1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:10,640
All across America and around the world, this is Veterans Radio.

2
00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:15,920
This is Veterans Radio.

3
00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:17,840
Welcome to Veterans Radio.

4
00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:20,560
I am Jim Fausone.

5
00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:22,880
I'm the officer of the deck today.

6
00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:24,760
We've got some great programs for you.

7
00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:27,760
I think you'll find very interesting.

8
00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:34,640
We always want to remind you you can find more about Veterans Radio at its Facebook site

9
00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:36,680
or at the web.

10
00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:43,120
VeteransRadio.org is our new URL, VeteransRadio.org.

11
00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:48,520
Where we're on the web 24-7, you can find a lot of our podcasts there as well.

12
00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:55,080
We post new ones every Tuesday, so you can get a new story, a new interview,

13
00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:59,960
something you didn't know before by going to VeteransRadio.org.

14
00:00:59,960 --> 00:01:04,240
And before we get started, we want to thank our sponsors.

15
00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:13,680
First up, we want to thank National Veteran Business Development Council, NVBDC.org.

16
00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:19,360
It was established to certify both service disabled and veteran-owned businesses.

17
00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:25,920
You'll find out how they can help your business by going to NVBDC.org.

18
00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:29,360
We want to thank Legal Help for Veterans.

19
00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:35,000
Legal Help for Veterans fights for veterans disability rights all across the nation.

20
00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:46,760
You can reach them at 800-693-4800 or on the web at LegalHelpForVeterans.com.

21
00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:50,720
We want to welcome to VeteransRadio now, Randy Howard.

22
00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:55,840
She's a Navy veteran originally from Chicago.

23
00:01:55,840 --> 00:02:01,040
But we're going to hand her on to talk about her work at the Warhorse.

24
00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:04,680
But let's talk a little bit about Randy before we get there.

25
00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:07,600
Randy, welcome to VeteransRadio.

26
00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:08,520
Hello, thank you.

27
00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:10,120
Thanks so much for having me.

28
00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,360
Now, I'm going to ask you, as I did earlier,

29
00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:19,000
how did a nice girl like you from Chicago end up at the United States Navy?

30
00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,200
Yes.

31
00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:27,760
So I was actually the first person in my family to join the military.

32
00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:32,000
My mother is an immigrant from Belize.

33
00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:39,760
And I really felt a great sense of responsibility to really pursue opportunities

34
00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:49,320
and different avenues that just aren't afforded in other countries that are as developed as America.

35
00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:56,120
And also, during that time, I also felt that I was in a very stagnant place in my life.

36
00:02:56,120 --> 00:03:02,840
I was just going to school part-time because I couldn't afford a full-time education.

37
00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:10,040
And I was working part-time as well at a grocery store as a general collecting cart.

38
00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:11,600
And I just wanted to change.

39
00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:12,440
I wanted to change.

40
00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:14,440
I wanted to make my mother proud.

41
00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:20,120
And I didn't want her move from her home country to be in vain.

42
00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:24,200
So I decided to enlist in the United States Navy.

43
00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:25,960
Well, it's one of those things.

44
00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:32,120
We're having a military recruiting slump at the moment because not enough people,

45
00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:37,920
not enough young people getting out of high school or looking at the military as a,

46
00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:39,520
you know, maybe a short-term stop.

47
00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:41,640
As you say, things were kind of stagnant.

48
00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:44,360
You really didn't have the funding to go to college.

49
00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:44,960
You wanted to.

50
00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:46,840
You were a high school graduate.

51
00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:52,040
And you were able to put four years in to the United States Navy.

52
00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:58,680
And from there, kind of springboard your life and your career.

53
00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:01,720
Let's talk a little bit about those four years in the Navy.

54
00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:05,120
What, what rating did you go in as?

55
00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:12,640
Yeah, when I enlisted, I was an aircraft electrician on helicopters.

56
00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:16,080
And that's because you had such a desire to do so?

57
00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:18,840
Yeah.

58
00:04:18,840 --> 00:04:25,600
No, actually, when I was reviewing the different rates that were,

59
00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:31,200
that are available in the military, I actually wanted to do intel.

60
00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:39,080
And I expressed in my recruiter my interest to join in the intel community.

61
00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:44,880
And my recruiter is not the individual or the recruiter is not the individual that,

62
00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:47,200
that presents you with the job.

63
00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:51,440
So she told me that, because she couldn't be in the room with me.

64
00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:56,120
So she told me when I went in there to speak to someone else about the different jobs

65
00:04:56,120 --> 00:05:00,760
that are available in the Navy, do not tell them that I'm ready to leave

66
00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:06,880
immediately because they're going to offer me a job that they need filled for whatever

67
00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:09,640
purposes that they need filled for today.

68
00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:12,680
And I completely did not listen to my recruiter.

69
00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:22,760
And because I was the job available was the job available with aviation, electrician.

70
00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:26,480
And because I told them, oh, I'm ready to go immediately.

71
00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:28,880
And when I say, this is it, this is it.

72
00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:32,080
This is the only thing available they say yet.

73
00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:34,800
And they told me I couldn't leave without picking a job.

74
00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:37,400
So that's how I ended up in maintenance.

75
00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:40,160
Well, it's, it's not all bad.

76
00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:45,200
There's more to the story here, folks continue to listen to Randy Howard of the war wars.

77
00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,960
But I think almost everybody who's been in the military has had one of those assignments

78
00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:50,800
like I didn't ask for that.

79
00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:56,880
So, so, so it wasn't all bad, as I say, because you got to spend a good deal of your time

80
00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:59,120
in the San Diego, California.

81
00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:01,680
Yes, I love California.

82
00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:03,800
Absolutely love California.

83
00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:07,480
It's just very.

84
00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:14,160
Well, the part of this is again for our listeners, you know, this is a young woman who came out

85
00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:15,560
of Chicago.

86
00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:18,600
The winners in Chicago, my friends are brutal.

87
00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:21,760
So cold and windy.

88
00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:24,880
San Diego's was a pleasant surprise, I suspect.

89
00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:28,400
Yes, it was my first time on the West Coast as well.

90
00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:33,120
I absolutely fell in love with California.

91
00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:39,880
But you didn't spend all of your time in California, Daxite, if you will.

92
00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:40,880
You deployed.

93
00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:42,880
Tell us about your deployment.

94
00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:43,880
Yes.

95
00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:55,360
Yes, making an island, which is an amphibious assault ship that holds Navy and Marines.

96
00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:58,400
And I deployed with the 11th Mew.

97
00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:04,200
And the deployment was about a year long.

98
00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:08,280
And you got to go through the Southeast Asia and Middle East.

99
00:07:08,280 --> 00:07:10,880
Tell us some of the spots you got to put into port.

100
00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:11,880
Oh, yes.

101
00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:12,880
Yes.

102
00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:19,920
So our area of responsibility during that time was mostly Yemen and Djibouti Africa.

103
00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:25,640
But on deployment, on the way there, we did spend some time in 7th Fleet.

104
00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:29,480
We went to Hong Kong and Singapore.

105
00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:34,960
And then when we got to 5th Fleet, which was more Yemen and Djibouti Africa, we did get

106
00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:39,000
to port in Bahrain and Dubai.

107
00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,880
And then our last stop was Hawaii.

108
00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:48,200
This is the quintessential advertisement for the Navy, which is to join the Navy, see the

109
00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:49,200
world.

110
00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:56,600
And you really got a good look of very interesting cities and locations all over the world from

111
00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:59,320
a lot different than Chicago, Illinois.

112
00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:07,120
But tell us a little bit, for those who haven't spent time on ship, tell us a little bit about

113
00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:12,000
maybe the best thing and maybe the toughest challenges.

114
00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:13,000
Yes.

115
00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:16,000
That is a good question.

116
00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:27,080
So I would say the best time, the best time definitely were the port.

117
00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:32,680
When we ported to Singapore, I got a fish pedicure.

118
00:08:32,680 --> 00:08:37,080
And I don't even know how I knew to get a fish pedicure in Singapore.

119
00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:39,520
I don't know how I knew that.

120
00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:44,440
But when I heard we were going to Singapore, I said, oh, I'm going to get a fish pedicure.

121
00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:46,600
That was in like 2016.

122
00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:50,080
And I still go back and I look at that video.

123
00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:55,320
And then also like the people that I deployed with overall was a good group.

124
00:08:55,320 --> 00:09:01,880
And opposed to, but we snuck a George Fortman on to the ship.

125
00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:07,520
And we would cook, spam and rice and we will all eat together when the ship crew was not

126
00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:11,400
as advertising as we wanted it to be.

127
00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:12,400
Absolutely.

128
00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:16,400
And one of the other things you learn having been on ship myself is when you get in the

129
00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:23,400
middle of the ocean, it is big and dark and at times pretty scary.

130
00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:24,400
Yes.

131
00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:33,000
I would definitely say that that was one of the most challenging parts of deployment for

132
00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:37,040
me, especially because I worked the overnight shift.

133
00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:43,400
So it was just pitch black and it was a lot more windy too in the night as well.

134
00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:49,520
And you really had to, they like to say keep your head on a swivel and really pay attention

135
00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:56,080
to what's happening on the flight deck, especially when flight ops are still happening late into

136
00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:57,080
the night.

137
00:09:57,080 --> 00:10:01,880
And you just have to pay attention to your surroundings and the edges, everything came.

138
00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:07,640
So you really just have to make sure that you're just really paying attention because

139
00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:10,160
things can go left pretty quickly.

140
00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:11,160
Yeah.

141
00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:19,040
And you used those experiences as an aviation electrician.

142
00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:24,160
When you got out, you had a technical writer job for General Atomic Serenity and Autical

143
00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:30,200
Systems for a little bit before going in San Diego area, before going to Columbia University

144
00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:36,560
Urban Studies where you picked up your master, I'm sorry, your bachelor's degree.

145
00:10:36,560 --> 00:10:40,960
Tell us about that migration from the West Coast over to Columbia University.

146
00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:43,520
Oh my gosh.

147
00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:52,480
That was really hard because New York City and California are completely night and day.

148
00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:56,080
And I was not expecting that.

149
00:10:56,080 --> 00:11:03,240
Or I wasn't prepared for that at all, but that was tough because New York, the weather

150
00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:04,240
is not the same.

151
00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:06,200
It's nice in the summer.

152
00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:08,480
Very more culture.

153
00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:09,800
A lot more culture in New York.

154
00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:14,160
But I really appreciated that, but it gets pretty cold there as well.

155
00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:23,040
And it's just a lot, a quicker pace, a more quicker pace than California.

156
00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:26,240
Like California is very slow and chill and relaxed.

157
00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:29,920
And New York is very, very busy.

158
00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:35,160
And so I had to adjust to that and the parking and the rest.

159
00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:37,000
Yeah, both.

160
00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:41,960
Well you participated in the military veterans association at the university, but one of

161
00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:45,200
the interesting things that you did, and it's going to tie into what we're going to talk

162
00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:53,760
about here shortly, is you participated in tutoring women in a nonfiction writing program.

163
00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:56,360
Tell us a little bit about that.

164
00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:57,800
Yes.

165
00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:04,360
That was actually one of my most rewarding experiences during my time at Columbia.

166
00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:12,280
I, how that came about, I was actually trying to start my own prison book program.

167
00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:15,320
I was volunteering at one in Brooklyn.

168
00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:19,560
Columbia is in Manhattan and Brooklyn is not closed.

169
00:12:19,560 --> 00:12:27,160
And I was, the commute was longer than the volunteer time at the prison book program

170
00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:28,160
in Brooklyn.

171
00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:34,600
And so I was trying to start my own and my guidance counselor recommended me to the

172
00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:37,440
Center for Justice at Columbia.

173
00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:44,160
And they actually presented me with this opportunity saying that I know you were trying

174
00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:47,640
to start a prison book program, but this is already established and you can work with

175
00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:48,640
books.

176
00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:56,760
And you can still serve the same population that you were previously intended to serve.

177
00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:02,720
And that was how I got involved and I would go to Rikers every Friday evening and tutor

178
00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:07,240
the women at Rosie's that participated in the course.

179
00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:12,640
And it was definitely a very rewarding experience that I won't forget.

180
00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:18,920
And unfortunately COVID cut the program short, but it was very, very.

181
00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:23,840
There must have been something that was sort of non-attitude to say this is a, this is

182
00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:27,720
a valuable tool for folks here.

183
00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:28,720
What was it?

184
00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:36,640
Did you have a lot of writing or in your background or where did, where did this seed germinate

185
00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:37,640
from?

186
00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:40,640
That is a great question.

187
00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:49,280
I just, well how the prison book program, I was just looking for somewhere to volunteer

188
00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:55,080
and I just so happened to come across that and then when I started getting more involved

189
00:13:55,080 --> 00:14:01,880
in the Center for Justice, a lot of the staff there are formerly incarcerated and just,

190
00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:11,440
I just had some of the most productive conversations that I've had since I got out of service

191
00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:16,320
and I just really delved deep into that space.

192
00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:22,920
And then one of my professors, Professor Geraldine Downey, she, a lot of, I took a lot of her

193
00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:32,920
courses that also incorporated risk factors and incarceration restorative justice practices

194
00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:36,200
that also contributed to that experience.

195
00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:40,040
Well it's really interesting because if you open yourself up to a new experience, right,

196
00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:43,920
going to Columbia, well first off, joining the Navy was this new experience.

197
00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:50,840
Going to Columbia was this new experience saying I want to help this particular population

198
00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:55,080
through, through a writing course is sort of a new experience.

199
00:14:55,080 --> 00:15:01,720
And that kind of I suspect led you to the War Horse News where you're at now.

200
00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:03,720
Tell us about the War Horse.

201
00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:08,480
Yes, the War Horse, amazing.

202
00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:16,640
We are a nonprofit newsroom that focuses on military and veteran issues.

203
00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:20,480
And so we have two components of the War Horse.

204
00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:27,800
We have the newsroom side where we do a lot of investigative journalism and then the side

205
00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:31,800
that I'm most involved in are our writing seminars.

206
00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:38,280
And so my main responsibility with the War Horse is I plan writing seminars that help

207
00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:46,760
produce stories that relate to different topics that we want to highlight to bridge the military

208
00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:48,760
and civilian gap.

209
00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:52,320
So I'm going to focus on that in a moment, but I want to go back and let our veteran

210
00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:56,960
radio listeners know we're talking to Randy Howard who is the operations associate for

211
00:15:56,960 --> 00:15:57,960
the War Horse.

212
00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:03,280
And if you're not familiar with that website, go to thewarhorse.org.

213
00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:07,400
There's always interesting information there.

214
00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:11,560
It will go way beyond what you see in the general press.

215
00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:18,720
And I think that's the real value of having somebody concentrate in this area particularly

216
00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:20,760
at this time.

217
00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:26,160
So talk to us a little bit about the writing seminars and experiences that you're particularly

218
00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:28,280
focusing on, Randy.

219
00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:29,440
Yes.

220
00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:40,040
So when I joined the War Horse, we were on our, I think our fifth writing seminar.

221
00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:44,240
And so that seminar was for military spouses.

222
00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:52,680
And my manager, Samantha Davis, she really guided me that first seminar and really trained

223
00:16:52,680 --> 00:17:00,360
me on finding a venue location, doing all of the logistics around planning the writing

224
00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:02,200
seminars.

225
00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:05,960
We have an instructor that comes in.

226
00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:12,160
His name is David Christinger, who's also a professor at the University of Chicago's

227
00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:19,000
Policy School that designed this curriculum to help individuals tell their stories.

228
00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:28,440
And then we also have journalists and editors and different individuals from the journalism

229
00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:34,520
industry come in and volunteer their time and work with the fellows to really help them

230
00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:40,760
craft their stories and put their thoughts onto the paper on the story that they're trying

231
00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:44,760
to tell about military surveys.

232
00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:54,320
And so that was my first seminar that I first had experience with.

233
00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:59,240
And then the one after that was for Gold Star Children and Siblings, which for those that

234
00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:09,200
don't know that it's for individuals that lost a parent or a sibling to war or war-related

235
00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:11,600
health issues.

236
00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:19,200
And that was the first seminar that I actually planned, majority on my own and fully led that

237
00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:20,200
seminar.

238
00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:25,920
And as you've watched a couple of these now, and we're going to talk about one that's

239
00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:34,280
coming up, but as you focus or watch the couple of these, what did you get out of it and what

240
00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:39,560
do you see the participants of the seminars getting out of it?

241
00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:42,720
Yes, absolutely.

242
00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:52,000
I think that the most rewarding part for me is just seeing the growth of the fellows.

243
00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:56,280
A lot of them, when they come, they're very nervous.

244
00:18:56,280 --> 00:19:02,800
A lot of them, we try to have different writing experience levels to make it more inclusive.

245
00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:08,960
And even the ones that have writing experience levels, they're still a little nervous, but

246
00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:14,320
a lot of them just come very scared and just very closed.

247
00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:21,960
And by the end of the week, they're so relaxed and they're just a completely different person

248
00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:30,720
and the piece that they write in such a short amount of time is so moving and so thoughtful

249
00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:38,840
and just so informative to the specific cohort about how military and service can impact

250
00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:44,000
an individual, whether they directly served or indirectly served.

251
00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:50,920
It's really kind of an extension of there's a lot of veteran writing programs therapeutically.

252
00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:57,160
Hey, the best way to express your feelings maybe is for some people is to write it down.

253
00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:02,200
Some of it's to say out loud, but writing allows you to capture it and refine it and

254
00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:03,480
choose the right word.

255
00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:06,800
I mean, do you see folks go through that process?

256
00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:14,920
Yes, yes, they go through that process with the instructor in a group setting and they

257
00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:23,320
also have one-on-one settings as well with the mid-force that volunteer their time.

258
00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:26,640
And these writing seminars seem to be sort of have a focus.

259
00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:29,960
So I see one that was for medics and corpsmen.

260
00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:34,400
You mentioned the military spouses and the Gold Star children.

261
00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:41,560
There's been one for just women veterans, veteran families.

262
00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:48,560
Is that the idea is to always have some sort of theme or natural relationship among those

263
00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:49,560
participating?

264
00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:50,560
Yes.

265
00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:58,560
So the main goal for the writing seminar, we like to say that we're giving the underserved

266
00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:02,800
and the underrepresented an opportunity to tell their stories.

267
00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:13,360
So to just avoid just like a very general seminar, we really sit down as a team and discuss cohort

268
00:21:13,360 --> 00:21:14,360
themes.

269
00:21:14,360 --> 00:21:25,120
And so I'm very excited for 2024 because we have one coming up this spring in April for

270
00:21:25,120 --> 00:21:28,640
incarcerated veterans at San Quentin.

271
00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:34,120
And we're doing that in partnership with San Quentin News and the Marshall Project.

272
00:21:34,120 --> 00:21:40,600
And then this fall, which I'm also very excited about as well, will be specifically a writing

273
00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:42,400
seminar for black veterans.

274
00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:48,120
Yeah, I think that's what caught my eye when it was notice of the upcoming program in the

275
00:21:48,120 --> 00:21:53,720
fall for black veterans to participate in a writing seminar and try to capture some of

276
00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:57,400
the history that they have through their service.

277
00:21:57,400 --> 00:21:59,920
Is somebody's interested in that?

278
00:21:59,920 --> 00:22:04,760
How do they let you know and kind of what's it cost and what are the logistics?

279
00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:10,440
Oh, all of our seminars are free.

280
00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:17,760
We cover lodging, travel, and expenses for the week.

281
00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:23,000
So they don't have to pay anything to participate in our seminars.

282
00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:32,640
And in order to apply, you just go to thewarhors.org and we do have a writing seminar tab.

283
00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:38,600
And you can subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on when the application opens.

284
00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:43,480
We have a formal application process that you can apply online.

285
00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:49,240
And then we go through our criteria in our selection process.

286
00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:57,280
We notify all of the individuals that apply with our goal is to receive more applications

287
00:22:57,280 --> 00:22:59,720
than available spots.

288
00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:04,680
And then once we make the selections, we announce the cohort.

289
00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:07,560
On the website, we announce the mentors.

290
00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:09,760
We announce the venue.

291
00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:17,640
And then we take care of everything for everyone that participates in our seminars.

292
00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:24,720
So for example, when you're planning the seminar in the fall of 2024 for Black veterans to

293
00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:32,200
come in and participate in this writing seminar, how many folks can you take into the program?

294
00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:36,600
Yes, that's actually a good question.

295
00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:45,040
So it really varies by the venue because most of the time we try to find a venue that can

296
00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:47,560
at least accommodate all of the fellows.

297
00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:54,000
So it really varies by the venue size and also funding as well.

298
00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:58,080
So we've had cohorts.

299
00:23:58,080 --> 00:23:59,800
Normally like the average is 12.

300
00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:03,080
Normally we have 12 fellows in the past.

301
00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:04,080
We've had eight.

302
00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:09,640
But then this cohort in the spring for incarcerated veterans is a little different.

303
00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:12,520
But we're actually going to have our largest cohort.

304
00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:14,400
We expect to have 25 veterans.

305
00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:21,880
Yeah, that's a little different, they've already got housing arranged and location arranged.

306
00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:23,960
No one from outside is applying to get in.

307
00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:26,960
So yeah, that's a different group.

308
00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:29,000
But a very worthwhile project.

309
00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:36,240
Now, does the materials that they write, does War Horse then take some of them and post

310
00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:41,480
them online if they achieve that quality you're looking for?

311
00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:42,480
Yes.

312
00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:50,120
So the goal is for them to publish with us, but there's no obligation for fellows to

313
00:24:50,120 --> 00:24:51,920
publish with us.

314
00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:58,480
And they can choose to publish with whoever they would like to publish with or they can

315
00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:00,480
choose to not publish at all.

316
00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:06,240
But the goal of the writing seminars is for them to write a piece that they can publish

317
00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:07,720
with us.

318
00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:11,720
And we pay for them to publish their piece with us.

319
00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:24,880
And then we add it to our collection of writing that's helping to bridge the military and

320
00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:30,800
civilians divide and bring more awareness about what's happening in the military state.

321
00:25:30,800 --> 00:25:33,480
Well, I gotta say it's a great program.

322
00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:35,440
I'm a big fan of the War Horse.

323
00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:40,120
I encourage veteran radio listeners to go to thewarhorse.org.

324
00:25:40,120 --> 00:25:42,640
If you're interested in the writing seminar, click on that.

325
00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:48,200
There's been over 70 War Horse fellows in the writing program.

326
00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:53,040
Now most of them have been female, 75, 76% have been female.

327
00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:54,540
Come on, guys.

328
00:25:54,540 --> 00:25:58,160
Don't be afraid of expressing your feelings here.

329
00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:03,360
And naturally, the Army's been leading that charge, but the Navy's in there with a solid

330
00:26:03,360 --> 00:26:05,760
6%.

331
00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:08,800
And the Marines had 12 and the Air Force had 23.

332
00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:13,120
So I need to see some more Navy guys get involved here.

333
00:26:13,120 --> 00:26:14,600
But we're talking to Randy Howard.

334
00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:19,160
She's the operation associate for the War Horse who's explaining not only her military

335
00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:27,080
career, but this great program by the War Horse, this Writers' Program.

336
00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:32,040
When does the application process start for the fall?

337
00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:44,040
Yes, so applications for the fall will open in late August, possibly early September.

338
00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:51,840
We're still finalizing the dates because the spring seminar is quickly approaching.

339
00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:56,120
But definitely by early September, the applications will be open.

340
00:26:56,120 --> 00:26:57,120
Okay, folks.

341
00:26:57,120 --> 00:26:58,640
Mark it on your calendar.

342
00:26:58,640 --> 00:27:04,640
Randy Howard, US Navy veteran, we really appreciate you spending some time with Veterans Radio

343
00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:09,040
today to tell us about this great program and about your service.

344
00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:14,280
So we appreciate this, the time you have for us today.

345
00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:15,280
Thank you so much.

346
00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:16,280
Thank you so much for having me.

347
00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:19,320
This is the first time I've ever done anything like this.

348
00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:22,120
And it was such a great experience.

349
00:27:22,120 --> 00:27:25,040
And I want to thank everybody for listening to Veterans Radio today.

350
00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:26,520
I am Jim Fausone.

351
00:27:26,520 --> 00:27:28,880
It's been a pleasure to be your host.

352
00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,800
I'm a Veterans Disability Lawyer at Legal Help for Veterans.

353
00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:41,200
And you can reach us at 800-693-4800 or legalhelpforveterans.com on the web.

354
00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:46,120
You can follow Veterans Radio on Facebook and listen to its podcasts and internet radio

355
00:27:46,120 --> 00:27:50,720
shows by visiting us at veteransradio.org.

356
00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:53,440
That's veteransradio.org.

357
00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:56,720
And until next time, you are dismissed.

358
00:27:56,720 --> 00:28:01,080
If you have a VA claim denied by the Board of Veterans Appeals, contact Legal Help for

359
00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:05,320
Veterans at 1-800-693-4800.

360
00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:09,320
They're experts in handling cases before the US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

361
00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:13,280
Their number again, 1-800-693-4800.

362
00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:18,880
We again want to thank our national sponsors, the National Veterans Business Development

363
00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:28,080
Council, NVBDC.org, VA Ann Arbor Health Care System, the Vietnam Veterans of America, Charles

364
00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:36,800
S. Kettles Chapter, Ann Arbor, Michigan, VFW Graf O'Hara Post 423 in Ann Arbor, and

365
00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:42,760
the American Legion Press Corn Post 46 also in Ann Arbor.

366
00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:44,240
We appreciate all your support.

367
00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:47,720
You can go to veteransradio.net.

368
00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:54,280
Click on the sponsor level and continue to support keeping veteransradio on the air.

369
00:28:54,280 --> 00:29:19,280
And until next time, you are dismissed.