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

Larry Zilliox
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Non-Profit
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome Home is a Willing Warriors and the Warrior Retreat at Bull Run project. The program highlights activities at the Warrior Retreat and issues impacting all Veterans. For questions or feedback, please email us at podcast@willingwarriors.org.

  1. 3d ago

    Stability by Choice: Military Families and the Homeschool Solution

    Every two to three years, military orders can flip a family’s life upside down. New home, new friends, new routines, and too often, a school reset that leaves kids paying the price. We talk with Natalie Mack, founder and CEO of the Military Homeschoolers Association, about why so many military families choose homeschooling as the one lever they can control: stability, continuity, and a learning environment that survives PCS moves, deployments, and the long grind of workups. Natalie shares how the organization formed from real-life leadership on installations, not from a polished master plan. We get into the biggest gap she kept seeing: military homeschoolers were everywhere, but hard for other military child support organizations to find and serve. That visibility problem is why her team invested in research, including the first major survey focused solely on military homeschool families across CONUS and OCONUS, capturing who they are and what they need. We also dig into policy and advocacy that can remove real burdens. Homeschool materials are heavy, PCS weight limits are strict, and families can end up paying to move the very books they use to educate their kids. Natalie explains the push to treat homeschool materials as Pro Gear under the Joint Travel Regulations, plus the Compass Act effort that would let families choose to follow the homeschool laws of their state of legal residence instead of relearning compliance with every move. If you’re a military spouse, a veteran, an educator, or just curious about military child education, this conversation is a practical look at what’s working and what still needs to change. Subscribe, share this with a military family, and leave a review. What part of military life would you most want education to protect your kids from?

  2. Aug 10

    Flight 93, a Daughter's Legacy, and the Making of a Memorial

    A leadership lesson can come from a classroom, a coach, or a job. Sometimes it comes from a handwritten letter and a story that still hurts to tell. I’m Larry Zilliox, Director of Culinary Services at the Warrior Retreat at Bull Run, and I’m joined by Debbie Borza, a special advisor to The 9:57 Project Student Leadership Challenge, our summer leadership camp for high school students. Debbie brings a perspective shaped by United Flight 93. She shares the story of her daughter, Diora, who was 20 years old when she died on September 11, 2001. Because Diora was so close in age to the teens in this program, her words connect in a direct, peer-to-peer way. We talk about what Diora valued, how she treated friends and family, and why community service is more than a requirement. It’s a way to move outside yourself and build the kind of character that shows up when it matters. We also dig into what it took to create the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, including the lengthy planning timeline, partnerships with the National Park Service, and a mix of federal, state, and private funding. Debbie previews how the 25th anniversary is being shaped to honor families while welcoming the public, and I share why the memorial is worth the trip for anyone who wants to understand 9/11 beyond headlines. If you care about teen leadership, service projects, 9/11 history, Flight 93, or the power of kindness to create a ripple effect, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this episode with someone who leads by serving, and leave a review so more listeners can find it.

  3. Jul 27

    Beyond the Runway: An Air Force Veteran on the Front Lines of Humanitarian Aviation

    You can fly a perfect approach and still be miles from help if the “runway” is a strip carved out of jungle. That’s why I wanted to sit down with Fran DeRocher, an old friend from our Guam days, to talk about the kind of aviation most people never see: Mission Aviation Fellowship’s real-world humanitarian airlift across remote parts of Africa, where the airplane is the only road in or out.  We start with the memories that shaped us, from brutal no-AC barracks to scuba dives on Guam’s stunning reefs, then follow Fran’s winding path from Air Force service to earning the training that mission aviation demands. He breaks down what MAF actually carries: medical teams, critical medicine, drums of fuel, pastors and translators, NGO staff, and the everyday supplies that keep remote clinics and communities running. We also dig into the operational side of bush flying, including why MAF historically relied on pilot-mechanics, how the fleet has evolved from piston aircraft to turbine platforms like the Caravan, and what it takes to operate safely when infrastructure is thin.  Fran shares the moments that still raise your pulse, including unrest in East Congo and what it feels like to land in a place where weapons are pointed outward, and nothing is guaranteed. We also talk about Ebola response and the strict protocols that protect patients, crews, and communities when an outbreak turns logistics into life-or-death decision-making. If you care about aviation, humanitarian work, Christian nonprofits, or life after the military, this conversation is for you.  Subscribe on your favorite platform, share this with a friend who’d love it, and leave a review to help more people find the show.

  4. Jul 20

    Wheels, Wings, and Will: How Volunteer Pilots and Donors Are Delivering Veterans to Life-Saving Care

    The hidden bill in healthcare is often the drive, the flight, or the miles you rack up while you are already exhausted. We sit down with Melissa Brian, lead transportation coordinator for Mercy Medical Angels, to talk about what happens when a patient or veteran can get an appointment but cannot get there and how a practical ride can be the difference between starting treatment and falling behind. We break down the full menu of medical transportation assistance Mercy Medical Angels coordinates: gas cards for recurring appointments, Amtrak and Greyhound tickets when driving is not an option, commercial flights for specialized care hundreds of miles away, and a volunteer pilot program in the mid-Atlantic where pilots donate their aircraft and time. Along the way, we talk about common use cases like dialysis travel, long-distance oncology care at major centers, second opinions, clinical trials, and why Angel Wings for Veterans also supports travel to PTSD retreats that restore connection and community. You will also hear exactly how the process works, including where to apply, how applications are routed, what documentation is typically required, how far in advance to reach out for flight help, and why medical release forms matter for safe flying. We also talk about what the organization needs most right now: more awareness, more pilots, and more donors, so that more people can access care. If this conversation helps you, subscribe to us on your favorite podcast app, share it with someone who might need transportation support, and leave a review so more listeners can find these resources.

  5. Jul 13

    From Service to Soil: Building a Successful Veteran Farm

    Farming can look like a simple escape plan until you run the numbers and realize the real enemy is the order of operations. Land is expensive, fences cost money, equipment breaks, and a “quick” farm dream can turn into years of stress if you start out of sequence. I sit down with Kate Bowen, program director of the American VetFarm Network (a program of At Ease Orchard), to talk about what it actually takes to help veterans become farmers and stay healthy in the process. We get into the practical questions veteran farmers ask most: how to access land, how to choose the right scale, how to build a basic farm business plan, and how to cut through the maze of veteran resources and agricultural resources without getting overwhelmed by online advice. Kate shares why the network often serves first-generation and small diversified farms, and how farm-to-table demand from chefs and local restaurants can create opportunity when the marketing and timelines are realistic. We also talk about the harder parts people avoid: isolation after leaving the military, the need for camaraderie, and the high suicide rate in agriculture. For veterans farming with injuries or disabilities, Kate explains how adaptive farm equipment and partners like AgrAbility can make the work safer and more sustainable. We close by noting that a USDA 2501 grant is funding nationwide training events, a growing resource library, and hands-on coaching for veterans who want purpose in the soil. They have an informative podcast on their YouTube channel with episodes that veterans will find useful. If you know a veteran with a farming idea, share this and help them find a smarter starting line. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what’s the biggest obstacle you think new veteran farmers face?

  6. Jul 6

    Military Kids Deserve College Help Without Debt

    Scholarship hunting shouldn’t feel like a second job, especially for military families already juggling PCS moves, shifting school rules, and tight timelines. We sit down with Kristen Ferullo, founder of Partners in Purpose, to discuss a free, searchable scholarship database designed specifically for military children, dependents, spouses, veterans, and ROTC students. If you’ve ever clicked through endless lists only to learn you don’t qualify, this conversation gives you a smarter path. We walk through how the database works, including practical filters like relationship to the service member, state-based options, and application open and close dates, so you can plan around real deadlines. Kristen explains why so many military-connected students miss out on scholarship money: frequent moves can cut students off from local awards, transferring schools can complicate references and credits, and procrastination turns senior year into a whirlwind. Her message is simple and urgent: start early, apply often, and don’t ignore smaller scholarships that can add up to real tuition relief. Kristen also shares what it takes to keep a resource trustworthy, from using exact scholarship language to doing a major “scrub” to fix links, verify details, and add new opportunities, including grants. We also dig into military spouse scholarships and education funding for degrees and certifications, plus broader trends veteran service organizations should watch, such as housing strain and food insecurity. Visit partners-in-purpose.com to explore the database and download the PCS and scholarship handbook, then share this episode with a military family who needs it and leave us a review so more listeners can find these tools.

  7. Jun 29

    From High-OpSec to High-Visibility: How Veteran Entrepreneurs Win at Branding and PR

    You can have the best product in the world and still lose if nobody knows you exist. That’s the tension we dig into with Austin Holmes, a Navy EOD veteran who now leads the Nashville-based PR firm Publicity for Good. We talk candidly about the mindset shift veteran entrepreneurs have to make when they leave a high-opsec culture and step into a marketplace that rewards clear, consistent communication. If you’ve ever built the LLC, opened the bank account, and then wondered why growth feels slow, this conversation is for you. We get practical about branding and veteran-owned business marketing, starting with a definition that changes everything: your brand is what people say about you. From there, we unpack how to be intentional with your story, how quality and values protect your reputation, and why crisis communications is such a big part of the PR world. We also discuss social media strategy for entrepreneurs, including how to choose primary platforms, why consistency beats chasing viral moments, and how to create content that actually has context and meaning. Then we go into AI for small business owners and founders: using large language models like ChatGPT and Claude for research, better questions, and repetitive-task automation. Austin shares how “agentic AI” can function like an assistant if you train it like one, and why that can free you up for the work that matters most: relationships, sales, and serving customers well. If you’re building a veteran-owned brand or supporting one, subscribe, share this with a founder who needs it, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. What part of your business would you most like to simplify first?

  8. Jun 22

    Why A WWII Propaganda Poster Is Basically Old-School TikTok

    Fewer people personally know someone who served, and that quiet shift changes how communities understand sacrifice, leadership, and even citizenship. We sit down with Scott English, president of the Pritzker Military Museum and Library in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to discuss how a modern military history museum can close that gap by telling authentic, relatable stories about the citizen soldier and the families who serve alongside them. Scott shares how the museum evolved from a book collector’s library into a full-scale museum and archive, why Kenosha has embraced the move from Chicago, and what it looks like to build a true community hub around veterans service organizations. We also get specific about what stories still get overlooked, from the Korean War to smaller but significant conflicts like Grenada and Panama, and why preserving those voices now matters more than ever. Then we go practical: digitized collections, oral histories, and how to turn an hour-long interview into a five-minute piece that still respects the truth. We preview the museum’s Chicago gala, including its Spirit of 76 theme and the Citizen Soldier of the Year honor for General Stanley McChrystal, and we cover what to do if you have military artifacts at home and want to donate or simply preserve them safely. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app, share this with someone who cares about military history and veteran stories, and leave a review so more listeners can find us.

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Welcome Home is a Willing Warriors and the Warrior Retreat at Bull Run project. The program highlights activities at the Warrior Retreat and issues impacting all Veterans. For questions or feedback, please email us at podcast@willingwarriors.org.

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