Eye on Veterans

• Bags with a Mission: How military spouses stitched together an epic brand

  Luxury purses, handbags and carry-ons can’t compete with story behind the handmade leather and canvas bags from “R Riveter”. Military spouse Lisa Bradley co-founded the company and revolutionized the fashion manufacturing industry, by recruiting military spouses located across the country, to stitch together the bags in their homes. Now, a multi-million-dollar business, we hear how this military spouse founded brand got its humble start in an attic. From a small home-based endeavor, Bradley shares how she was inspired to enlist her fellow military spouses, who often have challenges finding reliable employment, to join the company. After initial success, Bradley described how they scaled revenue, expanded operations and eventually made an appearance on the network TV show, Shark Tank. Bradley spoke about working with business icon Mark Cuban, and how despite their growth, R. Riveter stayed true to the original mission- helping military families. Over the years R. Riveter has sold thousands of bags, and Bradley offered a story about a family who is able to keep their father’s memory alive, through a truly unique line of handbags. Check out R. Riveter Bags, for women and men here: https://www.rriveter.com/ Connect with CBS Eye on Veterans Phil Briggs, Host [email protected] To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• Citizen Soldiers Under Fire: A closer look at the DC attack and Afghan vetting

  After a former Afghan ally attacked West Virginia National Guard troops in Washington DC, killing Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounding SSgt Andrew Wolfe, we’re hearing a National Guard veteran’s view of these deployments to major US cities, and the vetting process of allies seeking asylum. National Guard veteran and CEO of The Chamberlain Network, Chris Purdy has served both in Iraq, and with organizations to bring our Afghan allies to the US for their safety. Purdy offers a deeper look at the intended role of National Guard troops, the issues related to being assigned law enforcement duties, and the actual results of these deployments. Purdy shares his personal experience assisting Afghani asylum seekers who fought along US forces, and discusses missteps often made in resettling foreign allies. He also describes how The Chamberlain Network seeks to amplify veteran voices in an effort to solve many local and national issues . Learn more about veteran advocacy and activism from The Chamberlain Network here: https://www.chamberlainnetwork.us/ Connect with CBS Eye on Veterans, Host, Phil Briggs [email protected] To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• VA's Top Dawg: Sec. Collins shares updates on benefit claims, Congress, mental health and more

  This week Eye on Veterans and Connecting Vets, Reporter Julia LeDoux had an informative conversation with VA Secretary Doug Collins. We asked many of the questions veterans have today. Collins shared his goals of lowering benefit claims processing times, simplifying the system and a revealed plans to overhaul the application. We also got a rare look at his military background as an Air Force Reserve Colonel, Chaplain and deployment to Iraq. He shared memories of a Thanksgiving, while stationed at Balad Air Base, and how his experience and faith guide his work today. We dove into topics like; veteran mental health, what's being done to lower veteran suicides and the connection between mental health and the medications so many veterans are prescribed. We asked his position on alternative treatments like psychedelics and cannabis. We also sought an explanation for why Congress recently blocked passage of The Maj. Richard Star Act. which defends veterans ability to receive both retirement and disability benefits. And we learned who he's (always) rooting for in college football! Find your VA benefits, and resources for all veterans here: https://www.va.gov/ Connect: CBS Eye on Veterans, Host, Phil Briggs [email protected] Connecting Vets.com, Senior Veteran Affairs Reporter, Julia LeDoux [email protected] To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• The Warfighter: Tribute to Boone Cutler, Army combat vet and fiery voice of a generation

  Simply put, Boone Cutler, was one of the most influential veterans of the post 9/11 era. His recent passing comes too soon but reminds us to remember the alarms he sounded for improving VA care and properly addressing mental health. Cutler called out Congress, DoD and VA for overloading vets with prescription meds while holding an outdated stance on cannabis. And he worked to save countless veterans from the suicide epidemic, through The Spartan Pledge. In this episode we hear rare conversations recorded in 2019, where we discussed his life, combat in Sadr City, Psy Op (Psychological Operations) tactics and the gripping origin story of his advocacy. We began at a saloon in Nevada, where Boone shared his family’s rich military tradition. Later we heard Boone’s miraculous, autobiographical story, recorded at his kitchen table, where we truly got to know the man behind those distinctive black sunglasses. The experiences he shared, would eventually be heard by Congress, and trigger the VA to address the over-prescribing of pills- an issue Cutler dubbed, “The Combat Cocktail”. He powerfully described the pharmaceutical link to the suicide epidemic and illustrated through his own difficult memories, how veterans can consider ending their life. Cutler’s story also revealed how he was one of the first vets to reveal the second order effects that stem from TBIs and blast injuries. He further shared fierce advocacy for cannabis, and offered vivid examples of how it effectively replaced the pain killers and heavy psychoactive drugs, which are still prescribed too often today. We finally dove into his love for his wife, family, veteran brothers and sisters, and how The Spartan Pledge, was forged as a battle plan to save veteran lives. There will never be another vet like Boone Cutler. I am honored to have known Boone and called him a friend. Till Valhalla my brother. More on Boone Cutler- his advocacy, and award winning books here: https://boonecutler.com/home/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• What is your Retirement Readiness? Hear great advice from a Navy Federal Credit Union expert

  Let’s face it, we’re not getting any younger ... So how should we be saving and what makes a good plan? CDs, 401K vs. Roth, and college funds for our kids? We asked Sarah Sealey, a Navy Federal Credit Union, Manager and Certified Financial Planner, who shared what veterans should consider for a healthy financial future. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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