The Veteran's Veteran Podcast

Drew Jones

The Veteran's Veteran Podcast, hosted by Drew Jones, features conversations that inform, inspire, and support veterans, military families, and their communities. Each episode highlights stories of service, resilience, leadership, and life after the military, while connecting listeners with valuable resources, organizations, and people making a difference. The podcast's mission is to honor those who served and help veterans navigate the challenges and opportunities that come with civilian life.

Episodes

  1. Sep 21

    #010. Frank Nichols | From Navy Flight Deck to Police Chief: Combat, Leadership, and Life After the Badge

    Host Drew Jones welcomes his former Starkville Police Department chief to The Veteran’s Veteran Podcast to discuss a career spanning US Navy service, Mississippi Army National Guard deployments, and law enforcement leadership. The guest grew up in Starkville, joined the Navy at 17, worked as an aircraft handler on a carrier, and later transitioned into policing after serving as a Navy master-at-arms. He describes earning degrees with the GI Bill, rising through Starkville PD to become chief in 2014 as the department’s first African American chief, leading major initiatives including accreditation, social media engagement, a chaplain program, and community policing efforts like Walk and Talk featured in a 21st Century policing report. He also recounts National Guard service in Iraq as a commander’s bodyguard, receiving a Combat Action Badge in Baghdad, attending the FBI Academy, and reflecting on stress, integrity, and advice for future officers. Visit TheVetsVet.com for more information. You can find the Veteran’s Veteran Podcast on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok Produced by Derrick Michaud and SRP Studios Podcasting

  2. Sep 14

    #009. The “House From Hell”: Navy Veteran Julie Pereira vs. Builder Lawsuits, Defective Construction & VA Advocacy

    Host Drew Jones interviews Navy corpsman veteran, mother of six, former nonprofit founder, and veterans advocate Julie Pereira about her family’s nearly six-year ordeal with their “House from Hell” in Lakeland, Tennessee. After relocating in 2020 for her firefighter husband’s job, they built a semi-custom home but faced long delays, unexplained fill dirt, denied requests for plans and inspections, and were pressured to close. Immediately after moving in, a damaged dishwasher flooded the kitchen, they went over a month without a functional kitchen, toilets backed up due to a sagging sewer line requiring a 26-foot trench through the slab, and later they discovered alleged foundation/soil and code issues tied to an unlicensed “engineer.” Julie describes ongoing defects, two defamation-related lawsuits, arbitration costs exceeding $300,000, and her push for consumer protections while continuing VA/CHAMPVA/Chapter 35 advocacy. https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1SiWZ3nnN2/?mibextid=wwXIfr https://www.facebook.com/share/g/19jhd4Qki7/?mibextid=wwXIfr Visit TheVetsVet.com for more information. You can find the Veteran’s Veteran Podcast on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok Produced by Derrick Michaud and SRP Studios Podcasting

  3. Sep 7

    #008. From K9 Handler to CEO: Andrew Hurst on Building Code4 Security After Law Enforcement

    Host Drew Jones welcomes Andrew Hurst to the Veteran's Veteran Podcast and thanks Code4 for sponsoring the episode. Andrew shares how growing up around his father’s Memphis Police Department community inspired him to join law enforcement, where he worked eight years across West Tennessee and North Mississippi as a patrolman, K9 handler, negotiator, and shift sergeant. He discusses the value of proactive policing, the challenges of supervising older, seasoned officers, and the importance of humility, communication, and de-escalation. Andrew explains how off-duty security work led to Code4’s formation with a former sheriff’s department partner, how the company scaled to over 460 off-duty officers across multiple states, and why he left full-time policing in February 2022 after his son’s birth. He outlines Code4’s services, its focus on quality personnel and customer service, and mentions his new venture, Keystone Heat and Air, plus how to contact Code4 at offdutypolice.net or 901-488-3068. Visit TheVetsVet.com for more information. You can find the Veteran’s Veteran Podcast on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok Produced by Derrick Michaud and SRP Studios Podcasting

  4. Aug 31

    #007. William “Big Sarge” Hansen: 22 Years of Service, PTSD, Injury Recovery, Fatherhood, and Strongman Redemption

    Host Drew Jones interviews William “Big Sarge” Hansen, a Desert Storm veteran who served a combined 22 years in the Marine Corps and Army with five Middle East tours, including Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. Hansen recounts growing up in a multigenerational military family, joining the Marines after high school, later serving in the National Guard, and building a civilian life as a teacher, dean, and coach who pushed students toward discipline, trades, and opportunity. He describes how deployments overlapped with his first wife Lisa’s nine-year cancer battle, his efforts to stay connected with daily postcards, and the toll of injuries from a convoy blast that left him with fractures, herniated discs, and a traumatic brain injury, followed by pain-pill addiction and VA “cocktails.” A turning point came through his daughter’s honesty, his father’s guidance, and Wounded Warrior Project programs that reignited fitness, purpose, and community, leading him to Tough Mudder, endurance events, coaching wounded veterans, and nationally competitive strongman goals. Visit TheVetsVet.com for more information. You can find the Veteran’s Veteran Podcast on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok Produced by Derrick Michaud and SRP Studios Podcasting

  5. Aug 24

    #006. Orion “Bad Karma” Mata | Army Vet, Law Enforcement, PTSD, & Rebuilding Family

    Host Drew Jones welcomes Orion “Bad Karma” Mata, a U.S. Army military police veteran and 31-year law enforcement professional who served as a patrolman, detective, SRT operator, police sniper, and federal task force officer on organized crime cases. Orion describes joining the Army at 17, working corrections at Fort Leavenworth, the post-9/11 environment and stop-loss, and transitioning into municipal law enforcement while pursuing high-risk assignments. He explains how repeated exposure to trauma and a constant “high alert” mindset damaged empathy, health, and relationships, including family strain tied to his daughter’s mental health crises. Orion shares the turning points that led him to culturally competent therapy, EMDR, eTMS for nervous system regulation, journaling, and lifestyle changes including TRT and losing over 90 pounds, then outlines his Bad Karma Coaching mission to help veterans and first responders rebuild health, accountability, and family connection, and discusses his book Murderous Daydreams. https://linktr.ee/OrionBadKarmaMata Visit TheVetsVet.com for more information. You can find the Veteran’s Veteran Podcast on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok Produced by Derrick Michaud and SRP Studios Podcasting

  6. Aug 17

    #005. Maria Chu | From Struggle to Advanced EMT

    From Firefighter to Future Paramedic: Maria Chu’s 405-Day Sobriety Journey Host Drew Jones reconnects with childhood friend Maria Chu on the Veteran’s Veterans podcast as she shares her path from aspiring doctor to volunteer firefighter and advanced EMT, detailing fire academy training, early EMS experiences, and her goal to become a pediatric flight paramedic at Le Bonheur. Maria describes struggling with alcohol addiction for 15 years, how she decided to quit after seeing a Facebook post from Stacy Dodd, and how daily accountability texts, Celebrate Recovery, and support from Stacy and Chasity Pope helped her reach 405 days sober, including resisting a relapse after buying alcohol. She also discusses caring for her father with Parkinson’s, mentoring youth through the Hope Center of North Mississippi, and emphasizes that setbacks don’t end a dream and that asking for help is strength. Visit TheVetsVet.com for more information. You can find the Veteran’s Veteran Podcast on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok Produced by Derrick Michaud and SRP Studios Podcasting

  7. Aug 10

    #004. From Homeless Addict to Interventionist: Stacy Dodd’s Redemption Story

    Host Drew Jones interviews Stacy Dodd, a certified intervention professional and leader at Woodland Recovery Center who shares his journey from early drinking and drug use to heavy meth addiction, homelessness at 33, and a rock-bottom turning point when his mother stopped enabling him. After entering a long-term program, he became a Christian, stayed clean for 26 years, worked for years to rebuild stability, cared for his mother through dementia and Parkinson’s, and soon after her death began working in recovery, eventually reaching executive leadership and later business development. Stacy discusses serving through Celebrate Recovery and jail ministry, his belief that “chemicals” hijack free will, and his approach to interventions. He explains Woodland’s veteran-inclusive, Joint Commission-accredited continuum of care (detox, residential, PHP, IOP), alumni support, and new multimillion-dollar facility. He also describes founding the Hope Center mentoring nonprofit and his books, encouraging anyone struggling to call for help. Visit TheVetsVet.com for more information. You can find the Veteran’s Veteran Podcast on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok Produced by Derrick Michaud and SRP Studios Podcasting

  8. Aug 3

    #003. Brooke Defore: MP to K9 Rescue Mission: Training Dogs & Healing Veterans

    Host Drew Jones welcomes Brooke Defore to the Veteran's Veteran Podcast to discuss continuing the mission after service through a purpose-driven K9 program. Brooke shares how she enlisted at 17 as an Army military police soldier in the Mississippi Army National Guard, earned a criminal justice degree, and worked in local law enforcement, becoming her department’s first female K9 handler and first female patrol supervisor. After joining ATF through an 18-month hiring process and deciding it wasn’t the right fit, she returned to her passion for dogs and built The Dog School New Orleans after previously creating and selling The Dog School Memphis to a veteran. Brooke partnered with the Louisiana SPCA to launch a prison puppy program at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, helping train and adopt shelter pit mixes, then expanded into rescuing working-line dogs and collaborating with Warriors Heart to help veterans and first responders by repurposing “dud” detection prospects into service, therapy, or companion dogs through her developing nonprofit, K9 Comrades. Visit TheVetsVet.com for more information. You can find the Veteran’s Veteran Podcast on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok Produced by Derrick Michaud and SRP Studios Podcasting

  9. Jul 6

    #002. Rachel Wooten on Mental Health, Natural Healing, and Medical Cannabis

    Host Drew Jones introduces episode 002 of the Veterans Veteran Podcast, focused on continuing the mission after military service by educating and connecting veterans to helpful resources. First guest Rachel Wooten shares her background in nursing, pain management, medical device sales, work with the Pink Berets, and her current role with Sweet Life Canna Company. They discuss how chronic pain often overlaps with mental health issues like PTSD, anxiety, and depression, including vivid traumatic dreams that veterans may experience under anesthesia. Rachel highlights sleep, diet, and metabolic health—especially insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome—as root causes tied to chronic disease, and describes a green tea and multi-fiber “Unicity” protocol that improved her labs and helped her family. They emphasize consistency, reading ingredients, cutting sugar/seed oils/refined carbs, fasting gradually, walking, checking hormones, and consulting medical providers, including for cannabis use. Visit TheVetsVet.com for more information. You can find the Veteran’s Veteran Podcast on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok Produced by Derrick Michaud and SRP Studios Podcasting RESOURCES Article about REM sleep and lucid dreams https://www.treehousecannabis.com/blog/cannabis-and-lucid-dreaming-what-happens-when-you-smoke-before-bed My vet Friend Colin Murphy from Flordia  (he would be cool to go on your podcast) https://www.myco-medix.com/ The Game of Life and How to Play it (book) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wJa5Ch0O4BI Clinical Studies Unicityhttps://www.unicityscience.org/ Link to order Unicityhttps://ufeelgreat.com/c/MJM867 The Pink Berets(For women veterans)https://www.facebook.com/share/1Nc6sWVn8i/ Sweet Lifehttps://www.sweetlifecannaco.com/team

  10. Jun 22

    #001. Drew Jones on VA Disability, Community Outreach, and the Mission Behind The Veteran's Veteran

    In the first episode of the Veteran's Veteran podcast, host Drew Jones—founder of Veteran's Veteran LLC—introduces his mission to help veterans navigate the VA disability process after his own four-year journey to a 100% Permanent & Total rating following a 2018–2019 Syria deployment. He shares how helping his Vietnam-veteran father and others led to steady growth, launching his LLC on January 1, 2026, and expanding community outreach through monthly “Coffee With a Veteran” events in DeSoto County. Producer Derrick Michaud of SRP Studios Podcasting discusses how the podcast started, plans to grow from monthly to weekly episodes, and potential guests including veterans, veteran spouses, first responders, Gold Star families, and community leaders. Drew provides contact details: thevetsvet.com, social media as “The Veteran’s Veteran,” and 901-258-7621. Visit TheVetsVet.com for more information. You can find the Veteran’s Veteran Podcast on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok Produced by Derrick Michaud and SRP Studios Podcasting

  • 10 Episodes

About

The Veteran's Veteran Podcast, hosted by Drew Jones, features conversations that inform, inspire, and support veterans, military families, and their communities. Each episode highlights stories of service, resilience, leadership, and life after the military, while connecting listeners with valuable resources, organizations, and people making a difference. The podcast's mission is to honor those who served and help veterans navigate the challenges and opportunities that come with civilian life.

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