In this episode, Brock talks with Maureen Elias.
Maureen is former Army counterintelligence before receiving a medical discharge back in 2006. From there, Maureen stayed home to raise her three kids before receiving the call to go back to school. While pursuing her undergraduate and masters degrees, Maureen was involved in a variety of veterans organizations including Student Veterans of America, Vietnam Veterans of America, and High Ground Veterans Advocacy. Her involvement in these organizations and others brought her to the realization of her true calling which is advocating for vets at a higher, political level. Maureen is now the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
We discuss the mental and physical challenges of receiving a medical discharge both while in the service and out. Maureen explains this breakdown in care for veterans who are also dependents, a population she falls into and is particularly passionate about. She talks about some of the resources available and problems that still need to be solved for this rather large group of people. We also talk about a long list of veteran resources and organizations looking to make an impact.
You can reach out and follow along with Maureen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maureenelias/
Resources:
Student Veterans of America: https://studentveterans.org/
Vietnam Veterans of America: https://vva.org/
High Ground Veterans Advocacy: https://www.highgroundvets.org/
Travis Manion Foundation: https://www.travismanion.org/
Armed Services Art Partnership: https://asapasap.org/
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The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/33-maureen-elias-on-the-value-of-being-uncomfortable/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/