VET S.O.S.

“You are not alone.” Those may be four of the most important words someone hears after a cancer diagnosis. Patrick Naughton spent nearly 30 years in the Army. But when he was diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer, one of the hardest lessons wasn’t about toughness—it was realizing how many people were willing to stand beside him once they knew what he was facing. After Patrick shared his diagnosis publicly, people began reaching out. Some had fought cancer themselves. Others had watched a spouse, friend, or family member fight it. They offered advice, encouragement, and something just as important: presence. Leadership teaches us to take care of our people. Sometimes we have to give our people permission to take care of us, too. You don't have to broadcast your struggle to the world. That is a personal decision. But you also don't have to carry it alone. 🎙️ Listen to Patrick’s full conversation on VET S.O.S. Presents: The Scoop. Follow VET S.O.S. Podcast and help us remind another veteran that support is out there. #VETSOS #GrabTheLifeline #HeroesMediaGRP #TheScoop #CancerWarrior #VeteranSupport #MilitaryHealthcare #VeteranHealth #YouAreNotAlone

“People just don't know about it, and basically that's money down the drain.” Jack D. Davis dropped a statistic during VET S.O.S. Presents: Operation Startup that should make people stop and ask questions. According to Jack, only 2,900 people nationwide sold their life insurance policies in 2025, while millions of policies were canceled or lapsed. His point is bigger than insurance: you can't evaluate an option you don't know exists. That principle applies to entrepreneurship, military transition, financial planning, and leadership. Before making an irreversible decision, educate yourself about the alternatives available to you. Jack has made that education part of his mission—particularly for older policyholders who may no longer need the coverage they originally purchased. Follow VET S.O.S. Podcast for more conversations built around education, resources, and options for veterans and military families. #VETSOS #GrabTheLifeline #HeroesMediaGRP #OperationStartup #LifeInsurance #LifeSettlements #FinancialEducation #VeteranEntrepreneur #Entrepreneurship

“Why is someone homeless? It’s because they don’t have a support system.” That perspective from Bruce Buckley, President and CEO of Soldier On, challenges us to look beyond what we see on the surface. Substance abuse. Mental health challenges. Financial struggles. All can contribute to homelessness. But Bruce points out that many people face those same challenges and remain housed because they have something to fall back on: people, relationships, resources, and a support system. For veterans, that support system can become especially important after leaving the structure and community of military service. When the problems start stacking up, who is there before a difficult situation becomes a crisis? Veteran homelessness isn’t solved by addressing one symptom. It takes community, connection, resources, and people willing to stay in the fight. Follow VET S.O.S. Podcast for more conversations connecting veterans and military families with the resources they need. #VETSOS #GrabTheLifeline #HeroesMediaGRP #VeteranHomelessness #VeteranSupport #SoldierOn #VeteranResources #VeteranCommunity

“Transform that warrior spirit, that killer instinct, into an instrument of justice and healing.” What happens to the warrior when the war is over? Vietnam veteran Robert Mitchell challenges us to think beyond simply leaving the battlefield. The instincts developed through military service—the drive to protect, defend, act, and lead—don't automatically disappear when the uniform comes off. The question is where we direct them next. Drawing from Edward Tick's War and the Soul, Robert describes transformation as redirecting the warrior spirit toward justice and healing—becoming a defender of people, community, and culture. That is a powerful model for veteran transition. Your next chapter doesn't require abandoning the warrior. It may require giving the warrior a new mission. #VETSOS #GrabTheLifeline #HeroesMediaGRP #TheScoop #WarriorSpirit #VeteranTransition #VeteranHealing #VietnamVeteran #PostMilitaryLife

“I serve those who have served. That’s where my life’s work has been. That’s where my passion is. It fuels my soul.” For Melissa Roberts, supporting veterans isn’t simply a job. It’s a mission. As Director of Veteran Programs for the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship at Florida State University, Melissa has helped hundreds of veterans and military spouses strengthen, grow, and scale their businesses. That work matters because service doesn’t stop when someone takes off the uniform. Sometimes service means using your experience, position, and resources to help veterans find their next opportunity. On VET S.O.S. Presents: Operation Startup, Melissa shares how serving those who served became her life’s work—and why veteran entrepreneurship continues to fuel her passion. Follow VET S.O.S. Podcast for the full conversation. #VETSOS #GrabTheLifeline #HeroesMediaGRP #OperationStartup #VeteranEntrepreneur #VeteranBusiness #VeteranSupport #MilitaryTransition #Entrepreneurship

“It doesn’t matter what age you are, but you sometimes need to stop and learn again how to crawl, stand, walk, and run.” For veterans, starting over can feel like moving backward. It isn’t. Meegan Kriley-Mackay reminds us that growth starts within. Look honestly at where you are. Decide what you want. Learn from the people around you. Then start building again. That’s the heart of the LIFE methodology—and an important lesson for anyone navigating military transition. Your experience matters, but so does your willingness to learn a new way to communicate, connect, and move forward. As Meegan puts it: “When you graduate our programs, you learn how to fly.” Follow VET S.O.S. Podcast for more resources and conversations built to help veterans and military families navigate what comes next. #VETSOS #GrabTheLifeline #HeroesMediaGRP #VeteranTransition #HumanIntelligence #MilitaryTransition #VeteranCareers #SkillsForLife

“He pulled over right in front of the church, parked underneath a big oak tree… and I got saved that night.” Sometimes the moment that changes your life happens somewhere you never expected. For Navy veteran Ray Kunze, it happened sitting in a truck beneath an oak tree. Just weeks earlier, Ray and his wife were waiting for payday so they could afford the retainer for a divorce attorney. Then a realtor invited him to a Navy-versus-Marine Corps football game at his church. That invitation eventually led Ray into a conversation with a pastor who opened the Bible and walked him through Scripture. Ray gave his life to Christ. Then he raced home, opened the same Bible with his wife, and shared what he had just learned. She prayed and accepted Christ as well. One invitation. One conversation. One person willing to invest in another man. Never underestimate the impact you can have by simply reaching out. Follow VET S.O.S. Podcast for more stories of faith, redemption, and hope from the veteran community. #VETSOS #GrabTheLifeline #HeroesMediaGRP #TestimonyStrong #VeteranFaith #MilitaryTestimony #ChristianVeteran #FaithInJesus #VeteranHope

“He used to be.” Four words that reveal how military service can echo through a family long after the deployment ends. Susan L. Combs shared the story of Callie, one of the 12 female veterans featured in Wonder Woman: The Untold Stories of Female Veterans. Callie deployed while raising three chilren under the age of five. She remembers walking away as they cried—not even knowing where she was going. Years later, one son's fiancée mentioned that he wasn't very “touchy-feely.” Callie's response: “He used to be.” Then came the realization: “Susan, I did that.” We talk about service, sacrifice, resilience, and leadership. But military service doesn't happen in isolation. Families serve through separation, uncertainty, missed milestones, and changes that sometimes aren't understood until decades later. Those stories deserve space, too. #VETSOS #GrabTheLifeline #HeroesMediaGRP #TheScoop #FemaleVeterans #MilitaryMothers #MilitaryFamilies #WomenWhoServe #VeteranStories

“Watching them walk out a completely different individual—with confidence, head held high—that is the most rewarding thing.” Some businesses measure success only through revenue, growth, and market share. Rob and Mel of MELT Beauty Company are measuring something else: transformation. Mel’s personal experience with alopecia, combined with their family’s experiences with cancer and hair loss, created a mission bigger than selling beauty products. They’ve seen women arrive for consultations feeling defeated and leave carrying themselves differently because they recognize the person looking back at them in the mirror. For Rob, a Navy and Army veteran, that’s also an extension of service. His mission changed after the military, but the desire to make a difference in someone’s life didn’t. That’s purpose-driven entrepreneurship: identifying a real human problem and building something that helps people move forward. Follow VET S.O.S. Podcast for more conversations with veteran and military-family entrepreneurs. #VETSOS #GrabTheLifeline #HeroesMediaGRP #OperationStartup #VeteranEntrepreneur #AlopeciaAwareness #HairLossSupport #ConfidenceMatters #PurposeDrivenBusiness

“What would have taken probably about six hours... she now does with an agent that she built for herself in about 15 minutes each day.” That’s what practical AI adoption looks like. Ted Adair shared the story of an 82nd Airborne veteran who was volunteering as a leader in her local community. She was buried in emails, calendar requests, meeting preparation, and questions from community members. Instead of accepting the administrative burden, she built an AI agent that could connect with her calendar and email, triage incoming requests, prioritize issues based on their potential community impact, and help generate the meeting agenda. Six hours of work became roughly 15 minutes a day. For veterans entering an AI-enabled workforce, the opportunity isn’t simply learning how to prompt a chatbot. It’s learning how to identify a real problem and build a tool that gives you back time for the work that actually requires your leadership, experience, and judgment. Follow VET S.O.S. Podcast for more veteran transition resources and conversations. #VETSOS #GrabTheLifeline #HeroesMediaGRP #AIForVeterans #VeteranEmployment #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfWork #VeteranTransition