If you’ve been wanted to know about my background or what it’s like to speak with me, the latest episode of the Veteran Wellness Podcast is a great opportunity.
I’d also like to encourage you to listen to the other episodes. My friend Erik Lawrence has lined up some amazing Veterans to talk about their service, life lessons and their health journeys.
Oct. 9, 2026 – Tickets are now on sale for a charity bourbon raffle hosted by the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals (VAREP) Northern Kentucky Chapter, featuring 10 premium prizes, including the grand prize: a six-bottle Weller “Rainbow” Vertical, plus an additional bottle of BTAC William Larue Weller.
Bonus prizes include a bottle of Daniel Weller, two bottles of Weller Single Barrel, two bottles of Weller C.Y.P.B., two bottles of Weller 12 year and two bottles of Weller Full Proof.
With tickets on sale now through Wednesday, Oct. 21, proceeds from the raffle will support the VAREP Northern Kentucky Chapter and their work to promote sustainable homeownership, financial literacy and VA loan awareness for military personnel and veterans.
The raffle is presented in partnership with Elizabethtown-based nonprofit Give 270. Known for supporting the central Kentucky region through charitable gaming initiatives and signature events, Give 270 launched bourbonraffles.org in 2024 to expand fundraising opportunities for a broader range of nonprofits and community initiatives.
“This raffle gives us a unique opportunity to raise funds while supporting our mission of helping veterans and military personnel build a stronger financial future,” said Michael Smith, VAREP Northern Kentucky Chapter Founding President. “We’re grateful to Give 270 for their partnership and for everyone who participates in supporting our work.”
The upcoming raffle, officially titled Bourbon Raffles Serial No. 016, will take place live on Give 270’s Facebook page and YouTube channel on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 8 p.m., following Give 270’s weekly Whiskey Wednesdays raffle.
Tickets are $100 and will be available for purchase until 7 p.m. on the day of the drawing. A total of 500 tickets are available for purchase. There is no limit to the number of tickets purchased per individual, subject to availability.
To purchase tickets, visit bourbonraffles.org. To learn more about the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals, visit varep.org.
First-of-its-kind effort to close the gap between the benefits Veterans have earned and the benefits they receive
NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2026 — CLEAR (NYSE: YOU), the secure identity company, announced today that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has integrated CLEAR1, CLEAR’s secure identity platform, as part of a pilot to reimagine the Veteran experience across digital and physical touchpoints. The pilot provides a new, fast, simple, and secure way for Veterans to create or access their VA.gov account—online or in person at select VA Medical Centers.
VA serves a community of roughly 17 million living U.S. Veterans and operates the nation’s largest integrated health care system, serving 9.1 million enrolled Veterans each year. VA.gov is the critical digital connection to the care, benefits and services Veterans have earned, but that connection begins with the ability to create and access a VA.gov account. As part of VA’s broader modernization effort, the CLEAR1 pilot will make that first step simpler and more consistent, whether a Veteran begins online or at a VA facility.
Beginning today, Veterans can select CLEAR to create or access their VA.gov account. After a quick, one-time setup, future sign-ins take just seconds with a selfie. Veterans who prefer in-person support, do not have a smartphone, or face connectivity challenges can enroll with CLEAR Ambassadors using CLEAR Pods at six participating VA medical centers in Brooklyn, New York; Washington, D.C.; Palo Alto, California; Decatur, Georgia; Orlando, Florida; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Behind that experience, CLEAR1 uses multi-layered verification that combines biometrics, government-issued identification and trusted data sources to establish confidence in the person accessing the account. That assurance is increasingly important to combat fraud, waste, and abuse among benefit access. Federal agencies reported an estimated $186 billion in improper payments in fiscal year 2025 across 64 programs. At VA, the Government Accountability Office found that the Beneficiary Travel Program alone accumulated an estimated $1 billion in improper payments between 2018 and 2024, including confirmed cases of fraud. Verifying that the right person is receiving the right benefit is the first line of defense, and every dollar recovered is a dollar available to the roughly 17 million Veterans who deserve support and resources after their service.
In anticipation of the pilot’s launch, CLEAR invited Veterans to test CLEAR’s VA.gov sign-in experience and provide feedback. Cheffren C., a U.S. Army Veteran said: “My transition from military service to civilian life was tough, and the VA has been supportive of me as a veteran all along the way. I see the VA investing in this new technology with CLEAR, and that it’s only going to bring these benefits to veterans and their families faster and easier. It’s comforting to know the same technology and company I trust from travel is available for veterans accessing VA benefits.”
“I use VA.gov for health care, and when I was first separating, I was logging into the website basically every week,” said Erik B., a U.S. Navy Veteran who also tested CLEAR on VA.gov. “The sign-in experience with CLEAR is very easy to use. I had assumed there would be more steps or paperwork needed, so I was very impressed with how quick and easy it was. Often when signing in to systems, you have to keep track of different usernames and passwords. What I love about CLEAR is that all goes away. It’s a much more seamless process.”
Caryn Seidman Becker, CEO of CLEAR, said: “CLEAR’s mission is to make experiences safer and easier by securely connecting people to their true identity. We’re honored to work with the Department of Veterans Affairs to meet America’s Veterans and their loved ones where they are. Veterans earned these benefits, it should be easy for them to access them. Secure identity is the front door to care, and when that door works seamlessly and securely, Veterans get served faster and taxpayer dollars go where they belong.”
Verifying with CLEAR is free and optional. Veterans may continue using another sign-in method if they prefer, and choosing not to enroll will not affect their ability to access VA benefits or services. Veterans’ personal health information will remain with VA; CLEAR does not receive or access it through the identity verification process.
CLEAR has spent more than 16 years building identity infrastructure for the most highly regulated, highest-stakes environments in the country, from airport security checkpoints to health care. With over 43 million members, CLEAR is the leader in secure identity for the moments that matter most.
CLEAR1 is being deployed across federal health and civilian agencies, and CLEAR is under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to modernize identity verification on Medicare.gov. CLEAR1 is Full Service certified by Kantara Initiative for NIST IAL2/AAL2 for its standard remote, self-service enrollment flow.
CLEAR is committed to privacy done right. Members are always in control of their own information, and the company does not sell biometric or sensitive personal data. There is no cost for Veterans to use CLEAR to sign in to VA.gov, enrollment is voluntary, and Veterans who choose not to enroll will continue to be served through existing VA processes. The VA and CLEAR will consider expanding this offering pending the results of this pilot program.
The Veteran Wellness Podcast is hosted by my friend Erik Lawrence who speaks with fellow Veterans about service, health, and life.
His inaugural video was launched today and features Retired Green Beret Scott LaMorte.
Expect an honest conversation about military service, combat injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), cancer, recovery, and the mindset that helped carry Scott through some of life’s toughest challenges.
Scott reflects on the injuries he sustained in Afghanistan, his cancer diagnosis, the treatments and wellness approaches he chose to pursue, and why he believes faith, resilience, and taking an active role in his own health became central to his recovery.
HOUSTON, Texas—Approximately 17.5 veterans die by suicide every day in the United States, and 7% of veterans are diagnosed each year with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Against that backdrop, Texas A&M Health researchers are helping to advance a more personalized approach to treating the disorder.
New technology developed by Wave Neuroscience, a California-based company, in collaboration with the research team of Kenneth S. Ramos, MD, PhD, with the Texas A&M Health Institute of Biosciences and Technology, has recently received FDA clearance for a system that maps and treats the specific parts of the brain impacted by PTSD. While the results are being processed for public dissemination, the findings have demonstrated promising results to revolutionize PTSD treatment options.
PTSD is a mental health condition that can develop after exposure to an event beyond average stressors, like combat, accidents, natural disasters or other forms of violence. About 6% of people will develop PTSD symptoms in their lifetimes, with women and veterans experiencing much higher rates.
Since PTSD became an official diagnosis in 1980, the most common treatments have been talk therapy and serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medications, such as sertraline and fluoxetine. But statistics show that those treatments don’t work for everyone.
A 2020 study reviewing medications for PTSD found that while some patients improved, many did not. Patients’ self-reported symptoms improved by 6.8 to 10.1 points, and only up to 10.9% achieved remission.
The Wave Neuroscience clinical trial revealed much more promising preliminary results, according to the company’s chief medical officer Erik Won, DO.
“In comparison to that study, our FDA trial reported a 52% reduction in symptoms, so more than a four-fold increase in efficacy,” Won said. “And more importantly, we saw 68% remission in our clinical trial. So, it’s really a quantum change, an inflection point in what we can offer to patients. From a clinical care perspective, that’s really meaningful.”
Making it personal
The treatment uses Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy (MeRT), a technology created by Wave Neuroscience that combines an electroencephalogram (EEG) with transcranial magnetic stimulation. The EEG records electrical activity of the brain, while TMS—which is already used to treat other mental health conditions—uses magnetic pulses through a coil placed on the scalp.
“Transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, was previously FDA cleared for treatment-resistant depression,” Won said. “By adding an augmented AI derived multivariate algorithm, we were able to personalize protocols that received FDA clearance for post-traumatic stress disorder, which should open up market access to about 13 million people who may be struggling with PTSD.”
That personalization is at the heart of MeRT.
Ramos, a physician-scientist with decades of experience in precision medicine, focuses on treatment tailored to the specific person and ailment rather than a “one-size-fits-all” approach.
“Most clinical interventions for the treatment of PTSD do not work very well,” Ramos said. “So, this is a huge area where identifying interventions that could hopefully add quality of life to the people impacted by this disorder would be tremendously impactful.”
As a leading researcher in precision medicine, Ramos was the obvious choice for Wave Neuroscience to bring into their study, said Fred Walke, chief executive officer at the company.
TMS is typically done generically, Ramos explained, but MeRT takes it one step further by customizing it to the person being treated.
Each of us is 99.9% the same, but the 0.1% difference among us dramatically changes the picture. By tailoring the treatment to the individual, the researchers were able to work with that person’s brain specifically and demonstrate significant decreases in severity of PTSD symptoms.
Ramos compared the two treatments to fixing a leaky roof: TMS, he said, is like putting a tarp over the leak to address the symptoms, while MeRT is more targeted, akin to replacing the broken shingles and addressing the problem at its source.
Breaking the mold
The path to FDA clearance began in 2024, when MeRT received the FDA breakthrough design designation, said Rick Silva, PhD, executive director of clinical trials at the Institute of Biosciences and Technology.
This designation provides an expedited pathway for FDA review. Strict scientific and medical guidelines still must be met, but the designation can reduce some of the administrative tasks that can delay getting treatments to patients.
Reaching the final stages of FDA clearance is a time-consuming and rigorous task, but for those involved, it’s all worth it.
This project, Silva said, was especially gratifying because it began during the COVID-19 pandemic and moved very quickly for an FDA clearance. While medical device clinical trials typically take around a decade to complete and gain FDA clearance, this was done in just over two years, he said.
The rigor it takes to succeed in this space reflects the expertise and talent of the Wave Neuroscience team, and it could not have been done without them, he added.
“I’ve been involved in probably close to 1,000 projects in academic medical centers over the years at varying degrees of depth and detail,” Silva said. “Patients are why I do what I do. It’s hard, and the failure rate is high, and it’s a lot of work. But when you get to a point where something is going to benefit patients, it’s very professionally gratifying and personally gratifying in many ways as well.”
For Israel Liberzon, MD, distinguished professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Texas A&M Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine, the clearance represents an important addition to the PTSD treatment landscape.
Liberzon served as the lead psychiatrist and PTSD expert for the study. He said once this treatment gets to patients, it will be the only non-medication treatment option for PTSD cleared by the FDA.
“Right now, the FDA has approved only two medications for PTSD,” Liberzon said. “It doesn’t mean that only two of them are used, but both are SSRIs. This is the first time that in addition to the medication, we have a non-medication option. There is psychotherapy that people use for PTSD, but psychotherapies require a lot of effort. People must participate actively, and many drop out because it’s too anxiety provoking. So now we have a unique alternative.”
The MeRT clinical trial involved five sessions per week over five to six weeks. The beneficial effects appear to be long-lasting beyond the termination of treatment.
“People living with PTSD have been left with trial-and-error treatment, medications and their side effects, and limited outcomes—even when treated by the most dedicated and experienced physicians,” Won said. “Wave’s FDA clearance signals a fundamentally different future: one in which PTSD can be objectively evaluated, precisely treated and meaningfully healed.”
The technology could eventually have applications beyond PTSD, Won said, including depression, anxiety and other conditions.
Hope on the horizon
For Leslie S. Prichep, PhD, chief scientific officer of Wave Neuroscience, the clearance signals a new era for mental healthcare.
“The FDA clearance of the MeRT System reflects decades of scientific research using electrophysiological biomarkers in identifying abnormal brain activity profiles and guiding personalized intervention strategies,” Prichep said. “We believe this represents an important advancement toward a more objective, data-informed model of mental healthcare.”
Walke said this alternative provides hope to those struggling with PTSD and their loved ones. He also hopes the more individualized approach will help reduce the stigma around mental health, as treatment becomes like putting a cast on a broken bone.
“One of the goals of the company is to create a platform for mental healthcare that uses objective imagery to help patients understand why they’re experiencing life the way that they are,” Walke said. “That insight, compounded with proven technologies, promises incredibly high efficacy when personalized.”
Alongside Texas A&M Health, Wave Neuroscience is working with key stakeholders to broaden access to the treatment and ensure it is affordable for patients through insurance coverage.
“Our hope is that this research and technology can be a catalyst for more widespread development and innovation of more effective, personalized and precision-guided treatments,” Won said. “This is proof positive that population-scale personalized medicine is not just an aspirational goal but is an achievable reality today.”
The MeRT team brings together decades of expertise spanning disciplines and technology, all with the goal of reducing suffering for people living with PTSD. FDA clearance brings them one step closer to that goal.
“Texas A&M has a very rich history of military and veteran priorities,” Ramos said. “It’s a no-brainer that Texas A&M faculty would be interested in and supportive of an initiative that hopefully would bring positive solutions to a big problem. And anything we could do to help alleviate that problem is going to go a long way towards making a difference in the individual’s life as well as the people who are close to them. I feel very fortunate that we at Texas A&M were meaningfully involved in this project.”
By LASHA MARKHAM for VITAL RECORD
SAN ANTONIO, TX – July 27, 2026 – As Americans continue commemorating our nation’s 250thanniversary, The National Military Monument will open to the public on July 28, offering a one-of-a-kind tribute honoring more than 41 million Americans who have answered the call to serve across 250 years of our nation’s history. Located on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the monument invites visitors to reflect on the generations of Americans whose courage, sacrifice and commitment has shaped our country and safeguarded the freedoms we enjoy today.
Drawing from military and public records dating back to the Revolutionary War, the monument honors generations of Americans who answered the call to serve. Because no single historical record captures every individual who has served, the names displayed have been assembled from multiple trusted sources, such as National Public Records (Virginia Beneficiary Identification and Records Locator Subsystem, National Parks Service, WWII Army Enlistment, Multiple POW Lists), Veteran Service Organizations and USAA Members who opted in.
“This monument is ultimately about people,” said Juan C. Andrade, President and CEO of USAA. “Every name represents someone who stepped away from family and chose something greater than themselves. Their service has protected the freedoms we enjoy today and shaped the nation we call home. We hope every person who walks through The National Military Monument leaves thinking about someone they know who served, reflecting on their sacrifice and carrying forward a deeper sense of gratitude.”
This monument brings tradition and technology together, its towering double-sided flags blend classic monument design with cutting-edge digital screens that illuminate the names of generations of military servicemembers. As visitors walk alongside the monument, the flags appear to gently wave in the wind, creating a powerful reminder that behind every stripe is a person, a family and a story of service.
Throughout the installation, interactive kiosks invite visitors to search for parents, grandparents, siblings, friends and loved ones who have served. For many, the experience will transform from simply viewing a monument into discovering a personal connection to America’s military story.
Beginning July 28, visitors can also search online, confirm loved ones are included and submit names that are not yet represented, allowing this living tribute to continue growing over time. Due to privacy protections and the availability of public records, some currently serving military members and veterans may not yet appear.
The National Military Monument opens to the public at 10:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, July 28, and admission is free. Visitors can learn more, search for names and submit additional records by visiting USAA.com/Monument250.
More than a monument, this installation stands as a national expression of gratitude and respect for the millions of Americans whose service has defined our country’s first 250 years and continues to safeguard its future.
NEWINGTON, N.H., (July 9, 2026) – SIG SAUER, an industry-leading manufacturer of cutting-edge firearms, electro-optics, ammunition, and advanced concepts, recognized four Medal of Honor recipients for their sacrifice, service, and commitment and presented each soldier with a commemorative SIG SAUER pistol.
At the SIG SAUER Experience Center in Epping, N.H., Master Sergeant Earl D. Plumlee, Staff Sergeant David G. Bellavia, Staff Sergeant Salvatore A. Giunta, and Staff Sergeant Ryan M. Pitts, received commemorative SIG SAUER M17 pistols. The SIG SAUER M17 and M18 are the official sidearms of America’s Armed Forces.
Master Sergeant Plumlee, Staff Sergeant Bellavia, Staff Sergeant Giunta, and Staff Sergeant Pitts were each awarded the Medal of Honor for their service during the War on Terrorism and for unique acts of bravery that risked their own lives to save and protect others. Their stories of extraordinary heroism can be viewed at the Congressional Medal of Honor Society website.
About the Commemorative SIG SAUER Pistol
In line with its mission to support the military, SIG SAUER has a strong history of recognizing U.S. servicemembers, including in 2019 presenting a commemorative SIG MK25 pistol to Medal of Honor recipient Command Master Chief Britt Slabinski and releasing a short documentary honoring his service. In 2025, the SIG SAUER Experience Center Museum hosted a tribute display for Medal of Honor recipient Captain Larry L. Taylor showcasing his heroic service in Vietnam. In 2026, SIG recognized the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary at the Pentagon with commemorative M17 pistols for the Secretary of the Army and Army leadership.
EL PASO, Texas – A federal jury convicted a former U.S. Army civilian contractor in El Paso for stealing more than 200 pallets of Meals-Ready-to-Eat (MREs) valued at approximately $1,120,000, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons. The case is being prosecuted in support of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Joseph Lavar Davis, 47, was named along with three other co-defendants in a two-count indictment on Feb. 12, 2025, for conspiracy to commit theft of government property and a substantive count of theft of government property between Feb. 24, 2020, and Aug. 12, 2020.
On Aug. 12, 2020, FBI and Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division agents executed a search warrant at a civilian warehouse in El Paso, where they found about 100 pallets of MREs. The investigation revealed that the owner of the company using the warehouse was purchasing the MREs from individuals who had stolen them from Ft. Bliss.
Each of the indicted individuals played a role in the scheme, which involved a civilian contractor who knew how to request and pick up the MREs, a soldier to assist in picking up and transporting the MREs, an intermediary between the buyer of the MREs and these two individuals, and the civilian who sold the MREs online.
The investigation showed a scheme involving false paperwork to obtain MREs from Ft. Bliss, truck rentals to transport the MREs, coordination among the co-conspirators to pick up and deliver the MREs, communications and financial transactions between the co-conspirators.
While in the Army, Davis held a position in food service supply where he gained knowledge of the process to obtain MREs. Upon retirement, he was hired into a similar position as a civilian contractor and used that position to exploit the process and steal MREs from Ft. Bliss.
Davis created false requests, rented trucks to transport the MRE pallets, and picked up or arranged for others to pick up the MREs from Ft. Bliss. Davis also coordinated various individuals involved to obtain, deliver, and receive payment for the MREs. Davis both negotiated the sales price and received payment for the MREs.
“Joseph Davis betrayed the very country he once swore to protect in an effort to satisfy his own selfish ambition and a jury of his peers held him accountable for it,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. “Rooting out fraud that undermines our government and our military readiness is a priority of this administration. I want to thank our Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Lori Hughes and Mallory Rasmussen, as well as our support staff and law enforcement partners, for their excellent work in bringing this fraudster to justice. Their dedication resulted in a win for the Western District of Texas, a win for Justice, and a win for the American people.”
“This conviction should send a clear message the FBI and our law enforcement partners at the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division make it a priority to bring to justice those who resort to theft of government property for ill-gotten gain”, said Jarod Brown, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI El Paso Field Office. “We are stronger when we work together to seek justice and will continue to combat these issues through strong partnerships.”
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lori Hughes and Mallory Rasmussen are prosecuting the case.
From U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Texas
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (‘Fraud Division’). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
