Chris Battle & Desmon Ivery

Vets Outside the Box

Health EN ↓ 24 episodes

"Vets Outside the Box" is a podcast hosted by two African-American Army veterans who are passionate about mental wellness. Join them as they open up a dialogue about all aspects of mental health and share personal stories of their own journeys. Follow them on their social media channels and tune in for inspiring conversations on mental wellness. Contact us via voice message if you use Anchor, or email us @votbpod@gmail.com. Become a Paid Subscriber: https://anchor.fm/votb/subscribe

Author

Chris Battle & Desmon Ivery

Category

Health

Podcast website

anchor.fm

Latest episode

Sep 2, 2025

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Episodes

Empowering Veterans Through Family Support: The Work of WWFS 02.09.2025

In this episode of Vets Outside the Box, host Chris speaks with Kate McCauley, president and CEO of the Wounded Warrior Family Support Organization. They discuss the organization's mission to support combat wounded veterans and their families, the various programs they offer, including caregiver support and mobility assistance, and the importance of family in the healing process. Kate shares her p...

From Military to Civilian - Navigating the Transition: Challenges and Skills 28.06.2024

Summary In this episode, Chris and Desmond discuss the transition from the military to the civilian workforce. They highlight the difficulties in finding employment and the challenges of translating military skills to civilian roles. They also discuss the skills that translated well, such as adaptability, discipline, timeliness, and attention to detail. However, they also mention skills that didn&...

We're Back 08.03.2024

In this episode we discuss our return to filming this podcast. If you're a military veteran and want to share your story on our new upcoming video series you can sign up here: https://um2b3v6ejez.typeform.com/to/UX5b6Zmx You can find the video version of this episode on our YouTube channel below or you can watch us on Spotify. Contact us via voice message if you use Anchor, or email us @votbpo...

Press Start to Relax: The Surprising Mental Health Benefits of Gaming 28.04.2023

In this episode we discuss "What got us into gaming, which is a big stress reliever for us". You can find the video version of this episode on our YouTube channel below or you can watch us on Spotify. Check out Chris’s new shop here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SchwiftyModz Contact us via voice message if you use Anchor, or email us @votbpod@gmail.com. Also, please follow on our social media below....

22 A Day 02.12.2022

In this episode we discuss the military phrase that became viral "22 A Day". You can find the video version of this episode on our YouTube channel below or you can watch us on Spotify. Links pertaining to this episode can be found here: https://www.centers.org/ https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/ https://mrsc.fsu.org Contact us via voice message if you use Anchor, or email us @votbpod@gmail.com. A...

Straight Outta Focus Pt.2 04.08.2022

In this episode we continue to discuss Attention Deficit Hyper-Activity Disorder (ADHD) and how it has and still continues to affect our daily lives. You can find the video version of this episode on our YouTube channel below or you can watch us on Spotify. Links pertaining to this episode can be found here:   https://childmind.org/article/know-long-term-effects-adhd-medications/ https://www....

Unashamed 01.08.2022

1Corinthians 9:25 NIV  "Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever". I do not want to be disqualified from the prize. I want to help others by spreading his word, and also follow it myself. Asking myself "What if you had a week left? Who are you serving?"

Straight Outta Focus 12.06.2022

In this episode we discuss Attention Deficit Hyper-Activity Disorder (ADHD) and how it has and still continues to affect our daily lives. You can find the video version of this episode by clicking here for the YouTube version or you can watch us on Spotify. Contact us via voice message if you use Anchor, or email us @votbpod@gmail.com. Also, please follow on our social media below. YouTube IG Twit...

Lost Ones 21.05.2022

In this episode we discuss the topic of grief and the general grieving process. You can find the video version of this episode by clicking here for the YouTube version or you can watch us on Spotify. Contact us via voice message if you use Anchor, or email us @votbpod@gmail.com. Also, please follow on our social media below. YouTube IG Twitter Spotify TikTok

Will it ever be enough? 13.05.2022

In this episode we discuss the importance of "writing your own autobiography" and the characteristics of NPD and how you will never truly be enough for the individuals that suffer from it. You can find the video version of this episode by clicking here for the YouTube version or you can watch us on Spotify. Due to us not being experts in the above topics we encourage you to do your own research an...

Pick A Bag 01.05.2022

1Corinthians 9:25 NIV  "Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever". I do not want to be disqualified from the prize. I want to help others by spreading his word, and also follow it myself. Asking myself "What if you had a week left? Who are you serving?"

T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E. 15.04.2022

Over here at VOTB we like to discuss the truly important topics. So, in this episode we discuss our interpretation of Tupac's T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E. and how it resonates with us when raising our children. We also encourage Veterans and our listeners to seek mental help if needed. You can find the video version of this episode by clicking here for the YouTube version or you can watch us on Spotify. Also...

Hot Advice Time Machine 01.04.2022

In this episode we jump in the time machine and give our younger selves some advice. This episode is also our first Video Podcast episode. You can find the video version by clicking here for the YouTube version or you can watch us on Spotify. Also, please follow on our social media below. Contact us via voice message if you use Anchor, or email us @votbpod@gmail.com. YouTube IG Twitter Spotify

The Level Up (2022) 18.03.2022

In this episode we discuss what we plan to implement to increase our overall productivity versus last year. We finish out the episode discussing the improvements we hope to make to our mental state in a positive way. Contact us via voice message if you use Anchor, or email us @votbpod@gmail.com.

Is WFH your happy future? 04.03.2022

In this episode we discuss our thoughts on the possibility of the Work From Home (WFH) future that lies ahead. We finish out the episode discussing fun gadgets we've been into lately.   Contact us via voice message if you use Anchor, or email us @votbpod@gmail.com.

God's Love 19.02.2022

Something new we wanted to implement and try. We wanted to spread love after Valentine's Day. What better way to do that than to introduce our listeners to 1 Cor. 13:4? Hope you all enjoy.

Breaks & 2022 Goals! 18.02.2022

Welcome to Season 2! Thanks for taking the time to check us out today! This episode is about the upcoming changes we want to make with the podcast this season, as well as the importance of taking breaks (ie:holiday, vacations), and the goals we've set for 2022.  Contact us via voice message if you use Anchor, or email us @votbpod@gmail.com.

Veterans Day Special! 11.11.2021

In episode 6 we talk about our general experiences in the military and how those helped us transition into the civilian lifestyle. We also discuss some things mentally that military taught us that we still use today. We are passionate about strengthening our mental health and speaking on mental health with the hope that others can relate or benefit from it in any way. One of the ways I try to assi...

Politics 02.11.2021

In this episode we talk with our guest Byron Bradford who is running for Tarrant County Judge. Check out his platform at the link: https://www.votebyronbradford.com/

Aliens & Pyramids 15.10.2021

In Episode 4 we discuss our thoughts and curiosities surrounding topics such as: space exploration, UFOs, aliens, pyramids, and video games.  

Emotions 03.09.2021

In Episode 3 we discuss our thoughts about what is going on in Afghanistan as well as some general discussion about our emotions.

Off the Rails 30.07.2021

In this episode we discuss how the pandemic has affected us and our household, and what type of things we are hoping to improve or help us maintain a great mental well-being. We also talk about Joe Biden helping with student loan debt and the importance of putting family first. Contact us via voice message if you use Anchor, or email us @votbpod@gmail.com. 

🎨 the backgrounds 16.07.2021

The first official episode of VOTB. We discuss the personal purposes and overall mission of this podcast. We also go into a bit of our backgrounds, our life and challenges outside the military, and methods we use to enhance our mental wellbeing. Contact us via voice message if you use Anchor, or email us @votbpod@gmail.com. You can support us here: https://anchor.fm/votb/support.

VOTB Coming Soon 🚀 19.06.2021

A quick bit of what you can expect on the Vets Outside the Box podcast.

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