Trailer Episode

Ryan "Bacon" Nelson: From Lost to Purpose-Driven Mission Coordinator : An Eagle Ops Story

Ryan "Bacon" Nelson was a Marine Corps veteran, NBC specialist, combat deployment survivor, and by his own admission.... a guy who had no business walking into a veteran organization in his mid-30s. Then a fellow Marine dragged him to a backyard fire pit in Tulsa. He broke a chiminea within the first ten minutes. And he never really left. In this conversation with Eagle Ops founder Shep, Ryan walks through his full journey from joining the Marine Corps to change himself before 9/11 flipped everything upside down, to coming home without a clear direction, to finding his purpose through a mission that asks one simple question before every decision: Will it help veterans? He talks about the stat that doesn't get enough airtime that over 6,000 veterans die by suicide every year in the U.S., more than 100 times the combat losses from 20 years of war. And why upstream community is the answer that organizations like Eagle Ops are quietly building, one Rally Point at a time. This episode is about what real service looks like, what real leadership looks like, and what happens when a guy who thought nonprofits were just PR vehicles finds out he was built for exactly this. Eagle Ops is a veteran-focused nonprofit connecting Oklahoma veterans through community, events, and shared mission. Learn more at eagleops.org [http://eagleops.org]. Free top 5 Vet resources Guide; https://resources.eagleops.org/eagle-ops--veteran-resource-guide-funnel [https://resources.eagleops.org/eagle-ops--veteran-resource-guide-funnel]

Rally Points, Loneliness & Why Presence Is the Best Medicine | Dr. Carter Check PT1

What separates PTSD from moral injury? VA clinical chaplain and suicide prevention specialist Dr. Carter Check joins Shep on the Eagle Ops Rally Point Podcast to answer that question and a lot more. Drawing from his own military story, decades of work with veterans at the Eastern Oklahoma VA, and a doctoral dissertation from Vanderbilt, Carter breaks down why the deepest wounds veterans carry don't show up on MRIs, why "treating" veterans may actually work against healing, and how Eagle Ops Rally Points are scientifically interrupting the loneliness and isolation that drive veteran suicide. Real, raw, and deeply human. This is Part 1 of 2. Learn more about Healing in the Wild and Dr. Check here: www.drcartercheck.com [http://www.drcartercheck.com] visit www.Eagleops.org [http://Eagleops.org] for resources and more info

Denied by the VA? Why It's Not the End: More with Brian Jeffries from the Oklahoma Department of Veteran Affairs

Were you ever denied by the VA and just stopped trying? This episode is for you. Rally Point welcomes Bryan Jeffries, Outreach Director for the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs and a retired Army veteran who has helped connect more than 5,000 veterans to the benefits they earned. He breaks down the myths that keep veterans from getting what they're owed: why deploying has nothing to do with being a veteran, how the income/means test trap works, what the PACT Act actually covers, and why a past denial is often just the starting line. Brian walks through all four levels of the VA appeals process, shares the outreach story that still sticks with him a Vietnam veteran who went from a 1974 denial to 100% Permanent & Total with six-figure back pay in one afternoon and explains the employer resource fair model that signs veterans up on the clock while saving companies money. The bottom line: your benefits are yours, you earned them, and help is free. Never pay a company that "guarantees" a rating accredited VSOs like Eagle Ops, ODVA, the American Legion and VFW do it at no cost. Connect with Eagle Ops and the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, or find an accredited agent in your state at va.gov [http://va.gov]. We'll meet you at the next Rally Point!

Military Families Carry the Weight Too | Jessica Shepherd’s Story

In this episode of the Rally Point Podcast, Eagle Ops co-founder Jessica Shepherd shares the deeply personal story behind Eagle Ops and the realities many veterans and military families face after service. Jessica opens up about watching her husband transition out of the Marine Corps, the loss of military brotherhood, and the emotional impact of helping her Vietnam veteran father navigate the VA system after decades of silence. This episode is about connection, healing, purpose, and why no veteran should walk the journey home alone. Topics include: * Military transition * Veteran isolation * VA disability claims * Vietnam veterans * Family support * Building community after service * The origin story of Eagle Ops Learn more at: https://eagleops.org [https://eagleops.org]

Reach One More: The Eagle Ops Founder Story With Shep & Jessica

In the first episode of the Eagle Ops Podcast, co-founder Jessica Shepherd sits down with her husband and Marine Corps veteran and Eagle Ops co-founder Johnathon "Shep" Shepherd to share the founder story behind one of Oklahoma's most active veteran nonprofits. Shep walks through his journey from a single-mom household in Catoosa, to enlisting in the Marine Corps after a recruiter challenged him with one question, to becoming a meritoriously promoted Sergeant in 34 months. He opens up about the hardest years after transitioning home: the isolation, the struggle, and the night in September 2007 that became the turning point. From that moment, Shep and Jessica began building what would eventually become Eagle Ops: a nonprofit reaching veterans and their families across Oklahoma through Rally Points designed to fight loneliness and isolation, the two biggest threats to veteran wellness. If you're a veteran or family member feeling alone, this episode is for you. The cost of admission is showing up. Learn more and find a Rally Point near you at eagleops.org [http://eagleops.org].