Todays American Veteran

Elliott McKenzie is a U.S. Marine Corps Iraq War veteran turned R&B singer/songwriter. When he came home from Iraq, Elliott experienced severe PTSD, depression, and anxiety. So much so that he ended up homeless. After years of treatment, Elliott started using his abilities in music as a form of therapy for his issues and is now a successful recording artist and college graduate. His debut single entitled “Gunshots” is a powerful anthem about being a combat veteran with PTSD. His latest single called “Fight Back” is another inspiring song about fighting back against mental illness. His music has influenced and inspired people all across the world. Elliott’s debut album “Therapy Session” is set to release in 2019. To learn more about Elliott and support his music please visit www.elliottmckenzie.com  You can listen to Fight Back at the end of this interview.Elliott_McKenzie.mp3

     Jack Scalia had the opportunity to speak to Golden Knight's Mike Elliott who had the privilege to tandem dive with President Bush. Listen to the interview on the coalition to Salute America's Heroes Show aired December 1,2018parachuting_with_George_H_W_Bush_1.mp3

Here at the Academy of United States Veterans, we believe in the magic of collaboration among powerful communities to create a more united, sustainable and healthy tomorrow not only for our veterans, but all Americans. Every veteran deserves to have a voice in our American community. Every single service member on active duty, in transition, or separated from the military has a right to live a meaningful and sustainable life. As veterans, we all believe in an old fashion conviction called public service. We wear our title of veteran as a badge of honor. As brothers and sisters in arms, we are called to confirm our values and our vows, to hold them against a hard reality and see how we are measuring up to the legacy of those who served before us and will serve long after us.Academy_of_United_States_Veterans.mp3

Steele Kelly: When Sinners Like Me Come Home tells the story of a veteran whose heart and mind remained in war, long after he returned home.  Steele bravely shares his personal account of denying, ignoring and finally prevailing over his demons of war.  He is a US Army Veteran with more than 334 hours of dismounted combat patrols during Operation Enduring Freedom.  Every veteran reading this book will find part of themselves within its pages.Steele_Kelly.mp3

David Meadows was born and raised in the mountain coal town of Wheeling, West Virginia before setting out in August 2000 to enlist in the Military and become a Navy SEAL. After serving 13 years in the Navy, Dave went to work for a fortune 500 company but soon followed a calling for acting and began studying at The Actor's Place in Hampton roads, VA. This led to David Booking his first role in a stage play and then signing with his first agent. In recent years Dave has found himself working in LA, NYC and the SE markets appearing in TV shows as-Banshee, TURN, Mercy Street, House of Cards and Dystopia as well as the Feature films "Worth the Price" and "Imperium" Opposite Daniel Radcliffe. In what little spare time he finds Dave enjoys teasing his Black Lab, Hemi, hanging out with his parents and two sisters and working on whatever motor powered street speed machine currently has his eye.David_Meadows.mp3

Major Linda Stanley served over 20 years in the military - six years in the Army and 14 years in the Air Force as a nurse. She was deployed to Balad, Iraq in 2006 with the 322 squadron as a trauma nurse. She retired in 2010 and used her Post-9/11 GI Bill to obtain a Master’s Degree in Nursing as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner at USD so that she could help other veterans reintegrate back into society and cope from trauma related to their military service. She now works as a nurse practitioner at the VA specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She also speaks nationally educating mental health providers, doctors, nurses, and students about PTSD and combat stress.Linda_Stanly.mp3

  Suzanne Gordon is an award-winning journalist and author. She has written for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The Nation, The Washington Monthly, The American Prospect, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, JAMA, The Annals of Internal Medicine, The BMJ, and others. She is the co-editor of the Culture and Politics of Health Care Work series at Cornell University Press. Wounds of War: How the VA Delivers Health, Healing, and Hope to the Nation’s Veterans. U.S. military conflicts abroad have left nine million Americans dependent on the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) for medical care. Their “wounds of war” are treated by the largest hospital system in the country—one that has come under fire from critics in the White House, on Capitol Hill, and in the nation’s media. The resulting public debate about the future of veterans’ health care has pitted VHA patients and their care-givers against politicians and policy-makers who believe that former military personnel would be better served by private health care providers.Suzanne_Gordon_Wounds_of_War.mp3

Bob Vincent is President of Reel Heroes Media in Dallas, Texas, and serves as the Communications Director for the Airpower Foundation.  Bob founded the company in 2008 with a revolutionary online marketing product called VideoPilot360.  Bob’s talents are rooted in his unique ability to create valuable relationships and produce high-quality productions.  That skill has made him a trusted resource by some of the largest brands and entertainers across the United States, including Rascal Flatts, Gary Sinise, Tony Orlando, Lee Greenwood, Chef Robert Irvine, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Terry Fator, with accolades from corporate giants like Disney, American Airlines, DEKA Research & Development Corporation, MGM Resorts International, and Sears.  His compelling and sensitive video productions for the Airpower Foundation, Sky Ball, American Airlines Veterans Initiatives, Snowball Express, The American Fallen Soldiers Project, The Gary Sinise Foundation, and many other organizations, have earned him praise from military family members who benefit from those philanthropies.  His videos are credited for helping motivate patriotic Americans to donate millions of dollars in donations to those organizations and inspiring others to volunteer their time to help.  One particular video produced by Bob was recently responsible for assisting the Independence Corps Foundation, along with inventor, and DEKA Corp. CEO, Dean Kamen, to resume production of the iBOT mobility device, making the next generation of this amazing technology available to those who need it most.  Bob and his company were also proudly featured in U.S. Veterans magazine.Bob_Vincent_For_Real_Heroes_Media_1.mp3

Jeff has been a professional pilot at Southwest Airlines for 25 years. His previous Aviation experience involved his skills as a Screen Actors Guild aerial coordinator and film pilot with movie credits such as “True Lies”, “Executive Decision”, “Hot Shots”, “Space Cowboys” and hundreds of Military photo chase missions including the Blue Angels Canadian Snowbirds and USAF Thunderbirds. Jeff flew a specially equipped Learjet with the Nettmann Vectorivision system for 15 years, capturing some of the most stunning aerial photo shots enjoyed by many in movies and Military research and development. Jeff also was a News Helicopter Pilot for Channel 9 KTLA in Los Angeles, California for over 5 years. As a Civilian pilot, Jeff was allowed to fly next to almost every Military jet in the inventory to capture the shots. He also became a helicopter pilot and flew for Channel 9 News in Los Angeles for many years. Jeff says the music of CTS is the melodic story of his life and that we can all achieve great things in life if we try and believe in ourselves. To date Jeff has logged over 27,000 hours in the air and has fueled the inspiration of the music he writes. The band has performed all over the country in various venues and opened for numerous National Artists. CTS performs in cities around America, it’s one of a kind show called “Freedom Rock Experience”. The concert is a multi media rock show, placing high school or college orchestras on stage for a high energy performance with up to 250 students rocking the stage with CTS. Honoring the real American Hero from Military, Police, Firefighters and Teachers, the show is designed to inspire our youth of today, to live their dreams. Jeff’s passion for making dreams become realities is evident in his life besides as a musician.  Jeff_Senour_Called_To_Serve.mp3

We Are Not Done Yet: Ten U.S. veterans of varied backgrounds come together at a poetry workshop to combat their traumatic military pasts through the art of written word. Grappling with PTSD, the “warrior poets” share fears, vulnerabilities, and victories that eventually culminate into a live performance at Washington D.C.’s Lansburgh Theatre. Under the direction of actor Jeffrey Wright, the warrior poets take their stories to an audience of five hundred civilians, family members and fellow warriors to tell too often hidden truths about the consequences of intimacy with war and death. The documentary weaves in and out of the lives of the veterans exposing the human stories behind their poems and their turbulent acclimation back to civilian life. Jeffrey_WrightYs__Documentary_We_Are_Not_Done_Yet__Gives_Veterans_a_Voice.mp3

What if we can repair ourselves? The world of regenerative medicine is offering breakthrough treatments and hope for patients around the globe. Dr. Elliot Lander is currently involved in cutting edge translational stem cell treatment research at the California Stem Cell Treatment Center based in Rancho Mirage Ca Dr. Lander joins Jack to talk about the growth of stem cell treatment and the impact it can have on Veterans. Dr Lander is a founding member of the International Cell Surgical Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to research and education regarding the medical use of adult stem cells. Dr. Lander and his team of multispecialty experts were instrumental in bringing fat derived stem cell technology to the United States in 2010 and have pioneered several new techniques in regenerative medicine. Dr. Lander is co-founder of Cell Surgical Network, an international research network dedicated to developing cell surgical techniques studying the clinical applications of adipose derived stem cells and growth factors. Research affiliate physicians trained by the Cell Surgical Network team can be found in many U.S. cities and all around the world. The Cell Surgical Network organization oversees an online regenerative medicine database to track clinical outcomes and adverse events from stem cell treatment centers all over the globe. Dr. Lander is co-author of The Stem Cell Revolution, a popular book on regenerative medicine.Stem_Cell_Treatment_to_Help_Our_Veterans.mp3

Mat Best joined the Army at the age of 17 and deployed five times to Iraq and Afghanistan with the 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. After leaving military service, Mat deployed to a variety of overseas locations as a contractor during his five years with the CIA. After his service he created Black Rifle Coffee Company owned and operated by veterans.                                                                               Black Rifle Coffee Company is a premium small-batch, roast to order Company. At BRCC we import our high quality coffee beans from Colombia & Brazil, then we personally blend and roast every one of our ass kicking coffees and ship directly to you.Mat_Best_for_Black_Rifle_Coffee.mp3

Jack talks with Ben and Chondra Brown Brown served as an officer in Iraq, leading a platoon of soldiers, some of whom had been in the Army longer than he was alive. Brown deployed in 2004 and was in Iraq for 15 months straight--he led extremely tough missions that involved removing roadside bombs, enduring daily detonations on his vehicle and patrol. In one incident, he lost his driver after an IED exploded and his patrol came under a small arms fire ambush; in another he had to pull his squad leader out of a burning Bradley assault vehicle. His squad leader survived but he lost his leg. After he got out of the military in 2010, Brown struggled with flashbacks and PTSD and at his lowest point was considering suicide. He credits his wife Chondra as being his “angel,” helping to pull him out of his darkest depths, building him back up and finding his “why” in his family. He has six children and is devoted to coaching his kids’ sports teams and volunteering at R. Roger Rowe, where he attended himself and his mother Barbara was a teacher for 37 years.  Now Ben and his wife run 9 Week Warrior , 9 Week Warrior is open to Everyone. There is no cost to Active Duty, Veterans, or 1st Responders. 20% of the proceeds from all purchases along with Donations go to sponsoring Active Duty, Veteran or 1st responder’s participation in 9 Week Warrior program. 9_Week_Warrior.mp3

SBP was founded in March 2006 by Zack Rosenburg and Liz McCartney after the couple (now married), who originally lived in Washington, D.C., volunteered in Louisiana’s St. Bernard Parish following Hurricane Katrina. The parish, located just outside of New Orleans, was rendered 100% uninhabitable by Katrina’s floodwaters. Seeing the inefficiency and unbearably slow progress of the institutional - or “traditional” rebuilding process, but inspired by the residents' collective spirit and fierce determination to rebuild, Zack and Liz launched an organization - originally called St. Bernard Project - to help them achieve their recovery goals. With the tremendous support of donors, volunteers and corporate partners, that organization has grown from a three-person volunteer team into a national organization headquartered in New Orleans, and recognized as a leader in disaster resilience and recovery, with a mission to shrink the time between disaster and recovery.Reese_May.mp3

On October 7th, 2001 just weeks after 9/11 our best and finest military men and women were deployed to defend our country under Operation Enduring Freedom. The focus of Stride & Ride Relay’s is to honor, remember and raise awareness about the October 7th, 2001 deployment of our military men and women. Take time to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, including those who lost their lives due to military PTSD and the Invisible Wounds of War and continue to support those currently serving, our veterans, first responders and never forget the the lives that perished on 9/11.Heather_Viveiors_for_Stride_and_Ride.mp3