Eye on Veterans

He’s best known for his role as “Lt. Dan” in the film Forrest Gump, but for years acclaimed actor and veteran philanthropist Gary Sinise has been the host of the National Memorial Day concert.  We talked about the concert and the incredible projects he's working on to support our wounded vets. Plus, the story behind his portrayal of Lt. Dan in the award-winning film.  Watch the The National Memori...

Sgt. Reckless is more than just a horse. Carrying ammo through explosive battlefields, she saved thousands of Marines during the Korean War in the early 1950s. In a research paper, Marine Corps veteran Dylan Clark documented her case and why she legally has the right to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His paper inspired animal and environmental attorney Jamie McLaughlin to create the cur...

He heard from God as a child, saved his father from assassination, survived multiple IED explosions and now guards clients from hidden threats around the world. Today we’ll meet Marine Corps combat veteran Byron Rodgers and hear how he became one of the most elite Executive Protection Specialists in the country.  More than just bodyguards for high-net-worth individuals like Hollywood celebrities a...

Army combat veteran and journalist Matt Saintsing recently revealed on social media that he has been diagnosed with bi-polar depression.  As a good friend and former colleague of Eye on Veterans host, Phil Briggs, the news came as a huge surprise.  After working together for years, Saintsing’s struggle was never clearly visible … not even to himself.  In this fun conversation, Saintsing shares how...

This week we’re talking with veterans who are seriously helping others live their best life!  Eric Brew, Military Outreach Manager at American Corporate Partners is both a Marine Corps and Army veteran.  He’s currently helping veterans receive year-long mentorships from some of America’s most talented corporate executives. These mentors offer advice and strategies for success, and they often becom...

When Service members retire from the military, they are entitled to both retirement pay from the Department of Defense and if they were injured, disability payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Unfortunately, due to current law, over 42,000 veterans are unable to fully collect both benefits at the same time. USMC combat vet Cole Lyle, Executive Director of Mission Roll Call is fig...

Today we’re examining a landmark medical malpractice case. Army Master Sgt. Richard Stayskal was diagnosed with lung cancer by a civilian doctor, but he shares how the Army saw a mass in his lung first but did not notify him or immediately start treatment.  We hear how together with powerhouse attorney Natalie Khawam, they first had to overcome the “Feres Doctrine,” a 70-year-old legal precedent w...

Marine Corps combat veteran Jake Edwards learned the value of training from his experience in Fallujah, Iraq. He’s now a security expert who has developed active shooter training programs for military and civilian organizations. Edwards founded Threat Response Training, specifically to train school systems on active shooter events. Each week he trains educators and students from K-12.  We discuss...

After another tragic school shooting recently made the news, we’re talking with combat veterans who are actively working to make schools safe.  We begin with Tod Langley, a former Special Operations and Special Missions Unit Intelligence Officer. He has two decades of experience working on Top Secret missions with our military’s Tier 1 operators. Many of them are so sensitive, they will never be p...

We take a deep dive into a Navy SEAL’s Journey with psychedelics and how it inspired him to create a wellness software program that is having incredible success. After years of special operations missions and deadly combat, former SEAL Jonathan Wilson found himself with a great job at Goldman Sachs. On paper everything was great. But like many combat veterans understand, life would soon get out of...

During the initial surge of US forces during Desert Storm, Army veteran Chris Jones was firing missiles and artillery to push Iraqi forces out of Kuwait. Under the red skies and oil fires, he was finding his flair for graphic design.  A skill that would eventually take him around the world. Jones shares how founding MOS apparel, custom T-Shirts that tell the story of a veterans Military Occupation...

Former Army Capt. Allison Jaslow, new CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America deployed multiple times to Iraq where she sharpened her leadership in a tough combat environment. We talked about her military career, her years of pushing for greater equality, and how she has never backed down from tackling the thorny issues that active-duty and former service members face. Jaslow recognized th...

Scientific experts agree, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) yields incredible results when treating wounds … yet the VA does not offer it to veterans who suffered TBIs, blast injuries or are currently dealing with PTSD and chronic pain. Dr Robert Beckman, Exec Director of TreatNow.org is one of the nation’s fiercest promoters of this FDA approved wound treatment. In this episode we’ll hear how HBOT...

The storytelling is intense in the new podcast “City of Tents Veterans Row”. We talk with host, producer Anna Scott, an investigative reporter with KCRW in Los Angeles.  She has covered LA’s homelessness for years and in this series, she documented a veteran homeless encampment directly across the street from the wealthy Brentwood neighborhood, and shockingly right outside the fence of a massive V...

Toby Harnden is Royal Navy veteran, global journalist, and award-winning author. We discuss his book “First Casualty: The CIA’s mission to avenge 9/11” and hear how CIA and Special Forces were dropped into the mountains of northern Afghanistan on October 17, 2001. This is the thrilling story of Team Alpha, an eclectic band of linguists, tribal experts, and elite warriors, who were the first Americ...

Dr. Gregory Fowler, President, University of Maryland Global Campus discusses his recent article “The Power of Education in Black America and Beyond” and how UMGC honors military experience to put veterans on the fast track to receiving a college degree. Read the full article here: https://www.umgc.edu/blog/power-education-black-america-beyond Contact CBS Eye on Veterans: phil@connectingvets.com F...

Hazard Ground is one of the most popular military podcasts in America. Each week veterans share military experiences where you can feel their tension and triumph.  This week, we focus on the man behind the mic, Mark Zinno a combat veteran, Army Reserve Officer, and podcast founder. He tells the story of how he went from running convoys in Iraq to hosting a sports talk show to sports betting analys...

After US military pilots shot down a Chinese spy balloon debates started over Biden’s reaction, and the overall capability of our nation’s intelligence community. We reached out to Rod Rodriguez, an Army veteran, and former Intelligence Officer with 20+ years of experience and deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He shares his experience and makes a surprising point that is never mentioned on the...

Special Forces veteran, Delta Team Leader and bestselling author Brad Taylor is back with “The Devil’s Ransom”. This high-octane combat adventure is the latest in the Pike Logan series, where Logan, (a fictional Spec Ops vet whose team conducts the highest classified missions) is tracking down cyber terrorists who attacked a commercial spacecraft in flight, all while trying to avoid being taken ou...

How do we combat disinformation from violent extremists and terrorists in today’s media? We asked Navy veteran, journalist and co-founder of Military Veterans in Journalism, Zack Baddorf.  He was a Navy journalist who worked on countering recruitment campaigns for groups like ISIS, and the Taliban. This year MVJ is seeking veterans for investigative reporter positions that will uncover dangerous d...

The US Small Business Administration has many programs to help veterans start their own business. We talk with SBA Administrator Isabella Guzman (Gooze’mon) about how veteran business owners can secure funding and government contracts to make their business dreams a reality. Check out SBA programs for veterans here: https://www.sba.gov/ . Army Special Forces veteran and investigative reporter Jack...

What happens when veterans pair up with legendary Nashville songwriters? They produce songs more powerful than prescription drugs or therapy. We learned about Operation Song from Executive Director and Army combat veteran Mike Byer. Byer shares how he went from program participant to Executive Director, and shares a powerful story about how the songwriting process helped save his life.  We go behi...

Every week thousands of listeners check out the hilarious military podcast “Zero Blog 30,” from sports entertainment giant Barstool Sports. We talked with the show host, Marine Corps combat vet Uncle Chaps. Before podcast fame, he was Staff Sergeant Matthew Cothron (Cah-thron) We heard about his combat deployments, fierce fighting in Fallujah, Iraq and the day he was shot. Chaps also shared his pe...

British paratrooper veteran James Thornett tells the epic story of smuggling a truckload of liquor down the deadliest road in Iraq. This epic Christmas Eve story was the start of the legendary bar known as "The Baghdad Country Club”. For more about James Thornett and pics from “The World’s Most Dangerous Bar” check out: https://www.baghdadcountryclub.org/ Contact CBS Eye on Veterans phil@connectin...

This week the VA launched “Action Week” to push veterans to get their benefits related to the recently passed PACT Act. VA Press Secretary and Army combat veteran Terrence Hayes explained how vets who served near toxic burn pits are essentially pre-approved for benefits and he outlined the process, the timeline and may other free resources. Get your benefits claims started here: https://www.va.gov...