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Stories

Life after military service

The structure disappears and nobody warns you how quiet it gets. These Veterans talk about getting out: work, school, benefits, starting a business, and finding a mission again.

28 stories, newest first. Every one is free to watch.

Stories

Oct 30, 2026

Every Veteran Is On Their Own After the Uniform. Doc and the MIC Founder Prove That's a Lie.

Navy corpsman Joe "Doc" Worley (@doc_worley) calls getting blown up the coolest blessing of his life. On September 17, 2004, he was running to a disabled vehicle on an overpass in Fallujah with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines when a second roadside bomb took his left leg. He put his own tourniquet on in about 35 seconds with a cravat he'd carried since field med school, and the pocket he pulled it from held a pin with his daughter's face on it. She'd been born while he was deployed. Bronze Star with valor, Purple Heart, 18 months at Walter Reed.

Jun 26, 2026

She Donated Two Organs to Fellow Veterans.

Lindsay Gutierrez thought joining the military meant going straight to Vietnam. She was wrong about that. She was also wrong about Qatar having pyramids. But she wasn't wrong about the thing that mattered most, that service doesn't end when you take the uniform off. Lindsay served six years as a Security Forces officer in the Air Force, deployed to Qatar and Djibouti, survived a vehicle rollover in the middle of the night that left her with a TBI she wouldn't get diagnosed for years, and came home to a civilian world that had no idea what to do with her, or her. Lindsay is also featured as Miss March in the Pin-Ups for Vets 2026 calendar, a nonprofit that has visited over 20,000 hospitalized Veterans across all 50 states. Then one day a magazine landed on her desk at a congressional office. An ad. A kidney. A Veteran who needed one. She planned the donation around a Yankees game and scheduled it for Memorial Day weekend on purpose. That was the first one. vegasveteranvoices.com

May 15, 2026

Behind the Beat - 2K Kenny Made Love Songs Underway

2K Kenny didn't go viral in a studio. He's Petty and Second Class. He went viral on a Navy ship, after writing a love song during sweepers, recording the melody on Snapchat before he forgot it, and sneaking into the barbershop to lay it down because it was the only quiet room on the boat. The next day his LPO walked in singing it. That's when he knew. In this episode, Kenny breaks down what it actually looks like to build a music career while active duty, hiding it from his command, performing at a ship talent show in Rota Spain, getting a show booked in Bahrain in 10 minutes flat through Navy networking, and why being a Retail Specialist (the most hated rate in the fleet) gave him more time to grind than any other sailor on the ship. He's still in. Just made E5. Headed to Hawaii. And he's not stopping. If you're in the military and think you have to choose between service and your dream, this one's for you. Find 2K Kenny: @2kkenny on Instagram | Spotify | Apple Music

May 8, 2026

Most Veterans Don’t Know Their Education Benefits, The Man Who’s Helped 9,000 Claim Them

Ross D. Bryant spent 24 years in the U.S. Army, from tank command on the East German border to commissioning 77 Nevada officers during one of the longest military engagements in American history. Then he did something most people wouldn’t expect: he stayed. For 14 years, he’s been the man behind UNLV’s Military & Veteran Services Center, building one of the top 10 most military-friendly university programs in the country out of 1,800+ schools, three consecutive years running. In this episode, Ross sits down with Vegas Veteran Voices to talk about what it really takes to go from the battlefield to the classroom, why thousands of Veterans are leaving life-changing money on the table, and what your education benefits can actually do for you and your family. He breaks down transferred benefits, dependent stipends, in-state tuition rights, and the one thing most Veterans don’t know until it’s too late. He also tells the stories that don’t make the brochure. 5,000 graduates on the wall, 10 suicides he carries with him, a combat medic who became a traveling trauma surgeon, a Marine who survived combat and is graduating from medical school this May, and a Veteran who earned his PhD and led his chapter through a pandemic while feeding 380,000 people who lost everything overnight. If you’ve thought about going back to school and talked yourself out of it, this episode is for you. If you have a spouse, a kid, or a family member sitting on benefits they don’t know exist, this episode is for them too. The mission doesn’t end at the gate. Vegas Veteran Voices | Veteran-Led | Nonprofit Media Las Vegas, Nevada vegasveteranvoices.com

Apr 24, 2026

Addiction and Rebuilding From Rock Bottom

Army Veteran Steve Ulman shares one of the most raw and powerful Veteran interviews we have filmed on Vegas Veteran Voices. In this episode, Steve opens up about his suicide attempt, addiction, recovery, ayahuasca, acting, trauma, off grid living, entrepreneurship, and how he rebuilt his life from rock bottom. He talks about putting a gun to his head, moving the pistol at the last second, and realizing he had to stop living halfway. From there, this conversation goes deep into meth addiction, getting clean, finding joy for the first time, healing through acting, and building an off grid solar business in the Arizona desert. Steve also breaks down self sustainability, freedom, off grid solar, Veteran transition, mental health, and why addicts can become unstoppable when that same drive gets redirected toward purpose. If you are interested in Veteran mental health, addiction recovery, Army Veteran stories, off grid living, off grid solar, entrepreneurship, acting, trauma recovery, or powerful long form podcast conversations, this episode hits all of it. Steve is an Army Veteran, actor, entrepreneur, founder of Arizona Off Grid Solutions, and creator connected to The Off Grid Veteran, The Wolves Den Ranch, Mission Entrepreneurship, and The Gray Area.

Apr 10, 2026

Aboard a Submarine: What No One Tells You About Life After Service

On this episode of Vegas Veteran Voices, we step aboard the historic USS Pampanito in San Francisco for a powerful conversation inside the submarine’s mission control room about something a lot of Veterans know too well but do not always talk about enough: life after service.

Feb 20, 2026

This Marine Lost Everything… And Had To Start From Zero | Jason Lee Morrison

This episode shares a real Veteran’s personal story of transition, identity, and rebuilding after service, Brenton and Ronnie sit down with Jason Lee Morrison, a USMC Veteran, writer, and poet, for a raw conversation about the one thing that keeps Veterans alive after the uniform comes off: community. Jason talks about what it felt like to disappear from his Marine Recon world for years, then come back and realize he was not just seeing old brothers. He was seeing himself again.

Feb 6, 2026

Why We Drive for the Fallen | Race to Erase 22 & the 22 Veterans a Day Crisis

In Afghanistan’s deadliest fighting, Marines learned that survival depends on connection, purpose, and the people beside you. When service ends, many Veterans lose that structure overnight and are expected to rebuild their lives alone. This episode shows how that loss of purpose can be just as dangerous as combat itself and how Race to Erase 22 is fighting back.

Jan 16, 2026

Finding Your Voice After the Uniform | Serena Monay USN VET

In this episode of Vegas Veteran Voices, comedian and United States Navy Veteran Serena Monae sits down with Ronnie Long, USMC Veteran, for a real, unfiltered conversation about identity after the military, finding your voice again, and using humor as a survival tool when life gets heavy.

Nov 21, 2025, with full article

Wounded Warrior Project: From Afghanistan to Finding Purpose with Juan Valdez

In this Washington DC episode of Vegas Veteran Voices, Marine Veterans sit down with Juan Valdez, a Purple Heart recipient, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, law-school graduate, and Veteran advocate with Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), for one of the most raw, honest, and emotional conversations we’ve ever filmed. Juan survived multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, including being shot in the chest by a sniper in 2006, and he opens up about trauma, identity loss, purpose, and the long road to rebuilding a life after warfare.

Oct 3, 2025

From Navy to the Trades: How NTI Builds Careers For Veterans

What does it take to go from serving in the U.S. Navy to leading a classroom and shaping the next generation of tradesmen? Meet Campus Director Kodi Wilson and alumni turned instructor, Navy Veteran Randy Nichols, two voices driving the mission of National Technical Institute in Las Vegas & Henderson.

Sep 26, 2025

From 50 Cal Gunner to VA Loan Nerd | Caitlin Duffy’s Veteran Story

From the turret of a Humvee in Iraq to helping Veterans navigate homeownership, Army Veteran Caitlin Duffy has lived one of the wildest transitions you’ll hear. In this episode of Vegas Veteran Voices, Caitlin shares her journey from a 50 cal gunner to becoming the “VA Loan Nerd,” breaking down military life, the struggles of civilian transition, and the truth about VA loan myths every Veteran should know.

Aug 1, 2025

CHAMPS 2025 : Mental Health, Cannabis Reform & Marine Grit w/ JAY

In this powerful on-site episode of Vegas Veteran Voices, we hit the floor of the CHAMPS Trade Show in Las Vegas with Marine Corps Veteran Jay, co-founder of Stoned Earth, ( https://stonedearth.com/ ) a sustainable accessory company shaking up the paraphernalia space. We dig deep into how cannabis can be used responsibly for pain, PTSD, and anxiety, how Veterans are uniquely positioned to lead in this industry, and what it really means to transition from military life to entrepreneurship.

Jul 11, 2025

Can a Union Save Your Life? | Carpenters, Mental Health & Helping Homeless Vets

Wyatt isn’t your average carpenter. He’s the warranty director at Martin-Harris Construction, a long-time volunteer with Harvison House, and a man who credits his union with saving his life. In this powerful episode of Vegas Veteran Voices, Wyatt gets real about suicide, purpose, faith, and what it means to rebuild from the ground up literally.

Jun 13, 2025

From Iraq to Iconic: The Wild Story Behind Envision Footwear | Vegas Veteran Voices

In this episode of Vegas Veteran Voices, we sit down with Ureal Irving, Army Veteran and the visionary founder of Envision Footwear one of the most unique Veteran-owned fashion brands making waves in streetwear and custom sneakers. Ureal shares his powerful story of military transition, entrepreneurship, and using design as a way to express identity, purpose, and legacy.

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