Bulletproof Veteran Podcast

This week we welcome Alexa Modero, the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Backpacks For Life. Backpacks For Life’s mission is to provide a unique and personalized support system for homeless and at-risk veterans who are struggling to reintegrate into civilian life. Through their two main programs, backpack distribution and coaching/mentoring, they are able to effectively support and empower veterans, reigniting the flame to live and succeed inside of them. For veterans who have nothing, a backpack is their most crucial asset. It is their mobile home and in some cases even a container for their only belongings. The distributed backpacks are a symbol of hope and reassurance that the veterans they work with are not alone on their path, and always have a support system there for them when they need a helping hand. This, coupled with their mentoring and outreach, creates a network that provides veterans with the tools they need to change their lives. Alexa also discusses their innovative and one of a kind veteran portal, ROGER. ROGER is an all inclusive website that helps New Jersey veterans get matched with the veteran service providers that meet their needs. ROGER is destined to be the model of how we help veterans get the care they need, without the overwhelming task of sifting through thousands of nonprofits and government programs. So dust off the 20 backpacks you have in the bottom of your closet, and enjoy this week's interview.
Our veteran owned business of the week is Dagger Defense. Dagger Defense provides high quality affordable firearm accessories. From optics to sights, Dagger Defense enables the everyday firearm owner to outfit their weapon with everything needed to give them the tactical advantage they need. Dagger Defense also offers a one-stop shop for information; including gun and gear review, training and survival, tactical DIY, SITREP, and tactical fitness. For more information and to purchase Dagger Defense products got to https://daggerdefense.com.
Support the show and get your Bulletproof Veteran apparel at https://amzn.to/3BA3dx9 or see all the available shirts at http://bulletproofveteran.com/apparel

This week we welcome John H. Davis, author of Combat to College. John served multiple combat tours as a Infantry Squad Leader in the 101st Airborne Division. After the military, he earned his bachelor’s in history from St. Joseph’s College and his master’s in education from Harvard. Using that experience, John started coaching student veterans, and writing his college success playbook. Combat to College is the guide for student veterans who want to win the college battle. Utilizing the unique skills and discipline you gained in the military, John outlines how to succeed in higher education. In ten straightforward lessons designed by a veteran for veterans, Combat to College teaches you how to navigate the transition to civilian life, build your team and resume, deal with political professors, and endure to graduation. We discuss the importance of a continued mission, and how education can be the next chapter that so many veterans are trying to identify. If you have been staring at the GI Bill eligibility page for the past couple years, but don't know how to get started, this is the episode for you! So break out that VHS tape of Rodney Dangerfield's "Back to School", and enjoy this week's interview.
For more information about John and Combat to College go to https://www.johnhdaviswriter.com.
We are switching it up this week and rather than highlighting a veteran owned business we highlight a veteran author and book... Under My Skin by Omar "Crispy" Avila. Omar Avila has had a life of service dedicated to his country and his fellow veterans. Under My Skin chronicles Crispy's life from his injuries in Iraq, his recover, to being a constant reminder for all of us to get after life everyday that we are here. This is a must read!!!
Go to https://www.amazon.com/Under-My-Skin-Omar-Avila/dp/173678725X to get your copy today.
Support the show and get your Bulletproof Veteran apparel at https://amzn.to/3BA3dx9 or see all the available shirts at http://bulletproofveteran.com/apparel.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!! This week we welcome Will Highland, founder of Caritas Apparel. Caritas in Latin roughly translates to charity or the virtue of universal love. They believe that with great partnerships, unique products, and a little bit of love they can make the world a better place, one pair of socks at a time. Their first sock design is dedicated to ending veteran suicide and homelessness. Each day, more than 17 veterans commit suicide and 40,000 experience homelessness. Returning home, many Veterans experience post-traumatic stress, traumatic injuries, substance use disorder, housing insecurities, employment challenges, and more. War doesn’t end on the battlefield, and Veterans need the help of businesses like Caritas Apparel. Will has partnered with the Veterans Community Project and Mission 22, giving back 20% of his companies earnings. Veterans Community Project is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization serving homeless and at-risk Veterans with tiny homes, wrap-around support services and emergency assistance,. Mission 22 is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to ending Veteran suicide through programs that treat post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries, military sexual trauma, and more. So take a moment over the Holiday weekend to give thanks for all of our blessings, and recognize those that are out there helping the veteran community. Crack open that old school can of cranberry, pile a mountain of mashed potatoes on your plate, and enjoy this week's interview.
For more information about Caritas Apparel and to purchase their bamboo socks go to https://www.caritasapparel.com.
For more information about the Veterans Community Project go to https://www.veteranscommunityproject.org.
For more information about Mission 22 go to https://mission22.com.
Please join our efforts in raising money to provide multi-cancer screening for at risk veterans. We have set up a fundraiser with Fund the First, all proceeds will go to the HunterSeven Foundation to purchase Galleri® Multi-Cancer Early Detection Test for veterans identified as high risk through their Immediate Needs Program. To make a donation or to find out more about our fundraiser go to https://fundthefirst.com/campaign/multi-cancer-screening-kits-for-veterans-3eiblv

This week we welcome Joshua Hood, author of Burn Out...Available everywhere August 13th!
Joshua Hood is the author of The Guardian (Blackstone Publishing, 2023), Treadstone Rendition, Treadstone Transgression, The Treadstone Exile, The Treadstone Resurrection, Warning Order, Clear by Fire, and most recently Burn Out. Josh decided to follow his brother into the military and joined the army after graduating with an English degree from the University of Memphis. He spent five years in the 82nd Airborne Division, becoming a team leader in the 3-504 Parachute Infantry Regiment in Iraq from 2005-2006 where he conducted combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. From 2007-2008, Hood served as a squad leader with the 1-508th Parachute Infantry Regiment in Afghanistan where he put more Foot-to-Taliban-Ass and was decorated for valor in Operation Furious Pursuit. On his return to civilian life, he was a sniper team leader on a full-time SWAT team in Memphis, TN, where he was awarded the lifesaving medal for saving the life of a civilian with quick, creative, and resourceful instincts.
Burn Out is the story of former convict Jake Slade turned US Forest Service Smokejumper—highly-trained, experienced firefighters who provide leadership for quick wildland fires in remote areas. While he's ready for any of nature’s toughest battles while parachuting into raging fires, he wasn’t prepared for any manmade battles—especially one including his old friend, confidential informant agent Mikey Boone. Boone, who was almost killed by a cartel he plans to testify against, calls Slade for help while on the run. Unable to refuse an offer that promises his prison time to be expunged from his record, Slade complies, hoping to end the demons of his past. But what begins as a straightforward search and rescue mission swiftly becomes a harrowing run for his own life.
We discuss the writing process from start to finish, what it takes to get your manuscript in front of a publisher, and how structuring fiction is important to telling a realistic story. Joshua talks about his experience as a veteran author, and we even geek-out with some Star Wars talk! So if your not afraid to hold your mind to the fire...this is the episode for you.
For more information about Joshua Hood go to https://joshuahoodbooks.com
To Purchase Burn Out visit https://a.co/d/dsYLqJ6
Support the show and get your Bulletproof Veteran apparel at https://amzn.to/3BA3dx9 or see all the available shirts at http://bulletproofveteran.com/apparel.

This week we welcome Nick Lavery, author of Objective Secure. Nick is an active duty member of The United States Army Special Forces. In 2013, he and his Detachment fell victim to an insider attack ultimately resulting in the loss of his leg. Following a year of surgeries and initial recovery including the use of a prosthetic at Walter Reed National Medical Military Center, he returned to Fort Bragg. Nick talks about the drive and focus on returning not only to his unit, but ultimately his combat team. In 2015, at the conclusion of a challenging, comprehensive assessment designed to evaluate Nick's abilities to operate, he realized that goal and was subsequently deployed once again to Afghanistan conducting full spectrum combat operations. The unlikely road from Afghanistan to Walter Reed, to Fort Bragg and finally returning to Afghanistan, is the foundation of Nick's Objective Secure philosophy and ethos. Nick discusses how that philosophy was transformed into a book that provides readers with the tools necessary to achieve any goal no matter how far-fetched, unlikely, or impractical it may seem. So no matter the road blocks that you see in front of you, this is the episode that will propel you to success. Strap yourself in and get ready for a shot of adrenaline with this week's episode.
For more information about Nick, and to purchase Objective Secure, go to https://www.machinenick.com.
This week's highlighted veteran owned business is Black 6 Coffee Trading Co. Black 6 is a premium coffee company sourcing beans from around the world. They combine their love for coffee with their mission to provide humanitarian relief to people in need around the world. Proceeds from the sale of their coffee goes to fund the Black 6 Project, sending veterans and volunteers to the places and people that need help. For more information and to purchase their one of a kind coffees go to https://black6coffee.org.
Support the show and get your Bulletproof Veteran apparel at https://amzn.to/3BA3dx9 or see all the available shirts at http://bulletproofveteran.com/apparel.