Center for Minority Veterans, VFW Foundation, and the All of Us Program
#StillServing: The VFW Podcast
Release Date: 02/17/2021
Remember the Ramrods: A Discussion with David Bellavia
#StillServing: The VFW Podcast
Welcome to the new season of the VFW podcast. The new season will spotlight the recent changes within the veteran community from new initiatives to books being released to new laws that have been passed and updates to benefits. Host Rob Couture is pleased to welcome back David Bellavia to the podcast. David is a Medal of Honor recipient from the Iraq War. Since the last time he was on the show he released his new book, Remember the Ramrods: An Army Brotherhood in War and Peace. In this book, he talks about his brothers-in-arms. The ones he served with over in Iraq, and how the medal of...
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Medal of Honor Recipient Earl Plumlee
#StillServing: The VFW Podcast
Happy Veterans Day. As veterans, we all have our war stories, but none are greater than the ones that come from our Medal of Honor recipients. For this Veterans Day, we have a very special interview. Rob had the privilege of recording earlier this year with Medal of Honor recipient Army Master Sergeant Earl Plumlee, a Special Forces Operations Team sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for his actions at Forward Operating Base Ghazni in Afghanistan in August of 2013. Earl Plumlee, Army Master Sergeant, Medal of Honor Recipient The idea that Special Forces are elite teams who...
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Hispanic Heritage Month
#StillServing: The VFW Podcast
The observance of National Hispanic Heritage month goes on every year from September 15th to October 15th to honor the lives of American citizens with Hispanic heritage. That goes the same for the VFW as we are just a melting pot, a reflection of the greater society of our great nation. Although we are all different strands, America is much stronger when we are braided together, and nothing does that more than military service. Through the camaraderie, we are unidos, or joined together. Rob’s guests on today’s episode are two gentlemen who have very different Hispanic backgrounds,...
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Landmark Legislation: a Discussion About the PACT Act with Jon Stewart
#StillServing: The VFW Podcast
A little more than a month has passed since the landmark legislation of the PACT Act was signed into law by President Biden at the White House. It was a much-celebrated win for many of the VSOs and for veteran advocates who worked hard for so long to get a bill passed in Congress to finally award veterans the benefits and care they need after suffering for so long with the effects of toxic exposure during their military service. Recently, Host Rob Couture had the unique opportunity to host and moderate a discussion on the PACT Act with Director of National Legislative Service, Pat...
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On Location: The VFW 123rd National Convention in Kansas City
#StillServing: The VFW Podcast
The 123rd VFW National Convention just concluded at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City Missouri. It was the first time the convention has been back in full swing since 2019. One of the new things was an exhibit sound stage in the exhibit hall where #StillServing Podcast Host Rob Couture had the pleasure of interviewing sponsors, exhibitors, comrades, and special guests. Ryan Gallucci, Director of the VFW’s National Veteran Service Ryan describes all of the available services at the convention including the Claims Clinic and Health Fair provided by the NVS. [2:29] ...
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Giving Veterans A Fighting Chance: Focus on Charity through Mixed Martial Arts
#StillServing: The VFW Podcast
Ever since the invention of war, combat sports seem to have been part of the military community. It is something integral to the warrior class. Whether it be wrestling, grappling, boxing, martial arts, or even modern-day combatives, veterans, for the most part, across generations love a good fight. Or, at least, love watching them. In this episode, Host Rob Couture welcomes back to #StillServing Extreme Sports Enthusiast, Veterans Advocate, and MMA Fighter Ricky Folse. He’ll tell us about the charity MMA fight event he’s putting together down in Louisiana called Summer Salute, as he...
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Why We Are Still Serving: Finding Your Place in the VFW
#StillServing: The VFW Podcast
Each of us has a different reason for why we joined the VFW or why we joined a veterans service organization. Maybe it's because we needed help with our veterans’ claim, and we found a service officer that offered us to be part of their organization? Maybe we were looking for the comradery we missed when we left the military? Or, maybe, we were just looking for a way that we could still serve even though we were no longer in uniform? In this episode, Host Rob Couture is joined by VFW Assistant Adjutant General Dan West. A proud Texan who tells us about his long and illustrious career...
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Command Visit — Hawaii and a Discussion with DPAA
#StillServing: The VFW Podcast
This episode of the #StillServing podcast aptly drops on the National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day, April 9th. During the podcast, Rob speaks with Tim Borland, VFW Senior Vice Commander-In-Chief, and Duane Sarmiento, VFW Junior Vice Commander-In-Chief, about their informative trip to Hawaii to discover how the VFW can better support troops in the field. During their visit to the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, they see firsthand how the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) works to bring back the remains of POW/MIA service members. To describe the mission of the DPAA in detail...
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Poised, Polished and Empowered: Focus on Female Competitive Fitness
#StillServing: The VFW Podcast
The month of March is Women’s History Month and National Nutrition Month. To recognize them both in one episode, Host Rob Couture speaks with two women who are the epitome of poise, polish, and empowerment. Rachelle Cannon and Julia Waring are both veterans and professional bodybuilders. During the interview, Rob inquires about their respective military academies, their military service, and how they maintain their physical prowess for competitions and beyond. Rachelle Cannon, U.S. Coast Guard Veteran, Prevention & Wellness Program Manager and IFBB Pro Physique Competitor + Julia...
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Everyone Has A Story To Tell: Focus on Black History Month
#StillServing: The VFW Podcast
February is a significant month when it comes to black history. The 13th amendment, which abolished slavery, was passed by the House of Representatives on January 31, 1865, and the following day President Lincoln approved a joint resolution of congress submitting it to the state legislature for ratification. Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass’s birthdays are also in February. It's no wonder that the second week of February was chosen as National Negro History week back in 1926. Other important dates like the founding of the NAACP on Feb 12th, 1909 was the centennial anniversary of the...
info_outlineThe VFW organization helps veterans to thrive by keeping veterans informed, engaged, and educated about all the benefits and programs available to them and their families. This podcast highlights how additional financial and charitable donations are collected and utilized, unique programs for minority veterans, and how veterans can continue to be of service through medical research.
During this episode of The VFW Podcast, Host Terrence Hayes chats with Executive Director of the Center for Minority Veterans, Stephen Dillard who discusses the wonderful work his team does to ensure our minority veterans have the health care, benefits, and entitlements they have earned. Director of the VFW Foundation, Richard Potter, discusses the 25th anniversary of the foundation and what lies ahead as they continue to seek ways to best serve our amazing veterans, service members, and families. Drs. Chris O’Donnell, Chief of Cardiology and Director of the Center for Population Genomics, VA Boston Health Care System, and Phil Tsao, Assistant Chief of Staff for Precision Medicine and Director of the Palo Alto Epidemiology Research and Information Center for Genomics, discuss the All of Us Research Program and how this program helps ensure veterans are represented in this historic effort to speed up biomedical breakthroughs.
Executive Director for the Center for Minority Veterans, Stephen Dillard —
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Stephen offers an overview of the Center for Minority Veterans and details the people served by the organization. [2:01]
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How the VFW and Center for Minority Veterans collaborate. [5:22]
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Information about the benefits available to minority veterans and their families. [6:50]
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The Minority Veterans Advisory Committee consults and advises the Center for Minority Veterans. [10:48]
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The Minority Benefits Summit is postponed due to COVID-19. [14:35]
Director of the VFW Foundation, Richard Potter —
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Richard explains the creation and the purpose of the VFW Foundation. [17:26]
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How the VFW Foundation and corporate sponsors support veterans and service members. [20:04]
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The VFW Foundation has provided financial relief to VFW community posts during the COVID pandemic. [27:55]
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The VFW Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary. [30:51]
Dr. Chris O’Donnell and Phil Tsao, Ph.D. —
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Dr. O’Donnell shares the goals and accomplishments of the Precision Medicine Initiative. [36:36]
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How veterans can join the All of Us program and how the program benefits veterans. [38:14]
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Over 250,000 veterans participate in the ongoing All of Us program. [41:18]
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The genetic feedback veterans receive from participating in the program. [43:02]
For more information or continue the conversation, please visit:
Veterans of Foreign Wars Website
Call 1-888-JOIN-VFW
Text “NEEDS” to 20222 to donate to the Unmet Needs Program
All of Us Program — 1-833-805-0426