Veteran Voices Supply Chain Now

Every Veteran Voices episode delves into the inspiring stories of individuals who have served their country and are now making a difference beyond the uniform, but few stories are as powerful and uplifting as that of John Wayne Walding. John Wayne lost his leg to a sniper during battle in the mountains of Afghanistan, only to continue fighting, become the first amputee to become a Green Beret Sniper, and later found his own logistics company dedicated to overcoming and delivering on the impossible.
In today's episode, sponsored by Pegasus Logistics Group, host Mary Kate Soliva, along with special co-host Tevon Taylor with Pegasus, welcomes John Wayne Walding, CEO and Founder of Gallantry Global Logistics to the show.
Listen in as John Wayne Walding shares his inspiring journey, taking us from a small Texas town to the frontlines of Afghanistan, where he faced overwhelming odds as a Green Beret, and also as Mary Kate, John Wayne, and Tevon share their experiences, insights, and their mission to give back to the communities that they hold dear. Join us as we explore stories of service, sacrifice, and resilience, and discover how vital it is to continue to make a positive impact in the world.
Additional Links & Resources:
Learn more about Veteran Voices here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/veteran-voices
Subscribe to Veteran Voices and other Supply Chain Now programs here: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe
Learn more about the Guam Human Rights Initiative: https://www.guamhri.org/
This episode was hosted by Mary Kate Soliva. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/resilience-sacrifice-service-green-beret-journey-vv84

Sometimes the transition from military service to civilian life happens gradually over time. In other cases, it happens in an instant. Neither path is necessarily easy, but maintaining a sense of purpose is key to successfully finding a new path in life.
Alex Ortiz is a 1L law student at the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico School of Law, a 2022 VFW-SVA Legislative Fellow, and a 2022 SVA Student Veteran of the year finalist. Before starting his legal studies, he served as a wheel vehicle mechanic while on deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Division.
In this interview, Alex speaks with host Mary Kate Soliva about:
• Being medically discharged from the U.S. Army and suddenly needing to discover a new path and a new purpose
• Why he thinks is can be such a challenge connecting Veterans with the programs and services that exist to support them
• How life and military service are experienced differently from a U.S. territory like Puerto Rico
Additional Links & Resources:
Learn more about Veteran Voices here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/veteran-voices
Subscribe to Veteran Voices and other Supply Chain Now programs here: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe
Learn more about the Guam Human Rights Initiative: https://www.guamhri.org/

This episode was hosted by Mary Kate Soliva. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/being-light-darkness-vv83

Nothing demonstrates the importance of building a mission-driven cohesive team culture like spending time in the military. On a Naval ship, people from different ranks, different backgrounds, and even civilians all have to come together and learn to collaborate to achieve stated goals. They must all learn to adapt and overcome.
Alicia Washkevich led logistics with the Expeditionary Action Group One, foreign militaries, and the United Nations for anti-piracy and security operations during the Global War on Terrorism. She was awarded the Navy’s Commendation Medal for coordinating aid given to 21 released hostages, repairs to 3 pirated vessels, and the repatriation of ten Somali personnel under custody (aka “pirates”) into Mombassa, Kenya. Today, she applies many of the lessons learned while on active duty in her role as Chief Operating Officer at New Politics.
In this interview, Alicia speaks with host Mary Kate Soliva about:
• Why she had to watch Top Gun before attending the Naval Academy
• The importance of seeing each day’s challenges as tomorrow’s great stories
• How the world of non-profits became her passion, her profession, and her reason for getting out of bed every day
Additional Links & Resources:
Learn more about Veteran Voices here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/veteran-voices
Subscribe to Veteran Voices and other Supply Chain Now programs here: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe
Learn more the Guam Human Rights Initiative: https://www.guamhri.org/
Learn more about the Military Women's Collective: https://www.militarywomenscollective.org/

This episode was hosted by Mary Kate Soliva. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/one-team-one-fight-vv82

There are some common traits shared by most people fighting anxiety and depression or struggling with thoughts of suicide. And while the awareness and understanding of mental health issues have both improved, many of the solutions that are in place today don’t make the required difference for people who need help right now.
Matthew Brown earned his degree from the US Naval Academy in 2005. He went on to serve as the captain of USS SCOUT (MCM-8) and as part of US Navy SEAL TEAM 17, as a strategic studies Fellow for the Chief of Naval Operations, as aide-de-camp for Strategy & Policy at US Joint Forces Command, and as leader of the Coalition Indirect Fires Group in Baghdad, Iraq.
In this interview, Matthew speaks with host Mary Kate Soliva about:
• The decision he made to leave active duty so he can help people, regardless of their military or Veteran status, deal with mental health challenges
• How Chimney Trail is taking a different approach to addressing 10 common cognitive distortions associated with depression and suicide
• The effort underway to continually improve their solutions and the impact they are able to have for those struggling with their mental health
Additional Links & Resources:
Learn more about Veteran Voices here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/veteran-voices
Subscribe to Veteran Voices and other Supply Chain Now programs here: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe
Learn more the Guam Human Rights Initiative: https://www.guamhri.org/
Learn more about the Military Women's Collective: https://www.militarywomenscollective.org/

This episode was hosted by Mary Kate Soliva. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/breaking-cycle-cognitive-distortions-vv81

The difference between violence and competition is the willing participation – or not – of the people involved. When UFC fighters step into the ring, that is a competition. Everyone is a willing participant, which makes it a sport. Unfortunately, there will always be abusive people in the world who will take advantage of people who are not willing participants in the fight, and because of that we need violence – and a well-trained military.
John Renken is the CEO of Sales Platoon. He spent three years in the Army, and was a member of the national Taekwondo team, ranked third in the nation. He then spent 20 years training Special Forces in hand-to-hand combat. Today he helps transitioning Veterans apply their skills to a different kind of combat: sales.
In this interview, John speaks with host Mary Kate Soliva about:
• The added challenge of transitioning out of the Army during a time of low public awareness and understanding about the value of military training
• How he connected with the team at Sales Platoon and became their CEO
• His advice for transitioning Veterans that are wondering whether they have the characteristics to be successful in sales
Additional Links & Resources:
Learn more about Veteran Voices here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/veteran-voices
Subscribe to Veteran Voices and other Supply Chain Now programs here: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe
Learn more the Guam Human Rights Initiative: https://www.guamhri.org/
Learn more about the Military Women's Collective: https://www.militarywomenscollective.org/

This episode was hosted by Mary Kate Soliva. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/cant-win-ring-ceo-sales-platoon-vv80

Successfully transitioning from the military to civilian life is a journey. It also takes a lot of conscious effort, hard conversations, and active opportunities to reconnect with the military community.
Bruce Thompson is a Retired Marine Corps Master Sergeant who spent his 23 years of service working as a human resource manager, logistics manager, communication electronics technician, and in maintenance management, where he oversaw all communication electronics maintenance for an organization of over 1,000 employees spread across 7 companies.
Today he helps transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses with their military-to-civilian transition planning, execution, and employment search. He works with individuals locally, in Florida, and across the globe. His goal is to engage with leaders to have uncomfortable conversations so they can build trust and respect.
In this interview, Bruce speaks with host Mary Kate Soliva about:
• Why it is absolutely critical for Veterans to preserve that sense of camaraderie that they benefitted from while they were in the military
• The importance of communication with and between family members during the process of transitioning out of the military
• What it is about his current work that makes him get up in the morning
Additional Links & Resources:
Learn more about Veteran Voices here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/veteran-voices
Subscribe to Veteran Voices and other Supply Chain Now programs here: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe
Learn more the Guam Human Rights Initiative: https://www.guamhri.org/
Learn more about the Military Women's Collective: https://www.militarywomenscollective.org/

This episode was hosted by Mary Kate Soliva. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/being-comfortable-having-uncomfortable-conversations-marine-vv79