Welcome Home - A Podcast for Veterans, About Veterans, By Veterans

A 17-minute film shouldn’t feel this big, but Chest Candy lingers like a conversation you’ve needed for years. We sit down with writer-director-actor Robert Golphin to unpack the story of a Black Army veteran fighting PTS, the collateral grief his family carries, and the cultural scripts that keep too many people from asking for help. Robert didn’t wear the uniform, but he built this film shoulder...

A two-star admiral sits down with us and lays out a clear, unvarnished blueprint for leadership, mission success, and the China challenge—no buzzwords, no hedging. Mike Studeman hoped to fly after reading Flight of the Intruder, landed in intelligence when the cockpit queue was full, and still found himself launching with A-6 Intruders off a carrier during Desert Storm. That twist shaped a career...

Ten years can bring about significant healing. We open the doors to the Warrior Retreat at Bull Run and walk through a year where a 37-acre sanctuary, a pair of five-bedroom homes, and a brand-new Grand Lodge came together to serve thousands of wounded warriors, veterans, and families. From the weekly rhythm of guest stays and Wednesday staging to the Saturday beautification days, you’ll hear how...

Some stories hit like a clean snap pass: direct, fast, and aimed at the open ice ahead. That is the energy we bring to our conversation with Pete Perzel, president of the Capitol Beltway Warriors , a veteran hockey nonprofit serving the National Capital Region. From the first whistle, we delve into how a simple idea—putting skates on veterans and giving them a team—became a powerful engine for pur...

The call comes after a storm, a flood, or a wildfire—and before the dust settles, the gray shirts are already moving. We sit down with Evan Farley, Northern Virginia Metro Field Operations Coordinator for Team Rubicon , to explore how veteran discipline and civilian grit combine to deliver rapid disaster relief at zero cost to homeowners. From the organization’s roots in Haiti’s 2010 earthquake to...

A quiet question—why choose the Army?—opens into a candid story of injury, recovery, and purpose with Eric Thomas, founder of CJ3 Foundation . We dig into how a veteran and first responder-led nonprofit tackles what so many systems miss: putting mental health first, pairing people with real service dogs trained from day one, and showing up as relentless advocates when employers or agencies get in...

What if a warm, welcoming home sat steps away from the hospital where your loved one is fighting to heal—and it cost your family nothing? We open the door to Fisher House , the nationwide network of free lodging for military and veteran families that turns proximity into peace of mind. Julie Riggs, Vice President of Community Relations at Fisher House Foundation, joins us to share how these homes...

Moral injury isn’t a buzzword or a rebrand of Post Traumatic Stress. It’s what happens when military service members face actions and events that violate their core values, or when the institutions and leaders they trusted fail them. We sit down with Air Force Reserve chaplain and Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen (MISNS) board member Lindsay Moser to unpack why women in uniform are un...

The moment a service member transitions, the family’s support web can evaporate. We sat down with Hannah O’Brien, Program Director of the Veteran Spouse Network (VSN) at the University of Texas, to map out a better way forward: peer-led groups, practical suicide prevention tools, and data that actually reflects what spouses and caregivers need right now. If you’ve ever wondered how to rebuild the...

A trained service dog can do what red tape can’t: help a veteran sleep through the night, step back into a crowded room, and reenter daily life with confidence and safety. We sit down with Marine veteran and K9 handler Chris Baity, co‑founder of Semper K9 , to unpack how ethical training, clear standards, and community support turn that promise into repeatable results—and why federal funding has l...

A podcast guest arrives with a $2,000 check—and a clear mission to help a warrior family heal. We sit down with Dennis Corrigan to unpack how his local MOAA chapter funds a full week at the Warrior Retreat at Bull Run and how the Military Officers Association of America turns membership, mentorship, and policy expertise into real wins for veterans and their families. Dennis shares the arc of his s...

A six-hour phone call changed everything. When a veteran in crisis found someone willing to listen through the night, a simple truth emerged: human connection can save lives. That moment sparked Objective Zero , a peer support network and free app that connects veterans, service members, families, and caregivers with trained volunteers in minutes—no stigma, no red tape, just fast, compassionate he...

Anthony Dyer's journey from loading weapons to manning the guns of one of the world's most intimidating aircraft reveals the extraordinary path of a combat aviator in special operations. As a retired Air Force Combat Special Missions Aviator who served aboard the legendary AC-130 gunship, Dyer takes us inside a world few civilians ever glimpse. The conversation opens with Dyer's ear...

The unsung heroes of our military community often go unrecognized—even by themselves. Military spouses who manage their loved ones' PTS symptoms, administer medications, and coordinate care frequently don't identify as "caregivers," believing they're simply supporting someone they love. As COO Elizabeth Field explains in this powerful conversation, this revelation stands a...

The transition from military service to civilian life represents one of the most challenging journeys many veterans face. For Donnell Johns, founder of Veterans Growing America , this transition sparked an innovative mission to transform how America supports its veteran entrepreneurs. After 26 years of distinguished Army service spanning Desert Storm, Somalia, and leadership roles in recruiting, J...

The sky was never meant to be a boundary—especially for those determined enough to break through it. Chef Larry welcomes longtime friend Lois Hobby, whose remarkable 33-year military career broke barriers as one of the first two USAF active-duty female flight engineers on the C-141 Starlifter transport aircraft. When a sergeant flatly told her, "Women will never fly on the C-141," Hobby...

What happens when veterans and first responders lose their tribe? Master Sergeant Chet Olesky knows firsthand the challenges of transitioning from military service to civilian life after his 20-year Air Force career working on some of America's most sophisticated aircraft. Now, as a guide with the American Warrior Association (AWA), he's helping others find healing, purpose, and communit...

When Navy Captain Jeffrey Sapp began feeling unusually fatigued while working in Saudi Arabia, he initially brushed it off. This decision nearly cost him his life. Medevaced to Georgetown University Hospital, he received devastating news—he had primary plasma cell leukemia, a rare and aggressive blood cancer with a typical survival rate of just 7-12 months. Captain Sapp takes us through his remark...

What happens when a decorated Army lieutenant colonel with 20 years of service faces an unexpected divorce just as she's transitioning to civilian life? For Olivia Nunn , it meant becoming what she calls an "accidental entrepreneur." Despite having what she considered "the master playbook" for military transition from her work with the Army's Soldier for Life program...

Hidden in the rolling countryside of Northern Virginia lies a remarkable time capsule preserving one of America's most consequential—yet understudied—chapters of history. The Cold War Museum at Vint Hill stands as a guardian of memories that textbooks have largely forgotten. Founded by Gary Powers Jr. , whose father became an unwitting Cold War icon when his U-2 spy plane was shot down over t...

What happens when the system fails those who've sacrificed everything to protect it? Frank Larkin, former Navy SEAL and CEO of Troops First Foundation , takes us on a heart-wrenching journey through military service, devastating loss, and his mission to transform veteran care. After serving eight years in the Navy SEALs and decades in law enforcement, Frank watched his son Ryan follow a simil...

Step into the living legacy of the United States Marine Corps through the eyes of Colonel Gentry, Director of the National Museum of the Marine Corps . What began as two modest facilities has transformed into an architectural marvel purposefully designed to evoke the iconic Iwo Jima flag raising - from its angled mast mirroring the famous flagpole to its floor transitioning from sea to shore, repr...

Paul Morando, Chief Curator at the National Museum of the United States Army , unveils the fascinating story behind the museum's newest exhibition, "Call to Arms: The Soldier and the Revolutionary War." This meticulously crafted exhibit represents a remarkable four-year journey, bringing together nearly 180 Revolutionary War artifacts from 35 different institutions and collectors ac...

The heroism of Vietnam War helicopter pilots rarely receives the spotlight it deserves, but Colonel Douglas Moore's story stands as a testament to extraordinary courage under fire. With over 1,874 combat missions flown and 2,782 wounded soldiers evacuated during his two tours in Vietnam, Moore's experiences reveal the life-and-death stakes faced by Dustoff pilots daily. Moore's jour...

Archaeology might conjure images of dusty excavations and Indiana Jones adventures, but for veterans seeking meaningful employment transitions, it's becoming an unexpected bridge to civilian careers. In this eye-opening conversation, host Chef Larry welcomes Caroline and Gabi from the Veterans Curation Program in Alexandria, Virginia, revealing a groundbreaking initiative that's transfor...