiful 171-acre property in the hea...

After Maddie Smith quit drinking, she just didn’t know what to do with her hands ... until she discovered Cross Fit and built her epic physique! Now she’s a top contender for “Ms. Health and Fitness 2026”, and she’s doing it all for a veteran nonprofit. We talked about how she overcame alcoholism, an eating disorder, and endured recovery groups that didn’t understand her trauma. Now, in peak physi...

When Navy vets Joe Lloyd and Loaman “Nelly” Nelson served together aboard USS San Diego, they never dreamed they would be attending the Super Bowl. But thanks to the Wounded Warrior Project and Jacksonville Jaguars Devin Lloyd, this weekend, they’re living a football fantasy! During Media Week, we swapped sea stories about ship life, port calls, and casinos, and lessons about what it takes to be a...

We’re talking about Physical and Mental fitness with Army combat veteran entrepreneur, speaker, and Founder of Soldier Fit, training centers, Danny Farrar. He achieved success as a business owner, MMA fighter and endured events like the Pentagon on 9/11 and combat in Iraq. But we open with one of Farrar’s most challenging chapters- his childhood. Like he’s done for thousands of fitness clients ove...

The Netflix documentary “In Waves and War” reveals the stunning results of psychedelic therapy and how medicines like Ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT are proving to help warriors overcome their demons, which all too often drive them to suicide. Former Navy SEAL Chief Anthony Rivera completed this groundbreaking treatment back in 2020 and shares vivid memories from his experience. We start with a gripping l...

We take a deep dive into the covert mission where Delta Force, Navy SEALs and the Night Stalkers of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment boldly extracted the notorious Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and brought him to the US to face drug trafficking charges. Special Operations, Ranger, and acclaimed journalist Jack Murphy shares some fascinating insight. Murphy’s deeply classified a...

Luxury purses, handbags and carry-ons can’t compete with story behind the handmade leather and canvas bags from “R Riveter”. Military spouse Lisa Bradley co-founded the company and revolutionized the fashion manufacturing industry, by recruiting military spouses located across the country, to stitch together the bags in their homes. Now, a multi-million-dollar business, we hear how this military s...

After a former Afghan ally attacked West Virginia National Guard troops in Washington DC, killing Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounding SSgt Andrew Wolfe, we’re hearing a National Guard veteran’s view of these deployments to major US cities, and the vetting process of allies seeking asylum. National Guard veteran and CEO of The Chamberlain Network, Chris Purdy has served both in Iraq, and w...

This week Eye on Veterans and Connecting Vets, Reporter Julia LeDoux had an informative conversation with VA Secretary Doug Collins. We asked many of the questions veterans have today. Collins shared his goals of lowering benefit claims processing times, simplifying the system and a revealed plans to overhaul the application. We also got a rare look at his military background as an Air Force Reser...

Simply put, Boone Cutler, was one of the most influential veterans of the post 9/11 era. His recent passing comes too soon but reminds us to remember the alarms he sounded for improving VA care and properly addressing mental health. Cutler called out Congress, DoD and VA for overloading vets with prescription meds while holding an outdated stance on cannabis. And he worked to save countless vetera...

Let’s face it, we’re not getting any younger ... So how should we be saving and what makes a good plan? CDs, 401K vs. Roth, and college funds for our kids? We asked Sarah Sealey, a Navy Federal Credit Union, Manager and Certified Financial Planner, who shared what veterans should consider for a healthy financial future.

This week we talk about Team Red White and Blue! We hear how this organization helps veterans nationwide find warrior fellowship through running, hiking, rucking, premiere national race events and even obstacle challenges like Spartan Races and the Tough Mudder. Army Intel Officer and outgoing Team RWB founder, Lt. Col. Mike Erwin and Special Forces Col. (Ret.) Mike Sullivan discuss Team RWB’s mis...

This week we’re talking about a free resource that helps veterans meet hiring managers before they even apply. More than just a job board, 7 Eagle Group founder Jordie Kern created an online community where job seekers jump on Zoom calls directly with executives seeking veteran talent. We discuss how like a career matchmaker, multiple daily Zoom sessions allow vets to interact with hiring executiv...

Navy veteran Manuel Gomez has an awe-inspiring comeback story! In this episode he describes his unlikely journey and how he became the founder of Vet Phoenix, a nonprofit which helps incarcerated veterans recover, rehabilitate and create a bright future. For Manny, this struggle is personal- as he endured time in prison. From addiction, to crime, to living alongside LA gang members in solitary con...

We’re discussing veterans, cannabis, incarceration and a story brought to us from The Last Prisoner Project. Alicia Deals tracks the story of her father, Air Force veteran Robert Deals, who was arrested, convicted and sentenced on cannabis related charges in Arizona, over a decade ago. In 2020 Arizona residents voted to legalize cannabis. (Now legal for both medical and recreational use). In an ir...

It’s National Service Dog Month and we’re honoring the dogs from Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities (ECAD). We talked with two veterans whose stories demonstrate how these dogs truly save lives. We begin with a look at the military service of Marine Corps Sgt Major John Ploskonka and Army Cavalry veteran and Purple Heart recipient Phil Bauer. Bauer shared memories of the Chinook helicopt...