The Scuttlebutt: Understanding Military Culture

S4 Bonus Episode: Vet-A-Thon Highlights

The Scuttlebutt was created to serve the mission of the Veterans Breakfast Club by creating communities of listening around veterans and their stories to connect, educate, heal, and inspire. Recently, VBC held a 24-hour Zoom marathon to honor veterans on Veterans Day called VET-A-THON! If you were unable to join us on Veterans Day, this week's episode of The Scuttlebutt is a highlight reel of stories from veterans Mike Cherock, Chris Hutchins, Robbie Stock, James Brundage, Mittie Smith, and Scuttlebutt co-host Ryan Ahl. To find out more information about Veterans Breakfast Club - visit us on our website at www.veteransbreakfastclub.org.

S4 Ep. 15: Military Families with Krista Anderson

Joining The Scuttlebutt for our season four finale is Gold Star Wife, Krista Anderson. After losing her husband, Green Beret, Staff Sgt. Michael Simpson in 2013, Krista committed herself to helping military families fill their "life binders" and prepare for anything. One of her many roles is as a Military Spouse Ambassador for Army Emergency Relief. AER, the official non-profit of the U.S. Army recently teamed up with the National Military Family Association to provide funding for child care for military families through their joint Child Care Fee Relief Program. Krista joins us to tell her story, honor Michael, and talk about the incredible work being done by AER and NMFA. An inspiring story not to be missed.  

To read more about Michael's service visit GreenBeretFoundation.org and to read Krista's story visit We Are The Mighty. 

 

Subscribe to the Veterans Breakfast Club on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRWUeRU670VYK1skn4Azz5A?sub_confirmation=1

 

Listen to previous episodes, find show notes and additional reading at https://veteransbreakfastclub.org/scuttlebutt/

 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0buguqfl1jpRdSvCdwZZDw?si=jIK0iswcT-m77WTHWr-SNQ

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-scuttlebutt-understanding-military-culture/id1530694578

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9tZWRpYS5yc3MuY29tL3RoZXNjdXR0bGVidXR0L2ZlZWQueG1s?sa=X&ved=0CAIQ4aUDahcKEwjggpTAtfPrAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQBA

S4 Ep. 14: Learning About Leadership with Pine Richland JROTC

Due to the popularity of our first JROTC field trip, The Scuttlebutt travels to Pine Richland High School (Pennsylvania) to talk with Air Force JROTC instructor and Air Force veteran, Michael Gasparetto about his service and what awaits students in JROTC. He is joined by Cadet/Colonel Caitlin Howard and Cadet/Staff Sgt Connor McHugh who offer insightful first hand accounts of their time in Junior ROTC and how it has prepared them for successful careers after high school. You can find out more about JROTC at Air University or if you are interested in joining a Junior ROTC program, you can read more at Mefa.org. Watch the full episode at veteransbreakfastclub.org/scuttlebutt. Thank you to Millerstown Pic-A-Part for sponsoring this episode!

S4 Ep. 13: An Afghan Interpreter Tells His Story

Join The Scuttlebutt this week as we wrap up our series on the Forever Wars with Afghan interpreter, Murtaza Honarpoor. After the US ousted the Taliban in 2001, Murtaza applied to be an interpreter and worked on an American Military base in Kandahar. Eventually Murtaza decided to leave Afghanistan and was granted admission to the US through the SIV program. Now he joins The Scuttlebutt to tell his story.  

 

Many interpreters and refugees are still attempting to leave Afghanistan safely and both Task and Purpose and Military Times are great resources to hear stories like Murtaza's. And for more details about how American citizens are donating flight miles to help Afghan refugees visit Military Times. 

S4 Ep. 12: An Iraq Interpreter Tells His Story

An Iraq Interpreter Tells His Story

Joining The Scuttlebutt this week is former Iraqi Interpreter Ehab Al Akrawi. Ehab was born in Nasiriyah in 1986 and clearly remembers watching cruise missiles cross the sky during Desert Storm. But it wasn't until the 2003 invasion of Iraq that he saw his first American soldier. Mesmerized by their appearance and stature, Ehab got up the courage to speak to one and soon after began interpreting for a unit --- at the age of 15! With all the news regarding Afghan interpreters, it's easy to forget that there are still Iraqi interpreters making their way through the SIV program to gain admittance to the US. Ehab was one of the lucky ones. For more information about our duty to Iraq and Afghan interpreters see Modern War Institute. To understand more about the SIV program visit Travel.State.gov and WashingtonPost.com.

 

S4 Ep. 11: Afghanistan Veteran opens up about the End of the War (Part 2)

Last week Army Veteran Adam Zaffuto opened up on The Scuttlebutt about his time serving in Afghanistan. For the full effect of this week's episode, please be sure to check out Part 1 by CLICKING HERE. This week, Adam talks about the end of the war and how we as Americans can come to the aid of the refugees and interpreters finding themselves in a new country after having lost their home forever. Listener discretion is advised. 

Thank you for listening and if you would be so kind, please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts and be sure to like, share, subscribe, and ring the bell on YouTube. 

S4 Ep. 10 Afghanistan Veteran opens up about the End of the War (Part 1)

Adam Zaffuto served in the Army during The Global War on Terror. He was deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan and joins the Scuttlebutt this week to talk about his service. Specifically his experiences in Afghanistan. His story is equal parts heartwrenching and frustrating. Many Afghanistan veterans have expressed their discontent with the decisions made and question the reasons we were there. Adam is no different. His story is frank and unedited. A trigger warning is provided for the content of this episode due to the graphic nature of our discussion as we speak of the brutality and ugliness of war and of some of the atrocities committed by the Taliban. 

S4 Ep. 9: National Suicide Prevention Month and Gold Star Mother and Family Day

The Scuttlebutt honors National Suicide Prevention Month and Gold Star Mothers and Family Day by welcoming Gold Star Wife, Sara Wilkinson to the program. Sara's husband, Chad Wilkinson, served for 21 years, was a Navy SEAL, and Silver Star recipient. Chad unfortunately died by suicide in 2018 due to the effects of numerous deployments, several TBIs, blast wave injuries and PTSD. With all the love Sara still carries for Chad she partnered with GORUCK to create Chad 1000x, a crossfit inspired step-up workout Chad himself used to train for climbing mountains. The workout is now used to celebrate his life and honor his memory with all proceeds going to support Veteran Mental Health Initiatives. For more information about the new report on Veteran suicide check out MilitaryTimes.com. 

 

Veterans experiencing a mental health emergency can contact the Veteran Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 and select option 1 for a VA staffer. Veterans, troops or their family members can also text 838255 or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net for assistance.

S4 Ep. 8: I was evacuated from Afghanistan

The Scuttlebutt welcomes Reid Ahl (co-host, Ryan Ahl's dad!) to the program to talk about his recent firsthand account of being evacuated from Afghanistan. Reid is an Air Force veteran and Personal Services Contractor (USPSC) with a civilian U.S. government agency (not associated with DoD or Military) who was at the US embassy in Kabul as the evacuations picked up in August. For more information about what it was like at the US Embassy check out FastCompany.com and NYPost.com. And watch the video version at veteransbreakfastclub.org/scuttlebutt. Thank you to Millerstown Pic-A-Part for sponsoring this episode!

 

S4 Ep. 7: Veterans Who Didn‘t See Combat

The Scuttlebutt welcomes veteran, educator, and writer, Ben Abel to the program to talk about his recent op-ed in Task & Purpose, ‘You either went to war or you didn’t’ — How deployments divide the vet community. Ben and Shaun talk about his service, his family's extensive military history, the military/civilian divide, and the language divide that exists in the veteran community between those who saw combat and those who didn't. For more information as to why veterans who didn't see combat may feel guilty or cheated, check out this Military.com article. And as always, please like, share, subscribe, and ring the bell on YouTube.

Ben's article

Jim LaPorta's article