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

    "I Don't Have a Story": Tracer Burnout on Why Every Veteran Does

    A lot of veterans swear they “don’t have a story,” and then, the moment someone who gets it starts asking the right questions, the real memories show up. That’s why we brought on Dan and Roger from Tracer Burnout, a veteran-run YouTube channel and podcast built around honest conversations with people who served across every branch and every kind of job. We get into where they came from, how they joined, and the duty stations that left the biggest marks, from Fort Drum cold to Fort Bragg’s nonstop pace, with a few laughs along the way.  We also talk about the tough stuff that follows a long Army career: bodies breaking down, surgeries, constant pain, and the decision to retire for reasons that have nothing to do with headlines and everything to do with family. Dan and Roger share why they encourage veterans to use VA benefits without guilt, and they unpack the old “zero-sum” myth that still keeps some people from filing claims or getting care.  Then we dig into what Tracer Burnout is really trying to build: a living archive of military service stories that families can hear years from now. In a world where the written word is fading and social media disappears in a scroll, recording voices becomes its own kind of history. If you care about veteran mental health, military transition, leadership, and preserving firsthand accounts, this conversation delivers. Subscribe, share this with a veteran in your life, and leave a review so more people find these stories.

  2. Oct 12

    VA Home Loans Made Clear: Use the Benefit You Earned

    Only a small slice of eligible veterans ever use a VA home loan, and that number should bother all of us. We sit down with Eric Bernstein, founder of LendFriend Mortgage, to get brutally clear about what’s actually stopping veterans and active duty families from using one of the most powerful mortgage benefits in the United States. We talk through the real reasons the VA loan gets misunderstood: the myth that you need a down payment, the belief you can only use the benefit once, and the confusion around entitlement and restoring eligibility. Eric explains how a strong VA-focused mortgage broker can act like an advocate, not just a rate quote, especially when sellers or builders hesitate because of outdated fears about VA appraisals and requirements. We also get practical about the timing of transitioning service members, including how preapproval can start early and what lenders look for in documents such as a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) and a Leave and Earnings Statement (LES). Then we go deep on VA refinancing and the IRRRL streamline refi. We cover the 210-day rule, how to calculate break-even, why a full point rate drop often matters, and how discount points and padded closing costs can make a “great deal” far less great. If you’re seeing nonstop mailers, this conversation gives you a checklist to stay safe and compare offers apples to apples. If this helped you, subscribe on your favorite podcast app, share it with a veteran who’s house hunting, and leave a quick review so more military families can find the facts. What VA loan myth did you hear first?

  3. Oct 5

    Beyond Resilient — What Military Kids Need When Life Keeps Changing

    A PCS can look routine on paper and feel like an earthquake at home. We sit down with Dr. Michelle Bubnik-Harrison, a licensed psychologist leading work with military families through Kennedy Krieger Institute, to talk about what military-connected kids actually carry when they change schools, lose hard-won friendships, and rebuild their lives over and over again. Yes, military kids are resilient, but she makes a sharp point: resilience has limits, and a single tough move can tip stress into anxiety, worry, sleep problems, or blowups that confuse parents who are used to their child “handling it.”  We get specific about access to care because logistics are often the biggest barrier. Dr. Butnick-Harrison explains how telehealth therapy supports highly mobile families, how family-based sessions work, and why caregivers stay involved even when a teen needs private time. We also dig into practical questions families ask right away: what ages the program serves, what a first appointment looks like, how long counseling typically lasts when the goal is getting back to everyday functioning, and how coordination works if ADHD or other concerns bring medication into the picture.  We also talk about heavier chapters of military family life, including what can happen when a parent returns from deployment with PTS or TBI and kids get pulled into adult roles. Throughout it all, the focus stays on realistic coping skills, early support, and building a plan that fits your timeline, whether you need a few sessions or ongoing check-ins. If you know a military parent, educator, or caregiver, share this one, subscribe for more, and leave a review so more families can find help when they need it.

  4. Sep 28

    From Patient to Provider: Col. Ed Yackel's Journey in Army Nursing

    A nurse’s kindness can change a life, and sometimes it can change a career. I sit down with retired Army Colonel Ed Yackel, RN, to trace how childhood surgeries and long hospital stays became the first spark for a lifetime in the Army Nurse Corps. From commissioning as an officer to learning the rhythms of real clinical work, Ed shares the moments that shaped him as a nurse and as a leader. We also get honest about what military nursing looks like when the stakes are high. Ed explains how care works inside a combat support hospital, what “treat everyone who needs help” means in practice, and how the evacuation chain connects frontline medicine to larger facilities like Landstuhl and stateside specialty care. If you’ve ever wondered how medical teams operate during deployments to places like Iraq and how civilian casualties fit into the mission, this conversation makes it clear and human. Then we shift to the systems that keep patients safe. Ed describes why standardization across military medicine matters, from shared formularies to consistent sets, kits, and equipment, and how those choices reduce risk when teams deploy. After leaving the Army, he brings that same mindset to the Veterans Health Administration as the leader of the VA National Center for Patient Safety, where he focuses on preventing harm by designing processes that account for normal human error. We also highlight the Army Nurse Corps Association, including scholarships, research and evidence-based practice funding, conventions, and current advocacy priorities. If you’ve ever been cared for by a military nurse, consider supporting the people who supported you. Subscribe, share this episode with a nurse veteran, and leave a review. What part of Ed’s story hit home for you?

  5. Sep 21

    The Care That Comes Next: Surviving a Suicide Loss

    Suicide doesn’t just take one life. It can leave an entire family, unit, and friend group trying to function while carrying grief, trauma, and a thousand urgent decisions they never asked for. We sit down with Dr. Carla Stomf Patton, Director of Suicide Postvention at TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors), to talk about what actually helps after a suicide death and why the right response can reduce risk for everyone left behind. We get clear on a term many people mishear: postvention. It’s the care and coordinated support that happens after a suicide attempt or suicide death, and it’s tightly linked to prevention because isolation, shame, and untreated trauma are real risk factors. Dr. Patton explains how peer-based grief support creates safety fast, why talking openly about suicide matters, and how accurate training helps us ditch the myths that keep people silent when they should be reaching out. You’ll also hear what the TAPS process looks like from the first contact, including how survivors find support through TAPS.org and the 24/7 helpline, how peer mentoring works, and how caseworkers help families address immediate needs such as talking to kids, navigating benefits, and finding trauma-informed resources. We close with a simple action step anyone can take today: save 988 plus one in a buddy’s phone to create a pause that can save a life. If this conversation helps you, subscribe, share it with one person, and leave a review so more veterans and families can find these resources.

  6. Sep 14

    Cultural Support Teams - Women In The Shadows of Combat

    Some stories from Iraq and Afghanistan still get told like footnotes, even when they changed how missions worked on the ground. We sit down with Heidi Rippy, Vice President of Development for the Special Operations Association of America (SOAA), to talk about what it meant to serve as one of the small number of women selected for Cultural Support Team work alongside special operations and civil affairs. Heidi walks us through enlisting at 17, choosing the Army airborne path, and what selection and training can look like at Camp Mackall, from language training and cultural studies to negotiation skills and high-risk driving. We also slow down on the parts of service that don’t fit neatly into a highlight reel: medical retirement, living with a 100% disability rating, and the shock of transitioning out during peak COVID when so many offices and programs felt out of reach. That transition story matters for every veteran planning a civilian career because it shows how quickly identity, paperwork, healthcare, and community can collide. Then we get into the mission that drives Heidi’s work at SOAA: advocacy, policy, and ensuring no brother or sister feels alone after taking off the uniform. We talk suicide loss, the importance of community, and the JAX Act, including why recognition for CST and female engagement work connects directly to VA benefits, combat-related care, and long-term health outcomes for women veterans. If this conversation resonates, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s navigating transition, and leave a review so more veterans can find it. Learn more at soa.org and consider hitting the donate button to support the work.

  7. Sep 7

    Raised Everywhere, From Nowhere: The Hidden World of Military Kids

    You can spot a military kid in a crowd, not because of a uniform, but because they learned to adapt before they learned to drive. Chef Larry welcomes Lisa and Rose, the sisters behind the Punk Brats YouTube channel, for a sharp, funny, and honest talk about what it’s really like growing up as military brats across continents. We trace their story from Seoul and Fort Hood to Camp Zama, and then Germany, where living off base brought a level of independence that still surprises people today. They unpack the hidden stressors civilians rarely see: curfews, last-minute moves, the pressure of representing your parents’ career, and the strange feeling of being “from everywhere and nowhere.” Along the way, we talk about culture and identity, too, including what it means to juggle American life, host-nation life, and a parent's nationality at home. From there, we get into the why behind Punk Brats: military nonprofits often focus on service members and spouses, while military children are often overlooked. Lisa and Rose explain how their interviews span generations, why mental health for military kids deserves real attention, and which guests have stuck with them most. We also spotlight their nonprofit, Hats Off for Veterans, including peer support groups, scholarships and grants, and their upcoming Courage to Connect, Breaking the Silence effort addressing military sexual trauma. If you want to support the mission, visit hofv.org, then subscribe, share this with a fellow military family, and leave us a review so more people can find these stories.

  8. Aug 31

    Performance Over Pedigree: A Marine Officer's Path to Corporate Impact

    Leaving the military can feel like stepping out of a unit and into a world without a map. I talk with Marine Officer and Veteran Ryan Murray, Managing Director at Greencastle Consulting, about the moments that force a real pivot: choosing the infantry mindset, hitting the eight-to-ten-year decision window, managing injuries, and trying to make smart calls for your family while the transition clock is still running. We also get honest about VA disability ratings and why they often slide down the priority list when life gets busy. Ryan shares how he found Greencastle after an unexpected career turn, and what makes the firm stand out in veteran hiring and veteran employment: it’s an all-veteran consulting company, built to prove that performance beats pedigree. We dig into what actually matters in consulting and corporate life when you have influence but no authority, including emotional intelligence, relationship-building, culture fit, and “learning velocity,” the ability to learn fast and adapt without losing your identity. If you’re working on military-to-civilian resume translation, project management positioning, or just trying to find your next tribe, you’ll get practical language and a clearer framework. We also spotlight VetFest in Malvern, Pennsylvania, a family-friendly veteran community festival that brings together nonprofits, veteran service organizations, vendors, food, music, and resources for both veterans and civilians who want to support them. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a veteran who’s navigating the jump, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

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5
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About

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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